Thorough Handbook for Autumn Suggestions

What aspirations and desires do you have for this autumn? My goals are to: a) indulge in all the Reese’s pumpkins, bats, and ghosts I can find, and b) immerse myself in the fantastic films, books, and more that emerge in the fall. If you share my enthusiasm, here’s a delightful list of entertaining things to read, view, prepare, and wear (and I’d love to know your recommendations!)…

Movies: Left-Handed Girl was filmed using a 4K iPhone camera (!), and that raw quality is mirrored in the film itself. The narrative revolves around a Chinese woman and her two daughters who move to Taipei to start a night market stall, battling to make ends meet while crammed into a small apartment. Amid breathtaking glimpses of urban life, the movie depicts the affectionate, intricate dynamics between mothers and their daughters. Can’t wait to see it.

British actor Josh O’Connor’s expression somehow conveys 100 feelings simultaneously, and I adore his shy charm. Therefore, I was excited to discover he stars in The Mastermind (October 17th). The movie follows J.B. Mooney, a down-on-his-luck father in the ’70s, who decides his new profession should be…art thief. What could possibly go awry?

TV: My current guilty pleasure is watching Love Is Blind from various countries and noting the cultural distinctions. It’s called anthropology, folks. For instance, when American couples first meet, women often rush to the men and gleefully twirl; whereas in France, they usually lock eyes, slowly approach each other, and silently begin to kiss. In the Swedish adaptation, people are more forthright — like when one woman asked her fiancé, “Did you inform your mom about me on the phone?” and he calmly replied, “No.” I’m unsure if these customs are broadly applicable or just specific to the reality TV participants, but it’s entertaining to watch nonetheless. Special shoutout to Freddie for being a patient listener while I discussed this endlessly during dinner last Friday.

I’m always eager for a gripping psychological thriller — think: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Parasite — so the concept of The Girlfriend immediately caught my interest. When gallery owner Laura (Robin Wright) meets her son’s new girlfriend (Olivia Cooke), she suspects she’s a manipulative social climber, but is she merely being paranoid? Who can we trust? Elle describes it as a “must-watch,” and the Guardian calls it a “sexy oedipal thriller” and a “brilliantly slippery beast of a drama.” (Check out the trailer here, if you’re interested.)

Books: Gabrielle Hamilton’s first memoir — Blood, Bones & Butter – was titled by Anthony Bourdain as “simply the best memoir by a chef ever.” Somehow I overlooked that one, but her second memoir, Next of Kin (October 14th), left me in awe this month. While caring for her ailing mother, from whom she’d been distant for decades, Gabrielle reflects on the family she was raised in — her charismatic father, demanding mother, and four siblings. Like a family, the memoir is simultaneously hilarious, electric, unflinching, and heart-wrenching. A few passages I noted: “He gets into hot water all over town but extricates himself because, as one adult puts it, He can charm the rates off a cheesecake.” “The way my mother enjoyed introducing herself at gatherings…was to quip, ‘If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me!’” “I’d been living with all my questions like a hoarder living among stacks of newspapers and bags of kitty litter. My own mind is so crowded with loose questions piled atop one another that certain doors can’t even swing open fully.”

Also, every single fall book list I’ve encountered so far includes The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy, a novel charting five female friends over two decades. From their 20s to their 40s, they navigate careers, marriages, motherhood, and urban life, aka “the wilderness,” that life phase where adult responsibilities become tangible, and you must untangle your complicated journey. Can anyone relate?

A few more upcoming reads: Heart the Lover by Lily King, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, and Wreck by our cherished Catherine Newman.

Food: My boys have finally reached an age where they’ll eat soup! I’m not sure what their previous aversion was, but as long as there’s a crusty baguette on the table, they’re up for whatever’s in the bowl. Samin Nosrat’s corn soup is delightful, along with our long-time favorite zucchini soup recipe and my friend’s tortilla soup with toppings. By the way, do you have any pumpkin recipes that you swear by? I’m all ears.

Beauty: At 46, I’ve finally figured out my hair routine, which meant putting away my blow dryer and straightener, and instead simply air drying with a few exceptional products. RŌZ milk hair serum is my latest discovery — you just smooth on a little, and it makes your hair sleek and silky, even on humid or rainy days. Your hair also carries a clean, fresh scent all day, as if you just emerged from a shower. I keep raving about it, and now a whole bunch of my friends are hooked too. Bonus for all readers: RŌZ is offering 15% off everything (except bundles) with code COJ15, available until September 30th.

Style: Lastly, do you have pieces that you’ve worn so frequently they feel like part of your existence? I’ve worn my J.Crew cashmere sweater countless times throughout the years; it’s incredibly soft and complements jeans, pants, skirts, everything, year-round. This relaxed style is also effortlessly lovely — chic like a sweater, easy as a sweatshirt — and I’d love to wear it all the time as well, maybe with a hair tuck. And, of course, the current biggest trend: red flats, like these and these.

What would you suggest? What are you watching, reading, wearing, and eating? And Shana Tova to those who observe!

P.S. Hilarious dos and don’ts, and what are your top three books?

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