501 Essential Albums of the 90s: The Music Fan’s Definitive Guide by Gary Graff
Detroit-based music journalist Graff — who’s previously written books about Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, and Neil Young — edited this new collection of his (and his fellow journalists’) takes on the albums that defined the last decade of not just the 20th century but also social media- and download-free artistic consumption. Get a copy at schulerbooks.com.
Slouch by Christina Wyman
For the middle school-age reader on your gift list, Slouch focuses on Stevie, a seventh grader who’s 5 foot 10 and tired of talking about it. Though her parents nudge her to become an athlete (like her older brother), she’s not interested in doing something that draws even more attention to her body. She’s already dealing with unwanted comments and attention from men riding the subway, as well as the rigid social mores of preteen life. Wyman, based in Lansing, imbues this coming-of-age story with humor and heart. Get a copy at us.macmillan.com.
Rust Belt Reporter: A Memoir by John Gallagher
Longtime Detroit Free Press journalist Gallagher chronicles his career — from his earliest jobs elsewhere to covering major Detroit stories, like former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s rise and fall; the newspaper strikes; the auto companies’ federal bailout; and the city’s bankruptcy. Of course, newsrooms underwent seismic changes during his tenure, too, so Gallagher additionally shares experiences and thoughts on the state of his own industry. Get a copy at wsupress.wayne.edu.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
This is the latest offering from Ferndale’s resident horror novelist, who gained an even bigger audience when the Netflix movie adaptation of his book Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock, became a sensation in 2018. Incidents tells the tale of an 8-year-old girl haunted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy” who asks her daily, “Can I go inside your heart?” and wreaks havoc around the girl’s family home. Get a copy at penguinrandomhouse.org.
This story originally appeared in the February 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on Feb. 10.
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