What are you currently watching or reading? by Megan Ennes

Two beautiful environmental reads

2026-01-22 17:00:19 UTC

I’m currently reading The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger. It’s a beautiful book that completely changes the way you look at plants. It’s one of those reads that makes you slow down and really notice the plants around you for what they truly are. I highly recommend it!

I also just finished reading The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert which I also highly recommend. It’s incredibly well written and does a powerful job of connecting science, history, and responsibility. For anyone working in conservation or restoration (or honestly, anyone who cares about the environment) it helps put things into a much bigger context and reminds you why we do this work and why it matters.

Current read: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

2026-01-22 23:16:57 UTC

I am currently reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley! I finished reading Wuthering Heights a few weeks ago and decided to read this other classic. (Wuthering Heights has now become one of my favorite books.) I have noticed a lot of parallels between Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights and the creature in this book, so it has been a fascinating read. Nature is a really important element in this book, and I have enjoyed its varying descriptions. It is portrayed in some really cool ways: a source of comfort and brutality, as well as a representation of the characters' turmoils. Nature is also an incredibly important symbol in Wuthering Heights, so I have loved to see some of those parallels as well. One of the biggest reasons why I love fictional books is because I enjoy diving into literary devices, and this book has not disappointed. There are so many aspects of this book that have been fun to explore. One of my favorites has been looking at how romanticism and gothic horror work together in this book. I am over halfway done and am very excited to finish this read. I am still not sure what my next read is going to be, but I have three options: Red Rising by Pierce Brown, 1984 by George Orwell, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know which you think I should read next. :) - Lina

Currently Watching

2026-01-25 20:01:20 UTC

I recently started watching The Great British Bake Off! I know very little about baking, and certainly almost nothing about the variety of British confections that apparently exist, but I love how light and upbeat the show is. I'd definitely love to try (most of) the pastries the bakers make! I also just finished the second season of Percy Jackson and am looking forward to the third!

Currently getting more into NFL

2026-01-25 21:10:52 UTC

I have never been a big sports person... however, my husband LOVES football and this season, I decided to give it a shot! I have really been enjoying getting into the sport more and learning more about the teams and players. I especially enjoy when I have a connection to the players. My husband gives me some back story and fills me in on the NFL drama, so we have lots of fun with it! I am excited to see the who plays in the Super Bowl this year!

Current read: Project Hail Mary

2026-01-25 22:56:58 UTC

I have been rereading Project Hail Mary in preparation for the upcoming movie starring Ryan Gosling! The science fiction book is intriguing from the start--a scientist wakes up alone on a spaceship a long way from Earth with no memory of how he ended up in that situation. Over time, he is able to piece memories together to slowly remember how he is acting as humanity's final hope for survival. There's another MAJOR element to the story, but trust me when I say that it is WORTH going into the book blindly. Don't even watch the movie trailer if you're able! -Amanda J

Current read: The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

2026-01-26 04:37:24 UTC

Lately, I’ve been treating myself by reading The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. This book is especially meaningful to me because it’s set in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, India—a place very close to my heart, as I’ve worked there in the past. Reading Ghosh’s vivid descriptions of the rivers, islands, and mangrove forests feels like revisiting places I’ve actually been, and the familiar place names bring back a lot of memories from my field days.

One of the characters, Piyali, works on studying river dolphins, which has been particularly nostalgic for me. I’ve seen both Irrawaddy and Gangetic dolphins in the Sundarbans, so reading about her work feels very real and personal. Ghosh does a beautiful job weaving together ecology, culture, human–nature relationships, and lived experience, which makes the story feel both grounded and powerful.

Currently watching Frieren Season 2

2026-01-26 07:14:19 UTC

I know that not everyone is interested in watching anime, but this show is an absolute masterpiece, and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's a little different from the usual hero's story since this story takes place after our protagonist, an elf named Frieren, has already saved the world. Since she has a much longer life-span than humans, she doesn't really value her relationships with others or the adventure she went on to save the world. Over the course of the story, we watch Frieren grapple with the realization and regret that she never really got to know her companions or appreciated the moments they spent together. It's a devastatingly beautiful glimpse into the complexity of human relationships but also so wholesome and "feel good" at the same time. I believe it's available on Hulu and there's an English dubbed version for anyone who doesn't like subtitles. - Rosie Murray

Just started reading Blood Over Bright Haven

2026-01-26 07:23:46 UTC

I just started reading this book after multiple people recommended it. I'm not very far into it, but so far I like it a lot. The magic system is very interesting and original (at least to me), and I also think it's an interesting concept to tie the world's magic system into it's religion. It seems like there are strong themes of sex and race inequality that I'm sure the novel will continue to dive into. There's not much more I can say since I really just started reading, but if there's anyone else that has finished this book, I would love to hear your thoughts! - Rosie Murray

Currently watching Survivor (S20)

2026-01-26 13:14:13 UTC

Lately I’ve been watching Survivor, specifically Season 20: Heros vs Villains, a season of some of the most iconic former players all back to play again! I used to watch Survivor a lot, but I recently got back into it and now I’m unreasonably convinced I could win the game. I am also learning how to knit right now, so I like to watch while I practice my stitches because both are pretty mindless. If anyone else is a Survivor fan, let me know your favorite season(s) for my next watch! -Maddie Busch

Current read: Annihilation

2026-01-26 13:58:08 UTC

Annihilation is a scifi book about a team of 4 women that are investigating an other-worldly zone of Earth called 'Area X'. This includes a biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a military-trained surveyor. It follows them on their journey and so far has been very good! I have not finished it yet but I'm really enjoying the descriptive writing and strange plot points. Very cool environmental scifi book if you're into that sort of thing.

Current Read: Gator Country

piersont — 2026-01-26 16:47:27 UTC

I haven't started reading it yet, but I just picked up Gator Country by Rebecca Renner. I've recently been very interested in reading more about Florida, particularly about the natural areas and the environment. I'm not normally one to read non-fiction, but I find myself gravitating more to nature-based non-fiction these days. This book immediately interested me, as its description detailed an alligator poaching ring and "Florida Men." I think people often have preconceived notions about Florida, and I really enjoy reading about how true Floridians are always challenging these ideas. - Taylor Pierson

Current Read: Frankenstein

2026-01-26 17:14:43 UTC

I am currently revisiting Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. A friend gifted me a beautiful edition with a red and black cover (pictured) following the release of Guillermo del Toro's interpretation of the story. I have always loved the novel and the way it explores themes of creation and self-actualization, so I was thrilled when such a visually stunning film was released reframing and further exploring the Creature's tale. - Meg Holst

Current Read: The Overstory by Richard Powers

2026-01-27 00:35:25 UTC

I just started reading this book but so far I'm loving it! It's about a group of strangers who are "each summoned in different ways by trees" and come together "to save the continent's few remaining acres of virgin forest." It's beautifully written, and I like the combination of novel with nature...I read a lot of books about nature, but they're normally nonfiction, so this is a nice change!

-Tabitha Samuels

Co-op Plays for Lazy Days

2026-01-27 16:57:54 UTC

My wife and I love to play co-op games together, and our latest adventure has been "Split Fiction"! Any of my fellow gamers would recognize the developers as the same group who came out with other classic co-op games such as "It Takes Two". Split Fiction is a fun romp through the minds of two creative writers living out their stories, one fantasy and one sci-fi. While the story can be hit or miss at times, the cooperative mechanics make the game a ton of fun to play together. It's also an exploration of technical advancement versus human ingenuity, echoing conversations around modern technologies such as AI. If you've got a friend or family member who enjoys playing games, this is a great way to spend time together in a colorful and exciting world! - Tim Jones

Current Read: The Dawn of Everything

2026-01-27 23:26:17 UTC

I've recently been relistening to this book (side note - do y'all think audiobooks count as reading?) especially with how frustrated the way things are organized in our society makes me. I've also been spending some time looking into the academic reception of the book, as there has been some criticisms of it. It is quite the endeavor to read, the audiobook clocks in at 24 hours long, but it sparks really interesting thoughts about the way that human societies are organized. I think that even if you don't agree with the arguments made, it provides some very interesting food for thought about how differently societies may have been organized in prehistory, which has given me some hope for our collective future. - Olivia Pare

Fallout TV Show (And Video Games)

2026-01-28 23:27:13 UTC

The second season of the Fallout show is streaming right now, and it's set in the area of my favorite game of the franchise, Fallout: New Vegas. For those unaware, the Fallout video game series is set in a post-World War II era America where it didn't evolve past '50s aesthetics, but nuclear energy is the prime source of energy. The nuclear arms race was also in full swing, there was a great big war, and basically, the civilization was mostly wiped out. So, recently, that's my non-school/work media-related activity. Also, season 2 of The Pitt is streaming now, too. It's a medical drama in which each episode is an hour-long shift in a busy ER. - Hayden Mickley

Current Read: Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

tannera13 — 2026-01-28 23:41:06 UTC

I’m reading Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney. I’m really enjoying the unreliable narrator and how the story keeps shifting what you think is true. It’s one of those books where every chapter makes me second-guess the last one. I have been on a psychological thriller kick lately so this is already my 5th book this year. If anyone has any good recommendations please throw them my way!

Amanda Tanner

Current Listen: Pierce the Veil

2026-01-29 02:45:08 UTC

Unfortunately I don't have much time to enjoy any movies, TV shows, or books but I am able to put in my headphones and play some music. Right now, my favorite artist is Pierce the Veil. I enjoy listening to this band while I am at the gym or just in the car. I went to a concert of theirs last October and it has been my favorite concert out of 22! I would really like to start reading more or keeping up with some of the great shows/movies that get recommended to me. I think a good idea for me would be to listen to audio books when I need music breaks.

Jenna Lester

Current watch: The Crown

2026-01-30 02:22:04 UTC

My current watch is The Crown on Netflix. I’ve been meaning to watch it for a long time, and I finally started it while I was on vacation. Since I’m from Sri Lanka, a former British colony, the show felt especially relevant. Watching The Crown has made me reflect on how decisions made in Britain manage political systems, identities, and histories in former British colonies. Beyond its historical value, the series is engaging, making it both educational and enjoyable to watch in my free time.