1700 ratings | 1233 reviews | avg rating:4.18

Kathleen’s Year In Books

Kathleen’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Kathleen’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Kathleen’s 2025 Year in Books

Kathleen Rooney’s Followers (1,410)

Kathleen’s Bookshelves

to-read (850)
currently-reading (6)
read (1737)
did-not-finish (0)
abandoned (13)
books-i-ve-published-with-rose-meta (31)

Kathleen’s Friends (1,779)

Hayley Stenger

2,277 books | 536 friends

Megan

40,190 books | 401 friends

Nita

1,494 books | 389 friends

R.L. Maizes

800 books | 763 friends

Tim Rowe

511 books | 3 friends

Matt Walker

2,590 books | 204 friends

Deb

2,173 books | 192 friends

Celia

5,619 books | 758 friends

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Kathleen Rooney

Goodreads Author

Born

Beckley, West Virginia, The United States

Website

http://www.kathleenrooney.com/

Genre

Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

Member Since

February 2008

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Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand.

She is the author, most recently, of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Her latest collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was published by Texas Review Press in September 2022. Her novel from Dust to Stardust, was published by Lake Union Press in Fall of 2023, and her debut picture book--co-written with her sister Beth Rooney and illustrated by Betsy Bowen--was published by University of Minnesota Press in Fall of 2025.

Her fifth novel, Man Overboar ...more

371 posts
Kathleen Rooney's Blog

16…

…is the number of poems that we–James Berg, Lizzie Bourne, and I–wrote while doing Poems While You Wait at the Gerber Hart Library’s Pride Month Book Sale: Thanks to the library for having us, stay tuned to the PWYW Instagram for the results!

The post 16… appeared first on Kathleen Rooney.

Combine Editions
Kathleen Rooney’s books

Average rating: 3.86 · 38,006 ratings · 6,329 reviews · 35 distinct works • Similar authors

	Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk 3.84 avg rating — 33,795 ratings — published 2017 — 21 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
	Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey 3.96 avg rating — 2,467 ratings — published 2020 — 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
	From Dust to Stardust 3.86 avg rating — 633 ratings — published 2023 — 6 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
	Live Nude Girl: My Life as an Object 3.97 avg rating — 182 ratings — published 2009 — 7 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
	O, Democracy! 3.91 avg rating — 118 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	Robinson Alone 4.47 avg rating — 103 ratings — published 2012 — 2 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
	For You, for You I am Trilling These Songs 3.91 avg rating — 116 ratings — published 2009 — 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
	Oneiromance by Kathleen Rooney (Goodreads Author), Patty Seyburn (Editor) 4.46 avg rating — 70 ratings — published 2008 — 2 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
	Man Overboard! 3.83 avg rating — 76 ratings — expected publication 2026 — 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
	Reading with Oprah: The Book Club that Changed America 3.46 avg rating — 70 ratings — published 2005 — 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

More books by Kathleen Rooney…

Kathleen is Currently Reading

Kathleen is currently reading

of Women: 20 Japanese Female Poets / 20 Waka Poems

by Naoko Fujimoto (Goodreads Author)

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7 hours, 33 min ago

Kathleen is currently reading

Emily Dickinson’s Lexicon

by Katie Lehman

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 23, 2026 08:53AM

Kathleen is currently reading

The Bee Sting

by Paul Murray

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 22, 2026 10:54PM

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Kathleen’s Recent Updates

Kathleen started reading of Women: 20 Japanese Female Poets / 20 Waka Poems by Naoko Fujimoto (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
7 hours, 33 min ago · like
Kathleen rated a book did not like it London Fields by Martin Amis	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
Abandoned on p. 21 because it's too jovial and lordly! "For reasons not yet altogether clear, I seem to have adopted a jovial and lordly tone" (10). ...more
8 hours, 6 min ago · like · see review
Kathleen liked Kym A's review of Man Overboard!: "What a great read about resilience, family dynamics, and the ability to persevere! I LOVED the sprinkling of his background of growing up Catholic and his journey at this point in his life."
Jun 06, 2026 06:51AM · see review
Kathleen and 1 other person liked Kerri D's review of Man Overboard!: "Philosophical and funny? Right up my alley. "
Jun 06, 2026 06:51AM · see review
Kathleen liked Shouty's review of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk: "I WAS ON THIS WALK WITH LILLIAN! I WAS STROLLING DOWN THE STREETS OF NYC AND THINKING ABOUT BEING THE HIGHEST PAID AD WOMAN IN THE 1930S AND MY BEAUTIFUL HUSBAND MAX WHO LATER LEFT ME FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND MY FIRST POETRY COLLECTION WITH THE TITLE I W" Read more of this review »
Jun 05, 2026 04:55AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kathleen rated a book really liked it Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto	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
From the Amor Towles introduction: "For Matsumoto, it's as if the resolution of the case and the achievement of justice are of secondary importance to the bond that has been created between these two men from two different generations who have persev ...more
Jun 05, 2026 04:52AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kathleen started reading London Fields by Martin Amis	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
Jun 05, 2026 04:52AM · like
Kathleen rated a book really liked it Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto	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
From the Amor Towles introduction: "For Matsumoto, it's as if the resolution of the case and the achievement of justice are of secondary importance to the bond that has been created between these two men from two different generations who have persev ...more
Jun 05, 2026 04:46AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kathleen wants to read The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue (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
Jun 04, 2026 04:47AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kathleen wants to read The Last Straight Woman: On Desiring Men by Phoebe Maltz Bovy (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
Jun 01, 2026 05:22PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Last Straight Woman by Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Last Straight Woman by Phoebe Maltz Bovy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Kathleen's books…

Quotes by Kathleen Rooney (?)

“I thought at times that poetry might be an elegant way of screaming.”
― Kathleen Rooney, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

tags: anger, expression, feeling, poetry

44 likes

“The point of living in the world is just to stay interested.”
― Kathleen Rooney, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

tags: keep-on, living, motivation, resilience

36 likes

“If you love something, know that it will leave on a day you are far from ready.”
― Kathleen Rooney, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

tags: loss, love

29 likes

See all Kathleen Rooney's quotes »

Polls

April Side Read Nominations ~ 1st Poll
Top 5 Books move onto final round

The Almost Sisters

by Joshilyn Jackson

10 votes, 21.3%

The Breakdown

by B.A. Paris

10 votes, 21.3%

It's Always the Husband

by Michele Campbell

7 votes, 14.9%

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

by Mark T. Sullivan

7 votes, 14.9%

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

by Kathleen Rooney

4 votes, 8.5%

The Party

by Robyn Harding

3 votes, 6.4%

All the Bright Places

by Jennifer Niven

3 votes, 6.4%

Wonderstruck

by Brian Selznick

2 votes, 4.3%

Sweet Tooth

by Ian McEwan

1 vote, 2.1%

The Map That Leads to You

by J.P. Monninger

0 votes, 0.0%

47 total votes

1 comment

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