Jack's favourite books

Jack: "People often ask what my favourite books are, who are my favourite writers, what inspired me to write. The list below is the answer to all those questions. Looking for a good read? Start here. No, wait - start with mine, then go here.

"Some are on the list because they're the kind of books I write, some are there because they're the kinds of books I wish I could write. Some I read as a child, some I finished only recently. There are sci-fi books, horror books, crime books, non-fiction books, kids' books, adult books, old books, new books, books that made me giggle, books that made the hairs on my arms stand up. I'm going to keep adding to the list as I think of more.

"They aren't listed in order of title, author, genre, or year of publication. The order was determined partly by how much I liked them, partly by how much I liked the author's other works (there's only one book per author here), but it's mostly just the order in which they occured to me. Each one sprang to mind because it made some kind of impression.

"I haven't screened them for appropriateness of content; that would take months. Half of them are there just because of how much they shocked me. If you're concerned, read the blurb and/or review before you start reading the book. If you're worried that that won't adequately protect you, I suggest you harden up."