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Risa Green

Goodreads author profile

url

http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomrisagreen

born

August 13, 1972 in Ambler, Pennsylvania, The United States

gender

female

genre

Young Adult, Literature & Fiction

influences

Philip Roth, Richard Ford, John Updike

member since

July 2010

About this author

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You would think that writing a bio would be an easy thing for a writer to do, but there’s not much that’s harder than trying to convey a sense of who you are in three lines or less. I’ve always admired those writers who are able to come up with hilarious little vignettes about their pets or their strange obsession with Cheetos, and yet, hard as I try, I just can’t find a way to make myself sound that off-beat and quirky. Because I suppose when it comes down to it, I’m not. At the same time, though, I hate those “official” bios that just list where I grew up and where I went to school, and where I live now, because really, what does that tell anyone about me? Nothing. So because I have the space for it, I’ll just tell my story, which, if you...more You would think that writing a bio would be an easy thing for a writer to do, but there’s not much that’s harder than trying to convey a sense of who you are in three lines or less. I’ve always admired those writers who are able to come up with hilarious little vignettes about their pets or their strange obsession with Cheetos, and yet, hard as I try, I just can’t find a way to make myself sound that off-beat and quirky. Because I suppose when it comes down to it, I’m not. At the same time, though, I hate those “official” bios that just list where I grew up and where I went to school, and where I live now, because really, what does that tell anyone about me? Nothing. So because I have the space for it, I’ll just tell my story, which, if you’re interested in knowing anything about me all, will probably fulfill all of your curiosity and then some.
I lived my entire life before college in the same house in a suburb of Philadelphia called Ambler. I loved to read, and whenever I found a book that really spoke to me I would read it over and over and over again, and somehow, I never got tired of it. Most of Judy Blume’s books fell into this category for me (particularly Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret), as did Bridge to Terabithia, a book called The Girl With the Silver Eyes, and my all time favorite YA book, The Westing Game. I was a good student, though better at English and writing than I was at math, and although I like to think of myself as athletic, the truth is that I am not particularly coordinated or fast, and I don’t have what my husband likes to call “heart” when it comes to sports. So after dabbling in field hockey and lacrosse in middle school (more because I thought the uniforms looked cool than because I was good at either of them, which I wasn’t), I became a cheerleader. It was very 1980’s. I also was president of my class for three years, which I enjoyed at the time but I now kind of regret, because twenty years later, it turns out that I am the one responsible for planning our class reunion, which is something I distinctly do not recall being told when I was seventeen.
Until I was ten, I used to spend every summer “down the shore” with my family in Atlantic City (I am dating myself here, but I still remember when the first casino in AC had it’s grand opening), and after that I went to sleep away camp, which, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am rabidly passionate about. When I got older, I had part-time jobs during the school year at Baskin-Robbins and at a Hallmark store, and I spent a lot of time hanging around in the parking lot of McDonald’s with my friends, because there wasn’t a whole lot else to do in Ambler. I couldn’t wait to get out of there, and I always imaged that I would go to college somewhere far away and experience a different part of the country, but I fell in love with the University of Pennsylvania, which was just forty minutes from my house. When I decided to go there, I made my parents swear that they would treat me like I was in California; no visiting, and I would only come home on official school breaks. Which lasted for about six months, until I discovered that it was actually quite convenient to go home and do my laundry, rather than wait all day for a dryer to open up in my dorm.
At Penn, I double-majored in English with a concentration on 20th century literature, and American Civilization, which is sort of like American History but from a social and cultural perspective. I always enjoyed writing and much preferred research papers to tests, but I never did take a creative writing course during college, probably because I never really imagined that I would ever become a writer. During my senior year at Penn, I met a guy from Los Angeles who eventually became my husband, and after I graduated I went to law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
I moved to Los Angeles and got marrie(less)

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Risa Green's Blog

Goodreads, where have you been all my life?

I was up late the other night poking around on the internet, when I discovered goodreads. And I seriously could not believe that I didn't know about this site. I started hyperventilating and having a total panic attack, and so I called my husband (who was at his office, working, at one am - don't ask) and I was like, "I. Am. An. Author. How do I not know about this? What is wrong with me? What... read more »

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Published on July 15, 2010 14:48 • 177 views

combine editions
Books by Risa Green

Average rating: 3.71 · 979 ratings · 220 reviews · 7 distinct works

	Notes From The Underbelly 3.71 avg rating — 459 ratings — published 2010 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Tales from the Crib 3.67 avg rating — 310 ratings — 5 editions	My rating:
	The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball 3.77 avg rating — 204 ratings — published 2010 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Magic 8ein Sommer Voller Wünsche by Risa Green (Goodreads Author), Anne Markus (Übersetzer) 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2011	My rating:
	De zusjes Carpenter 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	My rating:
	Une Maman À L.A 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007	My rating:
	Un Bébé Made In La by Risa Green (Goodreads Author), Sylvie Del Cotto (Translator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007	My rating:

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Risa Green gave to: The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper	My rating:
Tropper is quickly becoming my new favorite author. As in This is Where I Leave You, I was won over by the smart, witty writing, but this book, for me, was much more poignant. The characters were so well-developed and real - I totally cried at the en...more
Jun 09, 2011 07:30pm · see review
Risa Green gave to: This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper	My rating:
I loved this book. The writing is smart and funny, and Tropper is clever with his metaphors, which I appreciate. I thought the premise was genius: when their father dies, his last wish is that his dysfunctional family sit shiva for him, together, for...more
Jun 09, 2011 07:27pm · see review
Risa Green gave to: Ready or Not (All-American Girl, #2) by Meg Cabot (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Aug 12, 2010 12:14pm
Risa Green gave to: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner read in August, 2010	My rating:
I recently discovered Stegner, having fallen in love with Crossing to Safety last summer, and this book was equally as wonderful. I loved the structure of the novel; the back and forth between the narrator's own life story and that of his grandmother...more
Aug 05, 2010 11:21am · see review
Risa Green gave to: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (Goodreads Author) read in August, 2010	My rating:
This was a little younger than the ya books I usually read, but I was intrigued by the first few pages. It felt a bit Willy Wonka-ish at first (in a good way) but then evolved into itself. I found the plot to be a little silly (four orphans saving th...more
Aug 05, 2010 11:17am · see review
Risa Green joined the Young Adult Fiction for Adults and Goodreads Authors/Readers groups.
Jul 15, 2010 10:35pm · see group
Risa Green made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — Welcome Children's Fiction Authors and Readers! topic "What a great group! I am an author of two adult novels, and I have my first YA book coming out in September. It's called The Secret Society of the Pin...more "
Jul 15, 2010 10:30pm

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Quotes by Risa Green

“...any guy can buy you flowers, but the one who buys you hemorrhoid cream must really, really love you.”
― Risa Green, Notes From The Underbelly

3 people liked it

Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Seasonal Read...: 50.1 Midway - Senses, Emotions, Memories (pjreads)	202	257	Nov 03, 2009 02:06pm
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts)	2596	666	Feb 28, 2011 09:05pm
Romance Readers R...: Game: Book Cover Hunt	969	722	Feb 05, 2012 03:19pm
Gigi's Company: Book Cover Challenge	745	266	13 hours, 44 min ago

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Risa Green

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