Running, Track and Field discussion

Hey All,
I'm new here to goodreads so if I breach etiqutte, I do apologize. Thought everyone might be interested in my new novel, Chasing Ghosts. Set in Philly, it's about a runner, nearing thirty, who decides to take one last shot at greatness. It's available currently on Amazon and for the kindle. If you have any questions, drop me a line.

John Parker, author of Once a Runner, published last year a sequel entitled Again to Carthage. I've not yet read the sequel, but if it is as good as Once a Runner then I look forward to reading this latest effort by Mr. Parker.

Have any of you read Again to Carthage? What is your view of the book?

Interesting stuff. The only book I've read that had running in it is Marathon Man

Douglas wrote: "John Parker, author of Once a Runner, published last year a sequel entitled Again to Carthage. I've not yet read the sequel, but if it is as good as [book:Once a Runner..."

If you read Once a Runner and enjoyed it (what runner didn’t like this book), I think you have to read Again to Carthage. That being said, Again to Carthage wasn’t that good. Quenton Cassidy is no longer the quirky college runner that most serious runners can relate to. He has morphed into a hot shot lawyer that can seem to do no wrong, professionally or socially, in spite of a who gives a f%#@ attitude. Then the Marathon he runs at the end seems more like a James Bond thriller (and every bit as hokey) than an inspiring Chariots of Fire I had hoped for. But seriously, you should read it.

Krusher wrote: "Douglas wrote: "John Parker, author of Once a Runner, published last year a sequel entitled Again to Carthage. I've not yet read the sequel, but if it is as good as [bo..."

Krusher,

Given your unvarnished, tough appraisal of
[book:Again to Carthage|2124589], I may take a pass on this one. Nevertheless, you still recommended it despite your views on the book. Perhaps we should read it as a Group project and share opinions.

What do y'all think?

Doug in South Carolina

I loved Once a Runner. It was one of my inspirations-along with years of running experience- to write Chasing Ghosts. Parker's Again to Carthage is good, but not the classic that Once a Runner is. I do think it's worth the read, however.

I'd be interested in reading "Again to Carthage." I was a fan of "Once A Runner" back when it came out, and would like to see what author John Parker has done with a sequel.

Steven wrote: "I'd be interested in reading "Again to Carthage." I was a fan of "Once A Runner" back when it came out, and would like to see what author John Parker has done with a sequel."

Steven,

I too was a fan of Once a Runner, having read it at least twice since the 1970s. I read some reviews online about the sequel; apparently, some critics opined that Again to Carthage did not live up to its prequel.

But like any other instance, we all should read it for ourselves. John L. Parker, Jr. deserves our thanks and respect for his contributions to running and other aspects of our society.

Just published a new novel about a high school cross country team that is called Sitting Bull Run. Available on Amazon and ebooks. Been told the novel is a very good read.

Here is description on back cover:

Born a few years too late to be drafted into the Vietnam War, the seven seniors on the 1973 St. Theresa High School cross country team were a group of scrubbed prep boys who barely noticed the ebbing tide of the ghastly conflict in Southeast Asia. In fact, from their small seaside enclave of Bellport, New York, the war was unimaginable to them. It’s not because they couldn’t see it, besieged as they were by the newsreels and photographs. Rather, their world was the nearby ocean surf and downtown storefronts and, of course, the rugged cross country terrain, which for them represented their ultimate goal of winning the state championship that November. After a strong summer of training, where they dominated in several preseason races, they were well on the way to doing just that. But on a late August night, their world was turned upside down when for three of the team’s runners a confluence of hostile and sinister forces, with ties to the Catholic Church as well as the war, left their lives shattered and in ruin. Sitting Bull Run tells the dark but hopeful story of these three boys.