15 New Yorkers' Favorite Books

Anderson Cooper

"Some people grow up in homes where sports are important; I grew up in a home where reading and writing had great value. As a child, I had a problem reading. I had a mild form of dyslexia where I would see some letters backward, and I had to go to a special reading instructor. One way she helped was to encourage me to find books that I was really passionate about." —Anderson Cooper, CNN anchor and journalist

Books that made a difference to Anderson Cooper:

A Death in the Family by James Agee

The Quiet American by Graham Greene

Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Families: A Memoir and a Celebration by Wyatt Cooper

It Seemed Important at the Time by Gloria Vanderbilt

The Journey Is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon edited by Kathy Eldon