Many of us are searching for a way to skip through 2024, and the new novel 2054 is the ideal solution. Co-written by Elliot Ackerman, who has been nominated for the National Book Award, and Admiral James Stavridis, a former supreme commander of NATO, it’s set 20 years after a war between China and the U.S. toppled America’s old political order and allowed a new party and president to take power. Chaos breaks out when the president is assassinated and, in the cover-up that follows, the country descends into a civil war. This taut, chilling, provocative page-turner is one part Crichton, one part Clancy, and might just make you think these truly are the good old days. ($28, penguinrandomhouse.com) —Michael Hainey

Some go to Copenhagen for Noma, others for Tekla. The sustainable-fabric company, founded in 2017 by former Acne Studios hand Charlie Hedin, makes some of the best bedding around. Organic, chemical-free cotton is its primary material, and while the woven-terry-cloth robes and wool throws are pretty great, it’s the pajamas that prove most difficult to resist. With a unisex fit and made of crisp but breathable poplin weave, they come in all sorts of colors—13 solids and nine stripes—and are designed to be worn until they fall apart, which we anticipate will happen at some point in the 2040s. Tops and bottoms are sold individually, so feel free to mix and match, but don’t miss out on a coordinating eye mask. ($240 for the top; $205 for the bottom) —Ashley Baker

It’s rare that offbeat 80s movies hold up. Even the great John Hughes pictures have moments that seem ill-advised in retrospect. So you’re forgiven if you become a bit apprehensive when you hear the word “telex” and see a bunch of Armani suits in the opening moments of Local Hero. But stick around to be charmed by the story ofMac (Peter Riegert), a hotshot Texas oil executive, who, because he’s Scottish (he’s not), is dispatched to the Caledonian coast to woo the locals into selling off their property for the site of an oil refinery. Scottish auteur Bill Forsyth’s fourth film featuresa bumbling right-hand man, a love affair with a mermaid, a brigade of obstinate locals, an eccentric, stargazing oilman—played by an aged but still dreamy Burt Lancaster—and a Mark Knopfler soundtrack, all of which are enough to make you wonder why they can’t just make them like they used to. ($9.99, amazon.com) —Nathan King

Last month, Isaac Rangaswami launched his new Substack, Wooden City, as a spin-off to his enormously popular @caffs_not_cafes Instagram account. Since 2019, the British writer has been romantically celebrating London’s legacy “caffs”—old-school, well-worn greasy spoons where just about anyone can afford a hearty English breakfast. (In the 50s, Britain had thousands of classic postwar caffs, but Rangaswami estimates there are now just 50 remaining of these “living museums.”) In the first week of Wooden City, he posted a comprehensive citywide guide of his favorite caffs, along with a nifty map. Interested in focusing on other “everyday places with unusual staying power,” he also published a terrific list of under-the-radar secondhand-book shops, and looks forward to writing pieces on “canal boats, beautiful pubs, old and unusual shops, and places where you can sit down without buying anything at all, like Royal Festival Hall.” (from $5, woodencity.substack.com) —Spike Carter

Each week, Scamfluencers hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi take on a new scam, plot, hoax, or ploy, each one juicier than the last. Their focus is grifters with a digital platform who, in one way or another, have used their position to get up to no good. Well paced, well researched, and not overly gimmicky (listeners are spared obnoxious sound effects and re-enactments), Koul and Hagi’s investigations make even the more well-known scammer stories (think George Santos) fascinating and fresh. Avoiding the frippery of pop culture and the grisliness of true crime, Scamfluencers finds the sweet spot between the two genres. The result is an intelligent and lighthearted listen with just the right amount of scandal. (spotify.com) —Paulina Prosnitz

’Tis the season when we can no longer stomach a winter coat, but the weather is not quite cooperative enough for a summer jacket. This is where Wiggy Kit’s Quilted Double-Breasted Jacket comes in. Made of cotton, it has just enough padding to ensure warmth on a breezy day, but without communicating a distinct “outerwear” vibe. The slightly cropped silhouettepairs nicely with high-waisted pants, and it’s just as fetching with a sundress or skirt and tank. Best of all, it’s reversible—blue ikat on one side, a brown zigzag stripe on the other. ($500, wiggykit.com) —Ashley Baker