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Janet Nichols Lynch

Goodreads Author

Born

in Sacramento, The United States

Website

http://www.janetnicholslynch.com

Twitter

JanetNicLynch

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Young Adult, Nonfiction

Influences

Jane Smiley, Jane Austen, Lorrie Moore, Anne Tyler

Member Since

January 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/janetnicholslynch

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Janet Nichols Lynch is the author of seventeen books. Her most recent novel, MORE TO LIFE, about the humor and challenges of aging, was published Fall 2025 by Legacy Book Press. Her children's Black historical novel, ELLEN OF ALLENSWORTH is about a girl growing up in Allensworth, the only town in California owned and governed by Blacks, which is now a California Historic State Park. Janet's debut novel, CHEST PAINS, was published in 2009. Her short fiction has appeared in THE NEW YORKER, SEVENTEEN, HIGHWAY99, A LITERARY JOURNEY THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S GREAT CENTRAL VALLEY, and elsewhere. Her young adult novels include MESSED UP, a 2009 ALA Quick-Pick for Reluctant Readers and a VOYA (Voices of Youth Advocates) Top of the Top Shelf Fiction for Janet Nichols Lynch is the author of seventeen books. Her most recent novel, MORE TO LIFE, about the humor and challenges of aging, was published Fall 2025 by Legacy Book Press. Her children's Black historical novel, ELLEN OF ALLENSWORTH is about a girl growing up in Allensworth, the only town in California owned and governed by Blacks, which is now a California Historic State Park. Janet's debut novel, CHEST PAINS, was published in 2009. Her short fiction has appeared in THE NEW YORKER, SEVENTEEN, HIGHWAY99, A LITERARY JOURNEY THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S GREAT CENTRAL VALLEY, and elsewhere. Her young adult novels include MESSED UP, a 2009 ALA Quick-Pick for Reluctant Readers and a VOYA (Voices of Youth Advocates) Top of the Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers; RACING CALIFORNIA, a 2012 Society of School Librarians International Honor Book; MY BEAUTIFUL HIPPIE; COMMIE PINKO; and WHEEL OF FIRE. Janet has also written nonfiction for young readers including CLARA SCHUMANN, PIANIST AND COMPOSER; FLORENCE PRICE, AMERICAN COMPOSER; ELIZABETH WARREN AND IT TAKES TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT; AMERICAN MUSIC MAKERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN COMPOSERS; and WOMEN MUSIC MAKERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN COMPOSERS;

Janet was born in Sacramento, California, and graduated with a BA in Music from California State University, a Master of Music Degree in Piano from Arizona State University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Fresno State University. She has taught music and English at the community college, high school, and middle school levels, and private piano to all ages.

Janet lives in Visalia, California, with her husband composer Timothy Lynch, and they have two grown children, three grandchildren, and three cats. Janet has completed twenty marathons and numerous other races and triathlons. As an avid cyclist, her longest ride was from Phoenix, AZ to Washington, D.C., and she is nearing the completion of her goal of cycling in all fifty states. Find Janet on Facebook at facebook.com/jnicholslynch and Instagram at janet_nichols_lynch. Her website is JanetNicholsLynch.com.

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Janet Nichols Lynch’s books

Average rating: 3.97 · 917 ratings · 154 reviews · 21 distinct works

	Messed Up 4.15 avg rating — 588 ratings — published 2009 — 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
	My Beautiful Hippie 3.70 avg rating — 127 ratings — published 2013 — 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
	Addicted to Her 3.36 avg rating — 110 ratings — published 2010 — 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
	Racing California 3.88 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2012	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
	Peace Is a Four-Letter Word 3.27 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2005 — 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
	Chest Pains: A Novel 3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2009 — 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
	Commie Pinko 4.80 avg rating — 5 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
	Wheel of Fire 3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2016 — 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
	Florence Price: American Composer 4.67 avg rating — 3 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
	Clara Schumann, Pianist and Composer 4.33 avg rating — 3 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

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Janet is Currently Reading

Janet Lynch is currently reading

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)

by Rabih Alameddine

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Dec 11, 2025 10:45AM

Janet Lynch is currently reading

Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts

by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)

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Dec 11, 2025 10:44AM

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Janet Lynch is currently reading The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine	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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Dec 11, 2025 10:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Lynch rated a book really liked it Unfettered by John Fetterman	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
Dec 11, 2025 10:42AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Unfettered by John Fetterman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Unfettered by John Fetterman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Lynch rated a book really liked it The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion	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
Dec 11, 2025 10:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Janet Lynch rated a book it was amazing The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant (Merritt & Blunt Mysteries, #1) by Liza Tully (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
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Janet’s Quotes

“During our lives...we experience so many setbacks, and fight such a hand-to-hand battle with failure, head down in the rain, just trying to stay upright and to have a little hope.”
― Lance Armstrong, It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life

tags: go, lance-welcome-to-visalia

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“Standing amid the tan, excited post-Christmas crowd at the Southwest Florida Regional Airport, Rabbit Angstrom has a funny sudden feeling that what he has come to meet, what's floating in unseen about to land, is not his son Nelson and daughter-in-law Pru and their two children but something more ominous and intimately his: his own death, shaped vaguely like an airplane.”
― John Updike, Rabbit at Rest

7 likes

“excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. you are what you repeatedly do”
― Shaquille O'Neal

19 likes

Janet’s Friend Comments

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message 1: by Wishbone

Feb 16, 2009 03:59PM

I'm sorry I tore the cover off of "Pet Semetary" with my baby dog teeth. I feel really bad.

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