247 ratings | 160 reviews | avg rating:3.40

Elissa’s Year In Books

Elissa’s 2025 Year in Books

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

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Elissa’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (3)
read (269)
classics (18)
diversity-y-cultures (12)
historical-fiction (19)
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literary-y-upmarket (45)
mystery (45)
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Elissa’s Friends (6)

Lulu

2,854 books | 936 friends

Anthony Whitt

1,144 books | 1,195 friends

Urcelia Teixeira

93 books | 818 friends

Nev March

875 books | 23 friends

ANITA

285 books | 14 friends

Harini

209 books | 28 friends

Elissa Matthews

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.epmatthews.com

Member Since

January 2014

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Combine Editions
Elissa Matthews’s books

Average rating: 4.22 · 58 ratings · 21 reviews · 3 distinct works

	Where the River Bends 4.20 avg rating — 56 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
	Bittersweet and Magic: Short Stories 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
	Bittersweet and Magic: Short Stories 0.00 avg rating — 0 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

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

Elissa is Currently Reading

Elissa Matthews is currently reading

The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei: Volume Five: The Dissolution

by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng

bookshelves: currently-reading, classics

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Jan 31, 2026 07:03PM

Elissa Matthews is currently reading

Bittersweet and Magic: Short Stories

by Elissa Matthews (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: literary-y-upmarket, currently-reading

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Elissa Matthews said: " An eclectic collection of short stories:
Some stories are bittersweet.
Some stories are magical.
A Holocaust secret kept for decades.
A young teacher learns to be strong.
A werewolf. An elf. A genie. A marriage.
A Poppa God, a Momma God, a Baby God.
T ...more "

Sep 06, 2024 02:56PM · see review

Elissa Matthews is currently reading

Where the River Bends

by Elissa Matthews (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: historical-fiction, currently-reading, racism, literary-y-upmarket

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Elissa Matthews said: " I don't know if rating my own book is legal, but the system keeps asking me to do that, so I'm finally giving in. Many thanks in advance to all of you who take the time to read my book, and I'd love to hear from you, either by Goodreads message or th ...more "

Apr 12, 2025 07:41PM · see review

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Elissa’s Recent Updates

Elissa Matthews is currently reading The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei: Volume Five: The Dissolution by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng	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 31, 2026 07:03PM · like
Elissa Matthews rated a book liked it The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei: Volume Four: The Climax (Princeton Library of Asian Translations) by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng	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
Not the best volume. The graphic sex got really boring, I was skimming. The long, slow, descent into addiction, obsession, and death was a grueling road trip.
Jan 31, 2026 07:01PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elissa Matthews finished reading The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton	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 06, 2026 03:13PM · like
Elissa Matthews is currently reading The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton	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 31, 2025 07:03PM · like
Elissa Matthews is currently reading The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei: Volume Four: The Climax (Princeton Library of Asian Translations) by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng	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 17, 2025 07:05PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elissa Matthews rated a book liked it The Heron's Cry (Two Rivers, #2) by Ann Cleeves (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 16, 2025 09:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elissa Matthews has read The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin	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 11, 2025 08:01PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Creative Act by Rick Rubin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elissa Matthews rated a book liked it The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (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
Oct 30, 2025 08:52PM · like
Elissa Matthews rated a book it was amazing The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide by Robert Pinsky	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 deceptive book - easy to read through, but as I tried to apply any of the concepts to my own writing, I found myself going back and re-reading every section much more slowly. The same with the examples of how to read or measure poetry - like calcul ...more
Oct 30, 2025 02:09PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Sounds of Poetry by Robert Pinsky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Sounds of Poetry by Robert Pinsky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elissa Matthews rated a book liked it Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere) by Lisa Cron (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
The first half of this book is a low key overview of the basics of novel development. Not much new. The second half is a detailed process for nailing down the story in your head - I have a feeling this is going to be useful for me. Same stuff as ever ...more
Sep 14, 2025 11:25AM · like · see review

More of Elissa's books…

Polls

Please vote for our August Group read with a New Author (Debut) theme. The poll will close at midnight on July 23, the selection will be announced on July 24, and reading will start on August 15.

-- What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons

10 votes 24.4%

-- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

6 votes 14.6%

-- Book of Addis: Cradled Embers by Brooke C. Obie

5 votes 12.2%

-- The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

4 votes 9.8%

-- Chained in Silence: Black Women and Convict Labor in the New South by Talitha L Leflouria

4 votes 9.8%

-- Where the River Bends by Elissa P Matthews

4 votes 9.8%

-- A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

4 votes 9.8%

-- Taffy by Suzette D. Harrison

3 votes 7.3%

-- That Church Life by Teresa B. Howell

1 vote 2.4%

-- Rodeo by Jaketa a McClure

0 votes 0.0%

-- Daddy's Baby by Landis Lain

0 votes 0.0%

41 total votes

7 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Historical Fictio...: Centuries Winter Challenge 2018 Scoring Thread	132	155	Apr 06, 2018 09:44AM
Review Group: * Group 216. General - Mod. Chrys	146	79	Aug 21, 2019 05:14AM
Retro Chapter Chi...: KAREN'S SCRABBLE CHALLENGE	7	12	Aug 29, 2019 06:14PM
Review Group: Group 221. Historical Fiction - Mod. G.J. (NOW CLOSED)	164	142	Sep 13, 2019 01:29AM
Retro Chapter Chi...: * ☏ Let's Chat 2014-2019 ☏	6628	294	Jan 01, 2020 03:01PM