Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger has died at age 91 in New Hampshire. [Obituary continues]

J.D. Salinger, a World War II veteran, is best known to me as much for The Catcher in the Rye as he is for his reclusion: after the success of Catcher (now required reading in high schools across the country, including mine), he shunned the publicity he had earned, even well before his work was associated with the death of John Lennon. At the time of Mr. Salinger's passing, he had not published anything in more than forty years. Even his character in the novel Field of Dreams was replaced by James Earl Jones' fictional author, Terence Mann. Though both novelists share reclusive traits, the book is worth reading for how large a role Mr. Salinger has in it; even if it is a work of fiction, it does much to humanize the the mythological author.

Rest in peace, dream catcher.

(CBS) Best-selling author and filmaker Michael Crichton died unexpectedly in Los Angeles Tuesday, after a courageous and private battle against cancer, according to a statement released by his family. He was 66.

Crichton is best known as the author of Jurassic Park and the creator of ER. His most recent novel, Next, about genetics and law, was published in December 2006.

"While the world knew him as a great story teller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes," the statement said. "He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget."

Story continues at CBSNews.com.

Madeleine L'Engle, an author whose childhood fables, religious meditations and fanciful science fiction transcended both genre and generation, most memorably in her children's classic A Wrinkle in Time, died on Thursday in Litchfield, Conn. She was 88. [Story continues]

Though Ms. L'Engle's book was read to me when I was ten, I never read it myself, nor saw the various film adaptations (which I'm told were not very good). Can someone chime in with a more recent recollection of this novel that might suggests the force behind its staying power? Any book that's been banned must be worth reading.