My 2023 Reading List

During the course of 2023 I read/listened to 23 books. I should have book 24 finished by the end of the year but I'm not making any promises. Below I share what I've listened to or read this year. If anything catches your attention, click the link to find the book on Amazon. Just so you know, yes, I do get some tiny financial benefit from your purchases. So, thank you.

I've listed them in order of my most to least favorite. If it's at the end of the list, it doesn't mean it wasn't a great book but simply that I enjoyed some more than others or simply forgotten that I'd read it until now. Enjoy...

1. Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
• An absolute joy to read. An autistic boy from 2021, a Korean War Veteran, a young woman decades in the future, an orphaned girl from Constantinople, and an outcast young man with a cleft palate all have their lives intricately woven together in this fantastic tale.
2. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Considered by many as one of the greatest novels ever written. Dostoevsky deals masterfully with the full range of human personalities, emotions, and sufferings. 
3. The Lighthouse by Michael D. O'Brien
• I've recommended this book to all the men in my life. It is a wonderful tale of sin and redemption, self-sacrifice, and the message that no man is beyond hope and certainly works in mysterious ways.
4. King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild
• This book disturbed me greatly. Many experts estimate that the loss of human life during the reign of King Leopold far exceeds that of the Nazi "final solution". I was even more disturbed that at 51, this was the first that I had heard of this terrible blemish on the human story. While emotionally difficult to read, it is a history that should be told with a strong response of "never again"!
5. Always Faithful: A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter by Thomas Schueman
• Many of us watched, shaking our heads, as the last planes left Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021. For the Afghan people left behind, many of whom assisted the US in their fight against the Taliban, Hell was just beginning. This true story tells how one Marine worked to move Heaven and Earth to rescue his Afghan interpreter and his family on that last day and beyond.
6. The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan
• More than simply an attempt at foretelling the future or a prophecy, Mr. Zeihan enlightens the reader with a great deal of history about human life, migration, food, empires, and more. He looks back, analyzes the present, gives an educated prediction of what may very well happen in the next few decades. Nothing in the book is far-fetched and after the fiasco of Covid-19, I tend to think he may be spot on.
7. Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Andy Weir
• I've been an Andy Weir fan since The Martian. I love that he not only weaves interesting science fiction stories but that he really puts a great deal of thought and effort in crafting the science part of his stories. Project Hail Mary tells the story of humanity's last ditch effort to save itself from an interstellar "germ" that feeds on the sun.
8. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• For years I had heard of this novel but never took the time to read it. I wish I had read it sooner. What would you do if you were basically immortal, never aged, and could do whatever you wish? These themes are explored in this classic novel with surprising twists illustrating the madness of such a wish in light of our fallen human nature.
9. How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr
• We most often think of the United States of America as it is presented to us in our grade school maps. Immerwaher illustrates that the US territory actually stretches globally and is in fact a hidden empire and the cause of much unrest in the world. An excellent read for those who are interested in history, geography, and political turmoil.
10. Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins
• I listened to Goggins' first book Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds with raptured attention and utter horror of how brutal life can be for some men, especially young black men. Goggins' second book continues his never say die themes and was the inspiration for my most popular blog post - Stop Ringing the Bell. (Caution, Goggins is very free with his language, especially the use of the F-word.)
11. Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing by Jay Stringer
• I ordered this audiobook by accident. Rather, I ordered this book via Divine Providence. This powerful book can help readers dig down into the roots of their disordered human sexuality and find the cause of so much of their pain. Thankfully, it isn't just a book about finding the cause, it is a light and soothing balm, as well as a path toward healing. I believe every one who has experienced some sort of sexual wounding, disorder, or confusion should read this book. Everyone else should read it to help them understand those they love.
12. Nathan Coulter: A Novel (Port William Book 1) by Wendell Berry
• I have been a fan of Wendell Berry for years. However, I have only read his books regarding agriculture and social commentary. I instantly fell in love with the characters and stories in Berry's Port William series. The series is set in the fictional Kentucky town of Port William. The series covers the lives of those who live there, their families, and life over the course of several generations. Berry's writing style is unique, artistic, and beautiful. I've read four of the books in the series and they are all equally wonderful.
13. Hannah Coulter: A Novel (Port William Book 8) by Wendell Berry
14. A Place on Earth (Port William) by Wendell Berry
15. The War on the West by Douglas Murray
• Why has the "West" become the persona non grata in the world today? Murry traces the history of the hate for the West from its beginnings up to the 2021 riots and statue toppling we all witnessed. He illustrates how this hatred is not simply a natural course of events but a series of planned and ongoing attacks that threaten the very existence of life in the West as we know it. 
16. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
• I prefer to read books before seeing movies about the book. So I was inspired to pick up this book after watching a preview for the recent Scorsese movie inspired by it. Killers is the tragic true story of those who sought to obtain the oil riches of the Osage Indians by any means necessary. A substory within the tale shows how these events gave birth to what we know today to be the FBI.
17. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne
• After reading #16 above, I was inspired to learn more about the treatment of the American Indians by the US Government (and public) at the end of the 20th Century. The often comical but ultimately tragic story follows Quanah Parker, his white mother and Indian father's story as the ever expanding US forced the last natives to choose either the Reservation or extinction.
18. The Habsburg Way: 7 Rules for Turbulent Times by Eduard Habsburg, Archduke of Austria
• While certainly not an historical accounting of the Habsburg Dynasty, this book is an interesting take on the 7 rules that have guided the Habsburgs over the centuries. Obviously written in a positive light by a Habsburg, it is nonetheless a positive affirmation of Catholic principles concerning family and political ideas.
19. A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri J.M. Nouwen
• In my work as a "fundraiser" for The Catholic Foundation I found this to be an enlightening work by the Catholic theologian. 
20. Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield
• Those of you who know me well know that this isn't the first time I have listened to this work. Nor is it the second. If I had to guess, I would say I have listened to it no less than 8 times over the past few years. Actually, it is on my list of yearly listens. I make time each year to listen to this book because it is so well written, inspiring, and entertaining. Gentleman, if you haven't read it, you are most certainly missing out.
21. How to Connect with Donors and Double the Money You Raise by Thomas Wolf
• Another read that I chose for work purposes. While not as enlightening as #19, there were great insights into the role of a fundraiser. It contains a collection of interesting stories regarding donor relations and the lessons that can be learned from them, positive and negative.
22. Zak George's Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love by Zak George
• Yes, after 23 years of marriage my wife finally said "yes" to a dog. Her name is Ruby. I wanted to make a good impression with my wife and avoid many of the heavy handed tactics I witnessed from my father growing up. Zak gives wonderful instruction and reasoning for his methods. All of them have worked with Ruby up to this point. I highly recommend this book and Zak's videos on YouTube.
23. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Another classic that I had neglected to read for years found its way into my hands and I am thankful for that. It is a wonderful tale of love, deception, intrigue, and sacrifice. Don't neglect it another minute.
24. (Currently Reading) The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shrier
• I have always been fascinated with the idea of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Like others, I have wondered how such a man could be brought into power. This epic-sized book tells the complete story of Hitler from his youth to his rise to power and his ultimate end. Filled with extensive research, diary entries, Nuremburg records, and Nazi records, it brings to light this tragic time in human history.

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