Knock a few books off the list in the East Asheville Library’s cozy reading nook. | Photo via Buncombe County
Your kids might have made progress on their summer reading lists — but we’re not letting adults off the hook.
Here are nine books to add to your summer reading list, courtesy of local bookstores + libraries, and don’t worry, they’re just suggestions, and you won’t be quizzed.
Buncombe County Public Libraries
Put that library card to use and check out these staff picks to get started:
“Murder Takes a Vacation” by Laura Lippman
A widowed grandmother and former PI assistant, Muriel Blossom, wins the lottery and embarks on her first European river cruise. When a charming stranger dies in Paris, she finds herself unraveling a mystery of international intrigue, art theft, and deception.
“Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman
The darkly humorous LitRPG adventure follows a Coast Guard vet and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they’re thrown into a labyrinthine dungeon. Facing bizarre monsters and unlikely allies, Carl must keep his wits about him to navigate the deadly realm.
48 Hour Film Fest | 5-7:30 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library | Free | Screen a selection of the best short films from previous 48 Hour Film Project competitions in Asheville.
AFTER HOURS Summer Concert Series | 6-8 p.m. | Asheville Museum of History | $10+ | Explore the museum and kick back with some folk tunes from Jack Devereux and Maura Shawn Scanlin.
Wednesday, July 16
The Gaslight Anthem with Hot Brains | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $55 | Rock out to the pop-punk-inspired sounds of the “45" and “Old White Lincoln” singers.
Trivia Night with MountainTrue | 7 p.m. | The River Arts District Brewing Co. | Free | If you think it’s easy being green, flex your environmental knowledge for trivia about forests, rivers, wildlife, and climate.
Thursday, July 17
Southside Family Movie Nights | Thursday, July 17, Thursday, Aug. 21 | 6-8 p.m. | Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center | Free | Can you smell the popcorn? Bring the family down to catch a showing of the 2003 Disney film “Holes.”
Craft and Curate: A Charcuterie Board Workshop | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Asheville Charcuterie Co. | $50 | Learn the art of arrangement so you can make a board as stunning as the experts at the downtown charcuterie shop.
Friday, July 25
Forced Family Fun | 5-8 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing | Free | Head to the New Belgium Brewing lawn for this free event with yard games, photo booth ops, slushies, airbrush tees, and an excuse to spend an evening with the fam.*
Saturday, July 26
Funk DJ Series with Grimmjoi | 6 p.m. | The Funkatorium | Free entry | Enjoy a night in the Biergarten with DJ Grimmjoi spinning tracks.*
The City of Asheville is beginning the process of creating a dedicated eight-to-10-court pickleball complex, searching for a firm to plan and design the project. While the location and timeline are unknown, the $20 million GO bond for parks + rec improvements that voters approved in November will fund the courts. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Civic
Asheville City Council heard a suggestion from a NC-based consultancy firm to reconstruct its current lineup of advisory boards and commissions into four core boards, reflecting the city government’s Helene recovery priorities. Discussions aren’t slated on the next City Council meeting agenda, and council would need to approve a change to go into effect. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)
Community
Although changes to advisory boards could be considered, the city is currently seeking applicants for the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The BCTDA position must be filled by the owner of a lodging business with fewer than 100 units.
Arts
If you want to create some strange + wonderful performance art that lies just beyond the mainstream, you can now apply to perform at the 2026 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. If being an audience member is more your speed, there are several summer shows to attend.
Cause
The WNC chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is combining the Asheville and Henderson County Walk to End Alzheimer’s this year, hosting one event on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Bill Moore Community Park in Fletcher. You can register as an individual or join a team to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
Today Is
The MLB All-Star Game. Asheville may not have a team of its own, but according to this map, the Land of the Sky is a Braves town. Check out the full rosters, featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., and tune in to FOX or ESPN 2 starting at 8 p.m. ET.
“I appreciate that you generally leave conclusions for the reader to make for themselves.” = Feedback on The Signal, the non-partisan, current affairs newsletter. Subscribe for free.*
The Buy
The award-winning Olay Super Serum. It’s lauded for improving skin hydration, smoothness, brightness, firmness, and texture.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Once you finish these locally recommended reads, you can move on to a massive roundup of locally written books. With 20+ picks, you could be set until next summer’s reading list drops.
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