Popular Culture

Discover what's new and trending in pop culture.
Updated April 23, 2024
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George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle
Philip Norman
From the premiere Beatles biographer--author of the New York Times bestseller John Lennon: The Life and Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation--a rare and "absorbing biography" (Wall Street Journal) of George Harrison, the most misunderstood and mysterious Beatle,...
Lou Reed: The King of New York
Will Hermes
The most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master, whose stature grows every year.Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed's living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture...
Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me
Bernie Taupin
**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** An evocative, clear-eyed, and revealing memoir by Bernie Taupin, the lyrical master and long-time collaborator of Elton John "I loved writing, I loved chronicling life and every moment I was cogent,...
Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon
Snoop Dogg
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The follow-up to From Crook to Cook, this next-level cookbook is all about bringing together memorable meals for any occasion, with 65+ recipes from rappers Snoop Dogg and E-40. Following the breakout...
SHAKESPEARE the man who pays the rent /
Dench, Judi,
Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig... Cavorting naked through the Warwickshire countryside painted green... Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head... These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done...
Toxic: The Story of Nine Famous Women in the Tabloid 2000s
Sarah Ditum
A scathing reexamination of the lives of nine female celebrities in the 2000s--Britney, Paris, Lindsay, Aaliyah, Janet, Amy, Kim, Chyna, and Jen--and the sexist, exploitative culture that let them down Welcome to celebrity culture in the early aughts: the reign of Perez Hilton,...
Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath--And Beyond
"Geezer" Butler
A rollicking, effusive, and candid memoir by the heavy metal musician and founding member of Black Sabbath, covering his years as the band's bassist and main lyricist through his later-career projects, and detailing how one of rock's most influential bands formed and prevailed.  With...
Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood
Maureen Ryan
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  * LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER In this spectacular, newsmaking exposé that has the entertainment industry abuzz and on its heels, Vanity Fair's Maureen Ryan blows the lid on patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood, the grassroots reforms...
BROTHERS AND SISTERS the Allman Brothers Band and the inside story of the album that defined the '70s /
Paul, Alan,
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER New York Times bestselling author Alan Paul's in-depth narrative look at the Allman Brothers' most successful album, and a portrait of an era in rock and roll and American history. The Allman Brothers Band...
PARACHUTE WOMEN Marianne Faithfull, Marsha Hunt, Bianca Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and the women behind the Rolling Stones /
Winder, Elizabeth,
Discover the true story of the four women who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help shape and curate the image of The Rolling Stones--perfect for fans of Girls Like Us. The Rolling Stones have long been considered one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time. At the...
Abbey Road: The Inside Story of the World's Most Famous Recording Studio
David Hepworth
The incredible history of how Abbey Road became the most famous recording studio in the world.    "There are certain things that are mythical. Abbey Road is mythical."--Nile Rodgers Many people will recognize the famous crosswalk....
World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music
Jeff Tweedy
What makes us fall in love with a song? What makes us want to write our own songs? Do songs help? Do songs help us live better lives? And do the lives we live help us write better songs? After two New York Times bestsellers that cemented and expanded his legacy as one of America's best-loved...
BOGIE & BACALL The Surprising True Story of Hollywood's Greatest Love Affair
Mann, William J.
From the noted Hollywood biographer and author of The Contender comes this celebration of the great American love story--the romance between Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart--capturing its complexity, contradictions, and challenges as never before. In Bogie & Bacall, William...
FREAKS, GLEEKS, AND DAWSON'S CREEK How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television
Glassman, Thea/ Armstrong, Jennifer Keishin (FRW)
The untold stories of seven revolutionary teen shows (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My So-Called Life, Dawson's Creek, Freaks and Geeks, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, and Glee) that shaped the course of modern television and our pop cultural...
Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided
Scott Eyman
The remarkable, must-read story of Charlie Chaplin's years of exile from the United States during the postwar Red Scare, and how it ruined his film career, from bestselling biographer Scott Eyman. Bestselling Hollywood biographer and film historian Scott Eyman tells the story of...
Madonna: A Rebel Life
Mary Gabriel
New York Times Editors' Choice, One of NPR's Best Books of the Year In this "infinitely readable" biography, award-winning author Mary Gabriel chronicles the meteoric rise and enduring influence of the greatest female pop icon of the modern era: Madonna (...
Head Over Heels: Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman: A Love Affair in Words and Pictures
Melissa Newman
An invitation to the private world of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, one of America's most iconic couples, in a lavishly illustrated oversize photo book affectionately curated by their daughter Melissa Newman.    Their love story is the stuff of Hollywood...
Elvis and the Colonel: An Insider's Look at the Most Legendary Partnership in Show Business
Greg McDonald
A fresh biography of legendary entertainment manager Colonel Tom Parker, with a contrarian and corrective point of view. Colonel Tom Parker, often reviled in his time, led the strategy from the earliest days of Elvis's career. Together, they built the most legendary...
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever
Matt Singer
Once upon a time, if you wanted to know if a movie was worth seeing, you didn't check out Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB. You asked whether Siskel & Ebert had given it "two thumbs up." On a cold Saturday afternoon in 1975, two men (who had known each other for eight...
THE GOLDEN GIRLS a cultural history /
Giacomazzo, Bernadette,
"This book is a much-needed addition to the growing body of scholarship around this beloved sitcom. An essential read for The Golden Girls fans and media studies scholars alike." -- Library Journal, Starred Review Over the course of seven years and 180 episodes, The Golden Girls altered...
The book of James : the power, politics, and passion of LeBron /
Babb, Valerie,
The unique social, cultural, and political life of the incomparable LeBron James   LeBron James is the hero in two very American tales: one, a success story the nation loves; the other, the latest installment in an ongoing chronicle of American antiblackness. He...
Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!
David Zucker
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COMEDY BOOKS OF 2023 AT VULTURE Surely You Can't Be Serious is an in-depth and hysterical look at the making of 1980's comedy classic Airplane! by the legendary writers and directors of the hit film. Airplane!...
Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History
Yunte Huang
Born into the steam and starch of a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (1905-1961) emerged from turn-of-the-century Los Angeles to become Old Hollywood's most famous Chinese American actress, a screen siren who captivated global audiences and signed her publicity photos-with a touch of defiance-...
THE MASTERS Conversations With Dylan, Lennon, Jagger, Townshend, Garcia, Bono, and Springsteen
Wenner, Jann S.
From New York Times bestselling author and Rolling Stone founder comes "a visit to the Mount Olympus of rock" in this remarkable collection of new and collected interviews with some of the greatest rock stars and cultural icons of our time (Kirkus Reviews). During...
The Amplified Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana
Michael Azerrad
A downright revolutionary 30th-anniversary deluxe edition of the iconic bestselling biography of Nirvana, updated with exclusive new content exploring the personal and cultural forces that inspired the music, the author's friendship with Kurt Cobain and why multiple generations...
Out There: The Science Behind Sci-Fi Film and TV
Ariel Waldman
Explore the science behind some of your favorite popular science fiction tropes--from escaping a black hole to riding a space elevator to the stars--in this illustrated guide from NASA advisor and host of the popular Tested podcast Offworld. 
Talk of champions : stories of the people who made me : a memoir /
Smith, Kenny,
A revealing, humorous, behind-the-scenes memoir from Kenny "The Jet" Smith--superstar basketball commentator, host of the top-rated show, Inside the NBA, and two-time NBA champion. Smith reveals memorable inside stories of his playing and broadcasting careers, focusing on...
Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court
Chris Paul
Instant New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller! A powerful and unexpected memoir of family, faith, tragedy, and life's most important lessons. The day after future NBA superstar Chris Paul signed his letter of...
And don't f&%k it up : an oral history of RuPaul's drag race (the first ten years) /
Fernandez, Maria Elena,
A definitive history and celebration of the groundbreaking show RuPaul's Drag Race in its first decade, from a Burbank basement set all the way to the Emmy's, and every weave in-between, as told by its stars, producers and fans. Told over the first ten years...
62 Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees, and the Pursuit of Greatness
Hoch, Bryan/ Maris, Roger (FRW)/ Boone, Aaron (FRW)
An inside look at Yankees slugger Aaron Judge's incredible, unparalleled run to break Roger Maris's home run record and the franchise both men called home. Babe Ruth. Roger Maris. Aaron Judge. Three historic figures across generations of...
The Daddy Diaries
Andy Cohen
The Instant New York Times Bestseller! New York Times bestselling author Andy Cohen goes from bottle service to baby bottles in a hilarious, heartwarming, and name-dropping account of the most important year of his life. Andy Cohen has...
Loaded: The Life (and Afterlife) of the Velvet Underground
Dylan Jones
Drawing on contributions from remaining members, contemporaneous musicians, critics, filmmakers, and the generation of artists who emerged in their wake, this "monumental origin story" celebrates the legacy of the Velvet Underground, which burns brighter than ever in the 21st century (New York...

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