[grad_ml]

I have stumbled upon Algorithms (by Sanjoy Dasgupta Algorithms (Author),‎ Christos H. Papadimitriou Algorithms (Author),‎ Umesh Vazirani). I find it, good for beginners, without being overwhelming. It goes like prose and not terse.

[jsqr]

This is my favorite introductory book on algorithms. It's very well-written, concise, and develops important concepts through problems. It also strikes a nice balance in presenting real mathematical content without beating you over the head with formality.