Something handsome this way comes! Sabah, the Turkish-inspired handmade-shoe brand is teaming with the luxurious London men’s-wear label Drake’s to create an exclusive new style: the Woven Bolo. Each pair of woven leather slip-ons is hand-shaped with a heeled outsole in El Paso, Texas, and naturally tanned in Mexico for more than two months, to achieve that oh-so-stunning shade of brown or black. Wear them with a button-down and trousers for a more elevated look, or opt for a laid-back approach with a collared tee and jeans. You’re welcome for the heads-up. ($525, sabah.am) —Gabriella Maestri

The abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 for “the woman I love” seemed impossibly romantic at the time, but it turned out to be a tragedy for Wallis Simpson, who never wanted him to abdicate and preferred the status of the “King’s friend” in London society over being the wife of the now Duke of Windsor. In Behind Closed Doors, Hugo Vickers brings to sad but vivid life what led the playboy Edward to throw away the Crown (he’d rather play golf than open Parliament) and what led the twice-married and ambitious Simpson to befriend him when he was still the heir apparent. There is no doubt England was better off with Edward’s brother George as the new King, given his and his wife Elizabeth’s homey ways, and the new line of succession that led to Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign. Vickers deftly paints a portrait of England in the 1920s that rivals Evelyn Waugh’s, but his best and freshest reporting is on the last years of the duke, who died in Paris in 1972, and of the duchess, increasingly frail and, according to Vickers, ill-served by her French lawyer right up to her client’s death, in 1986 at age 89. Behind Closed Doors is juicy with gossip but meticulous in its facts, which makes it excellent history. ($29.95, simonandschuster.com) —Jim Kelly

At once a coming-of-age drama and a portrait of a dying Texas town in the 1950s, The Last Picture Show, based on Pulitzer Prize winner Larry McMurtry’s novel, poignantly depicts the bleak descent of youth into jaded adulthood. Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges)—two friends born and raised in the fictional town of Anarene—face the realities of growing up as they finish their senior year of high school. Alongside an award-winning performance by Cybill Shepherd as Jacy, the boys navigate love, death, and loyalty in small-town America. Because of its unfiltered depictions of sexuality, inappropriate relationships, and adultery, the 1971 film received a chilly response in conservative communities; however, it was applauded by critics and earned eight Oscar nominations. Captured with the cinematic eye of Robert Surtees and directed by Peter Bogdanovich during the height of New Hollywood, The Last Picture Show is a classic American epic. (apple.com) —Eve Eismann

Greece and Italy are great and all, but what about Colorado and Wyoming? As Labor Day approaches and everyone scrambles to book last-minute trips to the furthest stretches of the Mediterranean, chasing the very last drops of summer, why not stay local instead? I’d turn to The United States of America with National Geographic for roadtrip inspiration. The enormous book, out now in a new edition from Taschen, is a reminder of the infinite landscapes available to anyone willing to get into a car: the jazz bars of New Orleans, the snow-covered cliffs of Yosemite, the wetlands of the Everglades, the beaches of California. ($145, taschen.com) —Jeanne Malle

Rona Jaffe wrote her debut novel, The Best of Everything, per Hollywood producer Jerry Wald’s request. “I’m looking for a modern-day Kitty Foyle,” he said to her and Simon & Schuster editor Jack Goodman. Published in 1958, the book revolves around a group of five young women navigating their love lives, dreams, and careers at a fictional publishing company in 1950s New York City. (Imagine Mad Men if it focused on the secretaries instead of Don, Roger, and Pete.) It makes sense this is a favorite of both Sarah Jessica Parker and Lena Dunham, acting as a precursor to their HBO hit series. The Best of Everything is just that—intelligent, heartwarming, exciting, addicting, and also heartbreaking. ($21, penguinrandomhouse.com) —Gracie Wiener

Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66, the first album from the group, became a landmark in bossa nova’s international reach. Mendes carefully pursued broader U.S. appeal, adding American vocalists and balancing Portuguese songs with English-language pop covers. The album moves effortlessly between the two, with Lani Hall’s scatting serving as connective tissue. Her airy timbre became synonymous with the group’s breezy sound, floating above Mendes’s central piano, French horn, and jazzy, propulsive rhythms. The tracklist includes a swinging, cymbal-heavy cover of Lennon and McCartney’s “Day Tripper” and a rendition of “Goin’ Out of My Head,” a track later covered by the Zombies. Funnily enough, it was the Portuguese-language lead single “Mas Que Nada” that took off and propelled the group to international success. The album is a bossa nova master class, demonstrating the genre’s malleability without losing sight of its Brazilian foundations. (spotify.com) —Cassidy Sollazzo