Cozy szn books, film, music, etc.
Hey friends,
I'm sending this to you from my couch, where I'm bundled up in cozy pyjamas, a candle lit nearby, and the coffee brewing. It's time to take a breath and let the week go, tough as that may be. Grab that second cup of coffee, and let's chat.
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 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,
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Your Recommendations
📺 Watch
AppleTV+ continues to swing hard for prestige TV, and Severance–Season 2 hits the mark. If you don’t have the time to rewatch season 1, here’s a very thorough written refresher. Also, you can’t binge it! But, binging shows is out for 2025, so let’s enjoy the ride.
Grab the popcorn and put up your feet because Cameron Diaz is Back in Action! The actress has returned after a long hiatus, and it’s the ideal type of mindless movie for a Saturday night at home. No shade–not everything is meant to be high-brown cinema. (Netflix)
If you’re up for braving public spaces, The Room Next Door is in theatres and is a tremendous film about the female experience. Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film is about two estranged friends who reconnect after many years and share deep and meaningful moments. This interview goes deep with director Pedro Almodóvar on his craft.
🎧 Listen
Something different: DÍA, Ela Minus. A hypnotic, soothing mix of synth and pop.
Something easy: Midwinter Swimmers, The Innocence Mission. Delicate rock with a dash of folk.
Something gritty: Cosmic Waves Volume 1, Angel Olsen. The singer-songwriter spotlights under-the-radar artists and dazzles with her own songs as well.
📚 Read
Vantage Point by Sara Sligar. One hell of a Succession-ish story about family and identity, and how the two intersect–sometimes with deadly results.
Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk. A funny and biting satirical portrait of a group of young mothers, set over the course of one rainy day in an ordinary English suburb.
Good Girl by Aria Aber. Nila is born in Germany to Afghan refugees, and rebels against her parents’ expectations by exploring Berlin's famous rave culture, floating in and out of warehouses in a haze of techno and drugs.
🛁 Indulge
Time is a bit of a construct, but there is not questioning the certainty of winter. With freezing temperatures settling in and a few snow storms en route, I’m making the best of staying in with cozy robes, great scents, hot coffee, and whatever reading material I can get my hands on. Bundle up!
Waffle-knit robe, One Wednesday. Slippers, Emu Australia. Self-heating mug, Ember. Candle, Soho Home. Kindle, Amazon. Knit throw blanket, Anthropologie. Face roller, True Botanicals. Leave-in hair mask, K18. Face mask, SK-II. Gratitude journal, Ezooe. Pen, Muji.
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Key Takeaways from our friends on the interwebs
Tech + Work
The Future of Jobs Report 2025 brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers—collectively representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies from around the world—to examine how these macrotrends impact jobs and skills, and the workforce transformation that will take place moving forward. (WEF)
There are several think pieces on Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, and all of the recent changes taking place on the platform, but this one is my favourite articles published that summarize the shift. (Huffpost)
On the even of it's potential demise, Scaachi Koul shares what TikTok gave us: the least essential of all the services a phone can provide, but still the one we open every time we have time to burn. (Slate)
Women
Parents often stress about their kids’ academic performance, work ethic, and behaviour toward others. Those things are clearly important. But according to the Dunedin study, none of them is the best predictor of whether a particular child will grow up to lead a satisfying, financially stable life. Neither is the wealth, education, or socioeconomic status of the parents. It's actually...emotionally intelligence. (Inc)
How having a hysterectomy changed one woman's life, and helped her regain control. Being diagnosed with stage four endometriosis was "validation that I wasn’t being dramatic. I had a disease – and it was completely out of my control. The reason for it? I had a womb." (British Vogue)
Culture
We've been living in "unprecedented times" for 25 years. One writer grapples with what it means to live in this reality, and her piece left me speechless. (Harpers Bazaar)
Whether you think Maria is Angelina Jolie's comeback or not, the film is solid and the costumes are sensational. If you are a lover of all things behind-the-scenes, this interview with Maria costume designer Massimo Cantini is fascinating. (Harpers Bazaar)
Renée Zellweger is back, reprising her career-defining role as the everywoman Bridget Jones. The double-Oscar winner get interviewed by her naughtiest costar Hugh Grant. Chaos ensues. (British Vogue)