In a bookstore last weekend, I was approached not once but twice by shopgoers urging me to purchase the slim novel in my hands. It had been sandwiched on the shelf between Belle Burden’s Strangers and Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear. First published in French in 1995, Jacqueline Harpman’s I Who Have Never Known Men existed in relative obscurity until 2022, when the English translation was reissued by Transit Books and its cause taken up by BookTok. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where 39 women and one girl—the book’s nameless protagonist—have been imprisoned in an underground bunker for years. Though at times almost unbearably bleak, the narrative is propulsive and delivers a fascinating psychological portrait of female friendship, community, and humanity. This book will burrow into the deepest recesses of your brain and cling there long after you’ve turned the final page. ($16.95, amazon.com) —Paulina Prosnitz

It took 200 years for a little-known Delft painter named Johannes Vermeer to be discovered, and only because an art critic wrote a three-part article in 1866 praising View of Delft, painted around 1660. In Vermeer’s Afterlives, Yale professor Ruth Bernard Yeazell dwells not so much on Vermeer’s life, about which not much is known, but on the influence he has had on later artists, a remarkable feat of imagination considering that there are no more than 37 works attributed to him. Painters, filmmakers, poets, and novelists all have drawn inspiration from him, including Marcel Proust and Gerhard Richter. And then, of course, there were the forgeries, which turned out to be a field day for dueling art historians. Yeazell eloquently explores what makes a Vermeer painting so special: its sense of privacy, its intimacy, its radiance. Her magnificent book will even make you look at Girl with a Pearl Earring—his most recognized and reproduced work—with fresh and appreciative eyes. ($39.95, princeton.edu) —Jim Kelly

Michael Hoffman’s 1999 A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a delightful iteration of Shakespeare’s comedic play, which follows the overlapping tribulations of a complicated love square, the feuding of the fairy king Oberon (Rupert Everett) and Queen (Michelle Pfeiffer), and the comic rehearsals of a group of tradesmen turned amateur actors. Rather than re-interpreting the classic story with modern dialogue, Hoffman maintains Shakespeare’s original language, adding an operatic score, Italian setting (over a Greek one), and a star-studded cast to give this familiar tale a breath of fresh air. Kevin Kline plays an endearing Bottom, and Stanley Tucci brings the mischievous Puck to life, while Calista Flockhart (Helena), Anna Friel (Hermia), Christian Bale (Demetrius), and Dominic West (Lysander) deliver captivating performances as the four foolish mortals. With romantic 18th-century costuming, nymph-filled woods, and play-like practical effects, this Midsummer Night’s Dream is an ethereal escape from the realities of a nearly ending summer. (tv.apple.com) —Eve Eismann

One of Peru’s most prolific bands, Los Mirlos celebrate every facet of their identity and sound on 1986’s El Encanto de Los Mirlos. Emerging from the Peruvian Amazon in the early 70s, the group eventually moved to Lima, where they blended burgeoning Peruvian cumbia with Amazonian musical traditions, helping pioneer what is now known as cumbia amazónica. El Encanto is fresh, energetic, and made for dancing, driven by relentless, intricate rhythms and even brighter layers of instrumentation. Every beat feels full without becoming overpowering, mixing timbales, flute, trumpets, and accordion with surf-rock electric guitar (“Ya Se Marcho”). The album tells stories of love, connection, family, and the beauty of the Amazon. Sharing the spirit of their home is central to the group, from the self-referential “Cumbia de Oriente” and theme-song-like title track to their familial lineup of brothers and cousins. The result is a vibrant portrait of Los Mirlos’ roots that demands to be played again and again. (spotify.com) —Cassidy Sollazzo

If you just so happen to be out East for the dregs of summer and can’t bring yourself to show up to another gathering with yet another bottle of rosé, the Sagaponack General Store—founded by Mindy Gray, the wife of Blackstone C.O.O. Jonathan D. Gray—has just the little something. The Locals Only basket is packed with 14 decadent treats fit for nearly every occasion: Hamptons Preserves Apple Butter, Jamagansett Salty Blueberry Jam, and Springs Fireplace Hot Sauce are just a few of the locally sourced goods included. It’s the perfect thank-you-for-hosting or congratulations-on-your-fill-in-the-blank present. The basket retails for $270, but can you really put a price on having the shopping already done for you? ($270, sagaponackgeneralstore.com) —Gabriella Maestri

Traveling to Greece last summer was a dreamlike trance of crystal-clear waters, skinny European cigarettes, and endless tzatziki. It all quickly turned into a nightmare during the three-hour passport-control line at the Athens airport. This year, however, I refused to compromise my bliss and sought the help of Welcome Wings. Their VIP Meet & Greet service whisks you from the terminal’s curb—where a personal concierge gathers your bags—through expedited check-in and fast-tracked passport-and-security clearance, directly to the gate (or lounge) in a matter of minutes. You will be like Odysseus—if everything had gone right for him. Offering services around the world, Welcome Wings removes chaos from the airport experience, with individualized itineraries, private tarmac transfers, exclusive lounge accommodations, and semi-private customs access. (welcomewings.com) —Gracie Wiener