569 ratings | 473 reviews | avg rating:4.22

Gill’s Year In Books

Gill’s 2025 Year in Books

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Gill’s Bookshelves

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Erin (Historical Fiction Reader)

5,107 books | 2,562 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Gill James has read 4 of 60 books.

Gill James

Goodreads Author

Born

in West Bromwich, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.gilljames.co.uk

Twitter

gilljames

Genre

Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction

Member Since

July 2012

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Gill James writes novels for middle grade and young adults and short fiction for everyone. Her current work consists of a cycle of novels set mainly in Nazi Germany and of some texts of experimental fiction.

She is published by Crooked Cats, Tabby Cat Press, The Red Telephone and Butterfly. She is an associate lecturer in Creative Writing at Salford University, UK, where she formerly worked as a senior lecturer. She has published several academic papers.

Her stories are published on Litro, CafeLit, Alfie Dog, Ether Books and in several anthologies.

She offers workshops on creative writing, book-building, creative writing in other languages and the Holocaust and life in Nazi Germany.

Reviews by Gill can be found in Armadillo Magazine, IBBY, Tr ...more

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Combine Editions
Gill James’s books

Average rating: 4.27 · 176 ratings · 74 reviews · 92 distinct works

	The House on Schellberg Street 4.52 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 2014 — 6 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 Complete Guide to Learning a Language 3.05 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2003 — 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
	The Prophecy 3.73 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2008 — 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
	Babel 3.50 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2011 — 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
	Spooking 4.13 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2012 — 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
	Clara's Story: A Holocaust Biography (The Schellberg Cycle Book 2) 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
	The Best of CaféLit 12 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
	The Best of CaféLit 4 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 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
	140 x 140 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2018 — 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
	Girl in a Smart Uniform (The Schellberg Cycle Book 3) 4.20 avg rating — 5 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

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229 posts
Gill James's Blog

Keeping the Lid on Social Media

Social media can be a boon and it certainly can help the isolated writer feel more connected with the world. During the Covid 19 pandemic it has probably been a life-line for many. It is powerful tool. But it also may become a tyrant and we have to make sure we master it and it doesn’t master us.

I start my day with a visit to either Twitter, Linked-in or Facebook. This time of year though,

Series by Gill James

The Peace Child Trilogy (2 books)
by

Gill James (Goodreads Author)

3.64 avg rating — 25 ratings

Gill is Currently Reading

Gill James is currently reading

Elmet

by Fiona Mozley

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 25, 2019 12:29AM

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Gill’s Recent Updates

Gill James rated a book it was amazing The Resistance Daughter by Joanne Kormylo	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 10, 2026 02:58AM · 1 like · like
Gill James rated a book really liked it The Paris Code by Natasha Lester (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
Feb 24, 2026 02:28AM · like
Gill James rated a book it was amazing The Trail to Freedom by Lin Treadgold (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
Jan 26, 2026 11:33AM · like
Gill James liked a quote “I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.” Lily King
Jan 06, 2026 03:22AM · like · more quotes by Lily King
Gill James rated a book really liked it You Are Here by David Nicholls	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 quite enjoyed this book though I never really got to like the two main characters all that much. Marnie's sense of humour was annoying and both she and Michael were too self-absorbed. A lot of time and action is packed into the last few pages and I ...more
Jan 06, 2026 02:28AM · like · see review
Jan 06, 2026 02:27AM · like · view books
Gill James rated a book really liked it You Are Here by David Nicholls	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 quite enjoyed this book though I never really got to like the two main characters all that much. Marnie's sense of humour was annoying and both she and Michael were too self-absorbed. A lot of time and action is packed into the last few pages and I ...more
Jan 05, 2026 11:15PM · like · see review
Gill James liked a quote “In order to write the book you want to write, in the end you have to become the person you need to become to write that book.” Junot Díaz
Jan 02, 2026 04:59AM · like · more quotes by Junot Díaz
Gill James rated a book it was amazing La Petite Russie by Francis Desharnais	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
This tells the story of how a community was formed. It wasn't always easy and some gave up the struggle. For Francis Desharnais it is a story of a family – his family. That this is told as a graphic novel brings enhancement to the tale. There are sever ...more
Dec 28, 2025 07:23AM · like · see review
Gill James rated a book really liked it Lighthouse Romance Books 1&2. : Irish Lighthouse Secret & Scottish Lighthouse Promise by Jenny O’Brien	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 thoroughly enjoyed these two stories. However, I did think the Irish Lighthouse Secret resolved a little too easily. I was intrigued too that in both stories the protagonist was looking after a ten-year-old girl Now I want to live in a lighthouse. A ...more
Dec 27, 2025 01:24AM · like · see review

More of Gill's books…

Gill’s Quotes

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

tags: deadlines, humor, humour, work, writing

32157 likes

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

tags: 1970, inspirational, stories, writing

31561 likes

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway

tags: good, writing

19424 likes

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
― Madeleine L'Engle

tags: books, children, difficult, grown-ups, write, writers, writing

16944 likes