YAPPY HOUR FALL GUIDE

Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place.

- All Too Well (10 Minute Version)

Can you feel it? The air is a little crispier, the leaves are starting to turn shades of amber and gold, and there’s a subtle shift in the light that makes everything feel slightly more magical. Fall is upon us. This is without a doubt my favorite season. Occasional seasonal depression aside, nothing beats fall. That is, if you’re a fall person. If you’re a summer person, then sure, go ahead and enjoy the heat, the sweat, and the bugs. I’ll be here, cozied up under a fluffy blanket, writing about arguably the best time of year. 

If you are in fact a summer person, I’m not here to yuck your yum. I’m here to enlighten you. To guide you. Because yes, sometimes fall can feel a little dreadful, it’s a lot colder, the days are a lot shorter, and the rain isn’t always as aesthetic as it seems in the movies. But I’m going to teach you how to embody the spirit of fall, with a comprehensive list of my fall favs!

MUSIC

No season is complete without a killer soundtrack. These are my go-to fall albums. (Okay. Listen. Obviously I couldn’t just pick one Taylor Swift album. I’m gonna give you three. I promise you there’s other stuff here just stick around.)

Red (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift

This is literally THE fall album. You can’t fight me on this.

Evermore - Taylor Swift

This album is like taking a long walk in the woods. The thing about evermore is it’s a year-round album if you’re mentally unwell enough.

The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor Swift

Had to include. It’s what the poets would have wanted. 

Everybody Else Is Doing it, So Why Can’t We? - The Cranberries 

The intro to Linger is what fall sounds like in my head. 

Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers

Warning: Will give you seasonal depression. 

For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver

Perfect for contemplating life while it’s raining outside. Sad, but like, in a cozy way.

Stick Season - Noah Kahan 

Makes me feel like I live in a small town.

Also! I will bless you by sharing my personal fall playlist. Includes some of my favorite songs from these albums and so much more. Hope you enjoy, because making playlists is my second love (after writing). 

BOOKS

Here’s a fall reading list! You could definitely read these year-round but personally I think they’re perfect for fall. 

Beautiful World Where are You - Sally Rooney

I can’t exactly pinpoint why this book gives me fall vibes. Maybe it’s because I tend to get really existential in the fall and Sally Rooney makes me feel like that. While I’m at it, I’ll recommend you all Sally Rooney books. They’re not for everyone, I will say that. But I’m a big lover of the “no plot, just vibes” genre. Also, she doesn’t use quotation marks… Scary!

If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio

Good ol’ murder mystery for gloomy days! Yes! This one is super Shakespeare-heavy, but in a beautiful way. Gives me Dead Poets Society vibes, but darker. 

Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

This is peak gothic fall energy. Eerie, mysterious, and secretive. Also, fun fact, “tolerate it” from evermore by Taylor Swift is inspired by this story. Bet that will make you want to read it.

FILM AND TV

Fall is what I like to call “binge-watch season”. It’s the perfect time to obsessively watch and rewatch cozy favorites. Here are mine:

Gilmore Girls

I have a rule for myself where I only allow myself to rewatch Gilmore Girls in the fall. That way, fall always feels complete. Also I consider it a crime to rewatch it during any other season. It just feels wrong. Pro tip: If you’re rewatching this in the fall and you’re doing it at a slow enough pace, by the time fall is over, Rory will still not have gone to Yale and you can stop your rewatch before her insufferable character arc even starts.

Hocus Pocus

This is unironically one of my favorite movies ever. I’m not even kidding. The way my cousins and I religiously rewatch this movie should be studied. We also quote it so often it has become part of our everyday dictionary. And since it’s set on Halloween, I’m forcing you to watch it this fall.

Mean Girls

This is also one of the movies I quote most often in my day to day life. It’s just so fetch. Also Halloween, so also fall. Side note for the theater kids: the song Sexy from the Mean Girls Broadway soundtrack has some fire costume ideas. My favorites are sexy Quint from Jaws or sexy corn. Brilliant. 

Bridget Jones’ Diary

In my oh so humble opinion, this is the best rom-com ever made. I started keeping a diary in hopes that Colin Firth and Hugh Grant would magically appear in my life and start fist-fighting over me in the street. So far no luck. Will keep you posted.

Notting Hill

I admire my own dedication to including Hugh Grant movies in this list. This is a classic. Has it all. Bookshops, rain, awkward British charm. What more could you want?

Dead Poets Society

Tortured Poets Department, meet you great great ancestors, the Dead Poets. This movie will make you want to seize the day, write poetry, and stand on desks–so, you know... the usual fall activities. 

Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig, I love you. That’s all I have to say. 

And there you have it—my ultimate fall guide, packed with everything you need to have the most perfect fall of your life. And don’t forget to romanticize every moment. That’s the most crucial element. Fall only comes once a year so make it count!

By Nazly Elbosaty

Published September 26, 2024.