The Bookseller to the Stars All Time Essential Top Tens Top 10 reads (Fiction) 1. “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby.  (Penguin, 2000) Elitest music geeks in North London and relationship trauma of owner.  The actual Story of my Life, it’s true. 2. “Game Over” by Adele Parks.  (Penguin, 2001) Uber bitch TV producer of annoying reality TV show hounds the ultimate hunk.  Very Funny. 3. “Emma” by Jane Austen.  (Penguin Classic, First Published in 1815)  The book that probably changed my life and made me passionate about reading and made me woder if I could also write. 4. “The Story of O” by Pauline Reage.  (Corgi Books, 1971. First Published in 1954) The bible of deviance and rule book for the S/M community but also the greatest love story ever told.  Let it appeal to your inner slut. 5. “The Bitch Goddess Notebook” by Martha O’Connor.  (Orion, 2005)  Beautifully written first novel of high school trauma and chaotic friendships between three girls and the lives that befall them.  6. “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger.  (Penguin, First Published in 1951)  The Cult guide to New York and essential coming of age novel. 7. “Ham on Rye” by Charles Bukowski.  (Rebel Inc. First Published in 1982) Great Introduction to the man and his writing who was a big influence to the way I write.  What seems to be a description of the poverty and frustrations a writer has to go through. 8. “The Barrytown Trilogy” by Roddy Doyle.  (Vintage, 1993)  Three books about life in downtrodden Dublin in the early 90s that intertwine with each other one spawning the fabulous film, “The Commitments.” 9. “New Boy” by William Sutcliffe. (Penguin, 1998)  This has to be one of the funniest books written.  A young boy coming out amid a large slice of unrequited love. 10.  “Submission” by Marthe Blau.  (Black Swan, 2005)  Modern Day take on the Story of O complete with the backdrop of the current Parisien swingers scene.  Top 10 reads (Music) 1. “Scar Tissue” by Anthony Kiedis.  (Time warner, 2004) This is just the best autobiography and account on the reasoning of self-abuse ever written.  Obsessive fans of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, like me, thought they knew everything they could about this deeply private band, but we were wrong.  This captivating book follows the singer through his addiction and the relationships that have been destoyed along the way, his friendship with his father and Michael Balzary (Flea) and down to his very lowest ebb and chronicles the more recent events that have turned the band into the biggest in the world. 2. “Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs” by John Lydon. (Hodder Headline, 1994) There can be no better book about The Sex Pistols than from the eyes of their enigmatic singer, John Lydon.  From being dragged up on a Dublin council estate or roaming the cesspits of mid seventies London, this book is fascinating.  3. “Live Through This” by Everett True.  (Virgin Books, 2001) This english writer was there.  There is no doubt about it.  American rock music in the nineties and the whole grunge movement and the resulting success, this man was there.  An absolute for all Nirvana fans, but great accounts also of The Breeders, Babes in Toyland and Dinosaur Jr.  4. “England’s Dreaming” by Jon Savage. (Faber, 1993) The ultimate account of the punk movement.  Very much the reference point for the whole of the late seventies and choc full of info for every music nut, myself included.  5. “Going Deaf for a Living” by Steve Lamacq.  (BBC Books, 2000) A great book from the Radio One DJ.  Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley’s Evening Session programme was my generation’s equivalent of discovering John Peel.  Through the music played by him in the early nineties, my taste and resulting soundtrack was formed.  6. “45” by Bill Drummond.  (Little Brown, 2000) One half of the most influential English dance music acts in this country, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty were The KLF.  Their art terrorism and anti capitalist ideas assaulted the music industry for a couple of years that brought us ice cream vans, dead sheep and the burning of a million pounds.  Brilliant. 7. “Confusion is Next: The Sonic Youth Story” by Alec Foege.  (St. Martin’s Press, 1994) The definitive account of America’s most influential group, authorized by the band themselves. 8. “Heavier than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain” by Charles R. Cross. (Hyperion, 2001) With exclusive access to the then unpublished journals of Kurt Cobain, this moving book brought me to tears with it’s description of the end days. 9. “Brother Ray” by Ray Charles.  (De Capo Press, First Published in 1979) Very much the inspiration for the film, this account is written with music writer David Ritz but very much through the eyes and mouth of the singer.  Interesting and heartwarming. 10. “The Courtney Love Story” by Poppy Z. Brite.  (Orion, 1997) This horror fiction writer writes the only authorized biography of the wife of Kurt Cobain.  Obviously uncritical but still fascinating. Top 10 albums. 1. “Ritual Del Lo Habitual” by Jane’s Addiction 2. “Mother’s Milk” by Red Hot Chili Peppers 3. “In Utero” by Nirvana 4. “Live Through This” by Hole 5. “Troublegum” by Therapy? 6. “The Holy Bible” by The Manic Street Preachers 7. “...And Out Come the Wolves” by Rancid 8. “Angel Dust” by Faith No More 9. “Hormonally Yours” by Shakespear’s Sister 10. "Last Splash" by The Breeders Top 10 Live Shows 1.  The Pixies, Reading Festival, August 2005 ’U-Mass’/'Head On’ (by Dinosaur Jr)/’I Bleed’/’Crackity Jones’/’Dead’/’Bone Machine’/’Debaser’/’Tame’/’Gouge Away’/’Monkey Gone To Heaven’/’Broken Face’/’Isla De Encanta’/’Something Against You’/’Stormy Weather’/’Planet Of Sound’/’Caribou’/’The Sad Punk’/’Into The White’/’The Holiday Song’/’Nimrod’s Son’/’Vamos’/’Mr Grieves’/’Here Comes Your Man’/’Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)’/’In Heaven’/’Where Is My Mind?’ Encore:/’Hey’/’Gigantic’ 2.  The Breeders, London Astoria, June 2002 (support from: The Radar Brothers) "No Aloha"/"Tipp City"/"Huffer"/"Saints"/"Little Fury"/"Flipside"/"Head to Toe"/"I Just wanna get Along"/"Off You"/"Cannonball"/"Safari"/"Too Alive"/"Doe"/"Son of Three"/"Full on Idle"/"Just Passing By"/Encore:"The She"/"Buffy's Theme"/"Fortunately Gone"/"Divine Hammer"/"Forced to Drive"/"I Don't Care About You" (by Fear) 3.  Lightyear, Highbury Garage, London, July 2003 (Support from Jerry Built and Captain Everything) Setlist: NuffCuts/Kid Dynamite/LifeJacket Waterwings/Three Basics/Blindside/Twat Out of Hell/Datas Double Chin/PreTeen Propaganda/That’s the Way it Goes, Big Nose/Positive Outlook/Pack of Dogs/Horses 4.  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amsterjam, Randall's Island, New York August 2005 SETLIST "By The Way"/"Scar Tissue"/"Fortune Faded"/"Otherside"/"Throw Away Your Television"/"21st Century"/"I Feel Love" by Donna Summer/"Parallel Universe"/"Readymade"/"Californication"/"Right On Time"/"Can't Stop"/20 Minute Jam with Bootsy Collins and Snoop Dogg feat. "Give it Away" and "Get Up(Sex Machine)" by James Brown and "Freddie's Dead" by Fishbone/"Red Hot Mama" by Parliament Funkadelic 5.  Sonic Youth, Brixton Acadamy, London, September 2004 6.  Pearl Jam, Manchester GMEX Arena, June 2000 (support from The Vandals) 7.  Therapy?, Newcastle University, May 1994 8.  Nine Inch Nails, London Astoria, May 2005 (support from The Dresden Dolls) Setlist:’The Frail’ / ‘The Wretched’/’You Know What You Are?’/’March Of The Pigs’/’The Line Begins To Blur’/’Piggy’/’Terrible Lie’/’Burn’/’Closer’/’Reptile’/’The Big Come Down’/’Gave Up’/’The Day The World Went Away’/’Suck’/’Even Deeper’/’Wish’/’Hurt’/’The Hand That Feeds’/’Starfuckers Inc’/’Head Like A Hole’ 9.  Dropkick Murphys, Brighton Concorde, January 2002 10.  Prodigy, Brighton Centre, August 1996 Almost missing out were Rancid, The Pistols, More Lightyear, No Doubt, Faith No More, Shakespear's Sister, Save Ferris, NOFX and Tenacious D.