552 ratings | 35 reviews | avg rating:4.10

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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.

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Curtis

395 books | 729 friends

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1,047 books | 4,450 friends

Jen Michalski

661 books | 2,218 friends

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324 books | 25 friends

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5,239 books | 386 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Michael Downing has read 10 of 50 books.

20%

Kevin Michaels

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://downingfiction.com/

Twitter

KMWriter01

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Fiction, Crime

Influences

Hemingway - Mailer - Sam Shepard - Elmore Leonard - Robert Parker - Mi ...more

Member Since

January 2011

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Author also writes as Michael Downing

Author of the new release, SAINTS of the ASPHALT which was released on 6/24/2025.

Writing as Kevin Michaels, Downing is the author of the novels STILL BLACK REMAINS (published by Literary Wanderlust) and NINE IN THE MORNING (published by Death Row Books), as well as 2 Fight Card books - FIGHT CARD: HARD ROAD, and FIGHT CARD: CAN'T MISS CONTENDER.

Writer. Literacy advocate. Surfer. Activist. Playwright.
Attitude, edginess & Springsteen songs. 2x Pushcart Nominee.It's a New Jersey thing: attitude, edginess, and Bruce Springsteen... and sometimes even Bon Jovi.
Originally from New Jersey, I live with my wife Helen and write in a small town in North Georgia.

Founder/Creative Director at
StoryTellers

StoryTellers ...more

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Combine Editions
Kevin Michaels’s books

Average rating: 4.24 · 103 ratings · 26 reviews · 10 distinct works

	Hard Road by Jack Tunney (Goodreads Author), Kevin Michaels (Goodreads Author) 4.53 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2012 — 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
	Action: Pulse Pounding Tales Volume 2 by Matt Hilton (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Iain Purdie (Goodreads Author), Ian Graham 3.58 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2013	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
	Still Black Remains 4.52 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2017 — 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
	Saints of the Asphalt by Michael Downing, Kevin Michaels (Goodreads Author) 4.60 avg rating — 10 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
	Fight Card: Can't Miss Contender 4.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2013	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
	Nine In The Morning 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	Fight Card: CAN'T MISS CONTENDER by Kevin Michaels, Kevin Michaels (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Paul Bishop (Goodreads Author) (Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2014	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
	5x5 Fiction: Issue One - Murder, Monsters and Misfortune by Angel Zapata (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael J. Solender, Laura Eno (Goodreads Author) 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2011	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
	Six Sentences, Volume 2 by Rob McEvily (editor), Kevin Michaels (Goodreads Author) (contributor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2009	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 Kevin Michaels…

113 posts
Kevin Michaels's Blog

Between The Lines at The Yard: Crime Blog

BETWEEN THE LINES

My short story: BETWEEN THE LINES was published at The Yard: Crime Blog.

You can check it out HERE (if you're so inclined):

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Published on August 22, 2024 10:28

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Michael is Currently Reading

Michael Downing is currently reading

Don't Be Boring & Other Ways to Develop Your Fiction Writing

by Jody Wenner (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 13, 2026 07:40AM

Michael Downing is currently reading

I, Medusa

by Ayana Gray (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 25, 2026 07:26PM

Michael Downing is currently reading

Nice Girls Don't Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power

by Parvati Shallow

bookshelves: currently-reading

read in December 2025

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Dec 20, 2025 08:31PM

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Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael Downing is currently reading Don't Be Boring & Other Ways to Develop Your Fiction Writing by Jody Wenner (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 13, 2026 07:40AM · like
Michael Downing rated a book it was amazing Burying the Newspaper Man by Curtis Ippolito (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 11, 2026 08:09PM · like
Michael Downing rated a book it was amazing A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper (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 03, 2026 08:14PM · 1 like · like
Michael Downing rated a book liked it The First Time I Saw Him (Hannah Hall, #2) by Laura Dave (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 28, 2026 05:43AM · 1 like · like
Michael Downing rated a book really liked it Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (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 20, 2026 07:44PM · like
Michael Downing rated a book really liked it A Pirate Looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffett	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 13, 2026 07:29PM · like
Michael Downing and 13 other people liked Travis's review of A Pirate Looks at Fifty: "Oddly enough, this was an incredibly interesting and profoundly boring book at the same time. The story unfolds as Jimmy Buffett, now turning 50, is preparing for a tour of the Caribbean. It reads almost as a travel guide, interspersed with flashback" Read more of this review »
Apr 13, 2026 07:29PM · see review
Michael Downing rated a book really liked it Fever Beach: A Novel by Carl Hiaasen (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 12, 2026 07:25PM · like
Michael Downing rated a book it was amazing SAINTS of the ASPHALT by Michael K Downing	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 10, 2026 04:46PM · like
Michael Downing is currently reading Fever Beach: A Novel by Carl Hiaasen (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 07:07PM · like

More of Michael's books…

Quotes by Kevin Michaels (?)

“Greatness is measured not in your achievements but in the things you have overcome.”
― Kevin Michaels

1 likes

“Now is all that matters.”
― Kevin Michaels, Saints of the Asphalt

0 likes

Michael’s Quotes

“I make writing as much a part of my life as I do eating or listening to music.”
― Maya Angelou

23 likes

“Greatness is measured not in your achievements but in the things you have overcome.”
― Kevin Michaels

1 likes

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967

tags: adventure, death, life

5838 likes

“Life is not a PG feel-good movie. Real life often ends badly. Literature tries to document this reality, while showing us it is still possible for us to endure nobly.”
― Matthew Quick, The Silver Linings Playbook

tags: endurance, feelings-of-weakness, happiness, life, literature, movie, sadness

762 likes

“We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold.”
― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream

207 likes

More of Michael’s quotes…