417 ratings | 148 reviews | avg rating:5.00

Cynthia’s Year In Books

Cynthia’s 2024 Year in Books

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

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Cynthia Swanson’s Followers (768)

Cynthia’s Bookshelves

to-read (476)
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beautiful-prose (45)
biography-memoir (31)
books-about-writing (6)
classics (42)
educational (15)
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Cynthia’s Friends (234)

Hailey

5,678 books | 1,598 friends

Karen

1,763 books | 268 friends

Suzy

1,661 books | 813 friends

Linda

6,378 books | 3,726 friends

Cyndi

4,043 books | 681 friends

Leslie Lindsay

2,221 books | 300 friends

Laura Wonderchick

2,987 books | 1,267 friends

Lisa Montanaro

3,498 books | 841 friends

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Cynthia Swanson

Goodreads Author

Born

Milwaukee, The United States

Website

http://www.cynthiaswansonauthor.com

Twitter

cynswanauthor

Genre

Historical Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

Member Since

January 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/cynthiaswan

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Cynthia Swanson writes psychological thrillers, often using historical settings. Cynthia’s debut novel, The Bookseller, was a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next selection, the winner of the 2016 WILLA Award for Historical Fiction, and is slated to be a motion picture produced by Julia Roberts. The Bookseller was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award and is translated into 18 languages. Cynthia’s second novel, The Glass Forest, was a USA Today bestseller, a CAL Award finalist, has been noted in Forbes as being one of “Five Novels With a Remarkably Strong Sense of Place” and is translated into 7 languages. Her third novel, Anyone But Her, won the 2025 Colorado Book Award (Thriller), was a finalist for the 2025 WILLA Award (Mystery/Th ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

I loved the time era The Bookseller was set in. What made you choose the early 1960's for this story?

Cynthia Swanson Hi, Vicky. Initially, the story was set in the present day. I realized shortly into a first draft that the story belonged in an earlier era. Technolog…moreHi, Vicky. Initially, the story was set in the present day. I realized shortly into a first draft that the story belonged in an earlier era. Technology and our fast-paced lifestyle were incongruous with the slow way in which Kitty had to find out what was happening. I chose the 60s because I love the era design-wise -- the clothes, the cars, the homes and funishings. And it was a fascinating time of social change, so that worked well for the story. Thanks for reading The Bookseller!(less)

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Have you thought of writing 60s era YAL? Or YAL at all?

Cynthia Swanson Hi, Ray. Interesting question! My upcoming second novel, The Glass Forest, takes place in 1960 and includes three narrators -- age 21, age 17, and one…moreHi, Ray. Interesting question! My upcoming second novel, The Glass Forest, takes place in 1960 and includes three narrators -- age 21, age 17, and one who tells the family history, starting when she's 20 through age 38. So perhaps that setup satisfies this request. The Glass Forest releases on February 6, 2018 -- make sure to keep an eye out for it. Thanks!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...(less)

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Cynthia Swanson’s books

Average rating: 3.69 · 26,957 ratings · 3,807 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Bookseller 3.68 avg rating — 21,427 ratings — published 2015 — 7 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 Glass Forest 3.71 avg rating — 4,976 ratings — published 2018 — 24 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
	Anyone But Her 3.67 avg rating — 327 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
	Denver Noir by Cynthia Swanson (Goodreads Author) (editor), Peter Heller (contributor), Barbara Nickless (Goodreads Author) (contributor) 3.65 avg rating — 227 ratings — 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

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

12 posts
Cynthia Swanson's Blog

Anyone But Her won the Colorado Book Award

Big news! My latest psychological thriller, Anyone But Her, won the 2025 Colorado Book Award in the Thriller category. If you haven't yet had a chance to check out Anyone But Her -- a mother/daughter story and a ghost story, set in Denver in 1979 and 2004 -- please do. Thanks!

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Published on August 04, 2025 10:14 • Tags: award, ghost-story, thriller

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Cynthia’s Recent Updates

Cynthia Swanson wrote a new blog post Anyone But Her won the Colorado Book Award Big news! My latest psychological thriller, Anyone But Her, won the 2025 Colorado Book Award in the Thriller category. If you haven't yet had a chance Read more of this blog post »
Aug 04, 2025 10:14AM · 1 like · like
Cynthia is now following Linda Keir Author of Drowning with Others
Sep 11, 2024 07:38PM · like

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Quotes by Cynthia Swanson (?)

“I think suddenly about what it means to grow old. It means that all those that you loved as a youth become nothing but photographs on a wall, words in a story, memories in a heart.”
― Cynthia Swanson, The Bookseller

27 likes

“Trust your happiness and the richness of your life at this moment. It is as true and as much yours as anything else that ever happened to you. —Katherine Anne Porter, Letters of Katherine Anne Porter”
― Cynthia Swanson, The Bookseller

8 likes

“But there is something about pleasing your parents, even when you’re grown up, even when you’re almost middle-aged yourself. It never goes away, at least not for me.”
― Cynthia Swanson, The Bookseller

5 likes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Challenge Fac...: April TCF'S Monthly Challenge	37	110	May 03, 2015 12:51PM
The Challenge Fac...: 2015 TCF Spring has Sprung Seasonal Challenge	61	162	Jun 24, 2015 04:45PM
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2015: Completed Tasks (DO NOT DELETE POSTS)	3424	688	Sep 01, 2015 07:40PM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2015 RaT #8, August 28 - September 3	53	41	Sep 05, 2015 06:00PM
OKC Metro Area: What are you currently reading?	19	14	Sep 25, 2015 07:10PM

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Cynthia’s Quotes

“You have to believe in yourself despite the evidence.”
― Kent Haruf

144 likes

“You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.”
― Jodi Picoult

tags: writing, writing-advice, writing-process

115 likes

Cynthia’s Year In Books

Cynthia Swanson’s Followers (768)

Cynthia’s Bookshelves

Cynthia’s Friends (234)

Cynthia Swanson

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Cynthia Swanson’s books

12 posts
Cynthia Swanson's Blog

Anyone But Her won the Colorado Book Award

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Cynthia’s Recent Updates

Anyone But Her won the Colorado Book Award

Topics Mentioning This Author

Cynthia’s Quotes

recent posts
Cynthia’s Groups

Cynthia’s Friend Comments

Cynthia Swanson’s Followers (768)

Cynthia Swanson

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssCynthia’s Recent Updates

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Cynthia’s Recent Updates