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271 ratings | 44 reviews | avg rating:4.52

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Cynthia has read 11 of 22 books.

50%

Cynthia So

Goodreads Author

Website

https://socynthia.wordpress.com/

Twitter

cynaesthete

Genre

Young Adult, Contemporary

Member Since

February 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/cynthiaso

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Cynthia So is the author of If You Still Recognise Me, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the YA Book Prize in 2023. They were one of the new voices in Proud, an anthology of LGBTQ+ YA stories, poems, and art by LGBTQ+ creators, published in 2019. Their short fiction and poetry have also appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, and Anathema, among others. Cynthia was born in Hong Kong and lives in London with their wife.

Their second novel, This Feast of a Life, will be out on 9 January 2025.

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Cynthia So’s books

Average rating: 4.06 · 6,071 ratings · 1,520 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	If You Still Recognise Me really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3,899 ratings — published 2022	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
	Proud by Juno Dawson (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Steve Antony (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Dean Atta (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.21 avg rating — 1,837 ratings — published 2019 — 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
	Uncanny Magazine, Issue 23, July/August 2018 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Sam J. Miller (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.87 avg rating — 285 ratings — published 2018	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 Feast of a Life 4.09 avg rating — 187 ratings — published 2025 — 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 2020 Rhysling Anthology by David C. Kopaska-Merkel (Editor), Nisa Malli (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), P.S. Cottier (Contributor) 4.22 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2020 — 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
	Anathema Issue 3 - December 2017 by Michael Matheson (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Joyce Chng, Mimi Mondal (Goodreads Author) 4.50 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

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Cynthia is Currently Reading

Cynthia is currently reading

All About Romance

by Daniel Tawse (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 16, 2023 06:24AM

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Our Sister, Again

by Sophie Cameron (Goodreads Author)

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Feb 24, 2022 08:42AM

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In the Night Garden (The Orphan's Tales, #1)

by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 10, 2019 01:53AM

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Cynthia rated a book it was amazing Woodworking by Emily St. James	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
Jul 26, 2026 05:14AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Woodworking by Emily St. James. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Woodworking by Emily St. James <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia rated a book it was amazing Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold (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
Jul 07, 2026 11:15AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia wants to read The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher (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
Jun 13, 2026 08:41AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia wants to read The Tainted Cup (Ana and Din Mysteries #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett (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
Jun 11, 2026 12:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia rated a book it was amazing Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ	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
Jun 10, 2026 05:21AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia rated a book it was amazing A Flood of Memories by Nadia Mikail (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
Overflowing with devastation and joy in equal measure, this is a hopeful and healing tale of family and first love. Nadia Mikail has crafted a complex and cathartic coming-of-age story that will leave readers feeling a deluge of emotion.
May 26, 2026 08:23AM · 1 like · like · see review
Cynthia rated a book it was amazing The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente (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
Apr 05, 2026 05:40AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia finished reading Nettleblack (Nettleblack, #1) by Nat Reeve	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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Cynthia wants to read Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ	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 31, 2026 06:34AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia wants to read The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes	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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Quotes by Cynthia So (?)

“Maybe it's the gay friends I have but they're all like... Sex! Exclamation mark exclamation mark! Which is extremely wonderful for them - I'm not saying they should be any other way - but. They're good at casual sex. I can't even imagine having it. I don't think any of my friends could put up with dating a guy who doesn't want to have sex. It's hard enough feeling like you're an outsider with most people because you're gay! And so you have to work harder to find your people. But you do it, you meet other gay guys, you manage to become friends with some of them, and then it still turns out you don't fit in. You're still different. What do you do then?”
― Cynthia So, If You Still Recognise Me

tags: asexual, asexuality

10 likes

“And I lie down and look at the ceiling, and I wonder how adults learn to love with this feeling that the past is always growing bigger, that you're always losing mroe of yourself to it.”
― Cynthia So, If You Still Recognise Me

tags: all-the-feels

3 likes

“There's nothing like meeting someone and feeling comfortable with them instantly. That to me is the closest thing we have to magic in the world. The inexplicable connection that we just feel, right away, to some people, when with the vast sea of humans we have to work hard to get anywhere at all.”
― Cynthia So, If You Still Recognise Me

tags: friendship

3 likes

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Polls

Which book should the YA LGBT Books Group read as our June-July 2023 Book of the Month?

Fake Dates and Mooncakes

by Sher Lee

20 votes 69.0%

If You Still Recognize Me

by Cynthia So

9 votes 31.0%

29 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA LGBT Books: * June 2023 Book of the Month - GO VOTE	3	56	Jun 01, 2023 04:43PM
sapphic central!!...: comfort wlw books	12	324	Jun 28, 2023 08:57PM
YA LGBT Books: * October 2023 BotM - If You Still Recognize Me	3	57	Oct 25, 2023 08:29AM

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