My Top-10 Sports Themed Novels

In Ahab, Corporal Will Foley loses his foot in a parachuting accident, and love of hockey helps him get through rehab. To inspire and inform my writing, I’ve turned to some great sports-themed books. Here’s my current top-10 list:

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (American Football in Italy)

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (NFL Football)

Beartown by Fredrik Backman (Swedish Amateur Ice Hockey)

Deliverance by James Dicky (Georgia Rafting/Bow Hunting)

The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (Spanish Bull Fighting)

Fat City by Leonard Gardner (California Boxing)

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (Underground Bare-Knuckle Fighting)

Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger (Texas High School Football)

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (Mount Everest Climbing Adventure)

The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield (Pre-PGA Golf)

What are your favorites?