The Nonfiction Files 11: Winter Olympic Sports as Books

18 books to read to keep those Winter Olympic vibes going.

This Nonfiction Files is free to all. If you like what you read consider joining as a paid subscriber to get more content and to generally support my work here and across platforms!

Imagine being a person who doesn’t love the Olympics. I mean, I know we all agree that the Summer Games are far superior to the Winter. However, when I hear that damn song, I am locked in for as long as it takes to do a curling match or free skate or whatever.

But, when the Olympics end, I usually get a little “sports I never cared about but would now give my life for” hangover. And to ease that pain for myself, and for all of you, I’ve paired a few Olympic sports with their nonfiction book doppelgängers.

For those of you who remember¹, in 2024 I did a version of this with the Summer Olympics, so we’re running it back this year—but with one change: In 2024 I didn’t have The Nonfiction Files, so I did a mix of fiction and nonfiction. But now, since I have a series to uphold, I’ve made it only nonfiction picks. But if you have fiction pairings, you can leave those in the comments².

Last quick thing: I know many people would expect a Black History Month list from me here. And I of course considered it, but then I remembered, not only do I read books about Black folks and by Black folks that are filled with Black history year round, but I already essentially did that with my Black August piece from last year. So if that’s what you’re looking for, read that instead. I promise you the Black books (and holidays) don’t only happen in February.

Now listen, like I said last time I did this, I am not here to just Google a sport and give you a book about that sport. That is boring, and you can just do that yourself. I am here today to give you nonfiction books that embody the vibes of a sport. Some might be literal, but others will likely be so tangentially related you’ll have to squint to see it. But trust me, in my brain, these all make sense.

A classic winter sport. We all know what this one is: skating, sticks, pucks, and goals. Very straightforward. Clear scoring. Hockey is your crowd-pleaser, your bread and butter of the Olympic games.

• The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey. We’re going literal here for this first one, folks. You want the story of the “Miracle on Ice?” Welp, Wayne Coffey has it for you.

• In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larsen. If hockey were an author, it would be Erik Larsen. He gives you exactly what you expect from narrative history: a few characters to latch on to, a well-executed narrative, and lots of research. This book is a particularly good pick because there are no more clear-cut opponents than Nazis. This book is the lead up to WW2, starring some Americans and some early-day Nazis, and it exactly what you want it to be. There is a little gossip, a little history, and whole bunch of wild German names.

• Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur. When we’re talking about autobiography, this book is the gold standard—it is everything you’d expect from the genre. And just like in hockey, you get the huge conflict of her story with the finesse of her writing. Can’t have the Winter Games without hockey, and you can’t have autobiography without Assata.

Oh, so you have a death wish? You want to just fly down a mountain and never slow down, not even for one second? Propulsive. Unstoppable. Chaotic.

• Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire by Lizzie Johnson. I will never forget reading this book about the Paradise Fire in California. I was holding my breath for the first 50 pages. Reading this book felt exactly like watching Lindsay Vonn ski down a mountain with a torn ACL. One part “Are you fucking kidding me?”, mixed with one part “Wow,” and two parts “Please stop. I can’t.”

• The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart's New York by Elon Green. I couldn’t stop reading this book about the murder of Michael Stewart at the hands of the police in 1980s New York. This book captures the chaotic energy of the city during that decade. You get cop shit, tragic family shit, and even some Madonna shit.

• Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakuer. You wanna know another crazy thing you can do on a mountain besides flying down it? Climbing it during a raging storm. That’s what happens in one of my favorite books of all time: A bunch of people try and climb Everest when they really should not have. This book is propulsive and daring.

It’s emotional, expressive, tender, and sometimes terrifying. These babes on skates are way more ferocious than we give them credit for—they’re cutthroat on and off the ice. So much drama. So much intensity.

• Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden. When her husband of 20 years decides he no longer wants to be married, Burden has to figure out what just happened. This memoir captures the mess of relationships and their ends so well. The way I feel like I can talk shit about every figure skater because they seem like characters in a show is sort of how I felt about Burden’s marriage. You know what I mean?³

• Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey. Devastating familial drama is an understatement when it comes to this memoir about the murder of Trethewey’s mother at the hands of her former stepfather. I remember reading this book and weeping. It is as moving as the most beautiful ice dance and as brutal as an unlikely fall on the world’s biggest stage.

• Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View by Ramin Setoodeh. It turns out that in figure skating, the drama off the ice is just as juicy as what happens on the ice. And I’ve never read a book that captures workplace drama as well as this one that is all about the ladies of The View.

It looks boring from the outside—slowly pushing a giant stone-like object on ice while your team uses a little broomy thing to melt the ice and get the stone to land in the middle of the circle while the other teams do the same thing and try to knock yours out. But surprise! Curling is not boring⁴. It is the slow burn of the Olympics. It is subtle and nuanced, and then all of a sudden, you realize you do care deeply about stones and brooms. This is the sport we all think we can do, but truly none of us have the geometry or deep-lunge skills to pull it off.

• The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne. A biography of a man who has had plenty of words written about him might seem a little boring, but once the Paynes get cooking, they’re adding layers and depth to the life of a man you thought you knew. This is a slow burn that truly ignites by the end.

• Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar. A book about parking lots? I know. But I promise you’ll leave this book thinking “Damn, I’m big into parking.” For my micro-history lovers, this is a book that gets into the nitty gritty of the politics and history of parking and why it matters so much.

• The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. This is a big boy of a book—it’s long, detailed, and dense. It is also a fascinating look into cancer. Just like curling, it is just slow and chill and really rewarding to spend time with.

  

This sport feels like a party to me. You get your besties, you get a sled, and you fling yourself down a semi-tube made of ice. Maybe I just feel this way because I’m a child of the ‘90s and I love Cool Runnings but l do feel like bobsled has got to be the most fun and social sport they’ve got.

• P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance by Vanessa Díaz & Petra Rivera-Rideau. If bobsled is the party sport, there is no person I’d rather get down with than Bad Bunny. This book takes us into the party and the protest of Benito and Puerto Rico. Also, like, imagine you’re on a bobsled with Bad Bunny…cozy.

• Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan. Written like a magazine exposé, this book is all about the Kennedy men and how they destroyed the lives of the women around them. It gives bobsled vibes to me because there are way too many people on this sled and it is careening way too fast toward disaster, but it’s written like salacious gossip, so it’s sorta fun!

• Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell. Launching yourself down a mountain in a sled? Fun? Crazy? Both! That is exactly how I’d describe Cultish, a book that looks at the words (and worlds) of cults. Also, you can’t cult alone, so this is a no-brainer for a team sport.

A tricks bonanza! The halfpipe—either on skis or a snowboard—is a place for athletes to show off their creativity and skills. Athletes get the chance to do 5-6 hits (AKA tricks) on their way through the halfpipe. This event is filled with awe-inspiring landings and gnarly wipeouts. So much range.

• How to Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability, and Doom by Johanna Hedva. This book captures the punk-rock spirit of the halfpipe. The essays are about disability, accessibility, and care, but they’re not at all what you think they’ll be. And just like in the event, each essay is its own unique idea and feat. They’re high-flying and dynamic and show off Hedva’s creativity and range.

• Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America by Julia Lee. This collection of essays spectacularly builds up steam as it goes, just like the halfpipe. Lee is discussing race in America with a ferocity and point of view that is electric and not ever stale.

• Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby. Honestly, if getting your little jokes off were an Olympic sport, Sam Irby would be a 20x Gold Medal Champion.⁵ No, it isn’t death defying stuff, but I would argue writing even one thing that is laugh out loud funny is way harder than a 1040 (or whatever the fuck they’re doing).

Now, if you read this whole thing and were like, “Traci there is literally 1.5 books on this list about actually sports”, I’m sorry. That being said, I do have this list of books about sports that I like. I can do it all. I am for sure taking your book pairings (nonfiction or fiction) in the comments if you have them.

---

If you want more of me and my nonsense be sure to listen to The Stacks podcast every Wednesday and follow me over on Instagram for a lot more book content.

You can earn a free subscription to Unstacked by sharing it with the people in your life. Just tap the button below and spread the word.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

1. I had forgotten I had written this until I got halfway into a draft on another Olympics post to share with you this week. So, it’s okay if you forgot.

2. You do not have to put those Heated Rivalry books in the comments, we all already know about them. You won’t stop talking about them.

3. Please tell me you get it. There is something about figure skaters that make them feel like actors in the Olympics instead of people. I can’t explain this. Don’t hate me. This is just how I feel. I am spiraling. I should not publish this. They are people, I promise. I know that. Love you guys.

4. I’ll admit that description was as boring for you to read as it was for me to write.

5. Yes, I recognize that means she would’ve had to compete in the Olympics for the last 80 years, but go with me, its called hyperbole.