The Wall is a strong contender for the best album of all time, plain and simple. No artist before or since–even Floyd themselves–has quite managed to deliver such an inventive and moving work of art. The album is a prime example of a concept album, where the work as a whole follows a central theme or story, in this case, a rockstar’s descent into madness and paranoia. Due to the complexity of the themes and individual songs, the album rewards repeated listens.
Bone Machine is a showcase of the most apocalyptic, percussion-heavy segment of Waits’ career. The 1992 album focuses heavily on themes of death and its unstoppable progression (“Dirt in the Ground” and “Earth Died Screaming”). However, the album also boasts some of his most soulful works (“Who Are You” and “Whistle Down the Wind”), showing his indescribably wide range in style, subject matter and emotion.
Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff chronicles the creation of the American space program, and the difficult paths of those involved. With its unique wit, character construction and knowledge of the events surrounding the Space Race, The Right Stuff offers a stellar window into the lives of the men involved in the project to take man to the final frontier. From Chuck Yeager to John Glenn, this book paints amazing pictures of amazing men, capturing the awe that they brought in their time.
Parasite is a masterful thriller, unlike anything else in the genre. It examines the problems with modern class structures in a creative, entertaining and often terrifying way. This Oscar-winner starts as a dark comedy, showcasing one family’s con job on a richer family. As it progresses, it incorporates horror and family tragedy, developing into a far more interesting and sophisticated film. Using two families – one wealthy, one poor – Parasite plays at the absurdity and invisibility of class divides.
Death Race for Love was rapper Juice WLRD’s last full-length release before his death in 2019. It defies any one genre, and this makes taking a listen a uniquely interesting experience. Death Race was also heavy in freestyle; reportedly, very little of the album was fully written ahead of the recording sessions. As a result, its emotions are often raw and vulnerable, showcasing internal struggles with relationships and addictions. Some argue that the album feels overfilled.
Dr. Strangelove, often considered the magnum opus of director Stanley Kubrick, is one of the all-time leading examples of dark satire in film. Through this satire the film demonstrates the absurdly terrifying nature of Cold War politics, and, though it originally contained some more ridiculous scenes (the film was supposed to end in a pie fight), the final product uses a series of unlikely (but possible) events to address this situation in a cold, precise manner.
This book introduces young readers to Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, and his political journey. It starts with his humble beginnings and early rise in politics, then covers major moments such as becoming Prime Minister in 2014. It explains important issues and controversies, showing how he led the country and the challenges he faced. The book includes helpful extras like infographics, country facts and questions for discussion, plus photos that bring the story to life.
Shatter Me is a young adult dystopian novel written by Tahereh Mafi and is part of a nine book series. This book takes place in a future world where a reestablishment of the world has taken place. We meet Juliette who is locked in a Psych ward all alone, this is because of the crazy power she has. Anyone who touches her skin will suffer and die. Her solitude changes when she wakes up to guards telling her that she will be getting a cellmate, Adam.
Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot is the twelfth Captain Underpants book by Dav Pilkey. It starts off on a planet in a different universe called Smart Earth, that exploded, with one chunk flying towards the regular planet Earth. It lands in a jail where all the teachers are, and Mr. Meaner eats it. He then becomes super intelligent and helps everyone escape the jail cell.
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People is the eighth Captain Underpants book written by Dav Pilkey. At the end of the previous book, George, Harold, Sulu and Crackers time-traveled again. In this book, they come to a place that they realize is an alternate reality where everything is the opposite. They see evil George, evil Harold and evil Captain Underpants, who hypnotize Sulu to make him evil.
