W. W. Norton & Company

Dazzling, lush, and vibrant, Flora Magnifica is the result of a collaboration between floral artist Makoto Azuma and botanical photographer Shunsuke Shiinoki. Often evoking the opulence of a Dutch still-life floral but still clearly contemporary, these images are organized thematically by season. You will happily get lost in the layers of petals, unfurling fern fronds, and riots of color. - S.B.

“I’ve been cooking and studying recipes for 20 years, but I could spend the next 10 with Fuchsia Dunlop’s The Food of Sichuan—an updated version of her seminal 2003 book, Land of Plenty—and I’d learn something new every single day. Dunlop’s scholarly expertise is tempered by the clarity of her writing, and she’s actually got me thinking I can make numbing-and-hot dried beef, fish-fragrant cold chicken, and traditional dan dan noodles. This book reminded me of how little I know and made me thankful that experts still exist.” —Bon Appetit

This book is a stream of devastating sermons on racial injustice. Metaphysical and often experimental short stories penned in raw and irreverent prose. If Friday Black was speculative Ta-Nahesi Coates, then this book is a speculative WuTang Album. Strong language warning! Not for your sweet little grandmama. - Jason

If every family has ghosts in their attic, think how many more accumulate in a sprawling family-run hotel. The Sikorsky family members come alive in their respective vignettes with their unique voices and inner worlds fully explored even as the broader plot unfolds. What makes The Hotel Neversink really sing to me is that the atmosphere and eeriness are always partnered with a vivid grittiness. There's blood and sweat on these pages and I couldn’t put it down. - Clara

Fair warning: this book is not for the squeamish of stomach. But if you have a fascination (and sense of humor) with the science of death and/or the macabre, this will be oh-so-rewarding. Caitlin Doughty writes as if you were sitting with your snarky friend who knows so much you’d hate her a little, if you weren’t so interested and entertained, answering questions received from real, live, uncensored children. Need I even mention the cute, creepy, absolutely beautiful illustrations by Dianné Ruz? If you or anyone you know—or better yet, a child you know—thirsts for blood-knowledge, pick this up. - Jocelyn

At 21, Johnson was kidnapped and held captive by her abusive ex-boyfriend in the soundproof room where he intended to kill her, but her incredible memoir isn’t about that. It’s about the before and after, a reminder to believe survivors when they do the hard work of telling their stories. Johnson tells hers through lyrical prose that turns even the ugliest tragedy into something beautiful. - Kristi

In every writer’s prose, you find their favorite punctuation marks: commas, ellipses, em-dashes, etc. Lukeman’s guide to the tools of the trade teaches what your underuse, or overuse, of each mark says about your writing. You’ll also learn how to hone and master your usage (because let’s be honest, your writing could use some work). An essential reference for all writers. - Aric

Rather than focusing on big guns and bravado, Roach sheds light on the less discussed aspects of the military. What makes the gadgets work and how are they tested? What do fashion designers look for when creating a military uniform? What advances have we made in genital reconstructive surgery? Her signature wit had me fascinated by topics I would never have otherwise explored. - Jade

Christiaan Röllich is the celebrated mixologist at Suzanne Goin and Carolyn Stine’s Los Angeles restaurants, so I anticipated a fantastic book even before I opened its pages. (I am the tiniest bit obsessed with Goin’s Sunday Suppers at Lucques.) Bar Chef does not disappoint. Röllich is as inspired by great ingredients as chefs are, and fresh, seasonal fruit and artisanal spirits abound in the drinks. I’ll just go ahead and say that this book is not for beginners, and it will likely require hunting down ingredients, but goodness, are the cocktails worth it! - S.B.

When most people think of the bubonic plague, they don’t associate it with America, and there are a handful of people who are responsible for that. Randall chronicles the largely forgotten efforts of the men who gave happiness, health, and in some cases their careers, to stop the spread of plague in San Francisco. Thoroughly researched and at times quite graphic, Randall’s account of this epidemic is a fascinating look at a disease largely forgotten but lurking in the shadows to this day. - Jade