ALBUMS

THEN:

The Kick Inside – Kate Bush

Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside debuted in 1978, when Bush was just 19 years old. But the album contains songs she recorded at age 16, even written as young as 13. Songs such as “Wuthering Heights” and “The Man with the Child in His Eyes” are as unmistakable today as 30 years ago. Her idiosyncratic vocals and raw lyrics continue to inspire decades of women. Whether you’re revisiting or newly discovering this album, it’s a treasure.

NOW:

Night of Hunters – Tori Amos

Billed as a “21st century song cycle inspired by select classical pieces spanning the last 400 years,” Tori Amos returns with her first album since 2009, promising an emotional mix of storytelling and music, delivered in perfect, haunting Amos fashion. The album also marks her debut on celebrated classical music label Deutsche Grammophon.

—Sharon Penny

---

BOOKS

THEN:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Slated for film release in 2012, The Hunger Games is the best-selling young adult series that has captivated readers of all ages. Uniquely inspired by modern TV and the ancient myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, a boy and a girl are chosen by the government to fight to the death on live TV. What unfolds…well, that would be telling!

NOW:

Down These Strange Streets edited by Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin

A new collection of “urban fantasy” stories perfect for Halloween reading, featuring work by Charlaine Harris (True Blood), Diana Gabaldon (Outlander), short story legend Joe R. Lansdale, Conn Iggulden, Carrie Vaughn, Patricia Briggs and many more. Edited by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.

—Sharon Penny

---

FILMS

THEN:

Hook

Who better to helm the story of what happened to Peter Pan after he flees Neverland for the harsh realities of adult life than the “director who won’t grow up,” Steven Spielberg? Saving what could have been a cinematic fiasco (Robin Williams in tights, Julia Roberts as Tink?) is a scene-stealing Dustin Hoffman, who as Hook, is hilariously over the top.

NOW:

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The fourth installment of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – the crowd-pleasing but 30 minutes too long On Stranger Tides – is a spirited redux from Chicago’s Oscar-winning director Rob Marshall. Darker and sexier than its predecessors (hey, saucy mermaids!), the film features a predictably stellar performance from Johnny Depp, and upstager Ian McShane as Blackbeard.

—Jenn Thornton