Big Books of Spring
Em Bailey
99 ratings | 3 reviews | avg rating:4.90

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Em’s Bookshelves

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Em Bailey

Goodreads Author


Genre
Young Adult

Member Since
September 2011


Em Bailey is an Australian living in Germany where, despite having been a vegetarian for many years, she now enjoys the occasional Wurst. Em used to be a new-media designer for a children’s television production house and is now a full-time author. Shift is her first YA novel, although she has written a number of books for children under the name Meredith Badger.

When she’s not writing, Em is generally getting lost, losing stuff, reading, hanging out with her friends and family, and listening to Radiolab podcasts. Like Olive, she doesn’t like leggings that look like jeans, but has no problem with tofu schnitzels.

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi, Shift was a really intriguing book and the concept was very unique to me. What inspired you to write this story?
Em Bailey Hi Brooklyn. The first spark of an idea for Shift cameafter I saw a group of girls shopping together, all wearing identical outfits and with the same …moreHi Brooklyn. The first spark of an idea for Shift cameafter I saw a group of girls shopping together, all wearing identical outfits and with the same hair styles. At one point they all laughed simultaneously and ran their hands through their hair. It was quite strange - almost like they were a single person. It made me think about how when you spend a lot of time with someone your identities can start to merge. I've also always had a bit of a fascination with parasites in the insect world and I started thinking about parallels in the human realm - where one person is using another for their own benefit. Hope that answers your question!(less)
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Hi, I was wondering for your book The Special Ones did Tess and Harry have a future together or did they go their separate ways when Tess went off to Uni?
Em Bailey I'm not sure if I should answer this, because I think it's best when the reader decides for themselves what happens to the characters after the book f…moreI'm not sure if I should answer this, because I think it's best when the reader decides for themselves what happens to the characters after the book finishes! But I must admit that I never imagined Harry and Tess would end up together. I think they went through too much for it to work out in the long term. I think they'd stay very close, and share a special kind of friendship that would probably make their future girlfriends/boyfriends a bit jealous, but I don't think they would ever end up together. What do you think?(less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.69 · 6,499 ratings · 914 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors
Shift
3.65 avg rating — 4,792 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions
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The Special Ones
3.83 avg rating — 1,702 ratings — published 2016 — 10 editions
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Shift by Em Bailey (2016-07...
3.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Em is Currently Reading

Messy: The Power ...
Em Bailey is currently reading
by Tim Harford (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading, 2020
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Apr 21, 2020 07:50AM
The Fact of a Bod...
Em Bailey is currently reading
by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Jul 26, 2019 08:25AM
The Clockmaker's ...
Em Bailey is currently reading
by Kate Morton (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Jul 26, 2019 08:20AM

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Em’s Recent Updates

Em Bailey rated a book it was amazing
Your Next Read Silver by Maddy Mara
Your Next Read Silver: The Lonely Lunch Club
by Maddy Mara
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Mar 18, 2026 11:25PM  ·   ·  preview book
Em Bailey and 25 other people liked ❋ Booked Out Today ❋'s review of Your Next Read Silver: The Lonely Lunch Club:
Your Next Read Silver by Maddy Mara
"The Lonely Lunch Club by Maddy Mara
★★★★★

This was an enjoyable read with my son who just started Kindergarten. He has been coming home and asking me how to make friends and it has broken my heart.
I love this book because it highlighted to him that t" Read more of this review »
Mar 18, 2026 11:24PM  · see review ·  preview book
Em Bailey rated a book it was amazing
Sharknado Warning (Max Beast #1) by Maddy Mara
Sharknado Warning (Max Beast #1) (1)
by Maddy Mara
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Mar 08, 2026 03:48PM  · 
Em Bailey finished reading
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Díaz
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Aug 02, 2025 07:13PM  ·   ·  preview book
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The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
The Book of Goose
by Yiyun Li
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Aug 02, 2025 07:12PM  ·   ·  preview book
Em Bailey has read
Two Lives by Janet Malcolm
Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice
by Janet Malcolm
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Aug 02, 2025 07:10PM  · 
Em Bailey has read
The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm
The Journalist and the Murderer
by Janet Malcolm
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Aug 02, 2025 07:10PM  ·   ·  preview book
Em Bailey has read
Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li
Things in Nature Merely Grow
by Yiyun Li
Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Memoir
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Aug 02, 2025 07:08PM  ·   ·  preview book
Em Bailey has read
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
Prophet Song
by Paul Lynch (Goodreads Author)
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Aug 02, 2025 07:08PM  · 
Em Bailey has read
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
We Solve Murders (We Solve Murders, #1)
by Richard Osman
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Aug 02, 2025 07:06PM  · 
More of Em's books…
Quotes by Em Bailey  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“I am weird, and you know what? That's OK. So are most interesting people.”
― Em Bailey, Shift
tags: interesting, people, weird
87 likes
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“I believe in grey...Some things aren't straightforward. Not everything is true or false, real or imaginary, black or white. It's not that simple.”
― Em Bailey, Shift
23 likes
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“... it looked at me as it passed, smiling in that crazy-happy way that dogs do. And I started laughing. I mean, how can you not laugh at a dog running on the beach? But I was also kind of crying, too. Laughing and crying simultaneously hurts. It hurts and it's confusing.”
― Em Bailey, Shift
tags: crying, dog, laughing
10 likes
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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