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Mary’s Year In Books

Mary’s 2025 Year in Books

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Mary Shaffer

Goodreads Author

Born

in Staples, MN, The United States

Website

https://wickandarrow.com

Genre

Fantasy, Fiction, Spirituality

Influences

C.S. Lewis, George Macdonald, Kate DiCamillo, Jacques Maritain, Diana ...more

Member Since

May 2025

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/maryshaffer

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Mary Shaffer is the author of Wick and Arrow, a folkloric fantasy inspired by "The Snow Queen."

The daughter of a visual artist and a high school English teacher, Mary grew up in a hundred-year-old farmhouse in rural Minnesota. Now she lives in a hundred-year-old house in rural Wisconsin with her cat Sebastian, named for the maddeningly charming character from Brideshead Revisited.

Mary earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Theatre at St. Olaf College. She also holds a Masters of Arts in Theology from the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. In addition to being cofounder and artistic director of Missed the Boat Theatre, she is a spiritual director and teacher on the interior life.

Her artistic philosophy and pract ...more

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Mary Shaffer’s books

Average rating: 4.69 · 16 ratings · 9 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Wick and Arrow

4.69 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2025 — 2 editions

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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Mary Shaffer's Blog

Reading Wick and Arrow in your Book Club

My fantasy novel Wick and Arrow, a fairy tale for grownups loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” makes for a perfect book club read due to its rich imagery and themes that are meant to be deeply pondered.

I’ve put together some discussion questions below, as well as guidance on how to invite the author to make an appearance at your book club!

Lastly, use this discount code

Mary is Currently Reading

Mary Shaffer is currently reading

Philosophical Anthropology

by Michael J. Dodds

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May 31, 2025 01:32PM

Mary Shaffer is currently reading

The Nature of Love

by Dietrich von Hildebrand

bookshelves: currently-reading, favorites

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May 24, 2025 01:15PM

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Mary’s Recent Updates

Mary Shaffer wrote a new blog post Launch Party Highlights Thank you so much to all my friends, family, and fans who attended the launch party for Wick and Arrow on August 10th, 2025, at Pioneer Park in Stillw Read more of this blog post »
Nov 23, 2025 06:44AM · like
Mary Shaffer rated a book really liked it To Believe in Jesus by Ruth Burrows	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 30, 2025 02:35PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of To Believe in Jesus by Ruth Burrows. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — To Believe in Jesus by Ruth Burrows <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer entered a giveaway Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo (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 31, 2025 03:05PM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer rated a book really liked it Tress of the Emerald Sea (Hoid's Travails, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (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 18, 2025 02:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer rated a book it was amazing Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose (FSG Classics) by Flannery O'Connor	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 18, 2025 02:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer finished reading Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose (FSG Classics) by Flannery O'Connor	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 18, 2025 02:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer liked Meg Pilcher's review of Wick and Arrow: "A lovely contemporary fairytale grounded in a strong sense of moral good; Wick and Arrow is soulful, poetic, and an absolute page turner!"
Aug 16, 2025 08:12PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wick and Arrow by Mary Shaffer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wick and Arrow by Mary Shaffer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer and 1 other person liked Bernadette O'Keefe's review of Wick and Arrow: "Are you looking for a novel that gives you a feeling like reading The Chronicles of Narnia, with its simple yet profound world-building, but it also doesn't shy away from addressing the complications of "True Love" in a messy world? This book gave me" Read more of this review »
Aug 16, 2025 08:12PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wick and Arrow by Mary Shaffer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wick and Arrow by Mary Shaffer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer and 2 other people liked Elizabeth Bina's review of Wick and Arrow: "Bottom line up front: read this book if you want to go on an adventure with delightfully odd characters who will make you laugh, cry, and think deeply about what it means to be human. I made the mistake of starting Wick and Arrow in a really busy tim" Read more of this review »
Aug 16, 2025 08:12PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wick and Arrow by Mary Shaffer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wick and Arrow by Mary Shaffer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mary Shaffer rated a book it was amazing The Responsibility of the Artist by Jacques Maritain	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 16, 2025 06:49PM · like