Good Books You May Have Missed

It seems like there are endless lists of books labled "must read" issued on a weekly if not daily basis from Oprah to the New York Times. With all those choices, how do you decide what to read?

Book Clubs: We Want Chelmsford's 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 Chelmsford residents 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 as reading a well-written, compelling true story. 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. 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. But Zamperini's tale of surviving an Army Air Forces plane crash in the Pacific, then years as a POW is intriguing and …

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What's On Your 'Must Read' List for February?

James Patterson's cover girl looks like Mandy Moore, to me, and Dan Brown has another book coming out.

  For all your voracious readers out there, here's a look at some of the hottest books of February, according Barnes & Noble: "Inferno" by Dan Brown: This book doesn't even hit the shelves for three more months, but pre-orders make it one of the hottest books right now. Brown, of NH – an of course, "Da Vinci Code" fame, will likely have another movie deal on his hands: About the book: In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces…Dante’s Inferno. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret …

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Vivian Merrill

1:22 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Do 1040 tax forms count as reading? Arggh!   more ›

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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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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Presenting the Tailgate Book Club

Make the most of pre-game time and halftime by reading and talking about these great books!

Are you enjoying the football and basketball seasons? Kids across the country sure are! You can be an ALL-STAR parent without missing even one of the season’s big games! And we don’t just mean you’ll be playing and watching and cheering, but you’ll be reading the best books about sports out there. PatchReads and ReadKiddoRead want to get you and your kids talking about some great sports books with the Tailgate Book Club. Follow these steps to make the most of pre-game time, halftime, and all the days in between. Step 1: Pick a book each week based on the ReadKiddoRead Tailgate Book Club List, and have all your friends and their kids read it before game day. Step 2: Gather everyone together for the game. During half-time, put the TV on mute…

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Andrew Sylvia

3:11 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012

Hi Anna! We've been averaging 2 to 3 Patch Reads articles like this one per month recently. Everybody's also welcome to add local voices columns on books of their own! Just click on the "start a blog" button or go to chelmsford.patch.com/blog   more ›

'10 Fat Turkeys' And More Thanksgiving Reads

Celebrate next week's holiday by reading some of these Thanksgiving-themed books.

  Although it's not as famous as Halloween or Christmas, the Thanksgiving holiday does have it's fair share of literature dedicated to it. Whether you're young and still reading picture books, or an adult, we have a little something for everyone in our Patch Reads book list. So grab your turkey and enjoy some books as side dishes!   Younger readers: 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving—In a switch on the classic Clement Moore poem, some boys and girls have an eventful Thanksgiving eve. If You Lived In Colonial Times—This book outlines what the lives were like for the Pilgrims and Colonists from 1565 to 1776. The First Thanksgiving—Geared toward beginner readers, this book tells the story of the first Thanksgiving with lots of illustrations…

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