ALBUMS

THEN:

Baduism – Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu’s 1997 debut was massive, and pages upon pages were written about what her album meant for soul music. Hailed as the new Sade, Badu’s voice proved that “quiet” can be just as attention getting as “brassy”...and Badu rarely raises her voice except for the occasional exclamation of joy. No bells, no whistles, just clean beautiful soul...same as it ever was.

NOW:

Soldier of Love – Sade

The music of Sade (“Smooth Operator,” “No Ordinary Love”) is unmistakable, gorgeous and timeless. Sade’s first studio album in almost 10 years, Soldier of Love feels as though that timeless music has been brought into the new millennium; and yes, simultaneously, it feels as though we’ve all been taken back into some place where Sade never gets old. You won’t be disappointed.

—Sharon Penny

BOOKS

THEN:

I Was Told There’d Be Cake

by Sloane Crossley

If you’re a fan of David Sedaris or Sarah Vowell, Sloane Crossley’s collection of wry essays will be a welcome addition to your bookshelf. Crossley’s a self-described “mall-rat from suburbia” who wound up in Manhattan, and her anecdotes of navigating life in the Big City prove she’s not only a gifted storyteller but, well, kind of a weird girl at heart.

NOW:

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

by Chelsea Handler

Standup comedian and host of late night TV show “Chelsea Lately” on E!, Chelsea Handler is “kind of a big deal.” Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang is Handler’s newest collection of irreverent anecdotes, a follow-up to her hilarious Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea. Laughter is a great leveler, and with Chelsea Handler, the highs and lows of life get equal billing.

—Sharon Penny

FILMS

THEN:

The Graduate

The affair between Anne Bancroft’s spiteful “Mrs. Robinson” and Dustin Hoffman’s perplexed “Benjamin Braddock” plays out with both wit and sympathy in the 1960s classic, The Graduate. A satirical comedy embraced by an entire generation, the film introduced audiences to Hoffman and gave us some of the most iconic taglines of all time.

NOW:

An Education

A smart, spirited, coming-of-age drama with socially-conscious undertones, An Education is set in a pre-swinging ‘60s London and is among the best films released in 2009. Newcomer Carey Mulligan portrays conflicted Jenny, an English schoolgirl, who is torn between attending Oxford and her infatuation with the attention of an older man and his fashionable life.

—Jenn Thornton