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Rumaan’s Year In Books

Rumaan’s 2024 Year in Books

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809 books | 1,939 friends

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2025 Reading Challenge

2025

READING

CHALLENGE

Rumaan Alam has read 141 books of his goal of 100!

141%

Rumaan Alam

Goodreads Author

Website

http://rumaanalam.com/

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Rumaan

Genre

Fiction

Member Since

August 2015

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I'm the author of the novels Rich and Pretty, That Kind of Mother, Leave the World Behind, and Entitlement.

My short fiction has appeared in StoryQuarterly, Crazyhorse, Meridian, and elsewhere. I've also written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, and the New Republic. I studied writing at Oberlin College. Now I live in New York with my husband and two kids.
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Rumaan Alam’s books

Average rating: 3.1 · 199,892 ratings · 28,705 reviews · 15 distinct works • Similar authors

	Leave the World Behind 3.14 avg rating — 166,626 ratings — published 2020 — 76 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
	Rich and Pretty 2.77 avg rating — 11,113 ratings — published 2016 — 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
	Entitlement 2.97 avg rating — 8,278 ratings — published 2024 — 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
	That Kind of Mother 3.07 avg rating — 7,720 ratings — published 2018 — 13 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 Children's Bach by Helen Garner, Rumaan Alam (Goodreads Author) (Foreword) 3.51 avg rating — 3,958 ratings — published 1984 — 37 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
	Shell Game (Getaway, #6) 2.29 avg rating — 3,467 ratings — published 2022 — 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
	Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design by Christiane Lemieux, Rumaan Alam (Goodreads Author), Deborah Needleman (Foreword) 3.53 avg rating — 538 ratings — published 2011 — 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
	There Are Flowers in Ohio by Rumaan Alam (Goodreads Author), Michael Crouch (Narrator), Allison Hiroto (Narrator) 3.01 avg rating — 314 ratings — published 2022 — 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
	Boston Adventure by Jean Stafford, Rumaan Alam (Goodreads Author) (Introduction) 3.72 avg rating — 165 ratings — published 1944 — 39 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
	Things to Come and Go by Bette Howland, Rumaan Alam (Goodreads Author) (Introduction) 3.55 avg rating — 163 ratings — published 1983 — 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

More books by Rumaan Alam…

If it seems like a lot of your favorite books are turning into movies and TV series lately, you’re right. Extremely right. In fact, it’s...

Rumaan is Currently Reading

Rumaan Alam is currently reading

The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories

by Carson McCullers

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Dec 03, 2025 05:19AM

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When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion

by Julie Satow (Goodreads Author)

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Dec 02, 2025 05:54PM

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I Deliver Parcels in Beijing

by Hu Anyan

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Nov 15, 2025 02:36PM

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Rumaan Alam is currently reading The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories by Carson McCullers	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 03, 2025 05:19AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories by Carson McCullers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories by Carson McCullers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam rated a book it was amazing The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature by Gerald Howard	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 02, 2025 05:54PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Insider by Gerald Howard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Insider by Gerald Howard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam rated a book it was amazing Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers	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 02, 2025 05:54PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam rated a book it was amazing Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers	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 02, 2025 05:54PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam is currently reading When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion by Julie Satow (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 02, 2025 05:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam finished reading The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature by Gerald Howard	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 02, 2025 05:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Insider by Gerald Howard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Insider by Gerald Howard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam finished reading Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers	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 02, 2025 05:53PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam is currently reading Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers	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 30, 2025 08:26AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam is currently reading The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature by Gerald Howard	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 29, 2025 06:14PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Insider by Gerald Howard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Insider by Gerald Howard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rumaan Alam rated a book it was amazing Carson McCullers: A Life by Mary V. Dearborn	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 29, 2025 12:58PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Carson McCullers by Mary V. Dearborn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Carson McCullers by Mary V. Dearborn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Rumaan Alam (?)

“Parenthood was never knowing what was going to hurt your kids, but knowing only that something, inevitably, would.”
― Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind

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“Ruth had learned only one thing from the current reality, and it was that everything held together by tacit agreement that it would. All it took to unravel something was one party deciding to do just that. There was no real structure to prevent chaos. There was only a collective faith in order.”
― Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind

19 likes

“You never know when a time is the last time, because if you did you could never go on with life.”
― Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind

17 likes

See all Rumaan Alam's quotes »

Polls

What will be our November 2021 Open Pick?

Remember, if you vote for a book and it wins, you are implicitly promising to read the book and participate in the discussion.

The poll will end at 11:59 pm on September 30th. The discussion will start on November 1st

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

4 votes, 44.4%

Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup

3 votes, 33.3%

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris

2 votes, 22.2%

Celestial Harmonies by Péter Esterházy

0 votes, 0.0%

9 total votes

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Rumaan’s Year In Books

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