it's officially autumn so I am consuming soup and more

a weekly report for all quintessential autumn girls

Hi loves,

It's been a few incredibly long weeks for me (work and more work) and I crash onto the couch as soon as I’m home, so I haven’t entirely been active on here. I’ll be on a roll again soon! For now, here’s a report (reading, eating, playing, obsessing, recommending, treating) of last week, from yours truly.

Reading

I am reading too many books at once because I’m a slow reader and have different moods every day. I wish I could finish the 10 books I’m reading concurrently in one day so I can start the 10 other ones I’m excited about tomorrow.

• The Secret History. Rereading it has been such a blast. I don’t usually reread books but am planning to make it more of a habit. Knowing the story, I pick up new clues and character traits which makes it more enjoyable overall. And the whole back-to-school vibe makes me long for college campus days in the university library, pouring over books after books, cramming as much as I can into my brain. Let me know if you’re reading it too!

• Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro, a short story collection of interconnected tales about love imbued by music. I love the melancholic undertone and music-centred storylines.

(You can also follow me on my Goodreads.)

Here are a few articles I also read and loved:

• Coming to Terms With Climate Fiction
  a great read about the inherent quality of climate fiction in contemporary literature.
  Reactor Mag

• Looking Back at the Summer in Horror Movies
  a great list of summer horror movies in case you’d like to get into the spooky vibes already.
  Lit Hub

• The seven kinds of friendships you find in literature: a taxonomy |
  On the trope of friendship in literature, which is really refreshing to see because there’s not as clear a taxonomy as, say, romance tropes.
  Lit Hub

Substack gems

Can't come to the phone right now, all my apps are blocked

Marta

writes about changing your consumption pattern so you have more time for other (probably more gratifying) stuff.

Am I writing like a white woman?

Arden Yum

writes one of the most clever articles I’ve read in a while about the homogenous whiteness of Substack. It’s making me ponder about the topics I perpetuate in my own writing and consequently what I consume on here.

Eating

• I have been loving making pumpkin soup, especially mixed with coconut milk. It’s simple but sooo effective for cold September days.

• Matcha KitKat. A friend of mine brought some over from Japan, it’s literally the best chocolate delicacy ever.

• Very flaky pastries. A good croissant is a blessing.

• Sauerkraut. Something about this is so nostalgic to me. A very Dutch staple for the colder season is combining it with mashed potatoes. Yum.

• Chocolate-covered rice wafers as an afternoon snack.

Playing

• All the old-school horror movies. I watched The Craft, a spooky classic I somehow hadn’t seen before and it’s immediately on my favourites list.

• When Harry Met Sally. I know I’ve watched this but somehow I think it has been a decade if not more. Abysmal, I know.

• Rewatching Gilmore Girls. It’s a must.

I’m making a list of my favourite horror movies for Halloween soon.

(You can also follow me on Letterboxd.)

Obsessing

• Meditation rituals. I meditate almost every single morning. I use apps or simply sit and breathe. Although I love my routine as is, I think these meditation cards might help deepen my practice.

• Generally obsessed with the spooky season approaching. I never used to be a big fan (Halloween is not a very celebrated holiday in Europe) but for the past year I’ve been getting into horror movies. I’m daydreaming of cosying up on the couch to discover some new favourites.

source

Recommending

• Midori notebooks: these are so simple and beautiful. They also fall open flat on the table which is incredibly convenient.

• Already getting into the Halloween vibes by filling up your tbr with spooky books (I just purchased Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth and Rouge by Mona Awad, amongst others)*.

• This cosy Gilmore Girls-themed playlist I made.

*Bookshop.org supports local, independent bookshops. If you purchase through this link, I will earn a small commission.

Joanna Halpin in the exact same mary janes <3

Treating

• A pair of new old Mary Janes from Aeyde I had been eyeing - I still can’t believe I found these secondhand in my size!! Find it secondhand here, here, and here.

• A used cashmere cardigan from Reformation. Another secondhand steal!! How lucky am I? You can find it secondhand here and similar here.

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That’s all for today.

What did you consume this week? Leave a comment.

I truly appreciate each and every one of you <3

x Nora