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381 ratings | 17 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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5,013 books | 5,001 friends

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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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Combine Editions
River Selby’s books

Average rating: 3.71 · 751 ratings · 171 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	Hotshot: A Life on Fire 3.71 avg rating — 751 ratings — published 2025 — 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
	Hotshot: A Life on Fire 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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River’s Recent Updates

River Selby is now following Traci Thomas's reviews
Sep 11, 2026 11:00PM · like
River Selby and 23 other people liked Traci Thomas's review of When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World: "I learned a lot in this book and appreciated how he wove history into the story of wildfires. Also this is a book about worker's rights, capitalism, health care, climate change, colonialism, and I appreciated that a lot. I wish there had been more in" Read more of this review »
Sep 11, 2026 11:00PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of When It All Burns by Jordan Thomas. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — When It All Burns by Jordan Thomas <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book really liked it Famesick by Lena Dunham (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
Aug 30, 2026 08:32PM · like
River Selby and 1 other person liked Ella's review of Hotshot: A Life on Fire: "The secretive and oftentimes dark history of national parks and forestry services in North America has been an interest of mine ever since I attended my first conservation class in university. Thus, River Selby's book is one that I was eager to read." Read more of this review »
Aug 20, 2026 08:30PM · 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 wants to read Strata: Stories from Deep Time by Laura Poppick	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
Jul 31, 2026 06:21AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Strata by Laura Poppick. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Strata by Laura Poppick <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book it was amazing Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey	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
Jul 31, 2026 06:14AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby rated a book it was amazing Kin by Tayari Jones (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
Jul 31, 2026 06:11AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kin by Tayari Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kin by Tayari Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby wants to read Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A. by Eve Babitz	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
Jul 31, 2026 06:11AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby has read Kin by Tayari Jones (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
Jul 31, 2026 06:11AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kin by Tayari Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kin by Tayari Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
River Selby has read Crux by Gabriel Tallent (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
Jul 31, 2026 06:11AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Crux by Gabriel Tallent. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Crux by Gabriel Tallent <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">