Episode 588 || Best Books of the Year (So Far)

Summary

From the Front Porch – Episode 588
Best Books of the Year (So Far)
Release Date: July 2, 2026
Hosts: Annie Jones & Hunter McLendon

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Episode Overview

In this engaging midyear wrap-up, Annie Jones (owner of The Bookshelf, Thomasville) and frequent co-host Hunter McLendon share their favorite reads of 2026 so far. The conversation tours through debut novels, standout essay collections, thought-provoking short stories, and buzzy popular fiction, all while offering personal reflections on bookish trends, reading moods, and the evolving literary landscape. This is the annual “Top 10 Books of the Year (So Far)” discussion—delivering honest reactions, memorable moments, and plenty of literary camaraderie.

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Key Discussion Points & Highlights

The Guardian’s Top 100 Books & Conquer A Classic Reads

• Annie kicks off referencing The Guardian's list, celebrating their Conquer A Classic series for aligning with many “Best Ever” novels (e.g., Bleak House, Anna Karenina, Middlemarch).
• Quote: “Good for Bleak House, good for Dickens. He needed a win.” — Annie (02:17)

Opening Book Superlatives (04:13–10:35)

The hosts share rapid-fire awards for their reading years so far:

• First Five-Star Read

  • Hunter: Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg — “It’s also in my top 10, so we’ll get into it.” (04:13)
  • Annie: The Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman — “Collection of connected short stories... I really enjoyed it.” (04:20)

• Most Surprising Book

  • Hunter: Departures by Julian Barnes — “I randomly started listening to it on a whim, and then I was like, gosh, okay, I really like this.” (04:45)
  • Annie: Cleo Dong Would Rather Be Dead by Mae Nguyen — “It is heavy subject matter... but kind of blew me away.” (04:55)

• Biggest Disappointment

  • Hunter: Vigil by George Saunders — “I had sky high expectations... It’s no Lincoln in the Bardo.” (05:37–06:21)
  • Annie: Our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune — “To me, I know you have to suspend disbelief... but when the main characters have their names tattooed on each other’s ribs, but we're supposed to be like, they're not in love. I’m sorry!” (07:02–07:33)
    • Also "Man Overboard" by Kathleen Rooney: “You gotta be Tom Hanks... to carry a whole book. And this character, to me, was not capable.” (07:49)

• Next on the TBR & Most Anticipated Fall Release

  • Hunter: A Tender Age by Chengraili (upcoming) (08:42–09:32)
  • Annie: The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Filyaw and Fair Ones by Lydia Millet (already read) (09:32–10:16)

The “Reading Vibe” for 2026 (10:35–13:23)

Both hosts discuss how mental health, business hardships, and the tumult of 2026 have affected their reading and rating habits.

• Quote: “It’s a tough year to own a business like 2026... The state of your mind certainly affects how you read a book.” — Annie (11:11)
• Quote: “I think that your mental well being really dictates how you feel... my mental health caused a lot of books feel more underwhelming than they might have otherwise.” — Hunter (10:37)

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Top 10 Books of the Year (So Far)

A rapid alternation of picks, with candid discussion. Each entry features a brief description and memorable quotes. (Timestamps refer to when discussion of the book begins.)

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10. This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman (Annie, 14:02)

• Connected short stories about a Jewish family's decades-long rift begun at a funeral.
• “I still have a heart for dysfunctional family lit. I think this is really well written, well rounded, dysfunctional family lit.” — Annie (14:02)

10. Lost Lambs by Madeleine Cash (Hunter, 15:12)

• Dysfunctional family, small coastal town, criminal conspiracy, Royal Tenenbaums energy.
• “It has such an interesting tone... certain things are a little bit challenging, but it does it in such a light-hearted way, you almost forget how dark it is.” — Hunter (15:14)
• Annie: “There's a trafficking component... that almost feels like it comes out of nowhere...” (16:02)

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9. Good People by Patmina Shah (Annie, 17:05)

• Audiobook exploring an immigrant family at the heart of a police investigation—timely and thought-provoking.
• “It really made me ask myself questions about who gets to tell a story, how many different versions of a story there are...” — Annie (18:22)

9. The Complex by Karan Mahajan (Hunter, 19:17)

• Family saga set in an Indian housing complex between the 1980s and 1990s.
• “I just was really surprised at how engaged I was with all these different family members... I got really connected to all the characters.” — Hunter (19:33)

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8. Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer (Annie, 21:14)

• A charm novel set in the Italian countryside with a found family, coming-of-age flavor.
• “He set out to write a charm novel and... this book did that for me... I want it with me at all times so I can read it any moment I can. And Villa Coco was one of those.” — Annie (22:57)

8. Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novak (Hunter, 24:09)

• Darkly funny thriller with a sex worker protagonist, told in shifting perspectives.
• “It's like Gone Girl for the Luigi Mangioni era... I read this on an airplane and I read it in one sitting.” — Hunter (24:22)

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7. Whistler by Ann Patchett (Annie, 27:26)

• A woman’s unexpected encounter with her former stepfather prompts reflections on relationships and nostalgia.
• “This is a very tender story about people who we only get to share just a tiny sliver of our lives with.” — Annie (27:05)

7. My Dear You by Rachel Kong (Hunter, 28:55)

• Ten surreal and prophetic short stories blending sharp social satires (race, gender, grief) with whimsy.
• “Some of them are very surreal, some are kind of prophetic... Very entertaining and engaging.” — Hunter (29:08)
• Annie: “I loved Goodbye Vitamin. If you love Goodbye Vitamin, this feels more in tune with that than her second book.” (29:53)

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6. Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox (Annie, 30:01)

• Essay collection exploring Florida’s complexities, sense of place, and pop culture—all from a millennial perspective.
• “I think Rachel Knox kind of deserves to be among [the best Florida writers]... The sense of place in this book is outstanding.” — Annie (31:39)

6. Gunk by Saba Sams (Hunter, 32:20)

• Offbeat novel about two women—one divorced, one barely an adult—bonding over and navigating an unexpected pregnancy.
• “It's about motherhood and desire and chosen family. It's really beautiful and very tender.” — Hunter (33:08)

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5. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (Annie, 33:26)

• A subtle, emotionally nuanced novel about ordinariness, aging, masculinity, and father-son relations.
• “Her characters are so ordinary and somehow she offers this beautiful insight into the average life.” — Annie (33:52)
• Hunter’s fav line: “At every moment, I thought I couldn't love you more than this. And then I loved you even more.” (36:00)

5. Kin by Tayari Jones (Hunter, 36:34)

• Oprah’s Book Club selection—a friendship and coming-of-age saga of two Black women in the mid-20th-century South.
• “This is very different from her book An American Marriage. Did you ever read Sula by Toni Morrison? … There is, pun intended, a kinship there for sure.” — Hunter & Annie (37:36–37:41)

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4. The Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman (Annie, 37:49)

• Day-in-the-life, interlinked stories set in a college town restaurant, tinged with humor and local color.
• “I think writing about a restaurant is hard—But [this] is a great snapshot of a day in the life of this one small business.” — Annie (38:40)

4. Departures by Julian Barnes (Hunter, 40:00)

• The acclaimed author’s final book, blending memoir, essay, and fiction while exploring mortality and memory.
• “You would think a book that’s dealing with some of the things it’s dealing with would be really heavy, but it’s so funny. I found it really, really beautiful and surprising.” — Hunter (40:00)

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3. Strangers by Belle Burden (Annie, 41:00)

• Wealthy socialite’s divorce memoir set in the Hamptons—buzzy, honest, beautifully written, currently at the center of literary backlash.
• “Do I feel sorry for her? Sure, it sounded like her marriage was crap and ended crappily, but was I glued to her narrative? Yeah, because her storytelling is really ... great.” — Annie (42:51)

3. Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg (Hunter, 44:52)

• A dirt-poor girl livestreams her life to save her sister—unflinching and darkly hilarious look at internet fame, class, and desperation.
• “If you’re somebody who feels objectified by the general public sometimes... it resonates in a lot of ways... It is funny, also heartbreaking and a little like, it’s very uncomfortable at times, but in a really—it makes sense for the story.” — Hunter (45:35)

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2. Celestial Lights by Cecile Penn (Annie, 46:51)

• Ambitious and tender literary novel: an astronaut’s journey, ambition, legacy, sacrifice, family.
• “Very much a book about ambition and what is required to do, legacy-defining things, and what sacrifices may or may not have to be made to be great.” — Annie (48:15)
• On critics: “I just like reading books and I don’t really need a fictional character’s... I don’t know. I was totally intrigued by the whole thing.” — Annie (48:35)

2. Whidbey by T. Kira Madden (Hunter, 49:50)

• Challenging novel exploring abuse, trauma, and its intergenerational consequences; combines literary deftness with propulsive plotting.
• “I really do want people to pick this one up because I think a lot of people are kind of scared because of the subject matter, but... there are much heavier books dealing with this kind of stuff.” — Hunter (50:27)
• Annie: “It propels you forward so you don’t get too bogged down in the details of it all.” (51:39)
• Also compared to: Notes on an Execution (Annie, 51:54)

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1. Kin by Tayari Jones (Annie, 52:01)

• “Compulsively readable” historical fiction of belonging and home for two motherless Black women.
• “I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And do you think—I feel like Oprah’s picks are so diverse... This feels like a traditional Oprah pick. And that is meant complimentary.” — Annie (53:01)

1. Brawler by Lauren Groff (Hunter, 53:47)

• Groff’s newest short story collection, accessible and compelling, with explorations of time, theme, and human nature. Special praise for stories “Between the Shadow and the Soul” and “What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf” (edgy, almost thriller-esque).
• “Each story is very captivating. The way she plays with time is really interesting and... she deals with [issues] in a timeless fashion, which is true to her as a whole.” — Hunter (54:40)

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Closing Reflections and Notable Moments

• Both hosts wonder how their mid-year picks will hold up by December—acknowledging that reading context, timing, and personal life all affect their lists.
• Ongoing conversation about the effects of book “backlash,” online reviews, and the etiquette of tagging people in negative opinions.
• Annie’s playful confession that reading Brawler by Lauren Groff makes her think of the song “I wish I were a baller... I wish I were a brawler a little bit taller.” (55:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:04] – The Guardian Top 100 & Conquer A Classic
• [04:13–10:35] – Superlatives (First 5-star, Most Surprising, Biggest Disappointment, Next on TBR)
• [10:35–13:23] – 2026 Reading Vibes: Mental Health, Business, The State of Books
• [14:02–55:00+] – Top 10 Books Countdown, with discussion and recommendations

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Notable Quotes

• “Things aren’t going well, so I will not be giving this a five star, even if it deserved it.” — Hunter, on how life affects ratings (12:24)
• “I get really tired of the way I hear the South talked about... and the same, of course, is true of my home state of Florida.” — Annie (31:39)
• “If you like sad girl books, I think this is really up in that same vein as Melissa Broder or Jen Beagin.” — Hunter on Just Watch Me (46:06)
• “There are just some songs... all I can sing in my head is that phrase: ‘I wish I were a brawler a little bit taller.’ That’s what I say over and over again.” — Annie on Brawler by Lauren Groff (55:30)

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Books Discussed (in Order of Mention; see above for details)

• This Is Not About Us – Allegra Goodman
• Lost Lambs – Madeleine Cash
• Good People – Patmina Shah
• The Complex – Karan Mahajan
• Villa Coco – Andrew Sean Greer
• Murder Bimbo – Rebecca Novak
• Whistler – Ann Patchett
• My Dear You – Rachel Kong
• Anywhere Else – Rachel Knox
• Gunk – Saba Sams
• The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth Strout
• Kin – Tayari Jones
• The Reservation – Rebecca Kaufman
• Departures – Julian Barnes
• Strangers – Belle Burden
• Just Watch Me – Lior Torenberg
• Celestial Lights – Cecile Penn
• Whidbey – T. Kira Madden
• Brawler – Lauren Groff

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers thoughtful, candid book talk from committed readers, winding through everything from new releases to how personal upheaval impacts reading joy. There’s admiration for strong character work, storytelling innovation, and for stories—whether rich, poor, heavy, or light—that make the hosts want to carry a book everywhere. Whether you’re searching for a literary gem, serious themes, or just some Southern bookshop warmth, there’s a recommendation here for every taste.

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For show notes and links to all titles:
Visit The Bookshelf Thomasville or find the full transcript at fromthefrontporchpodcast.com.

Connect with the hosts on Instagram:

• @bookshelftville
• @fromthefrontporchpodcast

Support the show on Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus content.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to from the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business, and life in the South. No, what I mean is that great ambitions, unique achievements often come hand in hand with the rather regrettable ability to go forward in life no matter the cost. Cecile Penn, Celestial Lights. I'm Annie Jones, owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. And this week I'm joined by my friend and frequent co host Hunter McLendon to talk about our reading years so far. If you're craving more from the Front Porch or if you want to listen to these episodes ad free, join us on Patreon. This year, listener favorite Hunter McLendon and I are sharing our monthly recaps of our conquering of the complete stories by Flannery o'. Connor. Episodes air on the last Friday of each month, and it's never too late to start reading or listening. To join patreon, just visit patreon.com from the FrontPorch. Three tiers are available. The $5 a month tier will give you access to all of our Conquer A classic episodes, including our back catalog of episodes and our monthly porch visit Q and a sessions. The $20 a month tier will give you ad free episodes of from the Front Porch, plus a deep dive into some of Flannery oconnors other works. We hope you'll join us there. Now back to the show. Hi, Hunter.

[B]

Hello.

[A]

It's so weird to be recording these, not behind a paywall.

[B]

Yeah, listen, sometimes I feel like I'm in the wild, wild west over there.

[A]

We gotta keep it tight over here. Before we get started, I'm gonna throw some information at you that I don't know if you know. So the Guardian put out top 100 books of all time list. Did you see this?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Of course you did. Of course you did. But number 12, Patreon listeners informed me number 12 was Bleak House. And I wanted to check in on how you feel about that rating.

[B]

I. I thought that was so interesting.

[A]

Um, I Good for Bleak House, good for Dickens. He needed a win. I, I actually what really made me proud looking at that list. I mean, I have complicated. Do I have complicated feelings about Bleak House? No, they're not complicated. I struggled with Bleak House. I've made that very appare. Right. But when going through the top 100, which I did not make it my way through the whole list, but I was very impressed with our conquer A classic reading tastes because we have conquered a lot of, like, best novels of all time, like in the top 15, I think. We had conquered so many. We had conquered Anna Karenina, Bleak House, Middlemarch, I think was their number one pick. So anyway, it's kind of fun to see what a good job we've done over there on Conquer Classic through Patreon. So thanks for being my reading buddy over there.

[B]

Oh, my God, always.

[A]

Okay, so we are doing what has become a pretty annual tradition. We are Discussing our top 10 books of the year so far. So most I'm looking at my list because I think I broke the rules last year, didn't I? I think that was the controversy was last year I picked a book that maybe was coming out in the fall.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Do you remember? So this year, are we sticking to books that have been published through July?

[B]

That's.

[A]

Is that what you did?

[B]

That's what I did, yeah.

[A]

Okay. Because I do have one book that publishes in August that I will not name here unless we want to include it. It would be probably nine or ten. Oh.

[B]

Oof. Okay.

[A]

Okay, so. But before we get into our top 10, we do like this rundown and I apologize. Years ago, I credited the woman on Instagram who came up with this. I cannot remember who it is anymore. So go listen to our back episodes. But first of all, what was your first five star read of the year?

[B]

I believe it was Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg, which is like, it's also my top 10. But like, so we'll get into it,

[A]

so we'll hear more about it. Okay. My first five star year of the. My first five star read of the year was the Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman. It will also be in my top 10. I really enjoyed it. Collection of connected short stories. Most surprising book for you, like book you enjoyed and were surprised by.

[B]

This one's also my top 10, but it's departures by Julian Barnes.

[A]

Oh, okay. I'm curious about this one. I've not read it.

[B]

Yeah, I did. I randomly started listening to it on a whim and then I was like, gosh, okay, I really like this, so I'm excited to talk about it.

[A]

Okay. Mine was Cleo Dong Would Rather be Dead. This is by Mae Nguyen. She wrote a book called Sunshine Nails which came out a few years ago, but this is her new one and I thought it was really lovely. It is talking a lot about infant death, and so it is heavy subject matter, but I think handled really, really beautifully and kind of blew me away. I was really surprised by how much I appreciated and kind of fell in love with the characters she created. Okay. Least favorite so far.

[B]

Okay, I'm gonna. Can I just put, like. Because I have least favorites, but, like, can I just put the one that I was actually most disappointed by that I think might actually also make people mad. Okay.

[A]

Is it gonna make me mad?

[B]

I don't know. I think you'll get it. Like, it's not. It was not bad. I liked it. It's just that I was kind of disappointed. And I think we talked about it, but it's Vigil by George Saunders.

[A]

Yes. Okay. Because I liked this one, but I think I succumbed. I think I would stand by. I think I gave it four and a half, I think now. Cause this is what happens, right? Like, you rank books, and then as the year progresses. And I think some books get a benefit from being read early in the year. Do you know what I mean? Because it's like a new calendar page has turned. And so I'm excited about everything I'm reading. And I think Vigil to me would now be four stars.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's no Lincoln and the Bardo. We'll put it that way. Right.

[B]

And to be clear, like, there are other. Like, there are other books that I liked less, but that is the one where I had sky high expectations.

[A]

Yes. Your expectations were not met.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think a lot of people agree with you. I think our friends at the popcast agree with you. I think they really did not enjoy that book. Okay, I've got two. You know, this is where I do prefer a paywall, because I really respect authors and I'm a bookseller. I will tell you that Carly Fortune's romances just tend to not work for me. But I had really liked last year's, which was one golden summer. And so I thought I'd give her new one, Our Perfect Storm, a go. Have you read Carly Fortune? Do you like a straight people rom com? What's your experience?

[B]

I can get into it.

[A]

Okay, so. And rom com is not the right word. These are romance novels. And I need to start be. I need to start describing them correctly. So this is a romance novel. And it's just. To me, I know you have to suspend disbelief for a romance novel, but when the main characters have their names tattooed on each other's ribs, but we're supposed to be like, they're not in love. Like, they're just friends. I'm sorry. I like you a lot. I would not tattoo your name on my ribs. Can you imagine?

[B]

I would tattoo your name, but, like, that's very different. We're very different people. So I don't expect that from you.

[A]

Wait, do you have tattoos?

[B]

No.

[A]

I don't either.

[B]

Yeah, it's so funny. Despite what people think, I'm actually a very pure soul.

[A]

Okay, I'll go ahead and name my other one just because it's coming out this summer. And I'll be so curious what people think. Man Overboard by Kathleen Rooney. She wrote Lillian Box, Fish Takes a Walk or whatever that book was. Okay, so this is her new one. I had really high hopes for it. I liked the premise. Basically, a man goes overboard of a cruise ship, and the whole book is him in the water, and I just didn't like him enough. You gotta be Tom Hanks. You gotta be Ryan Gosling. You gotta be a really capable character to carry a whole book. And this character, to me, was not capable. But if we're talking about most disappointing. What'd you think about Emma Straub's new book?

[B]

Ooh.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, we don't have to say. I just was curious. Okay. Okay, what's next on your tbr?

[B]

Oh, A Tender Age by Chengraili.

[A]

Oh, that's on. Bye. Do you like it or you don't know you're starting it?

[B]

I started it, but I just actually read his backlist book, the Surrendered.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And it was really good. And I loved my year abroad, so.

[A]

Okay, so I have this arc, and so I'm gonna move it. I'm gonna bump it. We're in the middle of summer over here. So my next arc is June Baby by Shannon Garvey. It's just got a beachy cover, and I just. I want a beach book, so that's where I'll go next. What is your most anticipated fall release?

[B]

Wait. Oh, wait, what did I say? Wait, was that not the one?

[A]

Uh oh. Uh.

[B]

Oh. Wait, was there another. Wait, what'd you just. What'd you just ask?

[A]

I asked next on your tbr.

[B]

Oh, that. Okay.

[A]

Yes. Both.

[B]

That is both. That is both.

[A]

That's both.

[B]

It is both.

[A]

So you're reading it next, and it's your most anticipated?

[B]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

Cause it does come out this fall. You're right. Don't panic. Nobody panic. We're professionals. Okay, My most anticipated fall release. Do you know I still have not read the short story collection. Was it called Secret Lives of Church Ladies?

[B]

Really?

[A]

So I am going to read that because she's got a new book coming out called the True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, and it looks good. It looks so good. So that is on my list. And then guess what I just read it was my most anticipated, but I read it. Fair Ones by Lydia Millet.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I got the arc. I got the arc. I'm so proud.

[B]

See, I did it. And like, that never happens.

[A]

You always get the arcs.

[B]

I know. Watch. I'm gonna have to be like, I'm gonna email them. Be like, excuse me. Like, did you like it?

[A]

I really liked it. Yeah, I really liked it. I really liked it. So that was my most anticipated, but I already read it. So the True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Filyaw is on mine. Okay. What have you been your reading vibes for 2026. How you feeling? We're at the halfway mark. What do you think? How does it compare to years past? What's the vibe?

[B]

It's so funny. I think that, like, we've talked about this a lot on Patreon, but, you know, I think that your mental, your mental well being really dictates how you feel. Yeah. And the first half, you know, it's so funny. I just started a new antidepressant and I'm feeling much better. But, like, I definitely think that my mental health, like, caused a lot of books feel more underwhelming than they might have otherwise. But I think that actually I've loved a lot of the backless books I've been reading, and I've liked some of the new releases and I've loved, like a handful.

[A]

Okay, so listen, I have five starred quite a few books this year. I have read a lot. Like, quantity wise, I'm having a great reading year. It's been an interesting year in the life of the business. I don't think I've shied away from that in my personal newsletter. I think I've been fairly open on Patreon. Like, and. And what I mean by that is it's a tough year to own a business like 2026. There's a lot going on. There's a lot going on globally. There's also tariffs. There's also cost of living, cost of goods. Your groceries are going up. Guess what? So are the prices of books. So is the price of shipping. So is the price of everything that it takes to run an independent bookstore. And I do think you are correct. The state of your mind certainly affects how you read a book. And so I can tell that the deeper into spring and summer we got, and the more overwhelmed by workload that I got, the less I was doling out five stars, the less I was inclined to be like, yes, that was awesome. I knew I should know Things were bad. When I gave Ann Patchett's book A 4.5, I was like, this isn't a five star.

[B]

Have you seen Hustlers with Jennifer Lopez?

[A]

Yes. Yes, I do think I watched that.

[B]

Okay, well, so after the stock market crashes or whatever, the rich men stop throwing them twenties and hundreds. That's kind of how I feel about stars.

[A]

Yes. Things aren't going well, so I will not be giving this a five star, even if it deserved it. Yeah. Okay, so we're kind of on the same page, and it's hard. And I don't ever know that it's fair to compare past reading years, but there have been some standout years. I think post pandemic, the literary landscape is interesting. I don't quite. I don't have fully formed thoughts around that, but I think being a person post pandemic has been challenging. And I think the literary landscape is ever shifting. And in a way that I am starting to feel a little bit old in that I kind of miss my previous reading experiences.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I don't know if you feel that way.

[B]

I think that my best reading years were 2015 to 2018, and things have not really hit. Like, there have been a handful of books I have loved as much as I love, but I loved so many books that were coming out around that time.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, so that's the vibe. I don't know. Good, good. Great. I don't know. It's fine. Okay, so I'll kick us off. I'm going to start with my number 10. My number 10 is. Oh my gosh. I wrote these in white ink so that you couldn't read them. Sneaky, sneaky. This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman. Have you read this?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay, I loved this. This is a connected collection of short stories which I found myself reading quite a bit this year. I think there's two more on. And so this one is about a Jewish family. The three matriarchs get in a fight over apple cake at one of their funerals and the resulting argument causes a rift in their family for years. Each story is told from a different perspective of a member in that family. I still have a heart for dysfunctional family lit. I think this is really well written, well rounded, dysfunctional family lit. I thought it was unique, creative take on the genre because of the connected short story format. I really liked it. It's got a great cover too. That is this Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman.

[B]

I've never read Allegra Goodman, but I own several of her books and she was a National Book Award finalist, so I really do want to read that now. Yeah. So my number 10, which I think you really enjoyed too, and this was like. Okay, so it's also a dysfunctional family. Book is Lost Lambs by Madeleine Cash.

[A]

Loved it. Loved it. Yeah.

[B]

It is about a dysfunctional family who's in a small coastal town and there's a billionaire shipping magnate. And it's like the daughter, Harper, she becomes obsessed with this mysterious shipping container, and then the family gets dragged into this criminal conspiracy. And somebody described it as like Royal Tenenbaums. I think that's probably, like. Yeah. But I. I did find this very charming. And, like, it's one of those that, like, it has such an interesting tone because it is like, it's dealing with certain things are a little bit challenging, but it does it in such a

[A]

light hearted way, you almost forget how dark it is. Like, I mean, there's a whole. I don't think this spoils anything. There's a trafficking component to this book.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

That, like, almost feels like it comes out of nowhere. And maybe it's because of the time in which I was reading it, in which we were reading it, but I thought, oh, I didn't see that in the reviews.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

But she handles it. I think this is a great. You know what it reminded me of so Far Gone by Jess Walter, which I don't know if you ever read. And then what was that book, People? Somebody got mad at me for liking it. It had a lot of sex in it. The woman who wrote it was. I'm gonna get. There was Long Island Compromise. She wrote Long Island Compromise. Oh, the Fleischmann's in trouble. Fleischman is in trouble. It reminded me of Fleischman Is in Trouble in that the characters are so kind of wacky, zany, but also very believable. Very believable. I loved that book. Good call. Okay. My number nine. And this is the case with these. It'll be so interesting to see at the end of the year how many of these still stand.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? Like, and I don't know, I feel like with time, some of these will go up. I'm already seeing. I already see one on my list that I'm like, oh, I think that one's about to be canceled. We'll have to. I'll have to move that one. But anyway, okay. My number nine is Good People by Patmina Shah. I struggle putting audiobooks on A list like this because I typically do so much better with a print book. But this I listened to and I think it's a great audiobook. And it very much feels in the same family or in the same vein as a Celeste ng Little Fires Everywhere. It is about this family who I think the parents are like first generation immigrants, but the kids, you know, still kind of have their American identity. But what I liked was the. The book opens with this police report and then what unfolds is you trying to figure out what happened to this family and why they're kind of the center of this investigation. And it really made me ask myself questions about who gets to tell a story, how many different versions of a story there are, and then what. What stories we put on immigrant families as from an outsider perspective. So, like, as a white person, when I see an immigrant family, what narrative have I made up for them in my head? And so some of the judgment that this family faces. I thought it was really, again, it was really timely, but it didn't feel like it was preaching at me or it just was a really well told story about this family and kind of a tragedy at the heart of their family. I really liked it. I don't know, it could even be a companion novel to. Yeah, definitely Little Fires Everywhere. But I'm trying to think. There were a couple of other books kind of in that same vein, like one by an Atlanta author that I really liked. Anyway, great audiobook. Highly recommend. Good People by Patmina Shah.

[B]

Okay. I also love how we keep on doing family books.

[A]

Yeah. It just is a tried and true genre for me.

[B]

I get it. Same. I mean, my next one is another family book. It's. I cannot. I should have looked up. I forgot how to look up how to pronounce the author's name. But it's the guy who. I don't know. I don't know their gender. Oh, gosh. It's the person who wrote the association of Small Bombs.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

It's the Complex by Karan Mahaj. It's K A R A N, Last name, M A H A J N. I promise, like, I'm not. I'm not just trying to, like, not know how to pronounce people's names. But. But it's like a family saga, like, set in like, a housing complex, following, like, the sons and daughters of this like, SP Chopra person who's like a. He's one of India's like, political architects and they're like, all trying to like, figure out their own lives and stuff. Like, while this, like, young, like, it's like this nation is like. The nation is like transforming basically. And it's like between like the 1980s and like the mid-90s. And I just thought. I don't. It's a. It's a time period that I don't really read that much about. I feel like, surprisingly. And it's. I just was really surprised at how engaged I was with all these different family members. And I got so wrapped up in it. And it's like, it's a thicker book too, which, like, I sometimes when I'm like in a stressful period of my life, I don't always pick up these stoppers, but I thought it was really good. And I ended up really enjoying. I don't know, I got really connected, all the characters. And it is a little heavy at times for people who are looking for something a little bit lighter. But yeah, the complex by the author whose name I cannot pronounce right now.

[A]

We'll put it in the show notes so people can find it. Okay, that sounds good. And different. Sounds different from my typical read. So I might look into that. Okay. What number are we on? Eight.

[B]

Eight? Yeah.

[A]

Okay. My number. Eight. I think you read this or maybe it's on your list. I don't know. Villa Coco by Andrew Shawn Greer. Have you read this yet?

[B]

Not yet. I was gonna read this like this past weekend and then I did it because I was trying to see if it would make my top. Okay.

[A]

Okay. I loved it. Now I think somebody asked if they did not like Less, which is his Pulitzer winning novel from a few years ago, if they did not like Les, would they like this? And my response was no, because I definitely think you can see his writing style, his character development. You can see elements of Les in this book. But I was delighted by it. He set out Andrew Sean Grier. There's a great author's note that I hope will appear in the final edition. It appeared in the Arc to booksellers, but he said he set out to write a charm novel and like, something that would be timeless, that would be a book you could return to again and again, a book that you would want to reread that would kind of sweep you away. And this book did that for me. It's set in the Italian countryside. The narrator is this unnamed, at least at first, this unnamed archivist who graduates from college. He needs a job, so he goes to work at this Italian kind of estate. And when he arrives, I think he expects it to be like this beautiful. I Don't know, Castle or something. And instead it's like this crumbling and it's this, you know, very waif, like, 90 year old woman who wants him to like, catalog her home and all the art she owns and the furniture she owns. I loved it. I loved the people in it. I loved the characters. I loved the setting. You kind of get to watch him have his coming of age. There's a slight romantic element, though. That was not the main point to me. There's a found family aspect to it where these people are kind of this motley, you know, cast of characters where maybe they don't fit anywhere else, but they fit here. I really enjoyed it. I felt good when I was reading it. And I don't know about you, but this year I have not. I don't know how else to word it except I have not wanted to take a lot of books with me. Do you know what I mean? Like, if I love a book, I'm carrying it in the car. It's in my purse. I want it with me at all times so I can read it any moment I can. And Villa Coco was one of those for me. So that is Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Grier. It came out earlier this summer.

[B]

Okay, now I'm.

[A]

Wait, no, did it as of this.

[B]

Oh, yes, yes, yes, you're right. Yes, yes, yes, you're right.

[A]

We like to time travel here on this show.

[B]

Yes. Okay. Gosh. Should I, like, should I, like, see if Hank will take me to Italy so I can read it in Italy?

[A]

Yes. Oh, and I bet Hank would.

[B]

He would. I just have to say. I just have to be like, come on, Italy, it's fine.

[A]

Yes, please do. But you know what? Stop. You need but be like, can Annie come, though? I think she'd have a great time.

[B]

I think he'd be fine with that. I think he'd be like, like, let's. Let's all go. Like, we'll talk more about. We'll talk more about.

[A]

Okay, we'll talk about there.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, so my number eight is Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novak.

[A]

Okay, tell me about this. I'm surprised.

[B]

Are you? Did you read it?

[A]

No, I didn't read it, but I heard. I mean, I read about it.

[B]

Okay, so it's like. I think the blurb said that it's like the gone girl for the Luigi Mangioni era.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

Yeah. And it's about this sex worker in her 30s who she's on the run after she kills this right wing extremist politician and she Emails this true crime feminist podcast to kind of tell her story. But I don't think it's a. I don't think it's really a spoiler to say that it's split up into three parts and each section is like. Is like shifting the narrative. It is. You can tell it's very like Gone Girl inspired. Structurally, yes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But I read this on an airplane and I read it in one sitting

[A]

and see, that matters. I am convinced when I'm making my top 10, it's not just about what is the work of greatest literary value. It is what was my reading experience. I mean, that is tied into it for sure.

[B]

I actually think you would find this very entertaining. Like, okay, it's very funny.

[A]

I wondered about it, but I wasn't sure. But the fact that you read it in one sentence, now I'm curious.

[B]

Yeah. So I think it's. Yeah, it's good. Oh, yeah. Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novak.

[A]

Okay. My number seven is Whistler by Ann Patchett. Did you read this?

[B]

No. Cause they didn't send it.

[A]

Oh, interesting. Wow. I'm two for two. I mean, I don't want to brag, but yeah. So I did receive an arc of this. Whistler by Ann Patchett. I really liked it. As I said at the top of the episode, I did give it four and a half stars because to me, it's not going to be in my favorites of hers. Like, I still love the Dutch house Commonwealth. I liked Tom Lake. If you did not like Tom Lake, I don't think this will be for you because I actually think the sensibilities of this one are very similar to that one where it's somebody reflecting back on their past. The main character is a woman named Daphne. She's middle aged. She and her husband are browsing, walking through the Met, and turns out somebody's kind of following them. And lo and behold, it's her former stepfather, a man named Eddie Triplett. Ann Patchett, in her essays, has written about her own relationships with some father figures in her life. And I definitely think this is paying homage to them because I kept waiting. And I told this on another episode of from the Front Porch, but I kept waiting for something nefarious to happen. Like, I kept waiting. This is not at all a spoiler because this is something I made up in my head. I kept waiting for Eddie Triplett to be some kind of gambler, like, who was gonna take her fortune. I don't know what I was thinking. That would be a very different book. This is not that book, this is a very tender story about people who we only get to share just a tiny sliver of our lives with. And then what happens when we kind of remet them? And what does that mean? Like, do you reignite the relationship? Do you just kind of spend your time steeped in nostalgia? I thought it was very thoughtful, and I really liked it. That is Whistler by Ann Patchett.

[B]

I will say, for me, holding one of her books just feels really special in itself.

[A]

Listen, how do you feel about, like. I prefer her more recent fiction to, like, the Bel Canto era, but I know a lot of people are reversed on that. Like, they preferred her Bel Canto era. And full disclosure, I've not read Bel Canto. But, like, was it Signs and Wonders? It was like that era of fiction. So I have not read those. But there is something about Ann Patchett is just consistent. I don't know what else to say. Just because I gave this one four and a half stars, that really. Guys, that doesn't mean anything. That doesn't mean anything. I liked it. She's very good at what she does.

[B]

I've read all of her books except for Taft and Bel Canto, and I don't think I'll end up reading Taft, if I'm being honest. But I do want to read Bel Canto. But I agree. I liked State of Wonder. I loved Commonwealth. I really enjoyed the Dutch House, and I also really enjoyed Tom Lake. I was surprised that more people weren't as warm to it.

[A]

I didn't understand the dislike for that book. And there did seem to be some dislike. And I don't get it. I don't know if it was a pandemic book and people are weird about that, but I really liked Tom Lake also. Thank you. What was the name? It's not Signs and Wonders. State of Wonder.

[B]

State of Wonder.

[A]

Yeah. Thank you. Okay. Okay. And now that I'm talking, what did I rank? That 7. Don't be shocked if, at the end of this year, it's number five. Don't be surprised.

[B]

Yeah. Let's see. Okay. So my number seven is my dear you by Rachel Kong.

[A]

I love Rachel Kong. Wait, how did I miss this?

[B]

It's a short story collection. It's 10 stories.

[A]

That's why I missed it.

[B]

And some of them are very surreal, some are kind of prophetic. But there's one where the government injects citizens with a drug that makes everyone perceive each other as the same race and gender.

[A]

Oh, now that's interesting.

[B]

And that was fascinating to Me. It was very entertaining and engaging. There's one where God decides to do away with humans entirely. It's a very interesting, strange, compelling collection, and it's also kind of devastating. But it's. There's some, like, really heavy subjects dealing with like, like racism and grief and stuff, but it's like going alongside, like, hundred spirits and a psychic cat. So it's, it's, it's a really. Which, honestly, I think. I think that real Americans felt very grounded to me. But Goodbye Vitamin, which you recommended to

[A]

me years ago, I loved Goodbye Vitamin Love.

[B]

And I think if you love Goodbye Vitamin, this feels more in tune with that than her second book.

[A]

My next book, 10 9, 8, 7 6. My number six book is anywhere else. This is by Rachel Knox. And actually, of the books on my list today, this is the one I think you should read. So this is a University of Florida Press book, paperback, original. I kind of stumbled upon it. She's a Florida writer. I want to say she's a bookseller at Tombolo. Is that how you pronounce it? I don't know. Tombolo Books in Tampa. I should know that, but I don't. Anyway, so she's a Florida bookseller, but this is her essay collection, all about Florida and kind of about Florida being the redheads. Redheaded stepchild of America and the punching bag of everybody's jokes. But what happens when you really live here? And I think she writes so beautifully. I suspect she's around my age, so I think this will hit especially for a millennial audience, but I think an older audience would appreciate it, too. She does make a lot of pop culture references. There's a great essay that includes some X Files references, which I appreciated. But she, for example, talks about Florida's opioid crisis. But she does it through the lens of writing about a high school classmate that I thought was really beautiful. I mean, the sense of place in this book is outstanding. And I think anybody who grew up in Florida or lives or lived in Florida and who gets a little bit tired of. I was talking to a friend recently, and I'm a little tired. I guess the older I get, the more the term bitter Southerner really does apply. I get really tired of the way I hear the south talked about and. And the same, of course, is true of my home state of Florida. And so I really liked how she was writing about it openly and honestly. That doesn't mean she's all praise for the state. Like, she has some critiques, obviously, but I loved how she was writing about it very much CJ Hauser in the same vein of like her writing style. There were even elements that did remind me a little bit of Lauren Groff. Just, just not every person writes Florida. Well, Kristin Arnett is a great Florida writer. Lauren Groff is a good Florida writer. And I think Rachel Knox kind of deserves to be among those ranks. And it's a university press book, so I'm not sure it's going to get enough attention. So I'm trying to pay attention to it. It is anywhere else by Rachel Knox.

[B]

So my number six, which I don't know if you read or not, is Gunk by Saba Sams.

[A]

Not read this.

[B]

It is this bright green cover with this bubblegum pink font, but it's about this woman named Jules who's been divorced from her ex husband for like five years, but they still work at this nightclub he owns and he ends up hiring this like 18 year old girl named Nim and the two women kind of bond until Nim gets pregnant. With the man. Yeah, with ex husband's baby. And it, and it, it's really interesting because like I don't want to give anything away, but this book is beautifully written and it kind of reminded me a little bit of this other book called Pizza Girl that came out in like 2020, I think. Yeah.

[A]

Yes. Okay.

[B]

And it's, it's. Yeah, it's. But it's about like motherhood and desire and chosen family. And I actually thought it was really beautiful and very tender and I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but I thought it was really good.

[A]

Wait, how do you spell gunk?

[B]

G, U, N, K. Gunk. Gunk by Saba Sam's. I hope I'm saying that right again.

[A]

All of these will be the. All these will be in the show notes, but I'm also taking my own notes, so. Okay. And then this is another one that I'm not sure where it's gonna land at the end of the year, but right now sitting at number five is the Things We Never say. This is by Elizabeth Strout. Have you read this? Okay, so I liked this a lot. It is again, not my favorite Elizabeth Strout book.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But a really. I think what I love about Elizabeth Strout and there are many things, but I think what I love about her the most is her characters are so ordinary and there's nothing like, there's nothing super special about the people she's writing about. And somehow she offers this beautiful insight into the average life and so Artie Dam is our main character. This is a standalone novel for her. So it's not. It's not really. But. But. But all of her books have the same sensibility, honestly. Like, so it's. It's a standalone, but you could read it in part and parcel with all the rest. So Artie Diem is a schoolteacher. This is about his life as a high school teacher living in Massachusetts. It's about his relationship with his wife. It's especially about his relationship with his son. To me, I finished it and immediately wanted my dad to read it because it felt like. It felt like a book about aging and masculinity and sons and dads. And, yeah, I loved it. There were elements of it that took me out of the story just a little bit that felt. And because I just don't think. I feel like I can say this because I'm trying to write, too. I think it's hard to write in this moment. It's almost like. Have you heard comedians talk about how it's hard to. To be a comedian in this moment? Like, they don't really know how to make jokes about this. I think writers are really struggling how to address this. Like, I've seen meaning if they want to write a contemporary work, do they acknowledge the current politics? Do they name the current president? Do they. Does it make it worse to make him go unnamed? Like. Anyway, so it's interesting to watch authors kind of grapple with this. And I think Elizabeth Straut is kind of grappling with it in this book now. She's always written books of the moment, like, oh, William felt very pandemic to me, but there was something about this that took me out of the book just a little bit. That being said, still solid. I love Elizabeth Strout. This is a thin little book that I think is well worth people's time. It is my number five, the Things We Never say by Elizabeth Strout.

[B]

I think I said this to you when we were. Because I think we talked about this on one of the Patreon episodes recently. But when I read that book, it's not in my top 10, because I read it this month and I forgot that I read it. But there is this line where he's talking to his son and he says, basically, at every moment, I thought I couldn't love you more than this. And then I loved you even more.

[A]

So good.

[B]

Got it. I cried when I first. Yeah. So my number five. I'm pretty sure this is going to be in your top 10. Too. But it's Kin by Tayari Jones.

[A]

Yes. I loved it.

[B]

Yeah. It's about two black girls in the mid 20th century south. There's Annie, who is a little bit different from you, abandoned by her mother. And then there's Vernice, who was orphaned as an infant. And they form this really close friendship. And then as they navigate adulthood with the Civil Rights movement, everything. And they're both kind of searching for belonging to. It's an Oprah's Book Club pick, which I think can be hit or miss for some people, but I do not want that to deter people or lead to weird expectations. But this is very different from her book An American Marriage. I think this is very.

[A]

Which I still haven't read. Did you know that? I still haven't read An American Marriage.

[B]

I don't think. Okay. I'm be honest. I thought it was fine. I've read other books that were very similar, and I think you have, too. But I actually. I really enjoy this one. I think it feels. Did you ever read Sula by Toni Morrison?

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[B]

Do you think there's like. Yeah.

[A]

Yes, there is. Pun intended, a kinship there for sure.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You see what I did?

[B]

Yes. That's great. So, yeah, that's my number five. Kin by Tayari Jones.

[A]

Okay. My number four is the Reservation. This is by Rebecca Kaufman. This. This is. I think I mentioned it at the top of the episode because it was my first five star book of the year. I just thought this premise was fantastic. I like Rebecca Kaufman a lot, and I actually don't know why more people aren't reading her. So this is me trying to promote Rebecca Kaufman's work. I think Erin and I at the bookshelf both really love her, and I've read a lot by her. She puts out a lot of books. I mean, it's kind of astounding, but the Reservation is a collection of connected short stories and all about a day in the life of this restaurant. It's kind of like this semi highbrow restaurant in a college town. And the whole premise is, first of all, that the manager arrives and, like, ribeye steaks are missing. And so there's. There's this underline of mystery and humor where you want to know where the stakes went. You want to know who is something nefarious going on, who stole the stakes. And then I think the other very clever thing that could have been gimmicky but didn't feel gimmicky at all is that the staff is preparing for John Grisham to come to his reservation. And so it's very like. And I so want to know the inside baseball of how Rebecca Kaufman, like, why she chose John Grisham. Like, do they have a relationship? I just thought it was so delightful. I also read a backlist title a couple weeks ago, the Blue Bistro by Ellen Hildebrand, which was good. It was fine. But I think writing about a restaurant is hard. I think it is hard to do. And I think the reservation is a great snapshot of a day in the life of this one small business. And it's from all. Each story is told from a different perspective, like a customer, the hostess, the wait staff, the manager. And I think it does such a great job of showing how many hands put food on your plate and how many people are involved with creating an atmosphere that you will remember, like a dinner that you'll remember forever. So I loved it. It's the Res by Rebecca Kaufman.

[B]

I kept wondering why it sounded so familiar, and then I realized that you sold it to me last time I was there, and it's on my tbr. That's so funny.

[A]

Oh, I hope you'll fly through it. You'll finish it so fast.

[B]

I'm excited. Okay, so my number four is the one that was most surprising, which is Departures by Julian Barnes. So he turned 80 and he announced that this book, after 44 years and 27 books, will be his last. And it's like a hybrid of autobiography, essay, fiction, and it's exploring mortality, memory time. It's so funny because you would think that a book that's dealing with some of the things it's dealing with would be really heavy, but it's so funny. So I read and I went back and forth between reading and listening to this over the course of one morning, and I just found it really, really beautiful and surprising. And there were just moments where I would just sit down and be like, wow, this is, like, really, really good. I really like this. And I. I think because. Yeah, because I wasn't expecting it. I just ended up being really excited by that. And I think that. I think you really like it, too. But that's Departures by Julian Barnes.

[A]

I literally, so far I've written down, my dear, you, murder, bimbo Gunk, and departures. Perfect. Okay. My number three. And again, perhaps we are on the cusp of being over this book, but I. And yeah. Am I a little basic? Yeah, I guess I am. Because number three on my list is Strangers by Bell Burden. Here's the deal. I see that the backlash has started, which is just. I feel like when something takes off, it just is a matter of time, because this is a book about, and by a very, very wealthy white lady, more wealthy than a either of us could probably fathom. And she is writing about her divorce. This is a divorce memoir. I listened to it. She narrated it. I actually think she's a fantastic narrator. I also think she's an excellent writer. So when I'm referencing the backlash, what I'm talking about is I did see. I believe it's a New Yorker or an Atlantic piece kind of about, Wait a minute. Maybe this isn't the Saab story we think it is. She's very wealthy. I also will just say she's very upfront about how wealthy she is. Like, and I say very upfront, meaning it doesn't take much to read between the lines of somebody who keeps talking about the Hamptons. Like, do you know what I mean? Yeah, like, I'm sorry. I know Ina Garten is super wealthy. Okay. Like, I. I understand that Bell Burden, who is, like, related to, I don't know, the Vanderbilts, is very wealthy. To me, the writing is outstanding. The writing is excellent. And it's. It's about the implosion of her marriage, the unexpected nature of it, the shock, and then the aftermath. I think some people didn't, like there was there. There's, in my mind, beautiful writing about nature and ospreys and kind of she ties in the landscape of the area where she lives. I love those parts. And I found it to be a very compelling work. I like. I think she was a lawyer in a former life. You can tell that to me. I think she's very careful. This did not feel voyeuristic in any way. Instead, it kind of felt like a belated coming of age story where she's trying to figure out who she is post divorce. Whatever the circumstances of her divorce may be, I don't need to feel sorry for somebody to think a book is good. Like, I don't know. Like, I do. I feel sorry for her. Sure, it sounded like her marriage was crap and ended crappily, but was I glued to her narrative? Yeah, because her storytelling is really. It's really great. So we'll see where it winds up at the end of the year. But for now, Strangers by Belle Burden is my number three.

[B]

Should I read this when I go to the hamptons?

[A]

Oh, yes, 100%. Listen, can I say, I bet some of this backlash is coming from, you know, what happens. Okay. We just. A Book takes. I don't know where I fully stand on this because, like, meaning, you know, I didn't like where the crawdads sing that much. Do you know what I mean? So something kind of blows up, and immediately there's gonna be a pendulum swing. That's just the nature of it, right? I really liked Strangers. I only read it because I got an arc. I never read the arc. I put the arc in my little free library because I thought, ugh, divorce novel. I don't need this. Or divorce memoir. I don't need this. Because I'd already read some of that last year, and I was like, I don't need another one. And then I listened to the audiobook and thought it was great. But I think, you know, yesteryear has the Anne Hathaway of it all. I have feelings about yesteryear that are unrelated to Anne Hathaway. But I wonder if some of the strangers bell burden is, We've got a Gwyneth Paltrow situation. She's now bought the movie rights. She's gonna play her. So I guess it's one of those things where maybe you're a little eye rolly about it because you don't need a book about rich people having problems. But I like reading about rich people problems. I don't know. It's interesting. So, yeah, you should read it when you go to the Hamptons.

[B]

Okay, well, I'm better than you, so. My number three is about a poor person. It's Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg, who I met at a book event. For her. It was for her, actually. It's for her and Rebecca for murder Bimbo. And so Just Watch Me is about this. Yeah, well, Just Watch Me is about this girl named Del who. She's, like, dirt poor, and her sister is in a coma in a hospital, and they want to pull the plug, and she decides to livestream her life for seven days in order to raise money to keep her sister on life support.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[B]

And some of what she does is that she starts eating these really, really hot peppers. And it is, I think, for both you, I think you and I. I think I really resonated with it. I think you would, too, if you were somebody who's, like, chronically online, Especially if you're somebody who feels objectified by the general public sometimes. It is very. It resonates in a lot of ways, and it was. And it's funny because she's the author is not really online like that. So I was really surprised by how Accurately. She.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[B]

Yeah. That's why she wrote it, because she was, like, just so interested in that world. But I found this very captivating. It is so funny, but also very heartbreaking and a little like, it's very uncomfortable at times, but in a really, it makes sense for the story. Doesn't feel like, overdone. And I think that if you like sad girl books, I think this is really up in that same vein as, like, Melissa Broder or Jen began. So I definitely recommend it for those people. It's just Watched Me by Lior Torenberg.

[A]

Okay, can I ask you how this compares? Because immediately I was like, oh, sounds slightly. Margot's got money troubles.

[B]

Okay. It's similar, but it's different enough to where it won't feel like you're reading the same thing.

[A]

Okay. But dealing sounds like maybe with some similar themes of, like, wealth, socioeconomic status, that kind of thing. Okay. My number two is delightful, and I don't know why more people aren't talking about it. This will, I think, remain in my top, top book, and that is Celestial Lights by Cecile Penn. This is a beautiful little novel, actually. Did you read Cecile Penn's other. Now I'm gonna blank. She wrote something else. I'm Googling. I'm googling. She wrote Wandering Souls, which I think was a women's prize. Oh, I just realized she's 30 years old. Okay, well, that's lovely. Love that for me. Okay. Cecile Penn, she. She's written other things. Wandering Souls is a book I had not read, but I think it was a finalist for, like, a women's fiction award. Anyway, Celestial Lights is a short little book about Oliver. We meet him as a child when he, like, has glow in the dark stars on his ceiling. He wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. And the book flashes backwards and forwards, back in time to his childhood, but forwards in time to where he is on a mission to an outer ring of Jupiter. And so this mission is, like, a decade long. I felt like it would be great to read after going to see Project Hail Mary. If you're in the mood for a space book. I read it before the Artemis crew went on their mission. But space was having a moment. And I think Celestial Lights captures that moment, but also, again, has that timeless feel that I'm looking for out of my literature. It is very much a book about ambition and what is required to do, legacy, defining things, and what sacrifices may or may not have to be made to be great. I loved this book. I did see that somebody, after I raved about it. And this is what happens as you know, when you rave about a book, somebody does let you know why they didn't like it. And somebody did say they didn't like it because they didn't like the choices he made. And I just like reading books and I don't really. I don't really need a fictional character's. I don't know. I was totally intrigued by the whole thing. I loved it. I loved the characters in this book. I wish it was getting more praise. I wish I had seen it more places. It is Celestial Lights by Cecile Penn.

[B]

Every time. Now that somebody tells me that they don't like a book I love, I just always respond with, ma', am, this is a Wendy's.

[A]

How does that work for you? Does that go over well?

[B]

Typically they don't respond. Sometimes they unfollow.

[A]

And I don't mind it because I like. Sure, I guess this can be a book club dialogue. I think my thing is I have a lot of book club dialogues with, like, people in real life. And then it is weird to me when, you know, I've loved it. To tag me in a negative review feels odd.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But maybe that's just me. I don't know. My online etiquette might just be different.

[B]

I don't. That's. I don't know.

[A]

I think I'm fairly disengaged there and that may be part of the problem.

[B]

I don't know. It's fine. My number two, which you read, I think. Yeah, you read. It is Whitby by T. Kira Madden.

[A]

Oh, yes. I really liked that book. Number two. Whoa.

[B]

Yeah, it's really fun. So I should admit I am a little biased because she has been very kind and I enjoyed her memoir, but this is a challenging read. I think it's so funny because I think it's being marketed as almost like a. Not like a thriller really, but it

[A]

is being marketed as a thriller, which is incorrect.

[B]

Yeah, Like, I think. Like, I think that because it's like a page turner in a lot of ways that people think that. But, like, it's not really like that. It is dealing with really heavy subject matter. It is about. It's about this abuser, this. This man who. I guess. I mean, I guess we would say. We would say he's a pedophile. I guess, like.

[A]

Yeah, that's how. Yes, yes.

[B]

And so who dies. And you know that very early on. But it's following. There's Birdie, who is the main character and it's. She's the one who was abused when she was younger. And it's dealing with her part of this storyline as well as this. I actually really thought was a really great choice was the mother of the abuser. Oh, so good perspective. So good. I. I think that I'm. I think another reason why I put it so high up is because I really do want people to pick this one up because I think a lot of people are kind of scared because of the subject matter, but I don't think it's. I think that there are much heavier books dealing with this kind of stuff.

[A]

It's heavy, but I think that's a testament to her writing. But, like. But because she's got. And this is why it's being marketed this way. But like, because she's got that through line of who killed him?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

It propels you forward so you don't get too bogged down in the details of it all. Yeah, no, I really would you put this on a shelf with notes from an executioner. Is that the.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yes. Do you remember that?

[B]

Yes. I think that's a. Yeah, that's a good comp. So that's my number two, Whidbey by T. Kira Madden.

[A]

Okay. And my number one you have already talked about it is Kin by Tayari Jones. I love this book and currently it. Just because it was compulsively readable. Like, I took it with me wherever I went. So kind of like the Villa Coco book. Like, I took it everywhere I went, could not put it down. I do not typically fall in love with historical fiction. And of course, this is historical fiction. It's, you know, mid-1900s, goes back and forth, maybe between Memphis and Atlanta, but it's these women. It's the two women. SULA is a great comp. It's these two women who are motherless, but in different ways, and their story of belonging and trying to find home. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And do you think. I don't know. I feel like Oprah's picks are so diverse. And what I mean by that is they are all over the place. And you can't. Like, I feel like you can smell a Reese Witherspoon pick from a mile away.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I also have become quite good at picking a Jenna Bush Hager book because she and I have very similar tastes. So it's quite easy for me to identify a Jenna Bush Hager book. But Oprah throws me for a loop every time. I never know what she's gonna pick. This feels Like a traditional Oprah pick. And that is meant complimentary because I do think Oprah and her team have good pickers. And I. But you're right, you know, stickers on books make people feel things. But I think this is worth a lot of the praise it has received. I really, really like it. It is Kin by Tayari Jones. It's my favorite book of the year so far.

[B]

I'm curious to know if you'll be able to guess what my number one book is. It is. Do you know? Can you guess?

[A]

Have I read it?

[B]

No, I don't think so. No.

[A]

What is it?

[B]

It's Brawler by Lauren Grob.

[A]

Oh my gosh, what a goo. Of course. I'm so stupid. You know what? There were people yelling it. People knew.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It was so dumb.

[B]

It's so funny. This was a tough one for me because I think that I read a lot of these stories when they were originally published in the New Yorker and in the Atlantic and like the past almost decade. And so it was. I wasn't entirely sure. I was like, well, how do I rank this? But I love these stories separately and I loved them together. I do think you would really like this collection.

[A]

I got my copy over here. I have not gotten rid of it. I'm going to keep it. I'm going to keep trying.

[B]

Listen, it is so good. And like, you know, I think that. I don't think it is. I do not think it is her best book ever, but I do think it is probably her most accessible book since her debut.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And so it is like the stories are all very compelling, every single one. There's not a bad one in the bunch. There's a story called between the Shadow and the Soul that I think is absolutely beautiful. And there is a story called what's the time Mr. Wolf that made me wish that she would write like a full blown, like thriller just because.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[B]

That story makes me. It's so. It sets you. There is something so uneasy about it and I'm probably the only one who thinks that much about. I just really. I don't know, I was feeling some kind of way. It's beautifully written. Each story is very captivating. The way she plays with time is really interesting and I think that the themes that she is dealing with are very timely. But I think that she does deal with it in a timeless fashion, which is true to her as a whole. But anyway, so that's my number one books of the year so far. Brawler by Lauren Groff.

[A]

Okay, well, I will listen. I have had that arc forever because it's been out for months now, but I. I don't know. I just have not picked it up. So I will make it a priority because I do think I would like it. I like her writing a lot. I think she's up there. I was. I've not finished it, which is why it is not on my top 10. It may make my top 10, but I'm reading the Jesmyn Ward on Witness and Repair and I just think Jesmyn Ward and Lauren Groff are two of our best American writers. Like living American writers. I think they're so talented. So I will move that to the top of my tbr. Also, there are certain books where, like, I can't unhear songs. What is the song? I'm not going to sing it for you. I think it's hip hop and it's something about wishing you were a baller and a little bit taller. But all I can sing in my head is that phrase, like I wish I were a brawler a little bit taller. That's what I say over and over again when people talk about that. But like, in my head, that's the mantra. There are just some songs. Oh, I can't remember. There was another book that's been out this year that I told Jordan every time somebody says it, my brain like sings a phrase instead. Anyway, poor Lauren Groff. That's not her fault. That's my fault. That's on me. Okay, these are our top 10 books of the year so far. I will be very interested because now we won't. I mean, you and I will talk, but we will not look at these lists again until December. So I can't wait to see how these hold up. So happy rest of your reading year. If you are on Instagram, come find us at Bookshelf Tvill and tell us your top 10 or, I don't know, top three books of the year so far. We would love to hear hear from you this week. I'm reading Shine on Bright and Dangerous Object by Lori Colwyn Hunter. What are you reading?

[B]

I'm reading Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Grier.

[A]

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 @bookshelf tville and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through Our store website, bookshelfthomasville.com A full transcript of today's podcast episode can be found at. From the frontporchpodcast.com Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of from the Front Porch and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversation. Our executive producers of today's episode are Kami Tidwell, Beth Linda, Lee Drost, Stephanie Dean, Ashley Farrell, Jean Queens, Jamie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter iv, Martha Linares, 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 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 frontporch we're so grateful for you and we look forward to meeting back here next week.