Listicle June 10, 2025

Honeybee on a blackberry bloom Credit: A O'Brien

1. Fave feast: the smells of summer! Late spring and the air in central Maryland is filled with the sweetness of fresh cut hay and honeysuckle.

   
   

2. Fave local event: a local independent bookstore, Curious Iguana, hosted a meet and greet with illustrator Nilah Magruder where she discussed her latest graphic novel for middle grade readers: Creaky Acres. This graphic novel is about HORSES. Nine-year-old Anna would have crapped her pants for this, folks. I'm so happy a publication like this now exists!

   

   Autographed copy :) Credit A O'Brien

3. Fave beverage: blackberry bourbonade. Mix lemonade, blackberry syrup, and your favorite bourbon. Enjoy.

4. Fave craft: loop yarn blanket. I'm knitting for the first time a Scandinavian style blanket with sheep for my boss who will be retiring soon. It uses a unique type of yarn called loop yarn and it is "knitted" with your fingers, not knitting needles. It adheres to a grid system and I do love me some grids to follow. This has been enormously satisfying to make, so much so that I've already ordered a pattern for a Loch Ness blanket as well. One should never pass up a cryptid blankie.

   

   I mean, come on. How cute? Credit: A O'Brien

5. Fave creepypasta: I'm not a huge horror fan, but I do like author Stephen Graham Jones. I am reading his latest novel, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, and it's not until about 50 pages in that ew, yep. There it is. There's a monster in a cage. Then it gets out. OK. Got it. Here we go. It's good.