If you’re looking for a gift for the Gen X mom in your life, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 10 books written just for the person nostalgic for 90’s fashion, grunge, boy bands, and pop stars!
If you love FRIENDS, and you love lists, this book is the one for you. It’s a compendium of discoveries and facts about your favorite sitcom characters from all ten seasons, including family trees, Phoebe’s songs, and guest star appearances. It’s perfect for the FRIENDS fan in your life!
I know I was super excited when one of my favorite pop stars made a comeback in the past couple years, so if you love Jennifer Coolidge, check out this tribute to this actress. It’s not only her life story and her roles, but it it’s full of wisdom and advice from Jennifer herself… and don’t forget the illustrations!
A cocktail making book for the moms who love the pop music from iconic female artists of the 1990s. Each chapter is based on a playlist that focuses on a specific feeling, so whether you’re feeling angsty grunge or tabletop dance party, there’s sure to be a recipe or two for you here.
No need to pull a Cher and drop a whole roll of break-and-bakes into the oven when your crush is coming over! This cookbook pulls its inspiration from the 90’s fashion, Southern California healthy eating craze, and of course, the actual misadventures of your favorite characters!
Speaking of 90’s fashion, you can’t talk about the style without acknowledging HBO’s Sex and the City. Did you know it was a book, first? I didn’t! And here’s the original bestseller that sparked the whole phenomenon of fabulous cocktails all through Manhattan. It’s a must-read for any fan of the show.
In my mind, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the original middle school fandom, but this book is a deep dive into the show’s novel components. It’s not just television criticism, but it details how the show adapted to practical components like changing networks, and interviews with your favorite stars and co-stars abound… Charisma Carpenter, James Marsters, and naturally Sarah Michelle Gellar weigh in, as well as fans and friends of the cast like Stacey Abrams, Cynthia Erivo, and Selma Blair.
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for: the compendium of boy bands. From the Backstreet Boys to New Kids on the Block to Menudo, this book is a time capsule of their histories completely free of fan-shaming. The illustrations—yes, it’s fully illustrated—are inspired by that Tiger Beat style that we’re all so nostalgic for.
This book is a companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify, which tells the story of—and critically analyzes—the most iconic songs of the 90s, from grunge to hip hop to ska. Hope you’re ready for some earworms!
Veteran music journalist Doug Brod examines four flamboyant ‘70s bands that laid the foundation for two important (and seemingly opposite) genres of rock music: hair metal and grunge. Fully researched and packed with interviews, crack open this book to access a secret history of ‘80s and ‘90s music.
Here’s another fascinating history and cultural criticism book. Here, Thea Glassman tells the untold stories of seven 90s teen shows and how they shaped television as we know it. So if you’re a fan of The Fresh Prince, My So-Called Life, Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, or Glee, prepare to be amazed at how influential your favorite shows actually are.
Mary Kay McBrayer is the author of America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. You can find her short works at Oxford American, Narratively, Mental Floss, and FANGORIA, among other publications. She hosts the podcast about women in true crime, The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. Follow Mary Kay McBrayer on Instagram and Twitter, or check out her author site here.
