What Its About: A fictional account of startup life from someone who knows it well. Written by a senior BuzzFeed writer, this novel follows three people working in the same Manhattan office building: a successful app CEO, a young journalist hungry for the next tech scoop, and a mother returning to an unfamiliar workforce. Their worlds collide when a racy scandal eruptsand in the messy aftermath, the story takes a satirical look at startup culture, workplace gender politics, and our internet-obsessed world.

Why I Love It: While there are plenty of familiar references, juicy gossip, and even a Birchbox shout-out, I loved that it was ultimately the story of different women coming together to support one another. - Cati Pishal, customer operations associate

What Its About: Former New York Times journalist Claudia Rowe pens a chilling account of her four-year-long fascination with a serial murderer and rapist who killed eight women in her upstate New York town in 1998. We follow along as she interviews the murderer and becomes obsessed with the story of the killingsand the killer himselfdesperate to understand how a young, seemingly kind man could perform such violent acts.

Why I Love It: This book takes an alternative look at true crime as a genre and the effect it has on those who participate in it. While the content isn't for the faint of heart, true crime fans will appreciate Rowe's attention to detail and personal investment in telling the story. It should make for an awesome beach read! - Jenieze Herman, senior user support associate

What Its About: Were taking heaps of self-improvement inspiration from the latest book by Sheryl Sandberg, author of the now-ubiquitous Lean In. This time around, Sandberg sees life in a new light in the wake of her husbands sudden, tragic death and the overwhelming grief that followed. She details how she went from thinking shed never feel joy again to being able to move onand gives practical tips for how we can all learn to flex the muscles of resilience in our own lives.

Why I Love It: Sheryl Sandberg is such an inspiration. Although this book specifically discusses how she overcame the death of her husband, Option B is perfect for anyone who wants insight on how to be resilient in all aspects of life. She co-wrote the book with Adam Grant, a psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and it combines his scientific background and her anecdotal stories to teach us about the importance of dealing with adversity every single day. If you're looking to strengthen yourself and gain a new perspective on the concept of 'bouncing back,' this is the perfect pick for you! - Margo Ghertner, PR intern

What Its About: Kathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, performance artist, and feminist writer who often injected her novels and stories with characters that changed identities at the drop of a hat. She was well known in New York Citys East Village in the early '80s for her signature leather clothes, spiky hair, red lipstick, and stilettos. Sound fascinating? Then youll love Chris Kraus new biography about Acker, which pulls from research and conversations with mutual colleagues and friends to explore the many contradictions she embodied.

Why I Love It: Chris Kraus is an awesome writer whose fiction has always had a touch of the autobiographical in it. Im fascinated by controversial, experimental Kathy Acker, who wrote a handful of feminist novels, including her own take on Don Quixoteand just as famously created a myth of celebrity and genius around herself. This is a thoughtful look at Acker's work with a side of hot gossip about her and her peers. - Jamie Johns, senior merchant

What Its About: In his newest memoir, David Sedaris (of Me Talk Pretty One Day and When You Are Engulfed in Flames fame) shares personal diary entries filled with everything he finds interesting, bizarre, beautiful, or uncomfortable. To Sedaris, theres no such thing as a boring day, and his astute observations, perceptions, and curiosities make this a spirited read.

Why I Love It: Many of my favorite Sedaris stories feature events and characters from his real life, so a book compiling a collection of his diary entries is the ultimate Sedaris read! - Hannah Anderson, photo editor

What Its About: Lilac Girls tells the based-on-real-life story of three women whose paths cross in Nazi Germany. The unlikely trio (a New York socialite working at the French consulate, a Polish teen courier for the underground resistance movement, and a German doctor who unwittingly gets trapped in a Nazi government role) collide when one of them is sent to Ravensbrck, a Nazi concentration camp.

Why I Love It: This story examines Nazi Germany and its surrounding countries from a female perspectivean important take on the horrors of that time. It's eye-opening to learn what these characters, based on the lives of real-life women in WWII, went through and what it took to survive. - Francesca Conlin, junior copywriter

These staff recommendations will fulfill your #readinggoals.

In addition to [salt spray](https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/sea-salt-spray-for-your-hair-type) and [sunless tanner](https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/sunless-tan-prep-glowing-skin), a great book is right up there on our list of summer essentials. Whether you're spending a day at the beach, lounging in the park, or kicking back in a hammock, there's something about the longer, brighter, more carefree days of summer that make us feel like a good book is all we really need. That's why we asked six of our staffers to share their favorite page-turners for the season. Find their picks below!

The Birchbox Book Club: 6 Summer Reads Our Staffers Love

Birchbox Man: One of our favorite parts of No Lands Man was the chapter about your dads unorthodox strategies for getting discounts at IHOP. Did you inherit his love of brunch?

Aasif Mandvi: My dad's attraction to brunch was not the hip factor. For my dad it was a combination of a lot of food for not a lot of money. My dad was like, "Brunch every day!" In New York brunch is kind of chichi. I just go to my local diner, Utopia Diner on 72nd and Broadway. Thats where you'll find me.

Mandvi: Three egg whites scrambled, turkey bacon, home fries.

In the book you talk about several style icons that had a big impact on you growing up. How did they affect you?

Mandvi: Style icons change over the course of your life. An early one for me was The Fonz. Not just the leather jacket, but the whole persona of the American male. For me that was about impersonating an iconic American image that I ultimately wasnt part of. I never felt like I could be The Fonz. I gravitated to Omar Sharif because of the dignity and integrity he had as a brown man navigating a white world in Hollywood. He wasn't playing a servant. He had a certain dignity. Thats something that was important to me as something to hope for, to dream of in terms of the characters I played or the way I portrayed myself in Hollywood. It wasn't always possible because of cultural restrictions.

A line like you cant be Michael Jackson all the time unless you are Michael Jackson is remarkably poetic for a teenager.

Mandvi: MJ was important to me because at a time when I didn't know who I was, he was playing with race and identity and manipulating them on his own body and also in the culture at large. Whatever you think of him, here was a guy saying Im going to be whatever I want, I'm going to take ownership of the identity I create. That is something that I had never really thought was possible previously.

How will we survive without Jon Stewart at the helm of The Daily Show?

Mandvi: Thats what people at the show are saying as well. Im sure thats a question that everyones asking. I have no idea. The Daily Show will continue on but Im sure it will be a different animal.

Mandvi: Its a grueling job. If anyone ever came to me and offered me the hosting job, I would be incredibly honored and I would have to consider it. But I dont know what my answer would be.

Your work in front of the camera requires wearing a lot of suits. Any tips for buying one?

Mandvi: I dont often buy a suit right off the rack. If youre going to buy a suit, get it fitted. Thats my advice. I never wore suits to work before I got to The Daily Show. But theres nothing like a great suit.

For a limited time you can get a free copy of "No Lands Man" when you spend $50+ in the Birchbox Shop. Just use the code NOLANDSMAN at checkout (while supplies last).

We caught up with the author and beloved "Daily Show correspondent to chat about Michael Jackson and power breakfasts.

*Daily Show* correspondent [Aasif Mandvi](https://twitter.com/aasif) moved around a lot as a kidfrom Bombay to Bradford, England, to Tampa, FL. It was tough at the time, but the melding of cultural influences produced a wildly unique sense of humor, and one heck of a story. Or really, lots of stories. Mandvis book of essays, *[No Lands Man](product:18307)*, is this months Birchbox Man Book Pick. We caught the funny guy and [web series auteur](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/halal-in-the-family-a-web-series-by-aasif-mandvi) before he headed to LA to work on HBO's upcoming political comedy *[The Brink](http://www.hbo.com/the-brink#/)*, and picked his brain about the book, as well as the future of *The Daily Show* sans Jon Stewart.

Birchbox Man Q&A: Aasif Mandvi Recalls Childhood Style Icons and His Fathers Brunch Obsession

Whats better than having a personal cheerleader that youre forced to check in with everyday? This weekly planner by 1 Page at a Time author Adam J. Kurtz. It's littered with daily motivations (If the door isnt locked, just open it again!) to keep your creative juices flowing all year long.

Sometimes the best cure is a fictional escape. This guide, compiled by bibliotherapist (aka book doctor) Ella Berthoud, prescribes a novel for everything that ails you. Feeling the pangs of aging? Berthoud recommends picking up sci-fi classic Logans Run.

While daydreaming about all the awesome things you want to do in the New Year is fun and all, its even more exciting to actually get things done. Professor of psychology Gabriele Oettingen looks beyond the bright side to help readers turn their dreams into realistic, attainable goals. Sometimes realistic thinking can actually trump positive thinking.

By identifying with others, you'll feel better about yourselfthat's the theory behind Roman Krzaric's new book. The co-founder of School of Life, an international organization offering courses on how to enrich your emotional well-being, shares how becoming a more empathetic person can lead to less stress and greater happiness.

Passionate Nutrition: A Guide to Using Food as Medicine from a Nutritionist Who Healed Herself from the Inside Out

Not quite a memoir, not quite a guide to dieting, Passionate Nutrition is an unconventional self-help book dressed up in foodie clothing. Whether youre trying to lose a few pounds or just want to begin the year with a burst of energy, nutritionist Jennifer Adlers mix of personal stories and clinical knowledge is a great jumping off point for anyone curious about the positive effects of healthy, mindful eating.

From a planner that offers daily motivation to a new approach to positive thinking, these books defy the traditionally cheesy genre. 

No more skulking through the self help section of the bookstore in disguisethe genre has come a long way since *Chicken Soup for the Soul*. If you're looking for a little literary assistance with making some positive changes in the New Year, look no further than these five reads that defy cheesy expectations (and aren't embarrassing to carry on public transportation.)

5 Self-Help Books You Wont Mind Reading in Public