379 ratings | 45 reviews | avg rating:4.52

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Jess’s 2025 Year in Books

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Jess Riley’s Followers (109)

Jess’s Bookshelves

to-read (312)
currently-reading (5)
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Jess’s Friends (495)

Annie Seaton

773 books | 3,763 friends

Jake Martin

721 books | 9 friends

Smiley III

904 books | 1,419 friends

Renee

6,230 books | 4,951 friends

Tove Bibliotek

595 books | 324 friends

Polly Herlache-vannieuwenhoven

497 books | 23 friends

Shelly

76,531 books | 1,180 friends

Sheena

2,864 books | 433 friends

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Jess Riley

Goodreads Author

Born

in Milwaukee, WI, The United States

Website

http://www.jessriley.com

Twitter

jessrileywrites

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Fiction, Humor and Comedy

Member Since

February 2008

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Wisconsin native Jess Riley spent much of her childhood being punished for lying and/or passing notes during class, both of which qualified her for a possible future as a novelist. She won her first short story contest in high school for a tale told through the point of view of a seven-year-old black boy living in Cabrini Green because as a middle-class white teenager, she knew a lot about that kind of life.

Jess has been a waitress, a blue cheese packager, and a school grant writer. She worked at a toy store during the Tickle Me Elmo craze and lived to tell about it. She's also worked at a medium-security men's prison, which was much less stressful. Jess graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1998 with degrees in English and History. She shares a dr ...more

162 posts
Jess Riley's Blog

I Once Was Lost ...

Last weekend my college roommates and I rented a house in Door County—I hadn’t seen two of them in over two years, and it was such a lovely reunion. I haven’t laughed that hard in months…maybe years. I love these amazing women, and I’m so grateful we met (nearly 30 years ago!)

We're down one due to Covid--boo!
We parted on Sunday, and the weather was mild enough that I decided to take a hike at Read more of this blog post »

View more on Jess Riley's website »

1 like · Like • 1 comment • flag

Published on April 29, 2022 10:37

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Jess Riley’s books

Average rating: 3.67 · 2,272 ratings · 408 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	Driving Sideways 3.64 avg rating — 1,478 ratings — published 2008 — 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
	All the Lonely People 3.71 avg rating — 480 ratings — published 2012 — 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
	Mandatory Release 3.77 avg rating — 237 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
	Closer Than They Appear 3.75 avg rating — 60 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
	How to Make Friends: A Step-By-Step Guide to Meeting People and Building Relationships 2.75 avg rating — 4 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 Dsyphagia Cookbook Diet:: 40+ Friendly Delicious Recipes for soft food & Puree For Management, tips and tricks with Treatment for All Levels 1 2 3 4 5 liked it 3.00 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
	The Low Carb Diet Cookbook & Weight Loss Plan:: A Complete Guide To Start Losing weight With 30+ Essential Recipes 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 Dysphagia Cookbook Diet:: 40+ Friendly Delicious Recipes for soft food & Puree For Management and Treatment of Dysphagia 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
	Complete Keto For Foodies:: Unique Fat-Burning Foods To Keep You In Ketosis - Good Foods to Eat On A No Carb Diet Along For Healthy Living And Weight Loss 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
	Renal Dialysis Diet Breakdown:: Kidney Friendly Recipes That Are Low Sodium, Potassium and Phosphorus foods to Avoid Dialysis and Reduce Your Kidneys’ Workload 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 Jess Riley…

Jess is Currently Reading

Jess Riley is currently reading

They All Fall in Love at the End

by Haili Blassingame (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 30, 2026 06:16AM

Jess Riley is currently reading

Comfort Me with Apples

by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 23, 2026 03:30PM

Jess Riley is currently reading

Still True

by Maggie Ginsberg (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 23, 2026 03:30PM

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Jess’s Recent Updates

Jess Riley entered a giveaway Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane (Goodreads Author) 10 copies available, ends on March 15, 2026 Enter to win »
1 hour, 27 min ago · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley entered a giveaway Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (Goodreads Author) 5 copies available, ends on March 21, 2026 Enter to win »
1 hour, 27 min ago · like · see giveaway
Jess Riley rated a book it was amazing Heart the Lover by Lily King (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
Feb 20, 2026 05:03AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Heart the Lover by Lily King. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Heart the Lover by Lily King <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley rated a book it was amazing For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce (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
I was juggling a few novels when I stumbled across FOR HUMAN USE; when I read the first few chapters, I immediately shelved everything else I was reading so I could focus on Pierce’s debut. This book is BRILLIANT. As a writer, I plan to buy a copy of ...more
Feb 10, 2026 12:40PM · 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 For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley rated a book it was amazing Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy	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
Feb 10, 2026 12:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley rated a book it was amazing Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan (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
Feb 10, 2026 12:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley has read Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan (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
Feb 10, 2026 12:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley and 8 other people liked Katie Naymon's review of They All Fall in Love at the End: "You know how people say Sally Rooney is writing like the first great millennial classics? Haili Blassingame is writing the first great millennial/Gen Z cusp classics. Biting prose, endlessly insightful, and very very raw. This isn't a romance, but it" Read more of this review »
Feb 05, 2026 07:13AM · see review
Jess Riley wants to read The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli	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
Feb 03, 2026 08:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Riley rated a book it was amazing Cronus (The Time Traveler's Passport) by P. Djèlí Clark (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
Feb 01, 2026 04:51PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Jess's books…

Quotes by Jess Riley (?)

“It’s only physical, she reminded herself. Just lust. Some kind of twisted, mutual escape valve. And those physical things, with no love or respect or loyalty to bind and preserve them, had a short shelf life. They were limited-time offers. Three months, tops.”
― Jess Riley, Mandatory Release

1 likes

“I want to move to the mountains. I want to live in a little cabin next to a towering, tenacious mountain fourteen thousand feet above sea level and eat a bowl of raisin bran every morning in its shadow.”
― Jess Riley, Driving Sideways

tags: inspirational, travel

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Challenge: 50 Books: Vivian's fifty in twenty ten - done!	31	82	Oct 12, 2010 11:29PM
Crazy Challenge C...: Celebrating the Barcode Challenge	201	138	Sep 18, 2013 06:29AM
Crazy Challenge C...: Spring 2013 Scavenger Challenge - Spring Cleaning	304	151	Oct 16, 2013 11:16PM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2013 Countdown	415	325	Jan 14, 2014 06:52PM
Crazy Challenge C...: The Language of Flowers Challenge	312	171	Mar 31, 2014 08:27PM

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Jess’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-6) post a comment »

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newest »

message 6: by Jeannie

Nov 10, 2008 07:26PM

Hi Jess and thanks so much for the add! I love your website, btw. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Smiles,
Jeannie

reply | flag

message 5: by Roger

Oct 30, 2008 10:38AM

Hi Jess,
No jokes about what made Milwaukie famous,
glad to have your friendship on Goodreads.
ROGER

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message 4: by Kate

Sep 15, 2008 04:37PM

Thanks for connecting as readerly friends. I'd like to invite you to read the first chapter of my new novel:

http://forthemayqueen.blogspot.com/

Sincerely,
Kate (PS: I added your book to my "to read" list!)

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message 3: by Kate

Sep 11, 2008 12:06PM