Happy Friday! Welcome back to The Weekend Edition. A series where I share a mini medley of ideas and reviews for you to peruse. Think of it as a little dose of joy to start your weekend.

In today’s post, you’ll find:

• a thrilling book recommendation that is filled with murder, mysterious maps, and dark family secrets
• my thoughts on Katy Perry’s new album
• a buzzy new show on Netflix

📚 The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd – After Nell’s estranged father is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, she can’t help but investigate. She finds a worthless gas station map hidden inside her father’s desk drawer. It’s the same map that tore their relationship apart years before. Nell then embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discover the true power that lies in maps. This book has all the elements for a thrilling ride: A dead body, an unusual map, and a dark family secret. While I guessed a few of the “surprises” early on, there was one big twist I didn’t see coming, which I thought elevated the story from being good to great.

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💿 143 by Katy Perry – The critics have been less than thrilled about Katy’s new album. Rolling Stones called it a failed attempt to rekindle her glory years. Variety said the album was flat, coasting on cascades of lyrical cliches and musical ideas that rarely crest. Yikes. However, despite all the negative reviews, I decided to give the album a chance. I’ve listened to it on my morning commute, and it’s good. It’s no Teenage Dream, but it has some catchy songs –my favorite might be Lifetimes. I think this album will be very good “mall music”. Just imagine walking into American Eagle: the song, Woman’s World, is blasting through the speakers, the catchy beat gets your head bobbing while you shop, and then next thing you know you’re singing along to the song while in the dressing room trying to see if your new jeans will pass the squat test. That’s what makes good mall music: upbeat anthems that gets you in the mood to shop.

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📺 Nobody Wants This on Netflix – An agnostic sex podcaster (Kirsten Bell) and a newly single rabbi (Adam Brody) fall in love; discovering if their relationship will survive their wildly different lives and meddling families. I loved this show! It’s like watching a romantic comedy film, except it’s stretched out into a 10-episode series, which is way more satisfying. Also, Kirsten Bell and Adam Brody have insane on-screen chemistry! Netflix announced Nobody Wants This will be coming back for season 2. It sounds like everybody wants this show to continue. 

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I spend a lot of time writing and researching all the recs I mention each week while also working a full-time job. As you can imagine, there are tons of songs, videos, and various links that have to be cut from the final draft because I don’t have enough time to write a mini-review/recommendation for you. So I thought I’d try something new. Each week, The Weekend Edition will include 3-4 thoughtfully curated recommendations that will hopefully give you something fun to read/watch/cook/listen to during your downtime that upcoming weekend. However, there will also be a mini round-up of new or notable things I have recently enjoyed but didn’t necessarily have time to write about. Does that sound like something you would enjoy?

New & Noteworthy:

• I’m obsessed with these new songs – Magic by Andy Grammar (it’s a bop!), Nothing Would Change by The Linda Lindas (another great track for retail stores), New York by Junior Varsity (this would be perfect on an indie film soundtrack).
• The music video for New York is pretty cool too!
• Also, The Offspring is back?! I haven’t listened to them since I was in middle school! Their newest single Ok, But This Is The Last Time is pretty rad. I haven’t listened to their new album yet, which was released on October 11, but its on my list of things to do.
• J.Crew is having a sale! For a limited time, take 30% off full-price styles with the code SALETIME. I probably won’t be shopping the sale but these knee-high boots, chiffon-lined sequined skirt (but when would I wear it?!), and this polo-styled shirt did catch my eye.
• I loved this article from LitHub on what dance can teach fiction writers.
• Victoria Secret had their first fashion show in six years. Did you watch? I did not (lol), so thank goodness for Harper’s Bazaar for giving us all the runaway looks from the show. Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss and Ashley Graham looked gorgeous as always. I also thought Anoka Yai, Imaan Hammam, Liu Wen, and Irina Shayk looked stunning. But can we talk about the wings Mayowa Nicholas and Vittoria Ceretti wore?! They were works of ART!

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Thanks for reading!

That’s all for today. I hope you’re enjoying this series as much as I enjoy vetting and writing it each week. Have a wonderful weekend!