17 - A Book About Your Favorite Event in the Winter Olympics > Likes and Comments

A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics.

They just have to keep making sports-related categories, don't they?! For anyone who loves ice dancing or figure skating and also enjoys a dark burn-it-all-down romance, I highly recommend The Favorites


Here is the official list of Winter Olympics events:

Alpine Skiing
Biathlon
Bobsleigh
Cross-Country Skiing
Curling
Figure Skating
Freestyle Skiing
Ice Hockey
Luge
Nordic Combined
Short Track Speed Skating
Skeleton
Ski Jumping
Ski Mountaineering
Snowboard
Speed Skating



Listopia list is Here: A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics

Definitely ice hockey.

Here’s another list I found online:

https://www.drinkreadrepeat.com/blog/...

Unfortunately for me, no one seems to have written a book about biathlon what isn’t a training guide…😄

If you want to get past the sports aspect of it, don't forget that Olympics have opening and closing ceremonies, awarding medals, the Olympic village where the athletes live, things like that.
The prompt just says favorite event, not favorite *sporting* event. ;)

I promise this is the only self-promo I'll do, but curling is pretty niche. If you prefer comedy, The Cosmic Turkey is the only science fiction book to feature that sport. It's not strictly "about" curling, but curling is essential to the plot.

I am ignoring the word "favourite". I have a book that I want to read and its about a winter sport - not my favourite.

Skating on Mars

This prompt is great for the queer readers, there are a ton about Ice Hockey. I will recommend one of my faves that is about Figure Skating, Cold War.

Dubhease wrote: "I am ignoring the word "favourite". I have a book that I want to read and its about a winter sport - not my favourite."


Agreed. I don't follow the Olympics so I for sure do not have a favorite, I'm going to be happy if I can find ANY book I want to read that involves one of these activities. Maybe a spy thriller that includes cross country skiing, or a murder mystery at a ski jump? These books must exist!!

The sports I usually watch at the Winter Olympics are figure skating, curling and ski jumping. I'm going to go with curling and read Throwing Stones by Avery Cockburn. I read one of her books for the soccer prompt this year and really enjoyed it.

For this book I'll be reading a hockey book I keep meaning to get to but never have time for. I love hockey so this is the perfect prompt to finally read this.

The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

I AM SO SICK OF READING ABOUT SPORTS! EVERY YEAR!

They are, to me, the most boring thing out there.

I am absolutely bending the crap out of this one. If anyone goes to a parade, skis, ice skates, or plays hockey EVEN ONCE, I am counting it.

When I am done being irritated by sports, I’ll come back and make actual suggestions. Because I have read books that would fit this prompt.

BECAUSE THIS FREAKING CHALLENGE KEEPS MAKING ME READ SPORTS BOOKS

Dea wrote: "I AM SO SICK OF READING ABOUT SPORTS! EVERY YEAR!

They are, to me, the most boring thing out there.

I am absolutely bending the crap out of this one. If anyone goes to a parade, skis, ice skates,..."

Same. 🤣 like enough already.

Totally on accident I realized Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra involves a ski trip. No clue if it’s sporty enough or Olympic enough. Not even sure if I’ll be brave enough to attempt this next year. But if I do. This is what I’ll use. I care not how much it bends the prompt. It’s close enough. I liked her last book Night Watching.

The second Inspector Gamache mystery involves a woman killed during curling. A Fatal Grace

I'm also reading a curling story The Black Bonspiel of Willie MacCrimmon. He makes a deal with the devil and then to regain his soul and save himself from Hell, his team has to win over the team of the devil, Judas, Macbeth and Guy Fawkes.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service has skiing and bobsleigh in it.

Doni wrote: "Skating on Mars"

Thank you for this one! It's going to be my pick for the prompt.

I added a bunch of figure skating books to the Listopia, including a middle grade and some graphic novels/manga for those wanting something quick and easy.

The Hockey Sweater is a kid's short story. If you hate this prompt, you can even watch an animated version on Youtube where someone reads you the story. It's 10 to 15 minutes long

Dubhease wrote: "I'm also reading a curling story The Black Bonspiel of Willie MacCrimmon. He makes a deal with the devil and then to regain his soul and save himself from Hell, his team has to win o..."

That one sounds like fun - the blurb mentions that it explains how they keep the ice cold in hell.

Now that I'm over my pique about more sports...

I read Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley a couple of years ago. It's a great book, and a hard read. Content includes MMIWC2S and SA. The main character is half Native, and plays hockey. The author is Ojibwe.

For nonfiction, Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters by Joan Ryan is about, as the title states, the treatment of girls and young women in figure skating and gymnastics.

I love sports! Ice hockey is definitely my top winter Olympic sport, but I'll watch everything during the Olympics. I hate romance though, so I think I'm going to read the 2nd Beartown book.

If you're looking for a thriller and are willing to be somewhat flexible in interpretation, the main character in Grey After Dark by Noelle W. Ihli, is a winter Olympic athlete who is training for the 2026 Games, but that's like the background of the character. Nothing that happens during the bulk of the book talks about sports.

Ugh, another sports prompt. The only event I usually watch on the Winter Olympics is figure skating. I have this from book of the month to read. If I don’t like it I will probably try to find a children’s book.

I ADORE Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey!!

Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword is a middle grade fantasy with skating magic

Dubhease wrote: "I'm also reading a curling story The Black Bonspiel of Willie MacCrimmon. He makes a deal with the devil and then to regain his soul and save himself from Hell, his team has to win o..."

That looks amazing.

Jennifer wrote: "Ugh, another sports prompt. The only event I usually watch on the Winter Olympics is figure skating. I have this from book of the month to read. If I don’t like it I will probably try to find a chi..."

I read The Favorites this year for a different challenge. I had zero expectations going in because I'd never even heard of it. It's loosely inspired by Wuthering Heights. It wasn't bad. Even the parts I didn't care for didn't stop it from being a fast read.

I love figure skating and it's really the only Olympic event, summer or winter, I like watching. I already read The Favorites this year (it was okay), and Icebreaker a few years back (hated it), so hopefully I can find another book on figure skating for next year. If not, might have to settle for hockey even though it's not a favorite event. I know there are a lot of hockey romances out there.

I don't mind this one quite as much since at least it's relatively broad (compared to "in a running club" or "does pilates" like really?), but yeah not a fan of how many sports-related prompts they like to include. Gold is a book about skiing I read earlier this year. I'll have to check my tbr for any other winter sports books I've already saved, I'm sure I can find something.

Nadine in NY wrote: "A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics.

They just have to keep making sports-related categories, don't they?! For anyone who loves ice dancing or figure skating and also enjoys a ..."

No idea what Skeleton is, but it is my new favorite sport. Not sure how to find a book about it, though. Maybe Hoopla can come up with something.

Stina wrote: "No idea what Skeleton is, but it is my new favorite sport...."



LOL I didn't know what that was either, I had to look it up. It's when they race downhill on their bellies on a tiny little sled called a "skeleton bobsled"

Nadine in NY wrote: "Stina wrote: "No idea what Skeleton is, but it is my new favorite sport...."



LOL I didn't know what that was either, I had to look it up. It's when they race downhill on their bellies on a tiny ..."

Cool! That actually sounds like a lot of fun.

I do watch the Olympics but don't care much for reading about it so will see if I can find something where the character goes skiing or something.

All I have to offer up is Ana on the Edge - a middle grade novel about a non binary figure skater. Pretty sure I read it for an earlier challenge. Would tick a trans / nonbinary protagonist as well.

There is some skiing in One by One by Ruth Ware. It's an isolated mystery/thriller.

Sarah wrote: "There is some skiing in One by One by Ruth Ware. It's an isolated mystery/thriller."

I like the sound of that, thanks!

Dea wrote: "I AM SO SICK OF READING ABOUT SPORTS! EVERY YEAR!

They are, to me, the most boring thing out there.

I am absolutely bending the crap out of this one. If anyone goes to a parade, skis, ice skates,..."

YES! I agree so, so much. No more sports!

I will either skip this one or do what you're doing.

So I didn't know what "Skeleton" was in this context, so I looked it up:

"Skeleton is a winter sport featured in the Winter Olympics where the competitor rides head-first and prone (lying face down) on a flat sled."

Wow. At the very least it sounds like a great way to break your teeth.

I am going to read by Joan Ryan.

Figure skating - Alina Adams has a good cozy mystery series set in world of figure skating - first is Murder on Ice.

There are plenty of memoirs, biographies, and autobigraphies of figure skating luminaries.

Also the Tonya Harding knee bashing of Nancy Kerrigan generated some books.

I've decided to try this year's list using books from the ATY challenge, and when I can't do that, using children's books. So: Fake Skating

I think I may have to go non fiction for this one. I don't like romance books, and most books on the list are romance. My favorite sport is also biathlon, but I will go for any sport. Biathlon is too limited.

Here are two books about biathlon I found
Two Skis and a Rifle: An Introduction to Biathlon
Nordic Warrior?: A Midlife Crisis in Biathlon

I found my biathlon book! Oksana Masters: The Hard Part
I know the vague outline of her story, and I’ve always loved watching her compete in the Paralympics, so I’m very much looking forward to reading it.

poshpenny wrote: "I ADORE Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey!!

Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword is a middle grade fantasy with skating magic

[bookcover:Check, Please! B..."

Check Please my beloved <3333

Obligatory sports romance suggestions, lol: Icebreaker has hockey and figure skating (though I would not say it's "good" but... y'know) and I'll probably read From Lukov with Love since it has figure skating and has been on my shelf for a while

I honestly might make it easy for myself and do Ice Chips, a kid’s novel about hockey lol. I’m also not a sports fan

I am going to see if my library has a book about Sonja Henie.

Highly recommend The Favorites by Layne Fargo. It’s especially good on audio. It’s supposedly a retelling of Wuthering Heights with a figure skating setting and I LOVED it. I also don’t remember much about WH other than the wife stashed in the attic, so don’t let that throw you off.

Kristy wrote: "Highly recommend The Favorites by Layne Fargo. It’s especially good on audio. It’s supposedly a retelling of Wuthering Heights with a figure skating setting and I LOVED it. I also don’t remember mu..."

The wife stashed in the attic was in Jane Eyre. Although Cathy probably should have been stashed in the attic. She was horrid.

I'm reading My Phony Valentine. Says it involves hockey and that works for me, though it's not my favorite sport.

Curling is not my favorite sport, I don't even know what it is. But this book The Stones of Ailsa Craig looks interesting and it's on Kindle Unlimited so I'm giving it a try

I'm another who really enjoyed The Favourites by Layne Fargo last year, and would highly recommend it to ice skating / ice dancing afficionadoes.

Another recommendation that I can't see in the above comments is Shiver by British-Australian author Allie Reynolds. It's a gripping locked-room (ski lodge) type mystery-thriller written by a retired pro-snowboarder and features a lot of content about the sport.