Author: Beau Kelly
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Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command
My sister, Sierra (the first BK Reads subscriber!) recommended this book. Sierra flies C-17s in the Special Operations Low Level (SOLL) program in Charleston, and this book tells the story of her unit and areas she supports. Relentless Strike is pretty dense, but the stories of active firefights and rescues are awesome. The book details…
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Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last
In Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last, Wright Thompson masterfully tells the story of bourbon and deep family connection. Thompson weaves the legacy of Julian Van Winkle and Pappy Van Winkle bourbon with the story of his own family and father. The Van Winkles lost their generational family business…
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Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
In Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse, Kent Taylor tells his life story including the founding of Texas Roadhouse. He ran cross country at the University of North Carolina, operated night clubs, managed Bennigan’s and a handful of other restaurants before finding funding to start Texas Roadhouse. I appreciated Kent’s story,…
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Dreams of El Dorado
“Dreams of El Dorado” by H.L. Brands is a captivating and comprehensive account of the American West. The book digs into numerous primary sources to tell the stories of the first settlers and founding narratives for a few cities west of the Mississippi. Brands tackles a broad swath of the American West and does it…
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The Deepest South of All
The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant is a thoughtful, hilarious, and well-told story of Natchez, Mississippi. Grant is a British author who immerses himself in Natchez for half a year. He lives with an influential author with generations of history in the town,…
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Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
At the end of the year, I like to re-read a book that will set the tone for the upcoming year. For 2023, I dove back into Ryan Holiday’s Ego is the Enemy. Ego is the Enemy is a reminder to do the work. I made a major career change in 2022, and I feel…
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2022 Power Rankings
5 Stars-I would recommend these to anyone. Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game Highly educated women have very limited dating options because men are not graduating from college at the same rate. The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West The Wright family has 13 children, a dying ranch, and the…
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Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders with America’s Mexican Migrants
In Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders with America’s Mexican Migrants, Ted Conover lives and travels with Mexican migrants as they pick oranges in Arizona and Florida. Conover vividly depicts the journey of Mexican migrants from their remote towns in Southern Mexico into the United States under the guidance of coyotes. Coyotes are paid to get…
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Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America’s Edge
In Cheap Land Colorado, Ted Conover immerses himself in the barren landscape of Colorado’s San Luis Valley with individuals living at the margin of society. Conover’s book came out in November, and the subject material all takes place in the last five years as he lives in the Valley for months at a time. Conover…
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The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream
In The Snakehead, Patrick Keefe masterfully tells the story of mass illegal migration from China to the United States through the lens of the Golden Venture ship disaster and master smuggler, Sister Ping. Keefe details the unbelievable feats and prices that impoverished individuals are willing to undertake to make it to America. Sister Ping serves…
