Australian book reviewsFictionReviewThe Australian author’s quiet debut follows an unnamed narrator who falls for a charming man the same age as her mother, with both older adults competing for her attention Jude calls her “Sharkbait” when he first sees her, swimming in the ocean. It’s the only name we ever know her by, the narrator of Madelaine Lucas’s debut novel Thirst for Salt. She meets Jude in the year of her 24th birthday, holidaying down the coast with her mother.

Taste testFoodWho best to test 15 hot sauces – from mild and fruity to fierce and fiery – in a single sitting? Food TV’s Big Zuu, that’s who Pat & Pinky’s original wiri wiri sauce£6.45, patandpinkys.com This one is chunky. Nice and hot, straight away. It’s giving me jerk vibes. Like a Caribbean kind of hot sauce. Can I taste anything other than chilli? I’m going in again … It’s intense.

Nylon tea bags are not as innocent as they seem. Photograph: S-Attila/Getty Images/iStockphotoNylon tea bags are not as innocent as they seem. Photograph: S-Attila/Getty Images/iStockphotoTea This article is more than 4 years oldThose fancy tea bags? Microplastics in them are macro offendersThis article is more than 4 years oldNew study finds nylon tea bags leech billions of microplastics into every single cup of tea “The tea bag … is in the process of a large-scale reinvention.

Closet clinicAustralian lifestyleSince its invention over a century ago, the trench has never gone out of style. With some attention to detail, you can buy one that lasts a lifetime Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Although it’s hard to pin down the details, the trenchcoat was invented for military officers some time in the 19th century to be worn, quite literally, in the trenches. Thanks to Hollywood noir and espionage classics, it graduated into a unisex symbol of style, but kept its name and some of its military details.

Christopher Martin: ‘I just kept replaying that decision in my head. What if I would have just told him he couldn’t buy the cigarettes?’ Photograph: Tom Silverstone/The GuardianView image in fullscreenChristopher Martin: ‘I just kept replaying that decision in my head. What if I would have just told him he couldn’t buy the cigarettes?’ Photograph: Tom Silverstone/The GuardianGeorge Floyd This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldA year ago, Christopher Martin took an allegedly counterfeit bill.

Other livesBiodiversityObituaryMike Bruford obituaryMy friend Mike Bruford, who has died aged 59 after a protracted illness, dedicated his career to unravelling the genetic consequences of biodiversity loss and was a professor of conservation genetics at Cardiff University. Respected by governments and researchers worldwide, Mike was determined and driven, and communicated science in a compelling manner. When asked, after a talk in 2022: “Can we afford to make all these changes to protect biodiversity?

Nintendo This article is more than 7 years oldNintendo denies Alison Rapp firing is linked to harassment campaignThis article is more than 7 years oldOusted marketing officer tweeted that she had been sacked due to outspoken views on feminism, which the company has denied Nintendo has denied that an internet harassment campaign targeting one of its staff was related to its decision to fire her. Alison Rapp, a marketing officer at Nintendo of America’s product development division, Treehouse, wrote a series of tweets on Wednesday evening, informing followers that she was no longer deemed “a good, safe representative of Nintendo”.

MoviesThey were the impossibly voluptuous screen sirens who turned Russ Meyer's B-movies into cult classics. Forty years later, they are as celebrated and as contentious as ever. Jessica Berens tracks down the dolls of the ValleyBuxomatically breastastic. That is how Russ Meyer used to describe Miss Kitten Natividad. His love. His Ultravixen. His girl with the gravity-defying giganzos. Miss Kitten. She always knew she wanted to go places - ever since she worked as a maid in a movie star's house and saw the pools and Warren Beatty and all those Hollywood things, she wanted to go places.

US Capitol attack This article is more than 2 years oldSears and Kmart pull Ashli Babbitt T-shirt after outcryThis article is more than 2 years oldUS retailers apologize for shirt reading ‘Ashli Babbitt American Patriot’ for the Capitol rioter shot dead by law enforcement The US retailers Sears and Kmart have apologized and pulled from sale a T-shirt featuring the words “Ashli Babbitt American Patriot” after an outcry on social media.

The 10 best backing singers Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email As the new documentary 20 Feet from Stardom celebrates unsung musical talents. Jude Rogers picks her own favourites, including a pre-fame Sheryl CrowDo you think someone is missing from the list? Leave your comment below, and your suggestion could feature in the alternative list next week Jude Rogers