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David’s Year In Books

David’s 2025 Year in Books

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

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David Joiner’s Followers (110)

David’s Bookshelves

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read (874)
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japanese-fiction (258)
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David’s Friends (238)

Caio Donalisio

324 books | 82 friends

Khari

8,732 books | 227 friends

Maru Kun

9,339 books | 696 friends

Yoshay Lindblom

1,402 books | 164 friends

Thebooktrail

2,048 books | 430 friends

Hanneke

3,485 books | 494 friends

Jason

656 books | 7 friends

Diz

1,884 books | 444 friends

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David Joiner

Goodreads Author

Born

in Cincinnati, The United States

Website

http://www.david-joiner.com

Genre

Fiction, Memoir, Nonfiction

Influences

Yasunari Kawabata, Natsume Soseki, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima, ...more

Member Since

February 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/davidjoiner

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David Joiner is the 2024 International Rubery Book Award Winner in Fiction for his novel The Heron Catchers, published by Stone Bridge Press in late 2023. The novel is the second in a planned series of novels set in Ishikawa prefecture, and was also a finalist in the 2023 American Writing Awards, the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the 2023 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award. In January 2022, Stone Bridge Press also published his second novel, Kanazawa, which was a finalist for the 2022 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award. His debut novel Lotusland, originally published in 2015 by Guernica Editions, was re-issued in a revised edition in early 2025.

David first came to Asia in 1991 on a five-month study program in Sapporo, ...more

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Ask the Author

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

David Joiner I sometimes bow down before it. I don’t mind terribly when it happens, either. But when I do allow myself to give into it – because I believe that ide…moreI sometimes bow down before it. I don’t mind terribly when it happens, either. But when I do allow myself to give into it – because I believe that ideas germinate even when I’m not actively writing – I limit myself to how long I’ll let it stop me from writing.

At other times I make myself go where I’ve got nothing else to do but write (i.e., a library or a café where I don’t expect to see anyone I know).

Sometimes I bring up a completely blank document and play with whatever idea first comes into my head. These attempts, which are basically free-writing exercises, end up bringing a newness to bear on whatever I’m stuck on. Sometimes I end up keeping the result, and sometimes I end up dragging it into the trash. But either way, it always puts me back on track.

Most times, however, I just grit my teeth and refuse to let myself be stopped by writer’s block. It’s no sin to write only a paragraph a day. Sometimes you’ll manage ten pages, but as long as you’re taking the book forward, that’s what really matters.

In the end, the issue is quality rather than quantity. Sometimes a little writer’s block can be helpful in figuring out a way to make your writing better.(less)

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

David Joiner There are several things that come to mind:

Being able to dream while I’m awake.

Having the privilege, day in and day out, to work (and play) with langu…moreThere are several things that come to mind:

Being able to dream while I’m awake.

Having the privilege, day in and day out, to work (and play) with language.

Not having to share or relinquish control of the creative dreams that are my stories.

Having creative projects to re-immerse myself in every day.

Knowing that entire worlds exist inside my head and that I’m in a position, if I work hard enough, to let them out and make them real.(less)

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Combine Editions
David Joiner’s books

Average rating: 4.12 · 250 ratings · 87 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Kanazawa 3.95 avg rating — 133 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
	Lotusland by David Joiner (Goodreads Author), Liam C Kelley (foreword), Le Ha Phan (foreword) 4.32 avg rating — 60 ratings — published 2015 — 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
	The Heron Catchers 4.25 avg rating — 51 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
	Stray Cat City 4.83 avg rating — 6 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

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

53 posts
David Joiner's Blog

Japan Writers Panel, MinkaCon 2025

I've just uploaded a YouTube video of MinkaCon 2025 in Aichi prefecture. In the video, I read from The Heron Catchers, followed by readings by my fellow panelists Everett Kennedy Brown and Azby Brown.

https://www.goodreads.com/videos/2247...

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 11, 2025 21:26 • Tags: and-tradition, architecture, japan, rural-life

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