Come on in, stay a while

May 25

Written By E. Key

Good morning to you!

I'm still recovering from a long weekend trip 'home' to the east coast and 4 hour time change to boot. How can I complain though, really? Here in Canada, it was a short week (but why do they feel so long?), and now our friends in the US get a long weekend too. Sleep-ins for all!

Whether you're heading out on a trip or sticking close to home, you will undoubtedly enjoy the recommendations for what to watch, listen to, and read below. I had a blast putting the lists together for you! We've also got a sneak peek at some of our latest pieces from the magazine (Going grey at 22! Crystal Hefner's memoir! Parenting studies!), and one of my favourite dishy bits, Cosmic Culture, a round up of the latest in pop culture with a dash of astrology sprinkled on top.

One more thing: if you're looking for more laughs and intimate conversations, pull up a chair and join us for episode 3 of our podcast, Your Weekly Breakdown. It's silly, smart, and you're obviously invited.

Big hugs,

Emily

PS come play with us on instagram.

Key Takeaways

📺 Watch

Upgraded, a nice and easy romantic comedy, one part Devil Wears Prada + one part modern-day Cinderella...but for art lovers. Somehow, it works. Camila Mendes is the lead, but it’s Marisa Tomei and her absolutely bonkers accent that take the cake. (Prime)

If you can get to a theatre, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is out! Toss together a revenge plot, Chris Hemsworth as a villain, and Anya Taylor being an incredibly badass heroine, and you get a massive summer blockbuster.

Home is a new original docuseries offering viewers a never-before-seen look inside the world’s most innovative homes. (AppleTV+)

🎧 Listen

Canadian songstress Myriam Gendron is back with Mayday, a folk album that makes what we think of as old-timey music sound incredibly modern. Make her your weekend morning companion.

Hana Vu is new to me, but her album Romanticism is on its 4th run-through in my headphones this week. It’s a tremendous showing of talent, with Vu largely writing and recording the entire album on her own. I’m betting on her name being known on a global scale…she’s phenomenal.

I mentioned her Tiny Desk concert last weekend, but it’s worth taking a listen to Willow Smith’s entire album. It’s fun, upbeat, and well-suited for everything from a dinner party to a road trip.

📚 Read

Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan is back with a new book: Lies and Weddings. Love, money, murder, sex! A globetrotting, frothy read that we’ll all enjoy.

In this book about books, an author just needs to get through her book tour and kill off her main character. Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is a light-hearted and funny mystery.

Set in the Spanish Golden age, The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo follows Luzia, a servant in the household of an impoverished Spanish nobleman who reveals a talent for magic. Dark, romantic, fantasy.

📱 What else?

Tech + Work

The percentage of employees who believe corporate cares about them is at an all-time low, says a new study. CEO’s just don’t get it. (Fast Company)

Scarlet Johansson vs Open AI: after spending 9 months pursuing the actress to voice Chat GPT 4.0, Sam Altman went ahead and did it anyway. Why does it matter? The fallout will present an interesting precedent for the rest of us normies. (NPR)

In yet another example of CEOs not getting it, Meta (Facebook) just appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its AI strategy. The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of white dudes. (CNN)

Women

Crystal Hefner’s memoir is yet another example of the emerging feminist rhetoric of former Playboy personalities, one that highlights the fluctuating trendiness of feminism. (Hard Copy)

The WNBA expands to Canada, with Toronto selected as the league’s 14th team. The new team will begin to play in 2026 under the guidance of president Teresa Resch, who spent the last decade as a trusted confidant of Raptor’s coach Masai Ujiri. (WNBA)

In a new trend dubbed “Ozempic babies” women are reporting that they are becoming pregnant after using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) for weight loss. These pregnancies are speculatively attributed to 1) the possibility of poor absorption of birth control and 2) improved fertility due to weight loss. (Healthline)

Culture

Lawmakers in Louisiana voted 64-29 to reclassify drugs used in abortion as “controlled dangerous substances”, a move staunchly protested by hundreds of physicians in the state. The targeted drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, have a lower death rate than viagra. (Rolling Stone)

Canadian border agents threaten to strike, meaning likely disruptions at airports and land crossings this summer. (CBC)

The share of Gen Z Brits who vape has tripled in the last three years, pushing up nicotine addiction in a reversal of historic trends (Fortune)

Style

A hot tip for those seeking to freshen up their spring and summer wardrobe: there are a few notable sales on right now! Look for preppy dresses at Tory Birch, flowy pants at Leset, and easy staples at Net-a-Porter.

As always, I love your thoughts, feedback, and appreciate requests. You can email us anytime - we love it.

Until next week, take good care of yourself!

E. Key