Comfort Books, Films, Music etc.
Hey friends,
The winter demands that we brood and rot, and while I'm ready for hibernation season to come to an end, I'm trying to make the best of the mundane indoor moments as best I can. From epic music to thrilling shows to satisfying skin care to sweeping novels, I've got everything you need to make the most of our final month of dark days.
This is Hard Copy, the free comfort newsy for cozy weekends. Unwind with the latest book recommendations, original columns, playlists and music worth listening to, and the best in film and television. If podcasts are more your jam, you can listen to the latest episode of our podcast, Your Weekly Breakdown.
I'm so grateful to be here with you in your inbox, and I appreciate you taking the time to read the newsy. I love putting it together for you! As always, I'd love to know your thoughts and feedback, what you like or dislike, or need more or less of. You can reply to this email--responses come directly to me.
For now, let's get to the good stuff!
Be well,
Your Recommendations
📺 Watch
While I've enjoyed The White Lotus and Severance in all their prestige-tv glory, let's not sleep on Paradise. Starring Sterling K. Brown as a secret service member to the President (played deliciously by James Marsden!), you're in for a thrilling ride. The season kicked off a few weeks ago, so you can indulge your binging tendencies. (Hulu/Disney+)
If you can't manage an episodic series, how about a thriller movie based on real events?! September 5 is set during the 1972 Munich Olympics and follows a broadcasting team quickly shifting from sports reporting to live coverage of the athletes taken hostage. Highly entertaining film and a solid cast. (AppleTV+)
Alright, enough with the thrillers. We all need something mindless, fun, silly, and romantic on our watch list, so I'm here to remind you about the existence of Austenland, the 2013 rom-com starring Kerri Russell. Soooooo good!! (Prime)
🎧 Listen
Mereba's second album, The Breeze Grew a Fire, will be on rotation all weekend. Whether I'm shuttling a kid to a hockey game, folding laundry, or shaking my ass while I clean, this is what's scoring my weekend.
Okay, okay, but what about something a bit edgier? Darker? Maybe some rock? Kathryn Mohr's Waiting Room is moody, haunting, and eerie in all the best ways. I could imagine so many of her brilliant tracks on various shows or movies. Music supervisors, take note!
Horsebath is the latest band to knock my socks off with a debut album. This Canadian folky-country crew dazzle in their old-school, slightly jazzy, saloon-style country music.
📚 Read
The Motherload: Episodes from the Brink of Motherhood by Sara Hoover is a captivating memoir that resonates deeply with anyone who has experienced the overwhelming early days of parenthood. As someone who struggled during this time, I often find motherhood memoirs to stir up my more melancholic emotions. Yet, Hoover's writing can remarkably transport us back to those challenging moments while infusing humour so sharp and devastatingly witty that it offers a sense of safety. Her blend of raw honesty and comedic relief makes revisiting these difficult experiences not only bearable but perhaps even a form of healing.
Allegra Goodman's Isola has been on my wish list for a while, and I finally go to savour it! Marguerite is a woman once destined for a life of wealth and luxury but is orphaned and left at the mercy of a volatile guardian. Stripped of her privileged life, she must fight for survival in the harsh elements, discovering a newfound faith in the process. Based on the real-life experiences of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is a gripping tale of resilience and survival. Just gorgeous.
Want more? Here are 25 books to check out in 2025.
🛁 Indulge
My wish list this week is full of comfort scents, SAD lamps, and ooey-gooey skin stuff to get me through the rest of this winter season (one month 'til spring!). Highly recommend doing your skincare routine while listening to this. If you're looking for more skincare, get the full guide here.
Pyjama set, SKIN. Candle, Mala. Wash, Saltspring Soapworks. LED mask + neck, both Omnilux. Oil cleanser, Wonder Valley. Face oil, Sangre de Fruta (ps they're having a sale). Claw, Kōv. SAD lamp, Kala.
Key Takeaways from our friends on the interwebs
Tech + Work
Automaker Stellanis announced it is pausing work on retooling an Ontario factory over the threat of tariffs. (BNN)
Ex-Meta employee sues the tech giant, alleging a 'toxic pattern of silencing women who identify problems.' (BI). In other news, Mark Zuckerberg’s charity, The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, has pulled back on DEI programs and “wound down” its social advocacy funding. (Observer)
Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of Theranos, was interviewed from prison. She is serving an 11-year sentence for fraud. She says 'It's been hell and torture'...girl, it's prison! (People)
Women
This is very troubling: Women were kept as slaves on human egg farm. 100 victims were fed hormones and treated like cattle, with eggs removed and sold each month by criminals. In other news, Handmaid’s Tale season 5 is out this spring. (Daily Mail)
In lighter fare, not much to summarize here: Monica Lewinsky in Rolling Stone!! (Rolling Stone)
In 2012, at the height of Fifty Shades fever, the American essayist Katie Roiphe argued that as women became more empowered in public, breaking glass ceilings in the workplace, they fantasized more about submission and domination in their private lives. Does it still hold true today with the success of authors like Sarah J Maas and Rebecca Yarros? I thought this was a curious read, and would love to sip wine and chat about it! (AirMail)
Culture
Bafta’s last weekend, Sag Awards this weekend, and Oscars the following. Where are my fashion girlies at? We will be critiquing while we wear sweats, of course. Anyway, ever wonder how they manage the seating arrangements? We have answers! (Vogue)
Conor McDavid scored the overtime winner as Canada beat USA in the 4 Nations Final. (CBC)
Londoners are paying $12 to switch off their phones and connect with the real world. Is this Gen Z’s digital detox? (Fortune)