BOOK EXCERPT: 'Overthinking the Marathon'

An excerpt from Arlington resident Ray Charbonneau's new book on marathon training.

Ray Charbonneau's new book, Overthinking the Marathon, is like having Ray as your partner for a season of training, 17 weeks that culminate in the 2012 Cape Cod Marathon. Some days Ray talks about the nitty-gritty details, other days, it's about the things that make running interesting and fun, even – no, especially – when it hurts. It's all leavened with a dry humor that acknowledges that one mid-packer's race isn't going to change the world. You have to make a lot of decisions when training for a marathon. In this excerpt, Ray decides on a target finishing time:  Monday, July 2nd Today was a strength-training day; also an oatmeal-cooking day. I like steel-cut oats for breakfast, usually with walnuts and some fruit, but it takes about 45 …

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Book Clubs: We Want Your Recommendations

Tell us what you're reading right now using this nifty form on Patch!

As part of our ongoing Patch Reads program, we are actively seeking input from you on what you are reading right now. Fill out this form and tell us what you and your book clubs are reading and why. Then we'll share it with others so that we can all benefit from your book club recommendations.

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Narrative Nonfiction: Five Must-Read Books

Harrowing plane crashes, a true Bronx tale and more.

Nothing is as satisfying to me as reading a well-written, compelling true story. Which is why I love narrative nonfiction.  The genre reads like fiction — it has plot, character development, scene-setting, conflict — but it's all true. Sometimes the best stories are not the ones we make up, but the ones that make up our lives. Below, in no particular order, is a list of five of my favorite narrative nonfiction books — old and new. If you're looking for a good read, I encourage you to check out any on this list. You just may have a hard time putting these titles down. 1. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand At times, the tale of Olympic runner and World War II prisoner of war Louis Zamperini seems ripped from the set of an adventure or war movie…

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5 Things You Need To Know Today

Robbins Library's First-Ever Queer Book Group to Meet Next Week

The group will meet from 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the library's fourth-floor conference room.

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 19. Here are five things you need to know: 1.) The Robbins Library’s first-ever Queer Book Group will meet from 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the library’s fourth-floor conference room. The group’s first book is Jeanette Winterson’s “Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?” Copies are available at the library’s front desk. 2.) Nancy T. Galkowski, Arlington’s former deputy town manager, died Friday, Feb. 15, from pancreatic cancer. She was 58. Read more. 3.) POLL: Bottled-water ban for Arlington? 4.) Week in Review: Bottled water, overnight parking and leaf blowers. 5.) There’s expected to be some rain showers today with a high near 47, according to the National Weather Service.

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VIDEO: A Challenge Made

Arlington's 'Library Card Challenge' has been accepted by Belmont, Lexington and Somerville.

Robbins Library Director Ryan Livergood recently issued a challenge to his colleagues in the surrounding communities. Livergood wanted to see which community could increase its new library card registration the most in February (percentage increase this February, compared to February 2012). “When I started as library director in April of 2012,” Livergood said, “one of the things I wanted to do was get out in our community and remind people of the value of a library card.” Belmont’s library director, Maureen Conners, Lexington’s Koren Stembridge and Somerville’s Maria Carpenter all accepted Livergood’s challenge, and at a Thursday press conference at Robbins Library, the stakes were laid out: The winning library will receive a platter of …

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Classic Books to Share with Your Children for Valentine's Day

From Charlotte's Web to Where the Wild Things Are, share these classic books with your children and encourage their love for reading.

“Where’s Pa Going with that Axe?” The Enduring Quality of Children’s Classics By Anita Silvey Courtesy of James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read Foundation The opening line of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web— “Where’s Pa going with that axe?”—has now been read by adults to eager young listeners for more than 60 years. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day have been picked up with enthusiasm for more than 50 years. For 75 years, parents have shared The Hobbit, and this year Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are turns 50. These books and others like them (Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables) bring …

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Preview This Winter's Hottest Books

Bestselling authors Sue Grafton, Jodi Picoult and more are releasing books this winter.

It might be chilly out, but book publishing is red hot right now. Several favorite bestselling authors are releasing books early in 2013. What are some of the most anticipated?

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What Was the Best Book You Read This Year?

It's that time of year: The internet is littered with best books lists for 2012. But why let critics and publishers get the last word? What was your favorite book this year?

It's December, which is the unofficial "taking stock" month of the Internet. And one of the Internet's favorite year-end topics focuses on the best book of 2012. There are plenty of takes to choose from, like the newsy list, the most-purchased list, the best-as-voted-by-social-media-users list, the traditional list, the contrarian publication's list. We could go on. But now it's time to hear from you. What was the best book you read in 2012? And best, of course, is subjective. It can mean your favorite, the one you thought was crafted best, the one you thought was most thought-provoking. Or fun. Or important. It's up to you.  Got a favorite book you read in 2012? Use the comments section below to tell us what it was and why you loved it. 

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The Best Gift I Ever Got Was a Book, and That Book Was _____

ReadKiddoRead asked authors, athletes and celebrities to share their favorite books.

Courtesy of the ReadKiddoRead Foundation Are you giving books to your kids as gifts? Which ones are you picking out for friends and family? ReadKiddoRead asked authors, athletes and celebrities to finish this sentence: The Best Gift I Ever Got Was a Book, and That Book Was _____. Pick up some of these favorites for the kids in your life, or browse through ReadKiddoRead.com for books that are sure to please any young person this holiday season. Mark Teixeira  The best gift I ever got was a book; it was The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris.  The book is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, given to me by my friend and high school principal, Barry Fitzpatrick. While I can't single out any book as my favorite, this book stands out …

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The 2012 Holiday Book List

Books make great holiday gifts. Give your loved ones these books as stocking stuffers this holiday season.

When you give a child or a teen a book, you are creating a memory that will last a lifetime. What’s more, reading offers so many options. Are you trying to find a book for an early reader? Choose a picture book or a Great Beginner Read from the list below. Does your grandchild love nonfiction? Take a look at the Great Family Reads section. Has your niece read every book known to man? There are some brand new books on this list that she may not have seen yet. Do you struggle to find just the right book to entice your child to read? These selections are sure kid-pleasers that will meet any interest. The ReadKiddoRead holiday gift list has something for everyone: realistic fiction, science fiction, and nonfiction; animal stories, mythology …

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