One of the main themes this season for me has been ‘comfort’.
Much of Autumn has been revisiting comforting stories and elements from my past.
Seems fitting since Autumn is the season of cozy, cuddles and candles.

Succession Theme

It will probably take many rounds of revisiting this piece before I feel as if I have mastered it. That being said, every time I pull it out I feel a bit more confident with it. Succession is a gritty and edgy series about a media mogul family. Its musical compositions that play underneath the drama are unparalleled. Nicholas Britell is a master at creating these high-end yet very questionable vibes.

Canon EOS RP

A second-hand camera we were using bit the dust and over the course of the months following I contemplated what it would mean to invest in a new one that better suited my documentary needs. When I was about to pull the trigger a colleague and friend instinctively pointed me towards the camera that I would not regret investing in. His intuition and quick research saved me more than just regret. I have so much to learn in film/videography, but at least now I am one less step away from whipping out a camera, pressing record and capturing a moment.

Okanagan Fall Candle Sampler

I love candles and am working to find my favourite Canadian soy brands, despite the costs. Getting this sample pack allows me to get all the scents, and learn which candle is worth my future investment once I’ve burned through the packs. Did I mention I love candles?

At Home in Mitford | Jan Karon

While going through various waves of the pandemic I have been reminded of previous comfort reads and watches. At Home in Mitford was first given to me by my grandmother as a late teen. I remember reading it, enjoying it, but not falling down the rabbit hole that this series can cause. Being reminded of its small town and soothing plot recently, I picked it up again and am enjoying a slow, calming re-read of it.

Gilmore Girls

Another comfort watch, which many know and love. Gilmore Girls is a timeless series with so much heart and soul. Womanhood, motherhood, daughterhood and community all wrapped up in a quirky, quote-filled town called ‘Stars Hallow’.

At The Mountains Edge | Genevieve Graham

Adding Canadian reads is something I try to do every year, although don’t go out of my way to do. This book in it’s description and cover reminded me of the Janette Oak series “When Calls the Heart” which I read as a kid and am finding it very similar, therefor comforting. When I finished it, I wanted more from this book and realized many sections seemed to have gaps that I wanted the details of the time in-between. Could be being spoiled by Diana Gabaldons writing or that it’s hard to beat Janette Oaks Canadian segas, either way, I did want more.

Autumn | Melissa Harrison

Just like the previous ‘Summer’ , this anthology I am reading slowly and allowing the poetry and various writings on the season Autumn to sink into my spirit. Just lovely.

Top Girls | Caryl Churchill

I enjoy reading plays to remind me of the craft even when I cannot make it into a theatre. Top Girls is a play I have not seen in person yet know is well known and enjoyed by many. I loved the complexity that is given in the story that is laid out in the three scenes and how Caryl used the concept of having dinner with women in the past to be the spring board into the complexities in life she wanted to uncover and discuss through this play. Now, of course, I am itching to see it done in person.

Choose Wonder Over Worry | Amber Rae

I adore how Amber Rae creates images on instagram and other social media places for us to find and the power of what it means to re arrange our thinking in a visual yet simple manner. This book is a great way to learn more about her and get another soul loving deep dive in what it means to choose wonder.

Awakening Your Ikigai | Ken Mogi

I have loved learning about Japans word and concept Ikigai (‘your reason to get up in the morning’) over the past few years. I wouldn’t say this is the best piece for reading all about it but I did enjoy the read nonetheless. A sweet little take on what Japans take on how this life philosophy can take shape.

The Plain Janes | Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg

This graphic novel was a fun and thought provoking read on what it means to use art as a collaborative community force. Art and creativity can be a healing agent and these characters explore that.

Films & TV Series of Note

The Family Stone - for the Christmas atmosphere, laugh & cry.
Greys Anatomy - The latest episodes have been very ‘o.g.’ greys anatomy & I am loving it.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Because it was high time Zoë saw this classic.

Straight from my bookshelf..

I don't own as many books as I read, but I do hold close the ones that I want to reread and enjoy on a seasonal basis.  

The best reads on my bookshelf for Autumn:

The Little Book Of Hygge - Meik Wiking

I had been eyeing this book in bookstores for over a year and decided it was the perfect book to read throughout the colder months of this year.  So far I have been loving the little headings, delightful layout and various descriptions and ways to create a more Hygge lifestyle.  This is a yearly re-read.

A Study In Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle

A big fan of all things Sherlock Holmes I bought these books this year for Jeremy and I to read together.  So far I am enjoying how the cadence of the book is so intone with the setting and characters.  It is a delightful mystery read.

The Hound of Baskerville - Arthur Conan Doyle

We have not yet gotten to the second instalment of Sherlock Holmes but I have no doubt that it will be just as enjoyable.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

You either love or hate this book.  I loved it.  I loved how it challenges readers to think about society and the way we pit groups of people against others just in how we perceive them.  This was a rapid read for me.  

The Giver - Lois Lowry 

Another read that I missed in school and read as an adult with Jeremy.  We thoroughly loved how this dystopian world was crafted and the way it challenges readers to think about how control affects us as a society.  

The Girl On The Train - Paula Hawkins

All thrillers are fun to read this time of year with Halloween and everything getting darker and more mysterious as a season.  I couldn't put this book down and although you either love or hate this book I ADORED it.  I found it's plot twists were great and although I could sense where it was going it kept me guessing if I was right or wrong the whole time.  This novel is as entertaining as it is an open dialogue about the way narcissistic and controlling people try to alter the truth for their own purposes.  

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

The classic Autumnal read!  Jane Eyre is creepy and enticing as it is sensual, vivid and profound!  Jane as a character is an incredibly strong and capable woman with a belief in her own ability to pursue value in life and is absolutly swept into romance with Mr.Rochester and his mysterious past.  This is a prime example of a woman from the 1800s writing past her time.  Charlotte brings us a woman who has depth, integrity, insight and tenacity along with compassion, history and desires past "whats wrong or right".  This is by far my all time favourite novel.