Give me a sporting read
Authors who write sporting novels use the medium to investigate the full spectrum of the human experience, from immigrant voices, to addiction, family, death, loss and love. You don't have to be a player to enjoy this selection.
The cactus league - Emily Nemens
Framed by the commentary of an unnamed sportswriter, this 'novel in stories' is structured like a nine-inning baseball game, with each chapter focusing on a different person orbiting the fictional Los Angeles Lions team. The interconnected stories reveal the secret lives and struggles of a whole ecosystem: from an aging batting coach and a former player-turned-agent to a hopeful “baseball Annie” and the wives of players. The common thread is Jason Goodyear, the team's glamorous star outfielder whose public image hides a spiralling personal crisis, including a severe gambling addiction. A story of baseball and the dark side of the American dream.
When 11-year-old Gopi's Mother dies, the squash court becomes her entire world, a sanctuary from pain and grief, and a relentless focus. Driven by her obsessive and grieving father, Gopi, living in a Gujarati family community in the UK begins an intense, almost brutal, training regimen that isolates her from her two sisters. Maroo uses the language and rhythm of the game—the serve, the volley, the control—as a framework to explore profound themes of grief, the bond of sisterhood, and the silent ways a family copes with immense loss. It is an evocative and emotionally resonant story told with quiet power.
The art of racing in the rain - Garth Stein
Narrated by Enzo, a wise, philosophical dog who believes he will be reincarnated as a human as he recounts the life of his owner, Denny Swift, an aspiring race car driver. Enzo observes Denny's marriage to Eve, the birth of their daughter Zoe, and the crushing tragedies that follow, including Eve's illness and a bitter custody battle with her parents. Through it all, Enzo remains a loyal, insightful companion. A heart wrenching story of love, loyalty, family, sacrifice, and the belief that the path to a good life often requires a racer's focus and fearlessness.
Allan Reader is one of the last traditional cricket bat makers who meticulously grows his own willow. Todd Harrow is a gifted young batter whose talent propels him to the world stage. Their stories run in parallel, connected by the exceptional bat Allan crafts for Todd from his finest willow. The novel is a love letter to the artistry and culture of the game, and what it takes to find meaning and excellence in life. Simpson’s exquisite writing captures the near-magical quality of the perfect bat and the emotional highs and lows of a life consumed by sport. It's a thoughtful story about mentorship, legacy, and the possibility of starting over.
Everything is beautiful and everything hurts - Josie Shapiro
Mickey has wanted to be a runner all her life, but despite being fast and strong, she's short and a woman. After a series of devastating encounters with male coaches, she gives up running altogether and takes a dead end job making coffee while living with her no hope boyfriend. Then her mother dies and she's spurred to take up running again. This is a beautifully and sensitively crafted story of hope, dreams, family and persisting towards your dreams.
Eight young women descend on a boxing gym in Reno, Nevada in a fight to become the best young female boxer in the country. They bring with them ghosts of loss, family feuds and aspirations for the future. Told through the 7 fights, both on the mat and in the girl's heads, this is a gritty and intimate story in the style of Kathryn Scanlan and Annie Proulx which, while distinctive, never lets the gimmick overpower the writing.
Carrie Soto is back - Taylor Jenkins Reid
The eponymous legendary, yet unpopular, tennis champion Carrie Soto, who retired with the most Grand Slam titles is back to defend her crown from a younger pretender. Driven by an absolute need to be the "best," Carrie un-retires for a final epic season. Coached by her father, Javier, the "Battle-Axe" faces intense media scrutiny, the toll on her aging body, and a complex relationship with a former flame/training partner. Carrie Soto is back exists in Jenkins Reid's wider universe which includes The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones and the Six and readers will recognise many characters from those novels here.
The book of fame - Lloyd Jones
A lyrical and semi-fictionalised account of the 1905 "Original" All Blacks tour of British Isles and France, detailing the journey of the ordinary young men - farmers, bootmakers, and clerks - as they embark on a long trip to an unknown world. Told through a collective first-person voice, Jones explores the players' shared experiences of fame, the fatigue and injury of the relentless tour, and their astonished reaction to their own myth-making. It is a meditation on the curious nature of fame and the birth of an iconic sports team.
