book ’em.

This is another Facebook meme, brought to you by my friend Jacob, who asked for an almost stream-of-consciousness list of ten books that have stuck with me over the years. Without much thought, here you go:

Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut: Sort of ties together nearly everything else Vonnegut wrote. And I’ve read them all.

The Power Elite, C. Wright Mills: Has a lot to do with my political leanings.

Catch-22, Joseph Heller: There is no better portrait of the military (and, by extension, government).

A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving: Delves into questions of faith vs. religion.

The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers: We’re all related. Our myths say so.

Grateful Dead Gear, Blair Jackson: I have dozens of Grateful Dead-related biographies; this one, which tells the story of the band through its guitars, sound systems and recording studios, may be my favorite.

High Fidelity, Nick Hornby: I see myself all over this book.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, Hunter Thompson: I still want to do this.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe: When I first read this decades ago, it tied together all kinds of interests in one place for me.

Sweet Thursday, John Steinbeck: Picking one Steinbeck book is tough; this might be my favorite because it’s the funniest.