When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team. In Katherine Center’s new novel, The Shippers, a woman attending her sister’s cruise-ship wedding ropes her childhood bestie into being her wingman. Below, the best-selling author of The Bodyguard and […]
Read MoreTag: Culture & Life
Book reviews: ‘Trudeau & Doonesbury: A Biography’ and ‘Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto’
‘Trudeau & Doonesbury: A Biography’ by Joshua Kendall The new Garry Trudeau biography is, compared with the comic strip he’s known for, “not as sophisticated, in tone and content,” said Dwight Garner in The New York Times. But while it’s merely “a meat-and-potatoes biography,” it “has a good story to tell,” and “I devoured it […]
Read MoreBe more chill: 8 frozen cocktails to blend up this summer
It’s the ice, people! Yes, ice is central to the making of any cocktail — unless it’s a hot one. In the playland of frozen drinks, though, ice plays an all-the-more crucial role. It doesn’t simply chill then bolt for the sink. Ice becomes integral to the lush texture of a blended cocktail. These frozen […]
Read More8 best liminal horror films of all time
Low-budget horror movie “Backrooms” has been generating “considerable buzz”, said Wallpaper. The unsettling directorial debut from 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons is based on a viral web series he made as a teenager. It made $81 million (£60 million) in North America on its opening weekend, a new record for an original horror film. The inspiration […]
Read MoreYouTubers are having a Hollywood moment
The horror genre occupies the current Hollywood spotlight, and we have YouTube to thank for a bevy of high-grossing indie films directed by popular YouTubers. The runaway success of these box office darlings has industry insiders questioning if this crew represents a new filmmaking era or if it’s a passing phase. Pipeline from YouTube-to-horror filmmaker […]
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9 Father’s Day gifts any dad will love
When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team. Some dads like receiving practical gifts for Father’s Day, while others want to be surprised with a present they’ve never heard of or wouldn’t buy for themselves. Whatever your dad, […]
Read MoreOne great cookbook: ‘All That Crumbs Allow’ by Michelle Marek and Camilla Wynne
Have bread; breadcrumbs are inevitable. You would think then, with boundless English-speaking cultures using bread, there would be endless words for breadcrumbs. Terms that are mere descriptors for the bread pieces, like “fine,” “medium” and “large.” Would that we have 50 words to express a range of kinds of breadcrumbs, in the way Tamil has […]
Read MoreWhy sweet, sticky dates are everywhere
Instead of reaching for biscuits or chocolate to “combat the 4pm slump”, people are turning to a “more natural sweet alternative: dates”, said The Guardian. The wrinkled fruit has been “thrust into the snacking spotlight” thanks to a slew of viral online recipes and a growing demand for alternatives to ultra-processed foods. Ocado reports that […]
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6 unmatched homes on Long Island, N.Y
Manhasset (Image credit: LPG) Architect Tim Maldonado designed this 1991 modern four-bedroom in North Hills, on the North Shore in Nassau County. Carved Parisian doors open to a home with flamed Canadian granite floors, a water feature at the base of a floating steel staircase, a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a primary suite […]
Read MoreFilm reviews: ‘Backrooms,’ ‘Power Ballad,’ and ‘Masters of the Universe’
‘Backrooms’ Directed by Kane Parsons (R) ★★★ “Might social media, a force often credited with hastening the death of theatrical moviegoing, instead prove to be its salvation?” asked Justin Chang in The New Yorker. As the three-week-old horror film Obsession continues its surprising run, it has now been blocked from topping the box office chart […]
Read MoreChina bans award-winning film starring convicted murderer
The authorities in China have banned a prizewinning film because nationalists and the manosphere “resented its portrayal of their country”, said The Economist. The movie, “Her Heart Beats in its Cage”, is a prison drama based on real killing, centering on Zhao Xiaohong, who may be perceived as a “star in the making”, a “feminist […]
Read MoreAn epic train journey into the Namib Desert
I remember southern Africa’s old-fashioned sleeper trains, with their wooden carriages and “grand” dining cars, from my childhood in what was then Rhodesia in the 1950s and 1960s, said Matthew Parris in The Times. They fell out of use long ago, and few of the region’s railways now carry passengers at all. You can, however, […]
Read MoreVictoria Pendleton picks her favourite books
The Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist picks her favourite books. Her own book, “The Fear Opportunity: How Feeling your Fear Builds Strength and Confidence”, is available for purchase. Invisible Women Caroline Criado-Perez, 2019 This book explores the under-representation of women in the way the world is designed. It is tragically enlightening about the gender bias in […]
Read MoreMusic reviews: Paul McCartney, Ed O’Brien, and Kevin Morby
‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ by Paul McCartney ★★★★ Paul McCartney is “acting his age and defying it too, which is kind of the best of both worlds,” said Chris Willman in Variety. On his 20th solo album, the 83-year-old former Beatle keeps it “fresh and lively, and occasionally even fiery, but not by pretending […]
Read MoreBook reviews: ‘An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln’ and ‘Lady C: The Long, Sensational Life of Lady Chatterley’s Lover’
‘An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln’ by Lois Romano “No first lady has been more demonized than Mary Todd Lincoln,” said Amy S. Greenberg in The New York Times. Even before her husband’s 1865 assassination, the former Lexington, Ky., socialite was portrayed as unhinged and unworthy of both the […]
Read MoreJune’s books include a speculative fiction debut and two multigenerational historical fictions
When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team. It is not too early to start picking out your summer reading list because a slew of new releases promise to keep June interesting. Standouts for the perfect summer beach […]
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6 expansive homes with infinity pools
Block Island, R.I. (Image credit: Courtesy image) On the west side of the island in the Grace’s Cove area, this 2003 shingle-style, 2-acre estate features a pool with an aqua-and-navy-tiled edge and spa, a stone patio surround, and ocean views. The updated five-bedroom includes tongue-and-groove wainscoting, hardwood floors, an all-white updated kitchen, and glass doors […]
Read MoreThe rise of LitRPG
The line between gamer culture and traditional storytelling is being blurred, one quest notification at a time, as readers get addicted to novels that combine sci-fi and fantasy narratives with features from video games. These “gamified novels”, which are based on video games, are “going mainstream” and selling in their millions, said The Economist. Cosmic […]
Read MoreFamesick: a ‘funny’ yet ‘heartbreaking’ memoir
Lena Dunham “crashed into public consciousness” in 2012 when the first season of her comedy-drama “Girls” – often described as the millennial “Sex and the City” – aired on HBO/Sky Atlantic, said Sarah Ditum in The Times. The show “made her very, very famous” – the kind of fame which involved her face appearing on […]
Read MoreDrake’s three-album barrage: A chart king demands homage
“Drake is looking to chart dominance to turn the page on one of the most infamous rap battles in music history,” said Ethan Millman in The Hollywood Reporter. Two weeks ago, the Canadian singer-rapper surprised even his fans when he released not one but three albums in a single day, bidding to become the first […]
Read MoreManil Suri’s 6 favorite books set in India
When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team. Manil Suri’s new memoir, A Room in Bombay, describes his coming of age in a single room that he shared with his parents before his move to the U.S. at […]
Read MoreBook reviews: ‘This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History’ and ‘Beyond Inheritance: Our Ever-Mutating Cells and a New Understanding of Health’
‘This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History’ by Beverly Gage “In one obvious respect, This Land Is Your Land is perfectly timed,” said Jennifer Szalai in The New York Times. Our country’s looming semiquincentennial inspired historian Beverly Gage to embark on the “companionable” national tour she chronicles here. In 2023 and […]
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7 tricked-out coolers to splurge on this summer
When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team. Don’t let dehydration derail your summer adventures. Keep plenty of cold beverages — and lots of snacks — close at hand in one of these decked-out coolers ready for the […]
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6 incredible log homes
Pagosa Springs, Colo. (Image credit: Courtesy image) Elk Pointe Estate, a 2005 five-bedroom southern Colorado log house, is on a peninsula surrounded by Hidden Valley Lake. The living room features whole log beams, arched windows, and an antler chandelier; the kitchen has paneled appliances and a breakfast cove. (Image credit: Courtesy image) On more than […]
Read MoreFilm reviews: ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,’ ‘I Love Boosters,’ and ‘Obsession’
‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Directed by Jon Favreau (PG-13) ★★ “It’s time to ask for more,” said Kate Erbland in IndieWire. While this first new Star Wars movie in seven years is “charming enough in the moment,” it’s “almost instantly forgettable,” a spin-off of a Star Wars TV series that’s little more than […]
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Hojicha: matcha’s ‘toasty cousin’
“Maxed out on matcha lattes?” said the Financial Times. Try swapping the trendy, green-hued drink for its “toasty cousin”. Hojicha has many of the same benefits as matcha but with much less caffeine. Made from green tea leaves roasted at a high temperature over charcoal, it has a distinctive “nutty” flavour. While it’s not traditionally […]
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Venice Biennale 2026: controversy in contemporary art
“The Venice Biennale is the world’s most prestigious international art exhibition,” said Katrin Bennhold in The New York Times. Every other year, a colossal central show aspires to distil the current state of contemporary art, while the nations of the world stage individual exhibitions in designated pavilions, each competing for the coveted top prize. Elsewhere, […]
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Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3: the ‘fastest marathon racer possible’
Billed as “humanity’s fastest shoe”, Adidas’s Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3s represent “the cutting edge of trainer technology”, said The Guardian. “Lighter and bouncier” than any other “super shoe” on the market, they are designed to help runners “chase records”, and the shoes, which weigh under 100g – less than a bar of soap – […]
Read MoreThe Christophers: a ‘deliciously sly’ dark comedy about the art world
In Steven Soderbergh’s dark comedy, Ian McKellen turns in one of his finest performances, said David Sexton in The New Statesman. He plays Julian Sklar, a once-brilliant painter who hasn’t produced anything for years. A “vain, irascible wreck of a man”, he lives in adjacent townhouses in Bloomsbury, and fills his time by appearing as […]
Read More1536: a ‘once-in-a-blue-moon theatrical experience’
Ava Pickett’s debut play, “1536”, became the hottest ticket in town when it premiered at the Almeida, said Isobel Lewis in Time Out. Film star Margot Robbie was so impressed, she came on board as co-producer for this West End transfer. As if that wasn’t enough of a flying start, Pickett is also adapting her […]
Read MoreMusic reviews: Isaiah Rashad and Aldous Harding
‘It’s Been Awful’ by Isaiah Rashad ★★★ Isaiah Rashad’s new top-20 album is “as concise a statement about men in rap struggling with their sexuality as has ever been made,” said Mosi Reeves in Rolling Stone. Rashad, a longtime labelmate of SZA and Kendrick Lamar, was forced to grapple publicly with his bisexuality in 2022 […]
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