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665 ratings | 88 reviews | avg rating:4.34

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Shannon Reed’s Followers (139)

Shannon’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (10)
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Simon & Schuster Goodreads

192 books | 916 friends

Sharon Hart-Green

144 books | 4,970 friends

Robert Ellington

3,045 books | 88 friends

Jill

714 books | 42 friends

Nina Sabak

2,451 books | 348 friends

Enid Cortes

503 books | 191 friends

Andrew

690 books | 95 friends

howsweeteats

224 books | 1,193 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

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Shannon Reed has read 115 of 120 books.

96%

Shannon Reed

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

Http://www.shannonreed.org

Twitter

SReed151

Genre

Humor and Comedy, Memoir, Fiction

Influences

Irina Reyn, Anne Lamott, Michael Meyer, Peter Trachtenberg, Thornton W ...more

Member Since

April 2007

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Shannon Reed is the author of Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page Before Lights Out (2/6/24) and Why Did I Get a B? And Other Mysteries We're Discussing in the Faculty Lounge (6/30/20). A frequent contributor of humor to The New Yorker and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, her "If People Talked to Other Professionals the Way They Talked to Teachers" was the most-read piece at McSweeney's in 2018. She has also written for The Paris Review, The Washington Post, Slate, Buzzfeed, and many other venues.

Since 2012, Shannon has taught at the University of Pittsburgh in the Creative Writing and Composition programs, part of the English Department. She is currently the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Writing Program an ...more

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Average rating: 3.67 · 5,321 ratings · 1,113 reviews · 17 distinct works • Similar authors

	Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out 3.68 avg rating — 4,735 ratings — published 2024 — 8 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
	Why Did I Get a B?: And Other Mysteries We're Discussing in the Faculty Lounge 3.63 avg rating — 580 ratings — published 2020 — 6 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
	My Girls: The Iconic Young Women of Literature and How They Shaped Me 4.50 avg rating — 2 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
	McGraw-Hill Education 500 GRE Verbal Questions to Know by Test Day (McGraw-Hill Education 500 Questions) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	Gratitude Journal: Magical Rainbow Reflective Light Gratitude Journal Gratitude and Intentional Living Journal for Women and Girls 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
	Gratitude Journal: Gratitude and Intentional Living Journal for New Age Women and Girls 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 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
	Dreamtime Diary: A Dream Journal for Logging Dreams 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
	My love I lost 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
	Home Herbalism for Beginners: Working with Healing Plants at Home 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 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
	My Girls: The Iconic Young Women of Literature and How They Shaped Me 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 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

More books by Shannon Reed…

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Shannon Reed's Blog

Second Manuscript Pass

When I first began teaching high school English, I realized that my grasp of grammar was not nearly as good as it ought to have been. I had a good instinctive understanding for grammar but didn't really understand the rules, and I was a terrible proofreaders. Today, over 16 years from the first moment I had to explain the present perfect tense to a room full of teenagers, I still struggle to get i Read more of this blog post »

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Shannon is Currently Reading

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Party for One: Perfectly Portioned Recipes Just for You

by Meredith Dawson (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 17, 2026 02:37PM

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Roman Bath

by Peter Davebport

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Aug 31, 2026 03:49PM

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The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America

by Russell Shorto (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 30, 2026 03:22PM

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Shannon Reed is currently reading Party for One: Perfectly Portioned Recipes Just for You by Meredith Dawson (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 17, 2026 02:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Party for One by Meredith Dawson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Party for One by Meredith Dawson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shannon Reed wants to read Inside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers by Elissa Bassist (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 16, 2026 09:14AM · like
Shannon Reed finished reading Eating at Home: The Nourishing Practice of Everyday Cooking by Trinity Mouzon Wofford	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 15, 2026 04:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Eating at Home by Trinity Mouzon Wofford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Eating at Home by Trinity Mouzon Wofford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shannon Reed finished reading My Southern Kitchen: From Suppers to Celebrations, Recipes for Every Occasion by Ivy Odom	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 14, 2026 05:20AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shannon Reed rated a book it was amazing My Girls: The Iconic Young Women of Literature and How They Shaped Me by Shannon Reed (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
If I could give it 6 stars, I would. 😉
Sep 09, 2026 07:33AM · 1 like · like · see review
Shannon Reed finished reading Pillsbury: Best Cookies Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from America's Most-Trusted Kitchens by Pillsbury	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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Shannon Reed is currently reading Pillsbury: Best Cookies Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from America's Most-Trusted Kitchens by Pillsbury	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 06, 2026 05:25PM · like
Shannon Reed is currently reading My Southern Kitchen: From Suppers to Celebrations, Recipes for Every Occasion by Ivy Odom	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 04, 2026 07:59AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shannon Reed is currently reading Roman Bath by Peter Davebport	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, 2026 03:49PM · like
Shannon Reed is currently reading The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto (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 03:22PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Shannon Reed (?)

“The act of reading makes me feel safe. Not the book itself--but the exercise of running my eyes over the words. The translation from symbol into meaning. The direct, pleasant diction of the voice inside my head. The influx of information. The transport to other lives, other worlds.”
― Shannon Reed, Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out

tags: bookish

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“Reading a book is quiet, clear, and organized. It's not hard. It waits until I am ready, pauses when I need a break, and is still happy to repeat. Reading absolutely never says "Just forget it" when I need clarification. It doesn't care how I pronounce the words in my head (or aloud, for that matter). It never makes me feel worse and rarely makes me feel lonely. Reading gives me the world. And that, friends, is why I read.”
― Shannon Reed, Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out

tags: bookish

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“Life is so much better with books than without.”
― Shannon Reed, Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out

tags: bookish

6 likes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Crazy Challenge C...: Ruth's Flower Spell-Out	7	12	Jun 01, 2023 06:03AM
The Seasonal Read...: * Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD!	2642	296	Jun 01, 2024 01:26AM
Reading with Style: SP 24 Completed Tasks	745	52	Jun 01, 2024 01:37AM
The Lost Challenges: Quiz Shows	82	69	Jun 25, 2024 04:06PM
Around the Year i...: Best Books of February 2024	68	264	Jul 10, 2024 04:43PM
Nothing But Readi...: June 2024: Race to the Cornucopia	17	308	Aug 11, 2024 12:46PM

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Shannon’s Year In Books

Shannon Reed’s Followers (139)

Shannon’s Bookshelves

Shannon’s Friends (117)

2026 Reading Challenge

Shannon Reed

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Shannon Reed’s books

2 posts
Shannon Reed's Blog

Second Manuscript Pass

Shannon is Currently Reading

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Shannon Reed’s Followers (139)

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