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Read: A band of brothers, literally. In the early 1970s, two Dutch-Indonesian kids in Amsterdam boarded a boat bound for the US with their parents, a few suitcases, and an upright piano. They settled in Pasadena, California, and started playing music, first with their dad, who was an alcoholic jazzman, and then with their friends and classmates. They became one of the most spectacular and influential rock bands of all time. Alex Van Halen’s book “Brothers,” is a rollicking and insightful memoir of how he and his late brother Eddie (an absolute god among guitarists), reshaped rock music in the late 1970s (the last days before “video killed the radio star”) but also paid a steep price for it. – Alex

Watch: “Mosul” Set amid the battle to retake the ancient Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State terrorists who overran it, this masterpiece of war cinema follows Kawa, a young Kurdish police officer recruited to the Nineveh SWAT team, as they attempt to rescue a family from the warlord who enslaved them. The pervasive sense of fear and aggression are masterfully interspersed with emotional sequences displaying the deep toll that decades of war have taken on ordinary Iraqi families, with Kawa’s loss of innocence parallelling his entire generation’s experience. – Matt

Watch and listen: “Weapon of Choice.” Christopher Walken is just not like you and me. Don’t believe me? Set aside three minutes and 52 seconds to watch him take inspiration from Fatboy Slim. – Willis

Watch: A heart break. If you’re a fan of Rosalind Eleazar from “Slow Horses,” be sure to check out the “Missing You” series on Netflix. Inspector Kat Donovan is left heartbroken by the murder of her father — and then by the disappearance of her fiancé. Years later, she’s still struggling to move forward as she begins to unravel the truth behind both mysteries. – Tracy

Go see: “Six” on Broadway or on tour. It’s a hilarious, modern take on the fates of the six wives of Henry VIII that turns historical drama into an electrifying girly-pop concert. – Riley

Watch: “Just For US.” A young Jewish New Yorker hears about a meeting of local white nationalists and decides to go check it out. The HBO airing of Alex Edelman’s hit one-man Broadway show is by turns chilling, poignant, and laugh-out-loud hilarious from start to finish. – Willis

Watch: “Amar Singh Chamkila.” This musical is based on the life of Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila, who rose to fame in the 1980s. Along with his wife Amarjot, the duo’s songs had brash and vivid lyrics that were often criticized for highlighting fantasies in a conservative society. Watch for terrific performances by Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra (who sing the songs in it as well). Bonus: Dosanjh is currently touring in North America! – Suhani

Read: “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida,” by Shehan Karunatilaka. Set amid the most violent period in Sri Lanka’s civil war, this ambitious, challenging novel follows the ghost of a slain photojournalist who’s given seven days to visit the living world. The sometimes macabre, sometimes surreal, always compelling depictions of the mundanity of state violence — outcasts botching the disposal of the narrator’s body in one of Colombo’s lakes, or loved ones bribing police to even begin an investigation — are beautifully layered with questions on spirituality and sex. – Matt