What We're Reading, Listening to, and Watching This Week (7/5/2026)
Linda-Marie Barrett / Executive Director:
Reading: The Vagabond by Colette for my book club and savoring every reading moment. Also reading Jennie Nash’s Blueprint series (Blueprint for a Book, Blueprint for a Memoir, Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book) on all matters surrounding book creation, editing, pitching, and promotions.
Listening: It’s been in the 90s every day and I welcome the late afternoon sounds of thunder, always hoping a brief rainstorm comes our way. It usually doesn’t, which is why I’ve named our modest neighborhood The Mediterranean of East Asheville.
Watching: Every night we decide what part of the world we want to journey to: Nova Scotia, Cornwall, New Zealand, or Georgia. Each is the setting of a tv series we’re watching, with different moods, but all of them on the light side. We’re big on cozy mysteries and adult soap operas.
Candice Huber / Membership:
Reading: Finished Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige and moved on to The Wicked Will Rise, the second book of the series. It's such a dark and fun take on Oz, and I've enjoyed it! I'm also reading a book called Walk by Sholto Radford, which is a beautiful little, peaceful book about all the benefits of walking in nature.
Creating: In an attempt to reclaim my time and prioritize myself and fun and joy in my life, I have created a summer camp for myself. I have a fun book where I've planned out each of the next eight weeks in four categories: movement, fun & creative, learn & explore, and watch & listen. I've planned field trips, crafting time, P.E. time, and more. I even made myself badges to earn throughout the summer! It's been really fun to create, and I can't wait to experience all the fun I have planned!
Playing: I just started a board game called Cozy Stickerville with my partner, and we've been having so much fun with it. It's a simple, cozy, choose your own adventure type game where the choices you make influences what comes next. You get to build a town by placing stickers on the board throughout the game. Our town already has a wizard, a farmer looking for love, and Wild Bill, a character we aren't quite sure about yet. It's played over the course of 10 years, and we just finished year one, so we have a lot left to go!
Nicki Leone / Communications:
Reading: Still Maggie O'Farrell's Land and Steppe by Oksana Vasyakina. But I made the mistake of looking at Lithub's "books to look forward to in 2026" and now my wishlist is really scary.
Listening: So here is the thing about birding-by-Merlin-app. It says I'm hearing cedar waxwings. But have I actually seen one? Not even a glimpse.
Watching: Wimbledon with my mom.
SP Rankin / Website Administrator:
Reading: I have not made a lot of progress on Cantoras, by Caro de Robertis, but I really hope to this week. I've been longing for a saga, and this is it.
Listening: In the Hour of Chaos, Allison Russell's newest album, will be released on July 10, and I am counting down the minutes.
Watching: The fourth of July means The Music Man. Tell me you can watch it and not mutter "Ballllllllzac" like Hermione Gingold under your breath for the next four days because I sure can't. Or not have an inexplicable yen to visit Gary, Indiana.
Andrea Richardson / Sales:
Reading: I have the biggest pile of ARCs to work through after Children's Institute last weekend! I think the Jasmine Guillory YA, It's Only Dancing, is up next, though.
Listening: My big goofy gray cat Bandit yowling at the back door. He doesn't understand the heat index, he just understands that he wants OUT.
Watching: World Cup, of course! I am generally not a sports guy but I love to get into big games and cheer for the underdogs.