This week’s blog challenge prompt is “List your favorite books/authors/musicians and write about them”. To preserve my sanity, I am going to do a Top 5 of each category rather than the usual Top 10. These are in no particular order.

TOP 5 BOOKS

1. The Foul Mouth and the Pit of No Return–Richard Raley
   • I freaking love the scene when King Henry Price pops back into the “court” and hands Guildmaster Massey his ass on a platter. Hands down, best whoop-ass monologue ever.
2. “The Literary Offenses of James Fenimore Cooper”–Mark Twain
   • No, it’s not a book–it’s an essay. But 28 years after reading it for the first time, I still can’t read it without bursting in laughter aloud. I read The Last of the Mohicans when I was in high school, so when I was assigned to read Twain’s essay in college, I knew exactly what he was attacking.
3. Roots–Alex Haley
   • I read this book when I was 12. My parents did not gatekeep books from me based on age or subject matter, and I thank them for that. Consequently, by the time I got to high school and encountered American History, I knew better than my classmates that we were not being told an accurate history. It rankled me then, and it rankles me now.
4. Wait For Me, Watch For Me, Eula Bee–Patricia Ann Beatty
   • Our 6th grade English teacher Mrs. Gibson read this book to the class. I was captivated by the story of a little girl captured by Native Americans in the frontier, but more importantly, I learned what a cliffhanger was and that it is OK for older students to take a break and simply listen to a story instead of working all of the time. I also then read every Patricia Ann Beatty book I could lay my hands on, and none of them disappointed. I discovered I enjoyed historical fiction.
5. The Power of Myth–Joseph Campbell
   • I read this when I was a young adult in college, and it was damn near a spiritual awakening for me. I could feel my third eye opening right then and there. My copy is full of highlighted passages and notes in the margins. Haven’t reread it since then, but I still remember the feeling of awe.

Top 5 Authors

1. Richard Raley
   • The man is not afraid to cuss a blue streak and beat characters to a bloody pulp by any means necessary. He is also accessible through his blog site, and he handles feedback well. Or deletes it. Both approaches are justified.
2. Mark Twain
   • This guy was a genius when it came to being a socially acceptable smart ass. His use of language absolutely sings on the page.
3. Becca Andre
   • I have read several of Becca’s series (Final Formula series gets an honorable mention in the Top 5 Books category), and I love immersing myself in her magical world and believing in the possibilities for a brief time.
4. Jennifer Roberson
   • Jennifer Roberson wrote the Chronicles of the Cheysuli series, and this was my introduction into fantasy and shapeshifting characters. It was also my introduction into having to wait for the next book in a series to come out because the writer didn’t publish as fast as I read.
5. Agatha Christie
   • Agatha Christie was the queen of mysteries. She created a number of distinctive detectives and was able to create a different feel to their stories instead of making every book feel like a cookie cutter copy. I had to learn just enough French to understand what Inspector Poirot was going on about.

Top 5 Musicians

1. Elvis Presley
   • I will always be an Elvis fan over the Beatles. Listened to both extensively as a child, but Elvis wins. He ended up being a trainwreck as a human being, but I am starting to see that this is a trend when it comes to being a musician.
2. KISS
   • I love KISS’ music. Don’t really get the appeal of their “live” albums, but I do love their concerts. Haven’t bought an album since the 90s, but the soundtrack of my teen years and early 20s was completely saturated with KISS. It sucked when Eric Carr passed away, Vinnie Vincent was just odd, and I learned to never trust a “farewell” tour until Paul and Gene are truly dead and gone, because everyone else in the lineup is replaceable.
3. David Lee Roth
   • I will forever call it Van Hagar if DLR isn’t the frontman. DLR has a stage presence and comes up with hilariously campy song ideas that can’t be matched.
4. Dee Snider
   • Gotta admit that I really only know the Stay Hungry album and then a couple other songs. But what makes Dee a Top 5 in my books is him as a human. He took on the PMRC in the 80s, and made us headbangers proud. He fundraised for the March of Dimes and understands what it is like to have a preemie baby. To this day, he will give you his opinion whether you ask for it or not. His books are great to read. He’s stayed married to the same fantastic woman for decades, and raised 4 great kids who are also out there doing amazing things.
5. *****
   • For now I am going to leave this musician nameless, but just know right now the situation pisses me off. He has so much talent, and even though he is in his 20s he has captured the power and heart of 80s hair bands and added a current day spin to it that is unmatched. I love my 80s hair bands, so it was awesome to find a new artist that was putting out new music with that familiar energy. And then he just threw it away and walked off. So now I’m back to trying to find new music while being really ticked off and wanting to scream into the void. Musicians need to get their shit together.