My ultimate guide to spooky season

What to watch, do, and snack on ‧₊˚🕸️🐈‍⬛

The moment I see the leaves turn orange and yellow and pumpkins placed outside people’s homes, I swear I suddenly turn into that “woman who realizes everything is going to be okay” meme. I’m not even going to get into how evil English winters are or dwell on the utter letdown that was this UK summer. Right now, I just want to soak up the pure glory of autumn, a season which London does so well.

Today, I’m sharing my all-time favorite picks for October. Since horror and spookiness are my go-to genres for media year-round, many of these book, TV, and movie recommendations are all time favorites that just happen to be perfect for the season.

Buckle up, because this week’s newsletter is a long one.

In this week’s newsletter:

• Halloween-y movies and TV to watch

• Best Autumn things to do / places to go in New York, LA, and London

• My go-to October playlist

• Favorite spooky books

• Trader Joe’s fall essentials

Movies & TV Shows

The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror VIII, Season 9 Episode 4 .

Cozy or fun
Charmed
The Dark Crystal
Coraline
Buffy The Vampire Slayer- Specifically Season 2 episode 6: Halloween
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit- All time favorite series in general, but I love this episode for Halloween.
The Craft
Beetlejuice- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun date night out, but I really love the original.
Frankenweenie
Twilight- If you’re a Twilight hater….like..idk we just don’t share core values.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horrors- Season 2 Episode 3 and season 9 episode 4 are my favorites
Batman Begins
Corpse Bride
Little Women- OG or Greta one…see if I care!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Young Frankenstein
Practical Magic- Obvious but perfect.

Twin Peaks, Season 1, 1990.

Unsettling to some, cozy to others
Diabolique- The 1955 one is truly a top 5 movie for me.
Twin Peaks- I hadn’t watched this since college and just restarted it. It’s somehow better than I remembered.
Only Lovers Left Alive- Extremely sexy vampire movie with no sex in it.
Rosemary’s Baby- Canon to me.
Donnie Darko- Mostly for the angsty teen nostalgia factor.
Sleepy Hollow
Death Note- Incredible manga series turned television series.
Jennifer’s Body
Psycho
Carrie- The original obvi.

A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984.

Horror
Scream & Scream 2
Call - Korean filmmakers do thrillers and horrors so well.
Poltergeist - This tree scene actually traumatized me as a kid.
The Silence of the Lambs- Perfect movie and perfect use of Goodbye Horses.
The Thing
Cure- Sooooooooo good.
Pans Labyrinth
Halloween
Hereditary - NOBODY admits anything they've done!
Alien- The cat survives. You’re welcome!
The Witch
Nightmare on Elm Street
Goodnight Mommy- The 2014 original Austrian movie
Zodiac- It’s Ted Cruz

Places to go & things to do

London

Treadwell’s Books Bloomsbury London
It's surprising how little Halloween spirit you find in London, especially for a city that's so beautifully old, spooky, and..well..haunted. You’d think London would be the ultimate spot for Halloween, but after living in LA and New York—where Halloween is the event of the year—it just doesn’t really compare. I feel like the Brits save their energy for Christmas, where their festivity is unmatched. That said, the city does have some wonderfully witchy spots scattered around that feel even more magical when explored in October. One of my all time favorites bookstores in London is Treadwell’s, which is this beloved occult bookstore in Bloomsbury, offering an incredible curated selection of esoteric literature, magical supplies, and workshops on witchcraft and mysticism. I’ve purchased some of my all time favorite books here (more on that later), and the people that work there are so lovely and helpful, and can point you in the direction of anything you’re looking for—whether that’s astrology books, botanical books, or witchier stuff. I love this place with my whole heart. Plus, Cafe Deco is right next door, so you can grab a delicious bite or drink after.