Take Me Back to the 1990s

With this hella cool guide, you’ll reminisce about that glorious decade when Beanie Babies seemed like a smart economic investment and Kris Kross had you wearing your pants backward. Whether you contracted dysentery on the Oregon Trail or longed to attend Janet Reno’s Dance Party, you’ll get a kick out of seeing which toys, treats, and trends stayed around, and which flopped.

The brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time, in his own words — featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his tragic death. This work is not just a tribute to an icon, but an original and energizing literary work in its own right, full of Prince’s ideas and visions, his voice and image — his undying gift to the world.

Whether you were more a fan of Ren or Stimpy, a secret Helga to your own Arnold, or wished you could be a member of the Thornberry family — you’re a Nick kid. Press rewind on your very old, and definitely dusty VCR to travel back in time with a Mad Libs so [ADJECTIVE] you’ll find yourself saying, “Woogity, Woogity, Woogity!” Once a Nick kid, forever a Nick kid!

No ‘90s nostalgia list would be complete without rom-coms! Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in London’s trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season’s must-haves. The only trouble is, she can’t actually afford it — not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Saving magazine not only bores her to tears, but it also doesn’t pay much at all. But when a story arises that Becky actually cares about, her front-page article will set off a chain of events that will transform her life — and the lives of those around her — forever.

It’s 1992 and fifteen-year-old Eugenia is rudely yanked from her old life by her filmmaker parents who dream of fame and fortune. They settle in the strange, suburban world of the San Fernando Valley, forcing Eugenia to navigate the unfamiliar terrain of the LA high school experience — a world of gang rivalries and all-night-raves, fast food, and sneakers. But the angst, ecstasy, and self-discovery of adolescence endure, no matter the backdrop.

Bursting with bittersweet nostalgia, a funny, poignant, perfectly voiced debut that captures what it’s like to be a teenage girl — “full of brilliantly-rendered awkwardness and the hilarious minor horrors of a privileged adolescence, The Brittanys shimmers with the everyday incandescence of youth” (Kimberly King Parsons, author of Black Light).

Chuck Klosterman’s writing spans the realms of culture and sports, while also addressing interpersonal issues, social quandaries, and ethical boundaries. His tenth book (aka Chuck Klosterman X) collects his most intriguing pieces, accompanied by fresh introductions and new footnotes throughout. This is a tour of the past decades from one of the sharpest and most prolific observers of our unusual times.

In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdhury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. At their milestone high school reunion, a group of friends makes a pact to finally achieve their high school superlatives one way or another, in the lively new novel.

The untold stories behind The Office, one of the most iconic television shows of the twenty-first century, are told by its creators, writers, and actors. Hilarious, heartwarming, and revelatory, this book gives fans and pop culture buffs a front-row seat to the phenomenal sequence of events that launched The Office into wild popularity, changing the face of television and how we all see our office lives for decades to come.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began an unprecedented transformation. While the networks continued to chase the lowest common denominator, a wave of new shows on cable channels dramatically stretched television’s narrative inventiveness, emotional resonance, and artistic ambition. Combining deep reportage with cultural analysis and historical context, Brett Martin recounts the rise and inner workings of a genre that represents not only a golden age for TV, but also a cultural watershed.

The 1990s are alive and well in this totally “phat” collection of fill-in-the-blank stories. Check your beeper, feed your digital pet, and dive into a Mad Libs that’ll trigger ’90s nostalgia.

Noted pop culture historian Saul Austerlitz utilizes exclusive interviews with creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, executive producer Kevin Bright, director James Burrows, and many other producers, writers, and cast members to tell the story of Friends’ creation, its remarkable decade-long run, and its astonishing Netflix-fueled afterlife. The show that defined the 1990s has a legacy that has endured beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. And in this hilarious, informative, and entertaining book, readers will now understand why.

Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time.

A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itself — by band members ADROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more. Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir. Alongside the band narrative, you will find rare photos, original illustrations, a cookbook by chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys’ New York, mixtape playlists, and many more surprises.

Mix tapes: We all have our favorites. Stick one into a deck, press play, and you’re instantly transported to another time in your life. For Rob Sheffield, that time was one of miraculous love and unbearable grief. A time that spanned seven years, it started when he met the girl of his dreams and ended when he watched her die in his arms. Using the listings of fifteen of his favorite mix tapes, Rob shows that the power of music to build a bridge between people is stronger than death. You’ll read these words, perhaps surprisingly, with joy in your heart and a song in your head — the one that comes to mind when you think of the love of your life.

For those of us still craving a taste of the ‘90s, Jordan Sondler’s illustrated diary is the perfect place to store all of your best-kept secrets, highest hopes, and most embarrassing moments. Keep out!

Romantic comedy’s iconic Bridget Jones’s Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud account of a year in the life of a thirty-something Singleton on a permanently doomed quest for self-improvement. With a blend of flighty charm, existential gloom, and endearing self-deprecation, this book has touched a raw nerve with millions of readers around the world. Read it and laugh — before you cry, “Bridget Jones is me!”

Tacky is about the power of pop culture—like any art—to imprint itself on our lives and shape our experiences, no matter one’s commitment to “good” taste. These fourteen essays are a nostalgia-soaked antidote to the millennial generation’s obsession with irony, putting the aesthetics we hate to love — snakeskin pants, Sex and the City, Cheesecake Factory’s gargantuan menu — into kinder and sharper perspective.