Ever notice how sparse it is for sports fiction novels? I mean good ones; there's a lot of trash out there. Much of that trash is evident when the covers depict the sculpted abs of young men.
I went through this thread and culled the suggestions; thanks for them. But when all was said and done, I ended up with less than ten such books in my library.
For a demonstration, try googling "best sports fiction novels." Suprisingly, the three that John Grisham has written so far appear on many of these lists. They are
Playing for Pizza (2007),
Calico Joe (2012), and
Sooley (2021), all of which I have read and enjoyed. On the lists, and having appeared no earlier than 15 years ago.
It's one of two mysteries that I have about books.
- Why are there so few (good) sports fiction novels?
- Why is so much of historical fiction written my women (much of which also with shirtless men on the covers)?