Summer Reading Update

At the beginning of summer, I posted a list of books I planned to read. Time for a progress report.

Two books were recommended by Running Times, Rachel Toor’s On the Road to Find Out and Mark Slouka’s Brewster. I read both. Measured my work against theirs – and was awed at some of the things that looked so effortless. I know better, know how hard that was for them. Nope, I haven’t reviewed either – and won’t.

Finished 101 Developmental Concepts & Workouts for Cross Country Runners and found it informative. A fast read packed with information. A largish variety of workouts to play with and I’ll suggest some for the upcoming season. Very happy to note that Paul Greer, San Diego Track Club coach, blurbed it. One of the most positive people I've ever met.

Midway through Pat Tyson excellent Coaching Cross Country Successfully. Right from the beginning you understand that Tyson was successful not because of gimmicks or luck. It was hard work, building programs for the runners one at a time and doing so with unflagging enthusiasm.

I haven’t started Bruce Brown’s Teaching Character Through Sport yet. Sheer laziness, that all I can blame it on.

Lest you think the only books I read are running related, here’s the rest from the last couple of months. No  links – I got bored. You can either get them or order them at your local bookstore. Or Amazon, of course.

Finished:

  • The Guards by Ken Bruen
  • The Magdalen Martyrs by Ken Bruen
  • Wannabe Distance God by Tim Tays
  • Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy Cohen
  • Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell
  • Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho
  • The Closers by Michael Connelly
  • Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
  • Inside Story by Dara Marks
  • The Cripple Creek District by the Cripple Creek Museum
  • Story Physics by Larry Brooks
  • A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

In the Middle of:

  • When Running was Young and So Were We by Jack Welch
  • Shift by Hugh Howey
  • Write, Publish, Repeat by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant
  • Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder
  • Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Al Zuckerman

Dipping in and out as the mood pleases:

  • Will You Please be Quiet, Please by Raymond Carver
  • And Then the Vulture Eats You edited by John L. Parker
  • The Best American Mysteries 2009 edited by Jeffery Deaver

Next Up:

  • Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn
  • Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich (one of my running heroes – and not for his running)
  • The Purple Runner by Paul Christman
  • Field Guide to Ultrarunning by Hal Koerner
  • Money Mountain by Marshall Sprague
  • Dust by Hugh Howey
  • Caro’s Book of Poker Tells by Mike Caro
  • Writing Mysteries edited by Sue Grafton
  • Social Engineering by Christopher Hadnagy
  • The Opportunity Equation  by Eric Schwarz
  • The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I’ve got another stack in the ‘someday’ pile plus a want-to read list over at Goodreads.

The last time my parents came to visit, I had to buy two bookcases to get everything off the floor. I’m running out of wall space for bookcases.

The obvious solution is a bigger house with more walls.

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Written by Paul Duffau On In Tagged , ,