I'm mainly interested in the European geopolitical situation in that timeframe.
How the new balance of power created by Bismarck worked and evolved following the Franco-Prussian war (and how it changed after Bismarck was let go), the constantly shifting alliances (and the reasons behind the formation and breaking of said alliances), post-Bismarck Germany in general (I remember learning somewhere, I think The Great War channel on YouTube, that Berlin had surpassed even London as an intellectual/innovative hub); are all things I'm interested in.
I remember learning about the alliances thing back in my high school world history class, and I remember being really intrigued. Don't remember more than that though, unfortunately.
I've loved the books you guys have recommended in the past; particularly Bismarck: A life by Jonathan Steinberg, and The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk.
Margaret MacMillan's The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 is a very readable book which is likely to give you most of what you are looking for. She is particularly interested in tracing the political alliances and crises of the pre-war years, but is also focused on important culural and social factors. She also makes use of newer research about eastern states like Serbia which is often left out of older works.