Episode 536 || Best Books of the Year (So Far) with Hunter Mclendon

Summary

From the Front Porch Podcast Episode 536: Best Books of the Year (So Far) with Hunter McLendon

Release Date: July 3, 2025
Host/Author: The Bookshelf Thomasville

Welcome to Episode 536 of From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast produced by The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. In this episode, host Annie Jones is joined by her friend and frequent co-host Hunter McLendon to discuss their favorite books of the year up to mid-2025.

---

1. Reflecting on the Year’s Reading Habits

Annie and Hunter kick off the conversation by reflecting on their reading habits for the year. They acknowledge how personal lives and emotional states significantly impact their reading experiences.

Annie Jones [03:15]:
"But now that life doesn't necessarily look like that, I think sometimes we just take for granted that our reading lives are definitely affected by what's going on in our personal lives."

Hunter McLendon [02:32]:
"My first month was great. I read like almost 20 books and I loved most of them. And then I was just, I think, this feeling of like you start to get stressed out and then like when you're stressed out, like life is like reading is not as fun."

---

2. Curating the Top 10 Lists

Annie shares her method of selecting top books by referring to her Instagram following, specifically her five-star reads. She emphasizes the challenge of narrowing down a vast reading list to just ten favorites.

Annie Jones [04:31]:
"I went to my Annie's five star reads Instagram, and I just looked at anything that was five stars or anything I still really had fond feelings for. And I made a list..."

---

3. Highlights and Surprises

The hosts delve into specific books that stood out to them, both positively and negatively.

• First Five-Star Reads:

  • Hunter: Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett
    Hunter McLendon [08:39]:
    "Mine was Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett."

  • Annie: Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
    Annie Jones [08:45]:
    "When your attention is divided, short stories are the answer, my friends. Don't be intimidated by short stories."

• Most Surprising Books:

  • Hunter: Exit Zero by Marie Helene Bertino
    Hunter McLendon [10:09]:
    "There’s this one story about a haunted bag of peaches that has stayed with me and it's like, it's so good."

  • Annie: Blessings and Disasters by Alexis Okeowo
    Annie Jones [10:16]:
    "It's a history of the state of Alabama, but it's told through her perspective as a second-generation immigrant."

• Least Favorite Books:

  • Hunter: When the Harvest Comes by Denny Michelle Norris
    Hunter McLendon [12:05]:
    "I loved the first half, but the second half just kind of made me, like, meh about it."

  • Annie: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
    Annie Jones [13:10]:
    "There were so many song lyrics in this book, Suzanne Collins could write her own lyrics collection."

---

4. Top 10 Lists

Both Annie and Hunter present their top 10 books of the year so far, providing brief insights and reasons for their selections.

Annie Jones’ Top 10

1. Tilt by Emma Patty
   A post-apocalyptic novel about a pregnant woman navigating survival challenges.

2. Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
   A collection of short stories exploring diverse themes with exceptional craftsmanship.

3. Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
   A thought-provoking exploration of illness and human resilience.

4. Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett
   A deeply emotional narrative intertwining personal relationships and societal issues.

5. Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks
   A heartfelt memoir reflecting on grief and the bureaucratic aftermath of loss.

6. Play World by Adam Ross
   A coming-of-age story set in 1970s New York, reminiscent of "Catcher in the Rye."
   Annie Jones [22:48]:
   "It's about a boy living in New York. He's a child actor in the 1970s."

7. Among Friends by Hal Ebbitt Ebbott
   An intricately constructed novel delving into complex friendships.

8. Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
   Feel-good fiction with depth, featuring quirky and grounded characters.

9. Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
   A journey through illness with poignant insights.

10. Absolute Favorites
    A surprise selection reflecting Annie’s evolving preferences.

Hunter McLendon’s Top 10

1. Audition by Katie Kitamura
   A compelling narrative with unexpected shifts that redefine the story’s perspective.
   Hunter McLendon [61:08]:
   "It reminds me a little of 'Fates and Furies' and how it's not like a twist in a 'Gone Girl' sense, but it is a shift in perspective."

2. Ordinary Time by Annie Jones
   A comforting read filled with wisdom, insight, humor, and compassion.
   Hunter McLendon [58:15]:
   "It's so comforting. It feels like the same comfort I got from Apex's Masterclass videos."

3. Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett
   A beautifully written exploration of personal and familial dynamics.

4. Open Heaven by Sean Hewitt
   A tender coming-of-age story narrated by the voice of a beloved character.

5. Among Friends by Hal Ebbitt Ebbott
   An intricately constructed narrative exploring deep friendships.

6. Wilderness by Angela Flourney
   A novel about lasting friendships among a group of black women over 20 years, noted for its non-linear structure and depth.

7. Perfection by Vincenzo Lachenico
   A concise yet profound examination of social media’s impact on personal relationships.

8. Flashlight by Susan Choi
   A multifaceted exploration of generational trauma and historical context.

9. Exit Zero by Marie Helene Bertino
   A magical realist short story collection that delves into human experiences with fantastical elements.

10. Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
    A poignant and insightful look into illness and human resilience.

---

5. Interactions with Authors and Inspirations

Throughout the episode, Annie and Hunter share personal anecdotes about meeting authors and the possibility of their stories being inspired or influenced by these interactions.

Annie Jones [20:52]:
"One of my very first book events, Jocelyn Jackson came for an event, and we went out to dinner. I made a comment about a hymn, and Jocelyn took that idea for her writing."

Hunter McLendon [19:59]:
"At the National Book Awards, I was in a group of writers, and two of them literally said, 'I'm stealing that.'"

They discuss the delicate balance between sharing creative ideas and the fear of having those ideas appropriated.

---

6. Final Thoughts and Recommendations

As the episode wraps up, Annie and Hunter encourage listeners to explore the books they've discussed and to follow their reading journeys through various platforms.

Annie Jones [65:11]:
"These are our top 10 of the year so far, despite our apprehension at the beginning of the episode. You can find the full lists in our show notes."

They also mention upcoming selections for fall releases and express excitement for the remaining months of the year.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Annie Jones [03:15]:
  "But now that life doesn't necessarily look like that, I think sometimes we just take for granted that our reading lives are definitely affected by what's going on in our personal lives."

• Hunter McLendon [02:32]:
  "My first month was great. I read like almost 20 books and I loved most of them. And then I was just, I think, this feeling of like you start to get stressed out and then like when you're stressed out, like life is like reading is not as fun."

• Annie Jones [04:31]:
  "I went to my Annie's five star reads Instagram, and I just looked at anything that was five stars or anything I still really had fond feelings for. And I made a list..."

• Hunter McLendon [61:08]:
  "It reminds me a little of 'Fates and Furies' and how it's not like a twist in a 'Gone Girl' sense, but it is a shift in perspective."

---

Conclusion

Episode 536 of From the Front Porch offers a heartfelt and insightful discussion between Annie Jones and Hunter McLendon as they navigate their favorite reads of the year. Their candid conversations about the influence of personal lives on reading habits, coupled with detailed reviews of their top book selections, provide listeners with both recommendations and relatable experiences. Whether you're a fellow book enthusiast or someone looking for your next great read, this episode is a treasure trove of literary insights.

Don't forget to visit bookshelfthomasville.com to purchase any of the books discussed and follow The Bookshelf on Instagram @bookshelf_tville for more updates.

Transcript

[Annie Jones]

Welcome to from the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South. Isn't the best any of us can hope for is to be endearingly hypocritical. Curtis Sittenfeld Show Don't Tell I'm Annie Jones, owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia, and this week I'm joined by my friend and frequent co host Hunter McLendon to talk about our reading years so far. Do you like listening to from the Front Porch every week? Well, you can spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. All you have to do is open up the podcast app on your phone. Look for from the Front Porch, scroll down until you see, write a review, then tell us what you think. Here's a recent review. Can't wait for Thursdays. I love from the Front Porch. I count down the days every week and Thursday doesn't come fast enough. Annie, Erin, Olivia feel like friends with the best book talk. I enjoy everyone that comes on the show to talk books, shop, mom Susie, Hunter, Cousin Ashley, etc. I only wish I lived closer to beautiful Thomasville, Georgia so I could visit the Bookshelf. Life Goals thank you so much. And thank you to all of the reviewers who have left kind words and thoughtful reviews about the show. We are so grateful anytime you share from the Front Porch with your friends and it helps us spread the word about our podcast and our independent bookstore. Now back to the show. Hi Hunter.

[Hunter McLendon]

Hello.

[Annie Jones]

Can you believe it's already time to talk about 2025 reading?

[Hunter McLendon]

No.

[Annie Jones]

I feel like this year has been such a blur. We are also, I could pretend that we are not time traveling, but we are time traveling. We're recording this mid May, so a little earlier than we normally maybe would touch base about what our reading years have looked like. And that is that. That is my fault and my future offspring's fault. But we are trying to kind of prerecord some things so it is a little early. That being said, how has your reading year been so far?

[Hunter McLendon]

My first month was great. I read like almost 20 books and I loved most of them. And then I was just, I think, you know, this feeling of like you start to get stressed out and then like when you're stressed out, like life is like reading is not as fun. Like.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. Yeah, I don't think we talk enough actually about how our personal lives and our personal emotional states affect our reading. We maybe talked a little bit about it during the pandemic when it was at the forefront of our minds. Like, oh, we're all grappling with this pandemic and this disease that we don't know anything about, and we're working weird hours and our children are on zoom calls. You know, all these things.

[Hunter McLendon]

Right.

[Annie Jones]

But now that life doesn't necessarily look like that, I think sometimes we just take for granted that our reading lives are definitely affected by what's going on in our personal lives. I mean, that has certainly been the case for me this year. I've read really good books, but I think I'm reading less than usual.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah, Yeah, I did. Yeah. It's really funny. Although I. I think I read like 12 books last month and I was like, oh, it's such a slow reading month for me.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. No. And of course, you know, you and I both know this. It's not about quantity. But I think when you are writing newsletters or posting reviews on Instagram, receiving books from publishers, like, you're trying to. I'm book selling. Like, you're trying to read as much as you can. I think I'm at about eight a month, which is pretty good. Like, I'm not mad about that. I just. I can also just tell that some weeks I'm loving the books that I'm like, or the rhythm is good. That's what it is. The rhythm is good. And then some months it's like, I'd rather watch tv. Like, some weeks I'd rather watch tv.

[Hunter McLendon]

Did you have a hard time coming up with your top 10?

[Annie Jones]

Yes.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah, same.

[Annie Jones]

Here's what I did. I went to my Annie's five star reads Instagram, and I just looked at anything that was five stars or anything I still really had fond feelings for. And I made a list, and then I looked at the list. Now, this happens every year where the top five is easy.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes.

[Annie Jones]

Like, I feel like I can do the top five. But you know what made me a little sad? I felt like I'd read a lot of really good, like, literary fiction or smart girl fiction. And then I look and I'm like, no, I haven't. Like, I'm reading a lot of commercial lit and. Which is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. But I. But I think it's where my brain is. Like, I just don't think it does feel a little pandemic y for me to have put a book in the world and to be pregnant. Like, it's. I. I think I'm reading a little bit differently.

[Hunter McLendon]

I will say there's a book that you. That I know you've read that I just finished. That's in. In my top 10 that I really enjoyed that I knew I'd like it. Cause I like the author. But I was kind of surprised. Like, I don't know why. Like, but how do I get. Like, you'll see. But, like. But it was one of those things where I was like, oh, wow. I didn't expect. Like, this is. But it's like, not. It's. It's a little more commercial. And I was like, okay, work.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. So I don't know. I. I had a hard time. What's interesting to me is I think if you were to ask me, annie, when have there been better books? 2024 or 2025? I think I would say 2025.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Every week I feel like there are really exciting books releasing books that I've highly anticipated. But then when it came time to make a top 10, I couldn't. I only did 10 because that's what this show is.

[Hunter McLendon]

I do have to say that there's, like, three or four books that are by favorite authors that came out this year that I did not love.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Which is a bummer.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. And I was like, these are gonna be. Sure. I thought, wow, it's such an easy top 10, because I just gotta put these people in. Like, no.

[Annie Jones]

No. Expectations were not met. If somebody were to ask you, 2024 versus 2025, what would you say?

[Hunter McLendon]

Some of my favorite books that I've read in the last. I know that, like, two or three of my favorite reads in the past couple of years came out this year.

[Annie Jones]

Okay.

[Hunter McLendon]

So, yeah, I would say that this is, like, this has some. I don't love everything I've read, but the books I've loved are major standouts.

[Annie Jones]

So while I was doing book tour stuff and this will be old news by the time this podcast episode airs, but the Pulitzer had just been announced, and I was talking to some fellow booksellers, and we were talking about how, for us, that was not disappointing news. Like, I expected James to be a top contender, if not the contender, because I remember when you and I were doing top 10 halfway through the year, and then we did top 10 or best of the year at the end of the year. It was like, James. And then nothing else like, or.

[Hunter McLendon]

Right.

[Annie Jones]

And that's not fair. There were a lot of really good books last year, but, like, James was the ease. I'm using air quotes. Like, the easy, best book. Like, it just didn't feel like there was a ton of competition for that whereas I feel like this year there might be some competition. Yeah.

[Hunter McLendon]

I will say one of my favorite books of last year, that is not for you, but that I still am obsessed with is all four is by Miranda July.

[Annie Jones]

Listen, I just saw Riverhead Post about it and I did have a moment where I was like, am I missing out? Because I think it's the one year anniversary of its publication and I thought, should I give it a go?

[Hunter McLendon]

I think you would appreciate so much, but I just know that the parts that you wouldn't like, you would really, really not like.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, yeah. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. Okay. So as is our tradition, we're going to do top 10. I even. Did you like how I blacked mine out so you couldn't see?

[Hunter McLendon]

I was like, oh, wow, she's not playing this.

[Annie Jones]

Like, I wasn't. I. I'm so proud of that. I have not looked at your list. But before we do that, we're going to run through just a couple of categories. So the first category is what was your first five star read of the year?

[Hunter McLendon]

Mine was Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, I wanna read this. Would I like it?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes. It is so good.

[Annie Jones]

I think I would like it too. You talked about it. I would really. I think I'm gonna move that to my tbr. My first five star read was Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. Listen, short stories. When you're having. When your attention is divided, short stories are the answer, my friends. Don't be intimidated by short stories.

[Hunter McLendon]

What? I like this one.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, I liked it a lot. There's at least I could name for you the stories. Like there's a story about a man who abides by the Franklin Graham rule or like the Mike Pence rule that I thought was fantastic. There's another essay. So she's dealing with maybe some religious themes that I find familiar because there's another one where a woman is trying to buy the book rights to this work of Christianity, nonfiction about marriage or something. Anyway, so there's. She's dealing with some themes that I just enjoy. I just think she's a good writer. I really do. I think I read almost anything she writes.

[Hunter McLendon]

I've still never read her. I'll fix it.

[Annie Jones]

I think you'd at least. A friend of mine just finished prep. You should at least read Prep. Like that's her. Like, I mean, let me rephrase. I think you should start with show, don't tell. That's where you should start, but the rest of the world can start with prep. Okay, Makes sense. Okay. What was your most surprising book?

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. My most surprising was a short story collection called Exit Zero by Marie Helene Bertino.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, okay.

[Hunter McLendon]

She wrote Beautyland and another book called Parakeet. And I was not expecting to. I just picked it up because I'd seen a lot of buzz for Parakeet and Beautyland. And actually Lauren Groff said that she loved Beautyland and she wanted it to be on the National Book Award longlist and just make it. So I read the short story collection, and there's this one story about a haunted bag of peaches that has stayed with me and it's like, it's so good.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. All right. I'm intrigued. My most surprising is a book that actually, I hope this isn't cheating. It doesn't release until August, but I read it already. It's called Blessings and Disasters. This is by Alexis Okeowo. I picked this book up on a whim. It's nonfiction. I'm gonna say connected essays. That's what I'll say. That's what it felt like to me. Connected essays. But it's all about her upbringing as the child of African immigrants living in Montgomery, Alabama. And so it's a history of the state of Alabama, but it's told through her perspective and like as a second generation immigrant and then her parents. I loved it. And I don't know if I loved it because of the kinship. I went to college in Montgomery, and so I don't know if I just liked it for the familiarity of it, but I think it was unlike anything else I've read this year where I was getting the history of a state, but also personal essays. So I just thought it was really original. I really like it.

[Hunter McLendon]

I hate whenever you make me really invested in something.

[Annie Jones]

Right. And now we've got to add to our TBRs. It's really.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. What has been your least favorite book this year? Spill the tea.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. Okay. I want to clarify. This book just kind of came at me at the wrong time. And I was captivated in the first half. And you've read it. And I feel so bad because I like this person, but it's when the Harvest Comes by Denny Michelle Norris.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. I read this. This was on my spring literary guide. But I will say I loved the first half.

[Hunter McLendon]

Right. Okay.

[Annie Jones]

I wish it had been set over the course of the wedding weekend, don't you?

[Hunter McLendon]

Uh huh. Yes. Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Like, I think if it had been a tight wedding weekend story, I Would have appreciated it more.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah, I think it's. You know what it is? It's like. That's the thing is, I love the first half. And I think that maybe it's just that I was kind of so disappointed in where it led to that it just. Like, the first half is, like, I liked, but, like, the second half just kind of made me, like, meh about it.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. Well, I'll also say the dialogue, for me was a struggle.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

I don't know if that was the case for you. My least favorite book. And this is gonna make some people mad. This is gonna make some people mad. It's Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. I did it. I did it. And listen, I'm not a snob, y' all. I am not a book snob. I'm not a snob. My list is full of commercial fiction. I like the Hunger Games. I bought Mockingjay Etsy pins for my entire book club to go see the midnight release of the Hunger Games when it came out. But this was not it for me. And let me tell you. Let me tell you why. Did you read this? Are you gonna read this?

[Hunter McLendon]

No. No.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Yeah. No, I didn't think so. Listen, Bookshelf staff loves this book. So again, I'm not throwing shade. I think this book is for whom it is for. But I wanted to love it because I wanted that, like, nostalgia kick. And instead, there were so many song lyrics in this book, Suzanne Collins could write her own lyrics collection. I was like, what? Why are there so many song lyrics in this book? And so you and I feel the same way. And this is. Honestly, I'm making fun of us now. I'm making fun of me and you, because what happens when you and I encounter italics in a text?

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, eyes closed.

[Annie Jones]

We're not reading that. We're not reading that. I am pretty sure this book included the entirety of Edgar Allan Poe's the Raven. And I was like, what is this doing here? Why do I need the entirety of the Raven quoted here? And then this is the other thing I will say. And anybody who's read this book, you know, he describes his love for someone as all fire. All dash, fire. If I never see that phrase again, it'll be too soon. I wanted to put my head into the wall. All fire. Please stop. Please stop. And what I've decided is teen angst may not be for me anymore. I might have aged out. I might have aged out. We'll see. So sorry. Sorry. Suzanne, listen, as I said, when I reviewed this book originally. Suzanne doesn't need my approval. She is a bajillionaire. And so it's okay that I didn't like this book. And it's okay if you did, by the way. It's totally okay if you did.

[Hunter McLendon]

I'm so glad to hear that, though, because people were beginning to make me feel like I was insane. Because they were.

[Annie Jones]

You had fomo, didn't you?

[Hunter McLendon]

Well, yeah, because I was like, this is the best book I've read all year. And I was like, really?

[Annie Jones]

Okay, yes, I had fomo. And listen, there comes a time, we all know this, when you just wanna do something for fun. And I think Bookshelf staff loved this. Cause a lot of them read it together. So it was like, buddy, reading it together. It was a cultural moment. We all like a cultural moment. It was like reading Fourth Wing from last year. And I was invested. I would like to say I was invested in Haymitch's story. Just of all the books I've read this year, this is the one where I was like, did I need to read that? No.

[Hunter McLendon]

Right? Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, what's next up on your tbr?

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, consider yourself kissed.

[Annie Jones]

I just read it.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. Did you like it?

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, I did.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay.

[Annie Jones]

Very British. Very British.

[Hunter McLendon]

That's fun. It's so funny. Like, okay, there's, like, a joke people have a lot where, like, because I read the National Book Award books for so long, everyone's like, oh, he only reads, like, American lit. And I'm like, no, no, no. I read world literature.

[Annie Jones]

I think you're way better at reading world literature than I am. For sure.

[Hunter McLendon]

Actually, one of my books, one of my, like, top 10 books is a translated book, so.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, good. Okay, next up for me is I need to finish the Girls who Grew Big. This is by Leila Motley. I am super annoyed with myself that I did not finish this before our top 10. Because I suspect it is top 10 material. Did you read Nightcrawling?

[Hunter McLendon]

No.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, so this is the author of Nightcrawling, but it's about these pregnant teenagers on the panhandle of Florida, and I am loving it. I also want to read the Names by Florence Knapp. It looks so good. Aaron on staff, read it. So I'm excited to read that, too. And then your most anticipated fall release.

[Hunter McLendon]

It is Will There Ever Be Another your? By Patricia Lockwood.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, I want to read that, too.

[Hunter McLendon]

It's so funny.

[Annie Jones]

Are you going to tell us the story now? Yeah, tell us.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay, listen. Okay, so, yeah, let me Tell you. So I go up to her, and I told her about how we did the podcast for Priest Daddy for Love It. To loathe it, and how much we loved it. And I was telling her the story about how I read it on your front porch while you were playing piano. And it was this beautiful moment. And then I proceed to tell her some very dark stories about my life that I thought were hilarious. And I will just like, no one else is going to get this except for you. But when she signed my copy of Priest Daddy, she said, hunter, breathe those crackers, Patricia Lockwood. And I truly like. Like, no one's gonna get. But it was truly, like, the funniest thing that has ever happened to me. And at what. And she also kept wanting to hang out. Like, she kept coming back to me, and I was like, I. Delightful. I was like, this is. Yeah. No, but it was also really funny because I gossiped with her and the. And like, the VP of Overhead. And let me tell y' all, there is. Listen, there is some drama going. There's some drama in the publishing world that, like, y' all don't know, but it's good.

[Annie Jones]

I want to know. You got to tell me.

[Hunter McLendon]

I'll tell you off air.

[Annie Jones]

Tell me off air. Here's what I'll say, though. I think Riverhead's back.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. Yeah. I agree.

[Annie Jones]

I felt disinterested, but I didn't know if it was me or them, because it honestly could have been me. My brain has been fractured in all kinds of ways.

[Hunter McLendon]

No, I think there was a slump.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Love everybody, but I think it was a slump. Yeah. I've been very invested in the last several releases that have come out, and I've really liked them. Okay. My most anticipated fall release is Heart the Lover by Lilly King. I cannot wait for this. It looks so good. I've already requested an arc. I don't know if I'll get one. And then I do want to throw out there a poetry collection that is releasing called Same by Hannah Rosenberg. I love following Hannah on Instagram. And if you like Lindsay Rush or Kate Bear. Kate Bear also has a new collection coming out in November, but this is a debut. It's called Same by Hannah Rosenberg, and I'm super excited for it. Oh, okay. Are you ready to do our top 10? Oh, wait. I was gonna ask you. I wanted to go back to your Patricia Lockwood story. When you meet authors, you've met a lot. Now you live in Philly. You live that big city life. When you meet authors and they meet you and you regale them with your wild Southern gothic tales. Do you ever think they go home and steal your material? Do you ever think they go home and take notes?

[Hunter McLendon]

Let me tell you, last year, when I was at the National Book Awards, I literally. I was just. You know, I talk a lot, and at one point, I was in a group of writers, several that we love, and two of them literally said, I'm stealing that. I'm stealing that.

[Annie Jones]

People say, listen, you gotta watch that. You gotta watch writers. And I think because you. We were in the green room, I'm using that term very loosely, with Jeff Zentner before we recorded the live podcast, and you were telling him all these tales. And it's so funny to watch people who've never interacted with you before, like, try to, like, keep up. And. And to Jeff's credit, he was keeping up, but, like, people who, like, are trying to riff with you, figure out where you're going, where the story is going, whatever. And I had a moment where I thought, I wonder if anybody has ever listened to Hunter and, like, gone home and been like, I gotta write that down.

[Hunter McLendon]

Like, I will. Yeah, I do listen, Like, I can't help it. I have a very, like. I just have a very, like, entertaining life.

[Annie Jones]

And you also have a way. Listen, a lot of people live entertaining lives, but they don't know how to tell stories. But you know how to tell stories. And so that's the other thing. But I. This has only happened to me one time. I'm hesitant to even say it here, but one of my very first book events, I was the manager at the Bookshelf in Tallahassee, and Jocelyn Jackson came for an event, and we went out to dinner. It was like, me, her, and Katie, the former owner of the Bookshelf, and I made a comment about how there's a hymn that I was still in the Church of Christ at the time. And so there's this hymn that you sing that we sung. It's talking about the Jordan River. But I sing it and think to myself, it's about Jordan Jones. And the phrase is like, something about, I wish I could remember the hymn. I'll remember it as soon as we get off air. But it's basically this hymn that's like, you have to go through Jordan to get somewhere. And I said that. And Jocelyn Jackson looked at me, she said, I'm taking that now. And she was nice about it, but she was like, that's fine. And I was like, wait a minute. Doesn't it ever and you're a writer. I am a writer. And it made me immediately think, well, shoot. No, wait a minute. Because I think you and I were both raised in storytelling homes and storytelling families and it doesn't occur to us that, like, some stuff we need to reserve for only ourselves. Does that make sense?

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, yeah. Listen, it's so funny because, like, sometimes people will be like, nobody wants to steal your ideas. And I'm like, actually, sometimes they do.

[Annie Jones]

They do. Read Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic. Sometimes they do t. Sometimes that's what creativity looks like stealing. Okay, well, let's do our top 10. I'm gonna start with my number 10.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay.

[Annie Jones]

We're surprising each other. I blacked out my choices. My first one is Play World by Adam Ross.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Have you read this?

[Hunter McLendon]

I did. I really like this. I did forget about. I did forget it for the list. It's fine.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. No, that's the thing. And here's what I'm here to tell you. This is on my top 10 today. I highly doubt. And this is again, I'm not trying to be mean. I don't think this is gonna be in my top 10 at the end of the year. But what I will say is that for my first half of the year, I loved and I devoted a lot of time to Play World. I think I read it from November to February or maybe January of this year. So it took me a long time. But it felt a little bit Goldfinch esque to me where I felt like it was worth devoting the time to it. Yeah, I liked what it was dealing with. It was a coming of age. I think one of the obvious comps is probably Catcher in the Rye. Something like that. Catcher in the Rye meets the Goldfinch. It's about a boy living in New York. He's a child actor. The 1970s New York setting. I really, really liked this book. I don't know that at the end of the year it will be one that sticks out to me, but for now it is, and I'm glad I read it. And it did feel for me. Again, I was talking about my fractured attention span. It felt to me like affirmation that I can still pay attention. Like I can still read a chonker of a book.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Because sometimes I wonder, am I done with reading big old books? But no, I could do it and I did it.

[Hunter McLendon]

So my number 10 is a book I've already mentioned which is Exit Zero by Marie Helene Bertino. I really did love this. I think it's Such a good collection. It makes me really want to go back and read her novels, which I do have. But I just think that there's something about that. It almost reminds me of a little bit of Karen Russell in how she kind of folds in these fabulous type things with really grounded human experiences. And I think she does it just as I think she does it as well as Karen Russell does, but it's in a very different way. And I just think that there's. I think there's something so special about something that's so fantastical, but that really pierces into some part of the human experience that you feel like doesn't really get explored enough.

[Annie Jones]

That sounds beautiful. And also makes me wonder because I don't know what's in your top 10, and I don't even know the answer to this, but is Karen Russell's latest work going to make your top 10?

[Hunter McLendon]

No. Did you read it?

[Annie Jones]

No, I haven't done. I've been intimidated. I'm not gonna lie to you. I feel intimidated. Even. I know. And this is probably why you go in blind to books, because even the description has been overwhelming to me.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

And I trust her. I totally trust her. But I have had a hard time feeling motivated to get started.

[Hunter McLendon]

I truly thought it was gonna be in my top five. And I think I'll reread it because I think I read it at a really weird time in my life. But I also was like, some of the things I love about her other work, it's very different. And I like that it's different. But it does feel like some of the things that I do love also. It reminds me a lot of. It feels like I can see how some of her short stories were kind of playing towards. Especially in Orange World, that collection. If you read that collection and then you read the Antidote, you can really see that she was exploring some of these ideas for a greater work.

[Annie Jones]

Interesting. She was setting the groundwork, which is always fascinating.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. My number nine is a total surprise. It is. Well, to me, anyway, it's Lucky Night. This is by Eliza Kennedy. I'm putting it here for a couple of reasons. First of all, this was one of the books I read this year that I absolutely flew through. It held my attention from page one. This is a book about a couple. They go to spend the night in a high rise Manhattan hotel. You realize that they are not married to each other. They are both married to other people. And this is their first time to, like, spend the night together. They normally, like, get away in the afternoon or what have you. And they've been doing this for like seven years. And so they've been together a long time and then their hotel catches fire and you don't know if they're going to survive the evening because they're in like the top of this high rise hotel. And then also they are like, it's very much about their inner lives and them trying to figure out what have we been doing? Are we gonna be found out after all this time? Why are we even having this affair? Do we love each other? I loved it. So the first reason I'm putting it here is because it held my attention and I thought it was really well written and doing a lot while also being incredibly plot driven. Like you just wanna know what happens to them because it's one night and you've gotta know if they make it out. But then the second reason is becauseand I don't have the book title in front of me. But I was going through fall catalogs and I came across a book that was like this exact plot and this happens. Have you ever noticed this? This goes back to Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. But there is another book coming out this fall that sounds the exact same as this. And so, and I think that just sometimes happens. So I did just want to plug this one before the next one comes out and maybe the one releasing this fall. Wish I remembered the name. Sounded just remarkably similar. So I wanted to plug this one before. Before another one releases.

[Hunter McLendon]

So what was the name again?

[Annie Jones]

Lucky Night by Eliza Kennedy.

[Hunter McLendon]

Lucky Night. How could I read that?

[Annie Jones]

It was great. It was kind of Fire Sermon esque in that it's these two people in their inner workings. But it added. Fire Sermon was so heady, I think, and very literary. This is well written. But it is also propulsive, fast paced fiction.

[Hunter McLendon]

So my number nine is a book I just read yesterday. It's called Perfection by Vincenzo Lachenico.

[Annie Jones]

I think I saw you post about this one. Is this the one Bernie recommended?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes. Okay, okay, Let me tell you, it's like 120something pages. You've got to read it. It's about this couple who live in Berlin who are like basically social media influencers. And it's kind of just about like how like hollow their lives. Just like, like there's, there's, it's so funny because it describes, it's like the first three pages is this lush description of, of their apartment basically. And then it's all kind of like wiped clean by like this, like it's wiped that facade is like, wiped away by like, the description of them having to, like, tuck their sheets in this one thing and do all these other, you know, to like to make it all in a different way.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah.

[Hunter McLendon]

And. And how, like. And also, like, how they're like, it describes their relationship and how perfect it is. And then it's not perfect. And it's kind of confronting this idea of like, of the performance of social media, but in a really interesting, honest way that I think will resonate with a lot of. And resonate with a lot of people. But also it was. It was really funny. But also like, when you stop to really reflect on it, it's so devastating. And yeah, it's one of those. And the more I think about it, honestly, it could probably go up in my list as the year goes on. But I already was like, yeah, this is really good.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. I think I would. I saw you post about it and I wondered if I would like it. Okay. Number eight for me is the Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. I listen, I like, feel good fiction that has some depth to it. This qualifies to me. I definitely fell in love with the characters, the quirkiness of it, the silliness of it. And yet it's also very rooted and grounded. I like Annie Hartnett. I think the only. I really need to read Unlikely Animals. I think that's the one I haven't read. But it's just been a joy to kind of watch her career. And I think this one has. Here's the good news for her is I think the COVID will make this one a super easy hand sell in the store this summer. Like, I think it's going to be really accessible for people who've never read her before. And at the same time, if you have read her, I don't think you'll be disappointed. So it feels like a very accessible work and yet it's not a disappointment. The characters are really great. The road trip plot feels very summery. I suspect this one could stay on my top 10, though I don't know where by the end of the year because I really did like it. So. So that is the Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay, so do you want to guess what my number eight is?

[Annie Jones]

Is it the same thing?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, my gosh. That's so fun.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

This never happens anymore. You read so Elite.

[Hunter McLendon]

Listen, okay, this is what I was telling you that I just read or I just finished because I started it because I loved Rabbit Cake. And here's the thing. Like So I read Rabbit Cake, which is a book that's dealing with, like. So Rabbit Cake is about this. It's this little girl dealing with the grief of her mom dying from drowning. And I read that right after my stepbrother had been found drowned in the lake.

[Annie Jones]

I did not remember the timing of that for you. Okay.

[Hunter McLendon]

And so that was just really funny. And then I read Unlikely Animals. I liked Unlikely Animals, but I did not, like. I didn't love it as much as Rabbit Cake, but I read that one during a weird transition period in my life. And then I read this one, and, like, there's something about. Like, there is something about how she writes with such tenderness about such difficult subject matter.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. Cause really, I mean, like I said, this book feels like this silly road trip story.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes.

[Annie Jones]

And yet the kids are dealing with serious trauma.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. Someone described it as like, Little Miss Sunshine esque.

[Annie Jones]

Yes, I would agree with that.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. And let me. Which also, like, the first, like, 30 or 40 pages are buck wild. Like, yes.

[Annie Jones]

You almost can't believe. You're like, what is. Where is she going with this? Like, yes, you're introduced to a bunch of different characters, but she. But she handles it deftly. Like, I loved it.

[Hunter McLendon]

I'm telling. It's so the more I'm talking about, the more I'm like, oh, no. I did love this book because, like, I was. It's so funny because I was listening to the audiobook for the first. Like, I started on the treadmill and I was gasping at what I. I literally, like, grabbed. Like, Hank was next to me, and I grabbed his arm and was like. And then he was trying to talk to me, and I was like, no, shut up. I can't. I don't know what's happening. I have to know what's happening. And it is. I think that it is one of the. It's one of the books that has grabbed me very quickly this year that, like, not a lot of books have done that, but I think it really just.

[Annie Jones]

It takes hold of you. Yes, I would agree with that. I never do. I feel as cool as I feel when I'm reading a bound galley. Do you know what I mean? Like, yes. Like. Like, it. It's the size of a manuscript. Like, it just came. It just came straight to my editor's desk. Like, And. And that's. That's how this came to me. And so that probably also. I mean, it's not fun to read what's essentially a word document printed out, but that is also testament to how Good. This book is that. I was reading it as essentially a word document, and I loved it. I thought it was so great. I'm gonna need one for my shelf. Oh, well, good. Well, that was a fun surprise. My number seven is Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green. Listen, Ashley and I were talking on a recent episode, and I just think John Green can do a lot of things, which is impressive to me, like, to go from writing really good. I think we forget how good his YA lit is, because he really was, like, an early adopter, like, an early entry into the form. And so I think now we kind of take him for granted a little bit. Maybe millennials don't, but I think millennials feel a deep attachment to John Green. But anyway, he went from Wiley to Then Truly, the Anthropocene Reviewed is one of my favorite essay collections of the last few years. And then now to turn his attention to something like tuberculosis and to make me care and pay attention, I think is a real gift. So I really like it. I think he puts a lot of thought into his work. Again, don't know where this one will land by the end of the year, but for now, I really think it deserves a spot.

[Hunter McLendon]

Well, now I want to. I actually haven't read. I haven't reread. I haven't read either of his nonfiction books. Now I'm like, well, maybe I should.

[Annie Jones]

You should listen to Anthropocene Reviewed. I think you would enjoy that, actually.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. I'm like, I'll put that on my. Like. Cause I actually. I think I have the audiobook, too. So, like, there's no excuse.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. And it's a good audiobook. He's a great narrator.

[Hunter McLendon]

How good to know. My number seven is Open Heaven by Sean Hewitt.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, now, I don't know about this one, so.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay, I'm gonna be honest. It is a little overwritten. He's a poet, and you can just, like, there's my.

[Annie Jones]

Listen, you can tell the poets. You know the poets.

[Hunter McLendon]

I was like. I was like, all right. I was like, some. Like, it's beautifully written. But I was like, sometimes. I was like, come on. However, despite that qualm, I ended up being really invested in this, partly because it's literally about this guy who is so obsessed with this childhood love that it has basically, like. It's basically, like, ruined his. Like, it's ruined his, like, marriage. It's, like, ruined his. Like, all these things are, like, kind of, like, taking a backseat to this obsession that he has had for years.

[Annie Jones]

And why does this resonate with you as a person. I don't understand.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah, you know, like, whatever. It's fine. Like, read the memoir. But no, it's so funny. I read this and I was like, oh, wow. I was like, okay, well, somebody else has already done this. But. But no, it is. I thought it was. I think he handles this. This dynamic between these two boys very beautifully. And also the audiobook is narrated by the bully from Heartstopper. And. And I really liked that. And I don't know. So that. That really got me. I love a bully. But, yeah, good audiobook. But it was. I just. I also like. It is beautifully written, though. Even though it's a little bit overwritten at times, it's beautifully, beautifully written. And I just thought that it was such a tender coming of age, coming into romance story. And I think it's. It's. I don't know. So, yeah, I thought it was good.

[Annie Jones]

What was the name of it again?

[Hunter McLendon]

Open Heaven.

[Annie Jones]

Open Heaven. Okay. Hi, friends, it's Annie. If you're looking for the perfect companion to our show, check out the Webby Award winning daily podcast, Totally Booked with Zibby. It's hosted by my friend and fellow independent bookstore owner, Zibby Owens, who's been dubbed New York City's most powerful bookfluencer by Vulture. Every weekday on Totally Booked, Zibby sits down with the best and buzziest authors to share work that is truly worth your time. If you're looking for a place to start, I recently stopped by to discuss my new book, Ordinary Time. And I had an amazing time discussing small town life and lit. So follow Totally Booked with Zibby on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening now. Podbean, your message amplified.

[C]

Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Annie Jones]

Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Hunter McLendon]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Annie Jones]

Use Podbean to record your podcast.

[C]

Use PodBean AI to optimize your podcast.

[Annie Jones]

Use PodBean AI to turn your blog into a podcast.

[C]

Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere.

[Annie Jones]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today.

[C]

There's a myth. A lot of us grow up believing that hair loss is just a part of life. It happens. It runs in the family. Once it starts, there's no stopping it. But here's the truth. That's outdated thinking. Scientific understanding of hair loss has advanced in recent years. Today, we have a deeper knowledge of underlying causes. And we've developed science backed solutions that are both effective and safe. And that's at the very root of Happy Head. Dermatologists led innovation offering stronger FDA approved ingredients that work. But what really sets Happy Head apart is how personalized it is. They don't do one size fits all fit fixes. You fill out a comprehensive consultation. They're board certified dermatologists assign a formula specifically for your hair loss pattern, goals and lifestyle. And whether you're early in your journey or more advanced, Happy Head offers targeted options that actually work. Topical treatments, oral capsules or potent dual action bundles, all delivered directly to you, discreetly and freshly compounded. In the US most people start seeing results in three to six months. But the real man magic, it's sustainable. This isn't just about growing hair, it's about keeping it long term. So no, hair loss isn't inevitable anymore. Visit happyhead.com and find out what's possible when science, expertise and personalization come together. Hair happiness starts here.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, my next one. These are surprise for me too, as I'm because I, I'm so proud of myself for blacking them out. Man. What, what talent. Okay, number six for me is Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks. She would not want me to call this a grief memoir. I do not believe. There are a couple of books on this list that are. I would put them in the grief canon. This is one of them. But aside from being a really thoughtful reflection on her husband's sudden death and then also the bureaucracy that she found herself like wrapped up in, I don't think people talk about that enough about how especially here in America, the aftermath of death is so clinical and like decision making. You have to make a million decisions when you are at your absolute worst. And the way she writes about that and then it's actually really beautiful nature writing about Australia, where she is from. So this book I truly adored. I picked up a copy in Savannah and I read it over the course of a weekend. Geraldine Brooks just knows what's up. She's just a great writer and I loved this one. This one I think will still be in my top 10 at the end of the year potentially.

[Hunter McLendon]

Haven't we read a book by her?

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, we read March.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. That's what I thought. Okay. Okay. Maybe I should read more by her. Okay.

[Annie Jones]

I think I should read more by her. I actually haven't read that much and now I'm kind of like, oh, maybe I need to read more of her because I really liked this one.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay, I'm gonna read that one. My number six, which it could go up, but I'll explain. But. So my number six is the Wilderness by Angela Flourney.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, this comes out this fall, right?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Okay. Talk to me about this one, because I'm super excited about it.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. Did you ever read the Turner House?

[Annie Jones]

I did not. But you liked it, didn't you?

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, loved. I loved. So the Turner House was a National Book award finalist in 2015, which was the same year that A Little Life and Fakes and Furies was on the short list. And for me, the Turner House was, like, right under those two as favorites, which I think speaks very highly of that book.

[Annie Jones]

Yes.

[Hunter McLendon]

But initially with the Wilderness, I wasn't sure. It is so different from the Turner House that at first I kind of had to wrap my mind around that it was just a different kind of book. I don't think you'll have that problem if you haven't read the Turner House, but she's approaching this book as a complete. You can tell that there's been a decade of distance between that book and this one. And I think that once I was able to adjust my expectations and be like, okay, this is not the same book. This is its own thing. It helped me to be able to appreciate it. And let me tell you something. I was so invested in these friendships that by the time I got to the. It almost kind of has like, a. I'm trying to think about how I would describe it. It feels like there's something about, like, Ann Patchett esque about the way that she explores some of the social dynamics. It's really interesting. It goes in really unexpected places. I did find all the different character stories interesting and distinct enough to where I could keep them separated. You know how this goes. I liked the ending a lot, and I thought it was unexpected and definitely got me.

[Annie Jones]

If you can stick the landing, man, we'll give you five stars.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. So I do think this is gonna be a really great one. And I think that when. Yeah, it's. But it is about. It's about these. This friend. This group of black women over the course of, like, 20 years, I think. And it's just exploring their friendship and some of the ways they come together and fall apart over the years. And I just. But it's not. But, like, the structure of it's really interesting because it's not chronological, and it doesn't kind of, like. It goes in and out of, like, different time periods and different character storylines. And so it may take a minute to just kind of, like, get your. Get your ground In. But, like. But I think it's clear enough to follow. But anyway, still think it's great. And I think actually the more I think about it, the more like, oh, yeah, you would really enjoy this.

[Annie Jones]

So how many pages? How long are we talking?

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, it's short. It's like under 300, I think.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Because I am already. Not already, but, like, I'm starting to read for fall. And this one, I saw this one in the catalog and I was like, did you read the physical? Did you get a physical arc?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes. Dang it.

[Annie Jones]

I mean, I. I've asked for a physical arc. We'll see if I get it. But I'll. I'll download that. I'll download it to my stupid Kindle.

[Hunter McLendon]

It's so funny because, like, this is why. This is another reason why I wish that we still lived closer. So that way.

[Annie Jones]

I know, like, I know. I know. When are you coming back? Like, you and Ashley. Sometimes I'm like, what is it going to take, you guys? What is it going to take? I'm having a baby. What more do you want?

[Hunter McLendon]

I know. It's so funny. I've like, not people care. But it was so funny because I was like, talking. I was talking to Hank and I was like, you know what? I was like, in the next year, I need to buy a home in Tallahassee in Thomasville. Tallahassee area. And he was like, okay, yeah, just.

[Annie Jones]

It could be where you summer. Lol. You should winter down here. That's what it should be. That's your winter home. Okay, number five for me is Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. We've already talked a little bit about it, but it's a short story collection. Yes, there is a story. I think it's the very last story in the book is a continuation or a follow up to her novel Prep. But even if you've not read Prep, that is fine. Like, it is totally fine. I hadn't read Prep in probably a decade and it's okay. But I loved the short stories. I think she's a great short story. She's great in short story format. Yeah, I really like her. I liked this book. Not sure where it'll land by the end of the year, but definitely top 10 for now.

[Hunter McLendon]

My number five is among friends by Hal Ebbitt Ebbott. Oh, is this in your top 10?

[Annie Jones]

It's not in my top 10, but it could be at the end of the year.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay.

[Annie Jones]

I gotta think about it because it's one of those books That I finished it, and I was like, did I love that? Like, did I love that as much as I think I did? And honestly, I think with time, I have loved it more.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. Okay. That's the thing, is that I really enjoyed it because first of all, I will say the construction of that book is really good.

[Annie Jones]

It's so good. It's so good.

[Hunter McLendon]

It's so funny because I was reading it while I was in St. Croix.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Patricia Lockwood National Book Award parties and St. Croix. Please, please tell me more.

[Hunter McLendon]

But I was like. I was reading it while I was on the beach, and I was like, this is great. But the thing is that I was. I had the time and, like, I was not distracted. And so I was able to really marvel at the construction of this book. And it is so smart. But it is also. It does feel like a book that you would. That would have come out in, like, the 60s as far as. Like, there's something old school about, like, it feels. It reads not like a. Like. Yeah, like a modern classic, I guess.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, totally. And did it remind you of the dinner at all?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes.

[Annie Jones]

Herman Cook. Yeah. Yes, that's what it reminded me of.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. So anyway. Yeah, so I think that's. And it comes. Oh, wait. Oh, it comes out in August, doesn't it?

[Annie Jones]

Sometime this summer.

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, July, maybe.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say is it feels summery, but also, it's set in the fall, too, so it could be a great transition book for you, like, if you're trying to go from summer to fall. Reading. I think it also went places I wasn't expecting. Same meaning. I went into it maybe thinking I was getting one type of book, and then instead I got a different kind of book, and I was okay with it. Like, I. Oh, my gosh, I really liked it. But interestingly, the more time passes, the more impressed I am by it.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. I'm hoping we see it award season, because I feel like it's deserving.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. Okay. Number four. For me, things in Nature Merely Grow by Yooyun Lee.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. You read this too?

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes. Okay, go ahead.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, listen. It is a choice to read a book like this while you are pregnant with a little boy, because this is really a book about mothers and sons. It is. Yuyun Lee would not want me to tell you it's a book about grief. She would not like that. But it is a mother grappling with her two sons, decisions to take their own lives. And it is brutal. I mean, it's just brutal. And I think the reason I'm. I think it will be in my top 10 at the end of the year. And the reason it's a standout for me is to go from reading her fiction, like Book of Goose, which I adored, and then to see, like, this. This book is almost fragmented. The sentences feel incomplete. Like, it's almost like she needed more time before writing it, and yet she put it out into the world. Still grieving, perhaps. I don't know. And I liked that. I thought it was a really brave choice. The writing is beautiful, but it definitely feels like you're in her brain, like you are in her thoughts. And so they're kind of all over the place, but in a way that is brutal, beautiful. I loved it, but it's also hard to say I loved it because of what it is and what it's dealing with.

[Hunter McLendon]

You know, it's so funny. That is a book that I probably would have liked, been in my top if I'd like, because it's one that I even. I think I even considered it. And then I was like, I think I just read the other two books, and so I was, like, swapping stuff around. But I did love that book. And also. Did you read Where Reasons End?

[Annie Jones]

No, I did not.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. So for the listeners, Where Reasons End is the book that she. That's the novel that she wrote, which is basically about a conversation that she is having with the first son that died after he's dead. And it's just this continuation of this conversation that she's trying to have. And it is a devastating book as well, but I actually think that this one is. I hate to say this is bad, but I do think this one is better just in how she's truly just kind of. She's not doing it through the lens of fiction at this point. This is truly.

[Annie Jones]

No, she's fumbling through her own. So I would like to. I would like to read Where Reasons End, because she references it a lot in this book where she talks about how that book was for her first son. And this book is really written for her second son. And what I think is interesting, obviously, we are not privy to who exactly her children were, but her first son sounds like he was creative and artistic, and her second son sounds like he was cerebral. And she references all kinds of. She makes all kinds of literary references, scientific references. Like, you can just tell that. And she, I think, even says in the book she couldn't write fiction about this son.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Which I thought was fascinating. Yeah, good.

[Hunter McLendon]

So my number four is a book that also explores a lot of, like, the relationship between a mother and son. It's an essay collection by Edgar Gomez called Alligator Tears.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, I saw you post about this.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes. And I really. His first book is a memoir called High Risk Homosexual. And I remember that coming out. It's very funny. But this. I think Hugh would actually really like this essay collection. It's very funny, but it is also. He writes a lot about growing up in poverty and the struggle his mom had to give him a better life. And, like, he tells the story of, like, how his mom, like, paid all this money for him to get veneers so he could have nice teeth and how it made him feel like he had this social currency. He talks a lot about writing High Risk Homosexual. And I had this feeling he had of, like, if he could just make. If he could just sell the book, he could make enough money, basically, to pull his money out of poverty. And it is. As someone who literally spent in my entire 20s trying to write something with this, like, delusional mindset that it was gonna, like, save my entire family, that really resonated. And I think that he writes with such tenderness. And he's a Florida writer, and you can. Can really sense that in his writing. And so I just. Yeah, this was really surprising, and I thought it was really beautiful. And I'm surprised, actually, that I'm surprised I haven't seen more people talking about it. Cause it is a book that I continue to look at and know that, like, I think it'll be in my top 10 at the end of the year.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. I'm trying to make mental notes. I think I want to read Mothers and Sons, and then Alligator Tears is the name of it. Okay. Okay. Number three, this one. Listen, I loved this book. I don't know if it's for you, but it is the Correspondent. This is by Virginia Evans. Certainly. I think this qualifies as commercial fiction. I've seen it on bookstagram a lot of places, but, gosh, I think it is so worth reading. My mom read it and loved it. It's one of those books I could easily hand sell to anybody. But it's an epistolary novel about a woman named Sybil. Sybil has been writing letters her whole life. Letters to her friends, letters to her sibling, her children. It's how she communicates with the world, and it's how we get to know her. She has also been recently given, like, a diagnosis of losing her sight. And so she is grappling with what will happen to her when she can no longer write. Here is one reason I do think you could like it. And what was a delightful surprise to me is that she also has a history of writing famous authors. And this is all fictionalized. There are letters in the book to various authors, and on certain occasions they write her back. And there is. I don't want to spoil it, but it's been out for a while. But there is some lonesome dove like that really made me. I just love when books that I love show up in other places. And it was really fun to see. I do think this will be in my top 10 of the year. I fell in love with Sybil. I read this on my Kindle, and then immediately when it released, I bought a hard a copy while I was on book tour. I really liked it. I think it's blurbed by Ann Patchett. Charming. That's the word I would use. Charming book. If you like books like 84 Charing Crossroad, which I do. So that's the Correspondent by Virginia Evans. And it's a debut, and I. God, I'm impressed with debut writers.

[Hunter McLendon]

I'm gonna say this, and I also realized I mispronounced his name earlier, but my number three is Mothers and Sons by Adam Hazlett.

[Annie Jones]

Hazlett. Okay.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yes. So he wrote Imagine Me Gone, which was a National Book award finalist in 2016. It was also a Pulitzer finalist.

[Annie Jones]

I'm sorry, but does that blow your mind? I just would like to say, when you said Turner House came out in 2015, I was like, why does that not feel like that long ago to me?

[Hunter McLendon]

I literally, in my mind, commits to everything. I feel like everything's still 2018.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. Or everything's five years ago. I can't wrap my brain around time. Sorry, I'm sorry to interrupt. No, you're fine. Imagine Me Gone doesn't feel like it came out that long ago.

[Hunter McLendon]

Did you read that one?

[Annie Jones]

No.

[Hunter McLendon]

You'd like it. You'd really like it. But yeah. So Mothers and Sons is about the. It follows this man who. He's like. I think he's an attorney for immigration law or something. And he is also haunted by this relationship that he had with. It's so funny. Such a reoccurring theme for me of, like, he's basically obsessing over this, like, this, like, young love that he had. And so there's that thread. And then there's also something about his mother, who I believe comes out as queer and is also, like, a some type of faith, leadership person. And so there's these two storylines that are kind of coming together. And you also know that there was some reaction that the mom had to an incident when he was a kid. And so it's all like. All these things are coming together, basically. But it's really good. Beautifully written, interesting construction. I think this is one of those books that has a very strong engine, narrative engine. So it's quick to read. And that's something I think he's really good at. I think he's good at writing stuff that's really captivating, but is also. But is also just good.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. And play. And playing with maybe structure or whatever. I would like to read this. I remember you talking about it at the beginning of the year. Okay. My number two is Flashlight by Susan Choi. Have you read this yet?

[Hunter McLendon]

No. I want to read this so bad.

[Annie Jones]

Listen, did you and I do a podcast episode about trust exercise? Why did we talk so much about trust exercise?

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. Cause I loved it. And you did not. But I convinced you to read it.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. You loved it. I did not. And so I saw this was coming out, and I was like, I don't know. She might not be for me. And I was sad, by the way, to not like trust exercise. I would just like to say I don't like reading things. Like, I like when you and I agree. And so. And I was in the minority, like, people, trust exercise. I mean, was it a award winner.

[Hunter McLendon]

Or it won the National Book Award? Yeah, yeah.

[Annie Jones]

So that was a me problem. But I picked up Flashlight, honestly, just because the premise sounded interesting. Like a father goes on a walk with his daughter along the beach. The next morning, like, his little girl is found. He is nowhere to be found. So I went in expecting, okay, maybe this is almost gonna be. I knew it was Susan choice, so I knew it wasn't gonna be a thriller or anything, but I thought, oh, maybe this is gonna be like a literary suspense or something like that. There are suspenseful elements, but really, then it becomes this great history. And I hope people won't be turned off by this description, but it turns out to be this really fascinating history about Japan and North and South Korea. It is very much about generational trauma and the decisions that kind of trickle down. I adored it. I thought it was fantastic. And I felt like, oh, now I get to see what everybody else saw. I do wonder. It reminded me a little bit of, like, maybe a Jesmyn Ward, where maybe if you're like me and trust exercise felt inaccessible to you for some reason, or maybe you couldn't quite get invested. I think you'll be able to get invested in flashlight fairly quickly.

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, I'm jealous.

[Annie Jones]

I love when you're jealous because you get all the arcs and you know it.

[Hunter McLendon]

I know. Like, it shouldn't be. Yeah. I'm like, I'm being so greedy. So we're on number two, right?

[Annie Jones]

Yes.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. I have to say so my top two books are neck and neck. And the only reason why I put this one is I was gonna put as number one, but I didn't want anyone to be having something to say about me being biased. But my number two is Ordinary Time. You know, I love this book.

[Annie Jones]

Thank you for protecting our reputation here on this show as unbiased journalists. I appreciate this. Choose where I should be.

[Hunter McLendon]

I'm curious. Do you have any idea what my number one is?

[Annie Jones]

No, I am totally. I have no idea.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. I'll be really cute. Okay. But so, yeah. So you already know. If you're listening to this podcast, I'm assuming that you either have read it or you know about it. If you don't, then, like, catch up.

[Annie Jones]

If you don't, then we have not done our jobs fairly well.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. But no, this is. I have read this in various stages over the last. Over two years now, I think maybe. And I've loved it every time I've read it. Actually, it's so funny because I was. This is gonna sound like. So, like, when I miss you, I'll reread something. Or now I'm able to listen to the audiobook, and it is very comforting. And so I think it is like, yes, I love it because you're my friend, but I also think that you are always so full of wisdom and insight and humor and compassion. And so it feels. I feel very honestly. I don't know if you remember this, but when I was. When I was really miserable at my old job, I used to come in early so I could cry watching videos of my Angelo's masterclass from Oprah and.

[Annie Jones]

The very on brand.

[Hunter McLendon]

But Ordinary Time gives me that same level of comfort.

[Annie Jones]

Aw. It's your. I'm your new Maya Angelou. That's what I just heard. Yeah, I'll take it. I will happily take it. Okay. My number one is Tilt by Emma Patty. This is a book about a pregnant woman named Annie who is shopping for cribs in ikea. And an earthquake hits in Portland, Oregon. And it becomes the road, essentially, of Annie trying to make her way to her spouse or her partner so that they can have their baby. I Loved this book. Jordan made a lot of fun of me that, like, I struggle to finish any pregnancy book that is put in my hands. I have not finished Knock on wood. But I haven't finished Emily Oster's Expecting Better. I have not finished Crib Sheets. Didn't even attempt. Did not even attempt what to expect when you're expecting. But you know what? I did love a post apocalyptic novel about a pregnant woman trying to survive. I felt very seen and I think the writing is fantastic. It's amazing to me what she was able to pack in like a short number of pages. I also think I really. There was quite a bit of climate fiction that I thought about including on this list. Like, I really liked Wild Dark shore by Charlotte McConaughey. So I think Tilt is also just, you know, writing very prescient literature about, like, what's going on in our current world. So I loved it. Can't believe it's a debut. Can't believe how much she packed into truly so few pages. It's almost a novella. I really liked it.

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, now see, I saw that, but I haven't. Now I have to read it.

[Annie Jones]

I do think you'd like it, actually.

[Hunter McLendon]

Okay. It's short.

[Annie Jones]

It's so short.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. My number one. I don't know if you've read it, but my number one is Audition by Katie Kitamura.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, I need to read this. I do need to read this. So this is your number one.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Okay. You just bumped it to the top.

[Hunter McLendon]

So I read this in like late October, early November of last year, and I read it in like one or two sittings. Okay. It is. It's about this woman who, she's an actress and this boy comes into her life and is basically like, I think you're my mom. And she's like, I'm pretty sure that's impossible. I think I might have remembered that. But it's exploring that. But she's also doing this play that she can't figure out. And there is something that, like, it's kind of being promoted that there's this shift that happens in the book. And I don't want to call it a twist, but there's definitely a shift that happens. I compared it a little bit and I told her this when I met her, but I said I was like, it reminds me a little of Fates and Furies and how it's not like a twist in a gone girl sense, but it is a shift in perspective in a way that is so unexpected that it kind of like, changes your view of, like, everything that preceded it. And I love when a book does that, especially right in the middle. And I'm pretty sure that it literally is directly in the middle of the book, too, which I just.

[Annie Jones]

Which then, you know, is plant. You know what I mean? Like, you know, that that was strategic and purposeful.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah. And I thought. I don't know, Like, I will say it's so funny because when I read the first page, I was kind of thrown somehow. And I was like, I don't know if I'm going to like this. And. And then I was like, within the first chapter, I was really captivated. And there in, like, I think the second or third chapter talks about the woman and her husband's relationship to having breakfast with each other. And it is one of those things where, like, she just writes so beautifully and devastatingly and honestly about marriage and about grief and about all these different things. But also the way she writes about motherhood is very interesting. Both, like, becoming a mother type figure and what the possibility is of actually being a mother type. So, like, I think that in the same way that you would have liked Tilt for those reasons, I think that you would love audition for, like, how it's exploring family dynamics.

[Annie Jones]

Do you think I should read the physical copy or listen to it?

[Hunter McLendon]

I read the physical copy. I think it's like, I think. I don't know. I don't know what the audio sounds like, but I loved reading it.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, well. And I loved reading Separation by her.

[Hunter McLendon]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Like, I remember. I have a distinct memory of sitting in my front yard reading her book because her sentences are so sparse. And like, if I'm remembering right, like, that book was kind of billed as, like, oh, this is about divorce, or this is about a breakup or whatever. And it was about so much more than, like, I loved it. I loved it. So I think. I don't know why I put off reading audition now. I want to go get a copy.

[Hunter McLendon]

Oh, listen, I didn't think she was going to top intimacies, but she did, which is good. But it's good.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. Those are our top 10 of the year so far, I think, despite our apprehension at the beginning of the episode. Those are two really good book lists, I think so. So you can find the full lists in our show notes. You can, of course, purchase the Bookshelf. Please don't purchase the bookshelf. Please let me have it. You can purchase these books through the bookshelf website, bookshelf, thomasville.com. it will be fascinating. Don't you worry. I will keep record of this so that we can see at the end of the year how our lists hold up when we come back together into this year. If you want to hear more from Hunter, of course you can follow him on Shelf by Shelf on Instagram, or you can join us on Patreon where we you could enjoy this witty banter every month where we talk about Don Quixote in our Conquer A Classic series. So thank you Hunter.

[Hunter McLendon]

Thank you.

[Annie Jones]

This week I'm reading A Change of Habit by Sister Monica Clare Hunter. What are you reading?

[Hunter McLendon]

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Bum.

[Annie Jones]

From the Front Porch is a weekly pipe podcast production of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow the bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram @bookshelf tville and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through Our store website, bookshelfthomasville.com A full transcript of today's podcast episode can be found at. From the frontporchpodcast.com Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of from the Front Porch and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. Our executive producers of today's episode are Cami Tidwell, Jamie Treadwell, Linda Lee Drost, Jean Queens Martha Stephanie Dean Beth Ashley Farrell, Amanda Wickham, Nicole Marcy Wendy Jenkins. Thank you all for your support of from the Front Porch. If you'd like to support from the Front Porch, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and helps us reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the podcast app on your phone. Look for from the Front Porch, scroll down until you see, Write a review and tell us what you think. Or if you're so inclined, support us over on Patreon, where we have three levels of support. Each level has an amazing number of benefits like bonus content, access to live events, discounts, and giveaways. Just go to patreon.com from the front porch. We're so grateful for you and we look forward to meeting back here next week.

[Hunter McLendon]

SA.