Fans of rom-coms by the likes of Emily Henry, Helen Hoang and Rebecca Serle will find familiar satisfaction in Love Buzz (Harper Perennial, $17.99), the debut novel of Phoenix writer Neely Tubati Alexander. Like those best-selling scribes, Tubati Alexander mingles romance with career concerns, friend and family issues, and personal growth for a tale that’s as moving as it is steamy. Love Buzz starts with a Mardi Gras meet-cute in a Bourbon Street bar between...
Every week, we present a curated list of live music in a wide range of genres all around the Valley, and this week’s column features music based in the blues. May 23 Dreamer Isioma Winning the approval of Pitchfork, Lizzo and Kali Uchis are damn good reasons you should listen to the Chicago singer/songwriter. But the viral artist’s (2020’s “Sensitive”) thoughtful (and occasional confrontational) lyrics set against funky R&B and Afropop beats is why you have to...
For those who can’t find much to their taste among current cinematic offerings, the coming days offer two iconoclastic movie classics onscreen here in the Valley, one from the ’80s and one from the ’70s. This Saturday night Cult Classics shows John Carpenter’s 1988 They Live; there are two shows, at 9:30 and 9:35 p.m. at Landmark Theatres in Scottsdale. Tickets start at $16. The “They” of the title are skull-faced, pop-eyed aliens who invaded...
Imagine waking up, walking outside and seeing a volcano and rainforest just steps away. In late 2022, Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica’s Arenal National Park debuted a new expansion to the resort’s clifftop tent accommodations, making this fantasy a reality. “It’s full of lush vegetation,” says Nayara Resorts owner Leo Ghitis. The additions include a new main common area, two four-bedroom tented residences, six two-bedroom tents and eight stand-alone tents. Nayara has always been...
At the end of 2021, Chris Ayers dreamt he was listening to a podcast about the Coen brothers. When he realized such a podcast didn’t exist, he decided to start his own. In 2022, Ayers and co-hosts Barbara VanDenburgh and PHOENIX contributor Jason Keil began The Life of the Mind podcast, in which they discuss auteurs Joel and Ethan Coen’s films chronologically. Episodes are released monthly on multiple podcast platforms.
“The West’s Most Western Town” now has its own board game with MONOPOLY: Scottsdale Edition. Mustachioed mascot Mr. Monopoly personally debuted the game on January 17 at Arizona Boardwalk with Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, Miss Arizona Melody Pierce and Scottsdale business owners. This edition replaces the original Atlantic City squares with cultural sites, landmarks and businesses unique to Scottsdale, including City Hall, Butterfly Wonderland and Old Town Scottsdale.