📽 AT THE MOVIES-

Super Mario Bros: The Movie is a bona fide box office success, earning record ticket sales and ranking number three on the US’ biggest animated movie premieres.Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Day lend their voices to the cult video game-turned-animated-feature-film characters Mario, Princess Peach, and Luigi, respectively. As of this week, the iconic movie has earned upwards of a staggering USD900 mn globally and is expected to be the first feature to hit the USD 1 bn mark in 2023. As Mario travels through the Mushroom Kingdom, we’re captivated by the beautiful colors and visual effects — and, we must add, a sizable dose of nostalgia.

John Wick: Chapter 4 also premiered to much fanfare, with raving reviewspraising Keanu Reeves on his remarkable acting skills throughout the action franchise. The movie is so good, the “three hours fly by,” one reviewer says. And it all makes sense: The long awaited sequel to the 2019 “Parabellum” installment sees Wick seek out revenge against the High Table — the ultimate authority controlling his world. His path to freedom, however, is riddled with fatal dangers and unlikely alliances that push viewers to the edge of their seat.

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

Shuggie Bain is an intense — yet worthwhile — read, with reflections on everything from child abuse to alcoholism. Douglas Stuart’s debut novel is no walk in the park, but it is both compelling and beautifully written — helping it earn the Booker Prize in 2020. Set between the early 1980s up until the onset of the 90s, the novel details how Glasgow’s working class bore the brunt of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s policies through the story of Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, the son of proud Agnes and shameless taxi driver Shug Sr. While the political forces at play are invisible from Shuggie’s family’s social housing, they are nonetheless behind the devastating social consequences that are felt all too strongly by the downtrodden class. Sky-rocketting unemployment, substance abuse, and domestic violence are shadows that come out to play and shape the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and their families.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the powerful novel in Diwan or opt for the e-version on Amazon.

🍴HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

For fans of tender smoked chicken: Located in Trivium Mall in New Cairo, Chickanjitakes the promise of smoked chicken really seriously. The restaurant offers whole chickens that are smoked for five hours, served with vegetables, grilled potatoes, and your choice of steamed rice or pasta, for an affordable, filling and satisfying meal. The starters are traditional — ranging from soups to salads and smokey chicken wings — and the menu also offers juicy burgers and a variety of sandwiches. If you really want bang for your buck, though, we recommend the chicken trays. Besides the chicken, you also get three special sauces from a pretty long menu of options, which includes garlic mayo, cheddar cheese, teriyaki and hot chili.

Our take: The long cooking process makes the meat melt off the bones for a tasty experience. If you’re not a fan of messy experiences, you can always get the boneless option or opt for the half chicken if you don’t feel like sharing the dish.

💵 Per person: 280-350

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly:Yes

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