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Mark’s 2025 Year in Books

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Stuart

2,630 books | 132 friends

Scottsdale Public Library

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OhTheBill

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Mark Johnson

Goodreads Author

Born

in St. Louis, Missouri, The United States

Website

http://www.markjohnsonstories.com/

Genre

Memoir, Gay and Lesbian, Poetry

Member Since

May 2016

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I was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Now, in my sixties, I live happily in Scottsdale, Arizona, among the saguaros and palm trees.

Since retiring in 2014 from corporate life, I've authored six books to pay tribute to vivid people and memories from my experiences in North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois and Arizona.

From Fertile Ground, my first book, is a three-generation memoir and writer's mosaic that explores the importance of family and desire we each have to create our own path.
My second book, Tales of a Rollercoaster Operator, features up-and-down stories from my Missouri childhood. The St. Louis History Museum selected both books (published in 2016 and 2017) for its collection devoted to LGBTQ history in the Midwest.

In 2018, I published A ...more

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Mark Johnson’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 82 ratings · 32 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	An Unobstructed View: A Personal Journey from Illinois to Arizona 4.24 avg rating — 21 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
	From Fertile Ground: The Story of My Journey, My Grief, My Life 4.44 avg rating — 18 ratings — 2 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
	Tales of a Rollercoaster Operator: Stories from My Missouri Youth 3.78 avg rating — 18 ratings — 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
	I Think I'll Prune the Lemon Tree 4.47 avg rating — 15 ratings — 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
	Sixty-Something Days: Essays, Poems, and Fiction 4.13 avg rating — 8 ratings — 2 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
	A Path I Might Have Missed it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	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

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Mark Johnson's Blog

Sixty-Something Days

As Thanksgiving approaches and we prepare to spend time with beloved friends and family, I'm excited to tell you that my sixth book Sixty-Something Days: Essays, Poems, and Fiction is live in paperback and Kindle formats. This memoir tapestry, which I wrote from 2022 to 2025, is a call-to-action to learn, grow, and create during every stage of our lives, but especially in our post-65 years. To fin Read more of this blog post »

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Published on November 17, 2025 14:02 • Tags: community, fiction, growing, learning, memoirs, new-books, poems, post-65, retirement, teaching, wisdom, writing

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Mark is Currently Reading

Mark Johnson is currently reading

Raising Hare: A Memoir

by Chloe Dalton

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 16, 2026 09:36AM

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Mark Johnson is on page 63 of 285 of Raising Hare Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton progress:	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 16, 2026 09:36AM · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson is currently reading Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Memoir	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 16, 2026 09:36AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson and 169 other people liked Adam Dalva's review of Spring (Seasons Quartet, #3): "This is an absolutely brilliant departure from the first two books of the seasons quartet, and completely re-contextualizes the scope and intent of the project. Don't know if I know of something quite like this. And it's like a tiny sequel to MY STRU" Read more of this review »
Apr 07, 2026 06:54AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spring by Karl Ove Knausgård. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spring by Karl Ove Knausgård <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson rated a book it was amazing Spring (Seasons Quartet, #3) by Karl Ove Knausgård	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 07, 2026 06:48AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spring by Karl Ove Knausgård. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spring by Karl Ove Knausgård <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson is on page 141 of 192 of Spring Spring (Seasons Quartet, #3) by Karl Ove Knausgård progress:	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 06, 2026 09:03PM · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spring by Karl Ove Knausgård. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spring by Karl Ove Knausgård <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson started reading Spring (Seasons Quartet, #3) by Karl Ove Knausgård	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
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Mark Johnson rated a book it was amazing Ordinary People by Judith Guest	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
Mar 22, 2026 08:32PM · like
Mark Johnson rated a book it was amazing Flesh by David Szalay	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
Mar 06, 2026 06:08AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Flesh by David Szalay. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Flesh by David Szalay <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson rated a book it was amazing MYSTICAL MUSINGS : A Collection of Divine Encounters, Soul Signs and Messages from the Beyond by BONNIE L. SENFTNER	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
Bonnie's collection of serendipitous, personal stories is relatable and beautifully written. While this is a short book, it is laced with meaningful experiences ... gratitude, heart, soul, and wisdom earned along the surprising (and sometimes rocky) ...more
Feb 19, 2026 11:54AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of MYSTICAL MUSINGS by BONNIE L. SENFTNER. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — MYSTICAL MUSINGS by BONNIE L. SENFTNER <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Johnson started reading Flesh by David Szalay	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
Feb 14, 2026 07:40PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Flesh by David Szalay. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Flesh by David Szalay <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Reading with Style: SP 19 Awards by Country AbC Plans	17	36	Feb 23, 2019 01:59PM
WACKY READING CHA...: MAR 2019 FEATURED AUTHOR - SHAYLA BLACK	48	43	May 15, 2019 09:06AM
Grab a Book & Pla...: March 2019 Mini Challenge	15	20	May 29, 2019 05:37AM
Reading with Style: SP 19 Completed Tasks	859	72	May 31, 2019 09:01PM
WACKY READING CHA...: MAY 2019 FEATURED AUTHOR - ANN B. ROSS	57	40	Jul 10, 2019 08:10AM
Stress Free Readi...: Hidden Gems Challenge	65	226	Jul 14, 2019 10:17PM

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Mark’s Quotes

“Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
― Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

tags: authenticity, belonging, self-acceptance

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Mark’s Year In Books

Mark Johnson’s Followers (31)

Mark’s Bookshelves

Mark’s Friends (68)

Mark Johnson

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