11 ratings | 10 reviews | avg rating:4.55

David’s Year In Books

David’s 2025 Year in Books

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

Go to David’s 2025 Year in Books

David Galef’s Followers (22)

David’s Bookshelves

to-read (1)
currently-reading (0)
read (15)
did-not-finish (0)
bildungsroman (1)
lgbtq (1)
montana (1)
ya (1)

David’s Friends (6)

N. Moss

825 books | 498 friends

Jim

134 books | 9 friends

Jacob Appel

423 books | 2,986 friends

Mia Siegert

452 books | 351 friends

Robin Helweg-Larsen

565 books | 314 friends

Sharon Sherry

32 books | 21 friends

David Galef

Goodreads Author

Born

New York, The United States

Website

https://davidgalef.com/

Twitter

dgalef

Genre

Fiction, Humor and Comedy, Fantasy

Member Since

April 2014

edit data

I’ve published extremely short fiction in the collections Laugh Track and My Date with Neanderthal Woman (Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize), extremely long fiction in the novels Flesh, Turning Japanese, and How to Cope with Suburban Stress (Kirkus Best Books of the Year), and a lot in between. My latest is Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook, from Columbia University Press. Day job: professor of English and creative writing program director at Montclair State University. I’m also the editor in chief at Vestal Review, the longest-running flash fiction magazine on the planet.
@dgalef
https://davidgalef.com/
https://www.vestalreview.net/

...more

Combine Editions
David Galef’s books

Average rating: 3.85 · 1,501 ratings · 282 reviews · 38 distinct works • Similar authors

	Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook 3.89 avg rating — 161 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
	Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom: 200 Classic Japanese Sayings and Expressions by David Galef (Goodreads Author), Jun Hashimoto (Illustrations) 3.72 avg rating — 129 ratings — published 2012 — 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
	Tracks by David Galef (Goodreads Author), Tedd Arnold (Illustrator) 4.07 avg rating — 72 ratings — published 1996 — 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
	Even Monkeys Fall from Trees: The Wit and Wisdom of Japanese Proverbs by David Galef (Goodreads Author), Jun Hashimoto (Illustrator) 3.68 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 1987 — 6 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 Date With Neanderthal Woman 4.44 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2011 — 6 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
	Flesh 3.63 avg rating — 16 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 I Went Wrong 3.35 avg rating — 17 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
	How to Cope With Suburban Stress 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2006 — 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
	Even a Stone Buddha Can Talk: The Wit and Wisdom of Japanese Proverbs 2.80 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2000	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
	Laugh Track really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2002 — 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 David Galef…

rss
David’s Recent Updates

David Galef rated a book it was amazing The Names We Buried by Mia Siegert (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
By Mia Siegert, the author of Jerkbait and Somebody Told Me, The Names We Buried is top-notch: a YA LGBTQ+ page-turner with a trans protagonist named Jaden, who's in transition in several senses of that stage. Great plot, with more twists than Jersey ...more
Jun 22, 2026 01:25PM · 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 The Names We Buried by Mia Siegert. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Names We Buried by Mia Siegert <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef rated a book it was amazing The Other Beautiful People by Caroline Bock (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
Caroline Bock's The Other Beautiful People is a beautiful book, though not all the characters act so beautifully, which makes for such a good read. The group portrait of the protagonist Amy and her Cinema Station marketing and PR job and her husband ...more
Jun 22, 2026 01:03PM · 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 The Other Beautiful People by Caroline Bock. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Other Beautiful People by Caroline Bock <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef rated a book it was amazing The Names We Buried by Mia Siegert (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
By Mia Siegert, the author of Jerkbait and Somebody Told Me, The Names We Buried is top-notch: a YA LGBTQ+ page-turner with a trans protagonist named Jaden, who's in transition in several senses of that stage. Great plot, with more twists than Jersey ...more
Jun 22, 2026 12:47PM · 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 The Names We Buried by Mia Siegert. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Names We Buried by Mia Siegert <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef rated a book it was amazing Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco by Gary Krist (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 latest from Gary Krist, who writes historical fiction with a real eye toward plot and character!
Jun 22, 2026 12:45PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Trespassers at the Golden Gate by Gary Krist. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Trespassers at the Golden Gate by Gary Krist <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef is starting Trespassers at the Golden Gate: Historical nonfiction with a real eye for plot and character! Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco by Gary Krist (Goodreads Author) progress:	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
Jun 22, 2026 12:44PM · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Trespassers at the Golden Gate by Gary Krist. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Trespassers at the Golden Gate by Gary Krist <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef rated a book liked it TikTok Girl Head-Scissors Brother: A Mixed Wrestling Story by Erica Chase	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
May 12, 2026 08:32PM · like
David Galef rated a book it was amazing The Abominable Snowman by Terry Pratchett	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 08:05AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Abominable Snowman by Terry Pratchett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Abominable Snowman by Terry Pratchett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef rated a book liked it The Compound by Aisling Rawle	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
clean and tight and airless At first, I wished that the premise were more original, since this survival setup with an ever-diminishing group has been done and done, in so many different ways. I hoped for at least interesting prose, but the description ...more
Sep 18, 2025 12:03PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Compound by Aisling Rawle. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Compound by Aisling Rawle <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Galef made a comment on Sonnet: RHL, ‘An Observation’ " RHL never disappoints! "
May 16, 2025 06:30AM · see blog post
David Galef is currently reading Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco by Gary Krist (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
May 16, 2025 06:29AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Trespassers at the Golden Gate by Gary Krist. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Trespassers at the Golden Gate by Gary Krist <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">