It's Always That Deep
Nonfiction books that explore how pop culture reflects our identities and politics at large. These books examine music, celebrities, TV, film, games, literature, and the Internet to remind us that entertainment is never just entertainment, and it really is that deep.
created by crybabybea
last updated November, 2025
Comments
As someone struggling with non-fiction and who usually struggles reading these kinds of books outside of University settings (it's already so much to read đ); can you suggest a book to start? Because I really like learning and educating myself, but the amount of books to choose from (in general, not necessarily with your amazing list!!!) overwhelms me a bit sometimes đĽ˛
I feel this! Have you tried listening to audiobooks much? Itâs been helpful for me with nonfiction~ being able to multi-task while listening and for memoirs, like a lot of the books on this list, itâs usually the author reading it to you!
Maybe I need to try, but I have some trouble with auditory processing, so it might be a bit difficult. But maybe it works đ¤
i def agree memoirs are a good place to start, and def agree with audiobooks being great for nonfiction! if you want to try memoir, i suggest I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, or Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
otherwise, it's really just picking a book on a topic that interests you. my nonfic love started with feminism and social justice books! the fun part about nonfic is that it often creates a sort of snowball effect. you will read one, and that one will often lead you to further reading by mentioning a tangential topic or other books to read, and so on and so forth. once you get started it's easy to keep picking more up!
Oh, I definitely want to read "I'm Glad My Mom Died"!
Anything from this list that you would consider beginner-friendly? âşď¸ Because I simply hate the sentence "it's not that deep" and I need counter arguments đđ
i think most of this list is very accessible tbh! my fave of all is A Little Devil in America by Abdurraqib. he's a poet so his writing is very engaging and emotional. and he does a cool thing in that book where you can listen/watch the performance he's analyzing since he hones in on specific ones
i really love How to Read Now by Castillo and Magical/Realism by Villarreal too. they are blends of memoir and cultural analysis with really beautiful writing, but they might need a bit more attention span đŠˇ
Okay, I'll take closer look at your recommendations, they sound really interesting â¤ď¸! Thank you so much for your help!
my new fave niche so recs are welcome!!
I donât have any coherent thoughts but I wanted to say that I love this idea â¤ď¸
yayyy tysm đŠˇ
I think Amusing Ourselves to Death would be a thought-provoking addition to your wonderful list!
oh interesting!! tysm for the rec!
Obsessed with you, obsessed with this. It also makes me think - have you listened to the Normal Gossip podcast? The pairing of gossip Theory and ruminations from academics and journalists and all sorts of media professionals with the silly fun gossip was so phenomenal and reflects this idea perfectly, like it's not that deep...except it is, really đ§
thank you queen đđ omg that podcast sounds perfect for me, i'm not much of a podcaster (too many books to read) BUT i will put it in my notes to listen if i ever get in the mood!! tysm for the rec
The host of Normal Gossip also put out a book! I had a good time with it - You Didnât Hear This From Me.
oh nice thank you i've added it!!
I looove this podcast so definitely a +1 on the reco!
oooo AND a beloved rec?? i'm on it
YESSSSS needed this so bad.
oooooh and what a great title too!!
thank youuuu! i am a huge hater of the phrase "it's not that deep" lmaooo
as a fellow huge hater of the "it's not that deep" phrase THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS LIST BEA â¨ď¸đŤśđ˝
my pleasure 𫡠always here for the friends that are too woke
oh hell yea!! I'm here for this list. Can't wait to see it grow. I'll try to think of some recs!
yessss please do!!
I think maybe This Is Major by Shayla Lawson? caveat that I havenât read it yet, so I donât know for sure, but from the description it seems like it would fit!
also, I love this đŤśđ˝ it feels like the perfect level of niche to be a satisfying list and youâre the perfect person to curate it!
hmmmm yes it sounds like it would fit!! i added it tysm!
Oh I LOVE this, thank you for putting it together! Might I suggest Pixel Flesh and maybe Culture Creep?
omg those are both PERFECT tysm for the recs!!!
Great list! This reminds me a bit of Anne Helen Petersen's work.
tysm! oh yes i was going to add one of her books but wasn't sure if it quite fit so ty for the rec!
The list I didnât know I needed! Thank you Bea! đ§Ą
this is one of my fave niches as well so iâm so excited that this list exists, itâs already a great mix of books iâve read and liked, books on my tbr, and books i havenât heard of before! a few books off my tbr that i think might fit (i havenât read these yet so take with a grain of salt) are authority by andrea long chu, mood machine by liz pelly, die hot with a vengeance by sable yong, and made up by daphne b
oh shit thanks for reminding me i was gonna add made up here!! i'll check out the others too. you and i are gonna get along just fine đââď¸đââď¸
Hanif Abdurraqib is a gem. So happy to see his work on this list! Looking forward to perusing your other recommendations â¨ď¸
oh yes, one of my top 3 favorite authors hands down. i just finished reading all of his published work this year, so this list was partly made to celebrate that đ i LOVE this niche so if you come across any let me know!!
Will do! I've been shoving They Can't Kill Us down my friends throats for a while now, I love it so much. I tried There's Always This Year earlier during the year but sports as a topic always makes my brain switch off đ so will probably have to try again at some point...I guess there's always next year đ¤Ş
lmaooo yeah my eyes glazed over a bit trying to understand the sports bits. i think i'll always like A Little Devil most, because i really like how he broke it into specific performances/songs so that you can pair them together. all of his books are 5 stars for me though, the way he's able to blend poetry, critique, and social commentary... chef's kiss
I'll prioritise A Little Devil in that case đ
have you ever listened to the podcast "a bit fruity"? a lot of the topics they discuss on there are related to pop-culture and how it reflects sociopolitical ideas and trends!
i haven't, i'm not much of a podcaster but i love this rec! tysm for sharing!!
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