Vehr team members share the things they’re loving — from apps to playlists, games to movies and more. This month, Creative Director Grace Ring shares what’s adding drama to her morning commute, where to find the best cold brew recipe and the birthday gift that keeps on giving:

Audio drama: Since commuting reentered my life this year, I’ve been seeking out audio entertainment for all the extra car time. I just recently finished The Big Lie on Audible, which tells the story of how the FBI tried to subvert production of a blacklisted Hollywood film during the McCarthy era. The podcast features the reunion of two Mad Men alum, Jon Hamm and John Slattery as two of the FBI agents, alongside other well-known actors David Strathairn, Bradley Whitford and Kate Mara. The dramatization was written and produced specifically for the audio format, hearkening back to the radio shows of the same time period. I was riveted, to the point I found it difficult to contain my listening to only car rides.

Home brewed cold brew: Midway through a month of 90+ degree days this summer, I realized I had been going out for my morning coffee entirely too often. Why, you ask? Because it was too inhumanly hot to consume my daily dose of caffeine any way but iced, and I had never figured out how to make iced coffee at home that wasn’t horribly bitter. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: it’s ridiculously easy. Thank you, Smitten Kitchen for showing me the way. Now there is always a pitcher of cold brew in my fridge ready for those mornings when it’s already so hot at 7:00 that the windows are steaming up.

The gift of reading: I feel really guilty about it, as a former book designer who frequently proclaims her passion for print, but I have been a closet Kindle user for years. As a voracious reader, how could I resist having instant access to an infinite number of novels literally in my pocket? I’ve been quietly consuming all my books on Kindle, right up until May 2021, when a group of my publishing friends went together to get me a year-long subscription to Book of the Month for my birthday. Now I am completely hooked. Each month, I get to choose from five to seven newly (or sometimes soon-to-be) published novels from a wide range of authors and genres. Once I’ve made my selection, a cheerful blue box arrives in the mail containing a hardcover embossed with the date and a bookmark. The selections have been mostly great; it’s often a struggle to choose just one title each month. But my favorite part has been sharing the books with others and discussing the stories. It’s something I hadn’t even realized I was missing with the Kindle. Now I’m constantly passing around books to friends, family, my hair stylist, physical therapists… it’s like having my own book club everywhere I go!