I’m just about the least sporty person you’ll ever meet, but even I can muster some enthusiasm for the Summer Olympics. The astounding physical excellence, the personal drama, and the heartwarming moments of sportsmanship are inspiring to the laziest of couch potatoes (me). Watching the archery events even got me curious about the equipment, like the precision of an arrow puller for archery—tools that ensure the athletes can perform at their best. What better excuse to read some 2016 Olympics books? Here are six thrilling Olympics-themed page-turners that will get your heart rate up! 
Barracuda
Author: Christos Tsiolkas At age 14, Daniel Kelly’s amazing swimming talents could take him far from his Australian working-class roots — away from the sneering rich kids at the private school where he has a sports scholarship, maybe even all the way to the Olympics and international fame. But 20 years later, Dan is living in Scotland, avoiding pools entirely and afraid to tell his partner about the terrible things he’s done. When a family emergency summons him home, Dan is forced to confront his past failures and the long years he spent in prison. Can he redefine himself and make amends for the past? Christos Tsiolkas, the Man Booker Prize-longlisted author of The Slap, explores thorny questions of class, identity, and the price of success. 
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Author: Daniel James Brown Everybody and their book club already knows about this one, so I won’t go into much detail. But this New York Times bestselling true story of America’s Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany is the obvious choice for whipping up some sporting spirit. In 1936, a team of nine blue-collar boys from the University of Washington’s crew team astonished the world by beating the fancy East Coast and British teams — and, ultimately, the German team. Take that, Hitler! 
The Games: A Global History of the Olympics
Author: David Goldblatt History fans will enjoy this comprehensive account of the modern Olympic games, from its 1896 reinvention in Athens to this year’s Rio event. You’ll learn about the origins of traditions like the winners’ medals, the torch relay, and the eternal flame. Despite the international-goodwill policy, politics has always been intertwined with the Olympics, and Goldblatt explores the legacy of unforgettable moments like Jesse Owens’ 1936 triumph at the Berlin Games, or the controversial Black Power salute at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Changing attitudes about diversity are reflected in the chapters on women’s struggles to participate, and how the injured of WWII led to the creation of the Paralympics. And there’s the fascinating behind-the-scenes economic backdrop, where major cities around the globe vie for the honor of hosting the Olympics, only to find it’s often an expensive project that fails to live up to the promised economic benefits. With this book in hand, armchair athletes will get the gold medal in sports trivia. 
The Games
Author: James Patterson Being a certain type of person, I like to think about things like the nightmarish security logistics that an Olympics-type event must require. So it makes complete sense to me to write an action-packed thriller about an elite private-security team keeping the Olympics safe! Jack Morgan, and his ridiculously named consulting firm “Private,” are tapped to organize security for the 2016 Rio Olympics. But when high-profile clients start disappearing, and bodies begin popping up on the streets, Jack (are you all picturing him as Tom Cruise, too?) must take on the dangerous Brazilian underworld, who’d like nothing better than to ruin the games. Can Jack/Tom keep Olympic gold from turning blood-red? 
Gold
Author: Chris Cleave Gymnastics is one of the most high-profile and dramatic Olympics events, so it’s no surprise that it’s a favorite for authors to write about. In this story, Kate Meadows is a champion athlete whose young daughter is fighting childhood leukemia just as Kate is poised to compete for her very last chance at Olympic gold. For years, Kate has sacrificed everything for family, gritting her teeth as her best frenemy and rival Zoe Castle becomes an international star. To get that gold, Kate will have to beat Zoe once and for all. Can she pursue her life’s dream without letting down her daughter? 
You Will Know Me
Author: Megan Abbott This is my top pick of our 2016 Olympics books, and not just because it’s about gymnastics. Devon Knox is a gymnastics prodigy with a shot at the Olympics — if she and her parents, Katie and Eric, want it bad enough. And oh, they do… until a shockingly violent death shakes up the tightly-knit gymnastics team, risking the family’s dream. Rumors start flying, and Katie tries to keep her family together, but she becomes obsessed with the crime. Is there anything Katie won’t do to make Devon’s Olympic dream a reality? (This was also featured in our Summer 2016 book preview.) You might also like:
Stephanie P. is a writer, editor, and blogger. Her secret shame is dystopian YA fiction. You can find her wherever the books and food are.
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