Pete Recommends...

A fantastic history of Boston whether you have read extensively on the city or if this is your first real exposure to the greatness that is Boston.

As an adventurous trailblazer I had already discovered many of these runs on my own, but if you can ever find a couple of these that work for you, then these books will be of tremendous value to you. If you can find 15 enjoyable miles of running routes and you put in a few hundred miles on these routes over the years then these books will be on of the best bargains that you've ever had.

If you were a thinker or artist in the mid-19th century then you knew the Peabody Sisters. I like to think that I might have been hanging out with their crowd.

It works both as an an adventure book and as a running book. I usually find books about ultra runners to be self glorifying and overly dramatic, but this book is full of great characters.

I love a book that has a strong sense of place and in Island, Alistair MacLeod has cast Cape Breton as his main character.

A history of New York City as told through the life of Cormac O'Connor which extends from 1741 to 2001. Despite the magic of the premise, this book is distinguished by the very real love that the author feels for his city. Unfortunately, O'Connor's story ends before A-Rod arrives so we don't get to see if his feelings about the city have been soiled.

Zena is one of the most evil, manipulative, and seductive characters that I have ever come across. I think I'm in love.

Part Dickens, part Angela's Ashes, it's incredible that people lived like this in modern day Boston.

An epic tale of magical realism that takes place over 140 years, I've been looking for another book like this for years now. I have connections to the Irish/Canadian roots of the story, but anyone who enjoys great writing will be taken by this book.