831 ratings | 269 reviews | avg rating:3.81

James’s Year In Books

James’s 2024 Year in Books

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

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James H. Duncan’s Followers (44)

James’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (4)
read (835)

James’s Friends (402)

Ace Boggess

3,066 books | 801 friends

Christian Fennell

31 books | 918 friends

Heather Webb

646 books | 2,093 friends

David Keaton

227 books | 793 friends

Sara

2,507 books | 713 friends

Stephanie

3,181 books | 233 friends

Ken

1,805 books | 527 friends

Kathleen

2,510 books | 1,773 friends

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2025 Reading Challenge

2025

READING

CHALLENGE

James has read 36 of 40 books.

90%

James H. Duncan

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.jameshduncan.com

Genre

Poetry, Fiction, Suspense

Influences

John Steinbeck, Alan Furst, Stephen King, Carson McCullers, Charles Bu ...more

Member Since

September 2012

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James H Duncan is the editor of Hobo Camp Review and the author of We Are All Terminal But This Exit Is Mine, What Lies In Wait, The Cards We Keep, Dead City Jazz, and Vacancy, among other books of poetry and fiction. He is a former editor with Writer's Digest, a columnist for Albany Poets, and a reviewer of independent bookshops at www.TheBookshopHunter.com. He currently resides in Upstate New York. For more, visit http://www.jameshduncan.com. ...more

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James H. Duncan’s books

Average rating: 4.75 · 130 ratings · 33 reviews · 21 distinct works

	The Cards We Keep 4.56 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2013 — 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
	We Are All Terminal But This Exit Is Mine 4.50 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2017	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
	Lantern Lit series Vol. 1 by James H. Duncan (Goodreads Author), Mat Gould, John Dorsey it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2014	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
	Dealing With the Devil in the Middle of the Road 4.86 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2012	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
	Vacancy by James H. Duncan (Goodreads Author), Kevin Ridgeway (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2019	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
	What Lies In Wait 4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2015 — 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
	Proper Etiquette in the Slaughterhouse Line 4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2017 — 3 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 Girl Who Loved Halloween really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2018 — 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
	Berlin it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2014	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
	Nights Without Rain it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2018 — 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

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James H. Duncan's Blog

Summer News and Autumn Goals

I haven’t posted a whole lot this year but it’s been a busy summer so far. A quick trip to Philadelphia, a cancelled camping expedition, baseball games, pool adventures, parades, and I moved in with Amelia and Henry at long last. I’m settling in and getting back into a writing groove after spending most of the spring packing. Beyond a busy summer personally, I’ve been busy publishing and writing t

James is Currently Reading

James is currently reading

Expensive Basketball

by Shea Serrano

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Nov 22, 2025 11:34AM

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Train Dreams

by Denis Johnson

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Nov 22, 2025 11:33AM

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Getting Your Bell Rung

by Dan Provost (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 28, 2025 03:08PM

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James is currently reading Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano	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
Nov 22, 2025 11:34AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James is currently reading Train Dreams by Denis Johnson	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
Nov 22, 2025 11:33AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Train Dreams by Denis Johnson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James rated a book it was amazing End of the Drive (The Sacketts, #6.5) by Louis L'Amour	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
Nov 06, 2025 05:21AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James rated a book really liked it The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer (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
Nov 05, 2025 11:02AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James is currently reading End of the Drive (The Sacketts, #6.5) by Louis L'Amour	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
Nov 02, 2025 08:02PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James is currently reading Getting Your Bell Rung by Dan Provost (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
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James rated a book really liked it Ways to Beg by T.J. Sandella (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
Oct 28, 2025 02:48PM · like
James rated a book really liked it The Night Country by Stewart O'Nan (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
O'Nan is such a good writer but this one felt heavy the whole way through, felt tough to keep going in spots. But a unique take, and well crafted. ...more
Oct 18, 2025 11:33AM · like · see review
James is currently reading The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer (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
Oct 10, 2025 04:14PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James rated a book liked it It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken	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
Oct 10, 2025 03:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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James’s Quotes

“I believe there was a big bang and that because of that we are all connected into infinity, and I know very little having to do with human beings that doesn't also have to do with connection.”
― Chris Crutcher, King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography

tags: astrophysics, big-bang, connectedness, infinity, naturalism, pantheism, science

4 likes

“It was like the beginning of life and laughter. It was the real meaning of the sun”
― Charles Bukowski, Factotum

tags: inspirational

628 likes

“Politicians were like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncommonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said”
― Alan Furst, Dark Star

12 likes

“The shortest horror story:

The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.”
― Frederic Brown

tags: funny, horror

211 likes

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James’s Year In Books

James H. Duncan’s Followers (44)

James’s Bookshelves

James’s Friends (402)

2025 Reading Challenge

James H. Duncan

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
James H. Duncan’s books

366 posts
James H. Duncan's Blog

Summer News and Autumn Goals

James is Currently Reading

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James’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano

See a Problem?

Preview — Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

See a Problem?

Preview — End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour

See a Problem?

Preview — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer

See a Problem?

Preview — End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour

See a Problem?

Preview — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer

See a Problem?

Preview — It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken

James’s Quotes

recent posts
James’s Groups

James’s Friend Comments

James H. Duncan’s Followers (44)

James H. Duncan

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssJames’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano

See a Problem?

Preview — Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

See a Problem?

Preview — End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour

See a Problem?

Preview — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer

See a Problem?

Preview — End of the Drive by Louis L'Amour

See a Problem?

Preview — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer

See a Problem?

Preview — It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken

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James’s Recent Updates