Two Boise women have written a collection of short stories about what it would be like to sit down with female authors who have passed away. They enjoy laughter, tears and drinks while asking questions that many of us have always wanted to ask but could not. As there have been wonderfully amazing women authors throughout history, the two imagine what it would be like to meet these very interesting ladies, sit down and enjoy their company.

The chapters are short, and usually the interviews are funny and engaging. Several notable interviews are Erma Bombeck, who enjoys tequila while talking about her work and what it meant to the women around the world who read her columns. There is also Margaret Mitchell, who had never seen the Wild West, so the authors imagine what it would be like if Margaret traveled out West to meet them. And then there is Jane Austen, who talked about her family and why she could write about love and marriage although she had never married.

My take: Each interview usually left me with questions of my own, and I wanted to look up several authors to see if I could find out more about them, such as Carson McCullers and her relationship with her husband Reeves, which truly sounded very dysfunctional.

The two authors of "Drinking" seemed to have so much fun with this book that they decided to try it again with "Drinking with Dead Drunks," about interesting men who are famous for either their works or their lifestyles.

My rating: I would recommend this as an enjoyable read that is short, funny and entertaining.