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Mark’s Year In Books

Mark’s 2025 Year in Books

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2026 Reading Challenge

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Mark has read 4 of 52 books.

Mark J. Oliver

Goodreads Author

Born

in Gloucester, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.markjoliver.co.uk

Twitter

textchatteacher

Genre

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime

Influences

Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, Haruki, Wodehouse, Murakami. Raymond Ch ...more

Member Since

July 2012

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Mark J. Oliver is the author of two novels, THE ALLIANCE OF REMARKABLE LANDLORDS, a contemporary adult fairy tale and THE RIFT RIDER, a science fiction story that blends action adventure, quest, romance, and surfing.

Mark was born in Gloucestershire, England. After Graduating from Cardiff University and brief spells temping in Brighton, Gloucester and London, Mark left the UK to start teaching English as a foreign language. He has an MA in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).

Over the last fourteen years, he has lived and taught in Australia, Japan, Brazil, Portugal, Thailand, Singapore, Lebanon, Taiwan and Sri Lanka. He has also worked on teacher training projects with UNRWA in Lebanon and the British Council in Borneo.

In ...more

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Mark J. Oliver’s books

Average rating: 3.9 · 50 ratings · 13 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Rift Rider 3.91 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2014 — 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 Alliance of Remarkable Landlords 3.36 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2015 — 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
	On Essay Writing: A pathway to success in IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge exams 4.17 avg rating — 6 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
	Brian British: Part-Time Teacher, Full-Time Detective 4.33 avg rating — 3 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
	A Kitchen Romance: A Graded Love Story for Upper-intermediate learners 4.33 avg rating — 3 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
	20 Example Essays for IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC it was amazing 5.00 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
	On Essay Writing Mistakes: A Pathway to Success in IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge Exams 3.50 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
	Twenty-Five Business Email Examples really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	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
	Text Chat Activities: A Resource Book for Language Teachers 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
	The Dragon Thief 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

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27 posts
Mark J. Oliver's Blog

Free Sci-Fi

Hey everyone,

My sci-fi adventure, The Rift Rider, is free this Thursday (7th Sept) on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N4Y4NES

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers
Mark

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 06, 2017 03:56 • Tags: free-book, kindle, promotion, science-fiction, surfing

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Mark is Currently Reading

Mark is currently reading

Normal People

by Sally Rooney (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 31, 2026 10:15AM

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Fascination: Stories

by William Boyd

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Jan 22, 2026 11:42AM

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Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

by Michael J. Sandel

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Jan 20, 2026 09:41AM

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Mark started reading Normal People by Sally Rooney (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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Mark wants to read Moonflower Murders (Susan Ryeland, #2) by Anthony Horowitz (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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Mark wants to read The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering by Michael J. Sandel	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
Jan 22, 2026 11:43AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Case against Perfection by Michael J. Sandel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Case against Perfection by Michael J. Sandel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark wants to read What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel	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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Mark wants to read The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel	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
Jan 22, 2026 11:43AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Tyranny of Merit by Michael J. Sandel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Tyranny of Merit by Michael J. Sandel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark started reading Fascination: Stories by William Boyd	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
Jan 22, 2026 11:42AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fascination by William Boyd. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fascination by William Boyd <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark rated a book it was amazing Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life by Barry Oshry	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
Reading this I felt like Neo seeing the matrix for the first time.. I feel like I understand both organisations and the world a whole lot more. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the true causes of frustration, conflict and failure ...more
Jan 22, 2026 04:18AM · 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 Seeing Systems by Barry Oshry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Seeing Systems by Barry Oshry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark started reading Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel	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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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Goodreads Authors...: Free Books for (Possible) Reviews!	2938	13667	Jun 13, 2024 02:39AM

Mark’s Quotes

“Live by the harmless untruths that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.”
― Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Cat’s Cradle

tags: arts

800 likes

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance: An Excerpt from Collected Essays, First Series

tags: consistency, greatness, misunderstood

906 likes