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44 ratings | 33 reviews | avg rating:4.52

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James Irwin

Goodreads Author

Born

in Norristown, Pennsylvania, The United States

Website

http://jrirwin.com/

Genre

Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

Elmore Leonard, Tana French, William Gibson, Dashiell Hammett, Robert ...more

Member Since

March 2020

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James Irwin is originally from southeastern Pennsylvania, spent time in San Francisco and New York City, and has lived in northern New Jersey for the past few decades. Currently focused on novels, he has also published quite a bit of short fiction, essays, and criticism over the years. He has widely exhibited his work as a media artist; awards include San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Rockefeller Foundation. He has taught at universities on both coasts of the U.S., co-founded the film journal Cinematograph, and is associate editor of the Atlantic Journal of Communication. He used to teach tennis for walking-around money.

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James Irwin’s books

Average rating: 4.5 · 4 ratings · 1 review · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Nina's Friends 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — 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
	Lucky Guy 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
	Lucky Guy 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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James is Currently Reading

James Irwin is currently reading

You Know What You Did

by K.T. Nguyen (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 08, 2026 07:24PM

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Ransom

by Daniel Silva

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Jul 24, 2026 08:23PM

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Bodega Botanica Tales: Carmen (BBT Series, #2)

by Maria Rodriguez Bross (Goodreads Author)

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May 12, 2026 07:11PM

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James’s Recent Updates

James Irwin is currently reading You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen (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
Sep 08, 2026 07:24PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Irwin is currently reading Ransom by Daniel Silva	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 24, 2026 08:23PM · like
James Irwin rated a book it was amazing Whistler by Ann Patchett	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 24, 2026 08:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Whistler by Ann Patchett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Whistler by Ann Patchett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Irwin rated a book really liked it A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (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 04, 2026 08:07PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Irwin rated a book it was amazing The Keeper (Cal Hooper #3) by Tana French (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
May 31, 2026 08:14PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Keeper by Tana French. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Keeper by Tana French <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Irwin rated a book it was amazing Revenge Prey (Lucas Davenport #36) by John Sandford	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
May 12, 2026 07:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Revenge Prey by John Sandford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Revenge Prey by John Sandford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Irwin is currently reading Bodega Botanica Tales: Carmen (BBT Series, #2) by Maria Rodriguez Bross (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
May 12, 2026 07:11PM · like
James Irwin started reading The Keeper (Cal Hooper #3) by Tana French (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
May 12, 2026 07:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Keeper by Tana French. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Keeper by Tana French <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Irwin rated a book it was amazing The Wrong Kind by Austin S. Camacho (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
Apr 18, 2026 09:05PM · like
James Irwin is now following Michael J. McLaughlin Author of No Harm Intended
Apr 15, 2026 03:52PM · like

More of James's books…

Quotes by James Irwin (?)

“For someone who prefers to keep to himself and doesn't appear to like people all that much, you are everywhere in this carnival.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: carnival, involvement, isolation, participation

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“There are endless possibilities for new mistakes no one has ever seen before.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: chaos, endless-possibilities, failure, imperfection, mistakes

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“A fine line existed between accomplice and useful idiot, and in matters like this the line was often treated as if it didn't exist.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: accomplice, accountability, guilt, responsibility, useful-idiot

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James’s Quotes

“Sometimes people do foolish and dangerous things for nearly no reason at all, other than the opportunity presents itself, and no small voice in their heads tells them not to do it.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: behavior, crime, discipline, ethics, impulsiveness, morality, self-control

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“He was a Russian with a Serbian name who had spent half his life in the United States, and he belonged to none of those places, not much more than human driftwood at that point.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: belonging, culture, identity, nationality, roots

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“For someone who prefers to keep to himself and doesn't appear to like people all that much, you are everywhere in this carnival.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: carnival, involvement, isolation, participation

0 likes

“A fine line existed between accomplice and useful idiot, and in matters like this the line was often treated as if it didn't exist.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

tags: accomplice, accountability, guilt, responsibility, useful-idiot

0 likes

“There's one important rule: never turn your back on crazy.”
― James Irwin, Nina's Friends

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James Irwin

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James Irwin

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rssJames’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen

See a Problem?

Preview — Whistler by Ann Patchett

See a Problem?

Preview — A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck

See a Problem?

Preview — The Keeper by Tana French

See a Problem?

Preview — Revenge Prey by John Sandford

See a Problem?

Preview — The Keeper by Tana French

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