It’s that time of year… chilly breezes and leaves drifting to the ground. Have you noticed? You might miss the changing seasons this year, as weeks and months tend to run together. Some of us are still wondering what happened to spring! We recognize that autumn likely looks a little different this year due to various disruptions and social distancing, so KDL is here to help get you in the spirit!
If you’re looking to get your spook on, might we suggest sitting down with Dan Simmons’ novel Drood? Sufficiently creepy with a dreary, Victorian melodramatic feel, this sizable tale will keep you occupied well into November. (And it’s also available as an e-book, if a 700+ page novel sounds too daunting to balance in your lap.) Another more modern book to send chills down your spine could be Head Full of Ghosts, a story that fuses reality television, a dysfunctional family and an alleged possession. The twists and turns of Paul Tremblay’s book will keep you guessing as to the reality and the horror of its events even after the book ends.
Miss getting together with friends to watch scary movies? Your KDL card gives you access to movies on demand through Hoopla, where you’re still currently able to check out 10 titles a month. Why not schedule an online movie night with your closest pals and stream the same film together? You could do a video chat at the same time, if only to catch each other hiding under the blankets at the really intense parts. There’s too many options to choose from for us to suggest any one film, but maybe What We Do in the Shadows to balance laughs as well as chills?
For those not enamored with ghosts and goblins, autumn is a time normally associated with family. It’s hard not to think about the usual big gatherings and feasts we’d soon be planning this time of year, especially given all the uncertainty in the air. So if you can’t attend your own grand feast, why not read about one? Fans of the fantasy genre are familiar with the bounty of drool-worthy food descriptions by their favorite authors. Hobbits particularly are known for their love of a good meal, so we recommend The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a starting point. Even the animals of Redwall know how to put on a great feast, with fruit-studded scones and honey-covered hotcakes. For more contemporary stories mixing fantasy and foods, wander into the Garden Spells by Susan Addison Allen or Joanne Harris’ Chocolat. Hop onto KDL’s new BiblioCommons catalog to find a whole banquet of fantastic food related titles guaranteed to make foodies into fantasy fans and vice-versa!
Anyone with some cooking talent in your family? How does a digitally distanced cook-a-long with your loved ones sound? Get another video chat going while you all try your hand at the same recipes, and share a few laughs along the way. Some of our favorite fantasy series have even inspired their own cookbooks, and we’ve put together a list for your perusal: Foodies & Fantasists!
As individuals, we can't make the pandemic go away. We can’t solve other social or political issues alone. What we can do is help each other through all this with kindness, support, understanding and maybe a few good books, movies and meals along the way. However you choose to creatively experience the autumn season, take comfort that you’re not doing it alone, and we hope you’ll have a little enjoyment along the way.
Add a comment to: The Season for Ghosts and Gobbling