Patina

Patina by Jason Reynolds, 233 pages

“Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team--a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash. She runs for many reasons--to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she's been sent to since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason WHY she's not able to live with her "real" mom any more: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom's legs will one day take her away forever. So Patty's also running for her mom, who can't. But can you ever really run away from any of this? As the stress builds up, it's building up a pretty bad attitude as well. Coach won't tolerate bad attitude. No day, no way. And now he wants Patty to run relay...where you have to depend on other people? How's she going to do THAT?”  I like this series but I really hate how they end.  However, this is a great series for kids who like realistic fiction, especially those that also like sports.

Darius & Twig

Darius & Twig by Walter Dean Myers, 201 pages

Darius and Twig are best friends, growing up in Harlem. Darius is smart and wants to be a writer. Twig is fast and wants to run. Twig is on the track team and is one of the best. He is likely to get a scholarship somewhere. Darius is thrilled for his friend but he worries about himself. He really wants to get out of Harlem, where he sees other kids getting caught up in gangs and little girls getting shot at block parties. His only real chance to get out is if he can get a scholarship but his grades slipped a little during a bad time with his family and his big chance to get schools to notice him is if he can get a story published in a magazine. The magazine liked his story but wants him to edit it and resubmit it and Darius just isn’t sure how to be true to the story and make the changes the magazine is asking for. This is a really great coming of age type of story that a lot of teen boys would probably like.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami, 180 pages

I was familiar with Murakami's name, but admittedly, had not read any of his works prior to this. Being introduced to him via a memoir may not have been the best route to go. However, I am a runner myself, and the title appealed to me. This book is not really a biography, but a narrative of his 25 years so far of long distance running, and his love/hate relationship with it. He also makes comparisons between his running and his writing, although the writing part did not stand out to me. He spends a lot of time really trying hard to just enjoy himself and it seems to be a goal that's always just out of reach. He runs a marathon each year, and more recently has started participating in triathlons as well. As a runner, his description of his mixed feelings for the sport were familiar to me (although I am new enough to it to lean way more toward the loving it side). He has also had the privilege of running in all parts of the globe, and in many types of scenery. It's a short read at only 180 pages, and definitely appeals to someone interested in running, but if you're looking for an enthralling memoir, look elsewhere.