As I anxiously await NBA All-Star Weekend, I find myself thinking of the many books I love with sports at its core: whether it's an underdog story, a sports romance, or a coming-of-age tale, I love reading about characters who have a drive to be better athletes. Here's some of my favorites.
Man O' War
Cory McCarthy
YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Mccarthy Cory
Young Adult, LGBTQ+
On a field trip to SeaPlanet, seventeen-year-old Arab-American high school swimmer River McIntyre has a chance encounter with Indy, a happy, healthy queer person, which sets off a wrenching journey of self-discovery, from internalized homophobia and gender dysphoria, through layers of coming out, affirmation surgery, and true love.
Obie is man enough
Bailar, Schuyler, author.
jFICTION Bailar Schuyler
Obie knew his transition would have ripple effects. He has to leave his swim coach, his pool, and his best friends. But it's time for Obie to find where he truly belongs. As Obie dives into a new team, though, things are strange. Obie always felt at home in the water, but now he can't get his old coach out of his head. Even worse are the bullies that wait in the locker room and on the pool deck. Luckily, Obie has family behind him. And maybe some new friends too, including Charlie, his first crush. Obie is ready to prove he can be one of the fastest boys in the water--to his coach, his critics, and his biggest competition: himself.
This heartwarming middle grade novel features a transgender swimmer as he struggles with masculinity and finds joy in being himself.
- Bailey
Haikyu!!
Furudate, Haruichi, 1983- author, artist.
MANGA Furudate Haikyu
"Ever since he saw the legendary player known as 'the Little Giant' compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else? After losing his first and last volleyball match against Tobio Kageyama, 'the King of the Court,' Shoyo Hinata swears to become his rival after graduating middle school. But what happens when the guy he wants to defeat ends up being his teammate?!,"
This manga series is so uplifting, following an underdog team with an unmatched drive to improve and be the best that they can be. What I love about this series is that even the smallest side characters get a backstory, but at it's core, this book features Shoyo Hinata, a short rookie with not much skill, but a love for volleyball and a drive to keep improving.
- Bailey
She drives me crazy
Quindlen, Kelly, author.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Quindlen Kelly
After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game of the season, seventeen-year-old Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with her nemesis, Irene Abraham, head cheerleader for the Fighting Reindeer. When the accident sends Irene's car to the shop for repairs, the girls are forced to carpool, and their rocky start only gets worse. In trying to get back at her toxic ex, Scottie bribes Irene into a fake-dating scheme that threatens to reveal some very real feelings.
This sapphic rom-com is full of fun tropes as a basketball player and cheerleader enter a fake dating scheme. Though they start off as enemies, soon these two girls realize their passionate hatred may actually be a different feeling...
- Bailey
Beartown : a novel
Backman, Fredrik, 1981- author.
FICTION Backman Fredrik
"From the New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here, comes a poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness. A victory like this would draw national attention to the ailing town: it could attract government funding and an influx of talented athletes who would choose Beartown over the big nearby cities. A victory like this would certainly mean everything to Amat, a short, scrawny teenager who is treated like an outcast everywhere but on the ice; to Kevin, a star player just on the cusp of securing his golden future in the NHL; and to Peter, their dedicated general manager whose own professional hockey career ended in tragedy. At first, it seems like the team might have a shot at fulfilling the dreams of their entire town. But one night at a drunken celebration following a key win, something happens between Kevin and the general manager's daughter--and the next day everything seems to have changed. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected. With so much riding on the success of the team, the line between loyalty and betrayal becomes difficult to discern. At last, it falls to one young man to find the courage to speak the truth that it seems no one else wants to hear. Fredrik Backman knows that we are forever shaped by the places we call home, and in this emotionally powerful, sweetly insightful story, he explores what can happen when we carry the heavy weight of other people's dreams on our shoulders"--
One of my all-time favorite books, this adult novel series is about a small town for whom hockey is everything. Following a cast of characters from around the town, this town sees their junior boys hockey team as their only hope--and will support them even when it means opposing justice. Backman's beautiful prose combines with a gritty plot about a fractured town and a shared love of sport.
- Bailey
Check, please!
Ukazu, Ngozi, artist, author.
GRAPHIC NOVEL Ukazu Check
"Eric Bittle may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and very talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It is nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There's checking (anything that hinders the player with possession of the puck, ranging from a stick check all the way to a physical sweep). And then, there is Jack-- his very attractive but moody captain"--Provided by publisher.
This adorable graphic novel series follows a hockey team on and off the ice as they train, get up to antics, and fall in love!
- Bailey
We ride upon sticks
Barry, Quan, author.
FICTION Barry Quan
"Helmed by good-girl captain Abby Putnam (a descendant of the infamous Salem accuser Ann Putnam) and her co-captain Jen Fiorenza (whose bleached blond zClawy sees and knows all), the Falcons prove to be wily, original, and bold, flaunting society's stale notions of femininity in order to find their glorious true selves through the crucible of team sport and, more importantly, friendship."--Provided by publisher.
This adult novel is such a fun and witchy ride about a girls field hockey team determined to make their 1989 season the one where they go to state--even if that means involving some supernatural forces. With each chapter following a different girl on the team, this novel blends character exploration, magical realism, and historical fiction.
- Bailey
This book is an exploration of internalized homophobia, dysphoria, and keeping your head above water. It follows a teenage swimmer struggling to explore themselves and remain competitive in the sport they love.
- Bailey