Big Books of Spring
Karen Rivers
65 ratings | 8 reviews | avg rating:4.40

Karen’s Year In Books

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Karen Rivers’s Followers (219)

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Karen’s Bookshelves

to-read (47)
currently-reading (64)
read (135)
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Karen’s Friends (512)

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C. L. Lenzi
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Karen Rivers

Goodreads Author


Born
in Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Website

Twitter
karenrivers

Genre
Young Adult, Literature & Fiction

Member Since
August 2010

URL


Karen Rivers is too thrown by the "Date of Death" drop down that has appeared below her name in the editing section of this page to actually write anything about her life. When she recovers, this box will be filled with imperative biographical information and may include SECRETS and probably also a few LIES. Now she is going to sit back and anxiously track that "Date of Death" box in case a date suddenly appears, foretelling her imminent doom. ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Are any of the characters in Finding Ruby Starling based off of people you personally know?
Karen Rivers I think that everyone in every book that I write is based a little bit on me and a little bit on other people that I know and a lot on my imagination…more I think that everyone in every book that I write is based a little bit on me and a little bit on other people that I know and a lot on my imagination. I have a friend who lives in England who is a lot like me in many ways and originally, we were going to write the book together (she'd do Ruby and I'd do Ruth) but it didn't work out like that. But a little bit of her is in Ruby and a little bit of me is in Ruth, definitely. (less)
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I loved your book THE GIRL IN THE WELL IS ME! I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to write such great characters. I have been working on multiple stories, but I really need to work on developing Characters. What suggestions do you have? I really loved you book! Thank you.
Karen Rivers Thank you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the book.

When I write a book, I spend a long long time before I start writing thinking about who the book is …moreThank you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the book.

When I write a book, I spend a long long time before I start writing thinking about who the book is going to be about, quite a long time before I think about WHAT the book is going to be about. I don't start writing until I know exactly who my character is. It's almost like they are fully formed before I even start thinking about the story itself.(less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.47 · 6,498 ratings · 1,306 reviews · 28 distinct works • Similar authors
The Girl in the Well Is Me
3.50 avg rating — 1,812 ratings — published 2016 — 11 editions
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The Encyclopedia of Me
3.78 avg rating — 947 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions
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You Are The Everything
2.74 avg rating — 867 ratings — published 2018 — 7 editions
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Finding Ruby Starling
3.77 avg rating — 574 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions
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Love, Ish
3.64 avg rating — 480 ratings — published 2017 — 11 editions
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Before We Go Extinct
3.63 avg rating — 477 ratings — published 2016 — 4 editions
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A Possibility of Whales
3.65 avg rating — 323 ratings — published 2018 — 7 editions
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A Pretty Implausible Premise
3.43 avg rating — 155 ratings — 7 editions
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All That Was
3.13 avg rating — 160 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions
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Healing Time of Hickeys
3.43 avg rating — 117 ratings — published 2004 — 2 editions
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More books by Karen Rivers…

185 posts
Karen Rivers's Blog

Think small.

The dog is sitting on the back of the white armchair, facing out the window.  He is always waiting for something to happen.  Please note that only an hour ago, he threw up under the couch and tried to bite me when I pulled him out by his tail.  


The things that might happen include the mailman or a change in the weather.   Neither of these things are particularly interesting, but he's interested.  

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Published on December 31, 2016 11:14
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Series by Karen Rivers

Healing Time of Hickeys The Cure for Crushes: And O... The Quirky Girls' Guide to ...
(3 books)
by
3.41 avg rating — 208 ratings

X in Flight Y in the Shadows What Z Sees
(3 books)
by
3.30 avg rating — 117 ratings

Karen is Currently Reading

Murder Bimbo
Karen Rivers is currently reading
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Apr 19, 2026 12:52AM
Go Gentle
Karen Rivers is currently reading
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Apr 14, 2026 01:02AM
Evil Genius
Karen Rivers is currently reading
by Claire Oshetsky (Goodreads Author)
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Apr 12, 2026 10:20PM

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Karen’s Recent Updates

Karen Rivers is currently reading
Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack
Murder Bimbo
by Rebecca Novack
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Apr 19, 2026 12:52AM  ·   ·  preview book
Karen Rivers is currently reading
Go Gentle by Maria Semple
Go Gentle
by Maria Semple
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Apr 14, 2026 01:02AM  ·   ·  preview book
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Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky
Evil Genius
by Claire Oshetsky (Goodreads Author)
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Apr 12, 2026 10:20PM  ·   ·  preview book
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Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer
Trad Wife: A Novel
by Saratoga Schaefer (Goodreads Author)
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Apr 12, 2026 10:14PM  ·   ·  preview book
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Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Please Ignore Vera Dietz
by A.S. King (Goodreads Author)
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Apr 07, 2026 09:59AM  ·   ·  preview book
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Ten Miles One Way by Patrick Downes
Ten Miles One Way
by Patrick Downes
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Mar 31, 2026 04:56PM  · 
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The Shame by Makenna Goodman
The Shame
by Makenna Goodman
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Feb 14, 2026 10:33PM  · 
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Crux by Gabriel Tallent
Crux: A Novel
by Gabriel Tallent (Goodreads Author)
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Feb 14, 2026 10:32PM  ·   ·  preview book
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The Hitch by Sara Levine
The Hitch
by Sara Levine (Goodreads Author)
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Jan 15, 2026 04:03AM  ·   ·  preview book
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Scavengers by Kathleen Boland
Scavengers
by Kathleen Boland (Goodreads Author)
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More of Karen's books…
Quotes by Karen Rivers  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“So much talking makes it hard to listen.”
― Karen Rivers
4 likes
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“We are all made of stardust”
― Karen Rivers, Love, Ish
1 likes
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“Sometimes Nat worried that there was something wrong with her, that she was good only at beginnings, but not middles and definitely not endings.”
― Karen Rivers, A Possibility of Whales
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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Cover to Cover Ch...: Darcy's 2010 Book List 50 280 Dec 28, 2010 08:07PM  
Delirity: A to Z (Ends 4/30/2011) 150 130 May 01, 2011 05:59PM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Summer Challenge 2013: Completed Tasks (DO NOT DELETE POSTS) 2503 773 Aug 31, 2013 09:04PM  
Nothing But Readi...: Team Butterfly 319 255 Aug 31, 2014 12:10PM  
Nothing But Readi...: This topic has been closed to new comments. NBRC 26 Alphabet 9: Hero Alphabet (Yearly) 67 606 Aug 22, 2016 09:02AM  
Nothing But Readi...: This topic has been closed to new comments. NBRC 26 Alphabet 11: Heroine Alphabet (Yearly) 77 563 Aug 25, 2016 11:42AM  

Karen’s Quotes

“We’re all seeking that special person who is right for us. But if you’ve been through enough relationships, you begin to suspect there’s no right person, just different flavors of wrong. Why is this? Because you yourself are wrong in some way, and you seek out partners who are wrong in some complementary way. But it takes a lot of living to grow fully into your own wrongness. And it isn’t until you finally run up against your deepest demons, your unsolvable problems—the ones that make you truly who you are—that we’re ready to find a lifelong mate. Only then do you finally know what you’re looking for. You’re looking for the wrong person. But not just any wrong person: it's got to be the right wrong person—someone you lovingly gaze upon and think, “This is the problem I want to have.”

I will find that special person who is wrong for me in just the right way.”
― Andrew Boyd, Daily Afflictions: The Agony of Being Connected to Everything in the Universe
tags: being-loved, completion, inspirational, love, relationships
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Karen’s Groups

220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 321738 members — last activity 0 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
44031 Q&A with Livia Blackburne on Neuroscience of Reading and Writing — 137 members — last activity Oct 29, 2012 07:59AM
What is it that transforms a page of words into something that moves us and leaves us changed? From February 13, 2011 to March 15, 2011, Livia Blackbu ...more

Karen’s Friend Comments

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message 1: by Kristin
Mar 22, 2017 08:07PM

Kristin Butcher Hi Karen.

Hope all is well in your world. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth; just left the social network. (It's been a year and a half already.) It wasn't a a healthy fit for me. New book coming out next spring. In the meantime, I'm honing my painting skills. Who knows? Perhaps I can become an illustrator. To catch up on my activity or to get in touch, please visit me at my website: www.kristinbutcher.com


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