From the Front Porch — Episode 566

January 2026 Reading Recap

Host: Annie Jones (owner, The Bookshelf Thomasville)
Date: January 29, 2026

Episode Overview

In this monthly reading recap, Annie Jones dives into the books she enjoyed during December 2025 and January 2026. From Booker Prize nominees to buzzy audiobooks, Annie offers candid short reviews, recommendations, and her trademark bookish warmth. This episode features thoughtful reflections on literary fiction, debut novels, family dramas, short stories, and memoir—always with an eye for character, theme, and reading experience.

Key Discussion Points & Book Reviews

December Reads Recap

Annie returns to highlight books from her December “Booker spree,” mentioning she doesn’t usually align with Booker Prize picks but found herself reading several notable titles.

1. Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

• [06:00]
• Review:
  A “quiet and sparse” novel set in a remote Australian convent during the COVID-19 pandemic and a concurrent mouse plague.
• Details:
  • Unnamed narrator retreats to a convent despite her lack of faith.
  • The setting: pandemic Australia + a relentless mouse invasion (“It’s so much mice. So much mice!” [07:25])
  • The arrival of a dead nun’s bones sparks contemplation on faith, grief, and forgiveness.
• Tone & Themes:
  • “Hunker down in your cozy chair” wintry read, even though it’s hot and dusty in the book.
  • Explores “coming to terms with the lives we’ve been given.”
• Quote:
  • “If you’re a fan of Matrix by Lauren Groff, Wild Dark Shore, Memorial Days... this is for you.” [08:55]
• Rating & Rec:
  • Loved it; would’ve made her top 10 of the year.

2. The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller

• [11:45]
• Review:
  A character-driven novel set in December 1962, told from the perspectives of two couples, both with pregnant wives.
• Details:
  • Not plot-driven: “I kept waiting for some big moment... that never really came.”
  • “All about marriage and class... Grappling with things reminiscent of Buckeye.” [13:00]
  • Beautiful cover, evocative of winter.
• Quote:
  • “This was a five star book for me until the end... and I can’t decide what I thought about how he chose to end it.” [14:05]
• Rec:
  • Perfect for cold weather reads; for fans of Niall Williams, Crossing to Safety.

January Reads (and Late December Carryovers)

3. Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

• [15:55]
• Review:
  Dramedy set in a 1960s LA TV family, with audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland and Tim Campbell.
• Details:
  • Focus on Dinah Newman and her family’s struggles as their TV show contends with 1960s cultural upheavals.
  • Annie loved the setting and the Newman family dynamics, but “so many side characters... complicate things.” [17:35]
  • Heavy themes beneath the poppy surface; “between three and a half to four stars.”
• Quote:
  • “If Jennifer Niven had focused entirely on the Newmans, I would have been totally sold.” [17:45]
  • “Audiobook is fantastic. This would be great for a book club — I think some readers will love it, some could hate it.” [19:25]
• Rec:
  • For audiobook lovers, fans of Lessons in Chemistry (“but poppier”), book club discussion.

4. Lost Lambs by Madeleine Cash

• [21:25]
• Review:
  A darkly funny, witty debut novel following the Flynn family’s unraveling.
• Details:
  • Comparison to Amy Sherman-Palladino, Kevin Wilson, Marcy Dermansky, and “Fleishman Is in Trouble.”
  • Marriage drama, “war crime Wes,” conspiracies at work, and a “gnat infestation at the local church. And this does matter. Mice are to Stonyard Devotional as gnats are to Lost Lambs.” [23:10]
  • Rapid, clever dialogue; weird, dark family humor.
  • Annie “could not put it down... totally hooked.”
• Quote:
  • “I took it to a manicure... the nail technician wound up giving me a stand for my Kindle, I was that desperate to keep reading!” [24:05]
• Rating & Rec:
  • 5 stars, January shelf subscription pick; not for everyone, but already a personal favorite.

5. The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovitz

• [27:00]
• Review:
  Booker-shortlisted novel narrated by an “impossible to like” protagonist, Tom, a law professor on a cross-country road trip.
• Details:
  • Annie: “I hated the character Tom so much... the first [half] I almost gave up!” [27:45]
  • Themes: infidelity, marriage, middle age, declining health, shifts in societal norms.
  • The magic: by journey’s end, Annie “still didn’t like Tom, but understood him better.”
• Quote:
  • “If you already have a bias against male protagonists... you can leave this one on the shelf.” [32:05]
• Rec:
  • Recommended for those who appreciate complex, unlikable characters and literary literary fiction; “good in audiobook or print.”

6. This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

• [34:15]
• Review:
  A novel-in-connected-stories about the Jewish Rubenstein family.
• Details:
  • Three matriarchs, family feuds triggered by an apple cake after a sister’s death.
  • “Didn’t even feel like short stories to me, felt like a novel from different perspectives.”
  • Annie loved it: “Really good New Year's reading. The first book I finished in January.”
• Quote:
  • “The less I say about it, I think, the better.” [36:55]
• Rec:
  • For fans of family epics and domestic sagas; releases February 10, 2026.

7. Vigil by George Saunders

• [37:18]
• Review:
  A brief, soulful novel reminiscent of Lincoln in the Bardo, following angelic figure Doll as she escorts souls—to mixed results.
• Details:
  • Assignment: help oil tycoon K.J. Boone “see the light” on his deathbed “but he doesn’t seem to have regrets.”
  • Themes: death, morality, the afterlife, “are we good or bad or complicated?”
  • “If you liked Lincoln in the Bardo, pick this up. If you wanted something less complicated, pick this up too.” [39:25]
  • Best read in one or two sittings.
• Quote:
  • “This is a book about capitalism... is this oil tycoon a villain, or just a person?” [39:30]
• Rating & Rec:
  • Short, complex, excellent; new release as of Jan 27.

8. This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crumb

• [41:48]
• Review:
  Audiobook “production” narrated by Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins.
• Details:
  • Survivalist podcasters Joy and Benny are on the cusp of a big deal when Joy goes missing; alternating present (Benny) and past (Joy’s memoir).
  • “The setup is great, I loved 60% of this book, by the end she lost me a little bit.”
  • “Would not be surprised if this was a Reese pick.”
• Quote:
  • “The only way to read this is in audiobook format.” [43:38]
• Rec:
  • For those who like media-driven thrillers, podcast formats, and recent “audiobook as experience” titles.

9. The Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman

• [45:18]
• Review:
  A so-called “novel in stories” about one day at a restaurant, following various staff after ribeyes mysteriously disappear.
• Details:
  • Line cooks, hostess, owner—multiple perspectives; inciting incident echoes an apple cake in Goodman’s novel.
  • “Beautiful about food, restaurant work, the service industry... there’s one character in particular who’ll stick with me for a long time.” [47:10]
• Quote:
  • “Five stars. Oh my gosh, it’s so good... Just one of my favorite books of the year so far, which—it’s early days, obviously!” [47:18]
• Rec:
  • For those drawn to ensemble narratives and food writing; Annie and Erin both loved it.

10. Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill Block

• [49:55]
• Review:
  A memoir about Block’s adolescence in Plano, TX, being “homeschooled” by an overprotective mother; a Read with Jenna pick.
• Details:
  • “Homeschool very, very loosely here.”
  • Not about homeschooling per se, but about complicated mother-son relationships and emotional abuse.
  • Annie struggled with early sections but “wound up really liking it... I believe in you, dear reader. I think you can handle it.” [53:00]
• Quote:
  • “This isn’t even, like, Educated. That’s not what this is. This is a mother-son story.” [51:38]
  • “Excellent for book clubs—lots to unpack together.” [54:30]
• Rec:
  • Recommended to those interested in nuanced memoir, emotional family dynamics, book club picks (read in print for best experience).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On mouse invasions:
  “Mice are to Stone Yard Devotional as gnats are to Lost Lambs.” [23:18]
• On Niven’s novel:
  “The book shines when it is about Dinah, Del, and their two sons... I was less invested in the side characters.” [18:35]
• Nail salon reading:
  “That’s how desperate I was to keep reading this book. I was totally hooked... the nail technician got me a stand for my Kindle while he did my nails.” [24:15]
• On Annoying Protagonists:
  “I hated Tom. I cannot stress this enough. I never felt a kinship with him, but by the end I felt like I got him better. And I think that is the magic of the book.” [31:45]
• Family dramas:
  “What is about an apple cake that can break up a family?” [35:21, paraphrase]

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• Intro and Five Star Book Club info: [00:30–03:40]
• December Recap: Stone Yard Devotional, The Land in Winter: [04:00–15:30]
• January & December Overlap Reads:
  • Meet the Newmans [15:55]
  • Lost Lambs [21:25]
  • The Rest of Our Lives [27:00]
  • This Is Not About Us [34:15]
  • Vigil [37:18]
  • This Story Might Save Your Life [41:48]
  • The Reservation [45:18]
  • Homeschooled [49:55]
• Bundle info: [55:05]
• Outro/Social/Patreon: [56:20–end]

Closing Thoughts

Annie closes by announcing the January Reading Recap Bundle ($77 for The Land in Winter, Homeschooled, and Vigil) and invites listeners to discuss their own January reading on Instagram. She teases next week’s read (“Whidbey” by T. Kira Madden), and expresses gratitude for a “really good start to 2026.”

For purchase links and to join the conversation:

• Visit BookshelfThomasville.com
• Engage on Instagram @bookshelftville

Support From the Front Porch via Patreon or by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts—Annie and team love hearing from fellow readers!