Hello Friend

Have you ever discovered a book that you've read before but had forgotten about? You decide, "I think I'll read this puppy again", and then open it, start reading, and feel like you've been reunited with a old friend.

The other day I unpacked a few of our boxes that had many of our hardback books inside. Hubby and I like to keep our hardback books if they were given to us as gifts, or if we really enjoyed it. Normally, we would donate books we've read or take them to a used books store to earn credit. So I pulled out all these book, most my hubby's, since he is the huge reader in our family. I stacked them on the coffee table, because that's what I do, make piles. When he got home I asked him to go through his books and decide if there were any he wanted to donate to make room. He kept the majority of them since they were pretty much his collection of Stephen King novels that he loved as a teenager and young adult. But he pulled out a few of mine and low and behold there it was... my old friend, "My Sergi".

If you have never heard of My Sergi it is a true love story of russian pairs skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergi Grinkov. Sergi Grinkov died by a fatal heart attack in 1995 during a routine training session, in front of his wife and partner Ekaterina ~ Katia. It is truly a loving tribute to her husband.

As a young teenager and young adult I use to love to watch the two perform. Watching in 1988 when they first won their Olympic Gold Medals, then later in 1994 Olympics', and then various televised competitions and programs. They skated so beautifully, and what girl doesn't love finding out that the two had fallen in love, and eventually married. His death was so very tragic ~ he was 29, a beautifully strong athlete. It was hard for everyone to believe that he died, and of a heart attack. When I saw that Katia had written a book I told my Hubby, at the time he was my boyfriend, that I really wanted it. That year, for Christmas I received it from his folks as a Christmas gift.

It's been quite sometime since I last read it, and I was debating weather I should hold on to it or donate. I thought "I'll just give it a read" to make my final decision. So that night I started to read it as the boys were watching a movie, and then spent the next day reading, and finished it. I tend to do that if I'm really into a book. I zone out, forget my duties around the house, and just read! Hubby came home yesterday to me curled up in a chair, reading My Sergi. I barley even said hi, and he had even brought me a treat home. He was so considerate, and sat there patiently while I finish the last two chapters with my eye's red from crying, and I really wanted to cry towards the end, but I held it in since hubby was there. Earlier I was crying my heart out since I was home alone ~ didn't matter how pathetic I looked, no one would know. After I finished, I took a deep breath and sighed. Yep ~ it's a keeper. Even though it is terrible sad, it is also so very sweet, and romantic. A definite keeper and if you love romance and memoirs I recommend you grab a copy with a box of tissues.