Zadie Smith

File this one under “can’t miss.” Zadie Smith asked a bunch of literary cohorts to contribute to her latest project. Her only rule: Each story must bear the name of a person, and be about that person. The result is a broad-ranging collection of characters (a giant, a judge, and a monster, to name a few) presented in formats ranging from comic strip to monologue. Indeed, the only common thread in this schizophrenic anthology is the fact that each author is hotter than the next; George Saunders, Miranda July, Dave Eggers, and Chris Ware are among the contributors. Given the spectrum of genres and styles, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone, all of it quality. Plus, all proceeds will go to Eggers’s 826NYC organization, a nonprofit that teaches children to write.