With less than a month until the Paris Olympics, the excitement and anticipation is in full swing! This is a great time to highlight some sports books or make some Olympic-themed displays for your patrons.

Whether you’re looking for some fun facts or true stories about the Olympics, or just want a sports-themed book to get you in the mood, we’ve got plenty of options in fiction and non-fiction. This is a good time to mix in some books about training and wellness, too, and maybe even some cookbooks for high protein meals. Our newly redone Resource Center has more than enough suggestions to get you going for the gold this summer!

Books you should know about

Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky

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From the publisher: Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming. It details her start in Bethesda, Maryland, where she played sharks and minnows and first discovered the joy of the pool; her early foray into the Olympics at the tender age of fifteen where, as the youngest member of the American team, she stunned everyone by winning her first gold medal; her time balancing competition and her education at Stanford University; how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through so many meets, even under intense pressure; and how she has maintained her dominance in a sport where success depends on milliseconds.

The Heart is the Strongest Muscle by Tia Toomey

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From the publisher: Tia Toomey, the world’s fittest woman, has won the CrossFit Games an incredible six years in a row and is undeniably a true warrior. She has also trained for the Winter Olympics in bobsledding, competed in the Summer Olympics in weightlifting, and was a Commonwealth Games gold medalist. She is, in short, one of the most accomplished and dominant athletes in human history. But for Tia physical fitness is only a small part of overall strength. More important is building mental toughness. In The Heart Is the Strongest Muscle, Tia shows how she reached elite levels by focusing on her “why.” By always having a clear picture of her purpose—what drives her heart—she can push through even the toughest challenges.

Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

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From the publisher: Olivia Nkomo has always been ambitious, smart, and an overall go-getter. Now that she’s graduated from university, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to land her dream job at the Summer Games. The first step? Securing her new internship, which will put her in the center of all the action, where she hopes to run into some of her favorite athletes.

Ezekiel “Zeke” Moyo, the heartthrob star runner of Team Great Britain, is more than ready to claim his title as the fastest man in the world, following in the footsteps of the greatest athletes of all time. His future to the finish line is looking bright—despite his recent breakup with celebrated gymnast Valentina Ross-Rodriguez constantly making headlines.

When Olivia and Zeke collide—literally—on the first day of training, sparks fly. As the games grow closer, so do Olivia and Zeke. But the competition starts stirring up uncomfortable memories from Zeke’s past . . . and Olivia’s internship doesn’t turn out to be what she expected. Will they be able to overcome these hurdles and achieve their dreams? Or will it come at the cost of their budding romance?

Total Olympics by Jeremy Fuchs

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From the publisher: Faster! Higher! Stronger! Stranger! A glorious tapestry of legendary characters, forgotten records, crazy accomplishments, unbelievable feats, wacky contests, and controversial moments, Total Olympics is pure pleasure for anyone who loves the world’s greatest sporting event.

Discover how the modern Games began, in an out-of-the-way Victorian English town named Much Wenlock. Long-discontinued Olympic sports like tug of war, firefighting, live pigeon shooting, and painting. (Picasso for the gold?) And the over-the-top, heroic exploits that make it all so thrilling––like the inspiring story of gymnast Shun Fujimoto who brought his team to victory while fighting through the pain of a broken knee. With hundreds of true stories, it’s a collection of sports yearns unlike any other.

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

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From the publisher: The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor

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From the publisher: Deena Kastor was a star youth runner with tremendous promise, yet her career almost ended after college, when her competitive method—run as hard as possible, for fear of losing—brought her to the brink of burnout. On the verge of quitting, she took a chance on legendary coach Joe Vigil, who had started the first professional distance-running team in the US. At his Colorado training center, she encountered the notion that shaping her mind to be more encouraging, kind, and resilient could make her faster than she’d ever imagined possible. Let Your Mind Run is a fascinating, intimate look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and an insightful primer on how the small steps of cultivating possibility can give anyone a competitive edge.

Fitter, Calmer, Stronger by Ellie Goulding

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From the publisher: Going far beyond just diet and exercise, Fitter. Calmer. Stronger. encompasses all that improves your relationship with your physical and mental health. This means prioritizing self-care and flexibility and approaching wellness from a perspective that is sustainable—one that doesn’t allow anxiety to win or leaves you feeling like you’ve failed and, most importantly, allows for fun and creativity. Drawing on Ellie’s experiences, as well as the advice of friends and experts like Ant Middleton, Fearne Cotton, and Katie Taylor, you can use these tools and techniques every day to build a fitter, calmer, stronger you.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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From the publisher: Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

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From the publisher: Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. 22-year-old Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way. The last thing Grace expects is to become teammates with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival.

Phoebe Matthews is too focused on her first season as a professional soccer player to think about seducing her longtime idol. But when Grace ends up making the first move, they can’t keep their hands off each other.

As the World Cup approaches and Grace works her way back from injury, a miscommunication leaves the women with hilariously different perspectives on their relationship. But they’re on the same page on the field, realizing they can play together instead of vying for the same position. With every tackle the tension between them grows, and both players soon have to decide what’s more important—being together or making the roster.

The perfect blend of funny and steamy, Meryl Wilsner’s Cleat Cute is about being brave enough to win on and off the field.

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper

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From the publisher: In the 1928 Olympics, Chicago’s Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women’s delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America’s Golden Girl until a nearly fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything. Outside of Boston, Louise Stokes, one of the few black girls in her town, sees competing as an opportunity to overcome the limitations placed on her. Eager to prove that she has what it takes to be a champion, she risks everything to join the Olympic team. From Missouri, Helen Stephens, awkward, tomboyish, and poor, is considered an outcast by her schoolmates, but she dreams of escaping the hardships of her farm life through athletic success. Her aspirations appear impossible until a chance encounter changes her life.

These three athletes will join with others to defy society’s expectations of what women can achieve. As tensions bring the United States and Europe closer and closer to the brink of war, Betty, Louise, and Helen must fight for the chance to compete as the fastest women in the world amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Nazi-sponsored 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

If you’re interested exploring more titles that center around sports, you can explore our full Reader’s Advisory Lists here:

Must-Watch Films

Olympic Dreams (2019)

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From the Studio: Penelope (Alexi Pappas) is a first time Olympian and introverted cross-country skier, who, after finishing her event early on in the games, finds herself spending time in Athletes Village with the gregarious and outgoing volunteer dentist, Ezra (Nick Kroll). While both are eager to form connections at the Olympic Games, they are held back by the very thing that has propelled them to this point; what do you do once your lifelong dream has come true, and you’re faced with taking the next step?

Streamline (2021)

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From the studio: 15-year-old gifted swimmer, Benjamin, is on the brink of the biggest swim meet of his life that could allow him to qualify for the Olympics. Pushed by his ruthless coach, and his mother Kim, it’s unclear if he actually wants the life he’s seemingly being forced to chase. But when his estranged father is released from jail, his fight to escape his past to Olympic glory becomes even more dangerous.

Road Runners (2021)

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From the studio: In Montego Bay, young athletes prepare to compete in the island’s greatest sporting event: Champs. Through a story of hope, struggle, and identity, see what it means to grow up in Jamaica, and learn why these young athletes are striving for success that could determine the rest of their lives.

A little Extra something

Support your community by diversifying your Libby offerings with Libby Extras. Today we’re highlighting The Great Courses.

The Great Courses offers engaging and understandable lectures by esteemed professors, professionals, and experts about history, better living, science, language learning, and many more topics.

Test run Libby Extras to see how each service can entertain and educate your patrons.

Thanks for joining us for this week’s roundup of Olympic reads! Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on how to provide the best content for your community.

About the author: Sarah Filiberto spent 10 years in public libraries answering reference questions, providing community outreach to seniors, and even helping run Nerf nights for teens. At OverDrive, she spends most of her time helping public libraries utilize their digital collections and making some of the fun lists you see on Libby! In her spare time she loves to read, cross stitch, and crochet. She can also be found spoiling her 4 year old lab mix, Buddy, and his brother, a 4 year old cat, Franklin.