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Leah Raeder

Goodreads Author

Born

April 06, 1982

Website

http://www.leahraeder.com/

Twitter

leahraeder

Genre

Gay and Lesbian, Contemporary, Romance

Member Since

March 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/leahraeder

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LEAH RAEDER is a writer and unabashed nerd. Aside from reading her brains out, she enjoys graphic design, video games, fine whiskey, and the art of self-deprecation. She lives with her very own manic pixie dream boy in Chicago.

(And she still writes pretentiously lyrical fiction.)

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Popular Answered Questions

Lea, recently you’ve removed all your reviews from GR. Does it mean that you wouldn’t post any reviews anymore?

Leah Raeder Hi Ksenia,

Yes, I will no longer be reviewing books. While most readers are respectful of others' opinions, and I've enjoyed some great conversations h…moreHi Ksenia,

Yes, I will no longer be reviewing books. While most readers are respectful of others' opinions, and I've enjoyed some great conversations here about books I've both loved and hated, ultimately the trolling became too much to deal with. People have one-starred my books in retaliation, attempted to sabotage my sales, stalked me on social media, and repeatedly harassed me because of my reviews. When reviewing begins to negatively impact your livelihood and peace of mind, you have to ask yourself whether it's worth it. For me, the answer is no. I prefer to put my energy into writing books rather than dealing with trolls.

There's a belief among some people that authors should never criticize books, and I find that disappointing and bizarre. A writer, someone who lives and breathes words, is in a unique position to comment on literature and illuminate it in ways that others may not see. Literature has a long tradition of writers critiquing writing, sometimes harshly. Criticism is vital to all arts. Without criticism, nothing improves and no one learns or grows as an artist.

Unfortunately, the climate here at GR--and on social media in general--is changing for the worse. When I first began using Goodreads as a reader six or so years ago, it was easy to stumble across intelligent, thoughtful discussions with others who were passionate about books. GR had an intimate book club atmosphere. Whether or not you agreed with someone, you knew you were both passionate about the same things: discovering great books, and chatting with fellow booklovers.

Now there's a distinct Us vs. Them mentality, where discussions often devolve into fans and haters attacking each other for liking or not liking a book. This cultivates a culture of fear where people are afraid to speak honestly, lest they face backlash from an angry mob. Every day I see reviewers I admire get trolled and attacked for daring to express their honest opinions, especially when those opinions are critical. I've watched too many great reviewers hang up their hats because of the backlash. And I've continually stood up for reviewers' rights, which to me seems totally absurd because those rights should be self-evident: everyone is entitled to express their opinion on art without fear of bullying or harassment. That means readers *and* writers. An arts culture that frightens and silences critical voices is essentially dead.

The fearmongering and harassment isn't for me. I talk about books because I love books, and I don't censor myself. But I've got too many kickass novels to write to waste my words on trolls.

To those of you who continue to review in the face of such hostility: you have my deepest respect. You are brave souls. Keep thinking critically, writing honestly, and talking passionately about books. Keep authors on their toes. Keep challenging other readers to see new things in books, and keep demanding better books. There'd be no literature without readers. Keep letting us know you're out there, reading, opining, liking and disliking, raging and squeeing--and please, above all, respect each others' right to express an opinion.(less)

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26 comments

What advice would you give writers who aspire to write New Adult? I myself am writing in that genre, and I would just like some tips from my favorite NA writer. :)

Leah Raeder Wow. This is an excellent question.

My primary advice: don't be afraid. New Adult is, well, new, and that means it doesn't have to conform to the expec…moreWow. This is an excellent question.

My primary advice: don't be afraid. New Adult is, well, new, and that means it doesn't have to conform to the expectations and conventions of long-established genres/categories of fiction.

HEAs aren't mandatory. Romance isn't mandatory. Sex isn't mandatory. (Though one of NA's strengths is that you can write gloriously graphic sex scenes, unlike in YA. And I think we should be seizing this opportunity better--like, you know, by showing gay sex.)

The majority of New Adult squeezes itself into boring molds: white, straight, beautiful people fucking. Bad boys seducing virgins. Sexual trauma as the default backstory for "damaged" girls. Misogyny, both from the so-called "heroes," and internalized misogyny from the heroines themselves (slut-shaming, girl-hating, why does no heroine ever have any female friends who are not competitors?, etc.).

We can do better than this. NA is a wild, untamed frontier. I've refused to conform to the emerging popular conventions of this subcategory, and I hope others join me in doing so.

Let's see some fucking queer characters already. Let's see characters of color. Let's see characters with disabilities. Let's see characters of limited economic means struggling to make it in an increasingly class-hostile world. Let's see characters who don't go to Ivy League schools, but rather community colleges--or who skip college entirely and enter the workforce.

Let's see moral grayness, in all forms. Flawed characters. Hard choices. Angry, diabolical, ruthless heroines. Antiheroines. Unlikable characters who eventually grow and change and win your heart.

Let's see reality in its whole rainbow spectrum, not the same fucking rich white boys banging naive disempowered virgin girls.

Be brave. Take a risk. Shape New Adult into the glorious thing it can be. Dare to be diverse, and I'll have your back. And so will my readers.

Bring it.(less)

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157 likes · like
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See all 21 answers from Leah Raeder…

Combine Editions
Leah Raeder’s books

Average rating: 3.73 · 31,035 ratings · 5,596 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Unteachable by Leah Raeder (Goodreads Author), Elliot Wake (Goodreads Author) 3.74 avg rating — 23,095 ratings — published 2013 — 18 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
	Black Iris by Leah Raeder (Goodreads Author), Elliot Wake (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 5,674 ratings — published 2015 — 12 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
	Cam Girl by Leah Raeder (Goodreads Author), Elliot Wake (Goodreads Author) 3.67 avg rating — 2,144 ratings — published 2015 — 9 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
	Love at First Sight: A Hot Bed Sampler by Renee Carlino (Goodreads Author), Abbi Glines (Goodreads Author), Colleen Hoover (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 382 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	Crave: The 2015 Atria Indie Author Sampler by Renee Carlino (Goodreads Author), Abbi Glines (Goodreads Author), Karina Halle (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 110 ratings — published 2015	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
	Free Fall 3.33 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

More books by Leah Raeder…

50 posts
Leah Raeder's Blog

Starred reviews, public appearances, and beard/bicep progress.

Two starred reviews for Bad Boy

I’m wildly excited to announce that my forthcoming novel Bad Boy—a thriller about a trans man struggling to define his masculinity in a toxic, misogynistic world—has gotten starred reviews from both Kirkus and Booklist. Woo!

Public appearances

That’s right. IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING.

In 2017, I’ll be appearing at events to talk about my writing and gender transition. Detai

Leah is Currently Reading

Leah is currently reading

Steppenwolf

by Hermann Hesse

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 25, 2023 07:49PM

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Leah’s Recent Updates

Leah is currently reading Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse	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 25, 2023 07:49PM · like

More of Leah's books…

Quotes by Leah Raeder (?)

“Girls love each other like animals. There is something ferocious and unself-conscious about it. We don't guard ourselves like we do with boys. No one trains us to shield our hearts from each other. With girls, it's total vulnerability from the beginning. Our skin is bare and soft. We love with claws and teeth and the blood is just proof of how much. It's feral.

And it's relentless.”
― Leah Raeder, Black Iris

tags: lesbian, lgbt, love, obsession, queer

430 likes

“...You should love something while you have it, love it fully and without reservation, even if you know you'll lose it someday. We lose everything. If you're trying to avoid loss, there's no point in taking another breath, or letting your heart beat one more time. It all ends." His fingers curl around mine. "That's all life is. Breathing in, breathing out. The space between two breaths.”
― Leah Raeder, Unteachable

379 likes

“You can call it love, or you can call it freefall. They're pretty much the same thing.”
― Leah Raeder, Unteachable

311 likes

See all Leah Raeder's quotes »

Polls

What do you want to be our contemporary group read for October?

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

37 votes, 22.8%

Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines

23 votes, 14.2%

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

19 votes, 11.7%

Unteachable by Leah Raeder

16 votes, 9.9%

Stripped by Jasinda Wilder

15 votes, 9.3%

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

14 votes, 8.6%

Arsen by Mia Asher

11 votes, 6.8%

The Space Between by Victoria H. Smith

8 votes, 4.9%

Never Forget by Emma Hart

5 votes, 3.1%

Dear Rockstar by Emme Rollins

5 votes, 3.1%

Fear of Falling by S.L. Jennings

5 votes, 3.1%

Pregame by Taylor Wade

4 votes, 2.5%

162 total votes

1 comment

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Romance Readers R...: RRRC 5th Reading Tournament - Participants	57	281	Apr 21, 2014 04:12AM
Around the World ...: A to Z Authors	50	1980	Nov 29, 2014 02:48AM
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Coffee & Books: 2014 Read the Alphabet	58	180	Jan 05, 2015 05:26AM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter 2014 Completed Tasks: Do Not Delete Posts	4172	767	Mar 11, 2015 01:43PM

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Leah’s Quotes

“And the rest is rust and stardust.”
― Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

4858 likes

“There was a star riding through clouds one night, & I said to the star, 'Consume me'.”
― Virginia Woolf, The Waves

tags: clouds, star

1968 likes

“I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free.”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

3379 likes

“Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.”
― Max Frisch, Homo Faber

107 likes

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You

tags: writing

6450 likes

More of Leah’s quotes…

Leah’s Friend Comments

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Comments (showing 1-41) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 41: by Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)*

May 04, 2015 08:33PM

Thank you for accepting my friendvite - especially in light of all the batshit going on with goodreads lately :)

Looking forward to chatting books with you!

reply | flag

message 40: by Bianca

Apr 26, 2015 05:27PM

I kinda had a mini heart attack when I found out that my local bookstore carries Unteachable. Too bad it doesn't come in the original cover. But who am I kidding, I'm going to pick it up anyway >__>

reply | flag

message 39: by Leah

Apr 12, 2015 01:39PM

Aly∞ wrote: "Thank you for accepting my request! <3"

Girrrrrrrl. ♥

reply | flag

message 38: by Leah

Apr 07, 2015 12:34AM

Navessa wrote: "There's this Hozier song called Jackie and Wilson with the line:

"Me and my Isis growing black irises in the sunshine"

I THINK OF BLACK IRIS EVERY TIME I HEAR IT ^_^"

YESSSSSSSSS ME TOO. ♥♥♥

reply | flag

message 37: by Leah

Apr 01, 2015 02:06AM

No prob, Ksenia. Nice to meet you.

reply | flag

message 36: by Ksenia

Apr 01, 2015 01:17AM

Lea, thanks for accepting my friend request.

reply | flag

message 35: by Leah

Mar 27, 2015 12:32AM

Oh yes. It will be.

reply | flag

message 34: by Leah

Mar 18, 2015 02:08AM

Brigid (is a massive coffee addict) wrote: "Thanks for the friendship, Leah.

My thoughts lately:

"

PRETTY MUCH.

Also Scar. <3

reply | flag

message 33: by Brigid

Mar 18, 2015 01:49AM

Thanks for the friendship, Leah.

My thoughts lately:

reply | flag

message 32: by Leah

Mar 11, 2015 09:08PM

Thanks, guys. I have the utmost respect (and worry) for those of you who continue reviewing and braving the hostility. <3

reply | flag

message 31: by Bonnie

Mar 11, 2015 08:32PM

That's shit. I'm sorry people are such assholes, Leah. I loved your reviews and you were totally my go-to person if I was on the fence about a book.

reply | flag

message 30: by Vanessa (last edited Mar 11, 2015 08:29PM)

Mar 11, 2015 08:28PM

Wow, Leah, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Given the things that have happened because of book reviews, I don't blame you for deleting your reviews. It's a sad thing people behave this way, though.

reply | flag

message 29: by Leah

Mar 11, 2015 08:20PM

@Navessa & Vane: I removed my reviews due to trolling, stalking, and backlash against me and my books, not just here but on all my social media accounts. As much as I wanted to stand firm in the face of trolling, some seriously organized silencing tactics were being used. At the point where you start worrying if you need to alert your local police about online stalkers because someone is mad about a book review you wrote , it's just not worth it anymore.

reply | flag

message 28: by Vanessa

Mar 11, 2015 12:40AM

@Navessa I asked myself the same thing.

@Leah WHERE ARE THEY? I loved them. :'(

reply | flag

message 27: by Leah

Feb 15, 2015 10:22PM

CamRebel wrote: "Thank you, tesoro. <3"

♥♥♥

reply | flag

message 26: by Cam *tactile seeker* (last edited Feb 15, 2015 10:08PM)

Feb 15, 2015 10:05PM

Thank you, tesoro. <3

reply | flag

message 25: by Leah

Aug 09, 2014 02:53AM

Navessa wrote: "OH, HAAAIIII."

HERRO. I DID NOT KNOW YOU ALSO WRITE. HOW COOL ARE YOU.

reply | flag

message 24: by Leah

Apr 08, 2014 04:02PM

Ash Wednesday wrote: "Belated Birthday Wishes!!! <3

"

<3 <3 <3

reply | flag

message 23: by Ash Wednesday

Apr 08, 2014 10:16AM

Belated Birthday Wishes!!! <3

reply | flag

message 22: by Leah

Mar 05, 2014 06:20PM

Cathryn wrote: "Got my signed copy of Unteachable with the original cover today. So happy! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Haha, awesome gif. And you're very welcome. <3

reply | flag

message 21: by Cathryn

Mar 05, 2014 06:00PM

Got my signed copy of Unteachable with the original cover today. So happy! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

photo tumblr_inline_mg2d3c9ilL1rv1jfr_zps2b2ada6b.gif

reply | flag

message 20: by Leah

Feb 16, 2014 04:28PM

Ash Wednesday wrote: "I FUCKING LOVE YOU, YOU FUCKING ROCKSTAR!!!

And yes, when does high school end, really?"

Ash! Insane <3 back at you, girl.

AND YES. THESE AND OTHER QUESTIONS WILL BE EXPLORED IN blah blah blah. :D

reply | flag

message 19: by Ash Wednesday (last edited Feb 16, 2014 04:09AM)

Feb 16, 2014 03:53AM

I FUCKING LOVE YOU, YOU FUCKING ROCKSTAR!!!

And yes, when does high school end, really?

reply | flag

message 18: by Leah

Nov 16, 2013 03:14PM

Wendy Darling wrote: "FYI--your avatar always makes me laugh when I see it. CLEVER GIRL."

:D

reply | flag

message 17: by Wendy Darling

Nov 16, 2013 02:13PM

FYI--your avatar always makes me laugh when I see it. CLEVER GIRL.

reply | flag

message 16: by Leah

Oct 10, 2013 07:43PM

Beatrix wrote: "Hi Leah,
Just to let you know that the interview's been posted on Way Too Hot Books blog! :)
http://waytoohotbooks.blogspot.com/20..."

Awesomesauce. Thank you! <3

reply | flag

message 15: by Beatrix

Oct 10, 2013 06:58PM

Hi Leah,
Just to let you know that the interview's been posted on Way Too Hot Books blog! :)
http://waytoohotbooks.blogspot.com/20...

reply | flag

message 14: by Bianca

Oct 02, 2013 09:04PM

It was kind of a joke title. You know how so many NA..."

LOL I never really thought much of book titles but I admit I was curious to what Unteachable meant to the story. The title makes the book stick out somehow though ;D

reply | flag

message 13: by Leah

Oct 02, 2013 04:30PM

Bianca wrote: "Leah, I was looking at GR's lists and I saw you voted for Unteachable for Worst Book Titles. You don't like your book title? :p"

It was kind of a joke title. You know how so many NA books are titled Un-something? I couldn't think of a better title, so I just called it Unteachable, but then it sorta stuck and I decided to keep it, even though it still sounds ridiculous to me. :D

reply | flag

message 12: by Bianca

Oct 02, 2013 02:33PM

Leah, I was looking at GR's lists and I saw you voted for Unteachable for Worst Book Titles. You don't like your book title? :p

reply | flag

message 11: by Leah

Sep 25, 2013 04:03AM

Ana RiTa wrote: "This has got to be the best one yet

found it on BookLikes bwahahahaha"

#winning

reply | flag

message 10: by Leah

Sep 03, 2013 10:56PM

Nenia wrote: "Yayyyyy! I'm friends with Leah the Awesome! <3"

Hullo. ♥

reply | flag

message 9: by Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨

Sep 03, 2013 10:51PM

Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

Yayyyyy! I'm friends with Leah the Awesome! <3

reply | flag

message 8: by Leah

Sep 03, 2013 08:10PM

Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter wrote: "I don't accept friend invites for the time being but I make an exception for you coz you are awesome too! Thanks for the friend invite. Look forward to chatting books with you. :)) <3"

Awww, thank you. <3

reply | flag

message 7: by Baba

Sep 03, 2013 08:04PM

I don't accept friend invites for the time being but I make an exception for you coz you are awesome too! Thanks for the friend invite. Look forward to chatting books with you. :)) <3

reply | flag

message 6: by Leah

Sep 02, 2013 04:08PM

Beatrix wrote: "Hi Leah :)
You're awesome ! :*"

♥

reply | flag

message 5: by Beatrix

Sep 02, 2013 03:10PM

Hi Leah :)
You're awesome ! :*

reply | flag

message 4: by Leah

Aug 16, 2013 05:09PM

Bianca wrote: "Thanks for accepting my friend invite! Obviously I loved Unteachable! I'm actually rereading some parts after thinking about Maise and Evan for a day :P

And I've been seeing your comments on All O..."

Awwww, I'm blushing. So glad you loved UT. <3

reply | flag

message 3: by Bianca (last edited Aug 16, 2013 04:51PM)

Aug 16, 2013 04:51PM

Thanks for accepting my friend invite! Obviously I loved Unteachable! I'm actually rereading some parts after thinking about Maise and Evan for a day :P

And I've been seeing your comments on All Our Pretty Songs. I must really love your writing since I find even your simplest thoughts amusing ;D

reply | flag

message 2: by Leah

Aug 15, 2013 05:00PM

Georgia ♥ Team Dex ♥ wrote: "Hey Leah! Thank you for accepting my friendinvite! I fell in love with "Unteachable". Amazing job, exceptional writing style.

Nice meeting you! :D"

I LOVE your review. Thanks for reading and writing such a beautiful response. <3

reply | flag

message 1: by Georgia ♥

Aug 15, 2013 04:31PM