The 21 books that helped me escape in 2024

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Dennis Mersereau

I always struggled to convince myself that reading for pleasure was actually pleasurable.

Lemony Snicket provided plenty of entertainment as a kid, and I tore through John Grisham thrillers in high school. Novels fell by the wayside in college once professors assigned enough reading for several lifetimes. I graduated and immediately leapt into a career slinging words for a living—and too often found myself itching to escape them in my downtime.

My love of physical books never wavered, though, and it wasn’t until I forced myself to sit down and read Ken Jennings’ Maphead last year that I finally started to enjoy reading for the sake of reading again.

I set a modest goal for 2024: read one book per month.

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The N.C. race that proves every vote matters

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Dennis Mersereau

North Carolina is a purple state. Atrocious gerrymanders aside, our state’s five-and-a-half million voters have a robust history of electing Republicans and Democrats at every level of government—often on the same ballot.

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The lasting wonder of May’s incredible auroras

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Dennis Mersereau

I can still see them when I close my eyes. Emerald greens shimmering on the horizon. A subtle sea of red tinting the night sky. Pillars of light flickering above my head like a spotlight on the constellations.

Catching a glimpse of the once-in-a-lifetime auroras on May 10, 2024, was an unforgettable moment for any skywatcher. But I had the great fortune of more than a glimpse—it was an entire show that seemingly evolved without end. I stood outside for a solid 90 minutes that night to watch a sight I never thought I’d see.

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A peaceful oasis in the middle of Greensboro

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Dennis Mersereau

Tucked away in the woods next to a major shopping center is the most peaceful spot in Greensboro, North Carolina.

A short walk from Friendly Center, the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden is an oasis amid the hubbub of workers rushing to grab lunch and shoppers hoping to score a deal at Belk. One step into this park and you’ll fall out of the city and directly into nature.

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The interesting lives hidden in used books

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Dennis Mersereau

I love the stories I find buried in the pages of an old book.

My bookshelves are groaning ever since I finally got my license at the young old age of 30. It felt surreal to finally hold that ticket to the world, a newfound freedom to roam beyond the confines of my podunk outpost in central North Carolina.

The first two stops I made on that inaugural solo journey were obvious: Walmart, then Goodwill.

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