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Top Reading and What to Watch Recommendations for 2025
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items This list spotlights essential documentaries and popular streaming series that shed light on today's complex issues, paired with impactful books that deepen understanding. Explore thought-provoking narratives and gain crucial perspectives on the worl...
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Top Reading Recommendations
Top Reading Recommendations
With the world turned upside down, Mel Robbins blends grit & determination with grace while creating a new path for those whose journey is ready for change. Mel Robbins is willing to go out on a limb and urge her reader's growth through whatever ...
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of ...
Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why confronts the devastating consequences of bullying and inaction. Through Hannah Baker's tapes, the novel explores the ripple effects of seemingly small choices. Controversial yet impactful, it prompts vital conversati...
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Paperback
As someone who is making a concerted effort to boycott certain corporations over their rollback of their DEI program, I want to really delve into systemic systems that feed into why we need these programs. 'So You Want to Talk About Race' provides a ...
So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo, Paperback
Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" remains a chillingly relevant masterpiece, painting a dystopian portrait of a totalitarian regime where women are stripped of their autonomy and reduced to reproductive vessels. The narrative's strength lies in...
The Handmaid's Tale
Watch the final season of Handmaid's Tale trailer and buckle up, Buttercup! There will be plenty of evil, so be sure to watch with someone you love and pass the 🍿!
The Handmaid's Tale | Final Season Hulu
In 'The Testaments,' Margaret Atwood masterfully unveils the insidious inner workings of Gilead, offering a chillingly relevant glimpse into the complexities of power, resistance, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
The Testaments
Anthony Ray Hinton's "The Sun Does Shine" is a profoundly moving memoir of resilience and hope in the face of injustice. Wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death, Hinton spent nearly 30 years on death row. His story exposes the devastating flaws o...
The Sun Does Shine: My Journey to Freedom
Orwell's 1984, though written decades ago, remains disturbingly relevant. Its chilling depiction of a totalitarian regime, constant surveillance, and the manipulation of truth serves as a stark warning against the dangers of unchecked power and the e...
1984 by George Orwell, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye is a harrowing exploration of internalized racism and the destructive pursuit of unattainable beauty. Through the tragic story of Pecola Breedlove, Morrison exposes the profound impact of societal oppression on individu...
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a powerful and deeply personal memoir. It's a story of resilience, survival, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Angelou's vivid prose and unflinching honesty make this a tim...
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Paperback
A story of profound friendship and devastating betrayal, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner unfolds against the backdrop of a changing Afghanistan. It's a journey through guilt and the search for redemption, where the bonds of loyalty are tested by so...
The Kite Runner (10th Anniversary Edition) - Barnes & Noble
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" is a poignant and unforgettable testament to the human spirit in the face of unimaginable horror. Through Anne's candid and insightful entries, we witness the daily struggles and fleeting moments of hope experie...
The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition
Jess French's "What a Waste" is a fantastic educational resource that introduces children to the realities of waste, pollution, and the importance of environmental conservation. The book presents complex information in a clear and engaging manner, us...
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet
Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny is a concise and urgent guide for resisting authoritarianism. Drawing on historical examples, particularly from 20th-century Europe, Snyder outlines 20 lessons for defending democratic values. His clear and direct prose pr...
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower is a chillingly prescient dystopian novel that explores the collapse of American society due to climate change, economic inequality, and social breakdown. Through the eyes of Lauren Olamina, a young woman with hy...
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, Paperback
A world of manufactured happiness and suppressed individuality, Brave New World paints a disturbing picture of a seemingly perfect society. The novel delves into the cost of engineered stability, raising questions about the nature of freedom and the ...
Brave New World|Paperback - Aldous Huxley - Barnes & Noble
Perfect for the teen, Looking for Alaska by John Green Looking for Alaska by John Green is a coming-of-age novel that explores themes of friendship, loss, and the search for meaning. The story follows Miles "Pudge" Halter as he leaves his mundane lif...
Looking for Alaska by John Green, Paperback - Barnes & Noble
Released in 2019, this documentary serves as a chilling prophecy, a stark warning to global governments about the inevitability of a pandemic. It's not a matter of 'if,' the film argues, but 'when,' and the consequences of unpreparedness would be cat...
Watch Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak
A lesson before dying book Ernest J. Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying is a powerful and deeply moving novel that explores themes of dignity, justice, and the transformative power of human connection. Set in rural Louisiana in the late 1940s, the story c...
A Lesson before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, Paperback
Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a poignant and relatable coming-of-age novel that captures the complexities of adolescence. Told through a series of letters written by Charlie, a sensitive and introspective teenager, the story ex...
The Perks of Being a Wallflower|Paperback - Barnes & Noble
The Great Hack on Netflix is a deeply unsettling and eye-opening documentary that pulls back the curtain on the Cambridge Analytica scandal and its implications for democracy. It's not just a story about data mining; it's a chilling exploration of ho...
Watch The Great Hack
Alright, let's make that "Adolescence" review sound authentically you, and really drive home that disturbed-by-social-media angle: "Okay, look, Netflix's 'Adolescence' is not a feel-good show. Four episodes, and they'll leave you genuinely disturbed....
Watch Adolescence
The Atlantic stands as a pillar of American journalism, offering meticulously researched articles and insightful commentary across a broad spectrum of topics. While its left-leaning political stance is undeniable, the publication maintains a commitme...
Purchase a subscription - The Atlantic
Vanity Fair occupies a unique space in the magazine world, blending high-gloss lifestyle coverage with serious political and cultural commentary. While undeniably left-leaning, it delivers a well-rounded mix of celebrity profiles, fashion features, a... The magazine's strength lies in its ability to seamlessly transition between lighthearted entertainment and hard-hitting reporting. Whether it's a meticulously crafted celebrity cover story or a probing analysis of current political events, "Vanity ... Sources and related content
Subscription To Vanity Fair
NPR News: A Trusted Source for In-Depth Reporting - NPR News stands out as a beacon of reliable journalism in an often noisy media landscape. Its commitment to in-depth reporting, balanced perspectives, and thoughtful analysis makes it a go-to source for informed citizens. The network's diverse prog...
NPR - Breaking News, Analysis, Music, Arts & Podcasts : NPR
Ever get tired of clicking different apps to get your newsfeed? Flipboard to the rescue! Flipboard excels at curating a visually engaging, personalized news feed. It pulls content from diverse sources, letting you create 'magazines' based on your int...
Flipboard:Your Social Magazine - Apps on Google Play