545 ratings | 442 reviews | avg rating:3.93

Richard’s Year In Books

Richard’s 2025 Year in Books

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

Go to Richard’s 2025 Year in Books

Richard R. Becker’s Followers (66)

Richard’s Bookshelves

to-read (488)
currently-reading (6)
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Richard’s Friends (192)

Mo Fanning

139 books | 863 friends

Akarshita

405 books | 100 friends

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1,998 books | 590 friends

Peter Topside

4,085 books | 2,790 friends

Wayne

5,330 books | 2,877 friends

1,107 books | 83 friends

Mel Bee

1,399 books | 400 friends

Colin Baldwin

1,136 books | 1,397 friends

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Richard R. Becker

Goodreads Author

Born

in Milwaukee, The United States

Website

http://www.richardrbecker.com

Twitter

RichBecker

Genre

Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

Influences

Ernest Hemingway, John Updike, Russel Banks

Member Since

August 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/richardrbecker

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Richard R. Becker is an award-winning American author whose gripping stories blend resilience and moral complexity. His upcoming novel, Born on Monday (2025), promises a thrilling tale of small-town sins that will leave readers breathless.

His debut novel, Third Wheel (August 2023), soared into Amazon’s top 100 thriller and suspense literary fiction novels, earned a Kirkus Reviews feature, and won seven awards, including Literary Thriller of the Year by the Artisan International Book Excellence Awards. His debut collection, 50 States (2021), born from a challenge to write one story a week for 50 weeks, topped Amazon’s literary short story charts for three months and secured multiple honors, including first place in the Spring 2022 BookFest A ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What books are on your summer reading list this year?

Richard R. Becker I love this question, and don't have a traditional answer that includes 5 or 10 or even 20 books that will feel dated in a few months. What I have ins…moreI love this question, and don't have a traditional answer that includes 5 or 10 or even 20 books that will feel dated in a few months. What I have instead is a list of 195+ diverse titles and a method to read a fair amount of them every year. Feel free to check out my shelf. They are all here on Goodreads.

Generally, I'm reading four books at any given time. One with my daughter, one on my phone, one in print (often nonfiction), and one as an audiobook (yes, I think audiobooks count as long as they aren't abridged). To pick them: My daughter and I alternative between young adult and classic literature; my nonfiction picks generally alternate between enrichment and history; my other two picks alternate wildly different genres and authors mainly based on what I just read. I tend to look for something that contrasts preceding title.

For example, in 2021 on my phone, Normal People by Sally Rooney was preceded by Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark, preceded by Eden Mine by S.M. Hulse, preceded by Go Tell It To The Mountain by James Baldwin, preceded by Rabbit is Rich by John Updike, preceded by Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, preceded by Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, preceded by Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby, and so on. The same eclectic meandering happens with audiobooks (though narrators can play a factor in my picks).

How I chose books changed after joining Goodreads. This site gave me a tool to add dozens of "to read" (or read again) books. I look over all of them anytime I'm close to the end of a book, generally picking the next title because there is some contrast to what I just read or am reading — from contemporary to classic or horror fiction to literary fiction or science fiction to historical fiction — because I'm a great believer in diversity, especially for anyone who wants to be a writer. Diversity keeps it all interesting, which is why my own body of work spills over into everything.(less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Richard R. Becker Two years ago, I committed to writing short short stories and sharing them on my Facebook author page. It was the first time in my life I treated writ…moreTwo years ago, I committed to writing short short stories and sharing them on my Facebook author page. It was the first time in my life I treated writing short stories like an assignment, with equal weight to any advertising/marketing deadlines I might have.

My immersion in the process of writing fiction opened up an entirely new world. After sharing the first few stories, I fell into a creative rhythm, and an overarching idea began to crystalize.

I was inspired to write about life-defining moments (or coping with life-defining moments) as experienced by different people in different places (50 States) — stories that could stand on their own but were also left open to be continued in unexpected ways or intersect with one another.

Individually, the spark for each story was unique. Some ideas seem to find me — something I happened to see while driving my daughter to practice. Other ideas had to be hunted down, especially as fewer states remained. In those situations, I made it a practice to follow the research until it led me somewhere or something else would find me along the way.(less)

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Combine Editions
Richard R. Becker’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 247 ratings · 135 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	50 States: A collection of short short stories really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 101 ratings — 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
	Third Wheel 4.49 avg rating — 71 ratings — published 2023 — 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
	Born on Monday 4.45 avg rating — 44 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
	Ten Threads 4.10 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2022 — 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

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

37 posts
Richard R. Becker's Blog

Book Review - Third Wheel

Plenty has happened in the last few weeks for 'Born on Monday' as it hit the Top 100 in psychological literary fiction on Amazon and gained a few more amazing editorial reviews. But what I really wanted to share is this surprise review of Third Wheel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QTXv...

What made this review so special is that I caught it after I had just woken up in the middle of the night to Read more of this blog post »

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Published on January 16, 2026 09:31 • Tags: book-reviews

View all 37 posts »

Richard is Currently Reading

Richard Becker is currently reading

Stein on Writing

by Sol Stein

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 13, 2026 03:00PM

Richard Becker is currently reading

Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World

by Eric Jay Dolin (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 22, 2026 03:00PM

Richard Becker is currently reading

Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive

by Eliot Stein (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 21, 2026 10:11AM

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Richard’s Recent Updates

Richard Becker is currently reading Stein on Writing by Sol Stein	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
May 13, 2026 03:00PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Stein on Writing by Sol Stein. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Stein on Writing by Sol Stein <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker entered a giveaway Truth to Power: A Luke Cage Marvel Crime Novel by S.A. Cosby (Goodreads Author) 30 copies available, ends on May 31, 2026 Enter to win »
May 05, 2026 05:07AM · like · see giveaway
Richard Becker wants to read The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna	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
May 03, 2026 05:28PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker wants to read The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson	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
Apr 25, 2026 09:45AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Barn by Wright Thompson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Barn by Wright Thompson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker wants to read A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2) by George R.R. Martin	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
Apr 25, 2026 09:43AM · like
Richard Becker wants to read From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler (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
Apr 24, 2026 09:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker wants to read Hell House by Richard Matheson	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
Apr 23, 2026 05:58PM · like
Richard Becker rated a book liked it Breakthrough: How to Overcome Doubt, Fear and Resistance to Be Your Ultimate Creative Self by Todd Mitchell (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
This was a book I really thought I’d Iove, and had every attention of doing so through the first few chapters. But then something happens along the way and I really started to wonder whether this book can help writers, artists, and creators overcome ...more
Apr 23, 2026 05:44PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Breakthrough by Todd Mitchell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Breakthrough by Todd Mitchell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker rated a book liked it The Lost Man by Jane Harper (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
Jane Harper has built a reputation for atmospheric crime stories set against the harsh Australian landscape. This one delivers more of her slow-burn tension, except in the isolated cattle country of outback Queensland. Here, the sun is merciless, dis ...more
Apr 23, 2026 05:16PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Lost Man by Jane Harper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker started reading Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World by Eric Jay Dolin (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
Apr 22, 2026 03:00PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Left for Dead by Eric Jay Dolin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Left for Dead by Eric Jay Dolin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Richard's books…

Richard’s Quotes

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow; but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”
― Agatha Christie

tags: inspirational

6100 likes

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

160 likes

“I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden or, Life in the Woods

289 likes