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Michael’s Year In Books

Michael’s 2025 Year in Books

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Michael O'Donnell’s Followers (63)

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Kathleen Odinga

264 books | 19 friends

James O'Donnell

251 books | 2 friends

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Michael O'Donnell

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.michael-odonnell.com

Genre

Fiction

Influences

Ian McEwan, Hilary Mantel, Marilynne Robinson, Saul Bellow, Henry Jame ...more

Member Since

August 2023

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Michael O'Donnell is the bestselling author of the novels ABOVE THE FIRE and CONCERT BLACK. In 2023 Apple Books named him a debut writer to watch. His work also appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist, among other publications. A longtime member of the National Book Critics Circle, he lives in the Chicago area with his family. ...more

Combine Editions
Michael O'Donnell’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 1,545 ratings · 227 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

Above the Fire

3.95 avg rating — 1,534 ratings — published 2023 — 8 editions

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Michael is Currently Reading

Michael O'Donnell is currently reading

The Haunting of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jun 24, 2026 04:16PM

Michael O'Donnell is currently reading

London Fields

by Martin Amis

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Apr 15, 2026 08:27AM

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Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael O'Donnell and 1 other person liked Anjali's review of Concert Black: "As a professional musician, I am both drawn to and constantly disappointed by books set in the classical world. Concert Black was an engaging and well-written novel in its own right, and it also managed to hit the musical elements perfectly, with not" Read more of this review »
Jul 06, 2026 01:25PM · see review
Michael O'Donnell and 3 other people liked Bella 's review of Concert Black: "I bought this book primarily because I spent my teenage years training to sing opera. During that time, I fully expected to have a career as an opera soprano with one opera company or another. And I did, for a short time. However, much as I love to s" Read more of this review »
Jul 06, 2026 01:25PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Concert Black by Michael O'Donnell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Concert Black by Michael O'Donnell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell is currently reading The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson	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
Jun 24, 2026 04:16PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell finished reading The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1) by Sigrid Undset	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
Jun 24, 2026 04:14PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wreath by Sigrid Undset <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell is currently reading The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1) by Sigrid Undset	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
Jun 12, 2026 06:25AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wreath by Sigrid Undset <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell rated a book it was amazing All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1) by Cormac McCarthy	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
Jun 12, 2026 06:24AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell has read Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited by Tracy Daugherty	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
Jun 12, 2026 06:24AM · like
Michael O'Donnell rated a book it was amazing We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson	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
Jun 12, 2026 06:24AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell has read All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1) by Cormac McCarthy	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
Jun 12, 2026 06:24AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael O'Donnell rated a book really liked it Richard Temple by Patrick O'Brian	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
Jun 12, 2026 06:24AM · like

More of Michael's books…

Quotes by Michael O'Donnell (?)

“But hope was more elusive than innocence because it entailed choosing to believe despite knowing the reasons not to.”
― Michael O'Donnell, Above the Fire: A Novel

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“He blew a cloud of smoke up and into the beams of light that shone from above. It revealed him in profile as he held himself still, his head like the bust of an icon waiting to be cast.”
― Michael O'Donnell, Concert Black

tags: literary-fiction-authors, music-quotes-by-authors

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