A while back, Anna did a post of LGBT sports lit that they’d recommend, so now it’s my turn! There’s a variety of books here and, combined with the previous post, hopefully something that appeals for everyone. Although, I would say, if you’re looking for more sports romances, Anna’s post might be the better place to be, since the bulk of them are on there. But if you’re looking for more literary fiction or otherwise contemporary novels, then scroll on!
A lot of these titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)
Beartown
Fredrik Backman
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc
CWs: rape, mentions of self harm, suicidal ideation
Why Should I Read It?
How does one describe Beartown? Reading Beartown simply isn’t like reading any other book on earth. Genuinely, I cannot explain it better to you than that: this book, this series, is the epitome of you have to read this to find out. So. Go do that!
Barracuda
Christos Tsiolkas
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc
Why Should I Read It?
Whereas Anna’s sports lit list mostly featured sports romances (a very fun genre, if I do say so myself), I’ve started this list with two of the hardest hitting sports books I know. Sports, but gay, and an emotional rollercoaster. You might have seen the TV show of this one and, even if you have, the book is still worth a read.
The Keystone Combination
KT Hoffman
Goodreads
Rep: achillean trans mc
Why Should I Read It?
A little cheat, since this one’s upcoming, but I dare you to tell me this premise isn’t the most fun! It’s described as a “rom-com about what happens when the first openly trans professional baseball player in history is forced to share the infield with his arch nemesis — a standoffish, super-talented, and inconveniently gorgeous player”, so frankly, I will be very impatiently waiting for this one.
Bruised
Tanya Boteju
Goodreads
Rep: Sri Lankan Canadian sapphic mc, nonbinary side character, lesbian side characters
CWs: self harm, emotional abuse, death of a parent
Why Should I Read It?
Roller derby is probably the quintessential lesbian sport, this book is testament to that (similarly at least two others I can think of, one of which features later on this list). But this isn’t just a book about sports, but also the ways in which sports can be a force for good and ill, the interactions with traumas and mental health. Again, tonally different from Anna’s list, but no less engaging a read.
The Necessary Hunger
Nina Revoyr
Goodreads
Rep: Japanese American lesbian mc, Black lesbian side character
Why Should I Read It?
I could hardly not include this classic on a list about sports lit now, could I? This isn’t a romance, nor is it a book about coming to terms with one’s sexuality and coming out. It’s a book where it just so happens that the main character is a lesbian and, in 1997, that would have been pretty fucking revolutionary.
Roller Girl
Vanessa North
Goodreads
Rep: sapphic trans mc, sapphic li
Why Should I Read It?
From the depths of my TBR, I dug this one out for you (actually not very deep). If you’re looking for more sports romances featuring trans women as leads, then here’s one for you! And hey! We’re back to roller derby! That most sapphic of sapphic sports.
Season’s Change
Cait Nary
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc, bi mc
CWs: internalised homophobia, implied past homophobic abuse
Why Should I Read It?
This is a book that both me and Anna adored (along with its sequel, but I thought I would be good and only include one on this list), so I think it would be safe to say if I’d not included this then Anna would have ended this blogging partnership on the spot. There’s something indescribable about finding a romance that makes you feel just as the characters themselves are and Cait Nary has that skill in abundance.
Into the Blue
Pene Henson
Goodreads
Rep: Samoan bi mc, gay demi mc
Why Should I Read It?
We like to have a variety of sports represented on this list and this book adds surfing to that. It’s also a very sweet friends to lovers romance, combined with found family, that will have you pining along with the characters. Read this in the depths of winter just to feel the sun on your face!
Catch and Cradle
Katia Rose
Goodreads
Rep: bi mc, sapphic mc
Why Should I Read It?
One of the best tropes in sports romances has to be dating a teammate, but it has to be kept secret for mysterious teamly reasons (the more ridiculous the better, I think). Which, lo and behold, is exactly what this book gives you! It’s like we, as sapphics, never lose!
Man O’War
Cory McCarthy
Goodreads
Rep: Arab American trans mc
CWs: homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, deadnaming, misgendering, outing
Why Should I Read It?
The final book on this list I have to admit, also, to not having read, but when is it ever not fun to read about someone who’s not perfect, but who’s trying to do better? Bit by bit, sometimes taking two steps backwards for every one step forwards, but trying all the same. And with a narrative that simply lets them.
What would you rec?
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