Michael Hartnett (Author of The Blue Rat)

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing The Weaning Hill by Joe Edd Morris	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
Out of the Darkness, an Inspiring Journey toward the Light Joe Edd Morris’s The Weaning Hill is a penetrating examination of how a couple and finds its way forward after their marriage falls apart. If you haven’t read Morris before, you will be struc ...more
Jul 12, 2025 02:38AM · 1 like · like · see review
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing God's Ponzi by Robert Buschel	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
A Brilliant, Timely Novel Early on in Robert Buschel’s brilliant and revelatory novel God’s Ponzi, our hero/anti-hero Gregory [aka GP] scouts his own makeup with his usual clear-eyed candor: “My only flaw? My need to feel important; my need to beat ot ...more
Jul 08, 2025 09:11AM · like · see review
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Pinch Hitting by Morris Hoffman (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
What a Wise, Wonderful Novel Morris Hoffman has written a novel about baseball, but it is also one of relationships in all of their anxious complexity and one about music whether it be the sweet harmony of language or the classical brilliance of the ...more
Jun 11, 2025 06:38PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pinch Hitting by Morris Hoffman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pinch Hitting by Morris Hoffman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Spirit Light: Volume 1 (The Spirit Song Saga) by Ross Hightower	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
Too Much Delight to Want an End As the legends of their people grow, the Alle’oss engage in a wonderful oral tradition, one that echoes Homeric and old English storytelling. At times embellished but compulsively riveting, these tales are a fitting tri ...more
May 27, 2025 06:13PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spirit Light by Ross Hightower. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spirit Light by Ross Hightower <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Boy of Heaven by Morris Hoffman (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
A Glorious Spiritual Tale Delivered with a Sharp, Secular Pen Morris Hoffman’s Boy of Heaven is one of those rare tales that possesses a timeless grace. In a Milan stable that was once the church refectory, an unnamed boy has visions of the dissolved ...more
May 22, 2025 04:01PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Boy of Heaven by Morris Hoffman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Boy of Heaven by Morris Hoffman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Spirit Sight: Volume Two (The Spirit Song Saga Book 2) by Ross Hightower	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
Out of the Whirlwind Comes Redemption Early in the second book of Ross Hightower’s enthralling Spirit Sight, the nimble, clever, and resourceful Aron asks the troubled inquisitor Harold penetrating questions: “What kind of man do you want to be? An in ...more
May 21, 2025 01:26PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spirit Sight by Ross Hightower. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spirit Sight by Ross Hightower <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Price of Vengeance by Kurt D. Springs (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
Keeping Your Soul When the Hurly-Burly’s Done In the title of his sophisticated opening novel of the Dreamscape Warriors series, Kurt Springs speaks to the complications and nuances of trying to survive and succeed in a brutal environment. In what mi ...more
May 19, 2025 01:34PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Price of Vengeance by Kurt D. Springs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Price of Vengeance by Kurt D. Springs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Spirit Sight (Spirit Song, #1) by Ross Hightower	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
A Big-Hearted Fantasy Late in Ross Hightower’s splendid Spirit Sight, the first of the Spirit Song trilogy, the young witch Minna makes a breakthrough that is both thrilling and satisfying. On so many levels, this novel is about harnessing the reserv ...more
May 16, 2025 01:28PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Spirit Sight by Ross Hightower. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Spirit Sight by Ross Hightower <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Second Pocket First by Gregory Grosvenor	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
A True Original Marked by Great Writing I apologize in advance for how often I quote from Gregory Grosvenor’s hilarious and exquisitely written Second Pocket First. Grosvenor is a gifted stylist who depicts the incorrigible Issey with charming quirki ...more
May 15, 2025 03:44PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Second Pocket First by Gregory Grosvenor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Second Pocket First by Gregory Grosvenor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing Desulti: An Epic Fantasy (Spirit Song: Rebels Rising) by Ross Hightower	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
A Character Who Stays with You In Ross Hightower’s and Deb Heim’s Desulti, an epic fantasy that is part of the Rebels Rising series, Tove elevates to one of those indelible characters who stays in the reader’s memory long after the book has been close ...more
May 05, 2025 02:09PM · 2 likes · like · see review

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

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Out of the Darkness, an Inspiring Journey toward the Light
Joe Edd Morris’s The Weaning Hill is a penetrating examination of how a couple and finds its way forward after their marriage falls apart. If you haven’t read Morris before, you will be struc ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

God's Ponzi
by Robert Buschel

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A Brilliant, Timely Novel
Early on in Robert Buschel’s brilliant and revelatory novel God’s Ponzi, our hero/anti-hero Gregory [aka GP] scouts his own makeup with his usual clear-eyed candor: “My only flaw? My need to feel important; my need to beat ot ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Pinch Hitting
by Morris Hoffman (Goodreads Author)

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What a Wise, Wonderful Novel
Morris Hoffman has written a novel about baseball, but it is also one of relationships in all of their anxious complexity and one about music whether it be the sweet harmony of language or the classical brilliance of the ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Spirit Light: Volume 1 (The Spirit Song Saga)
by Ross Hightower

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Too Much Delight to Want an End
As the legends of their people grow, the Alle’oss engage in a wonderful oral tradition, one that echoes Homeric and old English storytelling. At times embellished but compulsively riveting, these tales are a fitting tri Too Much Delight to Want an End
As the legends of their people grow, the Alle’oss engage in a wonderful oral tradition, one that echoes Homeric and old English storytelling. At times embellished but compulsively riveting, these tales are a fitting tribute to the Spirit Song Saga yet to be completed.
As the third in the series, Ross Hightower’s Spirit Light catches the reader amid a saga that is arcing toward a huge climax. Yet, the reader is in no rush since this epic tale is entertaining and intriguing every step of the way. Minna, Alyn, Aron and the rest of the Alle’oss rebels are confronted with how to proceed without their guiding force Regan, whose plans to defeat the Empire are lost with her death. Their thrashing and groping are marked by moments of insights and decisiveness that are exhilarating.
Yet so many forces are working against them, including the crafty lead Inquisitor Hoerst and this trio of formidable witches, that the ragtag rebels must find help in unexpected places. The scenes with former inquisitor Harold are a constant delight and the emergence of Sera, the daring, gifted daughter of Marshall Victor Storm, provides another layer of texture to this rich tapestry. Hightower’s skill of not only shifting perspective from character to character but also developing meticulously crafted societies around them (whether in royal Brennan or the seedy Ferol ghetto) encourages the reader to invest more deeply in this environment that serves as a concave mirror to our own.
And oh, the surprises, like Alyn’s troubling spirit and some late twists in the battle with the mercenaries, leave the reader contemplating where Hightower will turn next. The impending battle between Minna and Macha has already initiated … as much one of wits and foresight as it is skill and power. Yes, the reader can sense a big finish coming in the next novel, but the delight of this saga is there is no rush to get there. We are gathered around the fire waiting to hear more of this rousing tale. ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Boy of Heaven
by Morris Hoffman (Goodreads Author)

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A Glorious Spiritual Tale Delivered with a Sharp, Secular Pen
Morris Hoffman’s Boy of Heaven is one of those rare tales that possesses a timeless grace. In a Milan stable that was once the church refectory, an unnamed boy has visions of the dissolved ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Spirit Sight: Volume Two (The Spirit Song Saga Book 2)
by Ross Hightower

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Out of the Whirlwind Comes Redemption
Early in the second book of Ross Hightower’s enthralling Spirit Sight, the nimble, clever, and resourceful Aron asks the troubled inquisitor Harold penetrating questions: “What kind of man do you want to be? An in ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Price of Vengeance
by Kurt D. Springs (Goodreads Author)

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Keeping Your Soul When the Hurly-Burly’s Done
In the title of his sophisticated opening novel of the Dreamscape Warriors series, Kurt Springs speaks to the complications and nuances of trying to survive and succeed in a brutal environment. In what mi Keeping Your Soul When the Hurly-Burly’s Done
In the title of his sophisticated opening novel of the Dreamscape Warriors series, Kurt Springs speaks to the complications and nuances of trying to survive and succeed in a brutal environment. In what might have been a satisfying, climactic scene of bloodlust in lesser hands, Springs points to the dehumanizing Price of Vengeance. Both the main character Liam and the reader are left uneasy, even desolate, by the acts committed.
Liam certainly has reasons to seek that vengeance, given the loss of both his parents and his beloved stepparents to villainous forces. Yet his desire is counterbalanced by his burgeoning wisdom as he grows in both fighting skills and intellectual understanding through honing his formidable powers.
On one level, his ability to step out of time and encounter alternate reality allows him as a soldier to use the dreamscape for scouting, scrounging weapons, and plotting strategies. But through the training of the otherworldly Jarek, Liam comes to fuse his ever-present sense of duty with a subtler perception of how he reconsiders his role in an existential fight against Chitin (the huge colony insects) and their humanoid leader Azurius.
Azurius is a wonderful villian, urbane, brilliant, and complex. His casual Shakespeare references speak to his anticipatory perceptions of human behaviors. In other words, he is a foe that forces Liam to stretch his abilities beyond what is possible. Their chess match is given another layer as Liam’s stepbrother and most loyal friend Randolf commands what’s left of the eviscerated forces of New Olympia, the last surviving city.
In one of the novel’s master plot strokes, Liam and Randolf strategize in concentric circles around each other. If Liam engages in immediate, high adrenaline missions, Randolf must adopt a broader view of the entire New Olympia community; yet even with Randolf’s overarching vision, Liam and his dream-walking encounters expand the possibilities of that vision wider and deeper.
Oh, this novel is rip-roaring fun, even as its strong moral core offers gravitas to the proceedings. The thrills and tension come to a stomach-churning, fulfilling climax that serves as a counterpoint to the earlier brutal scene mentioned in the opening of this review.
The emergence late in the novel of Marisa as a character to watch points to a sequel that will propel onward the rich intrigue developed in Price of Vengeance. I look forward to seeing where Springs takes us next. ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Spirit Sight (Spirit Song, #1)
by Ross Hightower

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A Big-Hearted Fantasy
Late in Ross Hightower’s splendid Spirit Sight, the first of the Spirit Song trilogy, the young witch Minna makes a breakthrough that is both thrilling and satisfying. On so many levels, this novel is about harnessing the reserv ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Second Pocket First
by Gregory Grosvenor

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A True Original Marked by Great Writing
I apologize in advance for how often I quote from Gregory Grosvenor’s hilarious and exquisitely written Second Pocket First. Grosvenor is a gifted stylist who depicts the incorrigible Issey with charming quirki A True Original Marked by Great Writing
I apologize in advance for how often I quote from Gregory Grosvenor’s hilarious and exquisitely written Second Pocket First. Grosvenor is a gifted stylist who depicts the incorrigible Issey with charming quirkiness and aplomb. Here is an excerpt of Issey’s first house break-in that captures Grosvenor’s cadence and appealing humor. “He was in there anywhere between four hours and four seconds. He was hot. He was cold. He was smooth. He fell. He was dizzy. He was organized. He stole with fury. He stole with calm. He came out with a garlic press. He left his gloves inside. He didn’t know what a garlic press was.” (19%).
After his poor thieving skills left him cast out of a Boston heist, Issey returns to his hometown in Vermont’s Bell River Valley and proceeds to steal with abandon from the community. True to the paradoxical sensibility of this smart, mad novel, the story turns on what Issey doesn’t take. While Issey tends to pilfer anything and everything in sight – albeit in small doses – he does not steal Avi’s three horses. Their loss is mystery that unnerves Issey.
Possessed with just enough introspection to confuse himself, Issey blithely bumbles his way to community admiration for a heroic act he is not sure he committed. Soon, residents look to Issey to restore their lost items. While I don’t want to ruin the fun, let’s just say that Grosvenor deftly weaves ironies. This book is filled with so many pleasures, including the characterizations, ranging from Issey’s childhood buddy Eight Jeff (“He had the broad rotisserie shoulders of a basement bench-presser—but that was it. The rest of him was in a shamble. He had pale thinning hair, a permanent yawn-chin, wifely thighs, and pronounced love handles”) to his early mentor Claudia Bund (“She was a lot of everything that wasn’t really there”). As Issey navigates his way from one crisis to another, the novel’s droll sensibility pervades with snappy dialogue and dizzying lists. Indeed, there are too many good lines (“Issey didn’t know a lot about his mother, only that he was a good son”), including the wonderful interactions with the sister-in-law Anissa (“She cooks like she hates food”). And Anissa’s book is another hoot.
The title derives from Issey’s casual advice when a client is in search for something lost: “It’s like how you never find your car keys in the first pocket you look. … That’s why you always want to look in the second pocket first.” Even Issey’s romance is marked by indirection as he believes he is involved with Rhonda while he’s actually with Molly. That name switch is indicative of the slippery nature of the plot, just as with the question of what transpired with Avi’s three horses. Such pretzel logic will intertwine toward a crazed climax, one initiated by the return of the chief criminal Berger, who is both a yardstick by which Issey measures himself and a flawed ideal he must surpass.
Ultimately, Second Pocket First functions on another level as it speaks to America’s perverse relationship with consumerism. In the revelatory late scenes, the novel’s central questions are resolved: “Whose hands were doing the giving and whose hands were doing the taking?” Naturally, Grosvenor provides answers that are disarming, amusing, and, at times, poignant. The late scene with Molly is a stunner. In the loopy world of this novel, thievery can indeed become a gift to others, given Issey’s incompetencies and unmalicious motives.
Daring and original, Second Pocket First is a great read, one where the writing shines and the dark, smart thoughts behind them stick with you. ...more

Michael Hartnett rated a book it was amazing

Desulti: An Epic Fantasy (Spirit Song: Rebels Rising)
by Ross Hightower

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A Character Who Stays with You
In Ross Hightower’s and Deb Heim’s Desulti, an epic fantasy that is part of the Rebels Rising series, Tove elevates to one of those indelible characters who stays in the reader’s memory long after the book has been close A Character Who Stays with You
In Ross Hightower’s and Deb Heim’s Desulti, an epic fantasy that is part of the Rebels Rising series, Tove elevates to one of those indelible characters who stays in the reader’s memory long after the book has been closed. Her utter lack of guile, her wondrous instincts, and her kind vulnerabilities serve as a terrific counterpoint to the nest of intrigue that is Desulti society. Upon first glance, life among the Desulti appears to be the ideal environment for Tove to thrive, one of defiant women from many classes who have made their own place in this world filled with prejudices. Unfortunately, those independent and unbiased values have faded, particularly under the leadership of Lyssa. As the first Alle’oss woman to join the Desulti, Tove confronts challenges well beyond the shunning that greets her arrival.
As with Argren Blue, Hightower and Heim have delivered another richly detailed cultural vision, with the layers of the Vollen castes, economic calculations, and social nuances given subtle and wry explorations. That includes elaborate chess moves by the triumvirate of leaders – Lyssa, Siofra, and Nessa – working at cross purposes. True to the best fantasy, Desulti presents resonant echoes of present-day society, particularly the subtle, often paradoxical perceptions of rebellious women. The reader’s evolving understanding of one of those Desulti leaders is heartening.
Hightower and Heim ground this fantasy world in an earthiness that imbues the novel with warmth, particularly through the members of the perceived underclass and through a protective Alle’oss hunter. The Tavern at Ka’ton becomes the scene of intense and occasional joyous moments, not only for Tove, but for numerous young Desulti women she brings along, moments of growth and liberation.
Hightower and Heim manage a rare feat: through the inwardly and outwardly damaged character of Tove, they have infused joy and hope in a hardened, cynical society.

...more

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	The Blue Rat 4.63 avg rating — 78 ratings — published 2019 — 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
	Fools in the Magic Kingdom (Disney Unhinged, #1) by Michael Hartnett (Goodreads Author), Bob McLain (Editor) 4.82 avg rating — 45 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
	Generation Dementia 4.71 avg rating — 17 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
	The Great SAT Swindle 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2010 — 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
	Universal Remote it was ok 2.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1999	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

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