5 Books: Jane Smiley

“Giants in the Earth” by Ole Rolvaag
“Skippy Dies” by Paul Murray
“The Man Who Loved Children” by Christina Stead
“Caleb's Crossing” by Geraldine Brooks
“The All True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton” by Jane Smiley 

Jane Smiley (LDM100: SF; Chicago, Ep.7; Austin Ep.1) lives in Northern California and is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of an ever-swelling number of novels for adults and children, including the more recent novel “Private Life.” Many of these novels have equine or canine characters. Seven of her novels have happy endings.

5 Books: Scott McClanahan

"Cockpit" by Jerzy Kosinski
“I am Alive and You are Dead” and “The Adversary” by Emmanuel Carrere
“My Mother's House and Sido” by Colette
“King of the Jews” by  Nick Tosches
“One More for the People” by  Martha Grover
“Reminiscences of Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Andreyev” by Maxim Gorky

Scott McClanahan (DC, Ep.3) wrote “The Collected Works of Scott McClanahan, Volume 1.”   He also wrote “Stories V!”   His book “Hill William” will be published by Tyrant Books in 2013.  His book “Crapalachia” will be published by Two Dollar Radio in 2013.   He just released an album “Holler Boys Greatest Hits” with his friend Chris Oxley.

5 Books: Roxane Gay

“Evel Knievel Days” by Pauls Totounghi
“The Middlesteins” by Jami Attenberg
“Battleborn” by Claire Vaye Watkins
“Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter
“Kind One” by Laird Hunt

Roxane Gay (Chicago, Ep.7) lives and writes in the Midwest. She is the author of the short story collection “Ayiti,” and also totally won LDM Chicago in a very thrilling victory. 

5 Books: Taylor Mali

"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" by Michael Chabon
"Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts
"The Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
"Maus" by Art Spiegelman
"The Trouble With Poetry" by Billy Collins

Taylor Mali (SF, Ep.30) has starred on HBO's "Def Poetry Jam." He's a four-time National Poetry Slam champion and author of two poetry collections and a book of essays, "What Teachers Make: In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World.”

5 Books: Meredith Goldstein

“The 158-Pound Marriage” by John Irving
“The Odd Woman” by Gail Godwin
“Why We Broke Up” by Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman
“Joe College” by Tom Perrotta
“Vampire Academy” by Richelle Mead

Meredith Goldstein (Boston, Ep. 8) is the love advice columnist for The Boston Globe and the author of “The Singles,” (Penguin/Plume). Her column Love Letters is a daily dispatch of wisdom for the lovelorn that gets about 1 million page views a month on Boston.com.