And now, for something completely different...

Everyone knows that I am an avid reader.

Hell, that's putting it lightly. I love a good book more than just about anything in this world. Really, it's an addiction that comes with wanting to be a writer. At any given time, I have three novels in reserve, so that upon completion of my lastest adventure I need not stagnate as I struggle to find the follow-up.

What follows is a list of 10 novels that have influenced me and my writing style. It also serves the double purpose of being a list of recommendations for you to consider if you ever find yourself desiring a good read. I guess you can call it my Top Ten list.

10. Stephen King - The Green Mile (1996) : There's just too much to be said about the king of horror. In twenty years, he will be looked back on as the most important author in the genre. This story, though, steps outside of horror, and leaves you emotionally fucked once it's all said and done. it's a one-time read, though, as you probably won't want to subject yourself to this kind of emotional rape again.

09. Chuck Palahniuk - Invisible Monsters (1999) : I love all of Palahniuk's books. HOWEVER, Invisible Monsters is one that just feels personal, being as it deals with something we all have.

08. Hunter S Thompson - Hell's Angels (1966) : The only author on this list to hold two spots, Hunter (and yeah, I think he'd be alright with me calling him that. My left arm is a tribute to the good Doc) ran with the notorious biker gang for a year, and almost lost his life at their hands before it was all said and done. An intense read that set Thompson on the path to greatness that he was destined for.

07. Tom Wolfe - The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968) : A first-hand tale of what it was like to be with the Merry Pranksters from start to end, encompassing their discovery of acid, the rise of the Grateful Dead, and the bus ride from California to the east coast. A truly epic look at one of the most important decade in history.

06. Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) : The movie is wonderful, but the novel is something on an entirely different level of the tower. A tale of friendship in the confines of a mental hospital, the second novel on this list that I can't forsee picking up for a second read due to the emotion poured into the ending.

05. F Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby (1925) : The original twist ending. This is one book that has quietly fallen off the radar, and for no good reason.

04. Hunter S Thompson - The Rum Diary (1998) : Call it playing favorites, but The Rum Diary was Hunter's attempt to write the next great American novel. This story is full of Fitzgeraldian influence, and reads like a poor mans Great Gatsby, but leaves you feeling like life ain't so shitty.

03. Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead (1943) : Rand's tale of rugged individualism is one that will stand the test of time. Howard Rourke is the man that every male child strives to be, but breaks before he ever gets the chance to acheive that goal.

02. Robert A Heinlein - Stranger In A Strange Land (1961) : This novel has sat on my bookshelf for years, and once I finally got around to perusing it, I became fully engrossed and discovered that it IS possible to express my opinions and views on God, laughter, and life in general. I generally hate science fiction books, but if there were a patron saint of the genre, it's Heinlein.

01. Alan Moore - Watchmen (September 1986 - October 1987) : Yes. A graphic novel holds the top spot on my list, and I'm confident that there is absolutely nothing that will ever take it's place. I can't say enough about Watchmen to give it the credit it deserves, so I shant even try here. All I can say is that it is a MUST read.

A few notes on the list: I refused to allow the Dark Tower series to enter consideration, as it would have taken up seven of the spots. HP Lovecraft recieved no love since he wrote short stories, although he was responsible for the Cthulu mythos. Hunter could fill a list of ten all by himself, which gives me an idea for a later note. Atlas Shrugged, another Rand novel, will probably find it's way on to this list at a later date, once I take the time to read it (sorry Stephen King).