Whatever sport you find yourself drawn to—hockey, baseball, football, soccer—there’s bound to be an excellent memoir, novel, or biography that shares the inspirational story behind the athletes who make sports so exciting. From personal tales of triumph to insightful journeys through perseverance, the genre of sports literature offers so much more than just a recap of the game. Whether you’re a lifelong athlete, a casual fan, or someone looking for a motivating read, sports books can teach us all about grit, resilience, and the heart it takes to overcome obstacles. And thanks to a growing community of Instagram bloggers who review sports books, it’s easier than ever to discover these powerful reads and find recommendations tailored to your interests.
Thankfully, Instagram is full of bloggers and book reviewers who have taken the time to read these kinds of stories and share thoughtful reviews. From lifestyle influencers to bookish accounts and even publishing imprints, many have spotlighted athletes’ memoirs, novels with a sporty twist, and biographies that go far beyond the stats. Keep reading for a list of 20 of the top Instagram bloggers who have reviewed inspirational sports books and the titles they recommend. Who knows, maybe one of these books will become your new favorite!
Here Are Some Instagram Bloggers Who Review Sports Books
- Book with Em and Frankie: Describing herself as “Iowan through and through,” Emily is part of the common struggle to try and binge-watch less TV and read more books. She reviews everything from romance to historical fiction to inspirational sports stories such as Caitlin Murray’s The National Team, a thrilling piece on women’s soccer. She also has some incredibly cute young reading buddies!
2. Shelf Blame: Jeni has a real knack for aesthetics, creating gorgeous floral images of the titles she reviews with lovely rustic accents and a sturdy wooden background. Along with exciting unboxings and awesome giveaways, Jeni reviews some great LGBTQ literature, some of which are of the sports variety, such as Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall, an intriguing novel that mixes teen romance with cross-country running competition.
3. Spaghetti Reads: With lovely nature-esque backgrounds for her reviews, it is no surprise that Torontonian Tessa loves nature and… cows? She is also a huge fan of baseball and recently reviewed the baseball mystery The Dead Pull Hitter by Kate Henry. With a handle that mentions spaghetti, it should be quite clear that Tessa is a bit of a chef, and even has her own cooking story where you can find some yummy-looking spaghetti squash recipes that I’m sure pair well with a good book.
4. Wine Not Read More: Rachel’s Instagram photos have the perfect blend of books, furry friends, and fine wine. She reviews everything from mysteries to thrillers to historical fiction. Sports biographies are not out of her reviewing repertoire, as she proves with her review of My Guy Barbaro by Edgar Prado and John Eisenberg, an insider look at both horse racing and romance.
5. Reading Between the Trees: Loving to relax with her pup and (literally) read between the trees, Courtney’s page is littered with birds, dogs, and beautiful branches. She even has her own Etsy page where she sells hand-sewn cloth reusable face masks covered in patterns full of animals and plants galore. No stranger to reviewing sports stories, Courtney recently read Abby Wambach’s soccer memoir Forward. I must say, the hammock Courtney likes to use to read between the trees looks like something that would make my own reading experience all the more relaxing!
6. The Heart of a Book Blogger: Jordan has fully embraced the autumn aesthetic, with rich tones and fall plants providing a warm backdrop to her most recent reviews. She has a super cool Instagram story where she pairs books with outfits—a unique union I never would have thought of myself (but that works surprisingly well). Do you have a book that you think would make a stylish outfit? She recently reviewed Brave Enough by Jessie Diggins and Todd Smith, which recounts the fascinating story of Jessie’s journey to becoming an Olympic gold medalist.
7. Katie B is Reading: Also pairing books with fashion (though mostly of the socks and slippers variety), Katie B’s posts have a lovely aesthetic. While she posts brief reviews on Instagram, she also has a Goodreads account where she shares more detailed, full-length reviews of her latest reads. Katie B recently reviewed NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan’s inspiring coming-out story, proving football can definitely be more than just a game.
8. Profile Books: Profile Books is an independent book publishing company that provides reviews of “beautiful books by fearless writers.” They review everything from fiction to non-fiction to inspirational stories by athletes, such as Where There’s a Will by Emily Chappell, a gripping account of the author’s 4,000 km cycle across Europe.
9. The Stacks Pod: The Stacks do it all—they not only run a book podcast but also host The Stacks Book Club and review countless stacks of pages, creating incredible works of photographic art along the way. Not shying away from sports reads, The Stacks have reviewed the unabridged basketball memoir The Sixth Man by Andre Iguodala with Carvell Wallace.
10. Bookmarks NC: Bookmarks is a literary arts non-profit/independent bookstore that holds educating events for readers and writers alike such as book trivia nights, book club socials, and a recent NaNoWriMo workshop for writers who want to attempt a 50,000-word manuscript over the month of November.
11. BPL Boston Teens: The Boston Public Library’s teen section motivates Boston teens to get reading with teen reviews, book recommendations, library-themed TikTok videos, and fun events like Banned Book Week. They have posted about Black Ice, an inspirational hockey story by Valmore James and John Gallagher.
12. Owl’s Nest Books: Known as Calgary’s oldest independent bookstore, Owl’s Nest Books introduces readers to the hottest new titles. Based in Alberta, Canada, they have posted about multiple inspirational hockey stories and even offered an autographed copy of One Game at a Time, Harnarayan Singh’s account of his journey from small-town Alberta to hockey’s biggest stage.
13. Matt Maxx Books: Primarily reviewing books for children featuring regular Black kids outsmarting quirky villains, Matt Maxx is a huge supporter of literacy for children and provides fun titles to motivate children to dive into reading. Using humor to get his point across, Matt Maxx also has fun games on his page such as Reading Bingo. He recently suggested The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life by Kwame Alexander, a book full of wisdom useful both on and off the basketball court.
14. Read with Steph: Stephanie reads books that make her happy, and it is hard to argue with that logic! Blitzed, a romantic NFL comedy by Alexa Martin, is sure to fit into that description for you as it did for Stephanie, providing some cheery, light-hearted sports fiction for a rainy day. Stephanie has reviewed multiple sporty rom-coms, so make sure to check out her page if that’s what makes you smile!
15. Sports Chic Reads: A self-proclaimed “sports romance queen,” Sports Chic Reads is sure to have a review for a romantic read from any of your favorite sports! From rugby to golf to even ice skating, she’s read it all when it comes to love out on the field. Venturing out to more serious (but still sporty) territory, Sports Chic Reads has read and reviewed The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football by Armen Keteyian and Jeff Benedict.
Final Thoughts on Instagram Bloggers Who Review Athletic Books
As these Instagram bloggers who review sports books make clear, inspirational sports books aren’t only for athletes, and anyone can learn a thing or two from athletes’ stories of hard work and triumph! After reading through this list of the top sports book reviewers on Instagram, which title are you eager to get lost in first? Let us know in the comments, and give us a few lines if you have an inspiring sports story to contribute!
Whether you’re looking for motivation, entertainment, or a new perspective, these sports book reviews from Instagram bloggers offer an incredible resource. Be sure to follow your favorites and keep your shelves stocked with some of the most uplifting, thrilling, and thought-provoking sports literature out there. And if you’re ever wondering where to find your next great read, come back to this guide—your go-to list of Instagram bloggers who review sports books.
Feel free to contact us if you have a winning Instagram blog that provides stellar book reviews of inspirational sports stories. We would love to add your name to the list—just give us a shout in the comments!
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