Best Sports Fiction Books of 2025

Binding 13: A Rugby Sports Romance is the first installment of Chloe Walsh's Boys of Tommen series. The book revolves around Johnny Kavanagh, a rugby star, and Shannon Lynch, a new girl at Tommen College. Despite their differences, they form a complicated friendship, which turns into a first love. However, their relationship is threatened by obstacles that test their bond. The book is a mix of sports, romance, and teenage heartbreak, making it an engaging read for sports fiction fans. Overall, Binding 13 is a gripping debut novel from Walsh that promises to captivate readers with its unique blend of genres.

Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman tells a story of a small town that relies on its junior ice hockey team to win the national semi-finals. However, the match takes a dark turn, resulting in a violent act that leaves a young girl traumatized and the town in chaos. The book explores themes of loyalty, friendship, moral failure, and groupthink. Backman's characters are empathetically written, and the story is both heart-wrenching and humorous. The book is a compelling and profound read that will stay with readers long after finishing it.

Keeping 13 is the sequel to the bestselling book, Binding 13, and it follows Johnny's life as he struggles to cope with a devastating injury that has left him sidelined from rugby, his first love. With the help of his best friend, Gibsie, Johnny sets out to unravel the mystery surrounding the girl with the midnight-blue eyes. Shannon, haunted by the demons of her past, struggles to keep her walls up and her trust shaken. The book is set in Ireland and is sure to captivate and lure readers into the world of rugby, love, and teenage heartbreak. However, due to its bad language and certain scenes, it is recommended for mature readers.

The Winners, a novel by the bestselling author of Anxious People, Fredrik Backman, is an emotional, character-driven story set in the small town of Beartown. The novel explores themes of friendship, loyalty, loss, and identity. The story follows a group of childhood friends who reunite after two years, only to find themselves caught up in a rivalry between their town and a neighboring one, played out on the ice hockey rink. The novel is a powerful exploration of the human psyche, and Backman's writing is as beautiful and poignant as ever.

The small town of Beartown is known for its ice hockey team, which means everything to its hardworking residents. However, when the team is threatened to be disbanded, tension rises between Beartown and their rival town, Hed. A new coach arrives, bringing hope for a comeback, but old bonds are broken, and the towns' enmity intensifies. The novel explores themes of loyalty, friendship, and what it means to be a man. Us Against You is a poignant and unforgettable novel that will leave readers contemplating the power of sports in small communities.

The House of Wolves is a gripping psychological thriller co-written by James Patterson and Mike Lupica. The story revolves around Jenny Wolf, a high school teacher who inherits a billion-dollar empire from her murdered father. She finds herself in charge of the powerful and ruthless Wolf family, as well as the prestigious San Francisco Tribune and the legendary pro football team, the Wolves. Patterson and Lupica deliver an unforgettable family drama that will keep readers on edge until the very end. This book is a must-read for fans of Succession and Yellowstone.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heart-wrenching yet funny and uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, as told through the eyes of Enzo, a wise and compassionate dog. Garth Stein's novel is a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life that will leave readers feeling both touched and inspired. The book has received praise from acclaimed authors such as Jodi Picoult and Sara Gruen, who both lauded Enzo's ability to teach us about what it means to be human. Overall, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a unique and unforgettable read that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who picks it up.

Infinite Jest by Back Bay Books is a grand, wickedly comic novel that explores the pursuit of happiness in America, the impact of entertainment on human connection and the role of pleasure in defining our identity. The story revolves around an addictive movie that captivates everyone who watches it, leading to a battle for its control. The novel is a virtuoso display of styles and themes, and its unique blend of philosophy and screwball comedy makes it a work of genius. This book is a must-read for anyone who desires to renew their idea of what a novel can do.

Hail Mary: Special Edition (Red Zone Rivals: Special Edition) is a multicultural romance novel about a tattoo artist who becomes roommates with her former crush, a star running back at North Boston University. Despite her efforts to ignore him, living in the same house proves to be a challenge as old feelings resurface. The book explores themes of forgiveness, second chances, and the complexities of relationships. Overall, the book is an enjoyable read that will keep readers engaged with its compelling storyline and well-developed characters. What sets this book apart is its multicultural aspect, which adds a unique layer to the romance genre.

Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own in New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer Chiaverini’s lively and illuminating novel about the “munitionettes” who built bombs in Britain’s arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie and courage on the soccer pitch.Early in the Great War, men left Britain’s factories in droves to enlist. Struggling to keep up production, arsenals hired women to build the weapons the military urgently needed. “Be the Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun,” the recruitment posters beckoned.Thousands of women—cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives—answered their nation’s call. These “munitionettes” worked grueling shifts often seven days a week, handling TNT and other explosives with little protective gear.Among them is nineteen-year-old former housemaid April Tipton. Impressed by her friend Marjorie’s descriptions of higher wages, plentiful meals, and comfortable lodgings, she takes a job at Thornshire Arsenal near London, filling shells in the Danger Building—difficult, dangerous, and absolutely essential work. Joining them is Lucy Dempsey, wife of Daniel Dempsey, Olympic gold medalist and star forward of Tottenham Hotspur. With Daniel away serving in the Footballers’ Battalion, Lucy resolves to do her bit to hasten the end of the war. When her coworkers learn she is a footballer’s wife, they invite her to join the arsenal ladies’ football club, the Thornshire Canaries.The Canaries soon acquire an unexpected fan in the boss’s wife, Helen Purcell, who is deeply troubled by reports that Danger Building workers suffer from serious, unexplained illnesses. One common symptom, the lurid yellow hue of their skin, earns them the nickname “canary girls.” Suspecting a connection between the canary girls’ maladies and the chemicals they handle, Helen joins the arsenal administration as their staunchest, though often unappreciated, advocate. The football pitch is the one place where class distinctions and fears for their men fall away. As the war grinds on and tragedy takes its toll, the Canary Girls persist despite the dangers, proud to serve, determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace.