Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens. A marvelous collection. It's like experiencing the last decade all over again, from books to politics and back, while sitting in Hitchens' brain. As an added bonus, the cover glowers at you from wherever you put it. (Stephanie)  

How Do Dinosaurs Go Up And Down by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague. Nobody loves learning about opposites as much as dinosaurs! Super fun for ages 2 and up with lots of sturdy flaps to lift and play with. (Adrian)

C by Tom McCarthy. Now out in paperback! The story of a man's life in the quickly-changing decades before, during, and after WWI.  Hard to describe, this is a novel that calls for repeated readings. It is a novel of ideas that has been called "post-modern" and "philosophical" and it is at times as funny as it can be serious. (Cree) 

Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran. This was my "hurricane read" and it really couldn't have been more perfect -- it's an excellent blend of literary fiction and whodunit. DeWitt is a caustic and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately absorbing, narrator, and her skills of detection are wacked out but undeniably effective. Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, Claire DeWitt is a vivid, disturbing, and enthralling mystery. (Jenn)   

Mule by Tony D'Souza. A sweet young couple make a go at transporting weed cross-country for a living. I was so ANXIOUS after a certain point in the book that it carried over into my real life. I'm so glad I'm not a drug runner.  I could not handle that stress. (Simone)  

YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! by Peter Brown. Poor Lucy. You'd think EVERYBODY would want to be friends with a loud bear in a pink tutu, but that's just not true. Her attempts at friendship lead to ruining breakfasts and ponds, so that's probably why. If you fell in love with Lucy in last year's Children Make Terrible Pets, you'll adore her in this book as well. A great read-aloud, especially if you like doing voices. (Adrian)   

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. A pleasure to read. Tightly written and beautifully told, it's a book that is for those of us who never stopped believing in magic. A centuries-old grudge, dueling magicians, feats of love and honor and daring, you name it, this debut has got it. Bonus: It's teen-friendly! (Jenn)

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Another stunning book from the creation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. In fact, I'd even say I like this one better, because Selznick uses the same devices as he does in Hugo, but this time to tell two different stories: one with the text, set in 1977, and one with the pictures, set in 1927. I also love it for being a great NYC story. You will not be able to read this book without going to the American Museum of Natural History the following week. (Stephanie)  

To step up our booth at the Brooklyn Book Festival this year, we made what might be the ultimate WORD staff picks list. It includes the books above (from left to right, our favorite: Brand Spankin' New Graphic Novel, Picture Book Read-Aloud, Character You'll Love To Hate, and Book About Which We Are Most Evangelical) and many more. Click here to read the whole list!

Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz. Sweet, silly and sad snippets of a young woman somewhat at sea in her life. This is an intimate autobiographical graphic novel telling Julia's story of moving to NY from CA, wrestling with personal demons and, happily, coming out on top. (Simone)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Penguin has recently reissued Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & James and the Giant Peach in deluxe editions!  Complete with nifty new cover, Charlie features an introduction by Lev Grossman (The Magicians, The Magician King). A chance for all us grown-ups to revisit our childhood favorites, or to discover them for the first time. (Cree)    

The Curse of the Appropriate Man by Lynn Freed. One of my favorite short story collections. Solid, moving writing, striated with the darker sides of women's desires and decisions. (Stephanie)

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. I do love a good cookbook, and I daydream a lot about having the time to cook elaborate, delicious meals. If I did have time to do that, I would use this cookbook every time. America's Test Kitchen perfects every recipe so that you know you won't go wrong. It's the one cookbook worth turning to when you need to know the best way to roast beef, or how to make the best fried chicken so it's crunchy and perfect. They make the mistakes so we don't have to. It's awesome. (Christine)