Jim Arnold
230 ratings | 81 reviews | avg rating:4.20

Jim’s Year In Books

year in books
Jim’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jim’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Go to Jim’s 2025 Year in Books

Jim Arnold’s Followers (39)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo

Jim’s Bookshelves

to-read (69)
currently-reading (6)
read (232)
biography (1)
dramatic-fiction-plays (4)
fiction (30)
fiction-fantasy (1)
fiction-lgbt (11)
history (1)
horror (3)
See all bookshelves »

Jim’s Friends (216)

Belinda
Belinda
779 books | 1,830 friends

Preston
Preston
2,887 books | 122 friends

Erik Laiho
Erik Laiho
4,211 books | 67 friends

Mark
Mark
1,975 books | 2,173 friends

Marc Nash
Marc Nash
1,933 books | 844 friends

J. Schl...
J. Schlenker
591 books | 2,068 friends

Patryk ...
Patryk O'really
2,345 books | 462 friends

Dan
Dan
1,391 books | 404 friends

More friends…

Jim Arnold

Goodreads Author


Born
Sacramento, The United States
Website

Twitter
JimArnoldLA

Genre
Gay and Lesbian, Suspense, Mystery

Member Since
November 2009


Jim is the author of the award-winning novels Benediction (2009). The Forest Dark (2013), Kept (2016) and Benefits (2019).

Jim also directed the critically-acclaimed documentary short Our Brothers, Our Sons, about generational differences around HIV/AIDS in gay men, (nominated for Best Documentary at the 2002 Turin International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival).

Jim has worked extensively as a free-lance journalist and has published in Frontiers, Variety, Prime Health & Fitness, Age Appropriate and other periodicals, online and in fiction anthologies. He began his career in musical theatre and holds a BA in journalism and film from Marquette University, and has studied film production/writing in the MFA program for Cinema/TV at the University of ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Jim Arnold questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?
Jim Arnold I don't get writer's block often. A trick I learned from a former teacher was this--if you know where you want to end up, with a story (and I usually …moreI don't get writer's block often. A trick I learned from a former teacher was this--if you know where you want to end up, with a story (and I usually do), I can work my way back from the end to where I'm starting by listing any and all things that I know will be going there - say, a location, a snippet of dialogue, a plot point, a prop. It doesn't have to be everything, I know from experience my imagination will eventually always fill things in. If absolutely nothing is coming into my head, I usually do something aerobic - a walk, hike, a yoga class, something like that. Invariably during exercise I'll get some kind of inspiration. I also believe that as a professional writer, you make a commitment to show up for the page - whether that's for a half hour Monday through Friday or four hours in the middle of the night. Even if you just sit there and type nothing at all, the habit you make will encourage the muse. (less)
flag
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Jim Arnold I think that it's the satisfaction that comes from being able to scratch a creative urge. Unlike some of the other arts, which require instruments, ca…moreI think that it's the satisfaction that comes from being able to scratch a creative urge. Unlike some of the other arts, which require instruments, canvas and paints, a stage, camera or whatever it might be, all you really need to write is a paper and pen or pencil and you can do it almost anywhere at anytime of day or night. I'm grateful that I get a huge sense of accomplishment from my writing. (less)
flag
See 2 answers from Jim Arnold…

Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.55 · 64 ratings · 27 reviews · 5 distinct works
Kept
3.40 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Benediction
3.47 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2009 — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Wanderslut 1996: A Gay Road...
3.64 avg rating — 11 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Forest Dark
3.25 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Benefits
4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
More books by Jim Arnold…

385 posts
Jim Arnold's Blog

Los Angeles Fires – The View from My Apartment

I consider myself extremely lucky to not have been close to the Los Angeles Fires of January 2025 that have ravaged neighborhoods in my town this month.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jim Arnold (@thejimarnold)


I live in Valley Village, a neighborhood in the southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley, which is almost equidistant from the Palisades Fire to the west and the Eaton Fi

Read more of this blog post »
View more on Jim Arnold's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 25, 2025 13:35
View all 385 posts »

Jim is Currently Reading

The 2-Hour Cockta...
Jim is currently reading
by Nick Gray (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

 
Jan 01, 2024 10:41PM
Never Split the D...
Jim is currently reading
by Chris Voss (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

 
Dec 10, 2023 12:01PM
Heartbroke
Jim is currently reading
by Chelsea Bieker (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

 
Dec 28, 2022 10:07AM

rss
Jim’s Recent Updates

Jim entered a giveaway
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sep 22, 2025 08:03AM  ·   · see giveaway ·  preview book
Jim entered a giveaway
Joyride by Susan Orlean
Joyride: A Memoir
by Susan Orlean (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sep 22, 2025 08:02AM  ·   · see giveaway ·  preview book
Jim rated a book really liked it
Die with Zero by Bill Perkins
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sep 12, 2025 05:55AM  ·   ·  preview book
Jim rated a book it was amazing
Mexislang by Raúl Jiménez
Mexislang: The key to understanding what the hell your mexican friends are saying
by Raúl Jiménez
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Feb 27, 2025 11:05PM  ·   ·  preview book
Jim has read
The Book Publisher's Toolkit by Independent Book Publishers...
The Book Publisher's Toolkit: 10 Practical Pointers for Independent and Self Publishers
by Independent Book Publishers Association
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sep 28, 2024 10:11AM  · 
More of Jim's books…

Jim’s Quotes

Allen Ginsberg
“I really would like to stop working forever–never work again, never do anything like the kind of work I’m doing now–and do nothing but write poetry and have leisure to spend the day outdoors and go to museums and see friends. And I’d like to keep living with someone — maybe even a man — and explore relationships that way. And cultivate my perceptions, cultivate the visionary thing in me. Just a literary and quiet city-hermit existence.”
― Allen Ginsberg
213 likes

Raymond Carver
“Late Fragment

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.”
― Raymond Carver, A New Path to the Waterfall
tags: love, poetry
787 likes

recent posts
Jim’s Groups

99401 The Backlot Gay Book Forum — 1431 members — last activity Feb 19, 2026 09:07AM
The members of The Backlot (formerly AfterElton) love to chat about the latest in gay books. With the site changing, we're moving the discussion here. ...more
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 313294 members — last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
106620 Magnus Books — 145 members — last activity Jul 14, 2013 01:39AM
Book discussion group for readers and writers of LGBT literature. Magnus Books is an imprint of Riverdale Avenue Books. We publish widely in both LGBT ...more
99986 Modern Good Reads — 6778 members — last activity Feb 12, 2026 04:11AM
Modern Good Reads connects readers with books, authors, & challenges. We want to chat, inform, & provide events & discussions, a home for readers and ...more

Jim’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.