Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of S.J. Townend's books

520 ratings | 173 reviews | avg rating:3.93

S.J.’s Year In Books

S.J.’s 2025 Year in Books

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

Go to S.J.’s 2025 Year in Books

S.J. Townend’s Followers (53)

S.J.’s Bookshelves

to-read (413)
currently-reading (13)
read (521)
did-not-finish (0)

S.J.’s Friends (82)

Jelena

600 books | 91 friends

Deb

22,997 books | 462 friends

Elaine Lucky

6,580 books | 906 friends

Kristen

61,910 books | 519 friends

Chanin

1,731 books | 136 friends

Michael

443 books | 126 friends

Emily

1,352 books | 85 friends

Booky

766 books | 2 friends

More friends…

S.J. Townend

Goodreads Author

Member Since

May 2013

edit data

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask S.J. Townend questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
S.J. Townend’s books

Average rating: 4.07 · 495 ratings · 135 reviews · 27 distinct works • Similar authors

	206 Word Stories by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Steve Bridger (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Miguel Ángel López (Contributor) 4.51 avg rating — 41 ratings — published 2022 — 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
	Tabitha Fox Never Knocks 4.26 avg rating — 27 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
	Well, This Is Tense by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Brianne Battye (Goodreads Author), Bdyer 4.65 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2022 — 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
	Step into the Light: An anthology of daylight horror by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Maxwell Marais, Bryson Richard 4.27 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2022 — 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
	Skin by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Mark S. Peters (Editor), Catherine McCarthy (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.43 avg rating — 14 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
	Twenty Seven & the Unkindness of Crows 4.70 avg rating — 10 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
	Annus Horribilis: An Anthology of Horror Set in 2022 by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Eleanor Watts (Contributor), Micah Castle (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9 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
	This is Too Tense by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author), Mark Peters (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2022 — 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
	Glittery Literary Cherished Children's Stories by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Sue Lancaster, Wendy Taylor 0.00 avg rating — 0 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
	And On, the Story Spins (The Stygian Lepus Supplementals Book 19) by S.J. Townend (Goodreads Author), Jodi Christensen (Editor), Kara Hawkers (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 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

More books by S.J. Townend…

S.J. is Currently Reading

S.J. Townend is currently reading

We are Happy, We are Doomed

by Kurt Fawver (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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 13, 2026 12:29PM

S.J. Townend is currently reading

Mythago Wood (Mythago Wood, #1)

by Robert Holdstock

bookshelves: currently-reading

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 14, 2026 05:22AM

S.J. Townend is currently reading

The Great God Pan

by Arthur Machen

bookshelves: currently-reading

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 14, 2026 05:21AM

rss
S.J.’s Recent Updates

S.J. Townend rated a book really liked it Cursed by Marie O'Regan	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 24, 2026 01:33PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cursed by Marie O'Regan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cursed by Marie O'Regan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
S.J. Townend is currently reading We are Happy, We are Doomed by Kurt Fawver (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 13, 2026 12:29PM · like
S.J. Townend liked Nawal's review of Fearful Symmetries: "Out of the 20 or so stories I read, I think I really enjoyed about 4 of them (the Spindly Man by Stephen Graham Jones, Suffer Little Children by Robert Shearman, The Attic by Catherine Macleod & Episode Three: On the Great Plains, In the Snow by John" Read more of this review »
Oct 13, 2026 10:09AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
S.J. Townend rated a book Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow (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 13, 2026 10:07AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
S.J. Townend and 2 other people liked Milt Theo's review of Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness: "Where to begin with this magical short story collection? Douglas Ford gathers sixteen of his published stories in one volume, all radically different from each other, varying in both length and subject-matter. What they have in common is Ford's terri" Read more of this review »
Oct 13, 2026 05:32AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
S.J. Townend rated a book it was amazing Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford (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
What a fun collection. If you enjoy surreal, humorous, well-crafted, fast-paced peculiar horror tales, you'll enjoy this book. ...more
Oct 13, 2026 05:13AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
S.J. Townend rated a book it was amazing Phantoms: Haunting Tales from Masters of the Genre by Marie O'Regan	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
Published in 2018, PHANTOMS, from Titan Books, is nearly a decade old but ALL of the stories within it are fabulous examples of short and punchy, contemporary horror done well. This is a BRILLIANT 'gentle' horror anthology. There are humorous stories. ...more
Oct 01, 2026 08:10AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Phantoms by Marie O'Regan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Phantoms by Marie O'Regan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
S.J. Townend rated a book it was amazing The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Seventeen by Ellen Datlow (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
Another excellent anthology of horror collated by Ellen Datlow. I enjoyed every single story, and once again, have discovered some brilliant new-to-me authors... Ergo, I've spent a lot more money this month than I should have done on all their books. ...more
Sep 26, 2026 02:54AM · 1 like · like · see review
S.J. Townend rated a book really liked it Unearthed: New Horror of Ancient Ruins by Dan Coxon (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
Quite a hard read for me (bit of a simpleton) given my ignorance of ancient ruins and geography/history in general, but I did very much enjoy the stories by Priya Sharma, Josh Malerman, Christopher Golden, Steve Toase, Gemma Amor, and V. Castro. The m ...more
Sep 24, 2026 10:38AM · like · see review
S.J. Townend rated a book it was amazing Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman (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
So glad I don't live in Samhattan. So glad I don't live in Samhattan. ...more
Sep 10, 2026 06:15AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of S.J.'s books…

Quotes by S.J. Townend (?)

“It’d been surprisingly easy to find online tips for breaking into residential properties and taking the advice she’d been freely given, she approached the back door ‘unarmed’, using her nearby Corsa as a stash spot for the larger tools.”
― S.J. Townend, Tabitha Fox Never Knocks

0 likes

“Despite his flaws, the main one unfortunately being showing absolutely no interest in anything she ever said, he would have to do.”
― S.J. Townend, Tabitha Fox Never Knocks

0 likes

S.J.’s Quotes

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

tags: contrast, life, opposites, summer, winter

1967 likes

“The nourishment of body is food, while the nourishment of the soul is feeding others.”
― Hazrat Ali Ibn Abu-Talib A.S

tags: inspirational, nourishment-of-soul

108 likes

S.J.’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

S.J.’s Year In Books

S.J. Townend’s Followers (53)

S.J.’s Bookshelves

S.J.’s Friends (82)

S.J. Townend

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
S.J. Townend’s books

S.J. is Currently Reading

rss
S.J.’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Cursed by Marie O'Regan

See a Problem?

Preview — Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow

See a Problem?

Preview — Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow

See a Problem?

Preview — Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford

See a Problem?

Preview — Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford

See a Problem?

Preview — Phantoms by Marie O'Regan

See a Problem?

Preview — Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman

S.J.’s Quotes

recent posts
S.J.’s Groups

S.J.’s Friend Comments

S.J. Townend’s Followers (53)

S.J. Townend

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssS.J.’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Cursed by Marie O'Regan

See a Problem?

Preview — Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow

See a Problem?

Preview — Fearful Symmetries by Ellen Datlow

See a Problem?

Preview — Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford

See a Problem?

Preview — Let's Cut Up Dad! and Other Stories of Transgressive Madness by Douglas Ford

See a Problem?

Preview — Phantoms by Marie O'Regan

See a Problem?

Preview — Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman

rss
S.J.’s Recent Updates