100 Books That Shaped my Life: Reflections on a Lifetime of Reading

John Pepper's love affair with books began when he was a child. He sought refuge and escape in books; he began to explore the world through them; he developed friendships, of a sort, with the authors whose writing inspired him. Over time, he came to know many of his favorite authors personally. As he said later, "Reading let me know I wasn't alone."

He began to write about the books he was reading many decades ago—summarizing them, calling out passages that stood out for him, and reflecting...