Winter Olympics Reading List: Novels & Non-Fiction Books
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.As athletes from around the world prepare for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, we’re doing a little preparation of our own before we settle in to watch. Thankfully, our work involves learning more about what it’s like to be in the athlete’s shoes through memoirs, novels, and non-fiction reading.
Whether you can’t watch enough graceful figure skating or gravitate more toward adrenaline-filled downhill skiing, we covered as many sports as we could and divided the list into fiction and non-fiction (including memoirs) sections below.
Novels About Winter Olympic Sports
The Favorites
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Katarina didn’t have the family support or funding usually required to make it to the Olympics, but she knew becoming an Olympic figure skater was her destiny. When she has an instant connection with Heath, who was in the foster system, their chemistry and determination make them a formidable duo on the ice. Skating is the perfect escape from their difficult lives. The childhood sweethearts turn into crowd-favorite champions in the cutthroat world of ice dancing.
Their story takes a terrible turn after a shocking incident at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Ten years later, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Kat and Heath and promises to uncover the truth about their final skate. Kat initially wants nothing to do with the documentary, but more than that, she doesn’t want anyone else to tell her story. It’s finally time to share everything, and the truth may be even more shocking than her fans anticipate.
Reading Format Recommendation
We highly recommend the audio version of this book, as the story is told in interview format by a full cast, including real Olympian Johnny Weir. The excellent narration makes this page-turning story even more compelling.
Decades Challenge Note: While much of this story takes place in the 2000s, it starts in the 90s & spans into 2014. The characters are telling the story in 2024, looking back on the careers and relationship of Katarina & Heath.
Bluebird Day
Book Summary
Armchair travel to Zermatt, Switzerland, for this cozy story about the healing of a mother-daughter relationship. Claudine and her daughter, Wiley, were a champion alpine ski duo until former Olympian Claudine had an accident.
This break was the perfect opportunity for Wiley to pursue the art career she had dreamt of, rather than the Olympic career her mom wanted for her. This decision led not only to the breakup of their skiing time together but also to the end of their entire relationship. They would both like to be on better terms, but it isn’t easy.
When Wylie’s boyfriend drops out of a fitness competition in Germany, she swallows her pride and asks her mom to be her partner. Claudine agrees, but on the condition that they stop in Switzerland on the way to handle some family business. While there, Mother Nature intervened, and the duo finds themselves snowed into the village. An avalanche forces them to finally be honest with each other and confront their fractured relationship.
Thoughts about This Book
If you love reading about the personal growth of characters within a family drama, we think you’ll enjoy this one! And it definitely brings all the winter vibes as you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Switzerland.
Home or Away
Book Summary
Twenty years ago, Leigh and Susy were best friends and hockey teammates on their way to the Olympics. But when Leigh’s plan to make the final roster failed, she left town and had to watch Susy go on to Olympic glory without her.
Now, Leigh’s a successful investment banker, happily married, and the mom of a hockey prodigy. When a career opportunity brings her family back to Minnesota, she’s suddenly also back in Susy’s orbit.
While the interactions between them are chilly at best, Susy secretly hopes that Leigh will join her as a coach. It’s hard being a woman in hockey, and Susy’s decisions are constantly being undermined by the all-male board. She’ll do anything to help her daughter, Georgie, have a fair chance on the ice, even if that means joining forces with Leigh again. But Leigh is sure that keeping Susy at arm’s length is the only way to hide her history with her coach, Jeff Carlson.
Genre Notes
While this novel is largely a story of friendship and being a female athlete in a male-dominated sport, there are mystery elements as well, making this a well-rounded pick.
We Came Here to Forget
Book Summary
Kate and her best friends, Luke and Blair, have their sights on the Olympics as they are all high-caliber skiers with big-money coaches. But as Kate’s career skyrockets, she learns a terrifying truth about her sister that brings everything crashing down around her.
To escape her ruined life, she heads to Buenos Aires and remakes herself as Liz. Her new friends are a colorful group of ex-pats and a charismatic tango teacher, Gianluca. However, he has secrets of his own. From ski chalets to the underground tango scene, you’ll see Kate/Liz’s life in alternating chapters as she rises and falls in love and life.
Running Cold
Book Summary
Julie once trained for the Olympics in Banff, so when her life in California falls apart emotionally and financially after her husband’s suicide, she decides to head back to the charming ski town to escape.
She finds work at a luxury resort, but just as she gets into the swing of her new life, an eccentric guest dies. And Julie was the last person in the room, making her the prime suspect. Julie knows her way around the isolated mountain, but can she stay away from the police long enough to uncover the real killer?
From Lukov with Love
Book Summary
Ivan is an Olympic medalist and world champion pairs skater. Jasmine trains at his family’s facility, and while she is talented, after 17 years and countless broken bones, her opportunity to become a champion is closing.
Then, Ivan, the arrogant idiot she can’t stand to be around, offers to be her partner for one year. Is dealing with him worth a final shot at her lifelong dreams?
What to Expect in This Book
From Lukov with Love is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance with sharp banter, intense training scenes, and a strong personal-growth arc for Jasmine. She’s not always a likable character, but she grows as a person throughout the book.
Winners
Book Summary
Seventeen-year-old Lily has a bright future as an Olympic-bound skier, but a tragedy on the chairlift changes her life overnight. Jessie, the neurosurgeon who operates on Lily, experiences a tragedy of her own the same night.
The lives of Lily, Jessie, and four others intertwine as Lily’s dad uses his considerable wealth to open a cutting-edge rehab facility for his daughter. With the encouragement of those around her, Lily adjusts her dreams and enters the Paralympics.
Consider This Before Reading
Those who don’t enjoy this book dislike the unending wealth the family has and the way it makes Lily’s experience with her accident much different from what it would be for the average family. In addition, some things happen a bit too easily for some readers’ tastes, and they find it sappy and predictable.
However, those who don’t mind reading about the extreme wealth and who just get lost in the fictional story rate it highly.
Edge of Glory
Book Summary
Corey LaCroix already has world championships and Olympic medals to her name, but she’s not ready to call it quits, though her knees might feel otherwise. But for the first time in her career, the 31-year-old is the underdog.
Elise Brandeis is an accomplished alpine skier, but after a devastating injury causes her to lose a full season of training, she’s struggling to make the Olympic ski team.
Can teaming up with Corey give her the edge to go for gold, or will it prove a distraction Elise can’t afford?
When Corey’s easy charm collides with Elise’s icy guard, a wary friendship turns into a slow-burn romance. As the Games approach, both women must balance desire, national-team politics, media pressure, and the risk of failure to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice—for gold, and for each other.
About the Author
Rachel Spangler is an award-winning author of LGBTQ+ romance best known for sports and adventure-tinged love stories. She lives in western New York with her wife and son, where they enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and curling.
Another Book You May Enjoy
If you’re looking for a romance between athletes in different sports, try Revolve by Bal Khabra about Sierra, who was an Olympian figure skater before a life-altering accident on the ice left her with panic attacks every time she enters the rink, and Dylan, the hockey player who may be her next pairs partner.
Midnight in the Snow
Book Summary
Kit is a controversial champion surfer. He was involved in an accident with devastating consequences for his bitter rival, but he’s never spoken about what really happened that fateful day. Now he’s shifted his focus to training as a snowboarder.
Award-winning director Clover Phillips has been covering the story and is determined to find out the truth. She travels to the snowy Austrian Alps and begins to dive deeper into the story. Kit blames her for the negative way he’s been portrayed and how it’s changed his life.
As Christmas draws nearer, Clover is surprised to find herself drawn to Kit. At the same time, however, she’s more convinced than ever that he’s hiding something.
What to Expect in This Book
While it’s set in the lead-up to Christmas, reviewers say this book has more of a wintery feel and less holiday vibes. On the plus side, readers praise this book for having more depth than the typical holiday romance.
Beartown
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In the tiny community of Beartown, life revolves around hockey. It provides entertainment and hope for a better future. It’s a story about hockey, small-town life, and much more. When a shocking event occurs, the town quickly takes sides. Who will stand up for the truth, and who will put hockey above humanity? The themes are definitely relevant to the decade.
If you’ve already read Beartown and the sequel Us Against You, this is a great excuse to pick up the final book in the Trilogy, The Winners, which was published in September 2022. It’s set two years after Beartown, so it still sneaks into the 2010s.
What to Expect in This Read
We couldn’t write a list of books that includes hockey topics without mentioning Beartown, even though the players aren’t specifically training for the Olympics. Beartown still offers two things we were looking for – a strong sense of winter and unique insight into what it’s like to play competitive hockey, on and off the rink.
Fredrik Backman has a gift with words, melodic phrasing, and unparalleled insight into human motivations. He writes characters that are so well-rounded that even if you disagree with their decisions, you understand what they were thinking. We both gave this one all the stars!
His books are generally best enjoyed at their slower pace, so while it’s often page-turning and you can’t wait to find out what happens next, he doesn’t rush you through the plot.
Throwing Stones
Book Summary
Oliver Doyle was one of Canada’s top curlers before a scandal cut his career short. Now he’s taken on a new role in Glasgow, where he aims to coach Scotland’s next big team to a national championship. Only one upstart team stands in his way.
Luca Riley dreams of leading his underdog team to Nationals, but first they’ll have to beat their rivals, whose hot new Canadian coach is turning heads, in one final bonspiel.
Things get complicated when there’s an instant spark of connection between Oliver and Luca. For the first time, Oliver feels comfortable telling someone the truth about what kept him off the ice for years, and Luca finally feels accepted for who he is.
Thoughts On This Book
Readers recommend this slow-burning, low-steam, M/M romance for readers who enjoy the opposites attract trope.
There are two books in the On Ice series, and the second pairs up two teammates at Christmastime. Avery Cockburn is also the author of the multi-book Glasgow Lads series about Scottish football (soccer) players. While more books are planned for the football series, there is no word on whether there will be any further editions of the curling series.
Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books About Winter Olympians
Rise: My Story
Book Summary
With 82 World Cup wins, 20 World Cup titles, 3 Olympic medals, and 7 World Championship medals, Lindsey Vonn retired in 2019 as the most decorated female skier of all time.
Throughout her career, she helped blaze a trail for other female athletes while dealing with her own mental health challenges. In this memoir, she opens up about her incredible career as well as her decades-long depression and struggles with self-confidence.
What to Expect in This Memoir
Readers say this memoir is both empowering and raw. It provides an inspirational look at how Vonn continually pushed the boundaries to achieve unmatched success, while also examining the sacrifices they required along the way.
The Hard Parts
Book Summary
Oksana Masters started her life in Ukraine, in the shadow of Chernobyl, where no one would predict that she would grow up to be the United States’ most decorated winter Paralympic or Olympic athlete. She came into the world with one kidney, a partial stomach, six toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep, and no thumbs. Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, and she was missing both tibias.
The care she required was out of her parents’ reach, so she was put in the orphanage system, where she was horrifyingly abused. Then, Gay Masters, an unmarried American professor, saw a picture of Oksana and was haunted by her eyes. She began a two-year battle to rescue her.
Once in America, she received a needed double leg amputation. But despite her impossible circumstances, she went on to win 17 Paralympic medals across four sports, the most of any US athlete of the Winter Games, Paralympic or Olympic.
Thoughts About This Book
If you love highly-rated memoirs about those who chase their dreams no matter what, or need some encouragement to keep fighting through tough circumstances, this is the pick for you!
Important Note: As mentioned, Oksana’s story contains detailed accounts of abuse. While the overall story is uplifting, her experiences may be triggering to some readers.
Another Book You May Enjoy
For a faith-based story about a downhill skiing Paralympian, Josh Sundquist, check out his memoir, “Just Don’t Fall”.
The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Book Summary
This New York Times bestselling nonfiction book covers what Sports Illustrated called the greatest moment in sports history – the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” that led to Al Michaels’ iconic and often quoted “Do you believe in miracles? YES!!!” as the game’s announcer.
During the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, everyone assumed that the Soviet Union, whose players trained together year-round and had won four straight Olympic golds, would win again in the medal round.
The US team, led by Herb Brooks, was made up of true amateurs, early 20-somethings, who were mostly college students. Yet, somehow, some way, they beat the professional champions from the Soviet Union and then went on to beat Finland for the gold medal.
What to Expect in This Book
This page-turning non-fiction book is on the shorter side at 273 pages, and like a hockey game, is divided into three periods and two intermissions. The author alternates between the actual game and the background stories of the 20 US players and their coaches, along with what happens to many of the players in the twenty-five years after they won gold.
But Now I See: My Journey from Blindness to Olympic Gold
Book Summary
Steven Holcomb was considered one of the best bobsledders in the world, medaling in nearly every competition he entered. After leading his four-man American team to 6th place at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, he and the other “Night Train” bobsledders were viewed as a strong gold-medal contenders for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.
But all the while, Holcomb was hiding a huge secret. Diagnosed with keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease, he was going blind.
Even under the best of circumstances, bobsledding is a dangerous sport with speeds reaching up to 100 miles per hour through hairpin turns. Nonetheless, Holcomb hid his condition from his coach and sled mates for months before finally coming forward.
Ultimately, Holcomb received a revolutionary treatment (later named after him) that restored his sight to 20/20 and allowed him to become the first American bobsledder to win Olympic gold since 1948.
What to Expect in This Memoir
Holcomb’s story is one of determination and second chances that also provides readers with an in-depth education about the sport of bobsledding and keratoconus.
Consider This Before Reading
Before picking up this memoir, you should know that there is mention of a suicide attempt, although it is not discussed in depth.
Unfortunately, Steve Holcomb passed away in his sleep at the US Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, in 2017. He was just 37 at the time of his death, and the final toxicology report indicated significant levels of both alcohol and a sleeping aid in his system.
Brave Enough
Book Summary
At the 2018 Winter Games, 26-year-old Jessie Diggins became the first American to win a cross-country skiing Olympic gold medal.
In this memoir, Jessie tells of her upbringing in Afton, Minnesota, and how she went from a free-spirited kid exploring the woods to an Olympic champion. She describes the challenges and frustrations along the way to becoming a serious athlete and how she learned to push through both physical and psychological limits. She openly discusses her struggle with bulimia and the intense pressure of competing at the highest levels.
What to Expect From This Memoir
Readers say this is equally a memoir about what it takes to become an elite athlete and about the struggle to overcome an eating disorder. Jessie’s personality is said to really shine through in her writing, and many people have praised her emphasis on the importance of community.
The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Putin’s Secret Doping Empire
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
In this memoir, which was named the 2020 William Hill Sports Book of the Year, and which tells the full story behind the 2017 Oscar Award-winning film, Icarus, the author details how he was the mastermind behind, and then the whistleblower that brought down, Russia’s secret doping empire.
This story charts Rodchenkov’s childhood growing up behind the Iron Curtain, his first encounter with doping as a student-athlete at Moscow State University, and his career working for the Soviet Olympic Committee.
In 2015, Russia’s Anti-Doping Centre was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following revelations of an elaborate state-sponsored doping program at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The doping program involved a nearly undetectable steroid delivery system known as the ‘Duchesse cocktail’ and tampering with and switching of urine samples in a complex state-sanctioned cover-up.
Who Should Pick This Book
The readers who picked up this book as part of our Book Voyage Challenge all enjoyed it and rated it highly. However, several of them also noted that they liked it so much because they already had a strong interest in sports. If you’re not already interested, some of the other books on this list will be a better fit.
Another Book You May Enjoy
For another non-fiction book that covers more than one sport, consider Norwich by Karen Crouse, which is about a tiny town in Vermont that has produced more Olympians per capita than any other place in the country.
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