Kate  Shanahan

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Jessica
105,334 books | 2,122 friends

Rachel
49,968 books | 1,390 friends

Genna
7,343 books | 15 friends

Marcy
73 books | 14 friends


Kate Shanahan

Goodreads Author


Born
in The United States
Website

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Member Since
April 2022


After graduating from University of Michigan with a BA in Political Science (East Asia Concentration), Kate taught English in Sapporo, Japan for two years. She enjoyed the experience so much she returned to U of M for an MA in Asian Studies (Japan Specialization), and while there, worked part-time for the Center for Japanese Studies. Fortunately for Kate, Honda was expanding operations in Ohio around the time she finished, and she spent an entire career at Honda in project, business, and people management, thrilled to be able to travel to Japan and speak Japanese for work, all the while dreaming of writing a book about tenth century writer Sei Shonagon.

After all those years in northern latitudes, Kate and her husband moved to Florida's Gulf
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Kate Shanahan I discovered 'free-writing' last year, a writing and creativity exercise in which I set a timer for 10 (or 15 or 20) minutes and write without editing…moreI discovered 'free-writing' last year, a writing and creativity exercise in which I set a timer for 10 (or 15 or 20) minutes and write without editing or even really thinking about it until the timer goes off. That was key to overcoming my severe inner critic, which was the main obstacle to writing for me. Once I started that, I found I could write for longer and longer sprints. Of course, once I have a few pages written, I have extensive editing and re-writing to do, but it's worth it.(less)
Kate Shanahan Usually from my research. I'll find some interesting historical fact or story that triggers my imagination. For example, when I did research on shaman…moreUsually from my research. I'll find some interesting historical fact or story that triggers my imagination. For example, when I did research on shamanism in ancient Japan, I discovered that deer bones were used for divination early on, but then turtle shells became more widely used. I thought that was so interesting that I worked it into my story as a minor detail.(less)
Average rating: 4.26 · 112 ratings · 59 reviews · 2 distinct worksSimilar authors
Tangled Spirits (Tangled Sp...

4.17 avg rating — 93 ratings3 editions
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The Iron Palace (Tangled Sp...

4.68 avg rating — 19 ratings2 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

I just read 8 5-Star Books In A Row

I just finished a streak of good books. I rated them all five stars, which makes me look like I don’t have any critical sensibility. But I do, I just don’t keep reading a book if it’s less than 4 stars (usually.)

I read all of them from May to June 2025. It was mostly due to luck, because when I finish one book, if I don’t have anything in my TBR I’m hankering to get to next, I go to Libby and fil Read more of this blog post »
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Published on June 23, 2025 14:37 Tags: books, reading
Tangled Spirits The Iron Palace
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4.26 avg rating — 112 ratings

The Iron Palace
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Girl in a Box by Jean Gordon Kocienda
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To Condemn a Witch by Lisa A. Traugott
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Black River by Nilanjana Roy
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I had not heard of this book or the author before I saw it pop up in Libby displayed as an AAPI-month book. I don't read many mysteries or thrillers, but the location, a village a few hours from Delhi, India, and how the plot was informed by the loca ...more
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A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin
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Well written and entertaining, not super suspenseful but an enjoyable read.
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The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
The Blue Hour
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A solid suspense with interesting and unique characters.
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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Beautiful Ugly
by Alice Feeney (Goodreads Author)
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Now and then, I like to read a good suspense novel, so when I checked my library's Libby to see what was available, I took a chance on this on a 7-day loan. Sometimes, 7 days isn't enough (it's definitely not enough for audiobooks), but a well-writte ...more
Kate Shanahan rated a book it was amazing
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Beautiful Ugly
by Alice Feeney (Goodreads Author)
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Now and then, I like to read a good suspense novel, so when I checked my library's Libby to see what was available, I took a chance on this on a 7-day loan. Sometimes, 7 days isn't enough (it's definitely not enough for audiobooks), but a well-writte ...more
Kate Shanahan rated a book it was amazing
The Other Lata by Kirthana Ramisetti
The Other Lata
by Kirthana Ramisetti (Goodreads Author)
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This one grabbed me from the first line and never let go. The main character, Lata, is funny and adventurous, and the plot is unique, so if you want a break from the same ol' plot lines, give this one a try. ...more
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145571 Japanese Light Novel Book Club — 1681 members — last activity 13 hours, 59 min ago
--We are a book club for readers of light novels and novels from Japan. Our goal is to promote the enjoyment and discussion of Japanese Light Novels. ...more
26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 55581 members — last activity 37 minutes ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
7160 Japanese Literature — 5392 members — last activity Dec 06, 2025 02:00PM
A group for people who enjoy literature written by Japanese authors, the arts, culture, and history of Japan. December group read is The Marioka Sist ...more
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 302532 members — last activity 3 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
1086382 Author Marketing - Resources, Exchanges, & Challenges — 1597 members — last activity Dec 02, 2025 04:39PM
This group is for all authors who want to learn about marketing for the purpose of increasing book sales. This group will include: 1) Marketing Resou ...more
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