Read: "Ethan Frome." You may have read this story of dashed hope as a student, but Edith Wharton’s right-to-the-point, straight-to-the-heart classic reads more powerfully when you’re a little older. – Willis
Build: A digital metropolis. Have you ever been sitting in traffic, thinking to yourself how much better you could make the city run if only the foolish voters delivered you absolute power over the built environment? Really, that’s just me? Regardless, check out “Cities Skylines II,” released this week, one of the most exquisitely complex and detailed city simulators ever designed, and allow your inner benevolent megalomaniac to run wild. – Matt
See: Joy in the sky. What does that cloud look like to you? A leaping wolf? A lazy cat in sunglasses? A cheerful shark? A puppy holding a piña colada? The artist behind the Instagram account @adailycloud sees it too. Every day, he takes a photo of a cloud and brings it to life for his 500K followers by drawing a few simple features on it. These are dark times; treat yourself to some free joy. – Alex
