Olympics

Romance Novels for Every Hobby

MelindaLeave a comment

We’ve noticed a trend this year in our romance books- 2024 has been the year of romance for every reader! If you want a romance featuring a specific hobby, interest, or activity, the publishing world has you covered, and so do we! Take a look at some of the niche romances we have in our collection.

Click on the book title to request a print copy of the book, or check out Libby or Hoopla for eBook and eAudiobook offerings.

For the pickleball enthusiast:

Pickleballers by Ilana Long

Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total dink, her bestie suggests a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal–not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out. But no matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant and Bainbridge local, Ethan is eager to play with her on–and off–the court.

For the word game puzzler:

A Five Letter Word for Love by Amy James

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn’t have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career, longs for big city life and craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.

What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she’s forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help–and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.

For the beginner birder:

Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, cliches be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds–he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business.

For the aspiring astrologer:

Looking For a Sign by Susie Dumond

Gray feels her biological clock ticking and is determined to meet someone, settle down, and build the loving, accepting family she’s always wanted. When her best friend Cherry suggests Gray look for answers from Madame Nouvelle Lune, an astrologer, Gray’s skeptical. So when Madame encourages her to look to the stars, she finds herself mapping out a plan: go on a date with someone of each sign before her birthday, when Saturn will make its first return to the same celestial alignment as her birth (a major turning point in every person’s life, she’s learned).

For the Olympic fan:

Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

Olivia Nkomo has always been ambitious, smart, and an overall go-getter. Now that she’s graduated from university, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to land her dream job at the Summer Games. The first step? Securing her new internship, which will put her in the center of all the action, where she hopes to run into some of her favorite athletes. Ezekiel “Zeke” Moyo, the heartthrob star runner of Team Great Britain, is more than ready to claim his title as the fastest man in the world, following in the footsteps of the greatest athletes of all time.

For the DIYer:

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee

Hannah hardly believe her eyes when she finds an engagement ring. Killian, her super responsible, incredibly attractive boyfriend–and the father of her new baby, Bowie–is finally going to propose. But a romantic night out goes horribly wrong when Killian reveals he’s dumping Hannah. Furious and heartbroken, Hannah takes Bowie and moves in with her mama and stepdaddy in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Hannah realizes that her parents’ cabin has vacation property gold written all over it. Only problem? The cabin’s décor is . . . mildly terrifying and it’s in desperate need of renovation.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Olympic Reads

MelindaLeave a comment

The 2024 Olympics begin today in Paris, France! The XXXIII Olympiad will be the sixth Olympic Games hosted by France and the third Olympic Games hosted in the “City of Love.” From cardboard beds to the launch of Olympic breakdancing, this Olympic Games is already full of stories. If you’re caught up in the quest for gold, here are a few Olympic-themed reads.

Fiction

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper

In the 1928 Olympics, Chicago’s Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women’s delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America’s Golden Girl until a nearly-fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything.

The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon

For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. It’s why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and pops Advil like Tic Tacs. For her mother, Charlene,  hungry for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. 22-year-old Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t–a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way.

Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella

At eight years of age, Samia lives to run. She shares her dream with her best friend and neighbor, Ali, who appoints himself her “professional coach.” Eight-year-old Ali trains her, times her, and pushes her to achieve her goals. For both children, Samia’s running is the bright spot in their tumultuous life in Somalia. She is talented, brave, and determined to represent her country in the Olympic Games.

Aquamarine by Carol Anshaw

Jesse Austin, a former Olympic swimmer who, at age 17, lost the gold medal in the Mexico City games–a loss that has haunted her ever since. 

Head Over Heals by Hannah Orenstein

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: after training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their controversial coach, Dimitri.

Nonfiction

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance by Simone Biles 

Simone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games and have catapulted her ever since–including 25 World Championship medals. 

Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky

Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her–what makes her a champion?

Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team by Elise Hooper

MeganLeave a comment

If you are all caught up on this week’s Buddy Read of Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration by Sara Dykman and you’ve mulled over the discussion questions, and your thoughts are drifting to the upcoming Olympic games, then you might be interested in the book Fast Girls by Elise Hooper.

Fast Girls is a fictionalized account of the US Women’s Track team in the 1936 Olympics and the events that lead to Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes, Helen Stephens, and their teammates competing in the Nazi-sponsored games. While Jesse Owens was the public star of the games that same year, these trailblazing women were quietly carving out a place for themselves in history.

Betty Robinson:

The 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam marked the first time women were allowed to compete in track events. Seventeen year old Betty won the gold in the 100 m race, matching the world record time, and took the silver in the women’s 4×100 relay. Robinson missed the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games following a near death accident. She fought her way back to competition strength to earn a place on the 1936 team.

Louise Stokes:

Louise Stokes and Tiyde Pickett were the first Black women to be selected to compete in the Olympic after qualifying in the 1932 Olympic trials. Both women accompanied the US team to Los Angeles, but both were left off of the relay team that year. Stokes and Pickett were both among the eighteen Black athletes at the 1936 games. Stokes was once again left off the relay roster, failing to compete for a second time. She was welcomed home to Malden, Massachusetts with a hero’s welcome and she went on to found the Colored Women’s Bowling League.

Helen Stephens:

Helen, the “Fulton Flash” Stephens was a sprinter who never lost a race in her career. At 18 she competed against and beat Stanisława Walasiewicz (aka Stella Walsh-Clevelanders may recognize her name!), the reigning champion and world record holder in the 100 m race. While in Berlin, she had an unpleasant encounter with Adolph Hitler. Shortly after the Olympics she retired from running, but went on to play professional baseball and softball and eventually became the first woman to own and manage a semi-professional basketball team.

All of these amazing women overcame different hardships in order to pursue their dreams. While the world remembers the name Jesse Owens, these women also raced their way in to Olympic history in 1936. If you like captivating historical fiction, courageous women, and a good underdog story, you’ll probably enjoy Fast Girls. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself putting down the story to further research the events in the book. Their stories are heartbreaking and inspiring and deserve to be known.

~Megan