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- [00:01]
Annie Jones
Podbean. Your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with podbean. Podbean the AI Powered all in one podcast platform. Record, edit, optimize, publish, distribute.
- [00:16]
Erin
Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.
- [00:21]
Annie Jones
Launch your podcast on Podbean today. Welcome to from the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, stories, small business, and life in the South. How cruel we are when we're young. Or to put it differently, how cruel is the perspective of youth, the perspective from which you're certain that none of this will ever happen to you. John Lanchester look what yout Made Me
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Erin
Do
- [01:06]
Annie Jones
I'm Annie Jones, owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. Today, I'm joined by the Bookshelf's operations manager, Olivia and Bookshelf Floor manager Erin to give you a rundown of our favorite new books releasing in May. Do you like hearing from Olivia and Erin each month? Well, what if I told you there was a way to have book selections by Bookshelf staffers like Olivia and Erin delivered to your door store? Each month, our shelf subscription program offers just that. Each month, members of our team select their favorite book of the month to mail out to Shelf subscribers. There's a local pickup option, too, for those closer to home in downtown Thomasville. This year we're offering two adult shelf subscription options. There's the Annie, Lots of literary fiction and nonfiction, and the Revolving Shelf Subscription, which is perfect for the adventurous, eclectic reader. Revolving Shelf subscribers will receive books chosen by Olivia, Shopmom, Susie, Shop Dad, Chris, and Nancy. If you're more of an audiobook listener, we have good news. This year we have you covered with our audiobook subscription offered in partnership with our friends at Libro fm. You'll receive digital audiobooks selected each month by Bookshelf floor manager Erin. For more information about our shelf subscription program, including kid lit options such as selected each month by me and Isaac, visit bookshelfthomasville.com pages shelf subscriptions or simply click Shelf Subscriptions at the top of our homepage. There's a link in the show notes, too. This year is actually our 10th anniversary of Shelf subscriptions, and we're so proud of what literature we send out into the world each month. If you love our tastes here, I suspect you'd love them delivered to your mailbox, too. Now back to the show. Hi guys.
- [02:58]
Olivia
Hello. Good morning.
- [03:00]
Annie Jones
Okay, we're here to talk about May new releases. I cannot believe it. I cannot believe it is already that time we have a lot to discuss. So do keep in mind today listener, that our online sales manager, Perry, has made browsing our podcast selections super easy. You can go to bookshelfthomasville.com and type episode4,580 into the search bar and you'll see all of today's books listed ready for you to pre order or purchase. You can also use the code new release please at checkout to get 10% off your order of any of today's titles. And I didn't mention it in the call to action, but if you like what you hear, you might also like what you see. So if you join us on Patreon, you can see visual versions of these episodes on Patreon. So we were talking off air about video podcasts and so if you want to see. What if somebody doesn't even know what we look like? If you want to know what we look like and you for some reason don't follow us on Instagram, you can find us on Patreon and you can see what our faces look like and you can find out if our voices match our face. How fun. How fun for you.
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Olivia
Tell us if they don't.
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Annie Jones
Yeah, don't, please.
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Erin
Low expectations.
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Annie Jones
I feel like one time, oh, gosh, somebody did come into the bookshelf. And of course we always get. And I think it's mostly because we're. I am getting my picture taken with Hunter, so I get a lot of comments about how tall Hunter is and how short I am, but somebody came into the store one time and I think they did tell me, oh, I thought your hair would be browner or something like that. And I. That's when I thought, oh, there are some people who don't see me on Instagram. They literally only hear my voice. So anyway, don't tell us if we don't look like our voices. That's a. That's a good call. Don't. Don't report back that feedback. But if you do want to see what we look like, you can find us on Patreon. And you can watch these episodes if you want to try something new. Okay, so let's get started. I'll kick us off with the book I quoted from at the top of the episode. And if you think it took restraint to not sing, look what you made me do, you are correct.
- [05:05]
Erin
It did.
- [05:06]
Annie Jones
So look what you made me do is by John Lanchester. Lanchester. It released earlier this week on Tuesday. I love this book. It is a wild ride. And so I am not going to tell too much about it, because I believe that the less you know, the better. So we have Kate and Jack. Kate and Jack have been married for decades. They have a really good marriage. The book starts with this great opening line about how every marriage has its own language. And then the author proceeds to kind of tell us what that language is. And. And soon you're kind of thinking about what maybe your marriage's language is like, all of the inside jokes or the shorthand. I like, if anybody was a fly on the wall in the Jones, they would hear so many, like, office references. But also, we've been. I mean, my parents figured out, like, we've been married a long time, but also Jordan and I have known each other more than half our lives at this point. So, like, there's just a lot of shorthand and, you know. Yeah, inside jokes and things like that. So it really made me think about my own language. And Kate and Jack have this great marriage. And within the first few pages, no spoilers, Jack is dead, and Kate is devastated. And that's right, Aaron. It's a gasp. Yeah, Jack is dead. And so Kate is kind of trying to make her way in the world without her partner. And again, their marriage was really good. And so Kate is desperately sad. And one day, while she's talking to her friends, they tell her, oh, my gosh, you need to watch this show. It's new on Netflix. It's called Cheating. It's like the thing we're all talking about. It's. And so she either watches the show or she overhears friends talking about it, and she hears them say, oh, my gosh, did you hear the main character say? And then he says a line that is what her husband used to say all the time. And all of a sudden, Kate thinks, wait, oh, no. And it's not like something that could. It's only something her marriage would know. And so now the rest of the book is Kate trying to figure out what she didn't know about her husband. And I will tell you that there are two kind of alternating voices in the book. One is Kate's, and then the other is the writer of the show, Cheating. And that's all I want to tell you about the book, I will say, because I know we have some listeners. Yeah, I know we have some listeners whose trigger or content warning would be maybe infidelity or anything like that. That really isn't the heart of the book. I mean, the Netflix show is called Cheating. But to me, this is more just the dynamic of relationships. It is a page turner. And if you are looking for a book club book, like, if you're looking for a book that you're gonna wanna talk about, then I think you are going to want to read look what yout Made Me Do. Um, I finished this one and I always know when a book kind of strikes a chord. If I want to download the entire book to poor Jordan Jones, like innocently sitting at our dining room table and I'm like, wait. Cause you know he's not gonna read it. And so I'm like, let me just tell you from start to finish what happened. And please give me the reaction I'm hoping for. This book was a wild ride. I think it's really well written. This was my first book I read by John Lanchester. But I think he's written quite a few. This book may already be out in the uk. He is a British author. I think this book has already been released there. But it has its US debut this week. Highly recommend. I loved this book. It is called look what yout Made Me do by John Lanchester.
- [08:39]
Olivia
I also will occasionally, very occasionally, on specific books, relay the entire plot to Walt. Sometimes. Yeah. Because it does take a specific book. It has to really stick with you and it has to be a good plot. I did that with all the colors of the dark. And I think Walt looked at me and was just like, are you okay?
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Erin
I'm not.
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Olivia
I was sobbing by the end. So no, I was not. But I needed him to understand what I just went through.
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Annie Jones
Did you sob while retelling it?
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Olivia
Yeah, I mean, not like sob, sob, but I did like tear up. Yeah, they left my eye. Like
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Annie Jones
I do.
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Erin
I'm literally going to download this on my Libra ephemera.
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Annie Jones
I think you will like it, Aaron.
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Erin
I will love it.
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Annie Jones
I think there's something. You're right, Olivia. It has to be plot driven. Like for the book to elicit me needing to tell Jordan. And I do think, and Walt strikes me as somewhat similar. Like Jordan really is not going to read this and there's no point. Like, he will read some things I ask him to read. Like I think he is finally going to read Gilead. Like, so there are some things Jordan really will read, but he is not gonna read look what yout Made Me do by John Lenchester. So let me tell it to you.
- [09:50]
Erin
So fun, pretty.
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Annie Jones
Tell him about it chapter by chapter. And I would like to think Jordan has read many a book thanks to my descriptions. And Olivia, you often do this in the staff. I think you like Download books to all of us. So, like, there are frequently books where I'm like, did I read that?
- [10:08]
Erin
Nope.
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Annie Jones
Olivia told me about it, though.
- [10:10]
Olivia
Olivia just went on a very long diatribe about what happened.
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Erin
It's great.
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Annie Jones
It makes.
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Erin
Mine's really helpful.
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Annie Jones
Yeah.
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Olivia
Yeah. Okay. My first book is Five by Alona Bannister, already out this week. Have you guys read it yet?
- [10:26]
Annie Jones
No, I'm waiting for the print version. Okay. I've been waiting. Yeah.
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Olivia
Okay.
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Erin
Well, Kendall basically was like, you have to read this book. And so I will, like. No, I have.
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Annie Jones
Did Kendall read it?
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Olivia
Did Kendall read it?
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Erin
No, I think she just saw the blurb for it and she was like, this sounds like a book you would really like, Aaron. You would really like it.
- [10:43]
Annie Jones
Yeah.
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Erin
Okay.
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Annie Jones
Sold.
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Olivia
I'm already sold. I think it's the perfect Venn Diagram of the three of us. Like, I think this is one of those thrillers that, like, catches all of us. I also. Sorry. Go ahead.
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Annie Jones
Sorry, all. Should I just write this down? Would that be a good podcast series, like Venn Diagram, and it's a book the three of us actually read and we just talk about it.
- [11:05]
Olivia
Yes. But I also think a great podcast series would be you telling plots to Jordan. If we're going on an idea rant
- [11:15]
Annie Jones
right now, I would like to throw that out there.
- [11:18]
Erin
That's sort of like the March Madness.
- [11:20]
Annie Jones
Yeah.
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Erin
You're just telling. I mean, he literally has zero idea what that book is about. That's my favorite.
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Olivia
But go, like, full in on, like, one book. Just, like. Because I bet Jordan's, like, questions and responses to things.
- [11:32]
Annie Jones
He is a really good listener.
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Olivia
It is. He is a very good listener.
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Annie Jones
It's very fun.
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Erin
Okay, wait, I gotta write these two things down real quick. Okay. Sorry, Olivia.
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Olivia
Coming to you soon.
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Annie Jones
Here it is on my slip of paper.
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Olivia
And these are how ideas are born at the bookshelf, everyone.
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Erin
That's right. That's right.
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Annie Jones
That's exactly right.
- [11:51]
Olivia
Okay, so five is about five strangers all waiting on one train platform. I'm pretty sure it's like a UK platform because the writer is from New York, but then moved to the uk. But this does not sound like a New York subway station because it's above ground. I don't think it's in Brooklyn. Okay, so this is five minutes, five strangers, five minutes before the train comes. But you know that when the train comes, it kills one of them, but you don't know who. And so Erin is the best at gasping.
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Annie Jones
She is. She's like, Jordan gives the right
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Erin
Reaction.
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Annie Jones
It's theater camp. Yeah.
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Erin
Major theater.
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Olivia
What I will tell you is there's these small chapters that are just like the minutes leading up to the train coming where you get play by play of what's happening with each person on the platform. And then in between that, you get these really long chapters, basically learning about each person on that platform and who they are, what has led them to this point platform, what explains the actions that they're taking right now, which. Which are so well done, because I did leave this book feeling like I know all of these people intimately.
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Erin
Okay.
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Olivia
And I have opinions about all of them, because they are not intrinsically good people. I. I think some of them are trying, but maybe failing. And then the author, at the very end of the book just breaks the fourth wall and is like, all right, you've met all the players in this game. I'm sure you have your opinions. I'm sure you have someone that you wish was the person that was going to be killed by this train. And then she continues on with what happened.
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Annie Jones
Fascinating.
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Olivia
It's like, right before everything happens, and you're just like, I do have opinions on these people, and I do have very, like, one specific person that I would like to get hit by the tr. It was really good. It was one of those books where yet again, I was just like, is this plot driven or character driven?
- [14:07]
Erin
Yeah, I was like, that's a lot of character work.
- [14:09]
Olivia
It's a lot of character. Which is why I need you guys to read and let me know what you think on it.
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Annie Jones
And you weren't bogged down by the long, like, you know, we've always talked about, like, short chapters versus long chapters. You weren't bogged down by those longer chapters.
- [14:23]
Olivia
So, yes, I was. Which is why I tell people. Which is why I told you specifically to read the print, not the Kindle. Because the Kindle, as you guys know, will tell you, like, you have so and so minutes left in this chapter. And I use that to gauge, like. Cause I'm reading while putting Rory to bed, and she's like, do I have 20 more minutes to sit here without falling asleep? And so some of these chapters in between were, like, an hour. And I was like, I do not have time. But what Kindle doesn't notify you is that there's breaks within those chapters, which you could see if you're reading the physical book, but you can't if you're reading the Kindle. So read the physical books that you can stop between those longer chapters. Yeah, but it is like a fast paced book because everything is happening in five minutes.
- [15:09]
Erin
Yeah, right.
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Olivia
So it was. It was so good. And I did really like the fourth wall break at the end because I thought it was very clever. And it puts you back into the story where you're just like, oh, yeah. I have just judged five strangers, like really hard.
- [15:23]
Annie Jones
I mean, I think that's what the publisher even says. It's like the author makes you be judge, jury, and executioner. Like you find yourself kind of in all these different roles. I'm excited about this because it sounds like a twist on the maybe standard thriller, like where you almost are given like a moral dilemma kind of thing.
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Erin
Right.
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Annie Jones
I don't know. I'm curious about this one. How long is it again?
- [15:46]
Olivia
I read it on the eight years, so I don't totally know, but I can't imagine that this is longer than 400 pages. This. This feels like a shorter one.
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Annie Jones
Okay, I. I am ready to read this. I also think, you know, publishers don't always do a great job, but I'm gonna give a shout out because it's. It released on five. Five. Five people. Five minutes. Good job. Good job, everybody.
- [16:09]
Erin
Good job about it.
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Olivia
They did a great job.
- [16:11]
Annie Jones
They did.
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Erin
They did.
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Olivia
Yeah.
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Annie Jones
Well done.
- [16:14]
Erin
Ingram says it's 240 pages. I don't know if that's true, but that's a good. That's a sweet spot.
- [16:19]
Annie Jones
Spot right there.
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Olivia
It went fast.
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Erin
Yeah.
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Olivia
Okay.
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Annie Jones
All right.
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Erin
That's on my list for sure. I always leave these episodes with like a longer.
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Olivia
I know.
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Erin
That's why we do this, right? It's a longer list than we came in with.
- [16:32]
Annie Jones
So we sell each other books.
- [16:34]
Erin
My first book is called Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel. It come. It came out May 5, and I have not read. I know, Annie. You've read other Laurie Frankel books. Like she had family. Family and 1, 2, 3. I think I may have read 1, 2, 3. It came out a long time ago, but.
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Annie Jones
Did you read this Is how it Always Is?
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Erin
Oh, no, I don't think so.
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Annie Jones
That's the first one I read by her and I loved it. I've got it there somewhere.
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Erin
She. From what I have know about her and what I've seen of her, she tends to write like what I would call female forward fiction, usually with topics that deal with like family and family decisions and even femininity and things like that, like the feminine experience. But this story. Now, listen, I've. I'm not calling this the whole hold for this. I'm Calling it the pregnant grandma book. And that's how I talk about it with Kendall. And I think Olivia was there when I was about it too. And they were like, what?
- [17:30]
Annie Jones
What?
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Erin
Okay, so. Okay, so the story features you meet Pepper Mills. That is her name. And yes, they explain why she has a crazy name like that. It's due to marriage and remarriage. But she is 77 years old. You meet her when she. In the very beginning of the book, she has like a fender bender with like the local pastor or priest or something. And so her family decides, you know, okay, mom, you're too old, like, you can't drive. And we also, you know, her kids are like the typical. Like, we're busy with our lives and so we can't really take care of you, so we're gonna put you in this retirement home. You know, she just. Just for the convenience of it, basically, and to make sure she's being taken care of. And she meets right off she meets like another charming man. He goes by the name of Moth. He's like British, don't actually know why he's there. Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's in America.
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Annie Jones
What's he doing over here?
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Erin
But she meets him. They're. They're charming, they have. It's great banter. Laurie writes great dialogue and good characters. But soon, and I'm about halfway through this, so I, I apologize, I haven't finished it. But she starts to experience like physical symptoms and her family's thinking, oh, it's like it could be dementia, it could be stroke. So she goes through all these tests and it turns out she's pregnant. Okay, stay with me, stay with me. So there's some suspension, obviously you've got to suspend a bit of disbelief here that a 77 year old woman could become pregnant. But it is so that they can have these conversations. She lives in. This is in Texas. And in Texas, in this book, there she has no access to like reproductive care or like, you know, abortion or things that she's. She has no choices, basically. And so the rest of the story, as I understand it, is just, you know, through the lens of these characters. And it's a whole wonderful host of characters. But, but she. It's about the choices we are allowed to make for ourselves. The choices that are taken away from us either by our gender, by our age, things like that. And so from what I understand, Laurie doesn't ever shy away from diving into sort of deep and hard family choices. I know our last. I know family, Family was about Adoption and. And sort of how complex that is. And so anyway, but this is such. It's been such an enjoyable book. You'll just fall in love with the characters. They're easy to love, they're memorable. And that has kept me reading so far is Pepper herself and all of like, you know, her kids and her granddaughters and things like that. Even the other residents of the community, of the residential community. So it's. It's funny so far. It's really funny. It's tender. And I can see how Laurie will probably deal with these deep topics in a humorous but also a tender way. So it's called Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel, out May 5th.
- [20:27]
Annie Jones
I. Laurie Frankel kind of reminds me of Jodi Picol in that she takes these maybe from the headlines kinds of topics that I think we get really tense about and makes them really interesting, accessible, tender, like you said, where you're reading it and you're almost caught off guard. You're just reading this really great story and then all of a sudden you're like, oh, yeah, this is about some deeper things that normally might make me uncomfortable.
- [20:55]
Olivia
But.
- [20:56]
Annie Jones
Are you listening to this or reading it?
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Erin
I'm reading it. Yeah. On my galley.
- [21:00]
Annie Jones
Okay. I would like to read this one too. I have liked.
- [21:03]
Olivia
Yeah.
- [21:04]
Annie Jones
I read Family, Family. And I read this Is How It Always Is. And both of those are dealing with, you know, topics that, I don't know. Controversial feels like a dumb word, but like maybe of the moment or something that we're in the zeitgeist or whatever. But I really trust her. I like her writing. She also reminds me of Em. Amy Popal a little bit.
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Erin
I think so. Yeah.
- [21:23]
Annie Jones
Yeah. Like the. Cause it's all, like you said, about families a lot about families and family dynamics. And I love a story with an older protagonist.
- [21:31]
Erin
Yes, that. Me too. And this one's a good one.
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Annie Jones
Okay. My next one is about somebody who is a bit of a younger protagonist. So Phoebe Berman's gonna lose it. This is by Brooke Averick. This releases on May 26th. And this came. Actually, this was hand sold to me by Kendyl and Keela. They had been talking about this book forever. I want to say Brooke Averick must be some kind of maybe TikTok personality. I am not 100% sure about that, but I think that is why Kendyl and Keela both wanted me to get the arc of this. And you guys know, they never ask, they're never specific, like, I want to read this, but they came to me and they Were like, hey, could you ask the publisher? And so we shout out to rep Scott, which sounds like our representative.
- [22:15]
Erin
He loves Scott.
- [22:16]
Annie Jones
No, he's just a publisher rep. Shout out to publisher rep Scott, who I reached out to. He sent us an arc. So it made its way through our staff. So Kendyl read it, Keela read it. I think Kendyl's roommate read it. And then I read it. So Phoebe Berman is about to turn 30 and she's a virgin and she finds like a note. It's like a time capsule from her 18 year old self and her 18 year old self. Like all her 18 year old self. It's supposed to be a bucket list. Like it was an assignment her senior year of high school. And all it says is like, you better have sex. Like, like, and it's, it's like that's. And she's about to turn 30. So she opens this time capsule and she's like, oh, no, this is the only thing I was supposed to do and I haven't done it. And basically I had just read the Shippers by Katherine Sinter and there is a very awkward first kiss in that book as well. So in this book, Phoebe Berman, like kind of flashes back to perhaps why she hasn't had sex, which is her first kiss was a pretty horrific experience. And now every time she has any sort of romantic intimacy, a kiss, I mean, it could even be like a hug becoming something else like it. She immediately has so much anxiety. And so I was pleasantly surprised. Turtles all the way down is to ocd, as I think this book is to anxiety and particularly anxiety dealing with intimacy and romantic intimacy. So I loved that because I don't think people talk about that very much. The author, Brooke Averick, handled it in this really great way, but it felt super realistic to me where this girl, this young woman kind of has. And I would hesitate, I would probably hesitate to use trauma, capital T. But she obviously has some things that have made her the way that she is. So the whole book then is where Phoebe sits down and she makes a list of how she's gonna lose her virginity before her 30th birthday. This, if Netflix doesn't hop on this, wow, what a missed cause. What a lost opportunity. Because to me, the whole time I was reading it, I thought, somebody's got to turn this into a miniseries or a movie because it's very visual where you can picture like a montage of this list being written out. And the whole point of the list is Phoebe's understanding that she can't just have sex, she has to build up to it. So, like, one of the things on the list is compliment someone. One of the things on the list is, like, flirt with someone, like, because she doesn't really know how to do any of these things. And so I like that. Even though, yes, it is a book maybe about someone who wants to have sex, which you would think then might be a very open door book, it's really not. It's a book about a young woman even trying to take the baby steps to get to this thing that she wants to do. I loved it because I also think it is about the pressure of growing up and like, wanting to do. Wanting to grow and advance like your peers are growing and advancing. So if you've ever been single while your other friends have been married, if you've ever been childless while your other friends have had kids, like, I think this definitely taps into all of those maybe insecurities that we all have at some point or another. And so I, even though I am probably older than maybe the target age bracket for this book, I really liked it. Kendall and Keela loved it. It is very well written. You will fly through it. There are a coup of male love interests, so there's a little bit of a love triangle situation. I really thought this was enjoyable. I think it'd make a great movie or TV adaptation. It is called Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose it and it's by Brooke averick, out on May 26th. Great title, too.
- [26:02]
Erin
Great title. Good little double entendre there.
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Olivia
Yeah, it's like an ode to the late bloomers.
- [26:08]
Annie Jones
Yes, yes, totally.
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Olivia
Well, this is actually a great kind of comp title because this is a young adult about a kid, his first crush. Okay, so this is Young World by Sumam Chainani. He wrote the middle grade series School for Good and Evil, which is a very big, big selling series. I think it was turned into like a TV show or a movie too. And now this is his first run at young adult. Okay, this is already out. This was out May 5th. Also, if you see this book in person, you will immediately know it because it is like highlighter orange.
- [26:45]
Annie Jones
Oh, wow.
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Olivia
I read the physical arc and it was also highlighter orange. Like they did it like the book is going to be printed. The edges are orange because it's his journal that you're reading, so.
- [26:58]
Annie Jones
Oh, okay.
- [27:00]
Olivia
It is really cool. Yeah. This is about Benton Young. He's a high school senior and he and I mean, his group of friends really are living in this America, maybe slightly similar to the America that we are currently living in, where he's watching a bunch of world leaders and United States politicians who are way older than he is, making decisions for his generation that are being paid for by conglomerates, by. They're. They're not. They're not being chosen to, like, better the youth of America. They're being chosen because this is where the money's from. So Benton is of the mindset that there's nothing he can do to change this. But Benton also has a crush on this girl who is a very big into social activism. And he. He tries to flirt with her, and she basically shoots him down. It's just like, well, what are you doing? Like, why would I date you? Because you're not doing anything. So Benton, as one does, hops on YouTube and makes a video basically saying that everybody should. Instead of voting for another older white man, they should vote for him instead and write his name in for presidency as kind of like a revolt to everything that's happening. And these leaders that aren't listening to the youth of America. The video goes viral. He basically starts his own, like, political party called the Revolting Youth. He did not mean to do this, but he did. And now, all of a sudden, everybody did write his name in, and he won the presidency at 18 years old, or I guess he's 17. Almost 18. Like, a couple months, he'll be 18.
- [28:55]
Annie Jones
Okay.
- [28:56]
Olivia
The Supreme Court.
- [28:59]
Annie Jones
Well, no, My brain is immediately like, okay, is this a different history, historical timeline?
- [29:05]
Olivia
So they do address that, like, he has to be 35, but I guess the Supreme Court kind of overrules it.
- [29:14]
Annie Jones
Okay.
- [29:15]
Olivia
And he is made president. This also then basically starts this ripple effect globally where now all of these revolting youth parties are popping up in different countries. Oh, interesting. And There are now eight teenage leaders across the globe. They call a G8 summit because there's this land up in the Arctic that everyone wants to start mining because there's, like, trillions of dollars worth of fossil fuels just sitting there. And whoever claims that land then is now the richest country in the world. And so everyone's fighting over it. And the youth are kind of like, no one needs to own this because also, that's all of our natural resources. And that. That's a terrible decision. So they. They go to this G8 summit where it's these, like, eight teenage leaders. Also, let's note that, like, Benton did this accidentally, right? Every.
- [30:18]
Annie Jones
Yeah.
- [30:18]
Olivia
Everybody else did this intentionally.
- [30:22]
Annie Jones
Yeah. That's fun.
- [30:23]
Olivia
Benton is not prepared for anything that's about to happen. But he's trying his hardest. And they basically go into this room to resolve the ongoing thing. The lights go out, and when they turn back on, the leader of Sweden has been murdered and Benton is framed for it. And then things kind of come.
- [30:41]
Annie Jones
Now we know why Olivia read this book. I kept waiting. I was like, okay, I know Olivia's
- [30:45]
Olivia
interest in these things. The murder is coming and the murder is.
- [30:51]
Erin
Wait for it. And there's the murder. Okay.
- [30:54]
Olivia
I thought it was.
- [30:55]
Erin
Wow, what a turn.
- [30:56]
Olivia
Good.
- [30:57]
Annie Jones
That's so clever.
- [30:58]
Olivia
It was really fun because the whole time he is journaling to the girl that he likes, which you do find out, which is slightly scandalous, but is also addressed. But it is very action packed because he. I mean, first off, he doesn't know what he's doing at all.
- [31:14]
Erin
Right, right.
- [31:15]
Olivia
He's 18. He hires, like. Well, he hires. He appoints his two best friends to be, like, other, like, heads of departments, and his one teacher is also there. So they're now, like, put in the hot seat as well. And they're just kind of like, I also don't know what I'm doing.
- [31:33]
Annie Jones
It's like, model you in, but, like, for real.
- [31:35]
Olivia
Yeah,
- [31:38]
Annie Jones
model you in, but real life. Real life, yes.
- [31:41]
Olivia
But it is really good. It feels very timely in that the decisions that are being made do impact climate change and basically that just, like, the youth want to be able to have a childhood instead of being forced to grow up so quickly because people are making decisions for them that don't benefit them. It was really fun. I read it very quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And the format of it, I think, is going to be really exciting for everybody because it is journal chapters, and then in between, you get, like, social media posts and newspaper posts about what's happening globally because it's all Ben's point of view. It was fun. It was really good.
- [32:26]
Annie Jones
That's clever, too. That's kind of unique. Like, the whole, like. None of that feels like something I've read before.
- [32:32]
Erin
Right.
- [32:33]
Olivia
Yeah.
- [32:33]
Annie Jones
Which is hard to do.
- [32:34]
Erin
Did you know there would be a murder or were you just surprised?
- [32:38]
Olivia
Oh, no, I was against the murder.
- [32:40]
Erin
Okay.
- [32:40]
Annie Jones
Okay.
- [32:42]
Erin
I thought you were just going in for a good, like, young person, dystopian book and you.
- [32:46]
Olivia
But I honestly didn't need the murder because I was already invested in what was happening.
- [32:51]
Annie Jones
Yeah, that sounds great.
- [32:54]
Erin
Yeah.
- [32:54]
Olivia
Yeah.
- [32:55]
Erin
And really striking, like you said, really striking book. And cover, too. Okay. This next book is a book that. No, Annie, I think, thinks I should read this. And now I'm like, I Do think I should read this? It's called the Foursome by Christina Baker Klein. It feels like it's meant to be. Like, it's kismet. Like, I'm just like, well, people think I should read this, so I should probably read this. But she is the author. It comes out May 12th. She's the author. I didn't realize. I knew her name sounded familiar, but she wrote the Orphan Train, which was a book that was really, really popular a few years ago. And she also wrote the Exiles, which feels like a book I've read. The title sounds very familiar, but. So she's an author I'm familiar with. But this is. This is historical fiction, but it's based on real life, people. And actually, I didn't know this, but the. There's There. It's based on real life. Can join twins Chang and Ing Bunker. And they're. They become married to two sisters, Sarah and Adelaide Yates. And those sisters are long or, like, descendants, I guess. Christine Christina is a descendant of those sisters, so she has a tie to this story, which is crazy. That's what. What a coincidence. But this story, it spans, like, decades of time. It starts when the conjoined twins move to North Carolina, I think in, like, 18. The 1830s. I. I think before then, they have been part of a circus, or they were part of a circus, obviously. Is that when those times were. That was what happened. If you had any sort of abnormality, like, that was what you did. You went into the circus, and that's how you made money. But they. They leave that. They decide to buy a farm. I think they buy, like, a huge farm in Wilkes County. They start to look for wives, and they find these sisters. And in this. I don't know how much of this is exactly his, you know, true to actual history, but in this book, Adelaide is more. Is. Is infatuated with the twins and, like, wants to be a part of their orbit and a part of their life and sees their fame as something she wants to be a part of. A kind of almost a way to renew her life and start over again from some past she's ready to leave behind. And Sarah just is kind of along for the ride. So it's. Sarah is our narrator and narrates this story. And it's from her point of view and how it covers topics about marriage and. And sisterhood. I mean, a lot of people said there are. Obviously, there are parts. And this is what everyone thinks about, right when they think about conjoined twins and marriage. Like, this is all in the news now in the past few years where conjoined twins get married and people are like, but how does it work? Like, how does it. And so I think there. That covers this. Covers some of that in the book. But it's not like it's not. It doesn't feel gross. Like, it's not like they get into all the prurient details of what happens in their marriage bed. But it is kind of discussed a little bit. But a lot of it really is about the relationship between the sisters between relationship between them and their husbands. And also the husbands decide to have slaves on this farm in this time period. And so some of it is looking at like, how does that work and how. What are the moral qualms about looking at these people who as slaveholders when they themselves were sort of put on spotlight as oddities than to go and sort of make. Make someone else live that terrible life of slavery underneath them is. Is something that the book examines too. But it's about motherhood and racism. So it is. I have heard nothing but good things about this book like. Like all around. Just great reviews. So I am looking forward to reading it. It's called the Foursome by Christina Baker Klein, out May 12th.
- [36:47]
Annie Jones
I just got the arc back from my mom, so I think she might have read it.
- [36:51]
Erin
I think your mom will.
- [36:52]
Annie Jones
She's gonna be on the podcast in a couple weeks, so. But she. The editor sent us a copy because she. I wanna say it's the editor. Anyway. This publisher had previously sent us the Wedding People. So this is the same kind of orbit. I don't know if it's like the publicist or the editor, but anyway, I am super excited about this. I would like to read it. There was a Chang and Eng exhibit at this very. Olivia, did you ever go to the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia?
- [37:22]
Olivia
No.
- [37:22]
Annie Jones
Have you ever been there?
- [37:23]
Olivia
No.
- [37:24]
Annie Jones
It was really weird, but a friend of mine recommended it and Jordan and I went and it's like a science oddities museum. It's very strange, but we did like it. I mean, it was like nothing else I've ever seen. And so I believe there was an exhibit on these conjoined twins at that. And I remember reading that they had gotten married and moved to North Carolina. And so it'll be so interesting to kind of see because I feel like you're right, Erin. We only if you've heard of these twins, you've heard of them as it relates to like traveling circus and things like that. Not how it might relate to. Oh, they became Family. Yeah, exactly. So anyway, I'm very curious about this one as well. So I will report back on it and I'll find out if my mom read it. Yeah, okay. Last for me is a book I feel like I've already raved about. So I won't take too much time today. But it is Dolly all the Time by Annabelle Monahan, out on May 26th. Annabelle, we are huge fans of her here at the bookshelf. I fell in love with her. Work with Nora goes off script a few years ago, but now I feel like I'm more or less an Annabelle completionist. Although she does have that collection of nonfiction essays from many years ago that I've not read. But she, to me, is one of the elite romance rom com writers for me. Like, I think her characters, her protagonists are often slightly older. So Dolly, the main character in this book, is 39, turning 40. So I also loved that. I felt like this year I've accidentally encountered a lot of characters who are like, right at my age. And so she's 39, turning 40. She has a son named Gus. And this is something else Annabelle does very well. I think she writes children very well. And so Gus is Dolly's teenage son. Their relationship, I thus far have not found too much kinship in parenting books. Maybe I'll pick a few up and read a few paragraphs, read a couple of chapters, and then I'll be like, okay, put that down. But I do love reading books where there's a great familial bond or parental relationship. And there is a really lovely relationship between Dolly and her son Gus that I just loved. And Annabelle has sons. And I think you can tell because of the way she writes about this mother son relationship. But anyway, so Dolly has a son named Gus. They go to, I think it's Whitfield Island. It almost feels like Newport, Rhode island, kind of wealthy enclave where she grew up, especially during the summers. Her dad owned this like seafood shack kind of thing. So there's this. There's this great and I think very realistic small business component to this one. I loved this book. I love all of Annabelle's books, though. I have a few that are my favorites. This could be one of my favorites. Dolly is very much the eldest sister in her family. She is the caregiver. She's who returns home to take care of the family house, take care of her dad, her brother. There are a lot of really sweet family relationships. Of course, while she is there, she stumbles upon Stuart Whitfield. I believe that's the last name. But he has the same last name as the island itself, so we're talking very moneyed. Also, I teased Annabelle when she was here for Rita retreat. But anybody who can make me fall in love with a man named Stuart has done a great job. Because I remember I literally was reading the book, and I was like, surely this isn't the male woman. Yeah, because his name's Stuart. But anyway, no, Stuart was great. I really liked him a lot. So she kind of, I think, crafts these really beautifully realistic love stories that also do have great, great sense of humor about them. Her sense of place is fantastic. So I think a lot of romance readers, particularly as we start to enter the summer months, want to read summery, beachy books. This one is set on this island in the northeast. I found it to be very charming, realistic, fun. And their love story is definitely kind of a socioeconomic imbalance where Dolly is more of the working class. And Stuart, you know, the island is named for his family and the different dynamics that come to play with that. I love her books. This will be at the top of my list of favorites from her. It is Dolly all the time. Releases May 26th. Paperback original, too. So great to throw in your beach bag.
- [41:49]
Olivia
I would also just like to say all. All of the names are a little out there.
- [41:54]
Annie Jones
Dolly, too.
- [41:55]
Olivia
Gus.
- [41:56]
Annie Jones
Yeah. Well, listen, I came this close. Did I tell you this? I came this close. I wanted to name Isaac Gus so bad. I wanted to do.
- [42:03]
Erin
I have several friends with kids named Gus.
- [42:04]
Annie Jones
I wanted to do Augustus. And we have a really good friend named Gus. And so I like. So we didn't have any negative. But it was after I read Lonesome Dove, where I thought I would name.
- [42:14]
Olivia
I've never met anyone named Gus. The only Gus I know is from that show Psych.
- [42:20]
Annie Jones
Oh, I didn't know his name was Gus. Yeah, we just have a really good friend named Gus. But Jordan, I think, was a little worried about Gus. Gus, like from Cinderella?
- [42:30]
Olivia
That would be such a great association. I thought it was so cute. I thought it was so cute.
- [42:34]
Annie Jones
Everyone loves Gus Gus.
- [42:35]
Olivia
Everyone loves Gus Gus.
- [42:37]
Annie Jones
Yeah, I thought it was so cute. Anyway, I was obviously vetoed. Our son's name is not Gus, but.
- [42:42]
Olivia
What.
- [42:43]
Annie Jones
Yeah.
- [42:43]
Olivia
Yeah.
- [42:44]
Erin
In your heart. In your heart.
- [42:46]
Annie Jones
Guys, what if it was? What if I'd fooled everyone for the Internet and you all thought.
- [42:52]
Erin
You thought you might be telling us for months.
- [42:56]
Annie Jones
Yeah, but in this home, his.
- [42:58]
Olivia
He's called Gus.
- [42:59]
Annie Jones
That's right.
- [43:00]
Olivia
It would be very southern of you to, like, name him Isaac, though. But just call him Gus.
- [43:04]
Erin
Call him Gus would be very.
- [43:08]
Olivia
For you to make your dream come true. Yeah.
- [43:10]
Annie Jones
Give it a few. Give it a few weeks. Maybe I can make it happen.
- [43:14]
Olivia
Sorry, quick side note. Everyone at daycare pronounces Rory's name like Rory. And so that's how we have to say his name if we want to get his attention because that's.
- [43:25]
Erin
Oh, no.
- [43:26]
Annie Jones
Why did it come out that way?
- [43:27]
Olivia
Couldn't tell you. That's just how I think. Maybe it's because they have really strong Southern accents. So it's like they have Sing songy.
- [43:36]
Annie Jones
Fascinating.
- [43:37]
Olivia
Yeah. So now we have to say his name like that in our own house to like,
- [43:42]
Erin
you know, you guys, you
- [43:44]
Annie Jones
knew there would be consequences to raising your son in the South. You just didn't know what they'd be.
- [43:49]
Olivia
Yeah, I didn't know.
- [43:50]
Erin
Couldn't have imagined.
- [43:51]
Olivia
To song. And I'm not a singer. My last book comes out at the end of May. May 26th. It's night objects by Eli Raphael. I think it's Eli, not Ellie. Otherwise, I think you're right. Yeah. Otherwise I feel like it would be Eli. Yeah, this is Eli, but she is a woman and this is her debut novel. And it is so good. It is about Lenny. She's 15 years old in the one part of the timeline. The other timeline is her as an adult looking back on what happened when she was 15. Lenny at 15 with her mom and her stepdad, moved from Miami over to Washington coast. So very big change culturally and geographically. She goes to live on a houseboat with them, which is also their first time living on a houseboat. So she's learning a lot about living on a houseboat, like what it takes to maintain a boat. It actually ends up being like a great location for her because her and her mom are both really into astronomy. And so there's. They can kayak out to this one point. I think they call it like the end of the world or something because there's zero light pollution, so you can see so many stars. And they take their telescope there. It's like their thing. And her mom and her want to do this challenge. It's the Messier objects, but basically there's like 110 astronomical objects that you can spot over like an 18 hour period. And a lot of astronomers are super into it. And there's like a challenge where you try to spot the most objects and like, you take pictures of them. You can see like galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, like everything. I looked this up. This is a Real thing.
- [45:38]
Annie Jones
Cool.
- [45:39]
Olivia
Yeah. And one night a tragic accident occurs. I'm not going to go into it because you should read the book to experience it firsthand because it is worth it. She does a really great job of describing and narrating the entire scene, but it, it changes the trajectory of Lenny's life. And now she has been sent to this boarding school called Blanchard, which is like this rich boarding school that's a couple miles away from where her houseboat is. And she is like the token black girl at this school filled with rich white kids. So she's struggling to fit in. She's struggling with the tragedy that just happened in her life and she decides to. To fit in. She is going to join the secret society, which we all know is a terrible idea. And it is so far.
- [46:30]
Annie Jones
This is like an Olivia Bingo card come to life. There's like stars, there's a houseboat, which I feel like could be vaguely interesting to you. Now there's a boarding school.
- [46:40]
Olivia
I think it'd be great on Houseboat.
- [46:41]
Annie Jones
Yeah. Now there's a boarding school and a secret society. It's like the Olivia, Olivia Bingo.
- [46:47]
Olivia
I know Lenny's living my life, except that one of her friends is. Does die. And I hope that never happens to me. Yeah, we do know that from like the very first chapter of this book.
- [46:58]
Annie Jones
Okay.
- [46:58]
Olivia
And so that's where like the dual perspective comes in, where we're watching the lead, Lenny as an adult is telling us the lead up of this one night. That changes everything. And then the other perspective is the aftermath of that one night. Like the. Out, like the hours after the aftermath of. Of that one night. So it is very tied to each other. I think this book is greatly comped to like God of the Woods. Liz Moore even blurbed it.
- [47:24]
Annie Jones
She blurbed it.
- [47:25]
Olivia
Yeah. Because it is a teenager. You know, something bad's going to happen. But you're getting the full history of everything surrounding that event. I feel like the publishers are trying to comp this to the Secret History. And I have qualms with that because the Secret History is my all time favorite book. And you can't, you gotta, you gotta stop setting books up for failure.
- [47:46]
Erin
Right.
- [47:47]
Olivia
It drives me insane. Like, I think they think because, you know, an incident is going to happen, that it is very similar to the Secret History. But that is not true because in the Secret History, you know, bunny dies. The first sentence is that bunny dies. You're watching the, the whole like, downfall of this group of friends. Whereas like, this is. I don't know who Died.
- [48:07]
Annie Jones
Right.
- [48:08]
Olivia
Like. Like, let's find out together. It's a very different way.
- [48:12]
Annie Jones
Of course, we could also, you know this. Like, there are a million other comps. You could do so many. I think people just want. I think they still with. It's almost like Daisy Jones. It's like, there can't be. It's like that has become the book.
- [48:27]
Erin
Right?
- [48:29]
Annie Jones
Yeah. The comp for oral histories and then frictional oral histories and then secret history is like the comp for boarding school books. And it's like, no, that's not even what this was about. Like that, you know, and that wasn't even a board anyway.
- [48:41]
Olivia
Yeah, yeah. That drives me insane. So I don't want that in people's heads. I want you to think God of the woods, where you're like, something eerie is going to happen. And you're kind of watching this teenager and you're just like, you gotta stop, girl. You really gotta stop.
- [48:56]
Erin
Slow down.
- [48:58]
Olivia
And she just doesn't. But you love her because she's going through a hard time.
- [49:03]
Annie Jones
She's got a lot going on. Did you read this physically or did you do the E galley?
- [49:08]
Olivia
I did the E galley.
- [49:10]
Annie Jones
Okay. I think I downloaded this because I think I found this in the catalog and I think I did tag you in it because I was like, this does sound good.
- [49:16]
Olivia
That's why I read the book. That's why I read it.
- [49:18]
Annie Jones
Okay. Because I feel. I was like, this does sound familiar to me.
- [49:22]
Olivia
And there are a lot of books right now that are like vaguely space related. This would be one of them. And I am all for this trend. We want to keep it going.
- [49:31]
Annie Jones
So many proud of publishers for being on top of a trend instead of behind. Good for you guys.
- [49:37]
Olivia
Good thing.
- [49:38]
Annie Jones
I'm so proud of you.
- [49:39]
Olivia
That's night out to me.
- [49:40]
Annie Jones
Okay.
- [49:40]
Erin
Well, that sounds amazing. I wasn't sure. Like, I couldn't remember if he said it was an adult book. But it is an adult book. Yes, it's for adults. Okay, great. That sounds really good. My last book is called Babylon, South Dakota. It's by Tom Lynn. Comes out May 26th. This one I'm really excited about. It is sort of right up my alley. Like, I was reading the blurb and I was like, it has everything I'm looking for. Which is a family story with a dash of sci fi, like slightly dystopian and a little bit of dark humor. Like, that's all I'm looking for. And thank you so much, publishers. This is about two Chinese immigrants who move to the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. They buy 160 acres of land.
- [50:27]
Annie Jones
Wow.
- [50:27]
Erin
They plan on just growing chrysanthemums, like having this very rural life. And the federal government comes along and says, hey, we're going to buy some of your land. Like they don't have a choice. Like we're, we're buying some of this land. We're gonna put a missile silo on this land. And so obviously that's not great. But so strange things start happening. Like the chrysanthemums that they're growing are like impervious to any damage. Like they can't be like smashed or you know, like they're just, they're like these gorgeous chrysanthemums that are like, you can't destroy them. The mother starts being able to communicate with animals. Like that's a. She gets this like power to start communicating with animals. Like things like that happen. And they also find out that not only does this, this area hold a missile silo, a nuclear missile, but it also has. They're like, there's a laboratory there where they're working on a machine that can basically provide eternal life almost because it can cross like dimensions, like time dimensions, so you can die, but like come back in the machine alive. So there is a plot line about a dog that, I am sorry to say I. I'm sure the dog is fine, but there's a plot line about a dog that gets shot repeatedly but comes back. He comes back, everyone, because of the machine. And he lives with his family because the, the parents end up having a child and. And so the dog becomes the pet of this, of their child, their daughter. The machine also like causes the father to go into some like sleep like coma thing. It's. I know, I know it sounds crazy,
- [52:10]
Annie Jones
but I know there's a lot happening here. I like.
- [52:14]
Erin
It's. It was described as un. Unsettling yet beautiful. And I think there's no better way to describe the type of books that I like to read, which is like a book where something is just slightly off. Like, I love that kind of stuff. It reminds me, and I did see this comp too, the Antidote by Karen Russell. If you liked that book, and I loved that book that it is, it's got like the family dynamics, the rural setting, the farming setting, but. But things are just a little off and they're not quite right. Like there's a magical or otherworldly or sci fi aspect to it that, that provides that darkness that kind of keeps you reading to figure out what's going to happen. So it is called Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lynn. It has a gorgeous cover too.
- [53:01]
Olivia
I read another book by Tom Lynn and it was excellent. It was great. The Thousand Crimes of Ming Sue. I think it was my shots right
- [53:10]
Erin
when I saw that I thought that that title sounds familiar.
- [53:13]
Olivia
So yes, I remember it was like a western. It was fun, but there was like a slight like surrealism, slight sci fi element to it.
- [53:21]
Annie Jones
Huh. Well, these all sound excellent. I feel like. Again, well done everyone. I feel like we've got something for everybody on this list. So if you want to peruse these titles and more, you can go to bookshelfthomasill.com Today's episode number is 580. That's 5, 8 0. Use the code NEW releasePlease at checkout and you'll get 10% off your order of any of today's titles. This week I'm reading Whistler by Ann Patchett. Olivia what are you reading?
- [53:54]
Olivia
I am reading the Mortons by Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbellister.
- [54:00]
Annie Jones
And Erin, what are you ready reading this week?
- [54:03]
Erin
I'm listening to into the Blue by Emma Brody.
- [54:08]
Annie Jones
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 ookshelftville and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through Our store website bookshelf thomasville.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, Beth Martha, Linda Lee Drost, Stephanie Dean, Ashley Farrell, Jean Queens, Jamie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter iv, Nicole, Marcy, Wendy Jenkins, and Kimberly. 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 revision view 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.
- [55:43]
Olivia
Foreign.
- [55:52]
Annie Jones
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- [56:03]
Erin
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- [56:08]
Annie Jones
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