After three acclaimed novels, Gary Shteyngart turns to memoir in a candid, witty, deeply poignant account of his life so far. Shteyngart shares his American immigrant experience, moving back and forth through time and memory with self-deprecating humor, moving insights, and literary bravado. His novels: The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story.

Mitch Albom is a best-selling author, screenwriter, playwright and nationally-syndicated columnist. The author of five consecutive No.1 New York Times bestsellers, his books have collectively sold more than 33 million copies in forty-two languages worldwide. Tuesdays with Morrie, spent four straight years atop the New York Times list.

Doris Kearns Goodwin is the author of the runaway bestseller Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. She won the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II and is also the author of the bestsellers Wait Till Next Year, The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, and Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream

Turow returns to Live Talks LA with his new novel, Identical. Over twenty years ago, Turow wrote Presumed Innocent – the #1 bestseller that invented the legal thriller. The novel remained on The New York Times bestseller list for 45 weeks and not only launched his career, it also marked the beginning of one of the most successful categories in the suspense genre.

Before Hannah from Girls, Anastasia Steele from Fifty Shades of Grey, and Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, there was Isadora Wing, the uninhibited, outspoken protagonist of Erica Jong’s revolutionary novel. Forty years later, Isadora’s honest and exuberant retelling of her sexual adventures—and misadventures—continues to provoke and inspire, and stands as an iconic tale of self-discovery, liberation, and womanhood.

Boulud is a world-renowned French chef based in New York with restaurants in New York, Miami, Palm Beach, London, Toronto, and Singapore. He has won James Beard Foundation awards for “Outstanding Restaurant” (for Daniel in 2010), “Outstanding Restaurateur” (2006), “Best Chef, New York City” (1992), and “Outstanding Chef of the Year” (1994).

Will Self, whose novel Umbrella was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, is an English author, journalist and television personality. He is the author of nine novels; five collections of shorter fiction, three novellas and five collections of non-fiction writing (Umbrella; Walking to Hollywood; The Quantity Theory of Insanity; My Idea of Fun; Cock & Bull; Great Apes and others).

James Franco is an actor, director, author, and visual artist. His film appearances include Milk, Pineapple Express, Howl, and 127 Hours, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He is the author A California Childhood and of the story collection Palo Alto.

Gladwell has been a writer at The New Yorker since 1996. His bestselling books include The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers. In 2005, he was named one of Time‘s 100 Most Influential People. Drawing upon psychology, history, science, business, and politics, David and Goliath is about the mighty leverage of the unconventional.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics (Pessl’s bestselling debut novel) was one of the New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year… “Night Film, has been precision-engineered to be read at high velocity, and its energy would be the envy of any summer blockbuster. Your average writer of thrillers should lust for Pessl’s deft touch with character.”—Joe Hill, The New York Times Book Review