Sex At Dawn by Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jetha. We can't stop ourselves from describing this book, over and over again, as fascinating. Ryan and Jetha examine our modern love lives through the lenses of evolutionary biology, psychology, and anthropology. Even better, they maintain a chatty style loaded with pop culture references and comparison, making the book a fun read as well as an informative one. You wouldn't think that authors whose central thesis is that humans evolved to have sex with many partners would have useful advice for the modern relationship, but they do, and it's not what you think. But you'll have to read the book to find out what it is. (Jenn and Stephanie)

The Magician King by Lev Grossman. The sequel to The Magicians has arrived, and it is epic and satisfying. Whatever happened to Julia? Exactly what is it like to be a king of Fillory? And what's the deal with all this magic anyway? Dark, clever, well-paced, and action-packed; you do not want to miss out on the adventure. ps: If you haven't read the first book, you should--it's Harry Potter plus Narnia plus lots and lots of drinking and ennui. (Jenn)

Mission Street Food by Anthony Myint & Karen Leibowitz. I have long been a fan of cookbooks which combine pieces of memoir or personal anecdotes along with inspired recipes. Cookbooks are for me, as for many, far more than kitchen guides. Mission Street Food takes this seriously, dedicating over half the book to sharing the ideas and adventures that make up the MSF legacy. Happily, the stories are great fun or better. I don't know how often I will make Marrow-Stuffed Squid, but the wry notes and additions within the recipes guarantee I'll read each one, shopping list in hand or not. (Simone)

After Midnight by Irmgard Keun. This marvelous novel has just been brought back into print by Melville House's new Neversink Library program, and it's about time. Keun, who wrote the book after barely escaping Nazi Germany in 1937 (after having been blacklisted and sentenced to death for an earlier novel), has given narrator Sanna a clear voice and a barely-disguised sarcasm that reflects the uncertainty of the time perfectly. In certain spots, the writing is so perfect as to be painful. It seems impossible that a love story set in Nazi Germany should be so compelling, but it is. Every assumption you make about Sanna and her friends will be gone by the last page. Completely engrossing. (Stephanie)

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina. This is the kind of book that makes me want to grab people by the arm as they walk past me on the street and shout: "Have you heard about this guy? This book?! It's amazing!" Wainaina has literary chops (he won the 2002 Caine Prize for African Writing, is the founding editor of Kwani?, and has written for a smorgasbord of newspapers and magazines; you might recognize his name from his brilliant "How to Write About Africa" in Granta a few years ago) and as you read his memoir you can see why. His prose is incandescent, white-hot with vivid imagery and surreal word play, and he evokes childhood, Kenya, and the struggles of the creative mind brilliantly. (Jenn)

Literary Brooklyn by Evan Hughes. I just learned Truman Capote, Hart Crane AND Arthur Miller had homes on the same Brooklyn street on which I was raised. This book is fun in equal parts for the history of Brooklyn, and view of American culture via the literary landscape. Perfect for Brooklynophiles and bibliophiles. (Simone) 

Everything I Need To Know Before I'm Five by Valorie Fisher. Letters, numbers, colors, weather, shapes, opposites: there's a lot packed into this small book. Accompanied by Fisher's bright and distinctive collection of vintage toys illustrating each concept, it's the only book you'll need again until kindergarten, which makes it a pretty good bargain. (Adrian)

I Curse The River of Time by Per Petterson. Quiet, subtle...like taking a Sunday drive down memory lane, Per Petterson's laconic prose paints an absorbing picture that one can't help but stand back and admire. Out Stealing Horses is another novel of his that is a must-read. (Cree)

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes. In the magic-infested Johannesberg of Beukes' imagination, Zinzi December is on a mission--several, in fact. She's got a gift for finding missing things, and she's just been hired to locate a pop starlet gone MIA. Things get complicated quickly and, while she's no saint, she soon finds that her employers are not entirely on the level. This novel blends elements of crime noir and urban fantasy to great effect; it's one of my favorite reads of the summer. Signed copies available! (Jenn)

The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson. Those who have read Thompson need no explanation of to his fierce and brutal greatness. But those who haven't: the stories usually take place in Oklahoma or west Texas, and he captures the bleakness and dialect of the area like none other. This is crime fiction to be read with a shot of whiskey on the side. (Cree)

White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Trying out a couple options for my last fiction read, I stopped looking after reading the first page of White Teeth. This book pulled me right in and its strength never flagged. Smith introduces us to characters all over the age, gender, and nationality spectrum, giving each character a distinct and believable voice. This novel is impressive in its scope, structure, and story. (Simone)

What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer. This is probably the finest book about politics ever written. Focusing on the 1988 primaries (which are a bizarre mirror of the primary season into which we're about to topple), Cramer gets closer to the candidates and their media-inflicted hall of mirrors than anyone before or since. So good that I found myself feeling bad for Bob Dole, which I really didn't think was possible. (Stephanie)

Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky: An amoral ex-con, a faithless husband, a young child, an international flight. What could possibly go wrong?

The Gospel of Anarchy by Justin Taylor: From one of Brooklyn's new literary voices, a trippy novel of the anarchopunk subculture of Florida and the lengths to which people will go to feel they belong to something.

Everything Is Going To Be Great by Rachel Shukert: A fantastic memoir of Europe and the fantastic string of bad decisions that only a twentysomething can make, told by one of the funniest ladies this side of the Atlantic.

Diary of a Very Bad Year: Oddly, an anonymous hedge fund manager telling you exactly how he made so much money before the economy crashed--and then listening to him explain why it's crashing, as it does--will make you feel better about the whole mess.