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Books about Sports
The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander
Two brothers explore the joys and struggles of adolescence through the power of basketball.
New York Times, bestseller ∙ Newbery Medal Winner ∙, Coretta Scott King Honor Award ∙,2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults,∙, 2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown
An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)
Inner Tennis Revised
by W. Timothy Gallwey
Strategies for improving performance, unlocking the power of the mind.
Master, your, game from the inside out! With more than 800,000 copies sold since it was first published thirty years ago, this phenomenally successful guide has become a touchstone for hundreds of ... (Barnes & Noble)
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
A small-town hockey team and its community grapple with the consequences of a traumatic event.
Peter Andersson, in his forties, is the general manager of the ice hockey club in Beartown, a small town located somewhere in Sweden. Peter grew up in Beartown and was a junior hockey star. He went ... (Wikipedia)
Soccer in Sun and Shadow
by Eduardo Galeano
A poetic and passionate history of soccer, exploring its cultural and political significance around the world.
One of the greatest, magical, and most lyrical accounts of the beautiful game In this witty and rebellious history of world soccer, award-winning writer Eduardo Galeano searches for the styles of ... (Barnes & Noble)
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
by Phil Knight
The story of one man's dream to start a business and the obstacles he encountered along the way.
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of ... (Goodreads)
No More Dead Dogs
by Gordon Korman
Wallace is forced to adapt the ending of a book for a school play, but refuses to glorify the death of a dog. Chaos ensues.
Nobody understands Wallace Wallace. This reluctant school football hero has been suspended from the team for writing an unfavorable book report on Old Shep, My Pal . But Wallace won't tell a lie-he ... (Barnes & Noble)
Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich
by Mark Kriegel
The biography of basketball legend Pete Maravich, exploring his life on and off the court.
"Pistol" is more than the biography of a ballplayer. It's the stuff of classic novels: the story of a boy transformed by his father's dream – and the cost of that dream. Even as Pete Maravich became ... (Goodreads)
The Basketball Diaries
by Jim Carroll
A teenage boy's struggles with addiction and his journey of self-discovery.
The urban classic coming-of-age story about sex, drugs, and basketball. Jim Carroll grew up to become a renowned poet and punk rocker. But in this memoir of the mid-1960's, set during his ... (Goodreads)
The Sportswriter
by Richard Ford
A sportswriter navigates through life after the death of his son, reflecting on his past relationships and current struggles.
As a sportswriter, Frank Bascombe makes his living studying people–men, mostly--who live entirely within themselves. This is a condition that Frank himself aspires to. But at thirty-eight, he suffers ... (Goodreads)
Shoeless Joe
by W.P. Kinsella
A man's magical journey of redemption, as he learns to heal from the past.
Ray Kinsella lives and farms in Iowa where he grows corn with his wife Annie and their five-year-old daughter Karin. Kinsella is obsessed with the beauty and history of American baseball , ... (Wikipedia)
Cabin Fever
by Jeff Kinney
A group of friends embark on a mischievous adventure, encountering hilarious hijinks along the way.
Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Running Dream
by Wendelin Van Draanen
A teenage girl's inspiring journey to recovery and redemption after a devastating injury.
An award-winning and inspiring novel. When Jessica's dreams are shattered, she puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before., , Jessica thinks her life is over when she ... (Goodreads)
Fever Pitch
by Nick Hornby
A humorous memoir of a man's obsession with soccer and how it shapes his life and relationships.
In America, it is soccer. But in Great Britain, it is the real football. No pads, no prayers, no prisoners. And that's before the players even take the field. Nick Hornby has been a football fan ... (Goodreads)
Us Against You
by Fredrik Backman
Small town rivalry threatens the bonds of family and community as two towns battle for the same hockey team.
The #1, New York Times, bestselling author of, A Man Called Ove, and, Beartown, returns with an unforgettable novel “about people—about strength and tribal loyalty and what we unwittingly do when ... (Barnes & Noble)
Ball Four
by Jim Bouton
A candid account of the life of a professional baseball player, exposing the realities of the sport.
Twentieth-anniversary edition of a baseball classic, with a new epilogue by Jim Bouton. When first published in 1970, Ball Four stunned the sports world. The commissioner, executives, and players ... (Goodreads)
The Sixth Man
by David Baldacci
A murder mystery set in the world of college basketball, as two brothers work to uncover the truth.
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called to help Edgar Roy, an alleged serial killer awaiting trial. Roy faces almost certain conviction. Roy’s attorney, Sean’s friend and mentor Ted Bergin, is set ... (Wikipedia)
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
by Michael Lewis
How an unconventional approach to baseball changed the competitive landscape.
Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball , had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every ... (Goodreads)
Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, And a Dream
by H.G. Bissinger
A story of a small Texas town and its football team, and the struggles and triumphs of the people in it.
Return once again to the enduring account of life in the Mojo lane, to the Permian Panthers of Odessa – the winningest high school football team in Texas history. Odessa is not known to be a town big ... (Goodreads)
The Rider
by Tim Krabbé
A thrilling account of a 150-kilometer bike race, told from the perspective of the protagonist.
A literary sports classic, finally available in the U.S. Originally published in the Netherlands in 1978, The Rider became an instant cult classic, selling over 100,000 copies. Brilliantly conceived ... (Goodreads)
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
by Haruki Murakami
Reflections of a runner, exploring the physical and mental challenges of the sport.
In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such ... (Goodreads)
The Damned Utd
by David Peace
A fictionalized account of Brian Clough's tumultuous 44-day tenure as manager of Leeds United in 1974.
Told from Clough's point of view, the novel is written as his stream of consciousness as he tries and fails to impose his will on a team he inherited from his bitter rival, Don Revie , and whose ... (Wikipedia)
Once a Runner
by John L. Parker Jr.
An elite runner's obsessive journey to become the fastest runner in the world.
The novel opens with a physically fit young man standing on a track, watching as "the night joggers" toil around him. He begins to walk toward the starting post and thinks that now that the Olympic ... (Wikipedia)
Playing for Pizza
by John Grisham
A former NFL quarterback's winding journey of rediscovery, finding a sense of belonging in a foreign land.
Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game against Denver, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. ... (Goodreads)
Quidditch Through the Ages
by J.K. Rowling
A detailed guide to the magical sport of Quidditch, its history and its rules.
The most checked-out book in the Hogwarts Library, and a volume no Quidditch player or Harry Potter fan should be without! If you have ever asked yourself where the Golden Snitch came from, how the ... (Goodreads)
When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi
by David Maraniss
A biography of Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, and his impact on football and American culture.
In this groundbreaking biography, David Maraniss captures all of football great Vince Lombardi: the myth, the man, his game, and his God. More than any other sports figure, Vince Lombardi transformed ... (Goodreads)
Calico Joe
by John Grisham
A former professional baseball player confronts his past while his son faces a career-ending injury.
Author Grisham once dreamed of a career as a professional baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals . , This, his first baseball novel, is about a beanball that ends the career of a promising ... (Wikipedia)
Marathon Man
by William Goldman
A young man's race against time to save his family from a deadly conspiracy.
Tom "Babe" Levy is a runner in every sense: racing tirelessly toward his goals of athletic and academic excellence–and endlessly away from the specter of his famous father's scandal-driven suicide. ... (Goodreads)
Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made
by David Halberstam
A biography of Michael Jordan, exploring his impact on basketball and popular culture.
NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - From a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist comes "the best Jordan book so far" (,The Washington Post,), the story of Michael Jordan's legendary years with the Chicago ... (Goodreads)
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy
by Bill Simmons
A deep dive into the history and culture of the NBA, from the perspectives of a lifelong basketball fan.
There is only one writer on the planet who possesses enough basketball knowledge and passion to write the definitive book on the NBA.* Bill Simmons, the from-the-womb hoops addict known to millions ... (Goodreads)
The Boys of Summer
by Roger Kahn
Exploring the lives of a legendary baseball team and the lasting impact of their championship season.
This is a book about young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930s and 1940s, and then went on to play for one of the most exciting major-league ball clubs ever fielded, the team that broke ... (Goodreads)
Heat
by Mike Lupica
A young basketball player discovers his passion and potential as he navigates the world of competitive sports.
Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat ... (Goodreads)
The Deal
by Elle Kennedy
A romantic comedy about a businesswoman and a professional hockey player who make a pact to have a no strings attached relationship.
New York Times, bestseller Elle Kennedy brings you a sexy new standalone novel!, She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy…, Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Score
by Elle Kennedy
A young woman takes a chance on her dreams, risking everything on a dangerous gamble.
He knows how to score, on and off the ice, Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters ... (Barnes & Noble)
Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
by Scott Jurek
A professional runner's story of pushing physical and mental boundaries to become a champion ultramarathoner.
For nearly two decades, Scott Jurek has been a dominant force—and darling—in the grueling and growing sport of ultrarunning. Until recently he held the American 24-hour record and he was one of the ... (Goodreads)
The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of One Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
by Sam Smith
An inside look at the Chicago Bulls' 1990-1991 season, including the team's struggles and Michael Jordan's leadership style.
Sam Smith’s seminal,, New York Times, bestselling “eye-opener” (,The San Diego Union-Tribune,) on Michael Jordan and the 1990-1991 Chicago Bulls team—perfect for fans of ESPN’s hit documentary ... (Goodreads)
Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography
by Alex Ferguson
The memoir of one of the most successful football managers in history, detailing his life and career in the sport.
The celebratory, revealing, inspiring, and entertaining autobiography of the greatest manager in the history of British soccer. Over the past four years, Alex Ferguson has been reflecting on and ... (Goodreads)
Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks
by Mick Foley
An autobiography of a professional wrestler, detailing his journey from amateur wrestler to WWE superstar.
Mick Foley is a nice man, a family man who loves amusement parks and eating ice cream in bed. So how to explain those Japanese death matches in rings with explosives, golden thumbtacks and barbed ... (Goodreads)
The Raven King
by Nora Sakavic
The final book in the "All for the Game" trilogy, following the rise of a college sports team and their dangerous secrets.
The Foxes are a fractured mess, but their latest disaster might be the miracle they've always needed to come together as a team. The one person standing in their way is Andrew, and the only one who ... (Goodreads)
The Foxhole Court
by Nora Sakavic
Neil Josten, a talented ex-gang member, joins a college's dysfunctional and dangerous Exy team to escape his past.
Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He's short, he's fast, he's got a ton of potential—and he's the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The ... (Barnes & Noble)
Bleachers
by John Grisham
A former high school football star returns to his hometown to confront the past.
Neely Crenshaw, born in 1969, is a high school All-American quarterback , who has been Messina High School's 'golden boy,' expected to lead them to the state title. Neely is a highly recruited ... (Wikipedia)
Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, Balco, and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports
by Mark Fainaru-Wada
Investigative journalism on the steroid scandal that rocked professional sports, focusing on Barry Bonds and BALCO.
The complete inside story of the shocking steroids scandal that turned the sports world upside down For years, in the shadowy reaches of the world of sport, there were rumors that some of our ... (Goodreads)
Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success
by Matthew Syed
The book explores the concept of talent and how it is developed through hard work, practice, and a growth mindset.
In the vein of the international bestselling Freakonomics , award-winning journalist Matthew Syed reveals the hidden clues to success—in sports, business, school, and just about anything else that ... (Goodreads)
Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling
by Bret Hart
A memoir of Bret Hart's life as a professional wrestler, detailing the behind-the-scenes drama and personal struggles of the industry.
In his own words, Bret Hart’s honest, perceptive, startling account of his life in and out of the pro wrestling ring. The sixth-born son of the pro wrestling dynasty founded by Stu Hart and his ... (Goodreads)
The Goal
by Elle Kennedy
College hockey player struggles to balance his love life and sports career. He finds himself falling for a girl who challenges his priorities.
Discover another binge-worthy romance from New York Times and international bestselling author Elle Kennedy! She's good at achieving her goals... College senior Sabrina James has her whole future ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation
by Elizabeth Letts
The true story of a horse named Snowman, rescued from a slaughterhouse and transformed into a champion show jumper.
#1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER,November 1958: the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Into the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and tradition comes the most unlikely of ... (Goodreads)
The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
by Tyler Hamilton
An expose of doping, cover-ups and unethical practices in the world of professional cycling.
The Secret Race is a definitive look at the world of professional cycling—and the doping issue surrounding this sport and its most iconic rider, Lance Armstrong—by former Olympic gold medalist Tyler ... (Goodreads)
Reflex
by Steven Gould
A young man discovers he has the power to teleport and must navigate the dangers and consequences of his ability.
Davy has always been alone. He believes that he's the only person in the world who can teleport. But what if he isn't? A mysterious group of people has taken Davy captive. They don't want to hire ... (Goodreads)
Rafa
by Rafael Nadal
Autobiography of Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, detailing his journey to success and the challenges he faced.
What makes a champion? What does it take to be the best in the world at your sport? Rafael Nadal has the answers. In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, he reveals the ... (Goodreads)
My Losing Season: A Memoir
by Pat Conroy
A personal recollection of a college basketball season, exploring the struggles of an athlete's journey.
“I was born to be a point guard, but not a very good one. . . .There was a time in my life when I walked through the world known to myself and others as an athlete. It was part of my own definition ... (Goodreads)
A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers
by John Feinstein
An inside look at the intense and controversial coaching style of Bob Knight during the 1985-86 basketball season at Indiana University.
"A Season on the Brink" chronicles the basketball season that John Feinstein spent following the Indiana Hoosiers and their fiery coach, Bob Knight. Knight granted Feinstein an unprecedented inside ... (Goodreads)
Slam
by Nick Hornby
A teenage boy navigates life, love, and basketball while dealing with the consequences of unexpected fatherhood.
Bestselling author Nick Hornby delivers his first novel for young adults. For 16-year-old Sam, life is about to get extremely complicated. He and his girlfriend—make that ex-girlfriend— Alicia have ... (Goodreads)
Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
by Chuck Klosterman
A collection of essays on culture and the way we think about the world.
"Chuck Klosterman IV" Consists of Three Parts: THINGS THAT ARE TRUE Profiles And Trend Stories: Britney Spears, Radiohead, Billy Joel, Metallica, Val Kilmer, Bono, Wilco, The White Stripes, Steve ... (Goodreads)
Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won
by Tobias J. Moskowitz
An analysis of the hidden factors that influence sports outcomes, from the perspective of economics and statistics.
In Scorecasting, University of Chicago behavioral economist Tobias Moskowitz teams up with veteran Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim to overturn some of the most cherished truisms of sports, ... (Goodreads)
Hour of the Olympics
by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie travel back to ancient Greece to witness the first Olympic games.
The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! No girls allowed at the Olympic Games! That's the rule when the Magic ... (Goodreads)
Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
by Jack McCallum
A behind-the-scenes look at the 1992 US Olympic basketball team, exploring their journey to gold and impact on the sport.
They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers. In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 ... (Goodreads)
Tangerine
by Edward Bloor
A young boy with visual impairment moves to a new town and uncovers dark secrets about his family and the community.
In a prologue when Paul Fisher was in kindergarten, a few friends of Erik, Paul's older brother, calls Paul "Eclipse Boy," causing Paul to believe that was why he was visually impaired. Seven years ... (Wikipedia)
I Am Zlatan: My Story On and Off the Field
by Zlatan Ibrahimović
Daring, flashy, innovative, volatile—no matter what they call him, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of soccer’s brightest stars. A top-scoring striker with Paris Saint-Germain and captain of the Swedish ... (Goodreads)
Dairy Queen
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
A teenage girl's journey of self-discovery, learning to find her place in the world.
15-year-old girl Darlene Joyce (D.J.) Schwenk lives on a farm in Red Bend, Wisconsin, where she and her family own a dairy farm. When D.J.'s father hurts his hip, leaving him unable to work, D.J. ... (Wikipedia)
Catching Jordan
by Miranda Kenneally
Jordan is the star quarterback of her high school football team, but struggles to balance her love for the game and her growing feelings for a new boy in school.
Catching Jordan , Miranda Kenneally's first book in the beloved sports romance Hundred Oaks series, receives an all new look in this new edition! Love is the toughest game to play... Athletic ... (Barnes & Noble)
Secretariat: The Making of a Champion
by William Nack
The story of Secretariat, the greatest racehorse of all time, and his journey to becoming a champion.
In 1973, Secretariat, the greatest thoroughbred in horse-racing history, won the Triple Crown. The only horse to ever break the two-minute mark in winning the Kentucky Derby until recent winner ... (Goodreads)
Michael Jordan: The Life
by Roland Lazenby
A comprehensive biography of Michael Jordan, exploring his life on and off the court, and his impact on basketball and popular culture.
The definitive biography of a legendary athlete. The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Kulti
by Mariana Zapata
A reclusive soccer star and a determined coach clash over the game and life.
“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to. It ... (Goodreads)
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