Patrick’s Picks 2022 Nonfiction
Honorable Mention
Last Call - Elon Green
True crime is not just for podcasts and marathons on tv, this book delves into the lives and deaths of gay men being hunted by a serial killer in New York’s queer nightlife scene in the late 1980’s. At times this book felt like getting a snippet from today’s news as LGBT people across the country face more and more violence and hate. Especially as gay men in New York City are currently reporting druggings, robberies, and murders after nights out at gay establishments. Now I’m not saying that reading this is a “Get Out of Being Murdered” card but history does oftentimes repeat. I appreciated the author’s reporting style and attention to detail when describing the lives of the victims and the feeling of the time period. For all true crime fans.
Second Runner-Up
Cultish : The Language of Fanatisism - Amanda Montell
I have always been obsessed with cults. If I have watched the documentaries Going Clear or Wild Wild Country once I’ve watched them five times. I’ve always found it wild how people can leave so much of themselves to take on the beliefs of a cult leader and how oftentimes these end with tragic results. Amanda Montell goes further and really shows you how so many things can have cultlike draws - and how powerfully persuasive cult group-thinking can be. Ever felt your yourself black out at a SoulCycle class and have an almost transcendental experience while being screamed at by a sweaty coach…yeah me neither, but imagine if we had and how close to a cult you’ve actually gotten. A fantastic read that left me questioning if I’m already in a cult or if I’m ready to start one of my own, don’t worry y’all will be the first on the invitee list. For the conspiracy theorist and investigative reporter.
First Runner-Up
Bad Gays : A Homosexual History - Huw Lemmey & Ben Miller
No, this isn’t about your friend who doesn’t watch Rupaul’s Drag Race or who asked you who Dua Lipa was the last time you hung out although they might like it! This book chronicles some of history’s worst gays from Emperor Hadrian to J. Edgar Hoover and dives deep into their stories and the attitudes towards homosexuality at the time and how that shaped them as humans. Based off a podcast with the same name, the deep dives into these people’s lives and psyches is sure to delight any history nerd. Did you know Lawrence of Arabia was gay…me neither! Full of unexpected revelations and tidbits this reads like A historical Page Six and gives all the best dirt on people you may not have even known were gay. Sure they might not have been good people, but there are rotten apples in evey harvest, not just straight ones! For all the bad gays.
Patrick’s Pick 2022 Best Nonfiction
Jesus & John Wayne : How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation - Kristin Kobes Du Mez
Growing up in Colorado Springs, CO the specter of evangelical Christianity hung over everything and even found ways to influence my own conservative Catholic up. This history of the evangelical movement in the US and its enduring impact on the American political landscape is equal parts terrifying and eye-opening. Donald Trump’s ascent to the highest seat of American political power can be traced through this book as the evangelical movement evolved and also intensified in it’s zealotry and power. The transformation of Jesus as a pastoral shepherd of his flock to a militant image of hyper masculinity highlights the true intentions of the movement and the distortion of the Christian message to reflect a new hyper aggressive sense of grievance and fear of “other”. For the true believer.