I was very sad to hear last night of the death of J.D. Salinger, author of #64, The Catcher in the Rye, at 91 years old. I remember reading this book both in college and in high school and loving it; who didn't think at that age all adults were 'phony'? :) I already have it on my shelf and am looking forward to reading it as a grown-up.
It's been amazing to me, reading through this list, how many of the authors have already passed away, which I guess is what happens when you're reading a list of books from the last century. I think the only other authors I've read on the list that are still alive are Salman Rushdie and E.L. Doctorow. Having success as a writer and ending up on a list like this is its own immortality, though, isn't it?
