Reddit mentions of North Korea: Another Country

That is a good question. I read plenty before going. Even having a degree in Asian Politics and having read plenty I found that many of them did not capture the society very well.
Bruce Cumings "North Korea: Another Country" http://www.amazon.com/North-Korea-Another-Bruce-Cumings/dp/156584940X

This book is accused of pro-DPRK bias. I would call it more getting a better understanding of internal thinking. He explained it better than most. His latest book "The Korean War" is a great look at the war in most brutal terms.

Many of the books have great parts such as Hassig and Oh's "The Hidden People" but some of it does not quite make sense. If you read enough of this stuff you see that they have to cite the same sources.

Brad Martin's "Under the Loving Care" is a journalist's view and he pulls everything together, some of it is not credible. I think the book needed editing, say 20% left on the floor.

Andrei Lankov's "North of the DMZ" is a good book. He is a Kim Il-sung University graduate. I do not agree with all of it but he lived it. I read his commentaries and it is much better than most.

This is a tough subject, a closed country and a difficult society to understand. So few have been there and even fewer more than once. I do think we are getting a better view of what goes on as the place opens up - slowly but things are changing.