Dancing with the Devil in the City of God

If you clicked on the title thinking you were going to be treated to a story about a recent pub crawl through Colorado Springs, well then I am sorry to disappoint you.  It's actually the title to a book I am currently perusing about about Rio de Janeiro, by Juliana Barbassa. However both cities do have religious symbols to hang their hats on; Rio has the giant Jesus statue on the mountain, and The Springs has Pat Robertson, but I digress.  Let's focus on the real reason for this piece, the best books I read in 2015.  What did you read this year that I need to add to my list for next year?

The Short and Tragic life of Robert Peace, by Jeff Hobbs

Robert Peace does the unthinkable; he escapes a single parent home in Newark for the halls of Yale. But like so many kids from difficult circumstances his past wont let go of him.  There are drugs, bad guys and death.  This is a story we white middle class folks just can't wrap our heads around.  Why is it so hard to live with success?   What happens when that hand up leaves some lost?  If you want to understand poverty I wish you luck.  But if you want the curtain pulled back just a little thc   en read this book.

Take This Man: A Memoir, by Brando Skyhorse 

As a kid growing up in the shadow of Dodgers Stadium, Brando Skyhorse was a Native American kid who lived with his mom and grandmother.  Pretty nice huh?  The only trouble was that he was actually Mexican and the women he lived with were nuts.  His mom made up the the Native thing and recycled men like Waste Management goes through pop cans. There was abuse, neglect, lots of crazy and a little boy stuck in the middle of it all.  Skyhorse brings you right into that wacky world with him in the same way Jeannette Walls does in her iconic memoir "The Glass House".  Never underestimate the strength of a child.

All The Wrong Places, by Philip Connors

One of the best books I read in 2014 was Connors' "Fire Season", about his summers as a fire lookout on a remote mountain in the Gila National Forest.  His latest offering is a prequel to "Fire Season" and it chronicles his struggle to cope with his brothers suicide.  If you've read his first book this is the logical next step, but don't try to read them out of order.  Connors can be funny in a way that helps you the reader through his difficulties.  Read them both.

Omnivores Dilemma, by Micheal Pollan

Once you've watched all the documentaries on Netflix about the state of our food systems you should settle into reading Pollan's book.  Don't worry this is not Jurgis Rudkus's "The Jungle", you wont want to starve yourself at the end.  It gives you the hard truth about your hamburger, but also offers alternatives.  A good and enlightening read.

Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town, by Nate Blakeslee

What do you get when you mix a small town in Texas with race, drugs and a bad cop?  One hell of a book!  'Tulia" is a gripping story about what happens when the good guys go bad, and innocent people get framed. Trust me you will not be able to put this book down, and you will get your pound of flesh when it's all said and done.

Fresh off the Boat: A Memoir, by Eddie Huang

Those of you who watch the show of the same name know that "Fresh off the Boat"is the first ever sitcom about Asian Americans.  Huang's memoir takes that TV comedy much deeper into the struggle to be both American and Asian.  The pressures of suburban life collide with the expectations of immigrant parents in this coming-of-age tale.  Enjoy.

Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, by Mark Kriegel

Before Steph Curry there was Allen Iverson, and before Iverson came Pistol Pete. All three are and were little skinny guys that played a big man's game with panache, heart and acrobatics.  Maravich came along in a world before Sports Center and died young so his talents may be unfamiliar.  Kreigel paints the picture of his life with all of its ups and downs and the pressures he felt from all sides. Once you've read the book treat yourself to a half hour of YouTube highlights.

Medium Raw, by Anthony Bourdain

I have a really big man crush on Anthony Bourdain!  There I said it.  I will consume any and all books, documentaries and TV shows by or about Bourdain.  "Medium Raw" is a follow up to his wildly successful "Kitchen Confidential" and reads like the  gravely ramblings of many of his shows.  If you haven't yet joined the cult of"Tony" you will once you dive into his world of travel, cooking and making fun of Guy Fieri.

Something Rich and Strange: Selected Stories, by Ron Rash

Ron Rash's short stories was a departure from memoirs and crime for me.  Set in Appalachia, a place near and dear to my heart his stories are a cross section of life in the hills.  If you harbor some romance for those mountains and people you will find yourself sucked deeply into this book and it's characters,  And you'll no doubt run out and try to find Rash's other work.  Happy Reading.