2022 Book List
I know I always run the risk of coming off as pretentious by tracking and publishing these book lists, but I enjoy doing it and it’s fun to look back on all the books I read in the past year. The year 2022 ended up being a great reading year for me as I blazed through lots of really outstanding books. Sure, there were a few duds in the mix, but I enjoyed most of it and I hit a lot of different genres: fantasy, history, true crime, horror, biography, memoir, sociology, western, fiction, and, last but not least, pro wrestling.
This year was special because I completed this fun list of “21 Western Novels Every Man Should Read” from Art of Manliness. These books are denoted on the list with an “AoM” designator. There were several standouts from this list, with my top five as follows: Lonesome Dove, Centennial, The Son, Little Big Man, and El Paso.
I am going to start working my way through this Reader’s Digest list of 25 true crime books. These will be designated with “RD”.
If anyone reading this has any book recommendations, I’d love to hear them.
“The Dark Tower (Dark Tower VII)” by Stephen King - Well, I finally finished The Dark Tower series. This was a really epic tale that had countless connections to other Stephen King stories and characters. I enjoyed it. I’m glad I read it. I’m glad it’s over and I can move on to some other books that have been sitting on my shelves for months waiting for some attention.
“Enemy at the Gates” by William Craig - This was an absolutely fantastic book about the Battle of Stalingrad. The movie of the same name was but a very tiny part of this broader story. I love books that remind me not to feel sorry for myself or take my life for granted. Highly, highly recommend.
“Ali: A Life” by Jonathan Eig - Kindle - This book was great from start to finish. When it comes to biographies, I look for books that tell the full story of the subject, warts and all. Eig’s book didn’t pull any punches (no pun intended) and really spoke of the good, bad, and ugly of Ali. Highly recommend.
“Ghost Soldiers” by Hampton Sides - My mom got me this book 15-20 years ago, but for whatever reason I never got around to reading it until now. This phenomenal story is about the rescue effort of a prison camp full of World War II soldiers who made it through the Bataan Death March. I highly recommend reading Michael Norman’s “Tears in the Darkness” before this book. It’ll give you a good background on what these POWs had already been through before getting to nightmarish prison camp. I’m going to look into more books by Hampton Sides. “Blood and Thunder” is the best non-fiction western I’ve ever read, and “Ghost Soldiers” is up there as far as World War II books go.
“New Jack: Memoir of a Pro Wrestling Extremist” by New Jack and Jason Norman - Kindle - What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good book about pro wrestling. I’ve never watched a New Jack match in my life, but I can appreciate the era and attitude of mid to late 1990s ECW. This was an okay book if you’re a fan of professional wrestling.
“The Whiskey Rebellion” by William Hogeland - The first third of this book had some parts that were slow, including the in-depth workings of Congress back in the late 1700s. The rest of the book was a very fast and enjoyable read. The events described in this book made it clear that our government has been operating under certain pretenses from the get-go. Tax breaks are given to large companies, politicians make laws and deals that line their own pockets, people in rural areas and lower income folks often take it on the chin. I could go on and on. I definitely recommend this book if you’re a fan of U.S. history.
“The Boo” by Pat Conroy - Pat Conroy has been one of my favorite authors ever since my buddy Poike got me, “My Losing Season.” “The Boo” is Conroy’s first book and it’s about a very influential character from his time at The Citadel. I felt a connection to this book because of the time I spent in Charleston and the mud run I did on the beautiful Citadel campus. I had searched for this book for a long time before finding it in a used bookstore down in Charleston, so it’s very special to me. Also check out Pat Conroy’s other works: The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Water is Wide, Beach Music, and South of Broad. They are all fantastic.
“Sacred Cow” by Diana Rodgers and Robb Wolf - Really excellent book that tackles some topics about food, agriculture, and meat production that go against the narrative pushed by the mainstream media, Hollywood celebrities, and our government. Highly recommend to anyone interested in eating, feeling, and living better.
“Mindhunter” by John Douglas with Mark Olshaker - RD - This would be categorized as a true crime book, but it’s also the autobiography of John Douglas, a career FBI agent and criminal profiler who worked on some of the biggest murder cases in American history. Written in the 1990s, this book is a bit dated, but it’s interesting to see what crimes have been solved since the writing of the book and to think about how DNA has evolved over the years. Highly recommend to any true crime fans.
“The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood” by David Simon and Edward Burns - This book is long, but awesome. Written in the mid-1990s, it explores a section of West Baltimore and the associated drug trade. If you liked HBO’s The Wire I think you would really like this book. The authors really put a human face on the dealers, drug addicts, police, and other neighborhood residents. Highly recommend.
“Mankind: Have a Nice Day” by Mick Foley - This is a book written by a professional wrestler, and it’s one of the few books I’ve read twice now. Go ahead and judge me. I first read this book in the summer of 2008 as I sat out by the apartment complex pool in the scorching Arizona sunshine during my first summer in Tempe. There are parts of this book that made me laugh to the point of tears in both 2008 and 2022. Highly recommend if you’re a fan of professional wrestling.
“Butts in Seats: The Tony Schiavone Story” by Dirk Manning and Tony Schiavone - Cali got this for me for my birthday and I absolutely loved it. This is a graphic novel about the life of wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone, the voice of my childhood. I most remember Tony from being an announcer on WCW Monday Nitro during the mid-90s, and I’ve listened to his “What Happened When?” podcast for countless hours. Another great book for fans of professional wrestling.
“American Injustice” by David S. Rudolf - Kindle - This was a phenomenal book that reveals some great failures of our country’s criminal justice system. It was a surprisingly fast and easy read for such serious subject matter. Highly recommend for any true crime fans.
“Calhoun: American Heretic” by Robert Elder - Kindle - Great book about an important figure in American history. Elder does a masterful job of balancing Calhoun’s importance to the antebellum south and early nineteenth century Congress with his justified criticisms of Calhoun as a slave owner. Highly recommend for fans of U.S. history.
“Dragon Teeth” by Michael Crichton - AoM - This was a delightful historical fiction book about fossil hunters in the American west. I didn’t want this hidden gem in the Western genre to end. Highly recommend.
“The Son” by Philipp Meyer - AoM - This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. I recommend getting the actual book version (vice Kindle) because there is a family tree at the front of the book that you’ll want to refer back to frequently. At first I found it annoying but once I got the family connections down pat, I loved it. I did not expect this book to be such an epic saga of an American family spanning generations, but the author nailed it. Highly, highly recommend.
“Freezing Order” by Bill Browder - Kindle - Really excellent book about money laundering and other crimes perpetrated by the Russian government. Perhaps I should have read Browder’s “Red Notice” before this one, but this book was an enjoyable read.
“El Paso” by Winston Groom - AoM - This was a fantastic book that mixed in some historical fiction along with a good story. Highly recommend to anyone who likes westerns.
“The Revenant” by Michael Punke - AoM - Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. This is a tale of revenge and fur trappers going up the Missouri River in the 1820s. I can’t recommend this book enough. Such a pleasant surprise.
“The Shootist” by Glendon Swarthout - AoM - I didn’t expect a ton out of this book but it turned out to be excellent. It’s really a different take on an old school seemingly invincible gunslinger who happens to be sick and dying. This is a super easy read so don’t hesitate to invest the time.
“The Killer’s Shadow” by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker - Kindle - This book was okay, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as “Mindhunter” by the same authors.
“Camino Winds” by John Grisham - Kindle - This book was kind of just…meh. It was an easy read but the story was just kind of straightforward and not really exciting.
“The Road” by Cormac McCarthy - Kindle - This book had some mildly interesting parts, but I don’t know if I’d call it good. It is a quick read though so if you check it out, it won’t eat up a ton of your time.
“Undaunted Courage” by Stephen E. Ambrose - This is an amazing book about the Lewis and Clark expedition. It starts a little slow as it slogs through details of the preparations of the trip, but once Lewis and Clark actually leave St. Louis for the Far West, it’s a real page turner. I’ve read a bunch of Ambrose’s books over the years, and this one is right up there with the best of them. Highly recommend.
“Pet Sematary” by Stephen King - This is just a classic, freaky Stephen King book, definitely one of my new favorites. For some reason I love when his books are set in quiet Maine towns and in time periods before cell phones. Maybe it just makes me nostalgic for back home. Highly recommend.
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain - Kindle - I read this book several times as a kid. This was fun to revisit and I remembered why the younger me liked it so much.
“Necroscope” by Brian Lumley - A friend from the dog park recommended this book, the first in a series, and I decided to give it a shot. It was pretty good and kept me entertained despite being a kind of weird vampire/sci-fi/paranormal mix of stories. I’m a huge fan of Stephen King so I enjoyed this book.
“Necroscope II: Vamphyri!” by Brian Lumley - This was another good book in the Necroscope series. It kept me entertained and interested. On to the next one.
“Three Ring Circus” by Jeff Pearlman - Kindle - I’ve read a number of Pearlman’s books over the years and they have all been fantastic. This book covers the 1996-2004 Lakers, the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Jackson era. I loved every minute of this book and have so many vivid memories of watching these teams as a sports-obsessed teenager. Highly recommend if you’re a fan of late-90s/early-00s NBA.
“Necroscope III: The Source” by Brian Lumley - I wasn’t sure where the author was going to go after a lot of things were wrapped up in book two. There were several new layers added to the storyline here, including a whole new world/universe. I really enjoyed this book and some parts of it reminded me of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.
“The Bad Guys Won” by Jeff Pearlman - Kindle - This is another great book from Pearlman. Detailing adventures of the ‘86 Mets, this book is entertaining as hell and a very enjoyable read. Highly recommend for any sports fan.
“Necroscope IV: Deadspeak” by Brian Lumley - This was a good book in the Necroscope series, but I’m ready for a break. There were some new ideas in this book, but overall it was more of the same as the rest of the series. Maybe I’m just losing momentum and ready to move on to some other books.
“Helltown” by Casey Sherman - Kindle - RD - Truly one of the best true crime books I have ever read. This story about some grisly murders on Cape Cod had me hooked from start to finish. Kind of an east coast version of Charles Manson and Vincent Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter”. Highly recommend for true crime fans.
“Later” by Stephen King - This was a fun and easy read, the first in a Hard Case Crime boxed set by Stephen King. When I was a kid, I used to love reading “The Hardy Boys.” They had a series of books called “The Hardy Boys: Case Files” and this boxed set is very reminiscent of that. The book covers have fun artwork and the books aren’t super long. I’m very glad I picked these up.
“Joyland” by Stephen King - Another great Hard Case Crime book. Super easy read but fun and entertaining.
“The Colorado Kid” by Stephen King - Really fun mystery, but not the usual. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.
“Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann - Kindle - RD - “Helltown” (see #33) put me on kind of a true crime kick (not that I’m ever not on a true crime kick). This book is basically a history and true crime book rolled into one. Highly recommend.
“Lisey’s Story” by Stephen King - This was a good book that held my interest. It wasn’t the best Stephen King book, but very solid.
“The Colony” by Sally Denton - Kindle - Fascinating book about fundamentalist Mormons living down in Mexico. I’ve read a good bit about the history of the Mormon church, and it’s never boring. This book has the added element of involvement with Mexican drug cartels.
“Ghost Story” by Peter Straub - I was really really excited to read this book and it was just…okay. It took about 350 pages for the story to really start and once it did it didn’t do much for me. Disappointing.
“Chaos” by Tom O’Neill - Kindle - This was a really interesting read that dug into some of the inconsistencies with Vincent Bugliosi’s true crime classic “Helter Skelter”. “Chaos” looks in to a deeper story behind the Charles Manson murders and a complicated entanglement of characters ranging from local law enforcement to the CIA. Highly recommend if you like true crime.
“Revival” by Stephen King - This was a really good book that I read in about three days. There was some fun stuff in here. A traveling preacher man, a circus, bad dreams, rock and roll. Definitely a good newer (2014) King novel.
“Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets” by David Simon - Kindle - This book follows homicide detectives in the Baltimore Police Department, and it is truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. This book and David Simon’s other outstanding book “The Corner” (#10 on this list) are the basis for HBO’s The Wire, one of the greatest TV shows ever.
“The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War” by John “Chick” Donohue and J.T. Molloy - Kindle - This is an easy, fun, and touching read. John Donohue went to great lengths to let his friends serving in Vietnam felt appreciated. There is also lots of great 1960s U.S. history in this book.
“Hell’s Angels” by Hunter S. Thompson - Kindle - This book started slow but ended up being kind of fun. There are some good stories in here about Thompson hanging out with the Angels back in the late ‘60s in a really crazy culture of drugs and outlandish behavior. Far from the best book I’ve ever read on the Hell’s Angels (that would be “No Angel” by Jay Dobyns), but not terrible.
“Hellhound on his Trail” by Hampton Sides - Like everything else I’ve read by Hampton Sides (like #4 on this list), this book was fantastic. There is some great U.S. history in here around the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the manhunt for James Earl Ray. Highly recommend.
“Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery” by Robert Kolker - Kindle - RD - This is an interesting true crime book about five girls that went missing on Long Island. As the title indicates, the case has not been solved. It’s a great whodunnit with no real resolution. Highly recommend for true crime fans.
“On Desperate Ground” by Hampton Sides - Another great book by Hampton Sides (#4 and #46 on this list). This book is about a horrific battle of the Korean War. I had a great uncle who had been a cook in the Army during the Korean War. He didn’t talk about it much and I rarely heard anything about Korean War veterans when I was a kid. It was great to read an epic tale of bravery from the Silent Generation. Highly recommend if you like military history and tales of human struggle and hardship.
“Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson - Kindle - RD - Excellent book about corruption in the criminal justice system and wrongfully convicted people. This book was very touching and heart wrenching. I have some real nuanced opinions on the death penalty, and this book gave me lots to consider. Highly recommend (see also #13 on this list).
“The Sisters Brothers” by Patrick DeWitt - AoM - This was a fun, easy, and, at times, hilarious read. It’s a story about two brothers who make their way from Oregon to California in search of a gold prospector. Highly recommend.
“Invisible” by Stephen L. Carter - Kindle - RD - I got this book off a list of best true crime books, and it was advertised as a dramatic tale about taking down the American Mafia. Based on that criteria, this book was a failure. Yes, the prosecution of Lucky Luciano was covered, but it was only about 25 pages of a 280+ page book. That being said, this was a good biography about Eunice Hunton Carter, a remarkable black female attorney back in the 1930s. There was some great U.S. history and other thought-provoking material in this book, just don’t go in expecting a true crime story.
“As The Sun Rises It Dawns On Him” by Ross Patterson - Having read Patterson’s first two books (“At Night She Cries While He Rides His Steed” and “When Darkness Falls He Doesn’t Catch It”) I pretty much knew what to expect going into this one. If you’re a fan of outrageous, rude, politically incorrect, and raunchy comedy with a bit of history mixed in, you’ll love these books. Easy read and made me laugh.
“Unbelievable” by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong - Kindle - RD - This was a really excellent true crime book about a serial rapist who operated in Colorado and Washington. The book also included some interesting discussions on false rape accusations and why so many women are reluctant to report rape and sexual assault. Highly recommend.
“The Outsider” by Stephen King - This was a great book from start to finish. Easily the best modern Stephen King book I’ve read. The first half reads like a good true crime book, and then it gets a little bit supernatural. Highly recommend.
“Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee” by Casey Cep - Kindle - RD - Much like #51 on this list, this book was billed as true crime but was a lot more of a biography of a remarkable woman, namely, Harper Lee. There was discussion of an interesting case involving a number of mysterious deaths surrounding this southern minister, but it just didn’t read like a true crime book. Not a bad book at all though.