Episode 395 || Kids' Table: Autumn
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie is joined by friend, cousin and former colleague, Ashley Sherlock. Annie and Ashley share what they’re reading, watching, listening to and buying.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our new website:
Annie is reading:
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Ashley is reading:
Everything, Beautiful by Ella Frances Sanders
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Annie is listening to:
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman (also available as a physical book)
Ashley is listening to:
Crying in the Bathroom by Erica L. Sanchez (also available as a physical book)
Ashley is buying:
**Correction: In today’s episode, Annie says the FTFP Patreon Book Club is meeting on November 1. We’re actually meeting on Thursday, November 3rd at 8 p.m. EST. Sorry about that! We can’t wait to see you there.
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.
A full transcript of today’s episode can be found below.
Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Everyone loves fall in Thomasville, Georgia! When it’s time to getaway, we have exactly what you need! Find romance, explore historical sites, dine out, shop, and make time to relax and unwind. There’s no better getaway than a Thomasville Getaway! Whether you live close by or are passing through, I hope you'll visit beautiful Thomasville, Georgia: www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
This week Annie is reading Night Film by Marisha Pressl. Ashley is reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson, and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Transcript:
Annie Jones [00:00:01] Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South.
[00:00:24] "It isn't your anger that will make you good at this job. It is your joy." Deanna Raybourn, Killers at a Certain age.
Annie Jones [00:03:00] I'm Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. And this week, I'm back chatting around the kids table with my cousin, Ashley Sherlock. Before we get started, a quick pitch for Patreon as we prepare to announce our first Reader Retreat date of 2023. You may have seen footage of our most recent reader retreat and wondered When is the next one and how can I go? Well, we've been busy behind the scenes working out the details of our next event, and we'll be announcing the dates next week, first to Patreon supporters and then to newsletter subscribers. (If any spots remain open after our initial announcements, we will announce those publicly on Instagram.) So if you're not currently supporting us on Patreon, now would be a great time to make that commitment. Not only will you receive first dibs on Reader Retreat reservation access, but you'll also be joining in time for our next from the Front Porch Book Club meeting, which is set for November 1st. We'll be discussing-- I'm so excited about this-- The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li. So consider supporting From the Front Porch and The Bookshelf on Patreon. You can support at $5, $20 or $50 a month levels by visiting Patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
[00:04:12] Now, back to the show. This week, we're gathered around the metaphorical kid's table. That's right: we're not talking kid lit. We are talking about the kinds of conversations you have around your family's holiday kid's table. I'm joined by my friend and literal family member Ashley Sherlock to talk about what we've been reading, watching, listening to and buying. Hello!
Ashley [00:04:33] Hello.
Annie Jones [00:04:35] Welcome back.
Ashley [00:04:37] Thanks.
Annie Jones [00:04:38] How's it going?
Ashley [00:04:40] Oh, you know, it's same old, same old.
Annie Jones [00:04:43] Same old, same old. Fighting scammers. Making ourselves PCI compliant. Trying to make money as we prep for the holiday season. Everything is great and fine.
Ashley [00:04:52] As you do. You sounded so, so, Zen when you were reading the quote at the very beginning. I was very impressed. [Crosstalk]
Annie Jones [00:05:00] Thank you.
Ashley [00:05:02] Yes, you almost had me.
Annie Jones [00:05:04] This is all an act. Yeah. I mean, how are you feeling? We do this seasonally. We kind of broke the mold a few months ago and did one during what I called COVID tide when I was coming back from COVID. And the only person I could stand to record with was you. But we do this quarterly. We do this seasonally. So here we are entering fall. I know Summer is your favorite. So how are you feeling as we enter fall in Thomasville in Tallahassee?
Ashley [00:05:34] Okay, so here's the thing. It's October. First of all, we're recording this the day before my birthday, which means I'm in a pretty good mood. But also I still live in Florida and I am a little bit sweaty as I am talking to you right now. So it doesn't feel super following yet. It has earlier this week. It did earlier this week.
Annie Jones [00:05:52] Yes, it did.
Ashley [00:05:53] But currently it does not. So you know what? I'm not going to complain. I'm happy we're going to do some leaf peeping in a couple of days.
Annie Jones [00:06:03] I should have almost timed this better. I wanted to do it now because it does feel like we're smack dab in the middle of fall, even though fall comes later here. But we are going to Boston, Massachusetts. I feel like I have to explain that to people because locally there is a Boston, Georgia, and that is different. We are going to Boston, Massachusetts.
Ashley [00:06:25] Boston, Mass. Oh-2134. Like Zoom.
Annie Jones [00:06:28] Send it to Zoom.
Ashley [00:06:29] Yep.
Annie Jones [00:06:29] So, yes, we're going to Boston. We're going to have so much fun. We're going to Cheer Her On Weekend is the name of the weekend. We received our itineraries. This was something we were supposed to do last year. Now we're going. And I do feel good. I mean, fall is my favorite season. You and I are different in that way. Fall is my favorite season, but as I have said on Instagram-- and I'm sorry for this metaphor-- but I do not want to beat a dead horse, but fall is also kind of a tenuous time in small business because you're prepping for the holiday season. You're bringing all of this holiday product in, but it's not quite hit the floor yet, so you're not making that holiday money. So it's a fabulous time of year personally, like, I love this time of year personally, but it is always ever so slightly stressful, pretty much until we decorate for Christmas. And then it's stressful, but in a different, more fun way that you're running on adrenaline, and it's the holiday season. It's very exciting.
Ashley [00:07:28] And you have hot chocolate.
Annie Jones [00:07:29] Hot chocolate.
Ashley [00:07:31] Presents.
Annie Jones [00:07:33] Yeah. We work together one day to do holiday open house, like, the whole downtown Thomas feels so magical and fun. So good things are coming. And what I am trying to focus on is I'm stressed every year this time of year, this year feels a little more stressful for reasons I can't fully articulate, but every year it all works out. Every year this holiday season is wonderful and lovely and so that is what I am clinging to. I also am feeling very hopeful. I went to therapy today. I feel good. We feel good.
Ashley [00:08:08] You're doing great. It all shapes out.
Annie Jones [00:08:09] Yep, it does. So we're going to talk about what we've been reading, watching and listening to over the last few weeks as we head into fall. Who do you want to start with what we're reading?
Ashley [00:08:22] Okay, so back to how I'm doing. I'm not going to lie, it is a busy time for me right now. Thank goodness this is a free episode, not a patreon episode because to be quite honest with you, dear listeners, I don't have very much to offer you today. I do have some things, but I have been working quite a lot. So you can go first because I think your list is longer than mine.
Annie Jones [00:08:52] Okay. I am going to talk about reading. You will hear frequently Olivia and I talk about how our reading life kind of changes in the fourth quarter of the year where we're still reading but our reading life looks different because things are busier, more hectic, more stressful at the Bookshelf. That is the case. However, every October I do try to read some spooky kind of seasonal books. So I wanted to tell you-- I don't know if I told you this already, maybe I did. But I want to tell you about something fun I did, which is a couple of Mondays ago I declared it Annie's Fall Day of Fun. I think that's what I called it. I made it up Sunday night before the Monday. I was, like, I got to do something fun. And so this is going to make me sound like an old person. But for fun, I put soup in the crockpot. It was a recipe I'd wanted to try from the New York Times.
Ashley [00:09:45] Wait, what kind of soup?
Annie Jones [00:09:50] It was like a cauliflower, potato, beans situation and it was really good. This is going to sound weird, but I put it in the crockpot and when I came home, my house smelled like a sour cream and onion potato chip, but in a good way.
Ashley [00:10:10] Okay. I'm into that.
Annie Jones [00:10:12] Yeah, it was delicious. I had seen the recipe on Instagram through the New York Times and it was great. Maybe we'll put a link in the show notes. So I made that. I made Smitten Kitchen's pumpkin bread. Did you try the pumpkin muffins?
Ashley [00:10:24] They were quite delicious. The only thing I would add would be some kind of pumpkin glaze on top.
Annie Jones [00:10:31] Okay. I don't like pumpkin. So this was good for me because I was, like, okay, it's like just pumpkin enough. I do this every year. I make a pumpkin recipe of some kind. And Jordan and I like to laugh because we don't like pumpkin. I don't like pumpkin pie, but I do really like these muffins. They were good. They were my breakfast for a couple of days.
Ashley [00:10:52] Delicious.
Annie Jones [00:10:55] Okay. So I did that. But then on my fourth day of fun, I was like, what else could I do that's not working around my house? And I decided to go to the library. I've not been to the library in a very long time because I own a bookstore, no shade to the library. I love public libraries. I love what they do, what they stand for, what they represent, and I love the work that they do. I just don't utilize that work very much anymore because I have a bookstore and I take a lot of books home that way. But on this day I decided to go to the library and I was, like, I'm just going to wander for 30 minutes to an hour. I'm not going to time it or anything. I'm just going to wander around and pick out some spooky books with no agenda, no list, no recommendations from anyone, just what strikes Annie's fancy. And I got to tell you, it was delightful. I picked up four books. I picked up Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica. I picked up Night Film by Marisha Pessl, Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian, and then the first Louise Penny book in that Chief Inspector Gamache series called Still Life. So I picked those up and I told myself, like, there's no pressure here. They're due back mid-October. I'm just going to see how many I get to. So I finished Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica. Loved it, thought it was great. It was a backlist title. I'd never read her before. Gave it a whirl. Fantastic.
[00:12:17] I'm in the Middle of Night Film by Marisha Pessl right now and I love it. I'm really enjoying it. It's just suspenseful enough. I think I will finish those before my due date. I'll turn those back in and then I'll try to recheck out the Hour of the Witch and the Louise Penny book and see if I get to them. But it was just a delightful practice and I was thinking it was just so fun because you kind of walked in and I just wandered, which is not something I do all the time. And so if you would like to mimic this in your own life, you could go to the local library and do the same thing. Again, I like going in without a list. I know that sounds stressful to some people, but I preferred it. But I also thought, man, you could go into an independent bookstore and tell yourself, "I got 50 bucks. 50 bucks is three paperbacks," and see what you find. If you're really rolling in the dough, maybe it's 100 bucks and you get three hardbacks and a paperback. I feel like there's a way to do this on a budget, but still giving you this sense of, oh, how fun. Like, this is something fun and enjoyable, something you kind of treat yourself with. I think you and I had talked about doing this at Target actually, and like giving ourselves $25 and just...
Ashley [00:13:23] Oh, we did and I forgot.
Annie Jones [00:13:25] Yeah, I did too. I got Covid. But I do love that idea. I'm not saying break your bank or anything. That's why I liked the library. It was free. But it felt like, oh, I got to wander. I got to 'shop'. And then I walked away with four books. So I read, Local Woman Missing. If you're looking for a great thriller, I do think that that was very suspenseful and good. I also listened to the book Killers of a Certain Age. This was my book club book for this month. We're going to talk about it later in October and I loved this. It came highly recommended by Olivia. I think Keila might have read it too, but it is about four older women who are like in retirement and they're retiring from being assassins. And then they wind up on this cruise like retirement cruise, but they realize maybe they are the targets of an assassination attempt. And I thought it was super fun, really delightful. And last but not least, my spooky read so far I have read My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. I'm dying laughing because my mom would be horrified. But I highly, highly, enjoyed that book. Grady Hendrix, I think, is a great author. There are sometimes he sets his books in the eighties, and so sometimes I'm a little bit like, oh, there's definitely some eighties sensibilities there, but I do not understand how he writes female friendships so well, particularly among teenage girls. It's amazing. The whole book was weirdly poignant. Like, I was not expecting that. I love the eighties nostalgia element. It was just a rollicking good time if you like horror movies. And even if you don't, the exorcism part to me was pretty minor. There was definitely some unsettling scenes, but it was really about these best friends in high school and kind of growing up and apart. I loved it. Local woman missing in particular, Killers of a Certain Age. And My Best Friend's Exorcism are all books that I have read this season and really liked.
Ashley [00:15:25] I'm a little surprised by that. Are you a spooky person?
Annie Jones [00:15:28] Oh, yeah. Jordan and I watch scary movies all season long. We've already watched three or four.
Ashley [00:15:34] Why is it surprising to me and why didn't I know that?
Annie Jones [00:15:37] I don't know. I mean, your parents are probably honestly who I can thank for that. When I was a junior senior high school, they showed me Silence of the Lambs and the Sleeping with the Enemy. Two fantastic movies. So, yeah, I do. I do like spooky things. I have a certain vibe that I prefer.
Ashley [00:16:00] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:16:01] I don't necessarily love a ton of gore or horror.
Ashley [00:16:03] Or Rosemary's Baby.
Annie Jones [00:16:08] Yeah. Rosemary's Baby, which I literally threw in the dumpster outside my house. I did not want that in my house. Rosemary's Baby comes to mind and the only movie Jordan and I have ever wanted to walk out of-- but we didn't-- was The Strangers. It just felt gratuitous to us. There was nobody really to root for. It was just gratuitously violent, in my opinion. But, yeah, I like a spooky thing, especially this time of year. I just like it this time of the year.
Ashley [00:16:36] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:16:37] Wait, do you like spooky things?
Ashley [00:16:43] I don't know. I think maybe not. I'm not really a scary movie girl because I will have nightmares. I watched IT years ago. And then not recently, but like in the last, I don't know, three-ish years recently, I started having nightmares about the clown. I've never been afraid of clowns before, but for some reason, that one started showing up in my dreams. And so I try to stay away from those things.
Annie Jones [00:17:15] You fell too deep.
Ashley [00:17:15] Yeah, apparently that one stuck with me. I guess I'm also not a super fan of Hocus Pocus. Do I say that loud enough?
Annie Jones [00:17:26] This is a safe-- that vibe. Do you know I had never seen that until adulthood. I think I saw it for the first time two years ago. And I looked at Jordan and I was like this?
Ashley [00:17:33] I saw it for the first time last year and I was like the exact same reaction. I was like, okay, I'm not going to watch Hocus Pocus 2. I feel the same way about Hocus Pocus that I do about the Princess Diaries-- The Princess Bride. I love Princess Diaries. Please, everyone. Oh, my goodness. What a horrible mistake. I love The Princess Diaries. The Princess Bride, I am not interested in.
Annie Jones [00:17:56] Jordan laughs at me. Why do you think you and I feel that way? Do we blame youth group culture? Because you and I, that is exactly right. I do not like Princess Bride. I love The Princess Diaries. Thank you for clarifying. I watched Hocus Pocus. I don't know how it missed me as a child. I'm the right age for it. But I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago, and I just was, like, it's a lot of virgin talk. I don't know. I was, like, this is for fun? But it's no Sister Act, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's no Sister Act 2. I don't know what we're excited about. People hate us now by the way.
Ashley [00:18:34] I know. You know what? It's okay.
Annie Jones [00:18:36] People are angry. We're hating on something that they love. It's okay. It's fine. You know what? Keila loves Hocus Pocus. We did a whole Instagram post about it. It's just not personally for me. This is a safe place.
Ashley [00:18:50] Not my vibe. So I guess I'm not a spooky girl.
Annie Jones [00:18:53] You know, what's a real shame is your sister Caroline I thought for years that she was a spooky movie person.
Ashley [00:19:00] So did I.
Annie Jones [00:19:01] She would beg me to take her to the movies with me and Jordan when we go to see scary movies. And it was not a full year ago when she was like, "Oh, yeah, I hate that stuff." And I was like, "Excuse me." And she was like, "Oh, yeah, that stuff is terrifying. I hate it." And I thought, now wait a minute, I've been taking you to these things for years. "I know. I'm terrified. I hate it so much."
Ashley [00:19:23] You and me both. And she was just like, "Yeah, I know. I just wanted to hang out." We could have been hanging out a lot in a lot of different ways. I'm sorry.
Annie Jones [00:19:33] It was so sweet. Like, "Yeah, I just wanted to spend time together." Okay, well, we could have done something else. I didn't know. We took her to see that movie with the creepy grandparents in the attic.
Ashley [00:19:43] I don't think I went. I did not go for that one. I still can see the preview in my head. Maybe that's my problem, is that things like that stick with me. So, no thank you.
Annie Jones [00:19:56] Do you do spooky books? Like Olivia does spooky books but not spooky movies.
Ashley [00:19:59] I feel like I'd be more inclined to do a spooky book, but nothing like bloody.
Annie Jones [00:20:05] Okay, that's fair.
Ashley [00:20:08] But I don't know. I just don't think I'm a spooky person. I'm a hardcore Enneagram nine and I like happy things. I do not only like happy things, but I just feel like spooky might not be my vibe. I've never thought about that until now.
Annie Jones [00:20:26] I think that's good to know. I think that's a part of adulthood is like knowing, you know what, not for me.
Ashley [00:20:34] Yeah, I think I'm anxious enough already. I don't need to be scared about something else.
Annie Jones [00:20:39] Yeah. Whereas, I love to be scared about something else. It takes my mind off everything else. Okay. What did you read this month or what have you been reading recently?
Ashley [00:20:49] I have been reading-- this could not be more opposite. It was recommended to me by my friend Sarah. And it's called Everything Beautiful by Ella Frances Sanders. It's not what I thought it would be, but I also didn't really go into it with any expectations, as I tend to do. But it is a book full of beautiful illustrations and in between little paragraphs, maybe essays, if you want to call them that, about remembering to find beauty. It's just so fantastic, especially I think you would enjoy it maybe during certain times when you forget that there are a lot of beautiful things in the world, in the mundane and also in the grand. It's just very pleasant. It's very beautiful. You pick it up and you put it down whenever you want.
Annie Jones [00:21:41] It's got a gorgeous cover and I may need that right now as a matter of fact.
Ashley [00:21:47] I thought you might. It's quite lovely.
Annie Jones [00:21:51] Okay. I'm curious if you've been watching anything different or better. Let's see. Speaking of spooky, Jordan and I've been watching a show on Hulu called The Patient, which I do think you might like actually. It's not spooky spooky. It's got Steve Carell.
Ashley [00:22:12] Okay. I know what this one is.
Annie Jones [00:22:13] Okay. And it's got Donald Gleason in it. And Steve Carell's like a therapist. And one of his patients kidnaps him and keeps him in the basement. His patient, it turns out, is a serial killer. There is justified, I think, concern that we have memorialized and bestowed heroism upon serial killers. And I totally understand that very legitimate criticism. I do think this show is really good. And Steve Carell is really good in it. And I've learned a lot about Jewish culture. He plays a Jewish man whose son is an Orthodox Jew and practices Orthodox Judaism. And I find that element to be really interesting. Jordan and I love the show and we're watching it like good old fashioned appointment TV. Like a new episode drops every Tuesday and we text each other and we're, like, The patient drops tonight and we go, we watch a 30 minute episode. And I've got to tell you, as much as I love binge watching something, it's really nice to just know that, oh, every Tuesday we get to watch a new episode of this. We feel the same way about the Great British Bake Off. Have you started the new season?
Ashley [00:23:23] I haven't watched the Great British Bake Off in quite some time.
Annie Jones [00:23:26] I do think you would like it. I do find this season enjoyable. I know not everyone feels that way. I feel like some coworkers of Jordan's don't feel that way. But I like it. I think it drops sometime during the weekend, but we watch it every Sunday afternoon. It's like our Sunday afternoon after church watch. And then this is my other thing I wanted to tell you. So Jordan was out of town this past weekend and my watching habits are all over the place when Jordan's not home because our watching habits overlap quite a bit. So I really have to watch something unusual, like, it has to be something that I don't think he would enjoy or whatever. So I rewatched Mr. & Mrs. Smith. You don't have to do that. You don't. No one needs to do that. But I wanted a movie about assassins because I had just read that assassin book. But I'll tell you what I did enjoy, which is Catherine Called Birdie. Did you read Catherine Called Birdie?
Ashley [00:24:19] No.
Annie Jones [00:24:20] Do you remember it from Aunt Nina's classroom? Because I definitely read it because it was one of Nina's classroom books in her classroom library.
Ashley [00:24:30] She didn't even teach you .
Annie Jones [00:24:32] I know. I set up her classroom every fall.
Ashley [00:24:35] She taught me, and I have no idea what you're talking about.
Annie Jones [00:24:39] Okay. Well, she kept the book Catherine called Birdy in her classroom at school. And I read it, and I loved it as a kid. And now it is a movie on Amazon. It is directed by Lena Dunham, which I find fascinating. And it stars a wonderful young actress whose name I cannot recall, but it also stars hot priest Andrew Scott as the dad. And it is delightful.
Ashley [00:25:04] I just saw him in an ad for it. Okay, this makes sense. Catherine called Birdie.
Annie Jones [00:25:09] Yes, please. I think Caroline would like it, too. I know she's weird about movies. But it's basically about a young girl who she is on the cusp of, like, teenagehood and womanhood. And she gets her period. And so her dad is, like, time to marry you off so he can make some money. And she spends then the entirety trying to ward off her future suitors or her current suitors. And it is hilarious. And I thought a very charming movie. I really thought it was great. Highly recommend.
Ashley [00:25:44] Cute. Okay. I started a new show and my jury is still a little bit out on it, but I will be continuing. It's on Apple TV, it's called Bad Sisters. Have you heard of it? I know I asked you about it.
Annie Jones [00:26:01] Yes. I have heard of this. It's got the woman from Catastrophe. It's got an actress I recognize. Yes Yes.
Ashley [00:26:08] I don't know. I haven't done any research on it, but it's it's about five, I think, sisters in Ireland. And it starts off with one of their husbands being dead. And he apparently, when he was alive, was kind of a skitz. It's it feels like right now Big Little Lies, but in Ireland. And it has a lot of dark humor and it is definitely not safe for Suzie. So Suzie Butterworth Shelf Subscribers, you're probably not going to be into this one.
Annie Jones [00:26:47] Mom is always-- we'll get on a text thread and she'll we'll be talking about a book or a show and she'll be like, "Would I like it." And I always have to-- frequently, not always, but I frequently will have to say no. I'm so sorry, mom. Even wonderful Ted Lasso, it has too many f words for sweet Suzie.
Ashley [00:27:06] I think it does. As great of a show as it is.
Annie Jones [00:27:08] It's so great. I know my parents would love it, but it would be very hard for my mom to enjoy it.
Ashley [00:27:13] Your poor mom. Even my parents could watch Ted Lasso.
Annie Jones [00:27:17] No, Suzie is very sensitive. And to be fair, I don't always think she's wrong, because sometimes she's just like, why? And honestly, mom, I'm with you. I don't know.
Ashley [00:27:27] That's fair.
Annie Jones [00:27:29] I don't know. You might be onto something. Okay, I might try that show. I've heard good things. It also looks-- did you watch that show with star Christina Applegate? Did you ever watch that show?
Ashley [00:27:40] Yes. For she murdered someone.
Annie Jones [00:27:42] Dead to Me or something?
Ashley [00:27:43] Dead to Me. That's it. Yeah, I did watch the whole thing. I liked it.
Annie Jones [00:27:49] We watched the first season. That's what I get a little bit of that from Bad Sisters, that vibe.
Ashley [00:27:54] Yes, but I don't know remember any humor in Dead to Me. That to Suz is funny.
Annie Jones [00:27:59] Okay. Well, I might try that. Can I tell you one more thing I watched because I think you could possibly like it?
Ashley [00:28:06] Please do.
Annie Jones [00:28:07] Okay. I finally bit the bullet. I put this off for years, and I want everyone to know I'm sorry I put it off. And so I'm here to help you in case you also put it off. I finally watched the 2020 adaptation of Emma, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. She's that girl with the big eyes like a deer.
Ashley [00:28:24] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:28:26] You know who I'm talking about? The Queen's Gambit girl.
Ashley [00:28:28] Yes.
Annie Jones [00:28:30] Okay. So I put off watching it. I don't know why. I think because I grew up with the Gwyneth Paltrow adaptation of Emma. And it's not that I love Gwyneth Paltrow so much, but I do love Jeremy Northam. And so, for whatever reason, I put off watching this even though I heard so many friends and people I trust tell me, "Oh, it's so good." I watched it. Maybe I was nervous because the male protagonist, the guy who plays Knightley, is a blond. And I was, like, I don't know if I'm going to do this. Guess what? Did it. It's great. Highly recommend. Loved it. Thought it was very sweet.
Ashley [00:29:04] Even with a blond male. That's impressive.
Annie Jones [00:29:06] Yes. He did quite a good job of convincing me that he was attractive and trustworthy.
Ashley [00:29:12] All right. What's it on? Where do I watch it?
Annie Jones [00:29:14] Amazon again. So sorry.
Ashley [00:29:16] Okay.
Annie Jones [00:29:17] But I do think worth it. Emma and Catherine called Birdy, both excellent. Caroline won't like Emma, but I think she could like Catherine called Birdy.
Ashley [00:29:26] Write them both down.
Annie Jones [00:29:27] And you know what I liked? I don't know about Emma, but Catherine called Birdy was like an hour and a half.
Ashley [00:29:32] We love minimal commitments.
Annie Jones [00:29:35] I don't want a two and a half hour long movie. Yes. Okay. Let's talk about what we've been listening to. I'm going to tell you, you can tell my current state by the fact that with all the books that I should be reading, need to be reading, the audiobook I chose to download was one I've already read this year, in fact, called Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman. Can I tell you? I think it's because I wanted to watch a rom com this weekend while Jordan was gone and quite frankly, the well is dry. I have rewatched ad nauseum the romcoms available to me that are worthwhile. And then it occurred to me, well, I'll just listen to Funny You Should Ask. And then it occurred to me the actors of our generation skipped the romcom and went straight into action films; whereas, the Hugh Grant's of the World dedicated the first part of their careers to the romantic comedy. Chris Evans, all we've got from him that's a romantic comedy is one called What's Your Number, which that title alone... Nanny Diaries, which isn't even a romcom, that is not a romantic comedy, that's just a feel good little comedy. And that's it. That's what we got from him before he became Captain America. Ryan Gosling, we got The Notebook. Y'all that's not a romantic comedy. That's a drama. That's a romance. We got crazy, stupid love. We did get crazy, stupid love from him. But I just feel like the actors of our generation didn't do what Harrison Ford, didn't do what Hugh Grant, didn't do what Tom Hanks did, which is devoted the first part of their careers to these beautiful little romcoms. And our actors didn't. And it makes me mad. So instead, I had to listen to Funny You Should Ask. So it's my long winded way of saying what happened. You know what? Glen Powell, good for you. Because he did set it up. That's what you're supposed to do. Do set it up and then, yeah, sure, if you want go on to your next thing. But I think he was really good at romantic comedies and now he's just playing airplane people.
Ashley [00:31:45] What happened to the romantic comedy and how can we bring it back? Also is Funny You Should Ask going to be turned into a movie?
Annie Jones [00:31:52] I wish that it would.
Ashley [00:31:54] Please. Who do we need to ask about that?
Annie Jones [00:31:57] It should star Chris Evans and Jenny Slate. I have already given a lot of thought to it.
Ashley [00:32:00] Please, I want that so badly.
Annie Jones [00:32:03] I just am irritated. So I listened to that whole book over the course of a few days, and it was delightful and it did scratch the romcom itch, but it irritated me that I couldn't watch it. Do you know what I'm saying?
Ashley [00:32:14] Oh, yeah, 100%.
Annie Jones [00:32:15] I also listen to the podcast, the Big Picture Podcast. This is a podcast about the Oscars and films and movies, but I love the co-hosts Sean Fennessy and Amanda Dobbins. I'd like to think Amanda and I would be friends. The reality is that I don't think she would be friends with me. But I do like her. And I find their banter to be really smart and interesting. And I like that show a lot. So that's what I've been listening to. What about you?
Ashley [00:32:43] Okay, I'm going to rewind and go back to watching really quick, because you said Hugh Grant, and that reminded me that I was on the plane home from Greece and I watched for the very first time in my entire life, Notting Hill.
Annie Jones [00:32:56] Oh, you did?
Ashley [00:32:58] I did. And it was so good.
Annie Jones [00:33:01] Wasn't it charming?
Ashley [00:33:02] Oh, man. It just blew me away. I loved it so stinkin much. It's so good.
Annie Jones [00:33:10] He's so good in that movie.
Ashley [00:33:12] He was wonderful. My goodness, I had been sleeping on Hugh Grant this entire time. Never knew it.
Annie Jones [00:33:20] You should watch About a Boy, which isn't really a romantic comedy, but it's delightful. Have you Watched Two Week's Notice? That's charming.
Ashley [00:33:29] I feel like we may have done a watch party of that one.
Annie Jones [00:33:32] We probably did. It's fun. My mom loves that one, too. I'm so glad you got to watch it. Notting Hill is great. Also great soundtrack.
Ashley [00:33:40] True. Very great soundtrack. I need to look that up.
Annie Jones [00:33:43] Yeah, good soundtrack.
Ashley [00:33:45] Okay. So I watched Notting Hill and so I've been mostly listening to Taylor Swift's Red album lately. Okay. Also a new song by Lil Nas X that I don't think you'd be interested in. We listened to it in my workout class, and now I just can't get it out of my head. So I just listen to it all the time. It's called Star Walking. It's catchy. It's fun.
Annie Jones [00:34:09] Should I add it to my fall playlist or no?
Ashley [00:34:10] No.
Annie Jones [00:34:16] Okay.
Ashley [00:34:16] But I've also been listening to an audiobook called Crying in the Bathroom. By Erika L Sanchez.
Annie Jones [00:34:26] That's a great title.
Ashley [00:34:26] It came out like a month ago or so. Do not recommend the audiobook version.
Annie Jones [00:34:32] Okay, this is good to know.
Ashley [00:34:35] It's not a good audio at all. I tried to look up the narrator to see so I don't bash someone who his background I am not aware of, but it's not a great time.
Annie Jones [00:34:48] I wonder if it's the author because, you know, sometimes an author will narrate and some authors are quite good at their own narration, but some really are not. I always think it's such a bummer because audiobook narrators make or break an audiobook.
Ashley [00:35:02] Yeah, I'm not loving the audiobook, but I do think the book book would be worth your time. She's the daughter of Mexican immigrants, so it's also really good to read if you're an artist or a poet or if you like art or poetry. Yeah. Overall, it's a good book. Just not a good audiobook.
Annie Jones [00:35:24] You know, an audiobook did not come to mind for this episode because I finished it a little bit ago. But one audiobook I loved on the recommendation of Erin was how not to drown in a glass of water. And I think you would like that audiobook. That narrator was, oh, perfect. She did such a fantastic job. Look, I really like my audiobooks to be about 8 hours or fewer. I can maybe do a 10, but I just really liked-- I felt like I was listening to a play, like, to a production.
Ashley [00:35:56] I love that.
Annie Jones [00:36:00] Okay. Annie's buying. What did I buy? I'm not buying a lot right now. I need a pair of tennis shoes. And you know what else I need? I need light weight long sleeved shirts. For a woman who lives in the South, the Deep South, I own a lot of sweaters. But I do not own a lot of lightweight long sleeved shirts. So I bought a couple of shirts from Old Navy. I love them. I'm wearing one today, but it is not lightweight as it would turn out. It's very comfy, it's very cozy, but it is too warm for the climate we have most of the time. So I'm still kind of on the hunt. But, yeah, I was thinking about what I've bought and honestly, nothing great.iOctober as always, when I buy our Christmas cards and it's when I buy my planner. And so I will do that soon.
Ashley [00:36:52] Okay. Why won't you listen to me about your running shoes? I gave you two great options.
Annie Jones [00:37:00] You did but I'm nervous that I am not a good enough runner to justify those shoes. I just am doing Couch to 5K and lifting weights because I'm going to be 40.
Ashley [00:37:08] No, ma'am. You need to give yourself a good foundation. You don't have to be a good enough runner to have good shoes. If you have bad shoes, no matter what kind of running you do, you're going to mess up your feet and your legs and your back.
Annie Jones [00:37:22] I think too-- okay, this is what I told Jordan. This is going to sound Enneagram five. I love my current tennis shoes. What I should have done is bought those tennis shoes. I should have back piled and bought five pairs of those suckers and then just broken a new pair out. Every time I wear them out, my sole is worn out of the bottom of my sneaker. But I love them. Then I'd have to look up the name. There one that you recommended, I bought them in 2020. They were a pandemic purchase.
Ashley [00:37:54] Were they the Alberts?
Annie Jones [00:37:58] No. These are like Adidas or something.
Ashley [00:37:59] The Ultraboost?
Annie Jones [00:38:01] Maybe.
Ashley [00:38:02] Those were one of the two that I recommended for you recently.
Annie Jones [00:38:05] Oh, okay. I'll go back and look.
Ashley [00:38:07] But I saw that you put you need new running shoes on the list made me laugh because one of the things that I put on my buying list is running shoes. I can't remember if I've said before on this podcast, but my favorite shoes are from a company called Newton Running. Newton like Sir Isaac Newton f[Inaudible]. Favorite athletic shoes besides the Adidas ultra boost. They have fantastic shock absorption for high impact exercising and the colors are not my favorite, but I am happy to look past those because of the way these shoes make my feet feel.
Annie Jones [00:38:52] Do you own this pair right now or you're buying them?
Ashley [00:38:55] I have bought three pairs so far and I think I might be getting another pair for my birthday.
Annie Jones [00:39:03] So should I be buying new tennis shoes more than once every 2 to 3 years?
Ashley [00:39:08] Yeah, if you exercise regularly, I believe the rule is about every three months.
Annie Jones [00:39:16] Three months? That's like a toothbrush.
Ashley [00:39:18] It's expensive.
Annie Jones [00:39:20] Yeah, I don't do that. I probably don't exercise like you do, but I walk every day. I walk almost every day.
Ashley [00:39:27] Yeah, you can stand to get some new shoes.
Annie Jones [00:39:30] Okay. I probably [Crosstalk] do it.
Ashley [00:39:33] Maybe if you're not going to do it every three months, I would do at least 1 to 2 times a year.
Annie Jones [00:39:39] Okay, maybe it should be my once a year. So every year I buy a planner. Every January I buy a new phone case. Maybe it just needs to be every year I buy a pair of tennis shoes.
Ashley [00:39:48] There you go. One month. You need something to buy every single month.
Annie Jones [00:39:54] Oh, I love this idea.
Ashley [00:39:55] Things that last one year. Tennis shoes. Phone case. Planner.
Annie Jones [00:39:59] Okay. Wait, I like where your head's at. I'm going to think about this.
Ashley [00:40:03] You're welcome. I don't know how often you're supposed to buy sheets, but that is another thing that I wanted to mention to you. Because I feel like an old person, but I bought a new bed. Love it. But I think the thing that has made this new bed is my sheets. I know I'm an Enneagram nine, but I want to stay in bed all the time because of these sheets, there's so wonderful.
Annie Jones [00:40:31] Are they linen? What are they?
Ashley [00:40:32] They're bamboo, and they're quite expensive. They're from a company called Cozy Earth. But, look, I have only ever slept on Target sheets or Belk sheets. And this time, I bought my own sheets and they were expensive. I got them for half off, and they were still expensive. But, oh, my word. I got the pillowcases, the sheets, the comforter, duvet, cover.
Annie Jones [00:40:58] You got the duvet, too?
Ashley [00:41:00] Yeah.Oh, my goodness. I can't get enough of these sheets. They're like butter. It's like sleeping inside of butter. There are wonderful.
Annie Jones [00:41:10] Speaking of which, do you like the concept of the butter board while we're here?
Ashley [00:41:14] You know what? I think I could be into it.
Annie Jones [00:41:18] I think I'm out because I don't really like butter very much. I cook with it, but I don't like buttered bread. The thought of slathered butter, I don't know.
Ashley [00:41:28] That makes sense because you're not much of a condiment person. I'm a humongous condominium person, so yeah, I'm into it. I would love to try one. They seem like fun. The only thing I don't like is how messy it looks. Because butter's oil. That feels like it would be really hard to clean up.
Annie Jones [00:41:47] Yes, it feels like to be hard to clean up.
Ashley [00:41:49] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:41:50] Okay. Wait, did you have anything else that you bought? Now I'm going to have to look up these sheets.
Ashley [00:41:55] Not really. Just the fact that I bought a bunch of stuff, a bunch of cool stuff in Greece. I just want to throw that flex in there.
Annie Jones [00:42:01] I meant to tell you-- I shouldn't be doing this on air, but thank you for my candle.
Ashley [00:42:04] Oh, you're welcome. I asked my mom if you got it today.
Annie Jones [00:42:07] Yes, I did. I forgot to say thank you. I'm so excited.
Ashley [00:42:12] You're welcome.
Annie Jones [00:42:12] I'm so excited to burn it.
Ashley [00:42:13] Did you like the tote bag? I got it from a bookstore.
Annie Jones [00:42:16] Yes, it's so cute.
Ashley [00:42:17] I got it from a bookstore in Athens. And me and my friend Meredith we were sitting outside and it was just us and this middle aged man from Australia out there, who ended up having to huddle around our table with us as it rained. And there was only one umbrella open and the rest of the bookstore was full because it was like a bookstore slash cafe type of deal. So we all just huddled around our table under an umbrella and chatted about Greece and Australia and the United States.
Annie Jones [00:42:46] Oh, that's very fun.
Ashley [00:42:48] It was really nice.
Annie Jones [00:42:49] I'm so glad you got to do that. That felt like that was a good thing to do this fall-- to go to Europe.
Ashley [00:42:55] Yeah, it was a really good thing. I highly recommend going to Europe.
Annie Jones [00:43:00] Yeah. Wish we all could. Wish we all could go to Europe together. I have a friend who's in Paris right now, I think, and I'm so happy and so helpfully jolly.
Ashley [00:43:16] So we've been in New York. We're about to go to Boston. I really want us to plan some kind of international trip.
Annie Jones [00:43:22] I do think we can take the show on the road. I feel like travel is one of the things that keeps my wheels greased. That's gross. But you know what, I'm weird. But it's one of the things that keeps me going. And so I told the Reader Retreat ladies in August, I said, "I really want Ashley and I to do an annual trip. And I kind of think it should be New York annually, but then tack another trip on sometime later in the year into two trips a year." I think that would be fun.
Ashley [00:43:56] Me too.
Annie Jones [00:43:57] I think one lady-- I wish I could remember which retreater it was. But one retreater said that she and her sister's sister-- maybe it was her cousin too, but she was like, oh, we do a trip together every year. I was, like, well, that is lovely. And I think I prioritize that. I do that with my friends or with a few of my friends, but I like the idea of like if I just knew, oh, every February I go to New York. I feel like much like you could say, every year I buy a new pair of tennis shoes. It would just be a nice thing to know it's on the calendar.
Ashley [00:44:27] And this year I like that they have fallen in line with our birthdays. We were in New York for your birthday. We're going to be in Boston for mine.
Annie Jones [00:44:34] Yes, it is very fun.
Ashley [00:44:35] It's perfect.
Annie Jones [00:44:37] Oh, okay. Well, we did it. We talked about what we were reading, watching, listening to and buying. Do you have anything else you want to say?
Ashley [00:44:44] No, I'm done.
Annie Jones [00:44:46] Okay. Happy fall everybody. See you.
Annie Jones [00:44:52] This week, what I am reading is brought to you by Visit Thomasville.
[00:44:56] Everyone loves FALL in Thomasville, Georgia! When it's time to get away, our small town has exactly what you need. Find romance, explore historical sites, dine out, shop, and make time to relax and unwind. There is no better getaway than a Thomasville getaway!
[00:45:12] It is fall in Thomasville. And here is what that means. The leaves are changing colors-- like, they really are. I want you to believe me. It doesn't look like Boston here, but it does look like fall here. The leaves are changing. All of our favorite civic and community organizations are hosting their annual events. One of my favorite events is coming up in November, every election night in Thomasville, our Thomasville History Center throws a chicken perlo dinner, which I love. Ashley, how do you feel about chicken Perlo?
Ashley [00:45:39] Huge fan.
Annie Jones [00:45:41] I don't know if it's our upbringing or what because not everybody at the Bookshelf is on board with chicken perlo. I pay for the Bookshelf staff to participate in chicken perlo but many of them feel ambivalent, and that's totally fine. But if you're not familiar, chicken perlo is chicken and rice made in a vat. It's made outside.
Ashley [00:46:02] A cauldron.
Annie Jones [00:46:05] It's made in a cauldron. You eat it outside. What I love is that this is a tradition that spans decades. It's just something Thomasville has always done as part of election night. So now I have distinct memories of every election night going and getting a to-go container of chicken perlo and then coming and watching the election results because for many years Jordan worked as an election attorney. Which is fascinating, by the way. But so I would come home and watch election results by myself while I eat chicken perlo. I love it so much. It's just one of many examples of different community and civic organizations hosting their annual events. There's a wildlife arts festival coming up in November as well. It is a great time to plan a visit to Thomasville. So if you've been hesitating, now is your chance to plan a getaway, plan a weeklong weekend. Come spend some time in Thomasville.
[00:46:53] This week I'm reading Night Film by Marisha Pessl. Ashley, what are you reading?
Ashley [00:46:59] I'm reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara..
Annie Jones [00:47:05] Oh, my gosh. I can't wait to talk to you about it.
[00:47:06] Thank you again to our sponsor, Visit Thomasville. To find out more about how you can visit Thomasville and plan your own getaway, go to Thomasvillega.com.
[00:47:16] From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram @Bookshelftville, and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website. Bookshelfthomasville.com.
[00:47:32] A full transcript of today's episode can be found at Fromthefrontporchpodcast.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 Donna Hechler, Cami Tidwell, Chantalle Carl.
Executive Producer (Read their own names) [00:47:52] Nicole Marsee. Wendy Jenkins. Laurie Johnson. Kate Johnston Tucker.
Annie Jones [00:47:59] 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 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.
[00:48:16] Or, if you're so inclined, you can support us over on Patreon, where we have three levels of support. Front porch friends, Book Club Companions and Bookshelf Benefactors. Each level has an amazing number of benefits, like bonus content, access to live events, discounts and giveaways. Just go to Patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you and we look forward to meeting back here next week.