Man Ray had many passions, but none was greater than chess. Not only did he feature the game in his drawings, paintings, and sculptures; he also designed chessboards and pieces. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in 1890 (his family shortened its last name to Ray in 1911), Ray began his career as a maps draftsman. His prowess at drawing geometric shapes married to his love of chess led to the creation of stunning chessboards with pieces made of wood, silver, bronze, ivory, and aluminum. Larry List has written Permanent Attraction—the first book devoted to this facet of Ray’s career, and the volume is both learned and sumptuous. List does a marvelous job of placing Ray’s work in the context of both the avant-garde and its influence on later artists. Call it serendipity that the release of his book coincides with the Metropolitan Museum’s show “Man Ray: When Objects Dream,” in New York. ($50, amazon.com) —Jim Kelly

Rohan Blacker, the founder of the lighting store Pooky, believes anything can become a lamp. “I have a very inquisitive mind, and I constantly look about and, frankly, see almost everything as a potential light,” he says. “That is the beauty of lighting—you can take virtually anything, whack a bulb on it, and hey, presto!” Pooky has an abundance of eclectic styles that brighten the home in more ways than one. Whether a chandelier, a wall sconce, or a stand-alone desk lamp, Pooky showcases a wealth of different light fixtures and continues to innovate with patterns that evoke playful poshness and flair. (pooky.com) —Maggie Turner

It’s an odd sensation to wake up at three a.m. and lust after a rug, but such is the passion that the new Eagle & Hodges collection for Nordic Knots can inspire. Interior designers Alex Eagle and Sophie Hodges re-created a quintessentially British motif—the walled garden—for this limited-edition collection, which offers sizes ranging from accent to full floor. It’s tempting to lean into the neutral beige color, but why not jazz things up with green, inspired by the murky teal shades of Giverny at dusk? (from $4,095; nordicknots.com) —Ashley Baker

Sean Avery, once the N.H.L.’s patron saint of chaos and couture, trades in five-minute majors for steamy East Hampton intrigue in his debut novel, written alongside Leslie Cohen. Summer Skate follows Jessica Riley, a married Manhattan writer who, evading her unfinished manuscript, retreats to her oceanside estate only to find herself next door to Carter Hughes: the New York Rangers’ top prospect, tabloid calamity, and exactly the kind of mistake that fuels rosé-infused brunch gossip. The duo orbit each other like fighters on ice, with controlled velocity and the inevitable, spectacular collision. Avery and Cohen understand that the most memorable affairs are never about love but, rather, exquisitely engineered ruin, best executed on borrowed time. The man who once made Madison Square Garden erupt now gives book clubs a reason to gasp. ($18.95, amazon.com) —Bill Keenan

Howoo is a dim, luxe Korean-barbecue restaurant sitting just east of Manhattan’s Koreatown. Each classic dish—ponytail-radish kimchi, mung-bean jelly, and pickled mustard greens—tastes fresh and novel. The menu’s Duo Prime Package is a cornucopian amount of food: four different meats, soup with mixed-grain rice, cold noodles, and souffléd eggs. (Huge plus: the tofu in their soybean stew is made in-house.) As the weather cools, Howoo makes for a perfectly cozy and filling dinner. (howoo.nyc) —Andie Blaine

After two decades of perfecting the slouchy-trouser-and-sexy-blouse look for all downtowners with an “I just flew in from Paris” attitude, Nili Lotan is finally adding the cherry on top to their uniform. Yes, a bag—specifically, the Lou. The debut line has three elegant styles with no logos, no gimmicks, Italian leather, and impeccable structure. It’s also surprisingly roomy, with the kind of quiet confidence that doesn’t need an introduction. It’s essentially what a Celine Trapeze would look like if it spent the summer in Amagansett and got off its high horse. In other words, it’s not trying to go viral. It’s trying to go with everything. Mission accomplished, I say. ($2,400; nililotan.com) —Jen Noyes