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210 ratings | 13 reviews | avg rating:4.26

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Brian

22,648 books | 51 friends

Holly

1,297 books | 55 friends

Mary Beth Miller

2,524 books | 130 friends

Bookaddict

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Jeffrey West

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David Dunlap

19,610 books | 38 friends

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550 books | 16 friends

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1,230 books | 91 friends

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Paul Acampora

Goodreads Author

Born

in Bristol, Connecticut , The United States

Website

http://www.paulacampora.com/

Member Since

January 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/paulacampora

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I was born in Bristol, Connecticut and grew up surrounded by an extended mob of parents, sister, grandparents, cousins, neighborhood kids, rabbits, dogs, nurses, engineers and others that, at various times, included musicians, Italians, Canadians, cancer survivors, gardeners, chicken killers, hair dressers, poker players, checker cheaters, pony riders, shopkeepers, factory workers, elementary school teachers, auto mechanics, rock and roll fanatics, massage therapists, several people who may or may not be dead, and a crowd of other miscellaneous wheeler-dealers. I went to school at St. Joseph Elementary School and St. Paul Catholic High School. I was a voracious reader as a kid. I still am. I attended the University of Notre Dame (GO IRISH! I was born in Bristol, Connecticut and grew up surrounded by an extended mob of parents, sister, grandparents, cousins, neighborhood kids, rabbits, dogs, nurses, engineers and others that, at various times, included musicians, Italians, Canadians, cancer survivors, gardeners, chicken killers, hair dressers, poker players, checker cheaters, pony riders, shopkeepers, factory workers, elementary school teachers, auto mechanics, rock and roll fanatics, massage therapists, several people who may or may not be dead, and a crowd of other miscellaneous wheeler-dealers. I went to school at St. Joseph Elementary School and St. Paul Catholic High School. I was a voracious reader as a kid. I still am. I attended the University of Notre Dame (GO IRISH!) where, thanks to my friend John Costello and his father, Dr. Donald Costello, I earned a degree in American Studies despite the fact that the only American places I’d ever visited were summer vacations on a beach at Rhode Island and occasional day trips around New England to watch jai alia, greyhound racing or the trotters with my grandfather who, with my Uncle Joe, taught me how to ride and drive a sulky behind my very own pony named Misty (that's me and Misty at left). After college, I wandered around the country for a few years. Despite what my mother might say, I did not steal her 1973 Buick Electra. Despite what my friends might say, the car was the color of summer gold. Not piss yellow. I've lived in every state that begins with the letter U or a C. I was a Student Conservation Association volunteer for awhile giving tours at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in southeast Utah. I spent a winter schlepping very expensive bags around the Rocky Mountains for guests of the Snowmass Lodging Company. As a Holy Cross Associate volunteer, I lived with a half-dozen friends in a tiny house in the San Francisco Bay area where we tried to be good people. I stayed in California to teach kindergarten at St. Patrick Elementary school in West Oakland. I got married (yahoo!), and my wife and I lived in “the heart of the bay,” Hayward, California for nearly ten years. When we decided to move, we put names of favorite places in a paper bag and pulled out a slip that said PENNSYLVANIA. So that’s where we live now. These days, I remain married to my best friend. I have a son and a daughter who keep me on my toes. I’ve got a day job and a kayak and tons of books that I love to read. I write early in the morning and late at night. My favorite place in the world is wherever my wife and kids are. I am especially happy when that place is next to a lake or in France. My favorite word in the dictionary is Naugahyde. I’ve been a vegetarian for about 20 years. My favorite non-home-cooked meal is cinnamon-raisin French toast plus black coffee at the Karlton Café in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. For the future, I hope my family and friends are safe, healthy and happy and that I will write dozens and dozens of new stories and novels, each one better than the last. ...more

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Paul Acampora’s books

Average rating: 3.74 · 5,841 ratings · 1,204 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	I Kill the Mockingbird 3.75 avg rating — 3,982 ratings — published 2014 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Defining Dulcie 3.48 avg rating — 570 ratings — published 2006 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Avoid Extinction 3.87 avg rating — 417 ratings — published 2016 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In Honor of Broken Things 3.91 avg rating — 301 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Confusion Is Nothing New 3.67 avg rating — 243 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face 3.84 avg rating — 211 ratings — published 2011 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Danny Constantino's First Date 3.90 avg rating — 98 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	L'arte di andare in pezzi 3.67 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Danny Constantino's First (and Maybe Last?) Date 3.17 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face by Acampora, Paul (February 19, 2013) Paperback liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Paul Acampora's Blog

Subject: TEAM MOCKINGBIRD(!)

TO: Friends, family, and book lovers!

(with a special shout-out to fans of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD!)

FROM: Paul Acampora

SUBJECT: TEAM MOCKINGBIRD (!)

Hi everybody!

I’m writing because my new novel – I KILL THE MOCKINGBIRD – will arrive in stores this coming spring. It’s a comedy caper for kids (say that three times fast) about a group of friends who sabotage their school’s summer reading list. It’s also

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Paul’s Recent Updates

Paul Acampora finished reading The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1) by Daniel O'Malley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 06, 2026 06:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rook by Daniel O'Malley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rook by Daniel O'Malley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paul Acampora wants to read Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth — And How You Can Too by Chris Hogan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 29, 2026 08:29AM · like
Paul Acampora wants to read The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1) by Daniel O'Malley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 26, 2026 10:29AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rook by Daniel O'Malley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rook by Daniel O'Malley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paul Acampora wants to read Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 26, 2026 08:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paul Acampora wants to read Redshirts by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 20, 2026 06:34PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Redshirts by John Scalzi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Redshirts by John Scalzi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paul Acampora finished reading Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 18, 2026 05:16PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paul Acampora wants to read Is This It: The Never-Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes (and Rock‘n’Roll) by Steven Hyden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 14, 2026 04:38AM · like
Paul Acampora wants to read The Line Tender by Kate Allen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 13, 2026 08:35AM · 1 like · like
Paul Acampora finished reading Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Science Fiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 13, 2026 08:13AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paul Acampora wants to read Call It Evil: Understanding the Trump Era by Susan Neiman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 11, 2026 03:16PM · 1 like · like

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Quotes by Paul Acampora (?)

“Shelving books incorrectly is as good as stealing them. It's almost worse.”
― Paul Acampora, I Kill the Mockingbird

tags: books, bookstores, libraries, shelving, stealing

24 likes

“We will speak for the books."
...
"Like the Lorax?"
"The Lorax speaks for the trees," I remind her.
"Books are made out of paper. Paper is made out of trees."
"What about e-books?"
"We can speak for them too."
"Audiobooks?"
"Audiobooks speak for themselves." She grins. "Get it?”
― Paul Acampora, I Kill the Mockingbird

tags: audiobooks, books, e-books, lorax

20 likes

“We are all broken, but sometimes the jagged pieces fit together nicely.”
― Paul Acampora, I Kill the Mockingbird

16 likes

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Polls

What book should we read in August?

You may write in titles, provided the book is a 2023 Newbery contender and already published.

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

35 votes 32.7%

In Honor of Broken Things by Paul Acampora

17 votes 15.9%

The Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye

12 votes 11.2%

A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser

11 votes 10.3%

Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play among Figures of Speech by Ted Kooser

6 votes 5.6%

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

6 votes 5.6%

Answers in the pages by David Levithan (write-in)

5 votes 4.7%

The Last Mapmaker (write-in)

4 votes 3.7%

Repairing the World by Linda Epstein (write-in)

3 votes 2.8%

Answers in the Pages (write-in)

3 votes 2.8%

How to Build a Human: in Seven Evolutionary Steps by Pamela S Turner (write-in)

2 votes 1.9%

Marshmallow clouds (write-in)

2 votes 1.9%

turtle of michigan (write-in)

1 vote 0.9%

107 total votes

4 comments

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The Seasonal Read...: Fall Challenge 2011 Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC!	2251	800	Nov 30, 2011 09:05PM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2011: Completed Tasks -DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2866	793	Feb 29, 2012 09:03PM
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The Lost Challenges: 'Pick Your Poison' Challenge	37	236	May 16, 2015 11:58AM
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The Challenge Fac...: And the Winner is...	680	142	Dec 03, 2016 03:19PM
WACKY READING CHA...: Fall Fun Bingo	119	97	Dec 13, 2016 03:32PM

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Paul’s Quotes

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others”
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

720 likes

“Grammar is a piano I play by ear.”
― Joan Didion, Joan Didion: Essays & Conversations

tags: grammar

1644 likes

“The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

4586 likes

“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time...give it, give it all, give it now.”
― Annie Dillard

1306 likes

“Thieves of private property pass their lives in chains; thieves of public property in riches and luxury. CATO THE ELDER1”
― Mike Duncan, The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic

1 likes

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Paul Acampora’s Followers (76)

Paul Acampora

Goodreads Author

rssPaul’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

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Preview — The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

See a Problem?

Preview — Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

See a Problem?

Preview — Redshirts by John Scalzi

See a Problem?

Preview — Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger

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Preview — Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Paul’s Recent Updates