684 ratings | 154 reviews | avg rating:4.64

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Paula’s Year In Books

Paula’s 2025 Year in Books

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Paula Berinstein’s Followers (358)

Paula’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (30)
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Paula Berinstein

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Twitter

pberinstein

Genre

Children's, Young Adult, Mystery

Influences

Blake Snyder
J.K. Rowling
Diana Gabaldon ...more

Member Since

January 2010

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Paula Berinstein is the author of the Amanda Lester, Detective middle-grade/YA series, which features a descendant of the Sherlock Holmes character Inspector Lestrade and is set in the English Lake District.

She is also the author of the Indigo (time travel) and The King's Alchemist (historical fantasy) series for adults.

From 2005 to 2012, Paula produced and hosted the popular podcast The Writing Show (http://www.writingshow.com). She holds degrees in English literature and librarianship from UCLA. ...more

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Combine Editions
Paula Berinstein’s books

Average rating: 4.05 · 611 ratings · 176 reviews · 67 distinct works

	Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective, #1) 4.04 avg rating — 160 ratings — published 2015 — 5 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
	Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis (Amanda Lester, Detective, #2) 3.93 avg rating — 44 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
	Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle (Amanda Lester, Detective, #3) 4.13 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2015 — 4 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
	Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks' Secret (Amanda Lester, Detective #4) 4.17 avg rating — 29 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
	Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus (Amanda Lester, Detective, #5) 4.47 avg rating — 19 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
	Indigo (Indigo, #1) 3.73 avg rating — 22 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
	Making Space Happen: Private Space Ventures and the Visionaries Behind Them by Paula Berinstein (Goodreads Author), Fiorella Terenzi (Foreword) 4.06 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2002 — 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
	Amanda Lester and the Gold Spectacles Surprise (Amanda Lester, Detective, #6) 4.07 avg rating — 14 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
	Amanda Lester and the Green Monkey Gotcha (Amanda Lester, Detective, #7) 4.09 avg rating — 11 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
	Amanda Lester and the Black Shadow Terror (Amanda Lester, Detective, #8) by Paula Berinstein (Goodreads Author), Anna Mogileva (Illustrator) 4.50 avg rating — 10 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 Paula Berinstein…

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Paula Berinstein's Blog

Ivy Halpin and the Irish Bog Witches

The newest book in my Amanda Lester, Detective series, featuring a blind detective!

Who is the body in the bog and what does he have to do with a missing child?

When Ivy’s cousin Kevin invites her to investigate a missing persons case in Ireland, she jumps at the chance. But before they can reach their destination, Kevin’s plane is forced down into a bog where the detectives bump up against a pe Read more of this blog post »

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Published on March 03, 2020 09:59 • Tags: blind, detectives, ireland, ya

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Series by Paula Berinstein

Amanda Lester, Detective (10 books)
by

Paula Berinstein (Goodreads Author)

4.10 avg rating — 342 ratings

Writing Dialogue (6 books)
by

Paula Berinstein (Goodreads Author)

4.35 avg rating — 34 ratings

Indigo (2 books)
by

Paula Berinstein (Goodreads Author)

3.79 avg rating — 24 ratings

Paula is Currently Reading

Paula Berinstein is currently reading

The Long Night: William L. Shirer and the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

by Steve Wick

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Feb 19, 2026 12:39PM

Paula Berinstein is currently reading

Raising Philadelphia: The Making of America’s First Great City, 1750–1775

by Justin McHenry

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 20, 2025 03:29PM

Paula Berinstein is currently reading

The History of the Hobbit

by John D. Rateliff

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 11, 2025 02:46PM

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Paula’s Recent Updates

Paula Berinstein entered a giveaway Paradox (Cash & Colcord #2) by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author) 50 copies available, ends on March 22, 2026 Enter to win »
Mar 01, 2026 04:46AM · like · see giveaway
Paula Berinstein is currently reading The Long Night: William L. Shirer and the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by Steve Wick	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 19, 2026 12:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Long Night by Steve Wick. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Long Night by Steve Wick <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paula Berinstein entered a giveaway Harlem Shuffle (Ray Carney, #1) by Colson Whitehead (Goodreads Author) 15 copies available, ends on March 09, 2026 Enter to win »
Feb 16, 2026 06:59AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paula Berinstein rated a book liked it It's in His Kiss: The 2nd Epilogue (Bridgertons, #7.5) by Julia Quinn (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 14, 2026 05:58PM · like
Paula Berinstein rated a book it was ok Abundance by Ezra Klein	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 03, 2026 04:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Abundance by Ezra Klein. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Abundance by Ezra Klein <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paula Berinstein rated a book liked it Folk Around and Find Out (Good Folk: Modern Folktales, #2) by Penny Reid (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
Jan 03, 2026 04:47PM · like
Paula Berinstein is now following Cory Doctorow Author of Little Brother (Little Brother, #1)
Dec 19, 2025 04:34PM · like
Paula Berinstein rated a book it was amazing Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow (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
Dec 19, 2025 04:02PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Enshittification by Cory Doctorow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paula Berinstein is on page 155 of 338 of Enshittification: Absolutely mind-blowing. Everyone should read this book, which explains how big business and private equity are cheating customers, workers, suppliers, and competitors. Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow (Goodreads Author) progress:	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
Dec 17, 2025 03:55PM · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Enshittification by Cory Doctorow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Paula Berinstein is currently reading Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Nonfiction	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
Dec 17, 2025 03:53PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Enshittification by Cory Doctorow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Paula Berinstein (?)

“The books you read in childhood shape the person you become.”
― Paula Berinstein

tags: kids, reading

3 likes

“archenemy,”
― Paula Berinstein, Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Cozy Mysteries : 2016 Summer Challenge	110	162	Sep 29, 2016 09:12PM
Cozy Mysteries : 2016 Autumn Challenge	140	283	Dec 23, 2016 05:35AM
Nothing But Readi...: Team Murder on the Orient Express	1591	429	Aug 22, 2020 04:00PM
The Lost Challenges: August 2020 "Easy As 1, 2, 3"	68	57	Sep 08, 2020 12:16PM
The Lost Challenges: "Ducks In A Row" (AUG/SEPT 2020)	68	68	Oct 10, 2020 12:34PM

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Paula’s Quotes

“I would be perfectly willing if a publisher came up to me and said, "I need a novel about underwater Nazi cheerleaders and it has to be 309 pages long and I need fourteen chapters and a prologue.”
― Michael McDowell

tags: commercialism, writing-inspiration

23 likes

“Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backward.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

tags: draco-malfoy, stupidity

3205 likes

“Reader's Bill of Rights

1. The right to not read

2. The right to skip pages

3. The right to not finish

4. The right to reread

5. The right to read anything

6. The right to escapism

7. The right to read anywhere

8. The right to browse

9. The right to read out loud

10. The right to not defend your tastes”
― Daniel Pennac

tags: books, reading, rights

6994 likes

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

tags: accomplishment, attributed-no-source, be-yourself, conformity, individuality

69771 likes

“The purpose of a good education is to show you that there are three sides to a two-sided story.”
― Stanley Fish

2023 likes

More of Paula’s quotes…