Music made in Akron symbolized an attitude more so than a singular sound. Crafted by kids hell-bent on not following their parents into the rubber plants, the music was an intentional antithesis of Top 40 radio. Call it punk or call it new wave, but in a short few years, major labels signed Chrissie Hynde, Devo, the Waitresses, Tin Huey, the Bizarros, the Rubber City Rebels and Rachel Sweet. They had their own bars, the Crypt and the Bank. They had their own label, Clone Records. They even had their own recording space, Bushflow Studios. London's Stiff Records released an Akron compilation album, and suddenly there were "Akron Nights" in London clubs and CBGB was waiving covers for people with Akron IDs. Author Calvin Rydbom of the "Akron Sound" Museum remembers that short time when the Rubber City was the place.

A celebrated photographer for 40 years, Ellen Graham has worked with magazines across America, photographing some of the world's most talked-about people: actors, artists, performers, socialites, and the glitterati that we are all obsessed with. Graham's images strike a balance between the glamour of a formal Hollywood photo shoot and the intrigue of a tabloid expose for a true intimate look at such legendary figures as Frank Sinatra, Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, and Carrie Fisher. Whether shooting actors, performers, or European royalty, she redefines the resonating myths that have come to surround these figures. Talking Pictures brings together over 200 images culled from Graham's work for such magazines as People and Time, her personal archives, and her collection of family photographs, accompanied by a personal narrative that takes you behind the scenes of each celebrated image and breathes life into the glamour of Hollywood's golden age.

Newcastle is England's most northerly city and shares a long history with Gateshead, its neighbour on the south side of the River Tyne. The two, city and town respectively, are a heady mix of the old and new; both were industrial powerhouses during the 19th Century that have successfully embraced recent change, reinventing themselves as vibrant places of entertainment and culture. With this book in hand, journey over and under the Tyne to discover treasures such as the steam turbine ship Turbinia, a sleekly streamlined example of north-eastern mechanical know-how; wander across the wide-open space of the Town Moor, where President Jimmy Carter has the right to graze cattle; take in Saltwell Towers, an eccentric castle in the leafy surroundings of Saltwell Park; then top it all off with a pint in a pub where the ghost of Charles I may well make an appearance. Written by a Geordie, this book will help you explore the quirkier side of both Newcastle and Gateshead, and discover their hidden gems.

The Marina Bay Sand, the Changi Jewel and the fast-paced, high-rise city are what immediately comes to one's mind about Singapore. This is 'The Weekender's' first flight into the Asia Pacific region and this issue will present Singapore in a different and more laid-back perspective than you might be used to. However, it will still showcase the iconic architecture and landmarks that juxtapose with a melting pot of diverse heritages/cultures and remnants of the city-state's colonial past. And at the same, this issue explores the blurred boundaries between the old and the new, the hardscapes and the softscapes. From starting the weekend with breakfast at a local enclave, rich in history and culture, to wandering the grounds of the UNESCO Heritage listed Botanical Gardens and then ending the day sipping a cocktail along Keong Siak Road, a trendy neighbourhood littered with eateries and bars, Matthew aspires for the book to bring about a more local and intimate experience of what the city-state has to offer for a weekend getaway or a pit-stop to explore the rest of region. Whilst the flow of the book will incorporate the weekend trajectory, the mixture of content will mean that a reader is both influenced by Matthew's imagery of the city, without explicitly having to follow a specific route but allow them to adventure at will.