When I first came across a Gallia Rae diffuser, I assumed it was manufactured by a centuries-old firm for its heirloom-like quality. But founder Nicole Campanaro’s creation only launched last summer. Handmade in England by highly skilled artisans steeped in traditional methods, these home fragrance diffusers come in a ceramic matchbox containing a terra-cotta stone upon which one adds a few drops of Gallia Rae essential oil. The house’s signature first scent, Giardiniello, is inspired by the Italian notion of dolce far niente—a wonderful spirit to bring home. ($126, galliarae.com) —Spike Carter

It is impossible not to fall under the spell of Lucien Orsini-Conti, whom the reader first meets through the eyes of his Harvard-freshman-year roommate, Christopher Novotny. Lucien is funny, charming, and apparently very rich. Novotny, the book’s narrator, is gullible, insecure, and poor. On an art scholarship, he’s also a fine painter, which turns out to be more of a curse than a blessing. Lucien is a campus novel, a crime story, and a coming-of-age tale wrapped up in one stellar package by J. R. Thornton, whose gifts for plot, dialogue, and character are considerable. ($18.99, amazon.com) —Jim Kelly

Need a palate cleanser from the romantasy blockbusters spreading like a pestilence over bookstores and book clubs? Me too. Look no further than T. H. White’s epic retelling of the Arthurian legend, published in 1958. The first volume of the Once and Future King tetralogy, The Sword in the Stone, tells the story of a knight’s ward named Wart and his education with the wizard Merlin, which primarily involves Merlin transforming Wart into various woodland creatures. (Walt Disney adapted this volume into a delightful animated film in 1963.) Wart, whose real name is Arthur, accidentally pulls a prophesied sword from an anvil, making him the King of England overnight. Lest you were in danger of mistaking this for a children’s novel, incest, adultery, adventure, betrayal, and tragedy follow soon after, along with some truly disturbing reflections on the nature of power, love, fraternity, and human nature. Rebecca Yarros, it’s your move! ($26, penguinrandomhouse.com) —Paulina Prosnitz

We all miss Hudson Street’s En Japanese Brasserie in New York, which closed in December 2024 with a blowout farewell attended by everyone from Chris Rock to Marina Abramović. Now its owner, Reika Alexander, is bringing the beloved spot across the pond for a six-week residency at Serpent à Plume, on Paris’s Place des Vosges. Dinner will unfold tasting-menu-style at the Étage Noble from Tuesday to Saturday, while lunch is served on the terrace on Fridays and Saturdays. Expect the En staples—sashimi, sake, black cod—now with a dash of French flair, and, of course, the restaurant’s mythic tofu. (serpentaplume.com) —Elena Clavarino

Late-1990s and early-2000s romantic comedies promised a flirtatious and glamorous life working in journalism. While my career and lifestyle might look slightly different than those of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ Andy Anderson and 13 Going on 30’s Jenna Rink, I still like to play pretend—and The Now Sound of Ursula 1000 serves as the perfect soundtrack. Released in 1999, the album blends the lounge music of the era with a 1960s disco and funk. Even though I’m sitting at my desk in FiDi, the unique retro-future tunes transport me to daydreamed evenings that I was born too late to experience: dinner at the Mercer Kitchen followed by dancing at Bungalow 8, clad in Helmut Lang, strappy Manolos, Clinique Black Honey, and a Cosmopolitan-induced haze. (spotify.com) —Gracie Wiener

Can a film about an Indiana-raised, blue-collar teenager who becomes obsessed with Italian cycling make you feel patriotic? In a word, yes. Released in 1979, Breaking Away follows a group of working-class boys—Dave (Dennis Christopher), Mike (Dennis Quaid), Cyril (Daniel Stern), and Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley)—who, while Waspy Indiana University students revel in campus follies, are left to languish on Bloomington’s outskirts in limestone quarries derided as “Cutters.” Dave finds this reality unacceptable and charts a path out in professional cycling, to the distaste of his father (Paul Dooley), a car salesman. Dave’s training regimen includes shaving his legs and listening to Italian opera, becoming so committed he even pretends to be a Tuscan transplant to impress women. What follows is a masquerade of identity and teenage disillusionment at its finest, culminating at the Little 500, I.U.’s annual bike race. Strap in—it’s a wild yet endearing ride. (tv.apple.com) —Maggie Turner