News and Interviews Icon side arrow

Goodreads Gift Guide: Phoebe Robinson's Pop Culture Picks

Posted by Cybil on November 16, 2016

As a talent, Phoebe Robinson is a quadruple threat: stand-up comedian, writer, podcast star and actress.

Her You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have To Explain is a 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards humor finalist. She hosts two podcasts—2 Dope Queens and Sooo Many White Guys—as well as consultants on the TV show Broad City. Did I mention she's also a huge movie buff and has a serious love of pop culture that ranges from Sex and the City to Moesha?

So, obviously we wanted to ask her what pop culture books she gives as gifts. And, of course, she didn't disappoint. Steal her great gift ideas and make your holiday a bit easier.

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin_Manuel Miranda

"I mean, obviously this makes the cut. It's one of the greatest musicals of all time and I was lucky enough to see it. But what makes this book so special is that it pulls back the curtain and allows to reader to see that this one-of-a-kind show isn't just because of genius, even though that is a huge part of it, it reveals just how much love and hard work went into making something this brilliant. Extremely aspirational."

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

"One my favorite writers and thinkers out there not only because she is wickedly talented, but because she has a mastery of mixing highbrow and lowbrow into the perfect cocktail of "made ya think"/"holy moly, that was funny." Furthermore, she is a reminder of the complexity that lives within each woman, each woman of color, and each feminist. She is not a monolith and thank goodness because this book would not exist otherwise."

Misty Copeland: Power and Grace by Richard Corman

"I absolutely love this coffee table book. It goes without saying how important she is in pop culture and in diversifying the dance world, but what no one must forget is that she is damn good at her job and she's an athlete. This is one of my favorite books to marvel at because Misty shows us what we are physical capable of."

Art for Obama: Designing the Campaign for Change by Shepard Fairey

"We can all agree that the art played a key role in Obama's run for President in 2008, so it's wonderful to see it all compiled in one place. It seems that we often forget about the importance of visual and how it can shape, comment, and reflect on society. This book is a wonderful reminder and artifact of a time that it was exhilarating to be alive."

Sick in the Head: Conversations about Life and Comedy by Judd Apatow

"This is a really great compilation of interviews that Judd Apatow has done over the years. I really enjoy reading comedians like Chris Rock and Mark Maron and Sandra Bernhard being candid when being funny is not the main goal. This book makes you think and feel and any chance you get to spend time reading the brilliance that Mike Nichols spews is time well spent."

Need more ideas? Check out our full Goodreads Gift Guide!