In this week's special summer issue, we're putting the spotlight on all the season's diverse offerings, with an emphasis on ways to enjoy the summer with less stress.
To do that, we've brought together a range of voices and features reflecting on the spirit of summer, starting with comprehensive (and yes, opinionated) guides to the best of entertainment, culture and lifestyle, including a photo essay featuring the Met's much-discussed exhibit, "Punk: Chaos and Couture," an exclusive excerpt from Stephen King's forthcoming novel Joyland, young adult author Una LaMarche on life lessons learned at summer camp, and an interview with Frances Ha star Greta Gerwig.
Elsewhere in the issue, Christopher Rosen looks at this summer's movie offerings and finds that "old is new," going so far as to provide a breakdown of the last 15 years of Hollywood's predilection for sequels, prequels, remakes and adaptations. We also look at the top reasons summer vacations go wrong -- from bedbugs and breakups to pickpockets and hangovers. And Jason Linkins memorably describes summer, and particularly the "silly season" month of August, in Washington, D.C.: "Pretty soon, the relative humidity and wretched air quality index will combine to make the entire D.C.-Metro area a sweltering, inhospitable environment that feels like you are walking around inside the jockstrap of the world's first gorilla-triathlete."
Finally, we're sharing tips and new twists on how to make the most of beloved summer pastimes: a survey of the season's top fashion trends, a celebration of surf music, how to take the stress out of swimsuit shopping, a guide to grilling the perfect summer burger and the results of our taste test of summer beers. So kick back, relax, and let the summer begin...
This story appears in the special Summer Issue of our weekly iPad magazine, Huffington, in the iTunes App store, available Friday, May 24.