Autumn is the season that reminds us to slow down.The rush we feel in the summer, the desire to go from place to place is replaced by the need to pause. Maybe it’s nature’s way of saying we’re animals too, only that our version of hibernating is being curled up in bed with a book or plopping on the couch for a late night movie. Here’s a list of recommendations on the perfect books and films fit for a cozy night in. 

Books

Hearty by Andrea Bennett

As we’ve historically celebrated fall for its harvest, it’s only natural for many of us to begin to focus our energies within the kitchen whether it’s hearty stews or decadent pies. Hearty by Andrea Bennett is the perfect book to accompany us through this season. The book of personal essays is described as a combination of journalism, cultural commentary, and memoir that questions the narrative around our food systems and our concepts of health and pleasure.  

Our Green Heart by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

It’s the perfect time for some introspection and rethinking our place in the greater scheme of things. Our Green Heart is filled with the wisdom of trees and the intricate connections between humans and forests and how its well-being is connected to ours. Through personal anecdotes, scientific insights, and a passion for conservation, Beresford-Kroeger advocates for a sustainable future, emphasizing the healing power of trees and the necessity of preserving our natural environment. 

A Perfect Day for a Walk by Bill Arnott

A Perfect Day for a Walk takes readers through Vancouver’s neighborhoods filled with history and personal anecdotes that make each pocket unique. It’s the perfect book for the urban stroller, the people who never blink when they tell you it’s “walking distance.” Whether it’s a new discovery, a new way of looking, or a reinforcement of observations we’ve made while walking in these neighbourhoods, this book is a perfect companion or guide on your fall walks.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a thought-provoking novel that explores themes of regret, choices, and the meaning of life. It follows Nora Seed, a woman in despair who finds herself in a magical library between life and death. Each book in the library offers her a chance to live a different version of her life, where she made different choices. As she experiences various alternative lives—filled with different careers, relationships, and adventures—Nora learns valuable lessons about herself, what truly matters, and the beauty of embracing imperfection and uncertainty.

Films

Little Forest (Summer, Autumn), 2014

Burnt out by city living, Ichiko Mori returns to her mother’s rural home. Her mother, however, has gone off after she turned 18. So Ichiko returns to a quiet house. There, she lives off the land, recreating dishes her mother used to make. Ichiko not only learns how to be self-sufficient through the memories she unearths. She is not fully alone, she has friends and a community that helps her whether it’s harvest season or the dead of winter. The film soaks into each season’s charm– a meditation on self-sufficiency, slow living, and finding comfort in nature and community.

Frances Ha, 2012

A quirky and charming coming of age film, Frances Ha takes us through the stumbles of adulthood. It captures both the lows and thrills of finding your way in life. Whether that’s missing a friend who blogs about their fabulous life in Tokyo, declaring yourself as “undateable” or realizing you weren’t cut out to be a prima ballerina. Set in New York and shot in black and white, this film is a wonderful movie to watch while cozying up in bed while contemplating on your own  journey without feeling that odd sense of envy one often feels watching unrealistic portrayals of glamorous adults in New York. 

The Royal Tenenbaums, 2001

Another quirky entry about family, failure, and redemption this time by Wes Anderson. The film is about a wealthy and highly dysfunctional family. Royal Tenenbaum is the estranged patriarch who returns home after years of absence, claiming to be terminally ill in an attempt to reconnect with his estranged wife and their three gifted but troubled adult children. The film is highly stylized, filled with eccentric characters, and dry humour. It feels light, it is funny but there are heavier themes living within its narrative. It’s the perfect movie for when you’re looking for something with substance but don’t want that heavy hit of gloom. 

Il Postino, 1994

There’s something about fall that inspires poetry out of us and what better way to kickstart that creative fire by watching Il Postino. Set in a small village on an island off the coast of Italy in the 1950s, it follows Mario Ruoppolo, a local daydreamer hired for the sole task of being the postman for an exiled poet, Pablo Neruda. He forms an unexpected friendship with Neruda and becomes enchanted with poetry, using it to woo the local beauty.