If You Love Tennis, Read These Books
Reading inspiration to keep the Wimbledon magic alive
Welcome to If You Love That, Read This, my new newsletter of reading recommendations! My aim is to inspire you to read something you may not have heard of, based on what you already know you love — whether that’s a particular theme, a podcast, a tv show, or even another book. Sometimes, those recommendations will be zeitgeisty and topical, like this one: books to coincide with the end of Wimbledon and keep the tennis love going. Other times, they will follow my own random musings. In every issue of the newsletter, I’ll recommend between one and five books, and mix it up between British and American books, books in translation, old books, new books, and more.
So let’s start by serving up some aces… (sorry!)
Like many of us, you might be excitedly awaiting Carrie Soto Is Back, the upcoming book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, about a former tennis star wanting to reclaim her former winning glory. You can pre-order it here on Bookshop.org in the US, here on Bookshop.org in the UK, here worldwide at Blackwell’s, and here as an audiobook.
In the meantime, consider the following tennis-themed books:
40-Love, by Oliva Dade
The beloved author of Spoiler Alert and All The Feels treats us to a love story between a tennis coach and an older woman, whose friend treats/tricks her into tennis lessons on holiday. NPR Books calls it "a sexy, snappy and heartfelt romance".
Federer and Me: A Story of Obsession, by William Skidelsky
The Sunday Times calls this book “a splendid deconstruction of Federer's technique,” but it’s a lot more than that; this book encompasses a reflection on fandom as well as on the history of tennis and the author’s own life.
I Look Up to Serena Williams, by Anna Membrino and Patti Burke
If you’re raising a tennis fan — or anyone whom you want to teach about strength, perseverance, and ambition — you can do no better than this wonderful board book. It’s part of a great series, with other role models including Michelle Obama, ballerina Misty Copeland, and US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Knowing the Score, by Judy Murray
In this memoir, the mother of two of British tennis’ biggest superstars reflects on her family’s journey. “Quite simply, she is inspirational, passionate and great fun,” says the Observer.
Apples Never Fall, by Liane Moriarty
The bestselling Australian writer’s latest mystery is “a high-wire act that blends marital drama, a long con, a potential murder―and competitive tennis,” says Entertainment Weekly. Newly out in paperback in the UK; out in paperback in the US later this month.
Want more?
More tennis books can be found here (US) and here (UK).
Feedback is welcome on the format of this newsletter, and please feel free to comment with the thing you love, so I can recommend relevant books for you!
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