Pepperoni, Jalapenos & LSD


Non-Fiction - Memoir
280 Pages
Reviewed on 11/05/2025
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Author Biography

P.H. Mountain was partially educated at the University of Minnesota before earning his undergraduate degree from the Boulder Public Library and his master's from The Sundown Saloon. At twenty-nine, he founded a software company that continues to thrive. He has lived in three different vehicles, fifteen different states, and five different countries, but he generally considers Colorado home. In a moment of clarity, Paul married his wife Stella in 2001. To this day, he still considers her the luckiest woman alive.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite

When Paul decided to move far away from Minnesota and start his adult life somewhere new, he was accompanied by a friend who longed for freedom and adventure. Though his decision seemed reckless, Paul hoped his new lifestyle would allow him to follow his dream of becoming a successful writer. However, his reckless choices and daring experiments had him indulging in drinks, drugs, and partying with his fellow adventure seekers at 19. He also enjoyed the thrills of young love with his love-struck girlfriend, who happened to be from a rich home—a sharp contrast to his humble beginnings. In Pepperoni, Jalapenos & LSD, P. H. Mountain narrates a highly engaging story that takes us back to his carefree years. Prepare for a rollercoaster ride of fun, danger, and new, exciting experiences.

This book is a fine mix of adventure and chaos, keeping readers excited about its unexpected turns. One of my favorite scenes involves the author's close call with the police during the days he dealt drugs. The detailed descriptions of his environments and the people he encountered allow for a very immersive read. Also, the themes are expertly mixed, including love, sex, drugs, friendship, skiing, and writing. Ultimately, Pepperoni, Jalapenos & LSD is a sensational and thrilling memoir that's perfect for readers who reject the status quo and are not the type who want a mundane life. Those who imagine what a life of living on the edge is like will get an intoxicating taste of freedom and youthfulness from these highly descriptive, humorous, and evocative pages. Once you pick up this gem by P. H. Mountain, you'll not want to drop it for even a second.

Makeda Cummings

Pepperoni, Jalapenos & LSD by P. H. Mountain is an intense recollection of the author's eventful but tumultuous youth. Mountain recalls relinquishing a university scholarship as a teen and leaving Minnesota to travel to the sunny state of Boulder, Colorado, with his two friends in tow. Mountain and his friends settle into a small apartment in Colorado and eagerly anticipate an adventurous life ahead of them. He soon becomes immersed in the social life of the locals and befriends an intriguing group of characters. Ultimately, his life is complicated by unrestrained pleasures, sexual exploits, LSD use, alcohol consumption, and encounters with the police. Along the way, the author discovers his passion for writing and believes his newfound skill is his meal ticket to financial freedom. Read Mountain's enthralling story to discover how his exuberant journey evolves.

Pepperoni, Jalapenos & LSD is a humorous, sardonic, and profound memoir that will linger in your mind long after you have read it. P. H. Mountain's life experiences are filled with trauma, drama, unexpected highs and lows, adventure, and romance. His writing is refreshing, clear, and descriptive. The author's experiences will grab your attention from the onset and completely immerse you in his lifestyle. It is almost like watching his life unfold on a television screen. This captivating memoir touches on various insightful topics like adolescence, self-discovery, substance abuse, love, and the ramifications of a person's decisions on their life and the lives of others. The author does a fantastic job of depicting his childhood struggles, the lasting impact of those events, and his relationship with Lonnie, the woman with whom he shares his most intimate moments. I recommend this book to memoir enthusiasts and fans of intense, character-driven narratives.