Fifteen books that impacted my life:
1. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
My love for books began here. This was the first true novel I ever read, and despite it's lofty scientific language, I read all the way through it at age six. Since then, and I'm not joking, I have read it over forty times. If I hadn't discovered this book, would I be as obsessed with reading and writing as I am now? I like to assume so, but who knows?
2. The Oath by Frank Peretti
My mom sometimes asks me why all of my writing is dark and filled with evil imagery and often gory scenes. The answer is, I read a lot of Peretti when I was young. This book is as close to Stephen King level horror as you can get out of the mainstream Christian fiction market, and it started me down a dark path that lead me to a love of violence and degradation, and eventually redemption, in fiction.
3. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
This is the one book I can point to and say, "This book changed my life completely." When I read it I was drifting along in life, bitter towards religion and church and feeling like a generally terrible Christian. When I read this I felt like I'd come home. I haven't been the same since.
4. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
Choke was my first introduction to the idea that there were different forms of narrative out there, and more interesting ones at that. Palahniuk is now my favorite author due in large part to a classmate in college telling me to get this book and read it immediately. His characters are so real, his tone so conversational, and his stories so dark... it's everything I strive to write.
5. Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis
This book laid out so much utter depravity that it was almost hard to finish, but it was one of those books with an ending so fraught with meaning and subtext that it makes wading through the hopeless emptiness worth it. Multiple times.
6. The Spinal Cord Perception by Joshua Stephen Porter
This book changed the way I look at what a person can do with Christian fiction. It is very daring, and it hits you right in the gut. I found myself relating to the main character in many ways, even though I was loath to do so. This was also the first time I read something in a book and had to put it down because it was so horrific that I was brought nearly to tears. TSCP drags you through the ugliest things humanity has to offer, and then gently places you in the most beautiful... but even then you aren't safe.
7. The Stand by Stephen King
Burn all of the Left Behind books, they are pretty much crap. Stephen King is the only author I've found who got a tale of Christian-themed post-apocalyptic chaos right. This book is absolutely massive, and the 1200 pages contain some pretty revolting, heart wrenching, disturbing, heroic, and redemptive stuff.
8. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
I never really understood how allegory can be used until I read Lewis. In this book he did it better than he ever did anyplace else, even with the Narnia books. It's written very much in the style of the old school pulp sci-fi I was into in my high school years, and it's actually pretty brutal and scary in parts, with a message that knocked my socks off. Man, I need to re-read this.
9. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet by Joanne Proulx
I picked up this book because it had a cool indie-film type cover, and was about a kid who inadvertently predicts death. Sounded goofy to me, but what I actually got was this dark, sorrowful, and moving tale of a teenager trying to sort out his emotions and feelings on God and love. At one point he feels a dying infant pass through him, and that passage in the book nearly took my breath away. It's also set in Michigan and has cameos by the Palace of Auburn Hills and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, amongst a slew of other music trivia. Such a good book. (it IS very funny, by the way)
10. Churched by Matthew Paul Turner
What I liked about this book was that it was pretty much my life written out for me, although I will admit Turner's was a bit more crazy due to having weirder parents. Anyone who grew up in an evangelical home would relate to this amusing memoir.
11. Jaws by Peter Benchley
This was one of the first "horror" books that I was allowed to read as a child, and it was fairly graphic for a nine year old, I'd say. In any case, I loved it and it jump-started my fascination with horror stories. On a side note, the movie tie in novelizations for the second and fourth movies are AMAZINGLY good. They are nothing like the movies and are written just as well, if not better, than the Benchley original!
12. Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
I love short stories, and this is the best collection of short stories I've ever come across. It is also notable in that it is the only book I can recall actually scaring me to the point where I decided to put it down and wait until daylight to continue. Freaky stuff.
13. At Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs
If there was ever the fiction equivalent to saturday morning matinee science fiction, it was in Burroughs' works. This is neither a particularly well written or noteworthy novel, especially when considering the author created the Tarzan character, but I loved it as a kid and have first editions of the entire series. I love old dinosaur books.
14. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
Wells' stories are, to put it bluntly, pretty screwed up for old science fiction classics written in the early part of the 20th century. This one is the most cracked out with it's vivisection and mad scientist and terror and isolation and hopelessness and beast people and hints of bestiality... I could go on. It disturbed me to no end when I read it in middle school.
15. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
This book isn't necessarily the best thing ever written, but it's beautiful to look at and has an amazing concept. I mean, to describe it accurately would take a long time, but it's basically an edited release of a research book created from a shot by shot description of a mysterious film. There's an entire plotline played out in the footnotes, for goodness sake. I couldn't take it all in by the end, but the core story, that being the mysterious film, is interesting and actually quite terrifying. The way the actual visual elements of type and color and spacing work with the story is very unique, and pleases me.
Fifteen albums that impacted my life:
1. Showbread - No, Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
After much deliberation, this may have to be named my favorite album of all time. When I first heard it, I thought it was spastic and weird, but mildly entertaining and I bought it because I liked to have weird bands that might gain me points among my peers (I went to a sheltered Christian school, and it didn't work so well). "No, Sir..." is just absolutely amazing. So energetic with the dueling vocals, and then there's the very deep lyrics, catchy songs, and moving ballads. It's so perfect. I love every second of it, and go through periods every month or so where I listen to it for a few days nonstop.
2. Beloved - Failure On
Beloved will always be the perfect hardcore-with-melodies band for me. They were just so solid in everything they did, with such beautiful choruses and moving lyrics. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't appreciate this band in some way.
3. DC Talk - Intermission: The Greatest Hits
This was the only DC Talk album I ever purchased myself. It introduced me to the band and for about 3 years in middle school it was all I listened to. This album is probably one of the best examples of Gospel done right, with influences from almost every genre, and some of the most memorable songs I've ever heard.
4. Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre
A friend introduced me to this band, and at first I was very "meh" on them. They were neither here nor there for me. Then I took a listen to this album, and what I heard blew me away. Nobody seems to give this band a chance because they have this poppy scene fangirl reputation for some reason, and because it seems like all their songs are funny sex joke songs. None of this is true. The songs on this cd can be humorous, and they do have that edge in the music. They are usually very smart ass, lyrically and vocally, but the songs themselves are really quite deep. Most are stories of drug abuse, depression, abusive relationships, and murder, all told through the eyes of a dude who tries to have a sense of humor about life. This album is never far out of earshot for me.
5. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
Somewhere in the midst of thinking metal was the only good music, this album dropped into my earholes and changed everything. Something about Ben Gibbard's voice and the cadence of the songs turned something around inside of me, and I'd find myself dialing my bulky old mp3 player to the album and falling asleep to it many nights in a row. So very soothing.
6. Every Time I Die - Gutter Phenomenon
Sometimes you hear an album and the whole thing just clicks and you go, "Yeah, that's what music is for me." That was Gutter Phenomenon. Utterly amazing in every facet. One of my other regular spins.
7. Demon Hunter - Self-titled
I'm not as much into Demon Hunter anymore as I was in high school, but I credit this album for turning me away from radio rock and towards the world of heavy metal in it's various sub-genres. I heard the song "Screams of the Undead" and for a year or two afterward, Demon Hunter was the king of music in my world.
8. Emery - The Weak's End
This is the only album I can think of that I can sing along to word for word beginning to end. Every song is executed perfectly, especially in the vocal department, and even if it's your first time hearing them, by the end of the first song you are singing along.
9. Murder By Death - Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left Of Them?
I never gave a second glance to folksy, country, twangy anything until I borrowed this from a friend. It opened up a whole new world for me.
10. Great Lakes Myth Society - Compass Rose Bouquet
About 6 months ago, I started daydreaming about a theoretical band that would make a whole new sound specific to the northern states(northern rock), with it's own drawl and twang no one else had thought of. This band would be based out of Michigan and sing songs inspired by the history and legends of Michigan and what it was like to live here in the wonderful summers and harsh winters. A couple of months later and my friend Alycia says, "Have you ever heard of Great Lakes Myth Society?" Nuff said.
11. Haste the Day - Burning Bridges
I LOVED this band the first time I saw them live on the Solid State Tour in 2004. I couldn't stop talking about them and annoyed all of my friends. I wasn't that into music that was primarily made up of harsh growling before then. I bought the album at Cornerstone that year and never looked back.
12. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
This album is nostalgic for me in that I vividly remember purchasing it on a whim at Best Buy with money I'd earned working part time at a candy store. I listened to it and headbanged every time I drove home from work in my parents' car.
13. Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child
Sometimes, the lyrics alone click with me so well that an album elevates itself from simply great, to absolutely amazing. The songs about being bitter with the Church and struggling with faith all struck home for me, and made this one of my favorites.
14. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster - Self-titled
In the winter of 2005, a friend of mine told me that I should check out this "fun" band and burned me a copy. At the time, I was working at a dog kennel and would drive home in the freezing weather, smelling of wet dog. This album made the drives bearable. Southern metal is now one of my favorite genres, and the Sons do it right, do it loud, and do it fun. The album never gets old, and neither does it's counterpart, "II".
15. Norma Jean - Oh God, The Aftermath
I bought my first Norma Jean album (Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child) because there was a two for one deal on underground metal at FYE and I'd heard enough people in my circle praising them, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I liked it well enough to check out their next effort, which absolutely knocked me on my ass. Every detail of this album is perfect. From the artwork, which won a freaking Grammy by the way, to every little guitar bend and vocal intake. Start to finish, hands down the best album I have personally heard, in my humble opinion.
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