467 ratings | 303 reviews | avg rating:4.36

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Catherine Austen

Goodreads Author

Born

Canada

Website

http://www.catherineausten.com/

Member Since

November 2010

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I grew up in Kingston, Ontario. I studied political science at Queen's University and environmental studies at York before moving to the Ottawa area to work in the conservation movement. I now write freelance (reports as well as books) from my home in Quebec, where I live with my husband and two sons. I love wildlife, music, museums, and books and I'm grateful that my life is full of all of these.

I read all types of books but usually forget to review them. I'll only post about books I like here (hence the high average rating). ...more

299 posts
Catherine Austen's Blog

Writing with Prompts (New short fiction: “Get Away”)

Are writing prompts really useful — or just pleasant procrastination?

My short story “Get Away,” freshly published in DarkWinter Literary Magazine, opens with a first-line prompt from my Tarot Prompts for Writers page:

“The road lay behind him in the darkness....”

I would never have come up with the story without that prompted first line. So in that sense, the prompt was useful.

But was the whol

Combine Editions
Catherine Austen’s books

Average rating: 3.71 · 1,852 ratings · 297 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	All Good Children 3.69 avg rating — 1,569 ratings — published 2011 — 9 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
	Walking Backward 3.80 avg rating — 188 ratings — published 2009 — 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
	28 Tricks for a Fearless Grade 6 3.85 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2014 — 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 Cat Isis by Catherine Austen (Goodreads Author), Virginie Egger (Illustrator) 3.41 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2011 — 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
	26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6 3.95 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2011 — 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
	Horse: Magnificent, Playful, Loyal by Catherine Austen (Goodreads Author), Sarah Gorrie, Pippa Roome 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings	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
	When the Squirrels Stole My Sister by Catherine Austen (Goodreads Author), Sean Cassidy (Illustrator) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 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
	Choosing & Looking After Your Horse by Catherine Austen (Goodreads Author), Pippa Roome really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	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
	Little Book of Cheltenham (Little Books) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2015 — 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
	Enciclopedia ilustrada de caballos y ponis / Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies by Catherine Austen (Goodreads Author), Sarah Gorrie, Pippa Roome 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	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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Catherine Austen rated a book it was amazing If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity by Justin Gregg (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
Feb 24, 2026 08:32AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal by Justin Gregg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal by Justin Gregg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book it was amazing Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro	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 13, 2025 12:20PM · like
Catherine Austen rated a book really liked it Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (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
Dec 13, 2025 12:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Burial Rites by Hannah Kent <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book really liked it Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia by John Gray	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 16, 2025 11:02AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Black Mass by John Gray. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Black Mass by John Gray <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book really liked it If Love Could Kill: The Myths and Truths of Women Who Commit Violence by Anna Motz	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
I borrowed this book thinking it was more typical true-crime, but it's a deeply compassionate account of cases the psychoanalyst-author has worked on. At first, I was disappointed and didn't think I'd finish, but I skimmed a bit and then got interest ...more
Nov 16, 2025 10:51AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of If Love Could Kill by Anna Motz. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — If Love Could Kill by Anna Motz <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book it was amazing My Shoes Are Killing Me by Robyn Sarah	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 is my trampoline?
May 09, 2025 08:37AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of My Shoes Are Killing Me by Robyn Sarah. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — My Shoes Are Killing Me by Robyn Sarah <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book it was amazing With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial by Kathryn Mannix	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
Apr 07, 2025 07:37AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book really liked it The River God's Vengeance (SPQR, #8) by John Maddox Roberts	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
I'm smitten with this mystery series. The narrator is hilarious, the history is well detailed, and each book seems to get better as the main character matures. I was reading three Roman series at once (Harris's trilogy, Saylor's Roma sub Rosa mysteri ...more
Apr 07, 2025 07:25AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book really liked it Arms of Nemesis (Roma Sub Rosa, #2) by Steven Saylor	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
I'm reading three series about ancient Rome right now -- the Robert Harris trilogy (just finished Lustrum); this one, Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa (reading Catalina's Riddle now, halfway through); and the mystery series by John Maddox Roberts (just read th ...more
Mar 21, 2025 09:23AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Austen rated a book it was amazing Wild Watercolour: Connect to the Natural World Through the Art of Painting by Inga Buividavice	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
Mar 21, 2025 09:21AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wild Watercolour by Inga Buividavice. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wild Watercolour by Inga Buividavice <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Catherine's books…

Quotes by Catherine Austen (?)

“Living with hope is like rubbing up against a cheese grater. It keeps taking slices off you until there's so little left you just crumble.”
― Catherine Austen

tags: creative, depressing, humor

25 likes

“...it saddens me that she has to grow up and make friends with humans. I hear the future coming for her. Stomp, stomp, stomp.”
― Catherine Austen, All Good Children

tags: childhood, future

3 likes

“So who do you think would win in a fight, Max? Us or the rest of the world?”
― Catherine Austen, All Good Children

tags: dallas

2 likes

See all Catherine Austen's quotes »

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Vaccine makes all town kids "perfect", One by one, The "Bad" children of the town are Vaccinated then slowly they start to vaccine the good children... [s]	8	173	Dec 26, 2015 08:24AM
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Fiction. Teenage boy discovers that his peers are being injected with a serum that makes them behave. [s]	4	24	Aug 31, 2023 12:22PM

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Catherine’s Quotes

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World

tags: inspirational

8065 likes