455 ratings | 214 reviews | avg rating:4.23

Yuko’s Year In Books

Yuko’s 2025 Year in Books

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

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Yuko Shimizu’s Followers (326)

Yuko’s Bookshelves

to-read (1075)
currently-reading (12)
read (525)
did-not-finish (1)
2015_ultimate_favorites (6)
2016_ultimate_favorites (7)
2017_ultimate_favorites (4)
2018_ultimate_favorites (10)
2019_ultimate_favorites (7)
2020-ultimate-favorites (4)
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Yuko’s Friends (335)

Lee

2,001 books | 1,254 friends

Liong

411 books | 1,087 friends

9,829 books | 49 friends

Pots

1,329 books | 22 friends

Gulnar Ismayil

474 books | 216 friends

Vmndetta ᛑᛗᛛ

1,370 books | 124 friends

Steven Marciano

1,266 books | 108 friends

Robyn Trovati

358 books | 24 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Yuko Shimizu has read 10 of 50 books.

20%

Yuko Shimizu

Goodreads Author

Born

Japan

Website

http://yukoart.com

Twitter

yukoart

Genre

Art, Children's, Comics

Member Since

August 2015

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/yukoart

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YUKO SHIMIZU （日本名：清水裕子） is a freelance illustrator based in New York City and an illustration instructor at School of Visual Arts. Newsweek Japan has chosen her as one of "100 Japanese People The World Respects" in 2009.

Drawing had been Yuko's hobby ever since she could remember. However, growing up in a traditional Japanese family, pursuing a path in art was just not an option. After receiving BA in advertising and marketing – the most creative of the practical field – from Waseda University she landed on a position in PR for a big corporation in Tokyo.
It never made her quite happy, and she was in a mid-life crisis at age of 22.

It still took Yuko more than 10 years of office job before she figured out what she really wanted to do and to sa ...more

49 posts
Yuko Shimizu's Blog

Whether you make it or not is never about talent. message to the aspiring artists

“Can you tell who’s going to make it in your class?” I sometimes get this big question. And my answer is YES, I CAN. Their eyes open up twice as big. But wait! I need to explain a bit more.

Recently in my class, a students, who is very talented, but lacking a bit of focus, and hasn't been creating work up to his talent, said “I always wanted to be a concept artist, but not anymore”. I asked why. Read more of this blog post »

View more on Yuko Shimizu's website »

24 likes · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 14, 2015 14:19

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Combine Editions
Yuko Shimizu’s books

Average rating: 3.86 · 49,463 ratings · 4,974 reviews · 107 distinct works

	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Yuko Shimizu (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.93 avg rating — 5,974,434 ratings — published 1925 — 5681 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
	The Cat Who Saved Books (The Cat Who..., #1) by Sōsuke Natsukawa, Louise Heal Kawai (Goodreads Author) (Translator), Kevin Shen (Narrator) 3.71 avg rating — 87,918 ratings — published 2017	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
	Silence by Shūsaku Endō, William Johnston (Translation), Martin Scorsese (Foreword) 4.10 avg rating — 39,805 ratings — published 1966 — 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
	The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey (Goodreads Author) (Writer), Bill Willingham (Goodreads Author) (Introduction), Peter Gross (Writer, Artist) 3.74 avg rating — 20,201 ratings — published 2010 — 11 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
	The Unwritten, Vol. 4: Leviathan by Mike Carey (Goodreads Author) (Writer), Peter Gross (Writer, Artist), Vince Locke (Finishes) 4.01 avg rating — 4,932 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
	A Wild Swan: And Other Tales by Michael Cunningham (Goodreads Author), Yuko Shimizu (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.64 avg rating — 5,351 ratings — published 2015 — 40 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
	The Unwritten, Vol. 6: Tommy Taylor and the War of Words by Mike Carey (Goodreads Author) (Writer), Peter Gross (illustrator), Yuko Shimizu (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.05 avg rating — 4,055 ratings — published 2012 — 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
	El ascenso a lo divino by Neon Yang, Carla Bataller Estruch (Goodreads Author) (Translator), Yuko Shimizu (Goodreads Author) (Cover Art) 3.97 avg rating — 2,762 ratings — published 2019 — 10 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
	Yuko Shimizu 4.35 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2011	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
	Living With: Yuko Shimizu 4.90 avg rating — 20 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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Yuko is Currently Reading

Yuko Shimizu is currently reading

A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness

by Michael Pollan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, audio-booked

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Mar 05, 2026 10:34AM

Yuko Shimizu is currently reading

君のためのバラ

by Natsuki Ikezawa

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jun 21, 2025 09:58AM

Yuko Shimizu is currently reading

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

by Tupac Shakur

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jun 02, 2025 05:42PM

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Yuko’s Recent Updates

Yuko Shimizu did not finish Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook by Mark Bray	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 14, 2026 04:08PM · like
Yuko Shimizu wants to read The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary by Terry Tempest Williams	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 13, 2026 05:58PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Yuko Shimizu is on page 80 of 256 of The Polyglot Lovers The Polyglot Lovers by Lina Wolff 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
Mar 11, 2026 08:22AM · 1 like · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Polyglot Lovers by Lina Wolff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Polyglot Lovers by Lina Wolff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Yuko Shimizu and 5 other people liked Saskia Vogel's review of De polyglotta älskarna: "One of my favorite Swedish writers. I love Wolff's exploration of gender, power, and language here. She has a wry humor and wild sensibility that reminds me of Almodovar in parts. I'm also her translator, which means I've spent a lot of time with thi" Read more of this review »
Mar 10, 2026 09:04PM · see review
Yuko Shimizu and 5 other people liked D's review of The Polyglot Lovers: "Very entertaining. A rich cast of interesting characters and a surprising story linking them together in mildly surprising ways. The literary allusions didn’t spoil my enjoyment. "
Mar 10, 2026 09:03PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Polyglot Lovers by Lina Wolff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Polyglot Lovers by Lina Wolff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Yuko Shimizu rated a book it was amazing What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forché (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
It was so good I had to start this over again as soon as I was done. Knowing the end the mysterious start of the story has a whole new depth and meaning. Second time just as good.
Mar 05, 2026 10:40AM · 5 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Yuko Shimizu rated a book liked it 星が吸う水 by Sayaka Murata	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
… and with this I’ve read all Sayaka Murata fiction ever published in Japanese, except for the newest two volume novel that just got published last year. Just like any other successful author, she’s written great books and not so great ones. This one ...more
Mar 05, 2026 10:38AM · 1 like · like · see review
Yuko Shimizu started reading A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan (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
Mar 05, 2026 10:34AM · like
Yuko Shimizu rated a book liked it 星が吸う水 by Sayaka Murata	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
… and with this I’ve read all Sayaka Murata fiction ever published in Japanese, except for the newest two volume novel that just got published last year. Just like any other successful author, she’s written great books and not so great ones. This one ...more
Mar 04, 2026 08:12PM · 1 like · like · see review
Yuko Shimizu rated a book it was amazing What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forché (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
It was so good I had to start this over again as soon as I was done. Knowing the end the mysterious start of the story has a whole new depth and meaning. Second time just as good.
Mar 01, 2026 04:51PM · 5 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Yuko's books…

Quotes by Yuko Shimizu (?)

“If getting old is about appreciating more in life, then getting old doesn't sound too bad.”
― Yuko Shimizu, Living With: Yuko Shimizu

tags: ageing, appreciation, life

2 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Around the Year i...: 17: A book with illustrations	92	267	Dec 24, 2017 08:59AM
The Seasonal Read...: * Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD	3719	338	May 31, 2019 09:00PM
Mock Caldecott 2027: November Reads - 2021	7	75	Nov 25, 2020 12:14PM
Mock Caldecott 2027: * 2021 ALA Caldecott Awards	30	95	Feb 09, 2021 02:34PM
Mock Caldecott 2027: * 2025 Randolph Caldecott Medal	3	61	Jan 30, 2025 02:13PM

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Yuko’s Quotes

“Motherfuckers will read a book that’s one third Elvish, but put two sentences in Spanish and they [white people] think we’re taking over.”
― Junot Díaz

tags: elvish, lord-of-the-rings, racism, spanish, white-people

485 likes

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.”
― Deepak Chopra

3058 likes

“It's because of you when I'm in bed in the morning that I can wind my spring and tell myself I have to live another good day.”
― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

500 likes

“Sometimes the right thing feels all wrong until it is over and done with.”
― Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

tags: life

2060 likes

“Choices are made in brief seconds and paid for in the time that remains.”
― Paolo Giordano, The Solitude of Prime Numbers

266 likes

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