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Reyna Marder Gentin

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Reyna Marder Gentin

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in The United States
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June 2016


Reyna Marder Gentin grew up in Great Neck, New York. She attended college and law school at Yale. For many years, she practiced as an appellate attorney with a public defender's office before turning to writing full time. Reyna has studied at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, and her work has been published widely online and in print. Her debut novel, UNREASONABLE DOUBTS, was named a finalist for the Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award in 2019. Her first middle grade novel, MY NAME IS LAYLA, came out in January, 2021, and School Library Journal noted that "Layla's struggles at school and home are authentically depicted, and readers who face their own challenges will relate." Layla won the 2021 gold medal in the Moo ...more

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Reyna Marder Gentin I find that I avoid "writer's block" by not forcing myself to write on any particular schedule. Without that pressure, I write only when I have a rush…moreI find that I avoid "writer's block" by not forcing myself to write on any particular schedule. Without that pressure, I write only when I have a rush of inspiration. I also know that for me, the more that I get out and about in the world, the more I'm motivated to write. And it doesn't have to be something dramatic that I do -- it can be taking a subway, or visiting with an elderly relative, or even sitting on my porch and watching people walk past. Anything can be the substance of a story.(less)
Reyna Marder Gentin The best thing about being a writer is the ability it gives a person to connect with others. People think writing is such a lonely experience. In some…moreThe best thing about being a writer is the ability it gives a person to connect with others. People think writing is such a lonely experience. In some ways, it is. You are alone with your thoughts, and usually alone with the computer. But driving it all is the need to build a bridge to the reader and to share something human -- an experience, an observation, an emotion.(less)
Average rating: 4.0 · 602 ratings · 293 reviews · 6 distinct worksSimilar authors
Unreasonable Doubts

3.76 avg rating — 284 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions
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My Name Is Layla

4.41 avg rating — 98 ratings — published 2021 — 9 editions
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Jessica Harmon Has Stepped ...

4.22 avg rating — 101 ratings3 editions
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Both Are True

3.97 avg rating — 107 ratings — published 2021 — 2 editions
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Grief Like Yours: A Story C...

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4.63 avg rating — 8 ratings2 editions
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My Name is Layla

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings3 editions
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More books by Reyna Marder Gentin…

You Know More Than You Think

“Write what you know,” especially for a rookie fiction writer, is more than sound advice; it’s almost tautological. When you pick up a debut novel, it’s a good bet that you’ll find the author has been inspired by people and places she knows and her own personal experiences and professional knowledge.

Despite the occasional raised eyebrow of a reader and the inevitable question “is this autobiograph Read more of this blog post »
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Published on June 23, 2021 07:27
What You Are Look...
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Unreasonable Doubts
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Both Are True
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Reyna’s Recent Updates

Reyna Gentin rated a book it was amazing
Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline  Friedland
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The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
"Incredibly deep story of the struggle of the human spirit to believe that things can work out, when all seems to collapse. "
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
"Premise interesting and enjoyed early childhood stories. However, goes on too long and starts to lose the thread. Main character strangely unemotional which makes her hard to relate to. I understand why became such a sensation and writing is strong, " Read more of this review »
The Anarchy by William Dalrymple
" That sounds like a very serious book! "
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Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
Whale Harbor
by Mary Beth Keane (Goodreads Author)
20 copies available, ends on September 30, 2026 Enter to win »
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Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline  Friedland
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The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Landed by Jennifer     Lang
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Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo
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