Challenge #25: Sarah vs the Bucket List

This wasn't on my original list of things before 30, as it came as a bit of a surprise challenge that I thought I would be waiting a very long time to do.

Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road' sat on my bookshelf for about 10 years before I finally got around to reading it. I was packing my belongings up ready to move out, deciding what to keep and what to give away. Even though I hadn't made the effort to read it, I was reluctant to give it up. I sat on the floor and read a couple of pages, telling myself it would have to go if I couldn't get into it quickly, and ended up reading the whole book. Since then it has been my favourite book.

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..."

The story of how Kerouac wrote 'On The Road' on one huge scroll of paper - supposedly in a three-week burst while on benzedrine - has always fascinated me and in my head I thought one day I would go and see it on display in America. So when I heard that the scroll was heading for the British Library late last year I had to go and see my favourite book in its original form.

The original 'On The Road' scroll

Me and the scroll.

A few facts about 'On The Road'

• The original scroll manuscript, typed by Kerouac in a three-week burst, measures 120ft
• It's only been fully rolled out twice
• It was bought for $2.43 million (£1.51 million) in 2001 - the highest ever amount for a literary manuscript
• That's $20,250 (£12,555) per foot
• It has a typo on the first line - 'I first met met Neal...'
• The end of the scroll was chewed by a dog
• More than 10 million copies of 'On The Road' have been sold - I own two of those

Verdict: WIN!

I is for Idols

They say you never forget your first love and I can honestly say the torch I've held for the Manic Street Preachers still burns as brightly as it did for the 13-year-old that discovered them.

To my young, impressionable ears, the Manics were he most exciting and important thing I'd ever heard or seen. Coming from a small town that was so lacking in everything it felt like the arse-end of nowhere, they gave a voice to the boredom and banality felt by teens like myself who were stranded in exactly the same existence.

It was the critically acclaimed 'Everything Must Go' that brought them to my attention, but it was immersing myself in their back catalogue that led me down the path of music awesomeness and onward to an eternal love of good music and good books.

I have the Manics to thank for drawing my attention to a lot of things that have been life changing. Without them I'd never have found The Clash, a band whose presence has made my life all the richer for it, or Jack Kerouac, whose 'On The Road' beatnik adventure completely captured my heart and made me fall in love with America long before I got there.

From the aggression and attitude of 'Generation Terrorists' to the dark, thought-provoking depths of 'The Holy Bible', the Manics' music has always encouraged he listener to think outside the box. While other bands worked hard to fit whatever music mould was trendy that year, they distanced themselves with lyrics inspired by the library, rather than the ladies.

They supplied their fans with not just a list of musical influences, but a whole library's worth of books that would enrich lives. Joining the Manics clan was only partly about expanding your CD collection, mostly it was about expanding your mind and your bookshelf. For every single, every album, there was a specially selected quote, a clue to the possibilities that lay ahead were you to just tag along on their educational ride.

The Manics also revelled in being different. In the early days their sound was an awkward fit, but their look was even more striking. Eyeliner, feather boas, women's blouses and the tightest of tight white jeans. You think the emo look was an odd one? The Manics took the best and worst of female style in the early '90s and ran with it.

They were a band out there on their own - what's not to love?