plus, he and tori amos are tight. unfortunately, my music taste differs from anyone else who reads QC somehow. so that may not be that big of a deal. I think its super awesome, though. IMO Tori Amos writes damn interesting lyrics.
(Temporarily continuing the hijack....) I like Tori Amos. I have several of her CDs, some of her bootlegs, and have even attended one of her overpriced stadium shows. I'll also agree that she has interesting lyrics. Some of her turns of phrase are wonderful things to savor. That said, her songs rarely make a lick of sense to me. I explain it as "I understand the words, but I don't speak the language." Maybe if I attempt unpretty line-by-line translation.
Books! Books books books!
My favorite authors include Dr. Seuss, Madeleine l'Engle, Douglas Coupland, Neil Gaiman, Charles deLint, C.S. Lewis, Umberto Eco, and Orson Scott Card, among many others. Those are just the first few who floated to the top of my head.
My favorite Dr. Seuss book is My Many Colored Days, which I honestly enjoy for the pictures above the text. Do look for it. It's fun to read to strangers on the bus.
Madelein l'Engle has also written some fantastic picture books (The Other Dog stands out), but she's also done the Time Quartet (the first three volumes being excellent) and a host of other novels which have enough depth revealed in various places to keep me rereading throughout the years.
Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a tweenager must read. So is The Phantom Tollbooth.
Neil Gaiman... I would sacrifice small defenseless rodents to Cthulhu and the fire if it would grant me the ability to write as he. Stardust, Neverwhere, American Gods... yes.
Douglas Coupland: terribly funny. Really, he's terrible. His humor tends to come from the vacuity of modern culture butting up against those imperfect good things (like familial love) we hope are permanent, but aren't always. Still, his work is evolving, and each novel trips a little closer to finding meaning in a totally fucked-up world. I'm told he coined the term Generation X with his eponymous novel. I just think All Families Are Psychotic was a solid read, and want more.
Charles deLint writes urban fantasy, and it's usually pretty solid. My favorites from his canon are Tapping the Dream Tree (short stories) and The Onion Girl (novel re: the past of a major character). Most of his unrelated novels take place in Newford, with overlapping casts.
I'm falling unconsious, so I'll post and leave and hope I haven't repeated someone else's opinions word-for-word in my exhaustion. Maybe I'll post later.