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Tim Johnston

Goodreads Author

Born

Iowa City, IA

Website

http://www.timjohnston.net

Twitter

TJohnstonWriter

Genre

Fiction, Suspense, Crime

Member Since

November 2009

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Tim Johnston is the author of the novels THE CURRENT and DESCENT, the story collection IRISH GIRL, and the YA novel NEVER SO GREEN. A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie national bestseller, Descent has been published internationally and optioned for film. The stories of Irish Girl won an O. Henry Prize, the New Letters Award for Writers, and the Gival Press Short Story Award, while the collection itself won the 2009 Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction. In 2005 the title story, “Irish Girl,” was included in the David Sedaris anthology of favorites, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules. Tim’s stories have also appeared in New England Review, New Letters, The Iowa Review, The Missouri Review, Double Take, Best Life Magazine, ...more

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Combine Editions
Tim Johnston’s books

Average rating: 3.64 · 42,661 ratings · 5,409 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Descent 3.61 avg rating — 24,219 ratings — published 2015 — 33 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
	Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules by David Sedaris (Editor), Richard Yates (Contributor), Dorothy Parker (Contributor) 3.70 avg rating — 9,091 ratings — published 2005 — 15 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 Current 3.64 avg rating — 8,542 ratings — published 2019 — 15 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
	Distant Sons 3.91 avg rating — 1,749 ratings — published 2023 — 8 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
	Irish Girl: Stories 3.88 avg rating — 317 ratings — published 2009 — 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
	Never So Green 3.85 avg rating — 133 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
	Dark Matters 0.00 avg rating — 0 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
	Citrus County consumer treecare facts 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
	Irish Girl Lib/E: Stories by Tim Johnston (Goodreads Author), Xe Sands (Goodreads Author) (Reader), Angelo Di Loreto (Reader) 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
	Landscape plants for Citrus County 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

More books by Tim Johnston…

21 posts
Tim Johnston's Blog: Assorted Bookly Tidings

DISTANT SONS drops TODAY!

Thrilled to be launching another book at legendary hometown indie bookstore PRAIRIE LIGHTS tonight! Get the deets here: https://www.prairielights.com/live/ti...

View more on Tim Johnston's website »

4 likes · Like • 6 comments • flag

Published on October 17, 2023 05:25

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Tim’s Recent Updates

Tim Johnston answered Alex Rogowsky's question: Descent, The Current, and Distant Sons wrecked me in the best way. Any advice for someone who aspires to write novels like yours? That is music to my ears, Alex. Thanks for checking in with me. My core advice about writing any kind of novel is to read those that "wreck you in the best way" again & again & pay close attention to HOW they go about wrecking you in the best way. I See Full Answer
Dec 01, 2025 06:23AM · 2 likes · like
Tim Johnston answered Lisa's question: It's about time for another one, right? ;) No rush; I am just enjoying The Current and concerned I may blow through all the others at the same rate. Glad you are into The Current, Lisa. I'm afraid I'm behind schedule with a lil bit of the ol brain cancer. But taking things one day at a time!
Nov 18, 2025 02:23PM · like

More of Tim's books…

Quotes by Tim Johnston (?)

“Long after everyone else has given up and gone home and gotten on with their lives, he would keep on believing because, without evidence, you could never kill his belief.”
― Tim Johnston, Descent

4 likes

“Did the mind break down or did it simply correct? Vectoring away from pain?”
― Tim Johnston, Descent

2 likes

“Here is a hilarious, surprising, tender, always genuine tale of American youth in the crosshairs of the new century--a battle of growing pains culminating in a bloody headlock with nature, family, machismo, activism, and love. CB Murphy has written a terrific and timely novel which speeds by and ends, like youth itself, far too quickly.”
― Tim Johnston

2 likes

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Polls

June Side Read Nominations ~ 1st Poll
Top 5 Books Move onto Final Poll

Nothing to See Here

by Kevin Wilson

6 votes, 17.6%

The Girl from Widow Hills

by Megan Miranda

6 votes, 17.6%

Carnegie's Maid

by Marie Benedict

5 votes, 14.7%

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters

by Jennifer Chiaverini

5 votes, 14.7%

Daughter of Moloka'i

by Alan Brennert

3 votes, 8.8%

The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

by James McBride

3 votes, 8.8%

Oona Out of Order

by Margarita Montimore

3 votes, 8.8%

The Current

by Tim Johnston

2 votes, 5.9%

A Very Large Expanse of Sea

by Tahereh Mafi

1 vote, 2.9%

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

by Phaedra Patrick

0 votes, 0.0%

34 total votes

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