Good morning,
And welcome to the Cultural Reads Newsletter with worldwide book, music, and movie recommendations.
In today’s newsletter: Spy Movies, European History, Colombian Music, Gay Girl Gone, Shantaram & Celebrity Book Recommendations.
Will he be discovered and killed?
There’s nothing more exciting than the element of danger and the looming threat of spy movies.
That’s why I’ll share the 10 best spy movies of all time worldwide.
Do you want to be the first to discover great Colombian artists?
Then you should check out the Colombian music platform Sesiones RTCV. These mini-concerts, similar to Tiny Desk, feature some of the best upcoming Colombian musicians.
For actual Colombian Tiny Desks, check out newsletter 48.
Against the backdrop of World War 2, Jacques Austerlitz is sent away to a new country and family as a little boy. He gets a different name and identity, erasing his past.
Years later, when he’s already retired, he decides to find out who he is.
Austerlitz, named the 8th best book of the 21st century by the New York Times Book Review, is the story of many Jewish children and, therefore, a key piece in understanding Europe’s post-WWII period.
During the Arab Spring, Amina started a blog about her experiences as a young lesbian and revolutionary.
As she quickly grows her following, the Western media picks her up. Then she suddenly disappears.
What happened? Find out in the podcast Gay Girl Gone.
Shantaram is one of my all-time favorite books.
It is a bit of a guilty pleasure because it takes place in India but tells you little about Indian culture.
It’s nonetheless a crazy story about an Australian who escapes prison to join the Mafia in India based on a true story. It’s now also an AppleTV series.
Are you curious about what influential people like Barack Obama read?
Find out on Ultimate Booklist!
Although primarily US-focused, it also includes some other famous people.
