It’s not really a secret that I am a sports fan. My true sports loves are baseball and hockey, so I am really excited for the Winter Olympics this month. All the hockey! And the tiny child in me loves figure skating too. All of this means that this month’s contemporary theme is winter sports!
I had trouble finding titles, so I am definitely hoping for some more suggestions in the comments (there are a lot of sports books with basketball, baseball, and football…the hockey fan in me is trying not to be offended). There will be some overlap here with Jennifer’s recent Hub post on ice skating.
Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (and the sequel)
Rose is trying to deal with her new life. Her hockey player brother is away at college, her father died as a civilian in Iraq, her mother’s will is gone, her best friend had a personality transplant, and then there is the former hockey player bad boy who may or may not be flirting with her. All while trying to navigate high school.
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
At one point Hudson knew exactly what her future would look like, but after a betrayal changed everything, she gave up on her promising career as an ice skater. Now Hudson doesn’t believe in second chances and spends her time hiding in her mother’s bakery making cupcakes. This all changes when one of her school’s hockey players catches her skating on a pond. He enlists her to help the hockey team with their skating and that has Hudson reconsidering her stance on a lot of things.
Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
Sloane and Sloane meet after they are both sent to Montreal for camp. Each are equally stressed out by their respective sports of figure skating and ice hockey, so they decide to switch places for the summer. Each girl thinks she’s the lucky one with having to deal with their family, people laughing, or scouts. They both realize that being someone else is a lot harder than just being yourself.
Gold Medal Winter by Donna Freitas
Esperanza’s place on the Olympic figure skating team has come at the expense of an injured skater. Now she has to deal with new-found fame, extreme expectations, and resentful team mates who may be trying to sabotage her routine.
Girl Overboard by Justina Chen
She might be the daughter of a billionaire, but all Syrah really wants to do is snowboard. When a knee injury upends her dream, she has to search inside herself and look outward to find a new way to make a difference in the world. Winter sports fans will empathize with Syrah’s love of the mountains, and will cheer her on as she learns to navigate obstacles and channel her energies in new ways.
And here is hoping we have a repeat of this hockey movie:
If I remember correctly, skating figures pretty prominently in the beginning of Life as We Knew It.