290 ratings | 53 reviews | avg rating:4.21

Michael’s Year In Books

Michael’s 2025 Year in Books

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

Go to Michael’s 2025 Year in Books

Michael Downs’s Followers (21)

Michael’s Bookshelves

to-read (8)
currently-reading (4)
read (297)
did-not-finish (0)

Michael’s Friends (18)

Patty

818 books | 91 friends

Meg

1,462 books | 52 friends

Debbie

864 books | 21 friends

Mahdis Marzooghian

308 books | 59 friends

Marlana Portolano

245 books | 69 friends

Patricia

702 books | 75 friends

Gerrie Leinfelder

422 books | 6 friends

Susi

268 books | 36 friends

More friends…

Michael Downs

Goodreads Author

Born

Hartford, CT, The United States

Website

http://www.michael-downs.net

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Nonfiction

Member Since

January 2012

edit data

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Michael Downs is the author of three books, including the novel, THE STRANGE AND TRUE TALE OF HORACE WELLS, SURGEON DENTIST (Acre Books, May 2018).

His first book, HOUSE OF GOOD HOPE: A PROMISE FOR A BROKEN CITY, won the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize. THE GREATEST SHOW (LSU Press, 2012), his second book, is a story collection inspired by the famous Hartford Circus Fire of 1944.

With Jim Hock, he wrote HOLLYWOOD'S TEAM: GRIT, GLAMOUR and the 1950s LOS ANGELES RAMS (Rare Bird Books, 2016).

He served as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Kraków, Poland in 2021-22. His other awards include literary fiction fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Maryland State Arts Council, and he has published ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Michael Downs questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Michael Downs’s books

Average rating: 4.14 · 105 ratings · 25 reviews · 4 distinct works

	The Greatest Show: Stories 3.98 avg rating — 64 ratings — published 2012 — 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
	The Strange and True Tale of Horace Wells, Surgeon Dentist 4.56 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 2018 — 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
	Hollywood's Team: Grit, Glamour, and the 1950s Los Angeles Rams by Jim Hock, Michael Downs (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 25 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
	House of Good Hope: A Promise for a Broken City (River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize) 4.13 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2007 — 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

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

0 posts
Michael Downs's Blog

Michael Downs hasn't written any blog posts yet.

Michael is Currently Reading

Michael Downs is currently reading

Tom Lake

by Ann Patchett

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

May 26, 2026 07:04PM

Michael Downs is currently reading

Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God

by Rainer Maria Rilke

bookshelves: currently-reading

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 29, 2022 06:16AM

Michael Downs is currently reading

The Turn of the Screw

by Henry James

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Nov 17, 2020 06:23PM

rss
Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael Downs is currently reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett	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
May 26, 2026 07:04PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tom Lake by Ann Patchett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs liked Linda’s status update Linda Mclean started reading North Woods
May 26, 2026 07:12AM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of North Woods by Daniel Mason. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — North Woods by Daniel Mason <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs rated a book it was ok A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar (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
May 23, 2026 06:02PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs rated a book it was amazing Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing	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
May 07, 2026 05:04AM · like
Michael Downs liked Kevin’s status update Kevin Keeley wants to read Stoner
May 03, 2026 07:39PM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Stoner by John Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Stoner by John Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs liked Kevin’s status update Kevin Keeley is currently reading The Light the Dead See: Selected Poems
Apr 29, 2026 06:22AM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Light the Dead See by Frank Stanford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Light the Dead See by Frank Stanford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs is currently reading Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing	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
Apr 19, 2026 04:20PM · like
Michael Downs rated a book really liked it Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (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
Apr 19, 2026 02:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mystic River by Dennis Lehane <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs is currently reading Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (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
Apr 06, 2026 11:12AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mystic River by Dennis Lehane <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Downs rated a book it was amazing The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (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
Apr 05, 2026 03:36AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Correspondent by Virginia Evans <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">