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Dave’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Dave’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Dave Schaafsma’s Followers (32,246)
857 books
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42 friends
14,043 books
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273 friends
2,313 books
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459 friends
5,161 books
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838 friends
3,714 books
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3,364 friends
476 books
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121 friends
3,003 books
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140 friends
11,337 books
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3,328 friends
More friends…
Dave Schaafsma
Goodreads Author
Born
in Grand Rapids, Michigan, The United States
January 06, 1953
Genre
Member Since
August 2007
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Popular Answered Questions
Dave Schaafsma
Jon, I am going to answer this question, but I am going to look through my books first... I love this kind of question, and will take it seriously...
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Growing Up Chicago (Second to None: Chicago Stories)
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published
2022
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2 editions
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On Narrative Inquiry: Approaches to Language and Literacy
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published
2011
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3 editions
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Eating On The Street: Teaching Literacy in a Multicultural Society (Composition, Literacy, and Culture, 163)
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published
1994
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4 editions
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Jane Addams in the Classroom
by
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published
2014
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4 editions
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Language and Reflection: An Integrated Approach to Teaching English
by
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published
1991
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3 editions
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Literacy and Democracy: Teacher Research and Composition Studies in Pursuit of Habitable Spaces : Further Conversations from the Students of Jay Robinson
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published
1998
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Retirement
As of May 15, 2026 I retire from teaching, after 50 years of teaching English, 27 years of that as an English Educator and 26 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I've written six books, so I am going to get back on that horse and write/ride some more!
Dave Schaafsma said:
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5/14/26: The book opens in 1805 in an aristocratic Petersburg salon gathering as a way of introducing some of the major characters that periodically comment on what they observe as Napoleon's drive to take over the world, one country at a time. The b
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Dave Schaafsma
is currently reading
Dave Schaafsma said:
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Thanks to the authors, Image and Net Galley for an early look at the twentieth anniversary edition of Pride of Baghdad (2006, to be rereleased in October 2026), based on actual events, which is to say that when the US began bombing Baghdad in 2003, t
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Dave Schaafsma
is currently reading
Dave Schaafsma said:
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RIP Cees Nooteboom, Feb 11, 2026. I'll reread this in his honor. But tell me others I should read now that are your favorites! I read a few (as a Dutch-American, having grown up in Dutch western Michigan) of his works many years ago.
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Dave’s Recent Updates
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Dave Schaafsma
made a comment on
his review
of
There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
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I just finished it. Yes, Rosemary and Linda!
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Dave Schaafsma
rated a book it was amazing
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| I seem to read very little non-fiction these days compared to literary fiction and (always) comics, but this is going to change. I want everyone to read with me this 2026 Pulitzer-Prize book in Non-Fiction by Brian Gladstone, a searing tale of severa ...more | |
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Jonas wrote: "Brilliant review!"
Well, now, thanks, Jonas, but I can't quite agree. I am still working to understand all that the book is about. But th ...more " |
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Jan-Maat wrote: "Are there more visual references to Hopper or just on the front cover?"
Just this one and it doesn't really make sense to me in terms ...more " |
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Dave Schaafsma
rated a book really liked it
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| Talking to My Father's Ghost: An Almost True Story (2025) by Alex Krokus is a tale of grief told with a quirky but endearing sense of humor emplying cartoon animals. Think this undermines the seriousness of his enterprise? People initially thought th ...more | |
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Dave Schaafsma
rated a book really liked it
The Age of Selfishness: Ayn Rand, Morality, and the Financial Crisis
by Darryl Cunningham (Goodreads Author) |
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Major takeaway: “Ayn Rand was wrong. Selfishness is not a virtue.Altruism is not a moral weakness. Taxation is the price we pay for civilization. It’s time we rejected this selfish philosophy”--Cunningham “I made a mistake in presuming that the self-i ...more |
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Dave Schaafsma
made a comment on
Retirement
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Luís wrote: "Good retirement, Dave. The best years are waiting."
Many people say things like that. But I am pretty prepared for good things, having rea ...more " |
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Dave Schaafsma
rated a book really liked it
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| This is Parker #5, and a good one. For 3/4 of the story this is a pretty straightforward story of a group of men who decide to "take" (i.e., steal all the money from) a small isolated North Dakota town. Parker decides that it is just a crazy enough p ...more | |
Leighann Garber
is on page 107 of 354 of Why We Broke Up
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Topics Mentioning This Author
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE Group for Aut...: 'Author's Writing' section on profile page | 17 | 70 | Sep 26, 2016 10:10PM | |
| Read Women: The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui | 20 | 100 | Jul 08, 2018 12:36PM |
“Conversations are efforts toward good relations. They are an elementary form of reciprocity. They are the exercise of our love for each other. They are the enemies of our loneliness, our doubt, our anxiety, our tendencies to abdicate. To continue to be in good conversation over our enormous and terrifying problems is to be calling out to each other in the night. If we attend with imagination and devotion to our conversations, we will find what we need; and someone among us will act—it does not matter whom—and we will survive.”
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“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
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“Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion.”
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“Remember on this one thing, said Badger. The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memories. This is how people care for themselves. ”
― Crow and Weasel
― Crow and Weasel
“Pessimism of the spirit; optimism of the will.”
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The Transition Movement
— 121 members
— last activity Jun 18, 2020 12:52PM
This group is dedicated to readings and discussion related to the Transition Movement started by Rob Hopkins. The movement started in Ireland and En ...more
COMIC BOOK CRAZIES
— 334 members
— last activity May 16, 2026 08:07AM
We read comics all the time! https://www.facebook.com/COMIC-BOOK-Crazies-290288951356668/s
Musicians And Music Lovers
— 1327 members
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This is where we will post our videos, and our songs.
Edelweiss & Netgalley Reviewers
— 328 members
— last activity 5 hours, 36 min ago
This group was created to cover both main Advanced Copy Reviewer sites. Both Edelweiss and NetGalley offer advanced copies of books in exchange for an ...more
Goodreads Authors/Readers
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This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
The Short Story Club
— 569 members
— last activity 25 minutes ago
The purpose of this group is to read and discuss one short story a week. For the the first couple of years, we read from specific anthologies, but fro ...more
Chicago Writers
— 108 members
— last activity Feb 02, 2017 05:12PM
This is a place for Chicago Writers Association members to discuss their current and upcoming titles, announce events and reviews, and connect with ot ...more
100-books-read boys club
— 6 members
— last activity Dec 31, 2018 04:20AM
Not a massive number? Sure. But still my favourite 100-bragging number.
Ovid's Metamorphoses and Further Metamorphoses
— 93 members
— last activity Feb 08, 2020 02:44PM
To read the Metamorphoses of Ovid, in any of the many translations (or the original), and at whatever speed it takes, with three goals in mind: 1. To ...more
Theatre Books and Plays
— 1527 members
— last activity May 02, 2026 04:31AM
A room for lovers of theatre, theater books, texts on acting, directing, theory and scripts.
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Mir wrote: "Grand Rapids? I thought you were Chicago-adjacent. Did you move?"I am in Oak Park, just two blocks west of Chicago. But I grew up in GrandRapids, lived there for 30= years.
Grand Rapids? I thought you were Chicago-adjacent. Did you move?
Hey, Dave — I just saw your review of Kate Beaton's book. I was going to link to the excellent review at the NYTimes (with a paywall-skipping gift link), but of course Goodreads doesn't allow links anywhere but in reviews anymore. Anyway, if you want to add it to your review, here's that link, modified so I can at least DM it to you:nytimes.com / 2022 / 09 / 12 / books / kate-beaton-ducks-canada-oil.html?unlocked_article_code=gT0YdCu1dfrsJo_hLSA1jK0-cpHozTywKGSfeOH2zdsuWpNuUUbLUgr8AH_3enqzXB4ZVQnO2iJYOzqaE4KdkovE2M-GutNsCmEzHEtVzrVNfvw64_pzz--Fh_lmPWdHXRy5wSyJVJANUqOF1H7BCdmPqKRN-ySUHBKin32GWcZJxLPQ2qtShzB_NSt2oe87cH0wAKc7ckgDFN4D5OttzQyqgQj-NQFoWwNlntl68mDdNx0_jh7h1UWO1gjWGLXj48qKO-taoQ3JOb5vUd5ICSX94vJd-XTgz6XM6NhBpi_U13KvSLaSbYATUIfL9bGuIsAnluF1q7DydBZgXZgzlSyGNSc&smid=share-url
Thank You for accepting my friend request Dave. :)I am looking forward to reading your reviews...
Kristine wrote: "Dave, thank you for taking me on as a friend. Professor of Literature sounds like my dream job. Thanks for taking me on as a friend. I always write reviews, whether they are decent is certainly deb..."Do the dream! You get to read a lot, for sure! :) Good luck with your reading (and reviews!).
Dave, thank you for taking me on as a friend. Professor of Literature sounds like my dream job. Thanks for taking me on as a friend. I always write reviews, whether they are decent is certainly debatable, but I try.
Hello David,I am reading your reviews for quite some years now, so it was a very pleasant surprise to receive your friend invite; thank you very much!
I am looking forward to interesting discussions and comic book findings,
Michael
Hanneke wrote: "Happy New Year, David! Hope health, happiness and good books come your way!"And to you, too, Hanneke!
Happy New Year, David! Hope health, happiness and good books come your way!
Cathy wrote: "Merry Christmas David and thanks for goodreads friendship." The same to you, Cathy! :)
Merry Christmas David and thanks for goodreads friendship.
David wrote: "Ted wrote: "David, what genre was that that you and your family were reading all the candidates for the GR book awards?"Picture Book" And I can help you by compiling--soon--my/our favorites, but A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals
by Lucy Ruth Cummins was our top favorite. I finally found for Ida, Always, because the lion book was out of the running. I liked Klaasen's Hat book, but the kids liked it less.
Ted wrote: "David, what genre was that that you and your family were reading all the candidates for the GR book awards?"Picture Book
David, what genre was that that you and your family were reading all the candidates for the GR book awards?
Majenta wrote: "Good evening, David! Friend Request accepted, thanks for Requesting! Congratulations on all your publishing success! I hope this has been a good week for you, that you'll have a nice weekend, and t..."Thanks for accepting my request, and glad to now know what you are also reading. And thanks for all the wishes! I hope you also have a terrific weekend.
Good evening, David! Friend Request accepted, thanks for Requesting! Congratulations on all your publishing success! I hope this has been a good week for you, that you'll have a nice weekend, and the week ahead will be...even better! (And the week after that, and the week after that, and the week after that....) Be blessed!Best wishes from Majenta
Melki wrote: "I guess finals are over by now. Enjoy your summer!"So nice of you to say! I wish you the same, a terrific summer! Keep reading and reviewing. You make me happy!
I guess finals are over by now. Enjoy your summer!
Matthias wrote: "Thank you for accepting David! I see you teach Young Adult Fiction? That's very interesting, I never figured that was a seperate course, but it makes sense now that I think of it. Looking forward t..."Well, the Young Adult Literature course is a typical one for the preparation of English teachers in a lot of universities and colleges. I have been teaching it for maybe 15 years, but haven't been reading that much of it lately. Mostly comics. Will next year, maybe. Oh! And this summer I will teach a course on Young Adult Graphic Novels, just to try something different.
Thank you for accepting David! I see you teach Young Adult Fiction? That's very interesting, I never figured that was a seperate course, but it makes sense now that I think of it. Looking forward to reading your reviews!
Jonathan wrote: "I saw you liked my status on the book about pursuing a further academic studies in Humanities! If you want to find a way to sneak me into an assistantship program at UIC....*wink wink nudge nudge*"well, I am glad to help you in any way I can. Let's talk!
Thanks for the link to Lee, Ted. And thanks for the reminder to read the Wittgenstein novel I had initially intended to read. Just ordered it, finally!
Thanks for the friend request, David. I'm always pleased to connect with a prof. You might be interested in one of my friends, Lee Klein. This is his regular GR page, I believe he also has an author page. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9...(I don't think he's a prof, but he's a learned reader and an interesting writer.)
I will have a more education-oriented year, now that I am going off sabbatical. I have followed Kozol for years, one of the greats.
Hi David ... thanks for connecting! Good to meet a fellow Kozol fan ... amongst many other titles! Karan
Fatty wrote: "Thanks for connecting, David, and a happy new year to you! :) That's the largest collection I've seen on this site. Incredible!"Well, I read a lot, like many on Goodreads, but I have recently taken to recording and writing reviews of EVERYTHING, kind of like an autobiography through reading. I don't know why, exactly. I just am enjoying it. Not many people read my reviews, so I just write for myself, mainly, but am glad to connect to you and anyone through books!
Fionnuala wrote: "I think we have some books in common, David - but a passion for reading definitely, judging by your large quantity of 'read' books!"Well, I am getting older, an English major who became an English prof, so the books I have read.. they'll accumulate. Honestly, I am sure there are many more unrated. Things in areas I have read I just haven't thought of. But that's not bragging. Just saying that if you read your whole life, you will have read a lot of books! I still have a passion for reading, no question! Glad to begin to get to know you!
I think we have some books in common, David - but a passion for reading definitely, judging by your large quantity of 'read' books!
it seems like gravity's rainbow was actually a really fun (albeit difficult) launching point! Well, Jonathan, Gravity's Rainbow is one difficult book with so much richness in it. The most difficult book we read (started) in that Postwar American Fiction class, for sure (though Lolita might have been a match for sheer complexity). In Slow Learner you get how he was getting started, trying out ideas he would elaborate on for the rest of his career, so in that sense it is worth it to check it out..
Jonathan wrote: "Professor S! How have you been this summer?""I'm good. Not teaching in this second summer session, so reading and writing a bit more… you?
Nick wrote: "In the past, I'd typically hop on my computer (or now, more realistically, my phone) between 6 am and 7 am and go to the following sites, in no particular order: Facebook, gmail, reddit. Your profi..."I only just saw this now! Hi!
Nick wrote: "In the past, I'd typically hop on my computer (or now, more realistically, my phone) between 6 am and 7 am and go to the following sites, in no particular order: Facebook, gmail, reddit. Your profi..."Jane wrote: "Hi David!"
Hi, Jane! Do I know you? Either way, hi! :) Welcome to my Goodreads world!
In the past, I'd typically hop on my computer (or now, more realistically, my phone) between 6 am and 7 am and go to the following sites, in no particular order: Facebook, gmail, reddit. Your profile alone has managed to make goodreads usurp reddit in that rotation. I just don't have the requisite time to browse reddit these days, but I always have the time to read a review or two... :)(Just a random thought, as I'm currently on, and there's not a 6:30 am review for me to read for a change. sadness.)
