4.5
There's Always This Year
By Hanif AbdurraqibPublisher Description
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “powerful” (The Guardian) reflection on basketball, life, and home—from the author of the National Book Award finalist A Little Devil in America
“Mesmerizing . . . not only the most original sports book I’ve ever read but one of the most moving books I’ve ever read, period.”—Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams
Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.”
There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.
“Mesmerizing . . . not only the most original sports book I’ve ever read but one of the most moving books I’ve ever read, period.”—Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams
Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.”
There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities47 Reviews
4.5
stingrayanne
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Abby Yeomans
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Maddy McCombs
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Original writingThought-provokingRacism
Bethany H
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“Hanif Abdurraqib reflects on his childhood in 1990s Columbus, Ohio, exploring basketball's cultural significance and the complexities of success, role models, and personal storytelling. Through lyrical prose, he weaves themes of joy, pain, and hope, challenging readers to rethink their perspectives on culture and identity.
As a kid who grew up loving and playing basketball, I was really interested in this memoir. I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review, and I paired it with the audio.
There is nothing like listening to someone tell their story. The reflections hit harder, my interest is greater, and the story feels more real. I loved how this story was told, relating it to LeBron James and other basketball stars. The prose in this book is *chef’s kiss* amazing. There were times I listened to a section more than once. The last 10% was really impactful. I will definitely revisit this one in the future.
Hanif is an incredible storyteller. I felt for him, when he won and when he lost. Joy and pain, love and sadness, luck and hard work. There’s so much valuable information here.
Fully recommend and would absolutely pair a physical or digital book with the audiobook for maximum impact.”
Jessica
Created 26 days agoShare
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About Hanif Abdurraqib
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant. His most recent book, A Little Devil in America, was the winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burns Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award. His first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named one of the books of the year by NPR, Esquire, BuzzFeed, O: The Oprah Magazine, Pitchfork, and Chicago Tribune, among others. Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest was a New York Times bestseller and a National Book Critics Circle Award and Kirkus Prize finalist and was longlisted for the National Book Award. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School.
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