Hear: Big GRRRL Small World by Lizzo
The world probably does seem small when you're as enthusiastically welcomed as this brassy rapper from Houston. Lizzo's lyrics sizzle with spunky confidence that betray a soulful young musician charting her career and life. This album was released on her own label (BGSW) and features Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Sam Spiegel of N.A.S.A., Lazerbeak and the production work of BJ Burton.

Read: The Blizzard by Vladmir Sorokin
It won't be an easy read-so it really doesn't belong on a leisurely Weekend Guide-but Russia's premiere novelist penned a zombie novel (available in English this month) to be taken very seriously. Sorokin plays with 19th-century Russian literary themes to explore a modern nation frozen in terms of progress and empathy. It's an absurdist novel, indebted to the works of Gogol and Kafka.

Watch: Phoenix on Netflix or iTunes
This German drama centers on a nightclub singer who survives a WWII concentration camp and undergoes facial reconstructive surgery. Dark, yes, but that's just the exposition. Unrecognizable even to her own husband, she starts investigating if it was him who betrayed her to the Nazis.

Shop:House of Matriarch fragrances
These small-batch artisan perfumes are inspired by alchemy and apothecary, and suggest magical properties all their own. Unisex scents feature layers of woodsy, earthy and spicy tones, perfect for the winter months.

Make: Red Velvet Cupcakes
Let them eat Christmas cookies. While everyone else is rolling out dough, you can fill tins with this delicious-and seasonally hued-cake batter. Just add white frosting and some green sprinkles to get festive. Or say "humbug" and hunker down on them with any topping you like.