[Poll Ballot] Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube

[Lyn]

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North by Blair Braverman
3 stars

I am a huge fan of the Iditarod, and follow it each year. Last year (2019) there was a rookie musher by the name of Blair Braverman. In one of the race chat rooms, several of the Iditarod fans mentions that Blair had written a book. Since I try to read a book about mushing and mushers and dogs before each Iditarod, I decided to read this one this year.

It is a good book and interesting to read if you are interested in a young woman finding herself in the cold climates of Norway and Alaska. Blair shares personal experiences and talks about friends she makes and people she meets. It is her coming of age story. Since I was looking for a book about dogs and mushing, I was somewhat disappointed. There was a little about her experiences with the dogs and nothing really about her passion and love of the dogs and sport. The afterword was amazing and exactly what I was looking for in this book. I could have read 200 pages of that! Although I did enjoy reading about Norway and her Norwegian friends, Arild sounds like an amazing and special person. And having been there, I know how beautiful it is above the Arctic Circle in Norway.

When I picked up this book my plan was to decide which state would help my team the most. One person has tagged this "comedy", one person has tagged it "hiking", and 11 people have tagged it "nature". To tag this book comedy is an insult to the author who poured out her heart and soul to share her life with us. While she did share some amusing stories with us, it is far from comedy. As for the "hiking" tag, I am not sure why this book would be tagged hiking. Braverman does mention going on a hike once or twice in the book, but that's it. So that leaves nature and Idaho. How people tag books will continue to be a mystery to me.

[Theresa]

I too am a fan of the Iditarod. You have read Sue Henry's mystery set during it...a classic.

[Lyn]

Theresa wrote: "I too am a fan of the Iditarod. You have read Sue Henry's mystery set during it...a classic."

Sounds good, maybe that will be my next mushing book! Have you read Race Across Alaska: First Woman to Win the Iditarod Tells Her Story. That is one of my favorites. Libby Riddles was something else!

[Booknblues]

I responded in the Poll thread. I've read this book and really like it.

I enjoyed her stories and think that it may be even more relevant today. The Me Too aspect of it was swept under the table a bit by the editors who never called a rape a rape.

I love that she has now entered the Iditarod.