From the Front Porch – Episode 553

October 2025 Reading Recap

Host: Annie Jones
Date: October 30, 2025

Overview

Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia, brings listeners her October 2025 reading recap. This detailed solo episode is a deep-dive into the books Annie finished this busy month, blending enthusiastic reviews, thoughtful critique, and glimpses into her personal reading life. If you’re looking for handselling-style recommendations across genres—literary fiction, dysfunctional family drama, translated novellas, YA romance, upcoming literary fiction, and true crime—this episode is for you.

Key Books Discussed & Highlights

1. A Guardian and a Thief by Megham Njumdar

[03:16–14:10]

• Five star read and an Oprah Book Club selection, as well as a National Book Award finalist.
• Annie read this digitally before Oprah’s announcement and emphasizes approaching Jumdar’s work with excitement and “a little hesitation” that accompanies a much-anticipated sophomore novel.
• Plot: Set in near-future Calcutta after a climate event. Follows a woman (the guardian), striving to get climate passports for her family, and a young thief named Boomba. Their stories intersect after the thief steals her passports, revealing moral ambiguities in both characters.
• Explores climate fiction, wealth disparity, interdependence, and moral dilemmas with “a light touch” and never feeling “preachy.”
• “It’s extremely prescient, well thought out, interesting, would make a great book club conversation.” (11:12)
• Annie compares it favorably to Land of Milk and Honey for its brisk pacing and layered narrative: “You could read this book in one sitting. It’s a page turner…literary fiction that is also extremely readable.” (12:40)
• “The ending—I immediately texted Hunter. […] We texted about the book and the ending.” (13:30)
• Recommendation: “Do not let the Oprah Book Club selection sway you. This is just a really good book and Oprah does know how to pick them.” (13:53)
• Notable Quote:

  “Nothing feels preachy. This one is, I think, a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. You can totally see why—the writing is absolutely brilliant.” (06:30)

2. The Irish Goodbye by Heather Amy O’Neill

[14:12–24:59]

• Audiobook narrated by Kristin See—“fantastic.”
• Set over Thanksgiving in New England, making it “perfect November reading.”
• Family drama focused on the grieving Ryan sisters after their brother’s suicide.
  • One returns home from England with a failing marriage and “pretty obnoxious kids.”
  • The middle sister, unexpectedly pregnant, cares for aging parents.
  • The youngest, a teacher, brings her new girlfriend to Thanksgiving but harbors secrets of her own.
• Heavy subjects: grief, loss, family dysfunction, and the long-standing effects of trauma—content warning for suicide and complex family grief.
• Reminiscent of J. Courtney Sullivan and The Family Stone (“people behave so badly…they’re grieving” [22:46]).
• “If you like dysfunctional family fiction, this one will be for you.”
• First half stronger than second, but overall 4 stars and “worth your time.”

3. Often I am Happy by Jens Christian Grøndahl

[25:03–32:48]

• Literary novella (translated work, Danish or Dutch), discovered in a “mess of a used bookstore in the best way possible.”
• Story told through Eleanor’s letters to her deceased friend Anna; their families’ lives entwined after affairs and losses.
• “If Dearly Beloved was messy or if Crossing to Safety was messy and filled with bad decisions, that’s what this book would be.” (28:23)
• Sparse, snapshot-style narrative focusing on older protagonists, interwoven families, and what it means to look back on life as a widow.
• “This book is a little gem of a book. I’m glad I picked it up. It'll look pretty on my shelf.” (32:16)
• Tip: Seek at used bookstores or libraries if not available new.

4. Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

[32:51–41:46]

• YA romance (audiobook by Aidan Bessette and Sailor Belle Curta) described as “so fun,” with strong narration.
• Annie and her colleague Kendall prefer Painter’s YA over her adult romances.
• Bantery, witty, “movie-level” high schoolers: some disbelief about teens’ sophistication, but fun nonetheless.
• Follows Dani and Alec—former friends, now in high school together again.
• Hockey/adolescent romance, fake dating trope reminiscent of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: “all very Jenny Han coded” (39:30).
• “The banter is great…the audiobook is fantastic…great for winter reading because of the cold weather nature.”
• “Would I give this to my high schooler…to a junior or senior? Yes. To a college student? Absolutely… But not to a 9th or 8th grader.” (37:46)
• Recommendation: Fans of Jenny Han, sports romances, or well-narrated audiobooks.

5. More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen (Releases February 2026)

[41:50–53:43]

• Annie’s longstanding affection for Quindlen’s work.
• Polly, an early-forties boarding school teacher, is in a book club (that never reads the book), but the focus is her journey with infertility and her deep female friendships.
• One friend diagnosed with cancer. “Not a cancer book per se,” but a “realistic portrayal of what happens when your friend…is diagnosed with cancer and you can’t do anything about it.” (47:40)
• Contains a DNA-kit ancestry subplot that, while a catalyst for the plot, is not the focus.
• Annie reads several moving quotes aloud about aging, womanhood, and the unknowable inner lives of others:

  • “We don’t. We never know what’s living inside the people around us. We only guess.” (52:18)

• “I loved this. I devoured it…lots of themes that I love and pay attention to: friendship, female friendship, grief.” (53:00)
• Rating: Four and a half stars, “especially for readers interested in friendship, midlife, and change.”

6. Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell (Releases April 2026)

[53:45–1:04:12]

• Adult literary fiction set in Nebraska (“as almost all of Rainbow Rowell's protagonists do”).
• Cherry, in midst of a divorce, rekindles things with a college almost-romance—then things take unexpected turns.
• Annie entered expecting a romance, but was “surprised with the twists…not a predictable romance.”
• “I had 40 pages left and I said out loud, 'What in the world?' Like, I had no clue where this book was going.” (56:35)
• Central themes: body image, self-acceptance, and the effect of new weight-loss medications (GLP-1s) on family dynamics.
• Comparison: Closer to Dietland than traditional romance.
• “I want you to go into it knowing this is…not a romance novel. It’s a book about Cherry figuring out who she is.” (1:01:16)
• “Would lend itself to a good book club selection…you could leave this book a lot of different ways, and I mean that as a compliment.” (1:03:57)

7. Bone Valley by Gilbert King

[1:04:15–1:08:50]

• Nonfiction true crime (audiobook narrated by the author) about Leo Schofield, convicted of murder in 1980s Florida—a case Annie intentionally knows little about.
• King is lauded for deeply researched, civil rights/criminal justice books (The Devil in the Grove praised and recommended).
• “If you like true crime, criminal justice stories, if you liked the podcast Serial…I think you will like this.” (1:07:10)

Additional Notable Quotes

• On climate fiction:

  “What happens to the wealthy when there’s a climate crisis versus what happens to the poor…fascinating, extremely prescient…” (10:35)

• On used bookstores:

  “Used bookstores feel like a treasure hunt, but also can be overwhelming to me…we were in this used bookstore that was a mess of a place in the best way possible.” (25:15)

• On audiobooks:

  “Because I was listening to it…I notice language a lot more. Would I let my middle schooler read it? No. Would I let my junior or senior in high school read it? Yes.” (37:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:16] – A Guardian and a Thief by Megham Njumdar
• [14:12] – The Irish Goodbye by Heather Amy O’Neill
• [25:03] – Often I am Happy by Jens Christian Grøndahl
• [32:51] – Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
• [41:50] – More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen (ARC)
• [53:45] – Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell (ARC)
• [1:04:15] – Bone Valley by Gilbert King

Final Thoughts

• Annie’s October reading was “truly a busy, busy month” (01:35), spanning multiple genres, formats (print, e-book, audiobook), and moods.
• The episode closes with a reminder for listeners to check out the Reading Recap bundle, containing featured hardcovers (A Guardian and a Thief, The Irish Goodbye, Bone Valley).
• Annie is currently reading Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi (“I also got a little bit bogged down because I decided on a whim to pick up Helter Skelter…” [02:09]).

For Further Exploration

• All books featured can be browsed and ordered through Bookshelf Thomasville’s website.
• Reading Recap bundles offer a curated selection for those wanting to follow along with Annie’s month in reading.
• Listen for more Annie-centric mini book reviews and deep-dives in future Reading Recap episodes.

This summary brings you the full flavor of Annie’s warm, conversational tone and encyclopedic knowledge of books, making it a perfect guide if you don’t have time to listen to the full episode.