Episode 549 || October 2025 New Release Rundown

Summary

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From the Front Porch – Episode 549

October 2025 New Release Rundown

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Annie Jones
Guest: Aaron (The Bookshelf Thomasville’s online sales manager)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Annie and Aaron share their top picks for October 2025’s notable new book releases, ranging from climate fiction to debut poetry, historical nonfiction, and family-focused literary fiction. The conversation blends bookseller insight, personal anecdotes, and vibrant enthusiasm—offering listeners a curated guide to what’s worth reading this month.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Podcast/Bookstore Updates & Olivia’s Return

• Annie updates listeners on Patreon offerings (like the “Conquer a Classic” series) and briefly jokes about 2025 being “a weird year on Patreon because of, you know, babies” [01:49].
• Olivia, a beloved podcast regular, is out this month post-maternity leave but scheduled to return in November [03:09].

  “It's like when those astronauts, you know, when they return to earth, they kind of keep them in like quarantine for a while till they feel ready to go back out. I feel like that's what she's going through right now.” – Aaron [04:00]

2. October 2025 Bookseller Picks

A. A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar

• Release: October 14
• Summary: Climate fiction set in near-future Calcutta over seven days. Ma, a caregiver running a shelter, seeks a new life in Michigan. After receiving climate refugee passports, they’re stolen by a local teen, Boomba, who discovers Ma may not be as upstanding as she seems.
  • Grapples with moral dilemmas, survival, and blurred lines between hero and thief.
  • Short enough to read in one or two sittings despite heavy themes.
  • Features a striking, autumnal cover, making it visually appealing for display or gifting.

  “She [Majumdar] was called by Kirkus ‘the master of the moral dilemma,’ which was certainly true of A Burning, and I think it's going to be true of this book.” – Annie Jones [05:26] “...the Guardian isn’t quite what she seems and the thief isn’t quite what he seems.” – Annie [07:17]

B. Bog Queen by Anna North

• Release: October 14
• Summary: Genre-bending novel featuring Agnes, a forensic anthropologist called to examine an ancient bog body, and The Druid of Barida in ancient Celtic Europe. The bog itself is a narrative voice, linking timelines and reflecting on humanity.
  • Blends modern investigation with ancient history and myth.
  • For readers who enjoy dual timelines, archaeological intrigue, or “literary cousins to We Keep the Dead Close.”

  “The bog itself is also a character. Like, the bog speaks…the bog gets to observe human behavior and all, think about all the things that have happened during just over thousands of years.” – Aaron [12:49] “If anyone listening reads this book before me, please let me know what you think about it because I’m curious to see how people enjoy that sort of dual pov, that dual timeline.” – Aaron [13:18]

C. Same by Hannah Rosenberg

• Release: October 21
• Summary: Debut poetry collection by popular Instagram poet Hannah Rosenberg (@hannahrowrites). Accessible, contemporary poems often themed around friendship, womanhood, and the beauty in everyday moments.
  • Great as a gift; ideal for fans of Kate Baer, Lindsay Rush, or “Poetry is not a Luxury.”

  “I think this is one you should share with friends and family this holiday season. …I love gifting poetry because I feel like a lot of people are intimidated by poetry on their own. But if…it's just sitting on their nightstand or sitting on their coffee table, pick it up, flip through it, read a poem or two.” – Annie [18:08]

  • Annie shares she uses Rosenberg’s poems for monthly reflection and appreciates poetry’s greater accessibility thanks to social media [19:42].

D. Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution by Amanda Vale

• Release: October 21
• Summary: Expansive yet readable 700+ page historical nonfiction about the Schuyler sisters, bringing fresh perspective to their roles in the founding of America. Pulls from letters/history and resists academic stuffiness.
  • Timely and approachable for Hamilton fans or those curious about women’s influence in the early U.S.

  “It’s showing how their story fits into the whole story of the US as a whole. But I am excited to finish this… it’s so readable… it’s not stuffy. It doesn’t feel academic, although it’s very well researched.” – Aaron [21:53]

  • Annie appreciates that this “deep dive” is written by a woman and focuses on women’s perspectives [24:59].

E. Wreck by Kathryn Newman

• Release: October 28
• Summary: Autumnal follow-up to Newman’s “Sandwich,” following the same family through new challenges, with signature humor and deep emotional resonance. Rocky, the central character, deals with aging parents, adult children, and obsesses over a local accident.
  • Recommended to read “Sandwich” first for full effect, though “Wreck” stands alone.

  “If you want excellent writing but you also want a compelling story about a family, then I think you will really like Wreck. I think you should read Sandwich first.” – Annie [29:24]

  • Discusses the appeal of duologies or linked seasonal novels in creating a “universe” à la Elizabeth Strout [29:47].

F. The Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson

• Release: October 28
• Summary: Novel-within-a-novel structure, set in a Cherokee Nation youth detention center. Explores injustice, jealousy, Indigenous identity, art, and trauma, with potential autobiographical notes by the author, himself Cherokee.
  • Noteworthy for its original illustrations, possibly by the author.

  “This is a very interesting book. It is a novel within a novel…Based on what I know about the author… it feels like it might be slightly autobiographical fiction, just slightly.” – Aaron [31:17]

  • Annie plugs “Soft as Bones,” a memoir about Indigenous family trauma, for listeners interested in similar themes [34:22].

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Olivia’s Return:

  “I cannot remember if in September reading rundown I promised people the voice of Olivia would be back in October. And I think still want people to panic… She has started back as of this recording part time...she will be back on this podcast in November. So nobody panic.” – Annie [02:59]

• On Book Formats & Industry Frustrations:

  “The deep hold that Amazon has on every aspect of this industry—and the fact that I can read arcs more quickly electronically on an Amazon owned device is infuriating, to be honest.” – Annie [08:05]

• On Poetry & Social Media:

  “I am probably just like everybody else struggling with social media and like how much time I spend there and what my feed is filled with. But one real perk… is…poetry. Thanks to accounts posting, even poetry from long ago or writers posting their current poetry, it’s just right there. Like, you don’t have to go anywhere else for it.” – Annie [19:42]

• On Women’s Role in History:

  “It just shows how much impact women had and still have to this day, I think, on things that were happening in that country, they were able to influence it by influencing the men that were making the decisions.” – Aaron [22:47]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Olivia Update & Patreon Announcements: [02:59–04:32]
• How to find episode books online + Coupon code: [04:11–04:49]
• A Guardian and a Thief (Majumdar): [04:51–09:38]
• Bog Queen (North): [10:09–13:35]
• Dual timeline books & Bookish comparisons: [16:13–16:33]
• Same (Rosenberg): [16:34–19:23]
• Pride and Pleasure (Vale): [20:37–24:59]
• Wreck (Newman): [25:23–31:08]
• The Devil is a Southpaw (Hobson): [31:10–34:22]
• Book by another indigenous author—Soft as Bones: [34:22–35:18]
• Summary/Outro: Where to find books, coupon code, recommended events in Thomasville: [35:40–37:43]

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Tone and Style

The conversation is cozy, enthusiastic, and informed by the real-life experiences of independent booksellers in the South. Annie and Aaron offer insight tailored for fellow book lovers (“if you read like Nancy, you might enjoy this book”), provide practical recommendations (use the coupon code, shop local), and openly share their excitement—plus a little irreverent industry commentary (“Publishing is a little bit lacking. It’s behind the times as an industry.” – Annie [23:48]).

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Summary Table: October 2025 New Release Picks

| Book Title | Author | Release Date | Genre/Theme | Annie/Aaron’s Take | |------------------------------------------|--------------------|---------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------| | A Guardian and a Thief | Megha Majumdar | Oct 14 | Climate fiction, moral dilemmas| “Highly anticipated,” “master of moral dilemma” | | Bog Queen | Anna North | Oct 14 | Dual timeline, myth/archaeology| “Everywhere,” “the bog speaks as character” | | Same | Hannah Rosenberg | Oct 21 | Debut poetry | “Giftable, Instagram-famous, accessible” | | Pride and Pleasure | Amanda Vale | Oct 21 | Nonfiction, history, women | “Readable, feminist, great for Hamilton fans”| | Wreck | Kathryn Newman | Oct 28 | Family fiction, sequel | “Beautiful writing, relatable, funny” | | The Devil is a Southpaw | Brandon Hobson | Oct 28 | Indigenous fiction, coming-of-age | “Novel within a novel, art, justice” |

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Recommendation

If you’re looking for October’s standout releases across genres—climate fiction, poetic debuts, insightful historical narratives, and complex literary novels—this episode offers a warm and candid roadmap, directly from the heart of the indie bookstore world.

Tip: Use the code "new releaseplease" for 10% off these titles at bookshelfthomasville.com (search for Episode 549 to view the collection).

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For further details or the transcript, visit FromTheFrontPorchPodcast.com.
Follow Annie, Aaron, and The Bookshelf on Instagram: @bookshelftville

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Transcript

[Annie Jones]

Welcome to from the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South. My life is filled with the souls of women I love, the ones who make my belly ache from laughter, the ones who catch my tears, who show up on my doorstep to celebrate and grieve, who stand up for me when I put myself down, women who will love my children, dance as we age, protect my secrets, share in my joy, sing even when we're sinking in sorrow. They walk close, promising their lives to me. A marriage without a wedding, a commitment without a ring. If you have these women, remember the soulmate is a wonderful thought, but look at how beautiful these love stories are. Look how they make you full Hannah Rosenberg Marriage of Friends Same I'm Annie Jones, owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. Today I'm joined by the Bookshelf's online Sal manager Aaron to give you a rundown of our favorite new books, releasing in October. If you are a new or newish listener, you might not realize that from the Front Porch is a production of the Bookshelf, a small, independently owned bookstore in rural South Georgia. By listening to our show and recommending it to your friends, you are helping keep our indie bookstore in business. And if you like what you hear, one way you can financially support us is through Patreon. Last year you might know we read the classic American novel Lonesome dove with over 1000 Patreon supporters, and this year we have been reading the very different Don Quixote. We are going to be so pleased and proud of ourselves to conquer that classic, and we are getting ready to officially announce our plan for 2026. Hunter and I are pumped. For $5 a month you can access our monthly Conquer a Classic recaps, including old episodes, if you're choosing to read previous books we've discussed, as well as our monthly live Q and A porch visits where we talk about everything from pop culture to nail polish to what books you should take on your next vacation. To learn more about our various Patreon tiers and benefits, you can visit patreon.com from the FrontPorch. I'm going to go off script here and just tell you that our plan for 2026 I'm finally so excited about 2025 has been a weird year on Patreon because of, you know, babies, and so 2026 promises to be a little more organized and I am very excited. Now back to the show. Hi Erin.

[Aaron]

Hi Annie.

[Annie Jones]

I feel like I should tell people because now I Honestly cannot remember if in September reading rundown I promised people the voice of Olivia would be back in October. And I think still want people to panic.

[Aaron]

We left it open ended. I think, okay, I just don't want.

[Annie Jones]

People to panic that she is not here. But she has started back as of this recording part time at the bookshelf after welcoming her new baby boy. And so she will be back on this podcast in November. So nobody panic.

[Aaron]

I think she was ready for today, but just schedule wise it just didn't work out. But she's ready to be back.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah, she's ready to be back. But she did tell me Yesterday she had 900 emails, I think in her inbox. And so this is when you come back from the maternity leave, vacation, whatever. You just needed some time to like, re. Acclimate.

[Aaron]

Yes.

[Annie Jones]

And so I asked her about podcasting and she was like, I mean, I can. I'm. I'm ready. But also. And I looked at her and I was like, it's fine, it's fine. Technically, she was not even coming back until October, so it'll be okay. And it'll give her time to.

[Aaron]

To check her email. It's like when those astronauts, you know, when they return to earth, they kind of keep them in like quarantine for a while till they feel ready to go back out. I feel like that's what she's going through right now.

[Annie Jones]

That's exactly right. She would love that analogy too. Y Very appropriate. So we have each of us have three books we want to talk to you about for October. You can keep in mind, as usual, that Aaron has made browsing our podcast book selections super easy. So you can go to bookshelfthomasville.com, type today's episode number. That's 5:49, guys. 5:49.

[Aaron]

Amazing.

[Annie Jones]

Wild. Wild. You can type that into the search bar and you'll see all of today's books listed there ready for you to pre order or purchase. Then you can use the code new releaseplease at checkout to get 10% off your order of any of today's books. Okay. Are you ready, Aaron?

[Aaron]

I am so ready.

[Annie Jones]

Okay, so the first book I want to talk about is on my personal highly anticipated books for fall. And that is A Guardian and a Thief by Megham and Jumdar. This releases on October 14th. And I'm excited about this one because. And I scrolled back, I scrolled back through Instagram, which, wow, what a journey. I don't know if you've done that lately, but I scrolled back to the year 2020 to find my review. Yeah, to find my review of A Burning, which was Megha Minjum Dar's first book.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I loved it.

[Annie Jones]

Oh, did you read that one?

[Aaron]

I did.

[Annie Jones]

Oh my gosh. I loved that book so much. I featured this new book, A Guardian and a Thief, during the fall literary first look. But one of my favorite descriptors of Meghan Jundar is, I think Kirkus or somebody called her the master of the moral dilemma, which was certainly true of A Burning. And I think it's going to be true of this book. I loved A Burning, but it did release at like Peak 2020. I have.

[Aaron]

Can't even remember.

[Annie Jones]

I remember finishing it and the store was dark and empty and like I sat in the. I sat in the floor in the front of the register and cried. Cause the book was so beautiful. But also there was a lot going on into the world and you know, here we are and there's a lot going on in the world now. And so maybe this book will meet me where I am again. So A Guardian and a Thief is climate fiction, which we've seen a lot of this year. It is set in a near future, Calcutta, over the course of seven days, which I always really like. It's almost like a bottle episode of TV when you get three days in June, or, you know, set over the course of a year like the Academy or something like that. So this is set over seven days in Calcutta. Our main character is Ma. She is a careg. Caregiver who currently runs a shelter in Calcutta. And her partner lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And Ma, her goal is to take, I believe it's like her parent, her aging parent, and then a toddler. Her toddler, she wants to move to Ann Arbor. And to do that she has to get like some kind of climate refugee passport. And so she finally has secured these passports so that they can move to Ann Arbor. And one night she like wakes up and turns out someone has broken into her home and is stealing her passports.

[Aaron]

Oh, no.

[Annie Jones]

And we discover that young man, he's like a young teenager. His name is Boomba. And he has stolen her passports. But also Boomba has made a discovery, which is that Ma is not perhaps as angelic or as maybe upstanding as she first appears. Turns out maybe she's stealing from the shelter she helps run in order to have food and to feed her family. So the guardian and of the thief are, I believe, Ma and Boomba, respectively. And I think what is going to happen is that the Guardian isn't quite what she seems and the thief isn't quite what he seems. I have started this book and I am loving it. I am mad because I'm reading it on my Kindle and this is just. If any publishers are listening to this, booksellers do still love physical arcs. I just, I went on a little, a little rant in an episode I just recorded because sometimes I'm realizing the clutch hold. Is that the right word? The deep hold that Amazon has on every aspect of this industry and the fact that I can read arcs more quickly electronically on an Amazon owned device is infuriating, to be honest.

[Aaron]

It feels like you are at the mercy of. Of someone else.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. And I totally appreciate the convenience of it. I've been very grateful for it the last year to be able to read this way. It's not my preference, but I can do it and it certainly helps me do. I mean it helps me do my job better. But I'm frustrated so I'm reading this on my Kindle. I'm really liking it. One of the things that I think is helpful to know about this book is it's relatively short and at least the publisher's blurb. I say it's relatively short. Again, I'm reading it on my Kindle, but based on, based on the percentages I'm seeing, it's relative short and the publisher blurb talks about it being able to be read in one or two sittings. And so even though this is a book that maybe covers some heavier territory, I don't think you're going to get bogged down in it. And I don't think it's going to be too heavy in terms of page count. It might be heavy in terms of content, but I don't think you'll get stuck there. So that is A Guardian and a Thief by Megham Jumdar releases on October 14th. One of my highly anticipated books. It also has a beautiful cover. So if you're the kind of person who judges books by their cover, and I think that is totally okay and very normal, then this one might be one you want to add to your list.

[Aaron]

Yeah, it's beautiful. I love the COVID It's simple, but it's also striking.

[Annie Jones]

I actually think I was thinking about because I've been reading A Life and Death and Giants. I think it's gonna be five stars for me. I love it so much. But the COVID of that book feels very autumnal and I've been paying attention and like a Guardian and A thief feels like a very autumnal and just picturing what you could put on a shelf.

[Aaron]

Anyway, you're going to come in and make some end caps soon is what I'm hearing.

[Annie Jones]

Fall party. Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Yeah.

[Aaron]

Okay. Well, my first book is called Bog Queen. It's by Anna north. It comes out October 14th. I don't know about you, but I've seen this everywhere. I feel like it's just. I don't know what it is. And full, full disclosure, I have not read this book yet, but I have the alc. The audio copy which I hope to start listening to on an upcoming road TR trip. So the author previously wrote a book called Outlawed which I, when I looked up the COVID I was like, oh, I definitely remember this book. It's like pinks and blues and yellows and there's a cowboy. It was a western that sort of turned everything on. It said in a Reese's book back in Gracious. It's probably like 2022, 2023. So she is back with this tale completely different. But this is the tale of Agnes. She's a forensic anthropologist, which is just one of those jobs that I feel like, no, I don't know anyone that actually has that job. Somebody out there. It feels like a job you think that you would like to do when you're like 12 or something. No offense to anyone who's an. I know it's an actual job. Anyway, moving on. But she's called in to examine this body that's been found in a bog, hence the name. It's believed to be a murder victim from like maybe the 60s. But as Agnes starts to investigate and do her. Do her very important job, she realizes that this body is older than any body she's ever seen. Like very old. And so as she starts to try to do her examination, she's sort of caught up in this red tape of all the parties who have an interest in this body. Like the family of the victim who they believe was the murder victim. It turns out not to be her, but the family's invested. There are government agencies that are invested. There are climate people that are invested. So she's just, just trying to do her job and she is under a lot of pressure and stress and trying to find out who it is. And that's the first part of the book. And it turns out there's a second part of this book that is from the point of view of this Celtic priest in ancient Europe. And her name is the Druid. Of Barida and it starts to tell her story. This is at the beginning of like the Roman Empire, like when the Roman Empire starts to expand all over the world. And so her story is part of the book as well. And as you can probably tell, this lady is the person that they, that they find. So she's, I mean, isn't an ancient, but the bog itself is also a character. Like the bog speaks the bog.

[Annie Jones]

This is where I saw this and I thought this is an Aaron book. I think, like, you know me.

[Aaron]

But, you know, it's, I think that's beautiful that it's present for eons of time. It gets to observe human behavior and all think about all the things that have happened during just over thousands of years. Right. So I'm excited to read this one. I know this is, I feel like it's going to be everywhere again. Great cover. It's like a very verdant cover. It's got green and plants and all that kind of stuff all over it. So it's, it's really exciting to me. If you read this book before me, which you might, it comes out October 14th. If anyone listening reads this book before me, please let me know what you think about it because I'm curious to see how people enjoy that sort of dull pov. That dull timeline. It's called Bog Queen by Anna North. Comes out October 14th.

[Annie Jones]

Hey, this is Annie and I'm taking a quick break from this episode to tell you about Discover Thomasville. Gracefully tucked within the storied red hills of South Georgia, Thomasville curates a distinguished downtown experience that meanders along several blocks of our iconic red brick streets. Here, bespoke boutiques, master craftsmen, coveted antique art purveyors, and celebrated culinary artisans converge in harmony with the cultural richness of the Pebble Hill Plantation Art Tour and the tranquil allure of Birdsong Nature Center. Here you discover the soul of the South. Here you discover Thomasville. Learn more by visiting thomasvillega.com News hey friends, it's Annie. If you're looking for another bookish show to add to your listening cue, check out the Webby award winning daily podcast, Totally Booked with Zibby. It's hosted by my fellow independent bookstore owner Zibby Owens, who's been dubbed New York City's most powerful bookfluencer by Vulture. Every weekday on Totally Booked, she sits down with the best and buzziest authors to share work that's truly worth your time. And that's not all. Season two of Totally Booked Live is here. This time around, you're invited to be part of the live studio audience in New York for 16 incredible interviews with stars like Danny Shapiro and Susan Orlean. Every conversation will be released on the podcast feed after, so don't miss out. Follow Totally Booked with Zibby wherever you're listening now. You know, part of our job as booksellers, I feel like, or maybe it's just naturally how some of our brains work. But when I read a book description, I'm kind of like, oh, like, where would that, what book would that sit on the shelf with? Not necessarily literally like the same genre or. But what book would it be in conversation with? And one of the books that I feel like still lives in my brain is another book that I read during the pandemic, which was We Keep the Dead Close. And it was nonfiction and it was dual timeline, but it was a kind of a true crime murder mystery story about a camp like that happened, I think, at Yale, if I'm not mistaken. But then it also dealt with this like, archeological dig kind of thing. And so anytime a book kind of takes delves into that maybe archaeological aspect, we Keep the dead Close, like, comes to mind.

[Aaron]

It pops up.

[Annie Jones]

Yeah. Yeah. And so there's a world in which I feel like Bog Queen is kind of like cousins, literary cousins with We Keep the Dead Close.

[Aaron]

Keila has listened to this, I guess, already, and she says she thought it would be a great Nancy book. So, like, if, if you read like Nancy, you might enjoy this book when it comes out.

[Annie Jones]

The COVID really is great, too.

[Aaron]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

Okay. My next one is very different. It is same by Hannah Rosenberg. It's the, the book that I pulled the quote from at the top of the episode I wanted to read. Whenever we do a poetry book, I like to try to read a poem from that book. If you are a fan of A Bit Much or Kate Bear. Kate Bear also has a new collection coming out next month. We continue to do really well with Kate Bear's poetry at the bookshelf. What Kind of Woman. And yet. So she has a book coming out in November. But it's especially hard, I feel like, to break into the world of poetry as a debut. Poetry so Same by Hannah Rosenberg is a debut collection releases on October 21st. And Hannah, I have seen, and I bet a lot of you have too, you've probably seen Hannah's poetry, like, be reshared to an Instagram story or something like that. Her Instagram handle is Hannahro writes. So Hannah Ro writes, which we'll put in the show notes because this is an example of. You should go to Hannah's Instagram, see what you think. She has a lot of her work available on her Instagram account. So you can kind of see what kind of poetry she writes. My favorites of hers are like every month she writes a poem about that month. So like if September were your friend. And then she.

[Aaron]

Oh, I've seen those.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. Yeah, so that's Hannah. So if September were your friend, she would. And there's these beautiful. It's just this beautiful imagery. These months were your friends. So this is her debut poetry collection. She's posted a lot of excerpts of it online already. Every holiday season I feel like I try to recommend a poetry collection or something that you could gift your girlfriends, the people who you need stocking stuffers for or maybe even teacher gifts or something like that. And I think this is one you should share with friends and family this holiday season. Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about that. At least. At least if you're a bookseller. Yeah, at least if you're us. And so this looks like a very giftable book. Perfect little hostess gift. I love gifting poetry because I feel like. Feel like a lot of people are intimidated by poetry on their own. But if they have a book just sitting on their nightstand or sitting on their coffee table, pick it up, flip through it, read a poem or two. I've even started to think because my mornings are starting far earlier than they used to start. I've wondered if it would be nice for me to read a poem each morning or something like that to start my day. So I'm tempted with this one as well. So this is a poetry collection. It is called Same by Hannah Rosenberg. You can already find excerpts from it on her Instagram handle on her Instagram account. Her handle is HannahRowrites. This releases October 21st. Perfect for fans of Lindsay Rush, Kate Baer. These women are making, I think poetry a little bit more accessible. If you liked the recent Poetry is not a luxury collection, this could be a great follow up for you.

[Aaron]

I just love. I feel like poetry has definitely expanded and thrived these past and definitely become more accessible to the every woman, every man. Yes, I've read more poetry in the past three years, I think than I have my entire life. You know, school accepted, but you know.

[Annie Jones]

I mean I. I am probably just like everybody else struggling with social media and like how much time I spend there and what my feed is filled with. But one real perk of Instagram or the Internet. The meta of it all notwithstanding, one perk I do think is I do, I do think poetry. Thanks to accounts posting, even poetry from long ago or writers posting their current poetry, it's just right there. Like, you don't have to go anywhere else for it, so you can just kind of stumble upon it. Yeah, it's discoverability is probably at its peak, if I had to guess. And so I'm happy for debut poets like Hannah who get book deals and who are able to put books into the world because people have discovered her work online.

[Aaron]

Yes, it brings me a lot of joy to read little poems or like little, little advent gifts you can open up every day.

[Annie Jones]

That's right.

[Aaron]

Okay. My second book is called Pride and Pleasure by Amanda Vale. It comes out October 21st. I was originally attracted to this because it is about the Schuyler sisters. It's about Eliza and about Angelica. And if you, like me, have seen Hamilton live, watched the movie on Disney, paid money to go watch that same movie in the theaters when it came.

[Annie Jones]

Out a few weeks ago, did you go do that? Jordan and I wanted to. And now child care is a thing we have to care about.

[Aaron]

Serious. Yeah, seriously, it's a problem. But. But if you are really enmeshed in that world, as I am, and if you're a love of these historical figures started with Hamilton, I think you will find this a great read. It opens with a little bit of. Which I loved. It opens with a little bit of background about the Schuyler family. This is a nonfiction book. It's, it's, it's all pulled from, you know, history and letters and things like that. And I was just. This was like a. A country before we even fought the war for independence from Britain. So this is like, people are still just coming over from Britain and there's just vast land that people are buying up, you know, I mean, millions of acres of land. And so these families, these large families are starting to become very, very, very rich. And the Schuyler family is one of those families. And so that was fascinating to me. And again, I haven't finished this, but I am reading it. But what follows is just chapter after chapter of information. But for me, it's so readable. It's like, oh, I gotta find out what happens. It's. It's not stuffy. It doesn't feel academic. Although it's very well researched. It is. It is 720 pages. But hear me out. I've been told that half of, like, a good portion of those pages are notes, like footnotes. You Know, research notes and things like that. So don't let that page count. Scare you, if you're interested in this. But it. It is about Alexander Hamilton. He is a character, obviously, in this story. It's about Eliza. It's about Angelica, but about Peggy, too. Let's not forget about Peg. Never forget Peggy and Peggy. But it shows. I love how it shows that their. How their stories are woven into what was happening in this country during that time and how influential. You know, women had no right to vote. They basically didn't have rights to maybe even choose. So they wanted to marry sometimes. But it just shows how much impact women had and still have to this day, I think, on things that were happening in that country, they were able to influence it by influencing the men that were making the decisions. And so it's. The subtitle of this book is the Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution, which I think is fitting because it's. It's showing how their story fits into the whole story of the US As a whole. But I am excited to finish this. It's. Again, it's on. I'm reading it on my Kindle, so those. That percentage is not going very far for this page. But it's okay. I'm gonna finish this one. It's called Pride and Pleasure by Amanda vale. Comes out October20.

[Annie Jones]

I saw this one in the publisher catalog, and, you know, after Hamilton came out, because publishing is a little bit lacking.

[Aaron]

It's behind the times as an industry.

[Annie Jones]

And so after Hamilton came out, there were a ton of, like, fictional retellings or romance novels or young adult novels devoted to the Hamilton story and to. And to Angelica and Eliza. But I think it's been a minute since we've gotten, like, a historical nonfiction narrative.

[Aaron]

Yeah.

[Annie Jones]

And so I saw this and was so curious about it, particularly because I love Hamilton. That is not an unpopular. I don't think the pendulum has swung. We're not hating Hamilton, right? Oh, I hope not. I think we still like Hamilton. But I. At the end, I think what's one of the compelling parts about Hamilton is at the end, you learn how much Eliza did. And so I finished that play or that finished watching that production and immediately wanted to know, well, what about Eliza? Like, I want to know more about Eliza. Yeah. And so I like that this might provide that deep dive that the Chair now book did for Hamilton. Now, the Schuyler sisters, written by a woman, no less, which I love. A woman historian. We love a woman historian. And so I like that we're Getting a woman's perspective on the Schuyler sisters.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I'm thrilled.

[Annie Jones]

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[Aaron]

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[Annie Jones]

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[Aaron]

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[Annie Jones]

Use PodBean AI guide to turn your blog into a podcast. Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere. Launch your podcast on Podbean today. My final book is rec. This is by Kathryn Newman. This is also on Annie's highly anticipated books list for the fall. I loved Sandwich, which came out last summer. Sandwich was very important to me. It is a beautiful, funny fictional work about this, you know, functional, dysfunctional family who I just fell in love with. And Sandwich was the. The summer book. Summer it was set off the coast of Massachusetts, so it had all these things I really liked, like this family home that the family rents every summer set over the course of one week. Now, Kathryn Newman has written a follow up. It is called Wreck, and it is the autumn story of this family. So if you've ever wondered, you know, what a family might act like when they're not on, I think real life. Yeah, exactly. This will feel more, perhaps even more real, realistic than the summer story. The publisher is saying that these read as standalone novels. And although I do believe that that is probably true, that you could probably read this as a standalone, I would advocate that you read Sandwich first. And I don't think Sandwich is something that you have to strictly read during the summer. I think you could read it right now and really enjoy it. But this is a book full of just like Catherine Newman's other works. You might also be, if you did not read Sandwich or if Sandwich was not for you, which I know there were some readers who it was not for. She also wrote We All Want Impossible Things. Oh yeah. Which was really a really good book about adult female friendship navigating grief and loss and illness. I also really loved that book. I think I just really like Kathryn Newman. She was interviewed on the cup of Jo blog a few years ago and I've really been kind of paying attention to her work ever since. So if you're not familiar with Sandwich, the main character of that story is Rocky. She is in that, like, middle generation where the Sandwich generation, if you will, that's where the book gets its title, where her parents are aging, she's caring for them, but her family isn't quite done growing up and so she's still kind of raising her adult children. So she's in this kind of in between her family vacations on Cape Cod every year. That is sandwich now you get to see them. We as readers get to see them two years later and we get to find out what happened to them, what happened to her adult kids, what happened to her parents, her marriage. So this is set in western Massachusetts. Rocky is still exactly who she's always been. She's a little bit anxious, a little bit neurotic, very nostalgic. Her daughter Willa is living back with the family after college. Their son Jamie lives with his family in New York. And then Mort, Rocky's father, comes to live with them. So it's all very normal. Typical, you know. Typical of what? The story. A lot of us either are living or will be living in a few years. But then Rocky becomes obsessed with a local car accident or a local accident that only really barely affects them. Like affects her family. But I think if you live in a small community, you know how a news story or like even only something that kind of barely affects you actually can kind of upend your life or the life of your neighbors. And so Rocky becomes obsessed with this and then perhaps a medical condition. I have not read this yet, but I will obviously be reading it. I love Rocky and her family. Her neuroses is relatable and funny and humorous. And yet I remember and Sandwich is a book that I also read on my Kindle. And I now I'm thinking, oh gosh, I really need a physical copy because I underlined so much in that book. The writing is just stellar. So if you want excellent writing but you also want a compelling story about a family, then I think you will really like Rec. I think you should read Sandwich first. I think if you are not sure if you like Catherine Newman, if you like Danny Shapiro, I think you will like Catherine Newman. That would be my complaint for you. So really looking forward to this one. And I, I think I said this the other day about the Ellen Hildebrand the Academy. That's like a duology. I'm not a series reader. I don't really need really. I think it's a time issue. I don't actually have time to devote to, you know, a seven book series or something like that. But I do love, you know, the Elizabeth Strout universe that she has created. And I really like the universe Katherine Newman has created. So I'm excited to dive back into this family that Is Wreck by Kathryn Newman, releases on October 28th.

[Aaron]

Have you heard any buzz that she might write a winter version?

[Annie Jones]

And then, like, I'm so curious. I don't know. I. I would love if she did. Yeah, I would love if she did.

[Aaron]

Yeah, that's really, really smart, I think, to. If. If it's not broke, just keep writing about it.

[Annie Jones]

Yes. Keep writing about this family, but getting to see them in different seasons of their life and then in different, you know, like, family vacation. I mean, family vacation can be fraught, don't get me wrong. But the vacation versions of ourselves, if they don't. If they aren't different, we want them to feel different. Like, when I go on vacation, I want to be, like, the easiest version of myself, the most Ringo version of myself. And then, you know, fall hits and I still want to be easy, breezy. And then I look at my calendar and I'm like, well, that's impossible. And so I'm anxious to see if Rock is Rocky feels the same way.

[Aaron]

I would love to see if she ends up riding a winter and a spring. Like, see them all together on a shelf if they're. I don't know what the spines, if you can tell, but I think that'd be pretty if they were all together.

[Annie Jones]

And Aaron, you should do that.

[Aaron]

All right, well, Catherine, if you're listening.

[Annie Jones]

Have I got an idea for you.

[Aaron]

I'm sure she's already thought of that. Okay. My last book is called the Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson. Comes out October 28th. I have not read this one yet, but the COVID I saw it when I was putting the books on the website for the fall literary first look, and I was like, well, this sounds like something I might enjoy reading, and someone out there might enjoy reading it, too. So this is a very interesting book. It is a novel within a novel. So maybe, maybe if I just said that and that piqued your interest, that's for you. Maybe if I said that and you were like, no, thank you, that's not for me. But it is a novel within a novel. It is, I think, based on what I know about the author, what I found out about him, it feels like it might be slightly autobiographical fiction. Like, just slightly. The author himself is a member of the Cherokee Nation. A lot of his previous books have dealt with problems of the Cherokee Nation, problems happening within the Cherokee Nation. All of his books tend to focus on themes of, like, injustice and violence and have been set in things like foster homes and foster care. This one is Set within a youth detention center. And the novel within a novel is that it's being written by a man named Milton Meulbourne who was an inmate at the same time at this juvenile detention center as a young man named Matthew Cota. I think that's how you pronounce that. And one of the opening scenes is where Matthew escapes from this prison and all the inmates are tasked with trying to find him. So that's kind of like where we start, like, how did he get out? And then we find out more about Matthew. He's a young man from the Cherokee Nation who is an incredibly talented artist. And so Milton is writing this novel from the future in remembering these times with, with Matthew and how. And there's jealousy there of, of Matthew and his talents and maybe even in the fact that he escaped, you know, and things like that. Not exactly, but this book gives a little bit because it does deal with art. It does. I think it gives a little bit of like My Friends by Frederick B. Come in. I think it's. The themes are similar. It's not going to be exactly the same plot wise, but I think the themes could be similar. I think Shop dad may enjoy this. I don't know if he's gotten the arc, but I think he might enjoy this. So that is again the COVID striking. It's like got like a crow or. I feel like it's a crow or some kind of bird.

[Annie Jones]

Well, and did I now I'm second guessing myself, but I think when I was doing research for literary first look, I am pretty sure Brandon Hobson did some of the artwork. I don't know if he did the COVID artwork, but he did some original artwork throughout the book. Book. Because the book is like you said, a book within a book. So there, there are illustrations and I believe, I believe Brandon Hobson did them, if I'm not mistaken.

[Aaron]

I wouldn't put it past him. He seems like an incredibly gifted person.

[Annie Jones]

Very talented. Yeah.

[Aaron]

So this is coming out October 28th. It's the Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson.

[Annie Jones]

I want to put a plug in here just while we're talking about books by indigenous authors. I went to the Mississippi Book Festival this past weekend and one of the panel on my memoir panel, the panel that I was invited to participate in, she's an indigenous writer and she has written a book called Soft as Bones which I was not familiar with. But, but listeners may. May have heard of it. But anyway, she was excellent on the panel and so if you are interested in this, Brandon Hobson book. You might also be interested in her book, which is out in paperback. It is called Soft as Bones, also has a striking cover. It's a memoir about how her family was affected by residential schools. She, she's original and so she talks a little bit about how that experience had a trickle down effect, inherited trauma, things like that. But she was an excellent panelist and I thought, oh well, this will be a good time to kind of plug her book. So that is Soft as Bones.

[Aaron]

It's interesting this I just thought about the fact that I talked last month on last month's episode about to the Moon and Back, which featured a heavily. I mean, that book is primarily about someone's the main character is a Cherokee Indian. And I just, I was like, whoa, look at that. I'm so glad that the these stories are being told and by people who have lived it themselves.

[Annie Jones]

So yes, excellent. Okay. So those are the books that are releasing this month. Obviously there are so many more books that are releasing in October, but Erin and I tried to narrow it down for you to the books that we thought might be most appealing. You can find all of these on our store website. Don't forget to use the code new release please at checkout to get 10% off your order today. And the episode number for today is 5. This week, what I am reading is brought to you by Discover Thomasville Gracefully Tucked within the storied hills of South Georgia, Thomasville curates a distinguished downtown experience that meanders along several blocks of our iconic red brick streets. Here you discover the soul of the South. Here you discover Thomasville. Learn more by visiting thomasvillega.com News There is so much going on during the fall season in Thomasville at so many sites around town. I think a lot of people assume that downtown is all Thomasville has to offer. But I'm very pleased to say that there is so much to see beyond the brick streets, including our friends over in Boston, Georgia, where they do an annual Halloween event that is super fun. The Distillery in Meigs, Pebble Hill, Birdsong, which I've talked about here before. Locally, the Thomasville center for the Arts, their second Saturday events are super fun. If you're looking for family friendly activities, the Thomasville History center, which is getting ready to do their annual Perlow Dinner, which the staff hates. But I love Erin's laughing at me. But I love it.

[Aaron]

I love your love for it.

[Annie Jones]

My love for it is part of my legacy. So there are all kinds of events happening even beyond the bookshelf and beyond our friends downtown and I would encourage you to go to thomasoolga.com and find out some things that might be that might pique your interest in our area. So this week I am reading A Guardian and a Thief by Megham mumjumdar. Erin, what are you reading this week?

[Aaron]

I'm listening to the island of Last Things by Emma Slowly.

[Annie Jones]

Thank you again to our sponsor, Discover Thomasville. Here you discover the soul of the South. Here you discover Thomasville. Learn more by visiting thomasvillega.com from the front Porch is a weekly podcast production of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow the bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram @bookshelftville and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website, bookshelf. Thomasville.com a full transcript today 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. Sam.