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Bruce’s Year In Books

Bruce’s 2025 Year in Books

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

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Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Bruce’s Bookshelves

to-read (601)
currently-reading (11)
read (1392)
did-not-finish (0)
abandoned-mid-way (25)
read-but-don-t-really-recall (8)
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Bruce’s Friends (1,167)

Mark Barnes

461 books | 2,020 friends

Maura Pierlot

268 books | 75 friends

Nancy Runstedler

1,401 books | 402 friends

Heather

32,443 books | 3,159 friends

Bill Powers

1,236 books | 1,694 friends

Leslie Ann

1,466 books | 1,972 friends

Kerry Cerra

427 books | 355 friends

Erin Dealey

232 books | 296 friends

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Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Born

October 30

Website

http://www.brucehale.com/

Twitter

storyguy1

Genre

Children's, Mystery, Horror

Influences

Raymond Chandler, Dr. Seuss, Tom Robbins ...more

Member Since

January 2008

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A serious book addict, Bruce wanted to be a children's book author since he was in 4th grade (right after he got over wanting to be a pirate, Tarzan, and Daniel Boone). Today he's the author-illustrator of over 70 seriously funny books for kids, so some dreams do come true.

The Malted Falcon, one of his Chet Gecko Mysteries series, was an Edgar Award finalist, and Murder, My Tweet won a Little D Award for Juvenile Humor Writing. Bruce has written everything from picture books and easy readers, to graphic novels and novels.

Bruce's recent Monstertown Mysteries series blends horror and humor, based on his childhood love of monster movies. His other series include Class Pets, about the secret lives of classroom pets, and the forthcoming Outerspa ...more

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Combine Editions
Bruce Hale’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 12,717 ratings · 1,684 reviews · 123 distinct works • Similar authors

	Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.92 avg rating — 1,758 ratings — published 2013 — 9 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
	Too Many Treats by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 4.37 avg rating — 1,317 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
	The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (Chet Gecko Mystery #1) 3.75 avg rating — 727 ratings — published 2000 — 21 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
	Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Howard Fine (Illustrator) 3.88 avg rating — 664 ratings — published 2008 — 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
	Big Bad Detective Agency (1) 3.66 avg rating — 448 ratings — published 2015 — 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
	Clark the Shark Dares to Share by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.82 avg rating — 428 ratings — published 2013 — 9 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
	Playing with Fire (School for S.P.I.E.S., #1) 3.98 avg rating — 346 ratings — published 2013 — 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
	The Mystery of Mr. Nice (Chet Gecko Mystery, #2) 3.91 avg rating — 315 ratings — published 2000 — 19 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
	Clark the Shark: Tooth Trouble (I Can Read Level 1) by Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author), Guy Francis (Illustrator) 3.79 avg rating — 310 ratings — published 2014 — 9 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
	Farewell, My Lunchbag (Chet Gecko Mystery, #3) 3.99 avg rating — 273 ratings — published 2001 — 24 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

More books by Bruce Hale…

25 posts
Bruce Hale's Blog

How do I make my characters sound different from each other?

Dear Writer Guy, I often get feedback that my characters sound the same (voice). What process do you recommend to build distinctions in each character’s voice? Thanks, Judy Dear Judy, At the root of it, this is first a matter of getting out of YOUR head and getting into your characters’ heads. Early on, all our characters might sound the same because we haven’t really worked…

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Series by Bruce Hale

Clark the Shark (10 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author),

Guy Francis (Illustrator)

3.95 avg rating — 5,067 ratings

Chet Gecko Mystery (15 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.87 avg rating — 2,843 ratings

SCHOOL FOR S.P.I.E.S. (3 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author),

Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

4.10 avg rating — 568 ratings

Monstertown Mysteries (3 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.95 avg rating — 133 ratings

Class Pets (4 books)
by

Bruce Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.66 avg rating — 142 ratings

More series by Bruce Hale…

Bruce is Currently Reading

Bruce is currently reading

The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)

by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 26, 2026 12:01PM

Bruce is currently reading

On Earth as It Is on Television

by Emily Jane (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 09, 2026 04:36PM

Bruce is currently reading

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life

by Dick Van Dyke

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 02, 2026 12:51PM

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Bruce’s Recent Updates

Bruce is currently reading The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3) by John Scalzi (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
May 26, 2026 12:01PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Last Colony by John Scalzi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Last Colony by John Scalzi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read Don't Tell Me How It Ends (Dial Delights) by Adrienne Thurman (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
May 26, 2026 12:01PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book really liked it Good Behavior (Dortmunder, #6) by Donald E. Westlake	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 25, 2026 02:50PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Good Behavior by Donald E. Westlake. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Good Behavior by Donald E. Westlake <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming (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
May 17, 2026 01:16PM · like
Bruce wants to read The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (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
May 17, 2026 01:15PM · like
Bruce entered a giveaway Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman (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
May 17, 2026 08:23AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton	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 15, 2026 01:36PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce wants to read The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny (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
May 15, 2026 01:36PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bruce rated a book really liked it A Trade of Blood (Shadow of the Leviathan, #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett (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
Another excellent Ana and Din mystery. This time out, the empire’s investigators are tackling a case that involves bizarre and unexplained murders in Din’s home district. Is it a curse on a wealthy family, or is something more sinister at work? The d ...more
May 14, 2026 05:49PM · like · see review
Bruce rated a book really liked it The Magic of Us by Beth Merlin (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
May 14, 2026 05:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Magic of Us by Beth Merlin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Magic of Us by Beth Merlin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Bruce's books…

Quotes by Bruce Hale (?)

“First," said Ms. Johnson, "I want you to know that you are all winners,"

Why do grown-ups always say that? Duh,we know we're not all winners.”
― Bruce Hale, Prince of Underwhere

4 likes

“Sometimes the writing flows, sometimes it's like wading through concrete. But I keep showing up each day, whether the Muse joins me or not.”
― Bruce Hale

2 likes

“air." Jack scowled. His practice had really paid off—his whole face bunched up like a muscle-man's fist. Rocky and Bosco pushed up to standing. Rocky's brawny shoulders flexed like two”
― Bruce Hale, Trouble Is My Beeswax: A Chet Gecko Mystery – A Funny Mystery Chapter Book About a Cheating Scandal at Elementary School for Kids

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Coffee & Books: Jonny's List and Challenges.	2	33	Sep 21, 2011 12:01PM
The Next Best Boo...: The Title Game	20218	14619	May 30, 2013 12:53PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Kat's 150, 2015 Challenge	21	97	Dec 30, 2015 08:39PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author Game, Round 2	15570	1212	Mar 21, 2016 09:15AM
Cozy Mysteries : Mystery ABC's, Round 2	12168	1140	Mar 21, 2016 12:30PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author game, Round 4	16049	655	Jan 05, 2019 04:49AM

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Bruce’s Quotes

“Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

tags: enjoy-life, fearlessness, live-in-the-moment

5548 likes

Bruce’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-1) post a comment »

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message 1: by Lisa

Jun 01, 2012 08:12PM

Thanks for connecting here! See you in LA! :-)

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Bruce’s Year In Books

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

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Bruce’s Bookshelves

Bruce’s Friends (1,167)

Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

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Ask the Author

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Combine Editions
Bruce Hale’s books

25 posts
Bruce Hale's Blog

How do I make my characters sound different from each other?

Series by Bruce Hale

Bruce is Currently Reading

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Bruce’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Last Colony by John Scalzi

See a Problem?

Preview — Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman

See a Problem?

Preview — Good Behavior by Donald E. Westlake

See a Problem?

Preview — Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

See a Problem?

Preview — A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton

See a Problem?

Preview — The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny

See a Problem?

Preview — The Magic of Us by Beth Merlin

Topics Mentioning This Author

Bruce’s Quotes

Bruce’s Friend Comments

Bruce Hale’s Followers (133)

Bruce Hale

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssBruce’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Last Colony by John Scalzi

See a Problem?

Preview — Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman

See a Problem?

Preview — Good Behavior by Donald E. Westlake

See a Problem?

Preview — Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

See a Problem?

Preview — A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton

See a Problem?

Preview — The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny

See a Problem?

Preview — The Magic of Us by Beth Merlin

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Bruce’s Recent Updates