Open Books 2024: Olympics and Olympic Sports

Updated December 27, 2023
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The forgotten legacy of Stella Walsh : the greatest female athlete of her time
Anderson, Sheldon R.
Paper Book
Stella Walsh, who was born in Poland but raised in the United States, competed for Poland at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, winning gold and silver in the 100 meters. Running and jumping competitively for three decades, Walsh also won more than 40 U.S. national championships and set dozens of world...
No one like you
Angell, Kate
Paper Book
For Rylan Cates, the gloriously sunny beachside town of Barefoot William may be home, but the pro baseball player needs to focus on spring training. Hiring a personal assistant to keep him and his four dogs organized for the next eight weeks is the first step--and Beth Avery is the perfect pinch...
No strings attached
Angell, Kate.
Paper Book
Grab a beach chair, sunscreen, and a Kate Angell book for a great summer read! --Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author Balmy ocean breezes. . .sweet coconut oil. . .glistening tanned bodies. There's no better place for romantic sparks to fly than at the beach.
Oleander City : a novel based on a true story
Bondurant, Matt
Paper Book
In the wake of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, three lives converge despite persecution from the Ku Klux Klan, a bare-knuckle boxing match gone wrong, and the recovery efforts of the American Red Cross. Based on a true story The hurricane of 1900, America's worst natural disaster,...
The Red Rose Crew : a true story of women, winning, and the water
Boyne, Daniel J.
Paper Book
More than twenty years ago, a group of amazing women rowed their way to international success and glory, battling sexual prejudice, bureaucracy, and male domination in one of the most grueling and competitive sports. This gripping story of bravery, determination, and indomitable spirit captures a...
The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Brown, Daniel
Paper Book
Now a Major Motion Picture Directed by George Clooney The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph in Nazi Germany--from the author of Facing the Mountain. For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the...
The boys in the boat : the true story of an American team's epic journey to win gold at the 1936 olympics
Brown, Daniel
Paper Book
Soon to be a major motion picture directed by George Clooney The #1 New York Times bestseller freshly adapted for the next generation. Inspiration for the PBS American Experience Documentary 'The Boys of '36'   For readers of Unbroken<...
Trophy son
Brunt, Douglas
Paper Book
"Trophy Sonbrings Conroy'sThe Great Santiniand Malamud'sThe Natural into the present day...A terrific book." -Harlan Coben Private lessons. Professional coaches. Specialized camps for sports, math, music, and other fields. Today's children are pushed to...
Speed kings : the 1932 Winter Olympics and the fastest men in the world
Bull, Andy
Paper Book
A story of risk, adventure, and daring as four American bobsledders race for the gold in the most dangerous competition in Olympic history.   In the 1930s, as the world hurtled toward war, speed was all the rage. Bobsledding, the fastest and most thrilling way to travel...
She persisted in sports : American Olympians who changed the game
Clinton, Chelsea
Paper Book
From Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, the #1 New York Times bestselling team behind She Persisted, comes a new book featuring women athletes who overcame and inspired--perfect for fans of the Olympics! Throughout history, women have been told that they couldn't...
That summer in Berlin
Cornwall, Lecia
Paper Book
Nazi power is rising again, threatening a war that will be even worse than the last one. The English aristocracy turns to an age-old institution to stave off war and strengthen political bonds - marriage. Debutantes flock to Germany, including Viviane Alden. On holiday during the 1936 Berlin...
The happiest girl in the world : a novel
Dillon, Alena
Paper Book
"Propulsive, transfixing, and disturbing. I could not set the book down. Harrowing and fearlessly honest, The Happiest Girl in the World is a haunting read because it couldn't have done justice to its subjects - fictional and real - any other way." --Popsugar One of Good...
Grace, gold & glory : my leap of faith
Douglas, Gabrielle
Paper Book
The inspiring autobiography from Gabrielle Douglas--the first African-American gymnast in Olympic history to become the individual All-Around champion--revealing her journey from the time she first entered a gym to her gold-medal-winning performances. In the 2012 London Olympics, US...
Olympic pride, American prejudice : the untold story of 18 African Americans who defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Draper, Deborah Riley
Paper Book
Discover the astonishing, inspirational, and largely unknown true story of the eighteen African American athletes who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, defying the racism of both Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South. Set against the turbulent backdrop of a segregated...
The all-American
Finkbeiner, Susie
Paper Book
A 2024 Michigan Notable Book "A moving novel, fit for inspiring any reader to dream big and believe that anything is possible."--BookPage *** Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstances <...
How to watch the Olympics : the essential guide to the rules, statistics, heroes, and zeroes of every sport
Goldblatt, David
Paper Book
The must-have guide to the Summer Olympic Games This summer, millions of Americans will tune into the Olympic Games, the largest and most popular sporting event in the world. Yet while it's easy to be fascinated by agile gymnasts, poised equestrians, and perfectly synchronized swimmers,...
Fast girls : a novel of the 1936 women's Olympic team
Hooper, Elise
Paper Book
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE SUMMER BY POPSUGAR, FROLIC, PARADE, TRAVEL & LEISURE, SHE KNOWS, and SHE READS!  NAMED A REAL SIMPLE BEST BOOK OF 2020 (SO FAR). "Fast Girls is a compelling, thrilling look at what it takes to be a female Olympian in pre...
The gold medal mess
Kelly, David A.
Paper Book
From the author of the Ballpark Mysteries comes a brand-new sports-themed chapter book series featuring the coolest club around-the Most Valuable Players! Five friends are ready for their school's Olympics field day. There will be relay races, archery contests, and more! But not...
Balance beam boss
Maddox, Jake
Paper Book
Sofia is used to being the best gymnast at her modest gym in the city. But after a bad fall and injury during practice, getting back on the beam is harder than she thought. When she does come back after rehabbing, Sofia is consumed with fear and anxiety related to her fall, emotions her coach doesn...
Games of deception : the true story of the first U.S. Olympic basketball team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany
Maraniss, Andrew
Paper Book
*"Rivaling the nonfiction works of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat....Even readers who don't appreciate sports will find this story a page-turner." --School Library Connection, starred review *"A must for all library collections." --...
Dark horses : a novel
Mihalic, Susan
Paper Book
"[A] heart-pounding, can't-take-your-eyes-off-it debut novel." --O, The Oprah Magazine "Roan Montgomery's sweeping and raw story of courage, resilience, and clear-eyed grace will never leave me." --Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author ...
Swimming in the deep end
Nelson, Christina Suzann
Paper Book
Olympic dreams on the line. A beloved son's lost future. Long-buried secrets uncovered. A broken heart and empty arms. In this moving, masterful saga from best-selling novelist Christina Suzann Nelson, four women's lives collide. Their tangled courses and attempts to find grace in...
Superman vs. Muhammad Ali
O'Neil, Dennis
Paper Book
Two legendary figures meet for the first time in this spectacular adventure, as an alien race called the Scrubb demand that Earth's greatest champion battle their world's own greatest fighter. Both Superman and Muhammad Ali step forward -- and to determine who is truly Earth's greatest fighter,...
Crazy blood
Parker, T. Jefferson
Paper Book
"A brave and daring writer." --Lisa See,New York Timesbestselling author ofShanghai Girls The Carson dynasty rules the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Founded by patriarch Adam, the town is the site of the Mammoth Cup ski race-a...
The games
Patterson, James
Paper Book
In the #1 bestselling series, Private's Jack Morgan must hunt down a killer before the Olympic games begin in Rio. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil knows how to throw a party. So it's a natural choice to host the biggest spectacles in sports: the World Cup and the...
The horsewoman : a novel
Patterson, James
Paper Book
This "hugely entertaining, riveting page-turner" (Louise Penny) follows the complicated relationship between mother and daughter as they face off in the Olympics--and into a ride they can barely control. Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe, mother and daughter, both champion...
The naked Olympics : the true story of the ancient games
Perrottet, Tony.
Paper Book
Ancient Greece was full of wonders, but none quite compared to the Olympic Games - the most dazzling event in the pagan world. Held without a break for over 1200 years, it remains one of the greatest institutions of the civilised world, yet little is known about its history, beyond the mythical....
Carrie Soto is back : a novel
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam" (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Foxcatcher : the true story of my brother's murder, John du Pont's madness, and the quest for Olympic gold
Schultz, Mark
Paper Book
The riveting true story—soon to be the subject of a high-profile film—of Olympic wrestling gold medal-winning brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and their fatal relationship with the eccentric John du Pont, heir to the du Pont dynasty On January 26, 1996, Dave Schultz,...
The Berlin Boxing Club
Sharenow, Rob.
Paper Book
Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew; after all, he's never even been in a synagogue. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin don't care that Karl's family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by their attacks against a heritage he doesn't accept as his own,...
The motion of the body through space : a novel
Shriver, Lionel
Paper Book
In Lionel Shriver's entertaining send-up of today's cult of exercise--which not only encourages better health, but now like all religions also seems to promise meaning, social superiority, and eternal life--an aging husband's sudden obsession with extreme sport makes him unbearable. ...
Love hard
Singh, Nalini
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh brings you the next sizzling story in her Hard Play contemporary romance series... Jacob Esera, star rugby player and young single father, has worked hard to create a joyous life for his six-year-old daughter. After the death of...
The boxing baroness
Spencer, Minerva
Paper Book
Inspired by true history and perfect for fans of Bridgerton, the acclaimed author sparkles with this brilliantly imagined story of romance between an undercover spy and an educated and strong woman in the first of a witty, Regency-set, feminist series exploring the role of women in a...
Geronimo Stilton saves the Olympics
Stilton, Geronimo.
Paper Book
Athens, Greece: the first Olympic Games are about to take place, and the Pirate Cats have traveled back in time to enter the competition. The fiendish felines plan to win as many events as they can, and become legendary athletes. But these cats aren't exactly in playing shape! In order to gain an...
Just don't fall : a hilariously true story of childhood cancer and Olympic greatness
Sundquist, Josh
Paper Book
Adapted for young readers from his adult memoir, Just Don't Fall is the the hilarious true story about Josh Sundquist's battle with childhood cancer and how he worked his way to making the United States paralympic ski team. The inspiration for the Apple TV show Best Foot...
Barracuda : a novel
Tsiolkas, Christos
Paper Book
Man Booker Prize-longlisted author of The Slap (soon to be an NBC miniseries) returns in an "immensely moving" (Sunday Times) story of a young athlete's coming of age   Fourteen-year-old Daniel Kelly is special. Despite his upbringing in working-class...
Don't skip out on me : a novel
Vlautin, Willy
Paper Book
A FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD From Willy Vlautin,  award-winning author of Lean on Pete and The Motel Life, comes a powerful exploration of identity and loneliness pulled from deep within America's soul. Don't Skip Out On Me is going to make your heart crumple into...
Choke : a novel
Woods, Stuart.
Paper Book
An explosive new thriller by the Edgar Award-winning author of Heat. Nearly a Wimbledon champion, Chuck Chandler's choked serves in those last, crucial moments lost him the tray--and ended his career. Years later, when he becomes the prime suspect in the suspicious death of a mysterious millionaire,...
The gringo champion
Xilonen, Aura
Paper Book
The award-winning debut novel by young Mexican author Aura Xilonen, The Gringo Champion is a thrillingly inventive story about crossing borders that the Los Angeles Review of Books called "one of the must-read books of 2017." Liborio has to leave Mexico, a land that...
The end of August : a novel
Y?, Miri
Paper Book
From the National Book Award winning author, an extraordinary, ground-breaking, epic multi-generational novel about a Korean family living under Japanese occupation. In 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea, Lee Woo-cheol was a running prodigy and a contender for the upcoming Tokyo...
Just like Jesse Owens
Young, Andrew
Paper Book
Civil rights icon, Ambassador Andrew Young and his daughter, Paula Young Shelton, deliver a powerful oral history about a special day in Andrew's childhood that changed him forever. This story of race relations in the 1930s South is illustrated by bestselling Caldecott Honor winner Gordon C....

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.