Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Aside from Katy Perry, the only other unchallenged star of the summer radio waves was Bruno Mars, who burst onto the scene with featured spots on Travie McCoy’s “€œBillionaire”€ and B.o.B.’s “€œNothin”€™ on You.”€ Now he’s finally headlining his own debut record, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, out this week. His first single “€œJust the Way You Are”€ is sitting nicely on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second consecutive week, and as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live next weekend, the 24-year-old babyface wunderkind should be on top of the world”€”that’s if we ignore his recent arrest for cocaine possession. It’s the only bad news in a world of good for the immensely talented singer.   

New York Parties: Private Views
Was your invitation to the latest fall soiree lost in the mail? Not to worry. This new book, out Tuesday, will fill you in on how the A-list celebrates. Jamee Gregory, a contributor to Elle Décor and New York Social Diary, covers all the bases of throwing a private party”€”Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Evelyn and Leonard Lauder are among the bold-faced names spilling their secrets. Whatever should you wear”€”and serve? Photos of terraces and lavish rooms might instigate your envy, but whether you”€™re toiling away in a studio or stuck in a mansion in Bridgehampton, these tips are appropriate for anyone. Peeking through the keyhole at how the other half lives isn”€™t so bad.

Tamara Drewe
It’s been a while since a sly comedy of manners was this captivating. Heaps of praise belong to Stephen Frears, the stellar Brit film director who earned Golden Globe and Oscar nominations in 2006 for The Queen. Gemma Arterton (of Prince of Persia) is the titular ugly duckling turned town beauty caught in the middle of old flames and new loves romping around the English countryside (that’s what one nose job gets you). Arterton is pitch-perfect and believable in her balancing act and Dominic Cooper is, as always, a dream. The film is actually the fourth iteration of the same story: first it was a weekly comic strip in The Guardian based on Thomas Hardy’s novel Far from the Madding Crowd, and was later turned into a graphic novel. Reason enough for it to feel half-baked, but there’s plenty of delicious fodder to go around.

Threadless: Ten Years of T-Shirts from the World’s Most Inspiring Online Design Community
Threadless was way ahead of the curve in crowd-sourced social media”€”for a decade the runaway site’s been printing user-generated T-shirts based on votes from its members, producing quirky apparel that actually still feels unique. Eager fans spent years scooping up super-soft tees before the dreaded “€œsold out”€ banner appeared on the most coveted shirts. Now with a book celebrating 400 of the best designs, Threadless provides a fantastic cultural barometer and time machine, not to mention a thoughtful love letter to its huge online community. Out October 10 from Abrams Books, it’s worthy of any artist’s attention.

Festival of Lights, Berlin, Germany, October 13 “€“ 24
Cities always look better bathed in rainbow-colored lights, don”€™t you think? The sixth annual festival overtakes all of Berlin with gorgeous light displays later this month. The Berlin Concert Hall, Victory Column, Radio Tower, and Brandenburg Gate are among the landmarks to get all Christmas-y in autumn. Light-seeing tours and a light marathon are at the ready for the gung-ho Germans and visitors, while the rest of us will have to be satisfied with stunning photos.