Thursday, Oct. 12

   Neil Young once told me about how he found country music and how much he loved it - "like an old dog circling a rug who finally found his spot." Never mind, that Young moved on soon - he meant it at the time. Jon Katz would like Young's phrase because the former journalist/tv producer has written five books keyed to canines, including his latest, "A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life." One thing we like about Katz's writing is he doesn't go completely ga-ga. Dogs have their place in our lives, but they don't replace people. That said, it has become Katz's metier - that and rural life, he told our pal Matt Robinson in the Globe. He used to write about our techno world; maybe this is his way of getting back in touch with things that matter, living, breathing things. Katz reads at Brookline Booksmith at 7 p.m., Oct. 12, free.

279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660 brooklinebooksmith.com