I do love the Olympics though. Every time they come around, winter or summer, our whole family gathers around the TV to watch even the most obscure events. (Team Handball is one of my husband's favorites).
Anyway, to get ready I thought we could spend today's Monday Discussion talking about our favorite "sports books." I put the term in quotes because I want you to define what fits. It can have sports as the main plot, or a sport can simply play a memorable role. You choose.
Here is a list of some of the books I have reviewed (and enjoyed) which featured sports:
- A Few Seconds of Panic by Stephan Fatsis
- The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
- Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Another one of my all time favorites, which I have read many times, is The Iowa Baseball Confederacy by W.P. Kinsella.
Here are a few other sports related posts I have done on RA for All in the past:
All of these posts include more sports related reading options. I am sure we will be seeing a lot more lists from other resources once the Olympics get going.
Now it is your turn. For today's Monday Discussion, let me know your favorite "Sporty Reads."
Click here for past Monday Discussion.
As I may have mentioned in the past, my favorite sports book, by far, is The Natural by Bernard Malmud. Even though just about everyone has seen the film, few take the time to read the book which has a much different ending and, therefore, meaning. I really don't want to ruin it by discussing the shockingly different ending. I will say that I like the book because it is about mythology, philosophy and heroism in the classical sense rather than about baseball. Everyone who is human should read it. It really is that powerful.
ReplyDeleteIt's a kids book, but I read it for Children's Lit and really loved it. One-Handed Catch by Mary Jane Auch is an incredible read about a young boy who gets his hand amputated and still learns to play baseball. It's based on the true story of one of the author's relatives. Super inspirational and made quite an impact on me despite the fact that it was aimed at a different audience.
ReplyDeleteMIKE BPL REF
ReplyDeleteMy favorite sports book is
Roger Kahn's 'The Boys of
Summer'. It is part personal
history as Kahn recalls his
growing up in Brooklyn then
relates it to the history of
the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball
team up to 1955. Kahn then
tracks the lives of many of the
team's players as they age.
A loving look at baseball and
those who play it. Sports
Illustrated selected it as
the greatest of all books on
American baseball.