1. Classic Novels

“Dracula” by Bram Stoker, “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë and “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger are all excellent choices to read this fall. A book you read as an assignment in high school can take on a completely different feeling now that you’re choosing to read it outside of the academic environment. So try curling up with a classic under a throw blanket on a stormy day. Or perhaps try reading while sitting under a tree that’s just started to turn gold and red. You can even carry a book around like an accessory while wearing a button-down sweater and your tortoiseshell-framed glasses, and see how much smarter it makes you feel.

2. Cookbooks                                                                                                                

Now is the perfect time of year to break out the mixer, the roasting pans and the pie tins. A fruit pie tastes so much more amazing when it’s homemade. And cooler weather means you can turn the oven on again. So why not try something new? Maybe a cauliflower gratin, or pork chops covered in cinnamon apples with smashed sweet potatoes, or a pot roast simmering in a rich gravy with sweet carrots and Yukon gold potatoes. Make a favorite from your childhood your own, or try something you’ve always wanted to know how to make. From French onion soup to mushroom risotto—spaghetti Bolognese; beet, goat cheese and arugula salad; cranberry scones; peanut butter fudge—the fall food possibilities are endless.

3. “Harry Potter”

Though die-hard fans often re-read the series over the summer (especially around Harry’s July 31 birthday) because they are epic tomes that take time to get through, fall is actually the perfect time to appreciate the Harry Potter books. There are fantastic Hogwarts school settings, plus pumpkin juice, costumed characters, epic battles between good and evil, cauldrons full of potions and professors that transform into animals. This is what to read in between classics.

4. “Sherlock Holmes”

The hat, the cloak, the pipe and the magnifying glass all paint an indelible picture of Scotland Yard’s finest detective, chasing down criminals with nothing more than his superior wit and loyal sidekick, Dr. Watson. Whether you choose to indulge your Sherlock habit with the books, the U.S. television show “Elementary,” or the British television series “Sherlock,” this is a can’t-miss-choice for fall entertainment.

5. “Sleepy Hollow”

It’s hard to pass up a show about a headless horseman, and there’s no better time of year to enjoy the creepy, foggy plotlines of this locally-filmed favorite. Season two is coming soon, so there’s still time to binge-watch season one.

6. Horror movies

While you can start with the filmed in Wilmington favorite “The Conjuring,” your fall horror movie lineup should also include staples such as the original “Friday the 13^th,” “Halloween,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Poltergeist,” and “Insidious.” Make extra popcorn- you’re not going to want to watch them alone.

7. “Good Will Hunting”

This movie would have been a perfect choice even before the tragic passing of Robin Williams. The Academy Award-winning actor conveys a masterful performance, providing the perfect counterweight to Matt Damon’s troubled genius. The Damon/Affleck Academy Award-winning screenplay is also wonderfully done. Watch it for the collegiate Boston setting (which will make you want to throw on a sweatshirt) or for Ben Affleck’s accent in the supporting role. And don’t miss Minnie Driver and Matt Damon’s pickle-swapping first kiss. But most importantly, watch it for the classic line Damon delivers: “How do you like them apples?” You won’t be disappointed.

8. Florence and the Machine

There is no one more perfectly suited to autumn weather than the British chanteuse Florence Welch. Though almost any of her harp and tribal beat-influenced songs are appropriate listening for the season, the one that casts the greatest spell is still 2012’s single “Howl” from her debut album “Lungs.” Lyrics like “If you could only see the beast you’ve made of me/ I held it in but now it seems you’ve set it running free/ Screaming in the dark, I howl when we’re apart/ Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart” set the perfect tone for windswept afternoons and haunted twilights.

9.  Kodaline

This Irish quartet is being compared to U2, Coldplay, Keane and Oasis with good reason. One listen to the band’s hit single “All I Want” will have you wondering why you don’t already have their debut album, “In a Perfect World.”

10.  Ed Sheeran

This British singer-songwriter’s latest album, X,  has something for everyone—whether you go out and get advice from bartenders and chat someone up while “Sing” plays in the background, feel the after-effects of last night as you hum “Bloodstream” off-key, realize you’ve been done wrong and shout the lyrics to “Don’t,” remember your gone-too-soon grandfather’s legacy while strumming a guitar to “Afire Love,” miss someone while “Photograph” plays on repeat, or drift to sleep while “One” and “Tenerife Sea” makes you realize real love lives in songs.