Biblio File

Book Pairings for Olympic Sports

When you're watching the most fit people on the planet compete for love and glory in Rio, you need a good book to really help you settle into the couch.

And just as with fine wines and meals, you need the right book to pair with the right sport! Here are some book pairings for the top three most popular and the bottom three least popular events, as determined by the IOC.

Most Popular Events

gymnastics

Gymnastics
Nimble and quick and complex; short, fragmented fiction that makes you think.

swimming

Swimming
Powerful, methodical works of nonfiction that show persistence pays off.

track

Athletics (a.k.a. Track & Field)
Linked short stories, all different but with a thread of commonality.

 

Least Popular Events

fencing

Modern pentathlon
Graphic novels for adults: Cool books that don’t get nearly enough attention.

golf

Golf
Long classics that take patience and hard work.

rugby

Rugby
Offbeat science fiction in a world that plays by its own rules.

---

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Comments

Patron-generated content represents the views and interpretations of the patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.

Plus SWIMMING STUDIES by

Plus SWIMMING STUDIES by Leanne Shapton!

The Swim Team

"The Swim Team" by Miranda July is a very funny story about a swim team practicing without a pool.