open your windows, spring is here!
postcard 8: on my favorite season and a mini seasonal guide of books, movies, and music
And sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself, because I could find no language to describe them in.
prelude
It is spring again.
The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.—Rainer Maria Rilke
I am not particularly a sunshine-y or optimistic person, but spring is my favorite season. There is something just so romantic and happy in the thaw of winter. For me, spring is all about sunshine, pastel tones, flowers—the antithesis of winter. I love reading and watching and eating things by season, so I thought it would be fun if I included some of these things. An extended list will be posted for paid subscribers in a week or so!
LISTENS // I gravitate towards songs that are not hardcore pop, but light songs that have an airy vibe. Songs that I feel like I could literally skip to on early morning walks. Think: Good Days by SZA, Knock Knock by Mac Miller, Fearless by Taylor Swift.
I also love listening to classical music in spring (and the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack). Anything that has beautiful piano and violin melodies. Below is my light academia playlist:
READS // For spring reads, I focus on anything that feels light and is best to read during a picnic or day outside, drenched in sunlight. Nothing too dark or atmospheric—any classics on provincial life, slice-of-life contemporary fiction, and children’s classics are on my priority reading list during springtime.
Some of my favorites or books on my to-read list during this year’s spring are: Emma by Jane Austen, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, Middlemarch by George Eliot, Outline by Rachel Cusk, Death in Spring by Mercè Rodoreda, A Room with a View by E.M Forester, Must I Go by Yiyun Li, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery.
WATCHES // I always overload on romantic comedies and sunny heartfelt movies that make me feel good. After all, as someone who gets seasonal depression more often than not, this is my reward for getting through yet another tough bout of January/February blues. Also, a New Girl rewatch is a must.
EATS // I always try to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables because there’s always a time of year when they taste best. Some produce I love eating are: avocados, asparagus, artichoke, mushrooms, cherries, peas, green garlic, grapefruit, and mangoes.
I also love eating Korean greens/namul (나물), which are a variety of greens that are usually blanched + seasoned with sesame oil and soy sauce. Most of these are the best in spring, so I eat plenty of these as well!
interlude i: what i read this week
I am still making my way down my ARC (advanced reader copy) list because there are some fantastic releases coming out this month! I am also reading Milkman by Anna Burns, which was highly recommended by Malissa. I am planning on picking up Mothers, Fathers, and Others by Siri Hustvedt next. One of my big goals for this year is to read more nonfiction, so I am trying to read an equal amount of fiction and nonfiction.
I also went a bit crazy and bought almost 30 books this month (after almost a year of not buying anything), so I’m really excited to pick those up and post about them as well. They’re a mix of contemporary literary fiction, 20th century classics, and nonfiction essays.
Here are ten articles that you should read this week!
interlude ii: what i watched this week
Happy almost Oscars Day! I unfortunately did not have enough time to watch every single nominated movie in the big categories, but I did manage to get through most. I watched The Color Purple, The Zone of Interest, and American Fiction in the last two weeks (I keep pushing off Poor Things and Past Lives because I want to be in the perfect movie-watching mood for these two). Here is my Letterboxd for those who want to keep track!
I also usually like rewatching a television show while cleaning or cooking. I finished my Vampire Diaries rewatch (I had to force myself through the last two seasons but I soldiered on). I was going to start New Girl, but I really love watching it in April because it’s my birthday month.
Instead, I started The OC for the first time, which I feel was a good decision. It’s so outdated and some of the fashion choices are…a choice, but it’s filled with so many absurd drama plots that it’s just really fun entertainment. One thing that I think is a hot take (I say this watching the show twenty years later) is that I genuinely…do not like Seth. I know he’s a fan favorite, but I think he’s self-absorbed and annoying and he just chalks it up to him previously not having any friends. Anyway. He annoys me and Summer deserves better. But overall, I’m enjoying it so far! It sort of feels like a low-stakes Gossip Girl. And it makes me miss southern California.
Some video essays I watched this week: this video on Van Gogh’s last painting, this deep dive on Ozempic, and this video on Jane Austen.
postlude
things i love: byredo’s choco mascarpone candle (smells like coffee, dark chocolate, and jasmine), lemon pasta, penguin’s modern library classics, sad synth pop, khaite danielle jeans (please let me know if there’s a cheaper option because i am not dropping 500 dollars on a pair of jeans).
love,
elle
Getting ready for spring in the Southern Hemisphere <3
the pride & prejudice soundtrack AAAHHH u make me want to listen to that & re-read a copy!!!