Prompt #2
Ice Hockey Players Watching Game
2 | A book set in the world of sports
Celebrate the spirit of the 2026 Olympics with a book set in the thrilling world of sports! Whether it’s about an underdog chasing victory, the pressure of competition, or the heart behind the game, let the energy of sports drive your reading adventure.

Need some inspiration?
Find all these titles and more at the Grimsby Public Library or Libraries in Niagara Cooperative. Click on any of the book covers below to visit our online catalogue and place your hold.
Heated Rivalry: Now Streaming on Crave and HBO Max by Rachel Reid
Heated Rivalry: Now Streaming on Crave and HBO Max
by Rachel Reid

Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollander's game. Now that he's captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won't let anything jeopardize that--definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate. Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane's not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he's as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him--except Shane. Publicly, they're enemies. Privately, they can't stop touching each other. The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an option...--Provided by publisher.
Calico Joe by John Grisham
Calico Joe
by John Grisham

It's the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faces Calico Joe, Paul is in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren throws a fastball that will change their lives forever.
Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby
Michael Jordan: The Life
by Roland Lazenby

Traces the life of one of the legends of basketball, drawing upon interviews with Jordan's friends, family, and teammates, and following his career from college to the NBA.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto Is Back
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two. But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan. At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. 
Brace for Impact: A Memoir by Gabe Montesanti
Brace for Impact: A Memoir
by Gabe Montesanti

Growing up queer in a conservative Midwestern town, Gabe Montesanti never felt comfortable in her own skin. A competitive swimmer, she turned to perfectionism and self-control to create a sense of safety, only to develop an eating disorder and constantly second-guess her instincts. When she enters graduate school in St. Louis, she is determined to put the baggage of her childhood behind her. With no prior experience, she joins Arch Rival, one of the top-ranked roller derby leagues in the world. Told with unflinching honesty and a giant dose of wonder, Brace for Impact is a tender, inspiring memoir about the everyday heroism of pursuing a life less ordinary, and the deeply human need to be at peace with who you are.
Home Field by Hannah Gersen
Home Field
by Hannah Gersen

The heart of Friday Night Lights meets the emotional resonance and nostalgia of My So-Called Life in this moving debut novel about tradition, family, love, and football.As the high school football coach in his small, rural Maryland town, Dean is a hero who reorganized the athletic program and brought the state championship to the community. When he married Nicole, the beloved town sweetheart, he seemed to have it all--until his troubled wife committed suicide. Now, everything Dean thought he knew is thrown off kilter as Nicole's death forces him to re-evaluate all of his relationships, including those with his team and his three children.
The Darkest White: A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him by Eric Blehm
The Darkest White: A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him
by Eric Blehm

On January 20, 2003, a thunderous crack rang out and a 100-foot-wide tide of snow barreled down the Northern Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. More than a dozen skiers and snowboarders were thrust down the mountain, buried beneath several tons of rock-hard snow and ice in the Durrand Glacier Avalanche. A heroic search and rescue ensued. Among those buried was Craig Kelly--'the Michael Jordan of snowboarding'--a man who had propelled the sport into the mainstream before walking away from competitions, to rekindle his passion in the untamed alpine wilds of North America. 
Winterland by Rae Meadows
Winterland
by Rae Meadows

In the Soviet Union in 1973, there is perhaps no greater honor for a young girl than to be chosen to be part of the famed USSR gymnastics program. So when eight-year-old Anya is tapped, her family is thrilled-- what is left of her family, that is. Years ago her mother disappeared. Anya's only confidant is her neighbor, an older woman who survived unspeakable horrors during her ten years in a Gulag camp--and who, unbeknownst to Anya, was also her mother's confidant and might hold the key to her disappearance. As Anya moves up the ranks of competitive gymnastics, and as other girls move down, Anya soon comes to realize that there is very little margin of error for anyone--
Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor
Don't Know Tough
by Eli Cranor

Trent Powers relocates his family from Anaheim to Arkansas to take over as head coach of the Denton Pirates, a high school football team powered by a volatile but talented running back named Billy Lowe. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother's abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, and it's not long before he crosses a line. Instead of punishing him, though, Trent takes Billy into his home, hoping to protect his star player as the Pirates begin their playoff run. But when Billy's stepfather is found murdered, nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the town apart--
In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson
In a League of Her Own
by Kaia Alderson

An ambitious Harlem woman's husband upends her social climbing when he buys a Negro Leagues baseball team and appoints her as the team's business manager. Overnight, Effa Manley goes from 125th Street's civil rights champion to an interloper in the boys' club that is professional baseball. Navigating her way through gentlemen's agreement contracts, the very public flirtatious antics of superstar Satchel Paige, and a sports world that would much rather see this woman back in her 'place' at home, Effa ultimately whips her team, the Newark Eagles, into the Negro Leagues Champions of 1946--
Albatross by Terry Fallis
Albatross
by Terry Fallis

Adam Coryell is your average high-school student--well, except for that obsession with fountain pens--when his life changes forever. Based on a study by a quirky Swedish professor that claims that every human being, regardless of athletic inclination, has a body that is suited to excel in at least one sport, it turns out that Adam is good--very good, in fact--at golf. Even though he'd never even picked up a golf club.
Thrown for a Loop: A New York Legends Hockey Romance by Sarina Bowen
Thrown for a Loop: A New York Legends Hockey Romance
by Sarina Bowen

Zoe Carson, former figure skating queen, needs a fresh start as a hockey skating coach. An NHL gig with the New York Legends is her big chance. Unfortunately, that means facing off against the star player who broke her heart ten years ago. On the ice, they're magic. Off the ice, they're nothing but heat and stubbornness, and everyone on the team is enjoying the show. When an old video of Zoe and Chase's figure skating routine goes viral, they're forced to work together more intimately than ever before. Can the two get it right this time or will the whole world watch them crash and burn?--
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
Headshot
by Rita Bullwinkel

An unexpected tragedy at a community pool. A family's unrelenting expectation of victory. The desire to gain or lose control; to make time speed up or stop; to be frighteningly, undeniably good at something. Each of the eight teenage girl boxers in this blistering debut novel has her own reasons for the sacrifices she has made to come to Reno, Nevada, to compete to be named the best in the country. Through a series of face-offs that are raw, ecstatic, and punctuated by flashes of humor and tenderness, prizewinning writer Rita Bullwinkel animates the competitors' pasts and futures as they summon the emotion, imagination, and force of will required to win--
Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey
Catch Her If You Can
by Tessa Bailey

Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector.Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden, but there's one problem--her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she's not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. 
On the Grid : life behind the scenes of Formula 1 by Luke Smith
On the Grid : life behind the scenes of Formula 1
by Luke Smith

n On the Grid, F1 journalist Luke Smith brings to life the behind-the-scenes stories that don’t make it to viewers’ screens. From the Bahrain starting grid—thick with sweat and engine fumes—to opulent yacht parties in Monaco, with a stopover at a legendary bakery in Melbourne whose croissants exist only because of F1 technology, he showcases the extraordinary characters who give the sport such color and intrigue. With deep insight, knowledge, and warmth, he writes about the emotions and struggles that come with working in such a high-pressure and inherently dangerous sport.
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
The Favorites
by Layne Fargo

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family's support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating--and each other--to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end. 
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman

A dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream--and the price required to make it come true. By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town's junior ice hockey team are about to compete in the national semi-finals--and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys. Under that heavy burden, the match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil.
Watford forever : how Graham Taylor and Elton John saved a football club, a town, and each other by John Preston
Watford forever : how Graham Taylor and Elton John saved a football club, a town, and each other
by John Preston

"Inspiring, funny, and ultimately heartbreaking, Watford Forever recalls the improbably tender relationship between Elton John and Taylor, a straight-talking former fullback, who together beat the odds and their personal demons to save a club and a struggling community"
To place a hold, click on the cover and go to our online catalogue. 
2026 GPL Reading Challenges
To access the full list of challenges any time, visit the Grimsby Public Library's Reading Challenge page on our website all year round.
 
How to participate
Read a book according to each prompt to be eligible to win our grand prize at the end of the year. That's 12 books total.
(Tip: you don't have to do the challenges in order, as long as you complete all 12 within the year, it still counts!) 
 
Monthly recommendations 
By signing up for this e-Newsletter, you'll get monthly recommendations for each challenge throughout the year straight to your inbox. Every year in January we start again and send you a brand new list of 12 challenges.
Stay on Track
Half the battle of completing a reading challenge is keeping track and staying motivated. Here are a couple ways we suggest to stay organized:
  1. Download, print and fill out the GPL Reading Challenge form
  2. Create a list of what you read using your GPL online account
  3. Use a book tracking website like Goodreads or The Storygraph
Share with us!
Sharing the books you read is not required, but highly encouraged! Share your progress with us and other readers by posting photos and updates on social media using the hashtag #GPLReadingChallenge  and tagging us @GrimsbyLibrary!
Good luck!
Grimsby Public Library
18 Carnegie Lane
Grimsby, Ontario
L3M 1Y1
www.grimsby.ca/library