309 ratings | 251 reviews | avg rating:4.98

Jo’s Year In Books

Jo’s 2025 Year in Books

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

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Jo Walton’s Followers (3,073)

Jo’s Bookshelves

to-read (194)
currently-reading (18)
read (5272)

Jo’s Friends (21)

Nicholas Whyte

7,780 books | 1,797 friends

Tachyon Publications

224 books | 198 friends

Marissa Lingen

255 books | 97 friends

Steven Halter

1,721 books | 5 friends

piranha

1,273 books | 2 friends

Zvi

867 books | 73 friends

Ada Palmer

81 books | 129 friends

Jonathan Sneed

5 books | 67 friends

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Jo Walton

Goodreads Author

Born

in Wales, The United Kingdom

December 01, 1964

Website

http://www.jowaltonbooks.com

Twitter

bluejowalton

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Member Since

February 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/bluejo

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Jo Walton writes science fiction and fantasy novels and reads a lot and eats great food. It worries her slightly that this is so exactly what she always wanted to do when she grew up. She comes from Wales, but lives in Montreal.

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Combine Editions
Jo Walton’s books

Average rating: 3.79 · 77,887 ratings · 14,389 reviews · 84 distinct works • Similar authors

	Among Others 3.71 avg rating — 25,771 ratings — published 2011	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 Just City (Thessaly, #1) 3.80 avg rating — 8,392 ratings — published 2015 — 15 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
	Tooth and Claw 3.88 avg rating — 7,036 ratings — published 2003 — 31 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
	My Real Children 3.80 avg rating — 6,399 ratings — published 2014 — 31 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
	Farthing (Small Change, #1) 3.81 avg rating — 5,657 ratings — published 2006 — 40 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 Philosopher Kings 3.93 avg rating — 3,001 ratings — published 2015 — 11 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
	Ha'penny (Small Change, #2) 3.91 avg rating — 2,615 ratings — published 2007 — 29 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
	Lent 3.99 avg rating — 2,404 ratings — published 2019 — 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
	Half a Crown (Small Change, #3) 3.94 avg rating — 2,118 ratings — published 2008	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
	Necessity (Thessaly, #3) 3.94 avg rating — 1,833 ratings — published 2016 — 7 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 Jo Walton…

831 posts
Jo Walton's Blog

A different way to teach science

When we moved to Montreal, my son was eleven. He happened to find an old, 1920, book in a thrift store called something like Science Today, which was an overview of the cutting edge of science as of 1920, with exciting old black and white photos of things like the first electric streetlights in Canada. It had chapters on different subjects of scientific interest. He started reading it, and asking

Series by Jo Walton

Thessaly (3 books)
by

Jo Walton (Goodreads Author)

3.86 avg rating — 13,374 ratings

Small Change (3 books)
by

Jo Walton (Goodreads Author)

3.86 avg rating — 10,390 ratings

Tir Tanagiri (3 books)
by

Jo Walton (Goodreads Author)

3.68 avg rating — 1,488 ratings

Die-hard mystery fans are always on the hunt for their next supremely satisfying whodunit. To help you stock that Want to Read shelf, we asked...

Jo is Currently Reading

Jo Walton is currently reading

Soldier of the Mist

by Gene Wolfe

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 20, 2025 12:25PM

Jo Walton is currently reading

Better Broken Than New: A Fragmented Memoir

by Lisa St. Aubin de Terán

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 19, 2025 09:02AM

Jo Walton is currently reading

Swept Away

by Beth O'Leary (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 19, 2025 09:02AM

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Jo’s Recent Updates

Jo Walton is currently reading Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe	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
Dec 20, 2025 12:26PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jo Walton wants to read Her Son's Wife by Dorothy Canfield	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
Dec 19, 2025 06:30PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Her Son's Wife by Dorothy Canfield. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Her Son's Wife by Dorothy Canfield <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jo Walton wants to read Cherry Baby: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell (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
Dec 19, 2025 06:30PM · like
Jo Walton wants to read Cygnus (Frontlines: Evolution Book 3) by Marko Kloos (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
Dec 19, 2025 06:30PM · like
Jo Walton wants to read The Vacation Shift by Lily Chu (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
Dec 19, 2025 06:30PM · like
Jo Walton wants to read The Year of the Dog by Sophia Money-Coutts	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
Dec 19, 2025 06:29PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Year of the Dog by Sophia Money-Coutts. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Year of the Dog by Sophia Money-Coutts <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jo Walton wants to read KATHERINE, BEL AND SARAH: a collection of six classic heartwarming books (D.E. Stevenson Women's Fiction Classics Box Sets) by D.E. Stevenson	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
Dec 19, 2025 06:29PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of KATHERINE, BEL AND SARAH by D.E. Stevenson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — KATHERINE, BEL AND SARAH by D.E. Stevenson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jo Walton wants to read NEW PATHS, OLD PLACES: a collection of eight classic heartwarming books (D.E. Stevenson Women's Fiction Classics Box Sets) by D.E. Stevenson	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
Dec 19, 2025 06:29PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of NEW PATHS, OLD PLACES by D.E. Stevenson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — NEW PATHS, OLD PLACES by D.E. Stevenson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jo Walton rated a book it was amazing Carry On (Simon Snow, #1) by Rainbow Rowell (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
Dec 19, 2025 03:44PM · 20 likes · like
Jo Walton finished reading The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence: A Story of Botticelli by Alyssa Palombo (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
Dec 19, 2025 09:03AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Jo's books…

Quotes by Jo Walton (?)

“It doesn't matter. I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books.”
― Jo Walton, Among Others

tags: books

2754 likes

“There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them.”
― Jo Walton

tags: appreciation, nature, sunrise, sunset

539 likes

“I'll belong to libraries wherever I go. Maybe eventually I'll belong to libraries on other planets.”
― Jo Walton, Among Others

375 likes

See all Jo Walton's quotes »

Polls

April 2018 Random Fantasy

Among Others by Jo Walton

51 votes, 32.7%

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

34 votes, 21.8%

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory

30 votes, 19.2%

Kingfisher by Patricia A. McKillip

22 votes, 14.1%

The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi

19 votes, 12.2%

156 total votes

21 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Beyond Reality: Miles Vorkosigan--SHARDS OF HONOR - the book in the overall series (SPOILERS)	16	80	Jul 11, 2009 03:54AM
Beyond Reality: Miles Vorkosigan--CETAGANDA - Jo Walton's take	2	41	Nov 05, 2009 10:47AM
Beyond Reality: Nominations for February!	23	76	Nov 20, 2009 07:26AM
Beyond Reality: 2009-11 BROKEDOWN PALACE Other books by Steven Brust	34	69	Dec 18, 2009 02:20PM
The Seasonal Read...: 10.8 (OH CANADA!)	36	241	Dec 21, 2009 02:06PM
Beyond Reality: What else are you reading in January 2010?	75	124	Jan 31, 2010 05:51PM
Beyond Reality: Miles Vorkosigan Series Discussion: reading order	41	1350	Mar 08, 2010 05:43PM
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread)	3022	3287	Aug 31, 2010 10:39PM
SciFi and Fantasy...: Which authors are on your "buy on sight" list	46	308	Feb 06, 2011 08:23PM

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Jo’s Quotes

“I'll belong to libraries wherever I go. Maybe eventually I'll belong to libraries on other planets.”
― Jo Walton, Among Others

375 likes

“Let’s pursue excellence together. Let’s make art. Let’s build the future. Let’s be our best selves.”
― Jo Walton, The Just City

9 likes

“There isn't an end point to excellence where you have it and you can stop. Being your best self means keeping on trying.”
― Jo Walton, The Just City

tags: philosophy

9 likes

“In reality, while we aim for excellence, we're always living on somebody's dunghill.”
― Jo Walton, The Philosopher Kings

tags: excellence

6 likes

“If you love books enough, books will love you back.”
― Jo Walton, Among Others

Jo’s Year In Books

Jo Walton’s Followers (3,073)

Jo’s Bookshelves

Jo’s Friends (21)

Jo Walton

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Jo Walton’s books

831 posts
Jo Walton's Blog

A different way to teach science

Series by Jo Walton

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Jo is Currently Reading

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Jo’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe

See a Problem?

Preview — Her Son's Wife by Dorothy Canfield

See a Problem?

Preview — The Year of the Dog by Sophia Money-Coutts

See a Problem?

Preview — KATHERINE, BEL AND SARAH by D.E. Stevenson

See a Problem?

Preview — NEW PATHS, OLD PLACES by D.E. Stevenson

See a Problem?

Preview — The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Jo’s Quotes

Jo’s Friend Comments

Jo Walton’s Followers (3,073)

Jo Walton

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

Related News

rssJo’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe

See a Problem?

Preview — Her Son's Wife by Dorothy Canfield

See a Problem?

Preview — The Year of the Dog by Sophia Money-Coutts

See a Problem?

Preview — KATHERINE, BEL AND SARAH by D.E. Stevenson

See a Problem?

Preview — NEW PATHS, OLD PLACES by D.E. Stevenson

See a Problem?

Preview — The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Jo’s Recent Updates