2023 Book List
Well, another great year of reading is complete. I guess you could say it’s, “in the books.” Sorry, couldn’t resist.
This year featured a whole lot of true crime that I got from a couple random lists I found online. There were also some great works of fiction and several super entertaining non-fiction stories that read like exciting novels.
Based on sheer number of books, this year paled in comparison to 2022, but work was super busy and my mind was just a lot more distracted for parts of this year. This made it difficult for me to get into certain books. It doesn’t matter though, because daily reading remains a very important and enjoyable part of my life and this year’s books taught me a lot and really made me think.
“The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates” by Wes Moore - Kindle - This was a really good book about two guys with the same name and with roots in Baltimore that ended up with very different outcomes in life. Even though I got it from a list of true crime books, I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as true crime. It’s more of a memoir/biography than a true crime book, but I still very much enjoyed the story and message.
“The Quiet Americans” by Scott Anderson - This book had not been on my radar but my sister got it for me for Christmas so I dove right in. It ended up being a great read about the history of the CIA, the end of World War II, and the beginning of the Cold War. Parts of it were really dense and took careful reading to follow, but I very much enjoyed it.
“American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century” by Maureen Callahan - Kindle - Now this was an excellent and classic true crime book. The author keeps the name of the killer in suspense for a while, so I won’t spoil it here. Highly recommend.
“The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia” by Emma Copley Eisenberg - Kindle - The title of this book is kind of self-explanatory, but the book itself was actually better than I expected after reading the reviews. The author does spend some time talking about her own life and experiences in West Virginia, but I didn’t think it overly distracted from the story. I’m kind of weirdly fascinated with Appalachia so this book offered some good insights, at least from the author’s point of view.
“Nuremberg” by Joseph E. Persico - This was a really excellent book that I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. There were tons of interesting stories about the cast of characters in the trials including the judges, prosecutors, defendants, jailers, and a whole lot more. I did not expect the book to make me question the validity or legality of the trials, but it really gave me something to think about. When I was in Germany back in 2007, I got to visit the Nuremberg courtroom. Truly a piece of history.
“Columbine” by Dave Cullen - Kindle - To be honest, I wasn’t that excited to read this book even though Columbine has always been interesting to me. I’ve listened to several podcasts on Columbine and figured this book would just be more of the same, but it turned out be a great book that really pulled me in. The author seemed very determined to lay out the truth from all sides without embellishment or fabrication. Columbine happened on April 20, 1999, the spring of my freshman year of high school. I remember having school assemblies and everyone being on alert about kids who were kind of antisocial. It was a crazy time that put a lot of people on edge.
“The Adventurer’s Son” by Roman Dial - Kindle - The first third of this book was kind of hard for me to get through as Dial spent page after page describing day-to-day details of past family vacations. It finally did pick up though after his son went missing and then I really couldn’t wait to read what happened next. Pretty solid true crime book.
“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley - Unlike most people, I did not read this book or anything by George Orwell as part of my public education experience. This dystopian novel was an interesting read though. Made me think about some current happenings in today’s society.
“She Said” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey - Kindle - This book is really about the #MeToo movement examined through the lens of scandals surrounding Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, and other powerful and prominent figures. I enjoyed this book because it was a pretty fair and balanced read that discussed societal issues from a few different perspectives.
“The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder That Shocked Jazz-Age America” by Karen Abbott - Kindle - This was a really good book about Prohibition-era crime and law enforcement. It’s so fascinating that Prohibition was actually a thing in America. Recommend to anyone who likes history and true crime.
“Comanche Moon” by Larry McMurtry - Although this is the last book McMurtry wrote in the Lonesome Dove series, it is book two of four in the series timeline. This book feels the most like Lonesome Dove because all the characters are there…Call, Gus, Deets, Pea Eye, Newt, Jake Spoon, Clara, Maggie, Blue Duck. They’re all in this book. Highly recommend the entire series. Read them in whatever order you want. It doesn’t even matter.
“The Executioner’s Song” by Norman Mailer - Kindle - At almost 1,100 pages, this book will take some time to read, but it’s very good. It will definitely make the reader think about capital punishment, death row, and some other interesting legal questions. It’s a classic in the true crime drama and worth the time.
“Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi - Kindle - This was an easy and entertaining read. If you’ve ever enjoyed a mob movie you will love this book. And don’t be worried if you’ve already seen “Goodfellas” 1,000 times like me. The book was still great.
“The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective” by Kate Summerscale - Kindle - This book was okay. It’s a whodunit from 1860s England, so a pretty interesting setting, but I had trouble getting momentum and it seemed like a long book for only 305 pages. Maybe it’s because I was reading another book on the side that was dragging and eventually tapped me out.
“Cultish” by Amanda Montell - Kindle - This was a fun and interesting book. The author discusses groups that are traditionally thought of as cults, like the Jonestown/Peoples Temple and Heaven’s Gate groups, but also dives into multilevel marketing companies and group fitness enthusiasts. An easy read written in a somewhat lighthearted style.
“Cold Noses and Warm Hearts: Beloved Dog Stories by Great Authors” compiled from the original edition and introduced by Laurie Morrow - Great book for dog lovers. Pretty much every story in here made me want to go love on my dog Arvid.
“The Poisoner’s Handbook” by Deborah Glum - Kindle - This was a fun book that tied the use of poisons as a murder weapon in to some great United States history during the first half of the 20th century. Great “off the beaten path” true crime book.
“Missoula” by Jon Krakauer - Kindle - This book was largely about rape, which means it could have some subject matter that is very tough for some readers. Like everything Krakauer writes, it was very educational and informative.
“Black Klansman” by Ron Stallworth - Kindle - This book was mildly entertaining, but kind of left me wanting more. There just wasn’t that much of a punch to the story. At least it was short enough that it didn’t drag.
“Mr. Mercedes” by Stephen King - This was more of a detective novel than a typical King book. There was no paranormal or other horror/fantasy stuff. Decent book though. Easy read.
“Party Monster: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland” by James St. James - Kindle - I ended up liking this book about drag queens and drug addicts in 1990s New York a lot more than I thought I would. There were some entertaining characters and I found myself really wanting to know what happens to them.
“Life Sentence” by Mark Bowden - Kindle - If you have any interest in HBO’s “The Wire” and/or any of David Simon’s works (“Homicide” and “The Corner”), you’ll love this book. It’s a real gritty story about life in West Baltimore and the life of people born into that world. Highly recommend.
“The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder” by David Grann - Kindle - I absolutely LOVED this book about old timey shipwrecks, imperialist England, and human survival. See also by David Grann, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Highly recommend.
“American Psycho” by Bret Easton Ellis - Kindle - This was an entertaining book that had some of the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a good bit of true crime and horror). I figured that after reading this book, I’d watch the movie, but now I’m not so sure. I don’t think I even want to see how they reenacted some of the stuff in this book. Recommend if you want to read some gruesome stuff.
“Four Past Midnight” by Stephen King - I really enjoyed this collection of four short stories, especially the first three tales. One of the stories, “Secret Window, Secret Garden” was adapted into a psychological thriller movie starring Johnny Depp. Just great stuff all around.
“Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler” by L. Jon Wertheim - Kindle - I don’t know anything about pool, but this book was entertaining as hell. Lots of good stories of life on the road with friends and wild characters. Very fun and easy read.
“The Dark Half” by Stephen King - Solid King book from the late-80s. Just the right amount of creepiness and supernatural.
“Evidence of Love” by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson - Kindle - This was an amazing true crime book. Just a classic murder mystery that read like a novel and had some great plot twists. Highly recommend.
“Killing the Witches” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard - Kindle - Great book about the Salem Witch Trials with lots of fun U.S. history woven into the story. The last part of the book really creeped the hell out of me, which is exactly what I wanted. Very easy and accessible read.
“Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy - Like the other McCarthy books I’ve read, I can’t tell if I loved or hated this book. It held my attention. I wanted to finish it. But there were so many spots where I couldn’t tell what the hell the author was talking about. Recommend if you’re a fan of McCarthy’s stuff, I guess.
“A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them” by Timothy Egan - Kindle - This was an amazing non-fiction book that read like an exciting novel. A very interesting story with lots of U.S. history throughout. Highly recommend. See also by Timothy Egan, “The Worst Hard Time.”
“Be the Unicorn: Twelve Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest” by William Vanderbloemen - Kindle - This was a great book, and a very easy read, on traits of successful leaders and tips for developing these characteristics. Highly recommend for anyone who just wants to get better.
“The Pledge to America” by Drago Dzieran - Kindle - Great memoir from someone who grew up in Communist Poland and eventually worked his way through a 20-year career as a Navy SEAL. Drago has been on Jocko’s podcast a few times, and I cannot recommend those episodes enough. So entertaining and hilarious.
“Wild New World” by Dan Flores - I really enjoyed this book, particularly the discussions about early North American civilizations and 19th century America. Flores is always a great listen on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
“Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Erik Larson - Kindle - This was an absolutely fantastic book. The author tied together lots of great U.S. and world history and some really interesting stuff about German U-boats. Highly recommend. Also by Larson, check out “Devil in the White City.”