373 ratings | 15 reviews | avg rating:4.81

River’s Year In Books

River’s 2025 Year in Books

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

Go to River’s 2025 Year in Books

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River Selby

Goodreads Author

Born

in Los Angeles, The United States

Website

https://www.riverselby.com

Genre

Nonfiction, Memoir, Science

Influences

jamesbaldwin, davidwojnarowicz, robinwallkimmerer, tonimorrison, lidia ...more

Member Since

July 2023

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River Selby worked as a wildland firefighter for seven years, stationed out of California, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska. They are the author of HOTSHOT: A LIFE ON FIRE.

They are currently a Kingsbury and Legacy Fellow at Florida State University, where they are pursuing their PhD in Nonfiction with an emphasis in postcolonial histories, North American colonization, and postmodern literature and culture. River has spent nearly a decade researching the history of fire suppression in the United States, Indigenous fire and land-tending practices, climate change impacts, and ecological adaptations across North American landscapes. Their research is informed by their extensive field experience.

River is a first generation high-school and college gr ...more

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River Selby’s books

Average rating: 3.68 · 564 ratings · 138 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Hotshot: A Life on Fire

3.68 avg rating — 564 ratings — published 2025 — 5 editions

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River’s Recent Updates

River Selby rated a book it was amazing Waiting for Britney Spears by Jeff Weiss (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
This memoir surprised me. In a way, it felt like Weiss was doing penance for his sins as a pap– interrogating himself and celebrity culture in a way that few writers are capable of doing, either because they're not great writers or because they lack ...more
12 hours, 30 min ago · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Waiting for Britney Spears by Jeff Weiss. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Waiting for Britney Spears by Jeff Weiss <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book it was amazing Uncanny Valley Girls: Essays on Horror, Survival, and Love – A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Memoir on Trans Identity and Gender by Zefyr Lisowski (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
12 hours, 32 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Uncanny Valley Girls by Zefyr Lisowski. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Uncanny Valley Girls by Zefyr Lisowski <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book it was amazing The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California's Public Lands by Josh Jackson (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 12, 2026 03:40PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Enduring Wild by Josh Jackson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Enduring Wild by Josh Jackson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book it was amazing Beings by Ilana Masad (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 12, 2026 03:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Beings by Ilana Masad. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Beings by Ilana Masad <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby and 2 other people liked Kristina's review of Hotshot: A Life on Fire: "Hotshot is an honest memoir that takes you on a journey through the eyes of a young wildland firefighter, Ana, mingled with historical and scientific context. The story is one of transformation, how we shape and are shaped by our environment. The aut" Read more of this review »
Mar 09, 2026 05:35PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hotshot by River Selby. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hotshot by River Selby <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby and 102 other people liked Rebecca Renner's review of Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades: "Of course I’m going to rate my own book five stars. It’s out in November, but get your preorders in now!"
Mar 05, 2026 08:42PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gator Country by Rebecca Renner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gator Country by Rebecca Renner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby entered a giveaway How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson (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 07:47PM · like · see giveaway
River Selby and 21 other people liked Sharron's review of History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life: "My job involves death and often those deaths are the result of suicide. I also have loved ones who struggle with the grip of suicide. Many of the Goodread reviews have been negative regarding this book. One in particular called it messy. However, the" Read more of this review »
Mar 02, 2026 06:19PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of History of a Suicide by Jill Bialosky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — History of a Suicide by Jill Bialosky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book it was amazing History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life by Jill Bialosky	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 02, 2026 06:18PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of History of a Suicide by Jill Bialosky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — History of a Suicide by Jill Bialosky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby is currently reading Uncanny Valley Girls: Essays on Horror, Survival, and Love – A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Memoir on Trans Identity and Gender by Zefyr Lisowski (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 08, 2026 10:43AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Uncanny Valley Girls by Zefyr Lisowski. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Uncanny Valley Girls by Zefyr Lisowski <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">