Guest post by Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice author Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
Katie Cicatelli-Kuc spent a decade working as an in-house copy editor for major publishing houses before becoming a full-time freelancer and mom. She has previously published two YA novels, Quarantine: A Love Story and Going Viral: A Socially Distant Love Story. She lives in Beacon, New York.
About Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice: Gilmore Girls fans! Pour yourselves a hot cup of tea and get ready to fall in love with this cozy YA romance that will have you dreaming of autumn all year long.
These days, there may not be much anyone can agree on when it comes to well, anything. Even seasons of the year can be divisive. Some of us love nothing more than a warm, sunny summer day. Some of us prefer the chilly darkness of winter. But one season that I think is universally adored is fall. Who can deny the beauty of leaves changing, the cool comfort of the crisp weather, the fun of Halloween, the deliciousness (and sometimes absurdity) of fall beverages and food? Fall feels like a nice, warm hug trying to bring us all together.
I was quite sick when I wrote Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice. Working on the book was an escape, and often a literal treat, as I researched coffee and dessert recipes that Lucy Kane, my main character, crafts throughout the story. It also gave me the opportunity to reflect on autumns of years past, and to think about autumns of the future when I’d be healthy again, all with a newfound sense of gratitude and astonishment at the beauty of the season. Below is a list of streamable TV shows, movies, and songs that I think capture the beauty, deliciousness, magic, and coziness of fall.
Gilmore Girls
I’ll just go ahead and get this one out of the way first, because I don’t think there has ever been (or ever will be!) a television show that so perfectly depicts fall in the Northeast. From the set design to the characters’ wardrobes, the show oozes warm, feel-good autumn coziness.
The Great British Baking Show
This is one of my favorite things to watch in the cooler months. There is just something so comforting about watching the talented, kind, often humble, contestants baking cakes and breads and pastries and all kinds of delicious, warm things. I also imagined that it was a show that inspired Lucy when it came to trying out new recipes. And, much to my delight, there is a Halloween episode in collection 10! The contestants bake apple cakes, s’mores, and spooky hanging lantern cakes, all while in Halloween costumes.
Room on the Broom
A classic picture book turned into a cute short film about a witch befriending various animals. The story takes place in a forest, and while the leaves don’t appear to be changing color, the sky goes from blue, to overcast, to a sunset over the mountains that has a decidedly fall hue. Plus, in addition to the witch, the story also features a dragon with an appetite for humans. It’s briefly scary, but ends sweetly. A feel-good movie about a good, kind witch.
Goonies
Another movie that doesn’t necessarily take place during the fall, but it includes a treasure map; secret, underground caverns; a mysterious pirate ship; and an even more mysterious pirate. It has a few unsettling moments that make it feel like it’s best viewed around Halloween, but the overall vibe is adventurous and fun, and there are some tender moments in the friend group.
Slowdive: “Souvlaki Space Station”
In a coffee shop scene of Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice, one of the baristas is working on a playlist for the store, and she mentions Slowdive. Slowdive is one of my favorite bands, and I listened to them a lot while I was working on the book. While they don’t sing about fall, their atmospheric sound evokes in me a sense of daydreamy rumination. “Souvlaki Space Station” is perfect for listening to with your windows open, a crisp autumn breeze sneaking inside.
M83: “Teen Angst”
M83 is another band that has that dreamy sort of sound to it, and they’ve said that Slowdive influenced their music. The song “Teen Angst” always makes me think of fall, partly because of its ambient sound, but also because it was on the soundtrack on my October wedding reception music. My husband and I got married in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and we had our reception at a near-by restaurant. I remember that we stepped out for a minute, but we could still hear the music, and “Teen Angst” was playing. It’s one of those life moments that feels like a scene from a movie because I can recall it so easily, and with such happiness.
Smashing Pumpkins: “Landslide”
I didn’t pick this because “pumpkins” is part of the band’s name; I promise! Stevie Nicks sings the song “Landslide” beautifully. But the first time I heard the song it was the version by the Smashing Pumpkins, when I was a teenager, years after they had recorded it. I was sightly obsessed with the song, and have such vivid memories of driving around, my windows down, listening to the song on repeat. The lyrics deal with the passage of time, something that I think a lot of us reflect on in the autumn, when we say farewell to summer and get ready for winter.
The La’s: “There She Goes”
The song plays as the words “Gilmore Girls” appear on the screen in the pilot episode of the show, and continues to play as the viewer is introduced to the beautiful, autumnal Stars Hollow. I can’t hear that song and not think of the show!
Feist: “So Sorry”
Lucy finds out that the rival (and chain) new coffee shop across the street from her mom’s shop is owned by her crush’s parents. Lucy and her mom and the other Cup o’ Jo employees listen to Feist the first morning that Java Junction opens. It’s a tough day, as Lucy and her mom see how successful Java Junction is, and how slow their own business is. At the end of the day, Jack and his parents stop by Cup o’ Jo, to introduce themselves to Lucy’s mom. It’s a tense conversation, and I imagine this is a song Jack might play for Lucy, or Lucy might play for Jack, because neither of them wants to fight.
Mazzy Star: “Fade Into You”
This is another song that makes an appearance in Gilmore Girls at Rory’s first school dance, as she kisses Dean. I also chose it because it feels like the quintessential coffee shop song. I can imagine it playing as I sip a pumpkin spice latte!
Girl in Red: “We Fell in Love in October”
Is there a better time of year to fall in love? Girl in Red loves autumn for just this reason. The lyrics are sweet and simple as she sings about “my girl” being her world. Acoustically, it’s also a quiet song, with Marie Ulven’s breathy voice and understated guitar, and another song I wouldn’t be surprised to hear in a coffee shop.
Taylor Swift: “All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn version)”
The title of the song alone makes this an obvious choice. Taylor also sings about the air being cold, autumn leaves, being upstate, a “little town street,” and “plaid shirt days.” And, heartbreak, after her relationship with you-know-who. This version also features a piano, which matches the mood of the song so well, and also matches the mood of an unexpectedly chilly fall day, when all we want to do is stay inside under warm blankets.
Fall has never been more beautiful than it was this past autumn, when my health had returned. I think Lucy Kane would approve of my list. I hope you do too, and that you can watch and listen to my list of suggestions, all while sipping a pumpkin spice latte (hopefully made with real pumpkin!).
