Adventure Racing Books

the author had a gift for "Painting with words." I found this to be a wonderful, touching true story of one woman's relation to the sea, her husband, and the world around her. So very different from the typical "cruising the world" stories.

Written by a survivor of a traumatic and life-threatening sexual assault, Migael Scherer's Back Under Sail: Recovering The Spirit Of Adventure is about restoring a passion for experiencing life after having to endure unspeakable atrocity. Blending the challenges of learning to work with a skilled racing crew with the sometimes painful recovery from physical and emotional trauma, Back Under Sail is a powerful and life-affirming personal testimony. (...)

I liked this story it was really interesting and it is funny and it is cool how the car can do all those thing. When I saw the cover I thought it would be boring but it was very interesting I liked the movie the best but I liked the book to and I loved when she was looking for a car I thought that she was going to pick a diffrent car and then she picked herbie and it was awesome she did not like him at first and then she saw kevin and she loved herbie and they fixed herbie up really good and bet the best race car driver in the world and herbie had a mind of his own and it was awesome to see that she loved the car after they washed it up and she was keeping a secret she said she was maxx and she wasn't and she lied to her dad and the news and every body and the bad thing about it is that she lied to her dad and that is very very very bad and I wish that she would have just told them and not have to be in that kind of thing she did it I would not have done that if I were her I would not have lied and be in a bigger mess I would have just went on and told the truth but I don't like her ling because it is just not right for her to lie right in her dads face it hurt him more but then he was really mad because she did not tell him the truth the first time and that is why he was mad because she lied to him the first and then he was there when she toke off her helmet and he was very mad at her because he thought that she would not lie to him but then he saw her and then he did not beleive her no more then her brother got in a car reck and he picked magie to drive and her dad said it was okay with him and then her dad was happy again when she won her dad was so proud of her. that is all i had to say.THE END!!!!!!!!!!

Twenty-one-year-old Maggie Peyton has just graduated college, and is about to start a high-ranking, behind-the-scenes job at ESPN in the Big Apple. But first she must survive a month-long stint in her hometown of Riverside, California, where she is sure she will spend her time skateboarding. Oh yeah, and looking for a job that will cover her new apartment's first and last rent payments. However, when her father takes her to a used car lot, she is quickly drawn to Herbie, a white, '63 Love Bug that could use a bit of a paint job, as well as some other work under the hood. Which is how Maggie ends up getting involved with her best friend from high school, Kevin, who intends on fixing up Herbie, free of charge. The only catch is that Herbie has a complete mind of his own, and a heart for racing, which is how he and Maggie, along with Kevin, get mixed up with Trip Murphy, a professional racecar driver who bugs Herbie just as much as Maggie. Now the little car has decided that he's going to beat Trip in a race that Maggie's not even sure she wants to participate in. But when Herbie's driving, she has no choice.

I adore the past HERBIE movies, so hearing about the newest release HERBIE FULLY LOADED starring Lindsay Lohan, I knew that the film would capture my heart instantly. However, waiting is not one of my virtues, so when I saw the HERBIE FULLY LOADED novelization recently, I had to pick-it up. Irene Trimble has done a fabulous job of bringing the movie to life with this novelization. The characters are quirky and fun, and Herbie is completely adorable. While it is obvious from the movie trailers that the novelization cut parts of the movie out, it features enough to tide over any HERBIE fan until the movie is released to theaters. Overall, this is a must have novelization for HERBIE or Lindsay Lohan fans. You won't be disappointed!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Greetings! Mike Irwin of the StockCarFans Newsletters here...

I just finished book #6 of the Rolling Thunder series, "First to the Flag".

The book tells the tale of "Rocket" Rob Wilder, a young racer discovered at a small out-of-the-way track by the legendary Jodell Lee himself. The discovery gets Rob a job driving in the Grand National series for car owner Billy Winton, formerly "head wrench" for Jodell's Cup team. The Winton Racing Team has a highly visible software firm, Ensoft, as primary sponsor. Ensoft's head of marketing is Michelle Fagan, who just might have a crush on young Wilder. For some reason, though, Michelle introduces Rob to her cute blonde sister, Christy. Rob and Christy hit it off right away, and become "an item".

The book follows the path of "Rocket" Rob and Winton Racing through the Grand National season, including Rob's first trip to Daytona to race in the Daytona 300. Will Rob be able to handle the high speeds and drafting? How long will it be until he visits Victory Lane? Will the ol' green-eyed monster mean Rob has to choose between two attractive sisters? Read the book and find out!

Of all the books in this great "Rolling Thunder" series, I liked this one the most. The story moves along at a good pace, and the characters are well-developed. The book is extremely clean, and I recommend it for all ages. There is no bad language or adult situations, other than some drinking that ol' moonshine, and some kissing at the door at the end of a date. The book is suspenseful, and exciting, with a little romance and intrigue thrown in for those who enjoy those elements.

I have read every book of the series from the beginning up until this one with the exception of Young Guns the one before this one, and yet I didn't really miss anything. I found this book to be just as easy going as the style it is written in and like the rest just as clean. One thing I did miss was the linking of the modern day legends with the roles of the book. If you have read the others you know what I mean as in Richard Petty talking to the likes of Jodell and Bubba and Joe. Maybe they will get back to that in the new one which I have now. Other then that I have one more thing to say. Buy the book and enjoy it you want be let down

One of R. A. Montgomery's most sophisticated and bleak works, Last Run takes the reader inside a murky and sinister conspiracy. The protagonist is more richly detailed than most "you" characters, the setting (the Italian Dolomites) is interesting, and the endings, while largely unhappy, are dramatically satisfying. A must-read for all CYOA lovers.

I really enjoyed it, but for some reason, I could not find a ending where I demolished the Meridians. I wish that I did though. I thought that the plot was perfect. This was my most challenging Choose Your Own Adventure ever! It was well written and what I would say was the most wonderful and greatest book ever published. As a critic and fan of Choose Your Own Adventures, this was the literary masterpiece of young adult fiction everywhere. I acclaim it as a 10

I had never before bought a book on tape. So when ME Cooper's son, (former US MX Champion Guy Cooper), suggested that I buy a few to stock in my store, I was skeptical. However, I brought one of the books with me on an 8 hour drive to a meeting and before I realized it, I had listened to the entire thing! I didn't even want to pause long enough to fuel-up at a gas station! Fun and suspenseful, this story truly reflects the life of a professional motocross racer and adds the excitement of murder to racing! Kudos to Cooper on this one! Definitely recommend, even if you're not into motocross!

Hold on for your life as Chuck Conway goes to Mexico to get his racing career back on track. While amusing himself between races he runs into his ex-partner and ex-wife. Coincidence? Or is someone about to set him up? Accused of multiple murders, an Oklahoma law man is the only thing between Chuck and the Monterrey jail. Fast action, a perflexing mystery, and a fiesty love triangle make Murder in Mexico a riveting tale that will keep your engine running long after you get home.

It's not NASCAR or the Indy 500. It is small town, dirt track racing. There's dust in the air, and colorful characters racing their cars around the track. There's plenty of competition, an intense desire to win, and enough mystery and intrigue to keep even non-racing fans on the edge of their seats.

SATURDAY NIGHT DIRT is set at Headwaters Speedway in Minnesota. Mel Walters and her father, Johnny Walters, are struggling to keep their little race track in business. Johnny, once a driver himself, is now confined to a wheelchair after a tragic accident years ago. Mel's mother needed only a few short weeks to determine she couldn't stay married to a man in a wheelchair, so Mel and her dad have been on their own for quite some time.

Still in high school, Mel acts as track manager, and she is probably the sole reason for the track's continued success. The story begins and ends on one Saturday. Because of Mel's drive and determination, it's a Saturday that makes history for the track and just might breathe some new life into it.

Other members of the cast of characters include several young racers like Trace, Amber, and Beau hoping to make their mark in racing. There's Patrick, who handles parking and sings the national anthem before the night's racing begins. Maurice is a retired navy man who handles the signal flags like a pro. There are also the down-and-out racers like Sonny from the local reservation who lack the funds to really be taken seriously by the other competitors. Even the ever present threat of bad weather becomes a player in the non-stop action at the track. Each plays a part in the Saturday night excitement and helps make the story a real page-turner.

SATURDAY NIGHT DIRT is billed on the cover as "A Motor Novel." Hopefully, that means it is the first of many more. Weaver's book is especially excellent for reluctant guy readers, even if they don't have a special interest in the sport of dirt track racing.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Auto racing is the number one spectator sport in this country not because of NASCAR or Indy, but because of the hundreds of short tracks that run weekly programs from Pennsylvannia to Kansas to California. The drivers are hometown heroes -- the guy or girl who bags your groceries, runs the auto body shop, sits next to you at school. From the pits to the popcorn seller, the ensemble cast in this young adult novel is spot on accurate and real. Crashes, intrigue, romance -- a good story and no better way to get young people, even "motorheads," to read!

Marsh Muirhead - author of "Key West Explained - a guide for the traveler

Sea Of Dreams: Racing Alone Around The World In A Small Boat, by Adam Mayers is the riveting story of a fast-paced, around-the-world race for the "Around Alone" yacht race. Derek Hatfield in his yacht "Spirit of Canada" raced against twelve others around the world, beginning in New York Harbor, with stops in England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Brazil, and finally ending in Newport, Rhode Island. Sea Of Dreams is an amazing tale and very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone in search of a gripping and nautically inclined true-life story of a fearless pursuit of a dangerous race on the high seas.

This a great book, about the other solo around the world race. It reads like a thriller and taught me a lot of things I didn't know about solo sailing. Derek Lundy's Godforsaken Sea which was about the 96 Vendee was gripping and so is this one about the 02 Around Alone when the Cdn. Derek Hatfield was rolled over at the Horn and Brad Van Liew who lives in Charleston set new speed records for the race. His race was just as amazing. The other American guy Tim Kent was also a great story, getting stronger and stronger as the race went on.

I was originally turned on by the book "Becoming an Ironman" as I was training for my own first Ironman. This book had the same effect on me. The stories by the different athletes repeat similar tales of pain, adventure, pain, beautiful scenery, pain, and all-out efforts, but they also report another common experience that extends beyond that of individual sports: the rewards of developing team relationships that come from depending so completely upon each other during such a difficult event. The book does a great job of describing this exciting sport.

I've seen adventure racing on TV (Eco Challenge, Primal Quest, etc.). And those shows always concentrate on the drama, the beautiful people, and so on. This book, however, shows what adventure racing is all about. The 30 stories in this book are all from people who love the sport of adventure racing and have dedicated a part of their lives to the sport that they love.

There are stories from seasoned veterans and beginners -- all of which demonstrate how we can overcome great odds to reach the finish line. The lessons learned from these athletes will help athletes and non athletes alike. Great book!

If you enjoy hearing how an engine was developed for CART by some of the team members which developed the Honda engines that took Senna and Prost to F1 championships, then you will enjoy this book. It details info from the engineers at Honda and in the US and how they underestimated the complexity of CART and had to re-group and re-design the engine after failing to qualify for Indy. It is a book about the "inside" story. Not quite enough pictures about the engine or its internals (top secret I suppose), and a few too many of CART cars, but the text is where it's at with this book. An enjoyable read if you are a Honda racing fan.

This publication is of a very high standard in both content and production. Make sure you have a sturdy coffee table as it is a weighty volume.
Not only does it cover the Honda years in CART, but also gives an excellent overview of Honda's determination to succeed in all forms of motorsport both past and present.
Absolute value for money and a must for anyone who appreciates Honda's dedication to quality and winning.

Uh-oh! Something is behind the wheel. I know it will cause trouble in the race. I like this book a lot.