2023 Reading List

2023 was a year of starting a lot of books that I'm still enjoying. To pass the miles while I drive, I listened to a lot of James Patterson crime novels. I won't list those here. They're just easy to listen to. But, I am starting to think he gets paid extra to name-drop brand names in his books. The books that made the cut are here below. Anthony Bourdain makes a few appearances, which if you've been following along the last few years will feel familiar.

The Story of Jesus – Zondervan

For anyone looking to get a clear and concise telling of the story of Jesus, this is a great place to start. All four of the Gospels and the Book of Acts are taken together and put on a simple timeline to tell the story.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever – John "Chick" Donohue

What better way to tell the boys from the neighborhood that you're thinking of them, than to bring them some beer all the way to Vietnam. "Chick" Donohue begins a journey on a merchant marine ship bound from New York City to Saigon, South Vietnam. Upon arrival in Saigon, Chick embarks on a four-month journey. His ship leaves him behind when it disembarks early for fear of an impending attack. He finally makes it home after tracking down the boys and hiring on to another merchant ship.

Twelve and a Half – Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vee discusses the importance of soft skills over hard business skills. He draws from his almost thirteen years in business, hence the name of the book, to illustrate how emotional intelligence just may get you farther than hard business acumen.

World Travel – Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever

Laurie Woolever assembled these writings from the late Anthony Bourdain, along with some additions from friends, after his passing. As Bourdain's longtime friend and assistant, she had perhaps the most direct access to the man. She tells you at the outset of the book that it was an idea they had, but only ended up having one meeting about it before it was too late. This irreverent guide to travel will take you around the world with some of the most intimate details.

The da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

There was some trepidation in giving this one a try. My wife keeps me informed of all of the latest conspiracy theories, but I read Angels and Demons in 2022, so maybe it made sense. The lengths that groups will go to hide secrets are truly astonishing, even when the means to protect the secret seem contradictory.

Welcome to Adulting – Jonathan Pakluda, Kevin McConaghy

I sometimes get lumped in with the millennials. I don't identify with them, but I'm not a Gen X, so here we are. Either way, adulting is hard. We're not exactly given a guidebook upon graduation. From his position as a pastor, Jonathan Pakluda gives us some straightforward advice on adulting to help keep us grounded.

Medium Raw – Anthony Bourdain

A follow-up to Kitchen Confidential, Medium Raw sees Anthony Bourdain now out of the kitchen and fully engaged in his career as a TV host. One of the highlights is Bourdain going behind the scenes at Le Bernardin to watch the fish butcher in action, only to eat with him in the dining room later that evening, something that would typically not happen. It's a window into the type of person he was.

The Firm – John Grisham

I don't know what it is about legal thrillers. The past few years I've consumed countless of them, if you include police dramas. The Firm is almost a rags-to-riches story, but then again, nothing is as it seems.

As You Wish – Cary Elwes, Joe Layden

Since I first saw it when I was a kid, I've never grown tired of Princess Bride. Last year for my birthday, my wife bought me an outdoor movie setup and that was the first thing we watched. So when my friend told me about this book, I checked it out almost immediately. Hearing the stories of how the movie was made through the memories of Cary Elwes and other cast and crew made the movie all the more special.