THE LIST: DVDs, CDs and books hitting stores week of Sept. 22

DVDS
  “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” (PG-13): In this romantic comedy, a bachelor playboy (Matthew McConaughey) attending his brother’s wedding, finds himself confronted by memories of his past girlfriends — including the one who got away (Jennifer Garner) — and his role model, his Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas).
  Lower on the comedic ladder, “Observe and Report” (R) casts Seth Rogen as a bipolar mall cop who lusts after a bimbo-fied cosmetics clerk (Anna Faris) — and clashes with the hard-charging detective (Ray Liotta) investigating a raincoated flasher stalking the mall. In the animated sci-fi adventure “Battle for Terra” (PG), humans looking for a new home target the peaceful title planet, touching off an interspecies war. Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson and Dennis Quaid lead the voice cast. Rounding out today’s recent-release roster: “O’Horten” (PG-13), a bittersweet Norwegian comedy about a railroad conductor whose retirement throws his life off track.
  Also arriving on DVD today: Jeff Goldblum (as a Holocaust survivor) in the drama “Adam Resurrected” (R); Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon and Timothy Hutton in the comedy “Lymelife” (R); Steve Buscemi, Jude Law, John Leguizamo and Dianne Wiest in “Rage” (not rated); the animated “Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death” (not rated); the 13-title “Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection,” featuring signature roles from “The Hustler” to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (not rated); Rob Zombie’s animated “Haunted World of El Superbeasto” (R), featuring the voices of Paul Giamatti and Rosario Dawson; and TV transfers “Castle: The Complete First Season” and “Ugly Betty: The Complete Third Season” (both rated PG), plus “Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins,” “The Mentalist: The Complete First Season,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles — The Complete Second Season,” “30 Rock: Season Three,” “Ghost Whisperer: The Complete Fourth Season,” “Taxi: The Complete Fourth Season” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — The 10th Year” (all unrated).

CDS
  Pearl Jam, “Backspacer”: A lean, mean sounding disc, Pearl Jam’s latest bursts to life like a molotov cocktail hurled through your speakers.
  The fire in this band’s belly is in full blaze on “Backspacer,” a fat-free, no-nonsense rock ’n’ roll record that may be the band’s most direct shot to the jugular yet. 
  These dudes are “Back” for real.
  Also in stores: Alice Donut, “10 Glorious Animals”; Basement Jaxx, “Scars”; Billy Talent, “Billy Talent III”; Black Tape for a Blue Girl, “10 Neurotics”; Michael Bolton, “One World One Love”; Brand New, “Daisy”; Brother Ali, “Us”; Harry Connick Jr., “Your Songs”; Deadmau5, “For the Lack of a Better Name”; Five Finger Death Punch, “War Is the Answer”; Lisa Germano, “Magic Neighbor”; David Gray, “Draw the Line”; Islands, “Vapours”; Sean Kingston, “Tomorrow”; Monsters of Folk, “Monsters of Folk”; Noisettes, “Wild Young Hearts”; Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, “Between My Head and the Sky”; and Three Days Grace, “Life Starts Now.”

BOOKS
  “An Echo in the Bone” by Diana Gabaldon: The seventh installment of the “Outlander” series continues the story of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Frasier and Claire Randall, his 20th-century time-traveling wife.
  As the American Revolution looms, both Jaimie and Claire know what the outcome will be, but the question still remains of whether they will survive the rebellion. Meanwhile, in the the 20th century, Claire and Jamie’s daughter and her husband follow the couple’s story through Claire’s letters, searching for clues to the pair’s fate, which will ultimately affect their own.
  Another big fall release expected this week is Margaret Atwood’s “The Year of the Flood,” which returns to the dystopic setting featured in 2002’s “Oryx and Crake,” this time focusing on two women who have survived catastrophe and now must make their way through a changed world.
  Also hitting shelves: “American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot” by Craig Ferguson; “Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government” by Glenn Beck; “Blood’s a Rover” by James Ellroy; “A Change in Altitude” by Anita Shreve; “Going Bovine” by Libba Bray; “The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution” by Richard Dawkins; “Hardball” by Sara Paretsky; “High On Arrival” by Mackenzie Phillips; “Hothouse Orchid” by Stuart Woods; “The Lost Art of Gratitude” by Alexander McCall Smith; “Most Evil: The Further Serial Murders of Dr. George Hodel” by Steve Hodel; “Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall” by Kazuo Ishiguro; “Only the Superrich Can Save Us” by Ralph Nader; “Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance” by Garrison Keillor; “Sixty Feet, Six Inches: A Hall of Fame Pitcher & a Hall of Fame Hitter Talk about How the Game is Played” by Reggie Jackson; “Spooner” by Pete Dexter; “Twisted Tree” by Kent Meyers; and “Wish You Were Dead” by Todd Strasser.