1724 ratings | 1335 reviews | avg rating:3.95

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H.J.’s Year In Books

H.J.’s 2025 Year in Books

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

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H.J. Swinford’s Followers (70)

H.J.’s Bookshelves

to-read (1006)
currently-reading (2)
read (1731)
did-not-finish (12)
on-pause (9)
1001-lifetime-must-reads (175)
a-bit-of-cringe (13)
aliens (58)
alternate-history (33)
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H.J.’s Friends (307)

Caroline

2,299 books | 478 friends

Malin (readingzebra)

3,785 books | 151 friends

Tara

178 books | 21 friends

Ashley Kirkpatrick

243 books | 55 friends

Michelle

1,333 books | 32 friends

Peri (Sourdough)

2,042 books | 38 friends

Devin The Book Dragon

1,263 books | 4,755 friends

Bee

789 books | 344 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

H.J. Swinford has read 83 of 225 books.

37%

H.J. Swinford

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.hjswinford.com

Twitter

hayleejalyn

Genre

Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Influences

Ray Bradbury
T. Kingfisher
Becky Chambers
John Steinbeck
Robert Jordan
Bran ...more

Member Since

January 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/hayleejalyn

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I am a writer, dreamer, reader, runner, knitter, mom, a cancer survivor, and a coffee addict. I collect extra children as both a hobby and a career, and have anywhere from three to eleven attempting to take over my house at any given moment. My husband and I live near the mountains of Colorado with our horde of children and our two dogs.

19 posts
H.J. Swinford's Blog

Chapter Eight is Up!

The eighth chapter of my current Web Comic, Chosen Ones Anonymous, was just posted. You can read it, or binge the series so-far here.

I intend to give each “episode” ten chapters, this current episode is “Amid the Roar.” This is, of course, my structure plan going in and might be tweaked here and there as the story requires.

Come join alone on the adventure! Things are just starting to amp up.

Combine Editions
H.J. Swinford’s books

Average rating: 4.78 · 9 ratings · 3 reviews · 3 distinct works

	The One Who Lives it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 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
	The Thirteenth 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2013	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
	Part 2: Breaking Hope 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2013	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

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

Series by H.J. Swinford

The Acaethian Chronicles (2 books)
by

H.J. Swinford (Goodreads Author)

4.78 avg rating — 9 ratings

H.J. is Currently Reading

H.J. Swinford is currently reading

Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, #2)

by Jasper Fforde (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: ongoing-series, currently-reading

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Apr 25, 2026 03:06AM

H.J. Swinford is currently reading

Ice

by Jacek Dukaj

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 07, 2026 08:38PM

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H.J.’s Recent Updates

H.J. Swinford and 2 other people liked Virginia’s status update Virginia Palencia wants to read Wolf Worm
18 hours, 1 min ago · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford rated a book really liked it Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher	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
Slow to start, but creepily and disgustingly wonderful.
Apr 25, 2026 03:08AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford started reading Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, #2) by Jasper Fforde (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 25, 2026 03:06AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford liked Spoodly's status update Spoodly is 75% done with Slow Gods
Apr 23, 2026 03:41PM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Slow Gods by Claire North. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Slow Gods by Claire North <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford and 1 other person liked Lydia’s status update Lydia started reading The Incandescent
Apr 23, 2026 03:10PM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Incandescent by Emily Tesh. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Incandescent by Emily Tesh <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford rated a book really liked it The Warrior's Path (The Sacketts, #3) 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
Great time. I love the tone of these novels. And this one kind of inadvertently (I assume?) subverted the "Not like other girls" trope, so that was really fun, especially as a 40-year-old novel. Looking forward to continuing through the Sackett saga. ...more
Apr 23, 2026 03:02PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Warrior's Path by Louis L'Amour. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Warrior's Path by Louis L'Amour <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford started reading Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher	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 23, 2026 12:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford rated a book really liked it This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying, #1) by Ilona Andrews (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
3.75 stars This was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the trope subversion and the character work. The writing was very mid, but wasn't distracting. I'd be interested in continuing the series. ...more
Apr 23, 2026 06:32AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford is currently reading The Warrior's Path (The Sacketts, #3) 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
Apr 23, 2026 12:03AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Warrior's Path by Louis L'Amour. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Warrior's Path by Louis L'Amour <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H.J. Swinford wants to read A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fantasy	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 21, 2026 05:12PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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H.J.’s Quotes

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You

tags: writing

6448 likes

“We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.”
― Ray Bradbury

3674 likes

“I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.”
― Jane Austen, Jane Austen's Letters

tags: friends, humor, people

9002 likes

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

tags: books, library, reading

20744 likes

“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”
― Jane Austen, Emma

2475 likes

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