James Patterson writes suspense and thriller novels as well as children's books. He runs the children's literacy campaign ReadKiddoRead. Deborah Feingold/Courtesy Little, Brown and Co. hide caption
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George Saunders
Joe McGinniss, who wrote a book about former Gov. Sarah Palin, poses for a photograph at the home he rented next to Palin's house in Wasilla, Alaska. Dan Joling/Associated Press hide caption
The Story Prize judges call George Saunders' Tenth of December "very funny and very sad." Evan Agostini/Invision/AP hide caption
Ralph Ellison testified at a Senate Subcommittee hearing in 1966 on the racial problems in big cities. AP hide caption
Author Barbara Mertz died Thursday morning, Aug. 8, 2013, at her home in Frederick, Maryland. ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption
A box of chocolates from Tokyo, Japan. Junko Kimura/Getty Images hide caption
A photo of J.D. Salinger taken in September 1961. AP hide caption
Hilary Mantel attends the Costa Book of the Year awards in London, England. Stuart Wilson/Getty Images hide caption
A photo of Mark Twain from the 1880s. Wikimedia Commons hide caption
Renee Zellweger in a scene from Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. A new Bridget Jones book will come out this November. Universal Studios hide caption