I know this is a bit morbid.  But Off the Shelf posted a list of 12 authors, with their most well-known books, who passed away in 2016.  We always hear about the movie and TV celebrities, and rightfully so.  But we rarely hear much about authors.

Here's the list:

Umberto Eco - The Name of the Rose (know it but don't think I read it)
Gloria Dunn - Geek Love
Pat Conroy - The Prince of Tides (My Losing Season, Beach Music, and South of Broad are in my top 24 all-time - The Prince of Tides was not one of my favorites - but still good)
Gloria Naylor - The Women of Brewster Place
Anna Dewdney - llama llama red pajama (a children's picture book)
James Alan McPherson - Elbow Room
Jim Harrison - Legends of the Fall (this was a movie, but I don't think I saw it)
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting (have heard of it but never read it)
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird (I finally read it just in the last couple of years)
Elie Weisel - Night (I read this one, and Weisel also won the Pulitzer Peace Prize)
William Trevor - The Story of Lucy Gault
Lois Duncan - I Know What You Did Last Summer

SELF-PUBLISHING
This could be interesting for you budding authors out there.  An imprint of Simon & Schuster, called Archway Publishing, has put out a self-publishing guide.  Click on the link to get more info.
free publishing guide