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Richard’s Year In Books

Richard’s 2025 Year in Books

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Richard Becker has read 42 of 50 books.

84%

Richard R. Becker

Goodreads Author

Born

in Milwaukee, The United States

Website

http://www.richardrbecker.com

Twitter

RichBecker

Genre

Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

Influences

Ernest Hemingway, John Updike, Russel Banks

Member Since

August 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/richardrbecker

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Richard R. Becker is an award-winning American author whose gripping stories blend resilience and moral complexity. His upcoming novel, Born on Monday (2025), promises a thrilling tale of small-town sins that will leave readers breathless.

His debut novel, Third Wheel (August 2023), soared into Amazon’s top 100 thriller and suspense literary fiction novels, earned a Kirkus Reviews feature, and won seven awards, including Literary Thriller of the Year by the Artisan International Book Excellence Awards. His debut collection, 50 States (2021), born from a challenge to write one story a week for 50 weeks, topped Amazon’s literary short story charts for three months and secured multiple honors, including first place in the Spring 2022 BookFest A ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What books are on your summer reading list this year?

Richard R. Becker I love this question, and don't have a traditional answer that includes 5 or 10 or even 20 books that will feel dated in a few months. What I have ins…moreI love this question, and don't have a traditional answer that includes 5 or 10 or even 20 books that will feel dated in a few months. What I have instead is a list of 195+ diverse titles and a method to read a fair amount of them every year. Feel free to check out my shelf. They are all here on Goodreads.

Generally, I'm reading four books at any given time. One with my daughter, one on my phone, one in print (often nonfiction), and one as an audiobook (yes, I think audiobooks count as long as they aren't abridged). To pick them: My daughter and I alternative between young adult and classic literature; my nonfiction picks generally alternate between enrichment and history; my other two picks alternate wildly different genres and authors mainly based on what I just read. I tend to look for something that contrasts preceding title.

For example, in 2021 on my phone, Normal People by Sally Rooney was preceded by Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark, preceded by Eden Mine by S.M. Hulse, preceded by Go Tell It To The Mountain by James Baldwin, preceded by Rabbit is Rich by John Updike, preceded by Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, preceded by Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, preceded by Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby, and so on. The same eclectic meandering happens with audiobooks (though narrators can play a factor in my picks).

How I chose books changed after joining Goodreads. This site gave me a tool to add dozens of "to read" (or read again) books. I look over all of them anytime I'm close to the end of a book, generally picking the next title because there is some contrast to what I just read or am reading — from contemporary to classic or horror fiction to literary fiction or science fiction to historical fiction — because I'm a great believer in diversity, especially for anyone who wants to be a writer. Diversity keeps it all interesting, which is why my own body of work spills over into everything.(less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Richard R. Becker Two years ago, I committed to writing short short stories and sharing them on my Facebook author page. It was the first time in my life I treated writ…moreTwo years ago, I committed to writing short short stories and sharing them on my Facebook author page. It was the first time in my life I treated writing short stories like an assignment, with equal weight to any advertising/marketing deadlines I might have.

My immersion in the process of writing fiction opened up an entirely new world. After sharing the first few stories, I fell into a creative rhythm, and an overarching idea began to crystalize.

I was inspired to write about life-defining moments (or coping with life-defining moments) as experienced by different people in different places (50 States) — stories that could stand on their own but were also left open to be continued in unexpected ways or intersect with one another.

Individually, the spark for each story was unique. Some ideas seem to find me — something I happened to see while driving my daughter to practice. Other ideas had to be hunted down, especially as fewer states remained. In those situations, I made it a practice to follow the research until it led me somewhere or something else would find me along the way.(less)

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Combine Editions
Richard R. Becker’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 257 ratings · 142 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	50 States: A collection of short short stories really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 101 ratings — 8 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
	Third Wheel 4.49 avg rating — 71 ratings — published 2023 — 5 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
	Born on Monday 4.38 avg rating — 53 ratings — 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
	Ten Threads 4.13 avg rating — 32 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

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

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Richard R. Becker's Blog

Book of the Day

My small town thriller Born on Monday is the Onlinebookclub.org Book of the Day!

A historic nor’easter. A relentless stalker.
Four estranged friends relive their darkest betrayals…

Visit Born on Monday by Richard R. Becker on Amazon and you'll find the e-book listed at special book of the day offer. If the book does well on June 15, the special offer will be extended for a week! Read more of this blog post »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 15, 2026 11:24 • Tags: book-of-the-day

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Richard is Currently Reading

Richard Becker is currently reading

The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World

by Lincoln Paine

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10 hours, 46 min ago

Richard Becker is currently reading

Foregone

by Russell Banks

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11 hours, 25 min ago

Richard Becker is currently reading

The Dark Corners of the Night (UNSUB, #3)

by Meg Gardiner (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 19, 2026 05:30PM

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Richard Becker started reading The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World by Lincoln Paine	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
10 hours, 46 min ago · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Sea and Civilization by Lincoln Paine. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Sea and Civilization by Lincoln Paine <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker started reading Foregone by Russell Banks	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
11 hours, 25 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Foregone by Russell Banks. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Foregone by Russell Banks <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker rated a book it was amazing The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas	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 Count of Monte Cristo stands as one of literature’s most astonishing achievements as a 1,200-page novel that somehow withstands the test it time. The reason it works so well is Dumas wrote it (with the help of Auguste Maquette for research and sc ...more
11 hours, 25 min ago · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker started reading The Dark Corners of the Night (UNSUB, #3) by Meg Gardiner (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 19, 2026 05:30PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker rated a book really liked it The Seven Altars of Dûsarra (The Lords of Dûs, #2) by Lawrence Watt-Evans (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 Seven Altars of Dusarra is the second volume in the Lords of Dûs tetralogy, marking a clear leap forward for Watt-Evans.Where The Lure of the Basilisk introduced a protagonist with a somewhat straightforward, occasionally plodding quest narrative ...more
Jul 19, 2026 05:26PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Seven Altars of Dûsarra by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Seven Altars of Dûsarra by Lawrence Watt-Evans <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker entered a giveaway How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Goodreads Author) 50 copies available, ends on August 10, 2026 Enter to win »
Jul 16, 2026 02:40AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker started reading The Seven Altars of Dûsarra (The Lords of Dûs, #2) by Lawrence Watt-Evans (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 11, 2026 03:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Seven Altars of Dûsarra by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Seven Altars of Dûsarra by Lawrence Watt-Evans <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker rated a book liked it Strange Weather: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill (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
Strange Weather is collection of four novellas with strange atmospheric disruptions, both literal and metaphorical, that ultimately add up to an uneven experience. The first two novellas are gems, but the back two never fully connect to the premise o ...more
Jul 11, 2026 01:30PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Strange Weather by Joe Hill. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Strange Weather by Joe Hill <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker wants to read The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch	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 08, 2026 10:39AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Richard Becker wants to read The Big Money (U.S.A., #3) by John Dos Passos	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 01, 2026 03:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Big Money by John Dos Passos. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Big Money by John Dos Passos <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Richard’s Quotes

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow; but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”
― Agatha Christie

tags: inspirational

6100 likes

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

161 likes

“I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden or, Life in the Woods

290 likes

“I can write anywhere… Or not, as the case may be, which is not the case.”
― Hank Moody writer on Showtime's "Californication"

tags: not-writing, writing

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Richard’s Year In Books

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Richard R. Becker

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Richard R. Becker's Blog

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Preview — The Sea and Civilization by Lincoln Paine

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Preview — The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner

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Preview — The Seven Altars of Dûsarra by Lawrence Watt-Evans

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Preview — How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

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Preview — The Seven Altars of Dûsarra by Lawrence Watt-Evans

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