W. W. Norton & Company

Adam Kirsch surveys themes of alienation in the Old World, assimilation in America, and newfound nationhood in Israel, bringing to light, or profoundly illuminating, some of the great works of Jewish literature. He ends with a selection of Judaism’s formative religious responses to the 20th century, from philosophical to feminist. His fascinating and enjoyably readable prose made me want to read, or reread, almost every one. I believe I will.  — Dave

This is sort of a history of late-stage 20th-century America, seen through the lens of the Simulmatics Corporation. Their forays into big-data human manipulation during the Kennedy election and Vietnam War would later metastasize into Facebook, Google, and the coinfections of Fancy Bear and Cambridge Analytics. Liberal social scientists with a plan to help elect liberal politicians turned, for the most part, into counterinsurgency consultants. But we did get FB likes and targeted ads out of it, so cool, right? — Dave

Forged as a writer by the Great Depression, John Steinbeck is one of California's most beloved literary icons. In this biography, Pulitzer Prize–winning author William Souder examines the years that Steinbeck cut his teeth as a young writer and his evolution into a voice for the poor and oppressed. Off the page, Steinbeck was an alcoholic and womanizer, and Souder gives equal time to his darker side. — Aric

This is quickly becoming another favorite cookbook of mine. If a cookbook can be considered a page-turner, this is one that I couldn’t put down. Kim’s story of his immigration unfolds, from his first taste memories in South Korea through his life growing up in London and New York to the opening of his Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, Danji, which would receive a Michelin star, the first ever in the world for a Korean restaurant. This book is truly inspiring and I can’t wait to begin my own Korean food cooking journey.

In his latest historical analysis, professor and author Douglas Boin weaves the intricate tale of Rome’s mysterious sacker, Alaric the Goth, with prose that is readable and engaging. Far from a barbarian, Alaric was a complex leader who grew up on the border between his Gothic kin and the aging Roman Empire. As Boin describes the fall of Rome and the rise of the Dark Ages, it is easy to draw parallels to our own decaying empire.

We all know the story of the Donner party, or at least, we all know how it ends. Despite the fact that I knew what lay ahead, I found myself on the edge of my seat as I read about the party’s journey across the plains. Thanks to thorough research and engaging writing, Wallis has managed to tell this with greater accuracy and humanity than ever before. Fascinating, gruesome, and gut wrenching, this book is not for the faint of heart. - Jade

Enchanting and tender, this slim novel manages to hide a deeply political cautionary tale in a hopeful, reflective fable that never feels too heavy-handed or moralizing. Reading this book was like wrapping myself in a warm blanket; I was absolutely entranced by it until the very last page. - Ksenia

Joy Harjo is a poet, musician, daughter and mother and descendent, member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, and a poet laureate of the United States. She writes with urgent beauty of just anger and beautiful celebration, of past crimes (whose resonance is both felt and resurrected today), legacy, present joy, music and song, the immediacy of being human, and the specificity of being Native. Her words stick with the brightness of specific stars, of a greater whole winding its story still. - Jocelyn

Reading Feed feels like receiving a meandering text message from your funniest friend or a tweet without a character limit. Tommy Pico’s genius is in the way he is able to catch the reader off guard with uproariously funny lines that lead into serious philosophical quandaries, such as the difference between loneliness and being alone, or the possibility of intelligent life on other planets. Feed is raunchy, irreverent, haunted by the contemporary moment, and reaches for profundity. - Billy

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner’s new book centers on the monumental legislation of the Reconstruction era, which he frames as the birth of modern America. This book comes at a time when American culture and society is a mirror image of its 19th-century counterpart, plagued by aggressive racism, constant violence, and the explicit shortcomings of our federal government. Foner hones in on timeless questions like “Who should be entitled to citizenship?” and “How should ‘equal protection of the law’ be defined and guaranteed?” to expertly link our very troubled past to our equally troubled present. - Travis