The Best New Pop Culture Books to Read Right Now

With the holidays right around the corner, we’ve gathered up a trio of great new pop culture books out now, including the non-fiction writing debut from filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, a deep dive into the legacy of Pearl Jam from music critic Steven Hyden, and a memoir by Linda Schuyler, co-creator of the Canadian TV staple Degrassi.

All three titles are available wherever you get books now.

Cinema Speculation – Quentin Tarantino

After delving into fiction with the release of the expanded novelization of his film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last year, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino now presents his first non-fiction writing with Cinema Speculation.

In a series of essays on his experiences growing up watching films just as the New Hollywood era was taking over, Tarantino reflects on absorbing violent and revolutionary films like Deliverance and The Wild Bunch as a young child, to the shock and admiration of his classmates and their families.

Alongside the bookend recollections of the films he saw at a young age and how they shaped his view of cinema and the world around him, Cinema Speculation is also just that, a look at various Hollywood stars and films filtered through Tarantino’s encyclopedic knowledge of the history of film.

The book features deep and thoughtful analysis of some of the most striking (and controversial) films of the ’60s and ’70s including  Taxi Driver, Bullit, and many more.

With his unbridled enthusiasm and bullshit-free takes, Cinema Speculation is a refreshing and revealing look at Tarantino’s major influences and a deep dive into the most transformative era in Hollywood history. (Harper Collins)

Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack Of A Generation – Steven Hyden

Music critic Steven Hyden examines the enduring legacy of Pearl Jam in this insightful new book about the legendary Seattle rock heroes. Designed as the equivalent of a well-constructed mix tape, Hyden sets up each chapter around a particular live performance of a Pearl Jam song, which he then uses as a gateway to discuss the band at various points in their decades-long career.

Hyden’s persuasive argument is that Pearl Jam is best appreciated as a live act, where frontman Eddie Vedder and the band can truly connect to the rabid fans that keep packing arenas and stadiums long after the mainstream has stopped paying attention. A band filled with contradictions and passion, Hyden uses the band’s rollercoaster career trajectory as a looking glass into Generation X itself, which helps explain why Pearl Jam still remains so vital to their fans after so many years.

Each chapter of Long Road will send you down a YouTube rabbit hole of bootleg Pearl Jam live videos, and you may even end up with a greater appreciation of some of Pearl Jam’s less-beloved work along the way (looking at you, Binaural). (Hachette)

The Mother of All Degrassi: A Memoir – Linda Schuyler

To generations of Canadian teens (and superfan Kevin Smith), the various Degrassi shows have been an integral part of growing up. In this new memoir, Degrassi co-creator and executive producer Linda Schuyler details how the show came to be, and why it remains such a touchstone for fans all around the world.

As a teacher, Schuyler had a deep affection for children and their desire to express themselves, which eventually turned into a TV show that treated teenage issues in an open and frank way. Developing Degrassi in the ’80s, Schuyler’s memoir serves not only as a story of a determined woman staking out a space for herself and her ideas in the early days of the independent world of TV production, but also takes readers through the difficulties in presenting challenging ideas to mainstream audiences (and TV executives) at the time.

Degrassi may have been the first place young adults heard open discussions about abortion, suicide, or LGBT issues, an idea that clearly motivated Schuyler in her work. Whether your favourite Degrassi era revolves around Joey Jeremiah or Jimmy Brooks (played by a young Aubrey Graham, aka Drake), Schuyler’s memoir is a vital look into the motivations and cultural landscape that spawned one of the most important Canadian shows of all time. (ECW)