Popular Culture
September 2021
Recent Releases
All In
by Billie Jean King with Johnette Howard and Maryanne Vollers

What it's about: Tennis superstar Billie Jean King's life, career, and activism both on and off the court.

Why you might like it: King's vivid recollections of her many career triumphs and coming into her own as a lesbian will inspire tennis fans and general readers alike. 

Don't miss: King's 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs, seen by more than 90 million TV viewers worldwide. 
Inside Comedy: The Soul, Wit, and Bite of Comedy and Comedians of the Last Five...
by David Steinberg

What it is: An engaging 50-year survey of the American comedy scene, written with you-are-there insight by comedian David Steinberg.

Featuring: Dishy anecdotes on Steinberg's brushes with Groucho Marx, Milton Berle, Redd Foxx, and more; interviews with comedy luminaries. 

 
Can't Knock the Hustle: Inside the Season of Protest, Pandemic, and Progress with the...
by Matt Sullivan

What it's about: The Brooklyn Nets' transformative 2019-2020 NBA season, marked by the signing of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, COVID-19's rise, and players' activism in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

Book buzz: Award-winning sports reporter Matt Sullivan's debut is a "must read" (Library Journal) "tour-de-force" (Publishers Weekly).

 
Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood
by Danny Trejo with Donal Logue

What it is: An inspiring, no-holds-barred memoir from perennial Hollywood bad guy Danny Trejo, whose remarkable career has spanned more than 400 film and TV credits.

Topics include: The "macho Chicanismo" of Trejo's youth; his addiction battles and stints in Folsom and San Quentin prisons; finding faith, sobriety, and success in the entertainment industry.
Focus on: Fandom
Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest
by Hanif Abdurraqib

What it is: Hanif Abdurraqib's lyrical tribute to influential hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, whose artistry inspired his own career as a poet and cultural critic.

Read it for: A thought-provoking blend of music history and memoir.

Also available in eAudiobook on Hoopla
The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History
by Andy Greene

What it is: A nostalgic oral history that traces the evolution of NBC's hit sitcom The Office, from its humble beginnings as a low-rated series to its eventual success as a nine-season cultural juggernaut.

What's inside: Lively Interviews with the show's tight-knit cast and crew.

 
Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Guilty Pleasure
by Amy Kaufman

What it's about: In this gossipy exposé, Los Angeles Times entertainment reporter Amy Kaufman peeks behind the curtain of long-running reality show The Bachelor, interviewing former contestants and profiling the show's manipulative producers.  

Is it for you? Fans of the show -- whether conflicted or unabashed in their admiration for it -- will appreciate fellow fan Kaufman's fun and fascinating perspective. 
My Cubs: A Love Story
by Scott Simon

What it's about: NPR Weekend Edition host Scott Simon's lifelong love of the Chicago Cubs: "Being a Cubs fan is my nature, my heritage, and probably somewhere in my chromosomes."

Who it's for: Equal parts moving and amusing, this short, breezy memoir is a home run for sports fans of all stripes.

Don't miss: Simon's infectious joy recounting the team's 2016 World Series Championship, their first win in over a century.
The World According to Star Wars
by Cass R. Sunstein

What it is: Star Wars fanatic and Harvard law professor Cass R. Sunstein's richly detailed tribute to the long-running film franchise.

Read it for: An engaging and accessible deep-dive into the films' inspirations, themes, and fandom.

Also available in eBook & eAudiobook on Hoopla
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