The Runner Stumbles

The Runner Stumbles
Author: Milan Stitt
Publisher: Dramatists Play Service Inc
Total Pages: 76
Release: 1976
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 9780822209751

THE STORY: A young nun has died under mysterious circumstances in a remote parish in northern Michigan, and her superior, Father Rivard, has been charged with her murder. The action alternates between interrogations, testimony and scenes from the p

Isadore's Secret

Isadore's Secret
Author: Mardi Link
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2010-04-23
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0472026569

"In Isadore's Secret, Mardi Link shines a journalist's lamp on this dark, quiet corner of Michigan's history, assuring that the tragic story of Sister Janina is not forgotten. Link's telling is fascinating and thorough, making a story you will not soon forget." ---Steve Lehto, author of Death's Door A gripping account of the mysterious 1907 disappearance of a young nun in a northern Michigan town and the national controversy that followed when she turned up dead and buried in the basement of her own church. Swinging planks of lantern light shine through the musty air and onto the dirt floor of the church basement. The oddly glowing rectangles syncopate over the damp ground and illuminate even the darkest, stooped-down corners of the space beyond. The only sound is the ragged breathing of two men, a young parish priest and a much older laborer. Aboveground these men belong completely to this place, in both body and soul. A glimpse of their faces anywhere in the sanctuary, the rectory, the school, the barn, or the gardens would be a welcome sight. But here below, these men of Isadore are interlopers. Only trespassers would sneak silently into the church's sloped underbelly without witness to carry out such a sinful and secret errand as this one. Despite their tools, and their lantern, and their resolve, neither is equipped for the task at hand or for what is to come. Mardi Link, a former crime reporter, was named Antioch's Betty Crumrine Scholar for Creative Nonfiction in 2007. Her first book, When Evil Came to Good Hart, also published by the University of Michigan Press, spent four months on the Heartland Indie Bestseller List. This true story was the basis for the Broadway play The Runner Stumbles and the film of the same name. Front cover: Photograph of cemetery © John L. Russell, Great Lakes Images; image of face ©iStockphoto.com/duncan1890.

Spy Runner

Spy Runner
Author: Eugene Yelchin
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2019-02-12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1250120829

In Spy Runner, a noir mystery middle grade novel from Newbery Honor author Eugene Yelchin, a boy stumbles upon a secret that jeopardizes American national security. It's 1953 and the Cold War is on. Communism threatens all that the United States stands for, and America needs every patriot to do their part. So when a Russian boarder moves into the home of twelve-year-old Jake McCauley, he's on high alert. What does the mysterious Mr. Shubin do with all that photography equipment? And why did he choose to live so close to the Air Force base? Jake’s mother says that Mr. Shubin knew Jake’s dad, who went missing in action during World War II. But Jake is skeptical; the facts just don’t add up. And he’s determined to discover the truth—no matter what he risks. Godwin Books

The Runner

The Runner
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2013-01-15
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1442489162

You can run from something, or toward something—but can you do both at the same time? Book four in the Newbery-winning cycle from Cynthia Voigt. Bullet Tillerman runs. He runs to escape the criticism of his harsh, unforgiving father. He runs to numb the pain of his mother’s inability to express her love. He is the star of the school track team, but he isn’t a team man and doesn’t want to be. Bullet runs for himself. So Bullet doesn’t understand why he’s been asked to train a new team member, and he’s not looking forward to the task. But in coaching Tamer Shipp, Bullet learns some things about himself—who he is, and who he can perhaps become.

How to Lose a Marathon

How to Lose a Marathon
Author: Joel Cohen
Publisher: Abrams
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2017-04-04
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1683350804

A marathon runner and writer for The Simpsons offers sage advice for those who want to push their limits . . . even if they lag behind everyone else. In How to Lose a Marathon, Joel Cohen takes readers on a step-by-step journey from being a couch potato to becoming a couch potato who can finish a marathon. Through a hilarious combination of running tips, narrative, illustrations, and infographics, Cohen breaks down the misery that is forcing yourself to run. From the agony of chafing to the best times to run, explaining the phenomenon known as the “Oprah Line,” and exposing the torture that is a premarathon expo, Cohen acts as your satirical guide to every aspect of the runner’s experience. Offering both real advice and genuine commiseration with runners of all skill levels, How to Lose a Marathon lets you know that even if you believe that the “runner’s high” is a complete myth, you can still survive all 26.2 miles of a marathon.

The Dark of the Sun

The Dark of the Sun
Author: Wilbur Smith
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction Ltd.
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2018-01-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1785765906

An action-packed thriller by global sensation, Wilbur Smith. 'A master storyteller' - Sunday Times 'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times 'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror The highest prize comes at the highest price... Captain Bruce Curry has a simple enough mission: to lead his mercenary soldiers to rescue a town cut off by rebel fighting in the Belgian Congo. But events quickly take a turn for the worse as it becomes clear that the town's diamond supplies are the real focus of the mission. And where there is treasure, danger always seems to follow. It isn't long before Curry finds something even more valuable than diamonds in the town. Something he'll do anything to protect. And soon he discovers that his most deadly enemies might be those closest to him . . .

Out and Back

Out and Back
Author: Hillary Allen
Publisher: Blue Star Press
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2021-04-06
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 194451595X

In 2017, world-class ultrarunner Hillary Allen was ranked #1 in the world sky running series when she fell 150 feet off a mountain ridge, breaking multiple bones and suffering a life-altering blow to her body and athletic career. Out and Back recounts Allen's fight to rehabilitate her body, rebuild her belief in herself, and return to the life and sport she loves. "Powerful and affecting. Hillary is an indomitable force." —Dean Karnazes, New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned ultramarathon athlete Ultramarathon runner and North Face-sponsored athlete Hillary Athlete felt like she was on top of the world in 2017 as she competed in Norway's Tromsø Skyrace. Then, nearly halfway through the 50-kilometer race, Allen fell 150 feet off an exposed cliff ridge, fracturing her back and breaking multiple ribs, both feet, and both of her lower arms. Beginning with the dramatic story of her nearly-fatal accident and remarkable rescue, Out and Back chronicles Allen's incredible road to recovery and how she navigated the physical and mental health hurdles along the way. With vulnerability that reveals remarkable courage, Allen's memoir is a powerful reminder that no matter what setbacks you face in life—injuries, break-ups, job losses, rejections—you have strength inside that you never knew existed. Out and Back is an amazing story of resilience that shows how someone can nearly lose everything and then work hard to heal and come out stronger on the other side. Today, Allen sees her 150-feet fall not as an accident, but as a moment of enlightenment that allowed her to reevaluate her entire life, see the beauty and importance of community, and fall back in love with nature and the reasons she started running in the first place. Allen's story teaches you that the path forward is not always linear, that healing takes time, and that the process of rediscovery is ongoing as you reach within and find what it takes to survive—and thrive. Out and Back is an inspiring read for anyone who wants to bet big on themselves, learn how to live fearlessly, and build the courage to reclaim your life, one day at a time.

Born to Run

Born to Run
Author: Christopher McDougall
Publisher: Profile Books
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2010-12-09
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 184765228X

A New York Times bestseller 'A sensation ... a rollicking tale well told' - The Times At the heart of Born to Run lies a mysterious tribe of Mexican Indians, the Tarahumara, who live quietly in canyons and are reputed to be the best distance runners in the world; in 1993, one of them, aged 57, came first in a prestigious 100-mile race wearing a toga and sandals. A small group of the world's top ultra-runners (and the awe-inspiring author) make the treacherous journey into the canyons to try to learn the tribe's secrets and then take them on over a course 50 miles long. With incredible energy and smart observation, McDougall tells this story while asking what the secrets are to being an incredible runner. Travelling to labs at Harvard, Nike, and elsewhere, he comes across an incredible cast of characters, including the woman who recently broke the world record for 100 miles and for her encore ran a 2:50 marathon in a bikini, pausing to down a beer at the 20 mile mark.

Z for Zachariah

Z for Zachariah
Author: Robert C. O'Brien
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1665911646

In this post-apocalyptic novel from Newbery Medal–winning author Robert C. O’Brien, a teen girl struggling to survive in the wake of unimaginable disaster comes across another survivor. Ann Burden is sixteen years old and completely alone. The world as she once knew it is gone, ravaged by a nuclear war that has taken everyone from her. For the past year, she has lived in a remote valley with no evidence of any other survivors. But the smoke from a distant campfire shatters Ann’s solitude. Someone else is still alive and making his way toward the valley. Who is this man? What does he want? Can he be trusted? Both excited and terrified, Ann soon realizes there may be worse things than being the last person on Earth.

Reborn on the Run

Reborn on the Run
Author: Catra Corbett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2018-05-15
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1510729038

"This is a story you’ll love and never forget."—Christopher McDougall, author, Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes Aside from her rock star looks, Catra Corbett is a standout in the running world on her accomplishments alone. Catra is the first American woman to run over one hundred miles or more on more than one hundred occasions and the first to run one hundred and two hundred miles in the Ohlone Wilderness, and she holds the fastest known double time for the 425-miles long John Muir Trail, completing it in twelve days, four hours, and fifty-seven minutes. And, unbelievably, she's also a former meth addict. After two years of addiction, Catra is busted while selling, and a night in jail is enough to set her straight. She gives up drugs and moves back home with her mother, abandoning her friends, her boyfriend, and the lifestyle that she came to depend on. Her only clean friend pushes her to train for a 10K with him, and surprisingly, she likes it—and decides to run her first marathon after that. In Reborn on the Run, the reader keeps pace with Catra as she runs through difficult terrain and extreme weather, is stalked by animals in the wilderness, and nearly dies on a training run but continues on, smashing running records and becoming one of the world's best ultrarunners. Along the way she attempts suicide, loses loved ones, falls in love, has her heartbroken, meets lifelong friends including her running partner and dachshund TruMan, and finally faces the past that led to her addiction.