International Literacy Day: Books about Women's Sports

Happy International Literacy Day! To celebrate the joy of reading and the incredible stories that shape our world, I've put together a curated collection of fantastic books celebrating women's sports for everybody to enjoy. Whether you're looking for gritty memoirs, high-stakes drama, romance or inspiring reads for young kids, there is something here for every kind of reader.

Memoirs & Non-Fiction

TITLE	AUTHOR	SPORT
The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer	Caitlin Murray	Football
'Unsuitable for Females': The Rise of the Lionesses and Women's Football in England	Carrie Dunn	Football
My Beautiful Sisters: A Memoir of Courage, Hope, and the Afghan Women's Soccer Team	Khalida Popal	Football
Dear Black Girls: How to be True to You	A'ja Wilson	Basketball
Women and Water: Stories of Adventure, Self-Discovery, and Connection in and on the Water	Gale Straub	Swimming
The Striker and the Clock: On Being in the Game	Georgia Cloepfil	Football

My Pick: A friend gifted me My Beautiful Sisters by Khalida Popal for my birthday, and I honestly couldn't put it down. It’s such a powerful, moving memoir about survival and sisterhood under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Popal was the former captain of the women's football team and she shares her incredible fight for women's rights in sports, her exile and that intense, nail-biting, international effort to rescue her teammates after Kabul fell. It's an absolute powerhouse of a book about courage and hope and even won the Vikki Orvice Award for Women's Sports Writing in 2025.

Historical & Contemporary Fiction

TITLE	AUTHOR	SPORT
Our Beautiful Game	Lou Kuenzler	Football
The Scandalous Ladies Football Club	Frances Quinn	Football
Carrie Soto Is Back	Taylor Jenkins Reid	Football
The Little Communist Who Never Smiled	Lola Lafon	Gymnastics
The Happiest Girl in the World	Alena Dillon	Gymnastics

My Pick: If you want an unapologetic main character and high-stakes drama, you have to check out Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (the same author behind The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six). Even if you aren't big on tennis, it follows a retired, record-breaking legend who comes out of retirement at 37 just to defend her Grand Slam title. It's a total page-turner about ambition and what it actually costs to be the best.

Romance & YA

TITLE	AUTHOR	SPORT
In Her Own League  (Contains Explicit Scenes)	Liz Tomforde	Baseball
Cleat Cute (Contains Explicit Scenes)	Meryl Wilsner	Football
The Long Game (Contains Explicit Scenes)	Elena Armas	Football
The Favorites	Layne Fargo	Iceskating
Derby Girl / Whip-It	Shauna Cross	Roller Derby

My Pick: If you loved the intense, high-pressure world of competitive athletics, you should definitely check out The Favorites by Layne Fargo, even though I haven't read it yet, it’s high on my radar! It’s a gripping psychological drama set in the dark, cutthroat world of elite women’s figure skating, giving off those intense, competitive drive vibes. If you’re into complex ambitions, psychological suspense and characters navigating the brutal stakes of elite sports, this one looks like an absolute must-read.

Kids & Tweens

TITLE	AUTHOR	SPORT
The Wonder Team	Leah Williamson and Jordan Glover	Football
Soccer Queens	Charles R. Smith Jr.	Football
Roller Girl	Victoria Jamieson	Roller Derby
The Dream Team: Jaz Santos Vs. the World	Priscilla Mante	Football
Smarty Marty Takes the Field	Amy Gutierrez	Baseball
Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams	Lesa Cline-Ransome	Tennis

My Pick: If you're looking for a gift that will genuinely inspire a young kid, Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome is such a cool pick. Even though it's a picture book, it doesn't sugarcoat how hard they worked, it shows them practicing on public courts in Compton before the sun even came up. It’s an awesome story about two sisters who stuck together, worked harder than everyone else and completely changed tennis forever. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to pick up a racket and try something big.