Chapter 1: Reading Outdoors as a Loose Collective
Friday, June 12, 2026 | 6-8pm
Bring your current book and a blanket to set up on the lawn. Don’t have a book to read? Local author Vanessa Ricci-Thode will have some of their books for sale, and will be doing a short reading and Q & A from one of their fantastic fantasy stories. Already own all of Vanessa’s books? Make a small donation to the gallery and receive a mystery wrapped book…
Bring whatever you need to be comfortable, including shade! This Books and Blankets coincides with our June Clothesline Art Sale, which will be strung between many of the trees on the property.
Visit enough of our 2026 Books and Blankets events to be entered into a draw for books from several local authors! Stay tuned for more info about Books and Blankets Chapter 2, 3, and Spirit!
Thanks to @themarginsclub on Instagram for sharing the “reading in public together” space with us!
Free event | Donations accepted in-person or online
About Vanessa Ricci-Thode:
Vanessa is the first self-published author to win a Nebula Award. She’s a Halloween enthusiast and a bookish geek who loves dragons, astronomy, and travel. If she’s not hibernating, she can be found in her butterfly garden, achieving her final form as a garden witch. She lives in Waterloo (no, the other one) with her spouse, daughter and very good dogs. Her self-published books, including The Dragon Next Door and the complete Fireborn series, are available everywhere except Amazon, and her short story “Billionaire’s Tears” appears in Escape Pod. To learn more, visit her website thodestool.ca or follow her on social media @VRicciThode.
