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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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Average rating: 3.97 · 915 ratings · 153 reviews · 21 distinct works • Similar authors

	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
	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
	Where Words Leave Off Music Begins: stories it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2004 — 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

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Janet is Currently Reading

Janet Lynch is currently reading

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant (Merritt & Blunt Mysteries, #1)

by Liza Tully (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 17, 2025 06:32AM

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Janet Lynch finished reading 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
Nov 24, 2025 09:45PM · 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 is currently reading 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 Lynch rated a book really liked it Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough (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
Nov 17, 2025 06:30AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Janet Lynch rated a book really liked it The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros	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
A lovely, quiet book about Mexican-American culture AND I can read it in Spanish, too.
Nov 09, 2025 05:26PM · like · see review
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Janet Lynch rated a book it was amazing The Hunting Wives by May Cobb (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
This psychological thriller had me turning the pages like GONE GIRL. I could quibble about the fact that these mothers never seem to spend time with their children, and that no one can drink this much and maintain the beautiful figures they have or h ...more
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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

28 likes

“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

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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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Janet’s Year In Books

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