5 Books I like

I would like to start by saying that list is not in any order. I sat here and went through my mind and grabbed five books that I really enjoyed and jotted them down on my note pad. These titles are books that I have read more than once and in several cases multiple times.

I find that when I read a book I really like, I really connect with, then I can re-read that book several times and either discover things I missed before or it’s like reliving a memory. Sometimes the characters are developed well enough where it’s like visiting a friend. Either way, all of the books on this list are that way with me and it is my sincere hope that they can be that way for you. So here we go.


The Long Walk – Stephan King as Richard Bachman

This may be one of my favorite stories of all time. It was written by Stephan King under the pseudonym “Richard Bachman” and can be found grouped together with three other stories in a collection called “The Bachman Books”. The story is set in a different America where there is an annual contest called “The Long Walk”. One hundred walkers are selected, by lottery, out of a list of applicants. The winner receives everything and anything they want for the rest of their lives. The main rules are simple; once you start walking you cannot stop until you are the last one walking. You must maintain a speed of no less than five miles an hour, and you cannot purposely hinder other walkers. You receive a warning for an infraction. After three warning and you are shot to death where you are. It is a great experiment in sociology.

The Salmon of Doubt – Douglas Adams

On May 11th 2001, the galaxy was shaken by the loss of a literary luminary. With an irony that he might have included in one of his stories, Douglas Adams passed away from a heart attack while working out at a local Gym. After the funeral and some time healing, his friends put together a posthumous collection of articles and stories found on the hard drives of Douglas’ many beloved Mac Computers. They also included and unfinished draft of his next book titles “A Salmon of Doubt”. This is a bitter sweet collection for it really gives the reader insight into the man who showed them how cross the galaxy with nothing but a towel. If read as a introduction to his work it could lay the ground work for a long and fruitful relationship with a man who knows how to make a proper cup of tea.

The Centurion – Sean Patrick Little

I found out about this book from my Darling Mel who went to college with the author. She said her friend wrote a book and it was sort of Sci-Fi, sort of Fantasy, so I bought it out of support for local artists. I sat down with it a bit skeptically but was fully engrossed in it within the first twenty-five pages. I devoured this book and am eagerly awaiting another volume. Sean creates a world in which you are truly interested in and concerned with what’s going to happen next. His characters are like the friends I spoke of earlier. I have read this book twice and both times were it was engrossing. Unlike some stories of this style, there is clear definition and reason used to explain why things are happening as they are and who the characters are and for what reason they are the ones needed for the tasks they perform.

To date, I have gotten two people to read my copy of this book. The first is a Sci-Fi lover like me and the second is a reader who I think is new to this genre. Both reported favorably of their reading experience. Ideally, those of you who are interested should buy your copy from Sean and help support new authors.

Drawing Blood – Poppy Z Brite

I was introduced to this book by my good friend Scott. He said the imagery was great and the plot was compelling. He went to college so I took him at his word. (heh heh). I really got into this book because again the characters grabbed me right away. The plot is easy enough to grasp firmly and there is a scene with a band experience that touches a special place. I have read the entire book several times but I have stopped in to “visit” with Trevor and Zach hundreds of times.

Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card

This is straight up Science Fiction. A very close friend who is dear to me gave me a copy of this book. There was no preamble, Denise just one day handed me the book and said “read it”. I did, and I love her even more for it. It tells the story of Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a boy who is chosen to go to a prep battle school for a future war against an enemy alien race who have already attacked earth once and were only barely defeated. The plan is to ready an army for the inevitable return of The Formics. I have read the cover off this book and reduced it to a poorly taped together collection of pages. There are several sequels but most have lost my interest save for one. Ender’s Shadow is the same timeline but told from the perspective of another character. It is exciting to read these books in unison so as to see their interactions with each other from two vantage points. It is a unique experience in story telling.


Well there you go, five suggestions to get you through the re-run season and maybe, just maybe, you’ll become less dependant on electronics for entertainment, then maybe you’ll decide that maybe you can tell a story other people want to read, and soon I’ll be writing an article dedicated to all the local artist who’s books I’ve read and who’s characters I’ve become attached to and eventually reading will be popular again and our intellect will rebound from years of sitcom induce atrophy.

Ten Great Heavy Metal Songs

I love music of all kinds but I have a soft spot for Heavy Metal. In this post I thought I would share some of my favorite songs. This is not a top Ten and I do not have a Favorite song. I dig music based on the mood I’m in. The following songs are songs that are great and I have never gotten sick of them. I would recommend anyone not versed in Metal check out the studio versions of these songs to get the original feel, and if you are a Head Banger, I hope this brings a smile to your face and a crick to your neck.

• Anthrax – “Indians” – This song has one of the greatest “Mosh Buildups” written into a song. There is held metal vocal note, a unison of rhythm guitar and bass chugging and a build on the drums and the band hollers “War Dance” and no matter where I am I bang into that beat.
• Megadeth – “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” – The first taste people get of what is considered the pinnacle of Megadeth’s recording career is this cold, crisp, and complex example of what can be done within the realm of speed metal. The bands founder, lead singer and Commander in Chief, Dave Mustaine, creates a massive epic that spans past five minutes but feels like just a moment. This song has sent many young guitar player back to their basements dragging their guitars behind them in frustrations and embarrassment.
• Metallica – “Damage Inc” – I look back to a time before short hair, lawsuits, and documentaries about therapy to a time when the slogan was “Fuck it all with Fucking no regrets” and smile. Any Metallica fan prior to 1991 will tell you that you must own all four of the bands major albums, listen to them and love them to understand the backlash that they have endured since the release of The Black Album titles Metallica. I am one of those fans, and this song is one of the many reasons why.
• Trivium – “Pull harder on the strings of your Martyr” – This is an example of what new metal should be; Fast and angry.
• Rammstein – “Feuer Frei” – I knew I would have a Rammstein song on this list, but coming up with just one was a real dilemma. Rammstein is in my top 10 favorite metal bands list and jockeys for position but will never leave that list. This song appeared in the first “Triple X” movie and people thought all the fire was for the movies sake. Wrong! That’s their gig! As far as I’m concerned the movie could have been written around their set.
• Slayer – “Dead Skin Mask” – Written for Wisconsin’s own Ed Gein, Slayer mixes vivid imagery with grinding music to take you out to Plainfield, Wisconsin where the back story to movies like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho were born.
• Static X – “Start a War” – Wayne Static’s choppy, rhythmic delivery of the lyrics mixed with the dependable Static X aggression allows for a song destined to stand up for metal heads generations from now.
• Ozzy Osbourne – “Perry Mason” – It’s easy to over look the odd lyrical content of this song when the uncharacteristic weight of the music lands on you like a Buick full of mid-westerners. The guitar tone and brutality of this song more that makes up for eyebrow raising words.
• Iron Maiden – “The Trooper” – A textbook example of British Heavy Metal from the galloping bass lines to the twin lead guitar lines, overshot with the operatic metal voice of their signature vocalist Bruce Dickinson, this song is a metal anthem!
• Motorhead – “March or Die” – This song is my favorite Motorhead tune. To me, it musically captures World War II. It is a rolling juggernaut of music with Lemmy’s growl and the ever present but well used synth sound and the musical peak at the end under the chant Die,Die,Die…Whew, what up mood generator.