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Chris’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Chris’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Chris Bohjalian’s Followers (13,172)
10,874 books
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220 friends
73 books
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445 friends
2,158 books
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337 friends
4,634 books
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481 friends
3,512 books
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192 friends
2,780 books
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130 friends
1,059 books
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38 friends
7,853 books
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394 friends
More friends…
Chris Bohjalian
Goodreads Author
Born
in White Plains, New York, The United States
Website
Twitter
Genre
Member Since
November 2007
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Midwives
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published
1997
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56 editions
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The Flight Attendant
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published
2018
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29 editions
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Hour of the Witch
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published
2021
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17 editions
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The Sandcastle Girls
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published
2012
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The Guest Room
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published
2016
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22 editions
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The Double Bind
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published
2007
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The Light in the Ruins
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published
2013
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20 editions
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Skeletons at the Feast
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published
2008
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39 editions
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The Lioness
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published
2022
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14 editions
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The Red Lotus
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published
2020
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13 editions
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Why We Go to the Movies
"You went to a movie theater to see something that was magical and amazing, in a very special location." -- Bob Balaban
25 March 2026
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
So far this year, my lovely bride and I have been to the movie theater six times.
We saw (my opinion) brilliant adaptations of beloved novels such as “Hamnet” and “Project Hail Mary,” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s magnificent Read more of this blog post »
25 March 2026
Dear Friends Who Read and Readers Who Are Friends,
So far this year, my lovely bride and I have been to the movie theater six times.
We saw (my opinion) brilliant adaptations of beloved novels such as “Hamnet” and “Project Hail Mary,” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s magnificent Read more of this blog post »
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Chris’s Recent Updates
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Chris
rated a book it was amazing
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| I first fell in love with Lauren Groff's fiction with her magnificent novel, FATES AND FURIES. I've been hooked ever since. Nevertheless, despite having read all her novels and all her short story collections, I was unprepared for how much the tales ...more | |
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Chris
added a status update: Gobsmacked and grateful: The New York Times Book Review cited THE AMATEUR as one of “The Novels Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026.” Here is the full list: https://tinyurl.com/ehjanes5
What other titles are you excited about? Post in the comments! 
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Chris
rated a book it was amazing
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| If I tell you this beautiful, poignant novel has echoes of Chekhov, you may shrug and think to yourself, "Nope, not for me." If I share with you that the tale is even more remarkable if you know Thornton Wilder's play, "Our Town," you may decide, "On ...more | |
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Chris
is currently reading
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Chris
rated a book it was amazing
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| Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is a rarity: a novelist who has both a profound understanding of the hopes and fears that power the human heart AND spectacular comedic timing. I loved this novel: it was, in countless ways, the perfect novel for me. Two close ...more | |
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Chris
rated a book it was amazing
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| Last month, I re-read this remarkable memoir by one of the great Armenian writers and activists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Zabel Yessayan, because of the new play about her by R.N. Sandberg that had its world premiere at Boston Playwr ...more | |
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Chris
rated a book it was amazing
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| It was the Canadian writer Guy Vanderhaeghe who first said, “History tells us what people do; historical fiction helps us imagine how they felt.” There's a lot of truth to that, and it explains why we love to read historical fiction -- and why I devo ...more | |
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Chris
is currently reading
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Chris
is currently reading
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Chris
rated a book it was amazing
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author) |
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| I was obsessed when I was reading THE ART THIEF. How in the world did a twenty-something slacker living in his grandmother's attic steal 300 treasured works of art from 200 museums, a haul that totaled two billion dollars? (Not a typo: billion.) Well ...more | |
“Food is a gift and should be treated reverentially--romanced and ritualized and seasoned with memory.”
― Secrets of Eden
― Secrets of Eden
“We may talk a good game and write even better ones, but we never outgrow those small wounded things we were when we were five and six and seven.”
― Secrets of Eden
― Secrets of Eden
“But history does matter. There is a line connecting the Armenians and the Jews and the Cambodians and the Bosnians and the Rwandans. There are obviously more, but, really, how much genocide can one sentence handle?”
― The Sandcastle Girls
― The Sandcastle Girls
Polls
April 2017 Group Read Nominations
Topics Mentioning This Author
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Next Best Boo...: Jodi Picoult | 43 | 443 | Apr 16, 2009 08:11AM | |
| Pick-a-Shelf: 2009-07 - Realistic Fiction - Post July Reviews Here | 65 | 119 | Aug 13, 2009 10:12AM | |
| Challenge: 50 Books: Mandy's 50 in 2009 | 34 | 361 | Aug 21, 2009 09:01PM | |
| The Next Best Boo...: September 's Groups Reads Are..... | 148 | 742 | Sep 10, 2009 04:32PM |
“And though some days it is very hard, I try not to live for the future. And I try not to dream of the past.”
― The Law of Similars
― The Law of Similars
“As Jeremy Bentham had asked about animals well over two hundred years ago, the question was not whether they could reason or talk, but could they suffer? And yet, somehow, it seemed to take more imagination for humans to identify with animal suffering than it did to conceive of space flight or cloning or nuclear fusion. Yes, she was a fanatic in the eyes of most of the country. . .Mostly, however, she just lacked patience for people who wouldn't accept her belief that humans inflicted needless agony on the animals around them, and they did so in numbers that were absolutely staggering.”
― Before You Know Kindness
― Before You Know Kindness
“Though angels were easy to finds in cemeteries, she said that she didn't especially care for funereal angels and tombstone cherubs -- she wanted her angels among the living, not watching over the already dead -- and thus she scoured parks and gardens for the angels with whom, on some level, she wanted to commune.”
― Secrets of Eden
― Secrets of Eden
“Sara knew that behind its locked front door no home was routine. Not the house of her childhood, not the apartment of her husband's. not the world they were building together with Willow and Patrick. All households had their mysteries, their particular forms of dysfunction.”
― Before You Know Kindness
― Before You Know Kindness
“He moved quickly away from her through the ring, his whole body starting forward with the big animal in two-point and then -- the horse's legs extended before and behind her, a carousel pony but real, the immense thrust invisible to anyone but the boy on the creature's back -- he was rising, rising, rising. . .
And aloft.”
― The Buffalo Soldier
And aloft.”
― The Buffalo Soldier
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What an honor it is to be your friend on Goodreads. I love your books, and I am looking forward to reading "The Guest Room." I have been following your writing for years, and you are one of my very favorite authors.
I started reading your books with Midwives and have read everything I could get my hands on since. To list my favorites would not be a very exclusive list, but my favorite of favorites is Skeletons at the Feast. I just discovered Trans-Sister Radio, and was, once again, blown away by your extraordinary talent. When are you coming to Nashville again? When I was at Parnassus Books recently, I made a special request for you to come to Salon@615. They pointed out that you had been here before (which I missed out of ignorance), but might come again with your next book. So, write fast!
And, thank you for all the pleasant hours of reading you have given us.
Dear Mr Bohjalian,I just wanted to tell you that I love reading your work. The Double Bind rocked me back on my (mental) heels. Skeletons at the Feast kicked off what would grow to be morbid fascination/disgust/rabid researching of the Holocaust, which had previously been just a small history fact gleaned from a required class in high school.
I just finished The Sandcastle Girls. I note the day I start and finish each book (because I eventually log them on goodreads, you see), and didn't realize until I read your author's note that the day I had begun reading said book on April 24, 2015, coincided with the Armenian genocide's centennial.
I don't believe in coincidences, so do with that what you will.
Thank you for taking the time to read my message, and thank you even more for diligently sharing the fruits of your craft with us readers.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Engh
Chris, How fun to see you here. I'm not terribly active on GoodReads, but I try to stay a bit connected.
Chris, I sooo wanted to see you when you come to Minneapolis July 12 but I checked with the bookstore and I can't afford the cost of the lunch etc. I hope you come again sometime when I'm more able to swing it. I really would love to meet you.
I had a dream the other night that you were doing a reading at the Taco Bell in Janesville, WI. Please don't take this as an insult. I think I just so want to go to one of your readings my mind created one. However, if you should want to come to WI I will be the first in line.
Dan wrote: "Chrisi am almost finished reading the electronic edition advance of LIGHT IN THE RUINS. Once again an example of your masterful storytelling. I love the separation of timelines and the added narra..."
Thanks so much, Dan. I really appreciate your kind words.
Looking forward to seeing you three weeks and three hours from right now!
Chrisi am almost finished reading the electronic edition advance of LIGHT IN THE RUINS. Once again an example of your masterful storytelling. I love the separation of timelines and the added narrative from the killer, a good touch. The scenes in Florence bring back memories from my trip there, even the smell of the Arno; you make me long to go back.
IT IS MY VERY DISTINCT PLEASURE BECOMING YOUR FRIEND INDEED APPRECIATED !!! WISHING YOU MUCH SUCCESS & HAPPINESS BUT ABOVE ALL GOOD HEALTH !!! Your True Friend
Edik
Chris because, I saw your recommendation of Baker's Daughter, reading and loving, and savoring every page.
Theresa wrote: "Just wanted to say I am a big fan! Hangman was one of the scariest and most suspenseful books I've ever read! Water Witches was a great one too. I own them all and as soon as I finish the book I..."Theresa, I found Hangman to be scary too, and I thought I had gotten to the point that things in books couldn't scare me anymore! I loved The Double Bind! I liked it even more than Secrets of Eden, & I thought it was great too!
Hoping you can make it to Nonesuch for your new book tour! Would be a huge success :D
It was wonderful meeting you yesterday here at Nonesuch! Lots of people saw your interview on '207' and have come in to buy your books.Excited to have you here for your next release! We've got a pretty literary crowd - in fact, when you were here, one woman recognized you and was pretty starstruck! She came in again today and was gushing. haha.
Anyway, hope you're well and best of luck with your writing/touring! Enjoy your time at home (assuming you've finished the tour!)
Best,
Matty
Thanks so much for the friendship! I'm such a fan!
I was so happy to find you on here! I just got Midwives and can't wait to start- it looks great! Thanks for everything you do!
Just wanted to say I am a big fan! Hangman was one of the scariest and most suspenseful books I've ever read! Water Witches was a great one too. I own them all and as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading I'll start The Double Bind. I actually chose it for my bookclub pick, I am excited to see what everyone thinks of it.
May 27, 2023 03:28PM · flag
Feb 21, 2025 07:51AM · flag