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Lisa Genova

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Lisa Genova

Goodreads Author


Born
in The United States
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Oliver Sacks, Julia Cameron, Sanford Meisner

Member Since
November 2007

URL


Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University.

Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa has captured a special place in contemporary fiction, writing stories that are equally inspired by neurological conditions and our shared human condition. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels STILL ALICE, LEFT NEGLECTED, LOVE ANTHONY, INSIDE THE O'BRIENS, and EVERY NOTE PLAYED. 

Her first work of nonfiction, REMEMBER: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, published March 2021, became an instant New York Times bestseller.

STILL ALICE was adapted into a film starrin
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Popular Answered Questions

Lisa Genova My next novel will be about a woman with bipolar. And addiction is definitely on the list. I spent six years doing research on the molecular neurobiol…moreMy next novel will be about a woman with bipolar. And addiction is definitely on the list. I spent six years doing research on the molecular neurobiology of addiction--at Harvard, Mass General Hospital, and the NIH. Someday, I'll return to that world, this time in the form of fiction. Thank you!(less)
Average rating: 4.21 · 594,992 ratings · 60,547 reviews · 18 distinct worksSimilar authors
Still Alice

4.32 avg rating — 352,714 ratings — published 2007 — 152 editions
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Left Neglected

3.98 avg rating — 79,450 ratings — published 2011 — 64 editions
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Inside the O'Briens

4.01 avg rating — 49,463 ratings — published 2015 — 41 editions
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Every Note Played

4.11 avg rating — 45,964 ratings — published 2018 — 35 editions
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Love Anthony

3.97 avg rating — 37,752 ratings — published 2012 — 50 editions
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Remember: The Science of Me...

4.18 avg rating — 14,631 ratings — published 2021 — 41 editions
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More or Less Maddy

4.24 avg rating — 11,863 ratings — published 2025 — 13 editions
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Still Alice / Left Neglected

4.46 avg rating — 1,292 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions
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Still Alice / Left Neglecte...

4.54 avg rating — 116 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions
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Every Note Played / Still A...

4.76 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2019
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More books by Lisa Genova…

Leavens Her List With Something Spiritual

A recent interview I did with the Boston Globe about what I'm reading, what I've read, and why I read.

BOOKS: Are there any types of books that are especially good for your brain?

GENOVA: Any book that keeps you mentally engaged. I don’t mean jumping around from Twitter to Instagram to e-mail. You want to engage your imagination and the senses. Something that is challenging or immerses you in a worl Read more of this blog post »
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Published on November 13, 2018 10:03 Tags: boston-globe, lisa-genova, neuroscience, reading, still-alice

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Lisa’s Recent Updates

Lisa and 18 other people liked Caiti's review of More or Less Maddy:
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
"As a person living with a bipolar 2 diagnosis, I appreciate this book so much. The stigma that comes with the word, "bipolar", makes those of us living with it feel ashamed and embarrassed. I love that this book brings more awareness to the diagnosis" Read more of this review »
Lisa and 11 other people liked Justin P's review of More or Less Maddy:
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
"Absolutely heart-wrenching, profoundly empathetic, and thoughtfully written, More or Less Maddy is a triumph. As someone who has a lifetime of experience with my own mental health struggles, I appreciated what a complete picture Lisa Genova paints of" Read more of this review »
Lisa and 3 other people liked Sherry's review of More or Less Maddy:
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
"Between this awesome cover and that I still think of Still Alice at times, I knew I needed to read this book.

I think everyone could benefit from reading books that show mental illness from the inside. I was able to walk in Maddy’s shoes and feel her " Read more of this review »
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
"Reading a Lisa Genova novel is an "interactive" experience. You don't just view words on a page, you feel what the characters feel, hear what they hear, and see what they see. It's like stepping into the story and looking out into the world instead o" Read more of this review »
Lisa rated a book it was amazing
Little Matches by Maryanne O'Hara
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"Little Matches is the bravest and most generous of memoirs. It is the diary of your dearest friend, intimate and universal, an exquisitely written poem of deepest love, grief, and devotion. This is a journey of the soul. I feel haunted by these page ...more
Lisa rated a book it was amazing
James by Percival Everett
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Loved every page
Lisa rated a book it was ok
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew  Perry
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Lisa rated a book it was amazing
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
The Life Impossible
by Matt Haig (Goodreads Author)
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Lisa rated a book it was amazing
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig (Goodreads Author)
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Lisa rated a book really liked it
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante
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More of Lisa's books…
Quotes by Lisa Genova  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“You're so beautiful," said Alice. "I'm afraid of looking at you and not knowing who you are."
"I think that even if you don't know who I am someday, you'll still know that I love you."
"What if I see you, and I don't know that you're my daughter, and I don't know that you love me?"
"Then, I'll tell you that I do, and you'll believe me.”
Lisa Genova, Still Alice

“She liked being reminded of butterflies. She remembered being six or seven and crying over the fates of the butterflies in her yard after learning that they lived for only a few days. Her mother had comforted her and told her not to be sad for the butterflies, that just because their lives were short didn't mean they were tragic. Watching them flying in the warm sun among the daisies in their garden, her mother had said to her, see, they have a beautiful life. Alice liked remembering that.”
Lisa Genova, Still Alice

“And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted. This disease will not be bargained with. I can't offer it the names of the US presidents in exchange for the names of my children. I can't give it the names of state capitals and keep the memories of my husband.
...My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I'll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today doesn't matter.”
Lisa Genova, Still Alice

Polls

More...
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou

12544 The Life of a Book Addict — 12145 members — last activity Apr 04, 2025 01:34PM
We now read at "On the Same Page." ...more
25x33 Ask Lisa Genova! — 154 members — last activity Apr 17, 2015 07:30PM
In celebration of the paperback release of her latest book, Left Neglected, please join bestselling author Lisa Genova for a discussion of her work. L ...more



Comments (showing 1-18)    post a comment »
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message 18: by Sabina

Sabina Kelly Can't wait til Every Note Played comes out. Would you consider doing a book on LBD? Lewy Body Dementia?


message 17: by Jenni

Jenni Ogden Hi Lisa, I can't wait to read "Inside the O'Briens" (another wonderful title). From the description I know it will be an incredible novel—a novel that mirrors life in a way that uplifts as well as rips us apart. Such a terrible legacy HD families bear, but I see light at the end of the tunnel with IVF etc, and hopefully a change in attitude by some religions... I hope your new book is a widely read as "Still Alice"as HD families need all the support they can get, and reading stories as beautiful as yours is a powerful way to learn and understand hard truths.


message 16: by Beth

Beth Hi Lisa,
Thanks for adding me as a friend. I loved Still Alice!


☯Lilbookworm☮ Thanks for adding me, and sharing your talent. I'm looking forward to reading more from you. All my best.


message 14: by Joy

Joy Lisa - thank you for writing such beautiful books! I loved Still Alice and I just finished Left Neglected. I will definitely recommend both books to my friends. :) Hope to read Love Anthony very soon!


message 13: by K

K Hi Lisa,

This may sound a bit weird but after I first finished reading Still Alice, I kept searching for a way to contact you so I could just write you a letter about how much the book touched me. I'm a second year psychology undergraduate and for me, Still Alice was a beautiful, moving godsend. It's so easy to lose yourself in the constant assignments and learning because you have to to get a good grade. But this really reminded me of why I'm doing psychology and I'd like to thank you for that. I'm getting Left Neglected today and couldn't be more excited!


message 12: by Kristen

Kristen Hi Lisa, as a mother of an autistic child I cannot wait to read Love Anthony. Still Alice left such an impression on me as three of my grandparents suffered from Alzheimer’s. All the best to you and thank you for writing about such important health issues.


message 11: by Celeste (last edited Aug 31, 2012 10:44PM)

Celeste Hi Lisa!

I Love your book Still Alice I read it last year and when I saw you had another one out, Left Neglected I bought it right away! I finally have time to read again and am currently reading it and its just as amazing as the first. I hope you write many more and help people see a different perspective on other debilitating diseases.

I also picked up another book Before I Go To Sleep last year and its really good, if you haven't read it yet, you should I think you'd like that one. Have a great weekend!


Caroline Would you consider writing a book about Primary Progressive Aphasia... or any type of aphasia. My uncle has it and it has been interesting, intriguing and yet heart-breaking to observe. Would love to have you write one of your wonderful books about it. Please consider it!!!
Thanks!


Sharon We just finished reading Still Alice for our book club and the members loved the book. The way that you wrote the progression of Alice's disease was really well done. I look forward to reading Left Neglected. I added it to my to read list!


message 8: by Lisa

Lisa Cheryl wrote: "Lisa,

Thank you for accepting my friend request! I've read Still Alice and will be reading Left Neglected soon. I'm a budding writer and a psychology major hoping to become a neurologist one day. ..."


Wow, Cheryl, that's so cool! Thanks so much for finding me here. And thanks for reading STILL ALICE. Hope you enjoy LEFT NEGLECTED!
Best of luck with your studies and dreams!
Lisa


Cheryl Lisa,

Thank you for accepting my friend request! I've read Still Alice and will be reading Left Neglected soon. I'm a budding writer and a psychology major hoping to become a neurologist one day. You're an inspiration and one of my idols!

Cheryl


message 6: by Jeana

Jeana Lisa,
Thank you for accepting my friend request. I am a huge fan of your writing, and I can't wait to read more! 'Still Alice' is one of my favorite books!
Jeana


Stuart Hi Lisa,

I am delighted to be friends here on goodreads, thank you...looking forward to reading 'Still Alice'.

All the best from Australia,

Stuart


Bradley I hope you are having a good day! =)

http://quizilla.com/users/orcishdream...

Dreamsbane of Tamalor by Bradley James Simpson


message 2: by Lisa

Lisa Thanks, Daniel! And thank you for the links to your book. I'll check it out!
Best,
Lisa


Daniel
Lisa, I've added your book Still Alice to my to-read list.


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