Aisha Harris recommends 6 books that have formed and informed popular culture
The critic and podcast co-host suggests works by Ann M. Martin, Mark Twain and more

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
When you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission
Critic Aisha Harris is the co-host of the hit NPR podcast "Pop Culture Happy Hour." In her new book, "Wannabe," she examines how all of us, including herself, are shaped and reshaped by the music, movies and television of our time.
Reel to Real: Race, Class and Sex at the Movies by Bell Hooks (1996)
Hooks approached film criticism as astutely as she did feminism and race, and of course these subjects often overlapped. Her ruminations on Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, "Waiting to Exhale," and other popular culture of the '90s were an invaluable resource as I crafted "Wannabe." Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club No. 1) by Ann M. Martin (1986)
The book that launched an indelible franchise. Kristy Thomas — budding teenage entrepreneur and founder of the Baby-Sitters Club — became a poster child for tomboys of the '80s and '90s, myself included. Buy it here.
American Movie Critics: An Anthology From the Silents Until Now edited by Phillip Lopate (2006)
A murderer's row of essays and writers here, including James Baldwin, J. Hoberman, Pauline Kael, and Molly Haskell. I first encountered this anthology in college and return to it often for reference or inspiration; it's a nice introduction to the history and evolution of American film criticism. Buy it here.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
The origins of the "Black friend" trope, found in so many movies and TV shows of the past few decades, can be traced at least in part to the enslaved Jim, Huck Finn's traveling companion. He's famously complicated — at once an assemblage of stereotypes and a fascinatingly sympathetic figure. Buy it here.
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman (1991)
As a child, decades before Disney reimagined a mermaid as a Black woman, I encountered this story in which a Black girl aspires to be cast as Peter Pan in her class play. She faces peers who say she can't play the role because she's not a white boy. The book's lessons ring true to this day. Buy it here.
The Circle of the Snake: Nostalgia and Utopia in the Age of Big Tech by Grafton Tanner (2020)
Nostalgia is inescapable, and Hollywood exploits it to the nth degree. Tanner's examination of our preoccupation with (and romanticization of) the past in the digital era is useful for putting all those reboots and franchises into perspective. Buy it here.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Etaf Rum recommends 6 empowering reads centered around women
Feature The author suggests works by Zora Neale Hurston, Sylvia Plath and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jeff Daniels suggests 6 books that informed his writing and acting
The star recommends works by Gabriel García Márquez, Shelby Foote and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
6 books to get cozy with this fall
The Week Recommends A cornucopia of literary greatness awaits this autumn
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Peter Heller recommends 6 poetic reads for prose lovers
feature The award-winning adventure writer suggests works by Beryl Markham, Ada Limón and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
5 illuminating books about the video game industry
Speed Read Cozy up with a few reads that dig into some of the most fascinating parts of video game history
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Andrew Lipstein's 6 favorite books that combine wealth and humanity
feature The author recommends works by Hernan Diaz, Charles Dickens and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tom Rachman chooses 6 books to read before you die
feature The author suggests works from George Orwell, Virginia Woolf and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
Patrick deWitt recommends 6 books that are both dark and funny
feature The author suggests works by Frank Conroy, Leonard Gardner and more
By The Week Staff Published