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39 ratings | 37 reviews | avg rating:4.95

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R.B.’s 2025 Year in Books

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R.B. Shifman’s Followers (12)

R.B.’s Bookshelves

to-read (12)
currently-reading (39)
read (57)
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R.B.’s Friends (7)

Kimberly Kenna

95 books | 8 friends

Jeanine Waldron

83 books | 117 friends

Jessica Christie

575 books | 96 friends

Katy Nicholas

151 books | 14 friends

Paul Georgulis

74 books | 3 friends

Mark S. Finkelstein

41 books | 1 friend

David Swisher

3,349 books | 293 friends

R.B. Shifman

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://rbshifmanauthor.com/

Twitter

rshifman

Genre

Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Member Since

November 2018

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Author R.B. Shifman writes dark, edgy YA stories that fight the power. His gritty YA novel, PAPER AIRPLANE, BROKEN BONES, inspired by an originator of the troubled teen industry, was a finalist for the 2025 Somerset Award for Literary Fiction, and his 2026 novels, WE WERE THE CUCKOO BEES and TAKING BACK AUGUST, respectively skewer theocracy and racism/white nationalism. R.B. writes speculative/horror short stories as Richard Shifman, including weird, corporate horror like “Mayo Monday,” which headlined Cosmic Horror Monthly, and “Such a Catch” in the Dread Mondays anthology. R.B. resides near Doylestown with his wife, his partner teaching ESL.

The SAVAGE SPELLS trilogy has been discontinued and is not currently available online.

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R.B. Shifman’s books

Average rating: 4.68 · 62 ratings · 47 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Paper Airplane, Broken Bones 4.58 avg rating — 19 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
	Everyone Leaves This Place (Savage Spells, #1) 4.71 avg rating — 14 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
	Taking Back August 4.91 avg rating — 11 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
	Love's Heavy Spell 4.63 avg rating — 8 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
	We Were the Cuckoo Bees 4.63 avg rating — 8 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
	Still Running Deep (Savage Spells Book 3) 4.50 avg rating — 2 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

More books by R.B. Shifman…

R.B. is Currently Reading

R.B. Shifman is currently reading

The Black Orchid

by Loreth Anne White (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 05, 2026 07:49PM

R.B. Shifman is currently reading

The Delivery

by Gregg Hurwitz (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 04, 2026 11:52AM

R.B. Shifman is currently reading

The Worms Shall Feast

by C.R. Langille (Goodreads Author)

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May 26, 2026 02:20PM

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R.B.’s Recent Updates

R.B. Shifman liked Paul Georgulis's review of Taking Back August: "I really enjoyed Taking Back August, as I have every other book I’ve read by R.B. Shifman. The story draws you in quickly, but what I enjoyed most was how much more there was to the story than I initially expected. Just when I thought I knew where th" Read more of this review »
Sep 03, 2026 08:47AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman liked Bill Ahearn's review of Taking Back August: "This is an excellent read. A teen shut in, Joseph, has an interesting visitor that draws him out into the world. The character development initially sets the reader on one path but what happens after Joseph branches out is unexpected. An interesting " Read more of this review »
Sep 02, 2026 06:13AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (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
Aug 20, 2026 07:09PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman liked Bill Ahearn's review of We Were the Cuckoo Bees: "We Were the Cuckoo Bees was an interesting read. From the beginning, the leap from the modern day autocratic diaspora of the MAGA ideology to the possible future that awaits us is laid bare. Set in Pennsylvania, we follow the journey of Andrew, stole" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2026 07:37AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We Were the Cuckoo Bees by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We Were the Cuckoo Bees by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman liked Diana's review of Taking Back August: "A mystery, a family drama, and a coming-of-age story. Shifman offers social commentary and racial introspection, from an authentic teenage boy’s perspective that is perfect for reluctant readers. A touching story that will leave you questioning the v" Read more of this review »
Aug 06, 2026 02:38PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taking Back August by R.B. Shifman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman is currently reading The Black Orchid by Loreth Anne White (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
Aug 05, 2026 07:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Black Orchid by Loreth Anne White. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Black Orchid by Loreth Anne White <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing Where Her Secrets Lie by Katie Tallo (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 30, 2026 06:34AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Where Her Secrets Lie by Katie Tallo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Where Her Secrets Lie by Katie Tallo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (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
tldr: Exquisitely written, heartrending story that I highly recommend. I'm quite late to the Celeste Ng party, but better late than never. And perhaps that's for the best because, frankly, I'm not sure I was ready for this book a decade ago. It's a b ...more
Jul 28, 2026 03:13PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (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
tldr: Exquisitely written, heartrending story that I highly recommend. I'm quite late to the Celeste Ng party, but better late than never. And perhaps that's for the best because, frankly, I'm not sure I was ready for this book a decade ago. It's a b ...more
Jul 18, 2026 06:24AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
R.B. Shifman rated a book it was amazing Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke	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
Oh, what a tangled web she wove. This extremely well-written, gripping story hinges on the deceitfulness of its main character, who curates a false vision of her ranch, her husband, her family to both herself and to her millions of online followers. ...more
Jul 12, 2026 02:09PM · like · see review