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Beth Cato

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Beth Cato

Goodreads Author


Born
in Hanford, CA, The United States
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Member Since
April 2012

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Beth Cato hails from Hanford, California, but currently writes and bakes cookies in Red Wing, Minnesota. She usually has one or two cats in close orbit. A 2015 Nebula finalist, she is the author of the cozy mystery CHEDDAR LUCK NEXT TIME as well as fantasy like A THOUSAND RECIPES FOR REVENGE. Her short stories can be found in publications ranging from Beneath Ceaseless Skies to Uncanny Magazine. In 2019 and 2022, she won the Rhysling Award for short speculative poetry. Her website BethCato.com includes not only a vast bibliography, but a treasure trove of recipes for delectable goodies. Find her on BlueSky as @BethCato and Instagram as @catocatsandcheese.

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Popular Answered Questions

Beth Cato Thank you so much! The book was inspired by several things. I've loved healer characters since I was a kid, but I was always disappointed that they ar…moreThank you so much! The book was inspired by several things. I've loved healer characters since I was a kid, but I was always disappointed that they are relegated to a sidekick role in most books and video games. I love steampunk and wanted to write something in that setting. My mom also raised me on Agatha Christie mysteries. My original idea for the book was 'Murder on the Orient Express, on an airship, with a healer as the lead character.' I expanded the story from there!(less)
Beth Cato Thanks for the question, Sarah! "The Deepest Poison" is indeed a prequel story and the events that happen are referred to throughout The Clockwork Dag…moreThanks for the question, Sarah! "The Deepest Poison" is indeed a prequel story and the events that happen are referred to throughout The Clockwork Dagger, though the story shows everything from a very different perspective. Read them in chronological order if you want, but there's no hard rule on that. (less)
Average rating: 3.94 · 23,529 ratings · 3,851 reviews · 136 distinct worksSimilar authors
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Wings of Sorrow and Bone (C...

3.95 avg rating — 125 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions
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More books by Beth Cato…

4th Street Fantasy 2026

4th Street Fantasy takes place in Minneapolis this weekend! I’m attending Friday and Saturday. Yes, I will have cookies (chewy honey maple) and they’ll be wrapped up for easy consumption at that moment or later, as all attendees will be masking much of the time.

My one panel is Saturday at 4:30pm: “Deal Me In: Expanding Your Reading Toolkit.” Expect me to expound upon the positives and negatives o

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Published on June 18, 2026 16:00
A Thousand Recipes for Revenge A Feast for Starving Stone
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The Clockwork Dagger The Clockwork Crown
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Breath of Earth Call of Fire Roar of Sky
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Born a Crime: Sto...
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One Cheese to Rul...
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Beth’s Recent Updates

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The Discovery of Britain by Graham Robb
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Graham Robb is one of my favorite nonfiction authors. In this book, in speaks frankly about British history across the centuries, often within the context of his own places and places where he was lived. As he has in all his his books, he works in qu ...more
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Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
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The Names by Florence Knapp
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I borrowed this from my local library. It's a book club pick this month.

The Names uses an interesting framework: a wife, subject to regular abuse from her doctor husband, goes to register the name of her newborn son. Three names are presented, and fr
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The Discovery of Britain by Graham Robb
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The Emergency Playbook by Amy Edelman
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I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This truly is a straightforward, common-sense guide to how to prepare for and tackle various disaster scenarios. It's quite frank about the political climate of the moment and what the risks are because of the
...more
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Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku
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I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This second volume in the Savvy Summers series hits all the right notes for a cozy with its strong, smart older heroine and an immersive Chicago setting. I chose to read it on a weekend trip to Chicago, too, w
...more
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Cheesy by Farideh Sadeghin
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I received an advance digital copy via NetGalley.

First of all, let me tell you that this book is gorgeous. Every page is vivid color, the food depictions drool-worthy and enticing. The book begins with a primer on cheese: the types, how it’s made, et
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One Cheese to Rule Them All by Patrick McGuigan
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Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author)
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I checked this out from my local library. It's a book club read for June, part of our banned book theme.

This book addresses a terribly American topic: school shootings. Picoult hops between many different points of view to paint a picture of the terr
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Life's Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom by Prue Leith
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Quotes by Beth Cato  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“He stopped moving among the shelves. She stopped as well and scanned the books around her. 'Such a glorious perfume, these old books.”
Beth Cato, The Clockwork Crown

“Ignorance didn’t feel like bliss. It felt like stupidity, and she hated it.”
Beth Cato, Breath of Earth

“Holiness may be found by being in the mere presence of books, without evening parting the pages.”
Beth Cato, The Clockwork Crown

Polls

1st Quarter 2025 - Fantasy #2

 
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The Estate by Sarah Jost (416 pp)
 
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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Who's Your Author?: Steampunk - Recommendations 11 32 Oct 08, 2014 06:58AM  
You'll love this ...: This topic has been closed to new comments. What are you reading and why? Jul-Dec 2014 1219 214 Jan 01, 2015 08:22AM  
The Sword and Laser: Questions for Beth Cato 4 75 Jun 11, 2015 11:01AM  
Sci-fi and Heroic...: 2015 Locus Award Winners Announced 7 75 Jun 27, 2015 03:58PM  
Who's Your Author?: Spell It Supernatural June 2015 31 28 Jul 01, 2015 02:33PM  
Nothing But Readi...: Team Hagen 200 273 Aug 20, 2015 10:00AM  
Sci-fi and Heroic...: "Wings of Sorrow and Bone" by Beth Cato 4 9 Apr 11, 2016 06:39AM  
Sci-fi and Heroic...: 2015 Nebula Award short story & novella nominees 11 52 Apr 22, 2016 01:39AM  
Romance Readers R...: Mai's Reading List 155 131 Oct 21, 2016 12:22AM  
“I'm of a fearsome mind to throw my arms around every living librarian who crosses my path, on behalf of the souls they never knew they saved.”
Barbara Kingsolver

“Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.”
Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane

“Missing people in our lives are like wounds we reopen with thoughts.”
Kevin Hearne, Hunted

“Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft were written by men.”
Neil Gaiman

“Whenever I'm with other people, part of me shrinks a little. Only when I am alone can I fully enjoy my own company.”
Alan Bradley, A Red Herring Without Mustard

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