Episode 433 || What Would Susie Read?

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie is chatting with her mom, Susie, about books for readers with PG-13 tastes.

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website (type “Episode 433” into the search bar to easily find the books mentioned in this episode):

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castallano

When in Rome by Liam Callanan

The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman

Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley

Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore

Following Jesus by Henri Nouwen

All the Days of Summer by Nancy Thayer

Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin 

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. 

This week, Annie is reading Dear Regina: Flannery O'Connor's Letters from Iowa edited by Monica Carol Miller. Susie is reading All the Days of Summer by Nancy Thayer.

If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. 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...Ashley Ferrell, Cammy Tidwell, Chanta Combs, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Kristin May, Laurie Johnson, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Stacy Laue, Stephanie Dean, Susan Hulings, and Wendi Jenkins.

Thank you to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Summer is a wonderful time to see Thomasville, Georgia!  If it’s time to hit the road for a quick getaway, we’re exactly what you’re looking for! You can rekindle your spark, explore historical sites, indulge in dining out, shop at amazing independent stores, and finally relax and unwind. There’s no better getaway than Thomasville!  Whether you live close by or are passing through, we hope you'll visit beautiful Thomasville, Georgia – it’s worth the trip! Plan your visit at ThomasvilleGa.com.

Transcript:

[squeaky porch swing] Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business, and life in the South. [music plays out] 

“‘God loves the poets more than the saints, Prudence. To suffer is human. To turn it into art is extraordinary.’”

- Michelle Hoffman, The Second Ending 

[as music fades out] I’m Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia, and this week, I’m back talking to my mom about books for readers with PG-13 tastes. Before we get started, a thank you to everyone who’s been leaving reviews for From the Front Porch iTunes reviews and ratings are how new listeners can best find out about From the Front Porch and — as a result — find out about our indie bookstore, too. 

Here’s a recent review from Nancy: 

Thank you Very thankful for Annie and all her staff for guiding me to great books. I really appreciate all the info you give me as i navigate my reading. PS love your Mom!!! 

Thank you so much, Nancy! If you haven’t left a review, 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. Your reviews help us spread the word about not only our podcast, but about our small brick-and-mortar business, too. 

[00:01:49]  Now back to the show. Hi, Mom.  

Susie Butterworth [00:01:53] Hi, Annie Sue.  

Annie Jones [00:01:54] Welcome back.  

Susie Butterworth [00:01:55] It's so fun to be here.  

Annie Jones [00:01:56] You're very beloved by listeners.  

Susie Butterworth [00:01:59] That's very kind. And it was so much fun to meet some at the Reader Retreat.  

Annie Jones [00:02:02] That's right. Mom and dad both got to come to the live podcast, which was your first time ever seeing the live podcast?  

Susie Butterworth [00:02:09] Yes, it was. And it was so much fun. I loved it.  

Annie Jones [00:02:13] Mom understood all the romcom tropes; did dad? 

Susie Butterworth [00:02:17] No, not so much.  

Annie Jones [00:02:18] Not so much. But it was really fun. A special thank you to whatever kind listeners from I think Marietta who let you sit with them.  

Susie Butterworth [00:02:26] I know. That was very nice.  

Annie Jones [00:02:28] That was so kind and I sadly cannot remember their name because we had reader retreaters there and we also then opened it up to the public. We had two listeners who were Faulkner grads, which was very fun. And then a couple of folks who had driven down from Marietta, some friends from Thomasville. So it was a really fun.  

Susie Butterworth [00:02:44] It was fun.  

Annie Jones [00:02:45] Tallahassee, all kinds of folks.  

Susie Butterworth [00:02:46] Big crowd.  

Annie Jones [00:02:47] It was a big crowd. So thanks for coming, Mom. I was so intrigued because I realized as I was seating there, I thought, they've never been to this before.  

Susie Butterworth [00:02:56] It was super fun. We loved it.  

Annie Jones [00:02:57] Good. Well, I'm really glad. So if you are a new listener to From the Front Porch, this is my mom, Susie. Hi.  

Susie Butterworth [00:03:04] Hi, everybody.  

Annie Jones [00:03:06] Susie, I feel weird calling you Susie. Your name is mom. Mom was a preschool teacher for...  

Susie Butterworth [00:03:13] Twenty years. 

Annie Jones [00:03:13] Twenty years. She worked in children's ministry at our church in Tallahassee. And now she's retired. She and dad are retired, living their life in Tallahassee. But mom and dad both, I think, raised us to be readers. Even though you like to say that you did not come to reading until later.  

Susie Butterworth [00:03:33] That's true.  

Annie Jones [00:03:34] So can you remind listeners who might be new how you fell in love with reading?  

Susie Butterworth [00:03:38] Well, obviously, I read to you and Chet.  

Annie Jones [00:03:43] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:03:44] A lot until you were old. I mean, we always read out loud. It was fun. You out-read me, left me in the dust. And that's what happens. It's your fault. Most of the time kids get to blame their parents for stuff, but this time I can blame you because you out read me so early. But actually, when I was 40, I decided I want to be a reader again. And so, we were headed to the beach and I went looking at Barnes and Noble back in the day.  

Annie Jones [00:04:13] Great store really in Tallahassee.  

Susie Butterworth [00:04:15] It was. I went looking for a book, and I judged the book by its cover and it was the best thing I ever did. I found At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. Totally fell in love with that book.  

Annie Jones [00:04:25] Yep.  

Susie Butterworth [00:04:26] And read it quick as a wink and then started buying all of them. I have every single one of her books. And I've been to the Milford Museum.  

Annie Jones [00:04:33] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:04:33] And so, that was it. It turned me on to reading again. And I went through phases of the kinds of books I read, which is very funny. 

Annie Jones [00:04:42] I mean, I have memories before Mitford-- but maybe it was after Mitford. But I feel like you were reading self-help, personal growth books.  

Susie Butterworth [00:04:51] Well, I always did.  

Annie Jones [00:04:52] Yeah, long before Mitford.  

Susie Butterworth [00:04:53] And raising children books. I always did that. I always read with regard to either what I was doing in my life like teaching or for raising kids. So I always read those kind of book.  

Annie Jones [00:05:06] So really, you should say you fell in love with fiction.  

Susie Butterworth [00:05:11] Yeah, that's better. 

Annie Jones [00:05:12] You fell in love with fiction at 40. I also love for you to tell that story because I have friends who sometimes will say, "Oh my gosh, I can't imagine reading. My kids are so little." And I just want people to remember that there can be phases to your reading life. And that you might think you're not a reader, but it's really just your life stage. And that's okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:05:32] And that's okay. Thanks for reminding me about all my great books I read for raising-- you know, Family Manager. 

Annie Jones [00:05:39] Yeah, Family Manager. I'll never forget.  

Susie Butterworth [00:05:40] By Kathy Peel. I was always reading about how to be a good mom.  

Annie Jones [00:05:44] Yes. And that counts. Those are books.  

Susie Butterworth [00:05:48] That's true. You're right. It's falling in love with fiction again at about age 40. And y'all would have been old enough to be reading your own books.  

Annie Jones [00:05:56] Yes, exactly. So that makes sense, really.  

Susie Butterworth [00:05:58] It does.  

Annie Jones [00:05:59] Okay. So mom comes on probably every quarter, I would say, to talk about what she's reading. Or at least we're trying to get her to be on once a quarter because she reads-- and I feel like we struggle with this every time. It's not books for sensitive readers, but I think we settled on kind of more PG 13 or PG lit. Maybe we should say books for empathetic readers.  

Susie Butterworth [00:06:23] That would be good.  

Annie Jones [00:06:25] Because mom feels a lot of things.  

Susie Butterworth [00:06:26] I do. And it's a hard life right now in this world.  

Annie Jones [00:06:30] And so she really likes to read books with happy endings, books that are redemptive. I don't think it's fair to say you only like light [crosstalk].  

Susie Butterworth [00:06:40] Oh, no, that's not true.  

Annie Jones [00:06:41] That's just not true. But I do think you like books with a redemptive arc, books with hope.  

Susie Butterworth [00:06:46] Yes.  

Annie Jones [00:06:46] I think that's probably the through line. And mom is also featured in our Shelf Subscription program at the Bookshelf. So our Shelf Subscription program at the Bookshelf is like a book of the month club. But what maybe makes it a little bit different is that each staffer is responsible for picking a book of the month that is their favorite. I like literary fiction, literary nonfiction. Olivia loves mysteries and thrillers and suspense, maybe with a little bit of sci-fi thrown in. And then Dad has one that is mostly nonfiction, but some good fiction too. And then mom and Nancy, (Nancy is one of our Bookshelf staffers) they share one. So they alternate months and they really do try to pick books that are going to be for readers who may be a little bit wary of language or sex or violence. Is that right?  

Susie Butterworth [00:07:35] I think that's a good description.  

Annie Jones [00:07:37] Okay. So then we have mom on the show to talk about not just her Shelf Subscription, but other books that she's been reading. So, mom, what's the first book you want to talk to us about today?  

Susie Butterworth [00:07:46] Well, interesting. I was thinking about this because on one of our past shows, we've talked about the nonfiction books that I had been reading or historical fiction. And this time, this is a perfect time for me too beyond because my whole thing is perfect for summer reading.  

Annie Jones [00:08:05] Oh, good.  

Susie Butterworth [00:08:07]  It's all fiction and it's really good vacation and beach reads.  

Annie Jones [00:08:12] Okay, great.  

Susie Butterworth [00:08:13] Happy to share. So my first one up is Save What's Left by Elizabeth Castallano. Okay. And it's her debut novel.  

Annie Jones [00:08:22] Oh, fun.  

Susie Butterworth [00:08:23] And I did, too. I really did like it. Now, it is a perfect beach read, but it's different. Some people on the cover called it the unbeach read.  

Annie Jones [00:08:33] Oh, interesting.  

Susie Butterworth [00:08:34] And you would love it because as I was going through my books, I'm like, is she rubbing off on me? All of a sudden I've got all these dysfunctional people, all these quirky characters. And so this beach read is set in a beach community off the coast of Rhode Island, I think. So it's about a woman named Kathleen. And her husband is-- I don't remember, maybe a dentist or something. Something very successful. But all of a sudden wants to go find himself. And so he's going to leave her.  

Annie Jones [00:09:08] Oh, wow. Okay. 

Susie Butterworth [00:09:09] And so she's starting all over in a tiny beach town looking for time to reflect and rediscover who she is. And instead she goes, and this is, by the way, all from reading her friends postcards and Christmas cards from this place that makes it sound so idyllic and so perfect.  

Annie Jones [00:09:27] So she thinks this is the place to go to recover from this.  

Susie Butterworth [00:09:31] Yeah, and that this is going to be blissful-- it's not. And so, if you've ever spent a lot of time at the beach, which we have, you can imagine the drama that would come from a tiny think about Saint George Island, and those tiny homes that have been there for ever.  

Annie Jones [00:09:48] And people who have lived there forever.  

Susie Butterworth [00:09:50] Yes. Let's say that's kind of what she's got. She's got this little teeny cottage.  

Annie Jones [00:09:55] All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:09:55] And then this ginormous-- they call it the sugar cube-- is being built next door and it's breaking every rule and everything. And now the little tiny beach town politics become involved.  

Annie Jones [00:10:12] Small towns are small towns, even on the coast.  

Susie Butterworth [00:10:14] Even on the beach. And the lady across the street cantankerous but they befriend each other because they're both sort of anti the cube. And so they start working together. And it's just really fun. And I loved it because I thought it was just so different from your typical boy meets girl.  

Annie Jones [00:10:35] Right. Not maybe your standards.  

Susie Butterworth [00:10:37] And flip flops in the sand.  

Annie Jones [00:10:38] Right. Romantic comedy or something like that.  

Susie Butterworth [00:10:41] It's not like that, but it's very light and fun.  

Annie Jones [00:10:44] Did you ever read or have you read anything by Mary Kay Andrews?  

Susie Butterworth [00:10:47] I think I have.  

Annie Jones [00:10:49] So I wonder maybe if Mary Kay Andrews fans would like this a little bit just for the coastal setting and then a little bit of the mess. It even reminds me--  

Susie Butterworth [00:10:56] And a little bit of fun. 

Annie Jones [00:10:58] Remember the book by Lauren Denton that was set-- wasn't it set at either a beach community or a lakeside community?  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:06] And I lover her, you know.  

Annie Jones [00:11:07] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:08] Probably one of my faves.  

Annie Jones [00:11:09] So this kind of sounds a little bit like that.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:11] Yes. I can't remember, there might have been a tiny touch of language in it, but sometimes everybody you get into a book before that happens. One time I actually looked at the page and I'm like, I'm 87 pages in that; it's too bad. I'm not starting over. I'm not chucking this book. So you just have to roll with the flow a little bit. I really can't remember, but it's not much or I wouldn't have liked it.  

Annie Jones [00:11:33] Right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:34] And so I loved it.  

Annie Jones [00:11:35] Okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:36] And I think it's a great summer read. It's perfect.  

Annie Jones [00:11:39] That sounds like a great summer book. Okay, so that was Save What's Left. All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:44] Next is When in Rome, which you recommended on our last podcast. 

Annie Jones [00:11:49] I'm very intrigued.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:50] Okay. The cover is gorgeous.  

Annie Jones [00:11:53] The cover is great.  

Susie Butterworth [00:11:53] The cover is gorgeous. It's another book about a woman looking for a fresh start. I almost started laughing when I was thinking about my little-- 

Annie Jones [00:12:01] Mom, do you need to tell us something?  

Susie Butterworth [00:12:03] No, but it was very funny to read. I'm like, oh, my goodness, here's another. But this is about Clare, a real estate broker who actually specializes in religious buildings.  

Annie Jones [00:12:16] Yes. Which was such a fascinating career.  

Susie Butterworth [00:12:19] Very. And so, her properties are typically like that. So she's getting ready for her 30th college reunion. She's middle aged for sure. And she gets a call from Rome to come. And you've read this.  

Annie Jones [00:12:35] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:12:36] Okay. She gets a call from Rome to come over and help this small group of nuns with this property that they need to get ready to sell because--  

Annie Jones [00:12:46] Yeah, they're dispersing these nuns to different convents. Yeah.  

Susie Butterworth [00:12:50] And so, then throughout the book we discover Clare's youthful desire to be a nun and how that comes back into play now that she's raised her daughter and her daughter's an adult. And she's like, oh, well, hmm, maybe I like this life again. She goes over, she starts working with them and she's thinking, well, I'm just might want to chuck it all and become a nun now at 52.  

Annie Jones [00:13:17] Which would make for a great book.  

Susie Butterworth [00:13:19] It really would.  

Annie Jones [00:13:20] But that's not.  

Susie Butterworth [00:13:22] But she raised her daughter, and she comes across her old high school boyfriend, Marcus, who's really her one true love.  

Annie Jones [00:13:31] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:13:32] So he's back in the picture.  

Annie Jones [00:13:36] Yeah. So the book is like a love triangle almost between Marcus and the convent.  

Susie Butterworth [00:13:40] And her spiritual life and her physical love life, and raising her daughter. I loved it.  

Annie Jones [00:13:48] The premise is right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:13:49] The premise is great. Now, I just want to say this-- this is just me. I thought it was too slow.  

Annie Jones [00:13:55] No, I'm with you.  

Susie Butterworth [00:13:56] You are?  

Annie Jones [00:13:57]  I was. I really was. I thought part of the reason I wanted you to read it was because I thought, am I just out of practice from reading this kind of book? Because I read a lot of books with dysfunctional characters or books with sometimes-- I told Jordan, I said, "Do we just like dark things?" I was telling a friend that she'd never seen Jaws before and I and she was like, "Oh, I've never seen Jaws. I wouldn't want to affect my relationship to the beach." And I was like, "Oh my gosh, I love Jaws." Anyway.  

Susie Butterworth [00:14:29] I'll never forget that I saw Jaws.  

Annie Jones [00:14:30] My point is I sometimes like darker things. So I read When in Rome because I loved the cover and I thought the premise was great. And then I thought, well, this maybe could have used some refining. But I didn't know if that was just me being kind of a persnickety reader. So I thought it's more your genre and so I sent it to you. But what you're saying is...  

Susie Butterworth [00:14:51] I did love it. Yeah, but I had to some nights work through and think to myself, "Really? Cut to the chase."  

Annie Jones [00:15:00] Well, good. Then I'm not the only one.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:01] It's a little too much, but I still recommend it.  

Annie Jones [00:15:05] I still do, too.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:06] I still recommend it. It was fun. And I loved the concept. The idea of the story.  

Annie Jones [00:15:11] Yes. The story is a really, I think, intriguing one.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:14] And I also want to say that he did a wonderful job with description of Rome.  

Annie Jones [00:15:20] Oh, I felt like I was in Rome.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:21] And she started running.  

Annie Jones [00:15:24] Yes. Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:24] And it was.  

Annie Jones [00:15:25] Did it make you want to run and.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:27] No, but it made me want to see Rome. And I felt like, okay, he did a really great job with that. There were just parts of it that I thought were too slow.  

Annie Jones [00:15:37] Okay. Well, I would agree with that. I thought it was a really charming premise. And I love during the summer sometimes, especially at the Bookshelf and I'm sure this is true at libraries and bookstores the world over, we all get customers saying, "Oh, I'm headed to X. What book should I read about it?" And so, if you are headed to Italy any time soon, I do think it's a fun book.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:56] I do too.  

Annie Jones [00:15:57] But I would agree with you that it was maybe a little slower.  

Susie Butterworth [00:15:59] If I'm being honest, then it was just a little slow for me.  

Annie Jones [00:16:01] Yeah.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:02] Okay. My next book is another book you recommended.  

Annie Jones [00:16:05] Yes. I am so excited to hear you talk about this book.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:07] The Second Ending. This does have a little language in it.  

Annie Jones [00:16:10] I'm so sorry.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:11] It's okay. It did. I was already hooked.  

Annie Jones [00:16:15] Okay. Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:16] Okay. This is a different kind of book, don't you think?  

Annie Jones [00:16:20] Yes. Although, still a lady trying to figure herself out.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:24] Exactly. She's happily married thank goodness.  

Annie Jones [00:16:28] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:28] But Prudence--.  

Annie Jones [00:16:29] Great name.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:30] Prudence is a great name. She's a former child prodigy at the piano. She taught herself how to play the piano at three.  

Annie Jones [00:16:40] A genius.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:41] She's a genius. And so she performed at the White House. She appeared on talk shows, but her grandmother...  

Annie Jones [00:16:48] Oof! Tough character.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:50] Yikes. And really was a little exploitive (sic).  

Annie Jones [00:16:53] Exploitative. Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:55] Exploitative of her talents.  

Annie Jones [00:16:57] I mean, really mean to her.  

Susie Butterworth [00:16:59] So in her teen years, she felt used by her cranky grandmother. And so, she runs away from everything, from performing.  

Annie Jones [00:17:08] No longer performs.  

Susie Butterworth [00:17:09] How long can you run away with no money?  

Annie Jones [00:17:13] Isn't that the truth.  

Susie Butterworth [00:17:14] Yes. So she starts writing jingles. That was already fun.  

Annie Jones [00:17:19] Wasn't it fun? Yeah. I just saw the cover. It's fun.  

Susie Butterworth [00:17:21] She started writing commercial jingles and earned a fortune. So she's 48 now, and her daughters are off at college, and she's down in the dumps.  

Annie Jones [00:17:31] Empty nester syndrome.  

Susie Butterworth [00:17:33] Yes. And sadly, I didn't have her musical talent [crosstalk].  

Annie Jones [00:17:40] I thought you were going to say sadly I didn't have empty nester syndrome.  

Susie Butterworth [00:17:43] No, I definitely did, but not to this degree. I still have the empty nest syndrome a little bit, but now I have puppies and grand babies.  

Annie Jones [00:17:52] Yeah.  

Susie Butterworth [00:17:53] But, anyway, she comes across an opportunity to play [crosstalk].  

Annie Jones [00:18:00] Couldn't you? I could too.  

Susie Butterworth [00:18:01]  Because she has the opportunity to play on this kind of dueling pianos show. So from this one guy from Russia who is-- it's like a competition.  

Annie Jones [00:18:12] Yes. It's like the American Idol or something for piano.  

Susie Butterworth [00:18:15] Exactly. And you know what it reminded me of? I love the movie Music and Lyrics when the washed up Hugh Grant comes back and tries to play or sing with that young hipster-- 

Annie Jones [00:18:28] Kind of Britney Spears inspired. Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:18:31] So it kind of reminds me of that.  

Annie Jones [00:18:31] Oh, totally.  

Susie Butterworth [00:18:32] And I loved that movie. So anyway, she finally agrees. She doesn't at first, but her husband really isn't encouraging her because he's a little worried about her. And so she agrees to compete. Well, then comes her ex-husband that we never knew about.  

Annie Jones [00:18:49] Yes. Adds an element of suspense.  

Susie Butterworth [00:18:51] Yes. And he comes back kind of accusing her of the jingle that made her famous being written by someone else.  

Annie Jones [00:19:00] Yes. And there's lots of little twists like that. Remember the neighbor who is kind of jealous and trying to, I don't know, expose her. There's just all kinds of side characters.  

Susie Butterworth [00:19:12] Yeah. Tons of family drama, if you like it. Tons of quirky characters, because Prudence is quirky.  

Annie Jones [00:19:18] Oh, Prudence is quirky. Well, with a name like Prudence.  

Susie Butterworth [00:19:21] I know. [Inaudible] And so, albeit there was a little bit of language in it. It is such a different kind of book. Did this just release it?  

Annie Jones [00:19:31]  This was what was funny. So it was supposed to release on June 13th as a hardback. Because I was considering it for my own Shelf Subscription because I really liked it.  

Susie Butterworth [00:19:41] I did too.  

Annie Jones [00:19:42] But instead, I want to say it released in May as a paperback original. So the publisher kind of changed their mind, I guess. And the good news, I think, for readers-- I mean, I was a little disappointed by that. I think this book was great, and I'm afraid sometimes that paperback originals get a little lost in the new release shuffle. However, I think you and I feel similarly about this, at the beach I prefer a paperback. So if you're going to take a book to the beach, I actually think this would be a very fun and different kind of beach book.  

Susie Butterworth [00:20:11] It is. And that's why I was happy when I was going over my list of what I had read since the last time. I thought, all these books are perfect to take down to the beach later.  

Annie Jones [00:20:20] Maybe your tastes are changing or being affected by me because I'm hand selling you books. [Crosstalk] Because I did pick this one. Yeah. I thought you'd like it. I'm glad you did.  

Susie Butterworth [00:20:30] Okay. Now, don't laugh. I went to the archives and I went searching. Speaking of Mitford Books, I was going through a little bit of a shlump.  

Annie Jones [00:20:41] A reading shlump. We're going to start calling them those instead of just the old slump.  

Susie Butterworth [00:20:45] It just felt like-- and I don't know for everybody, there's so much drama and confusion and nastiness going on in our world constantly that I can't tell you why or what particular world event was happening, but I just wanted to go back to Mitford or Mayberry.  

Annie Jones [00:21:02] Okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:03]  I found this book--  

Annie Jones [00:21:05] And when you went back to your archives, what do you mean? You went to the Internet?  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:09] This is old. Well, I went to Google.  

Annie Jones [00:21:11] Where'd you get this book, mom?  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:12] I don't want to talk about that right now. I went to Google. 

Annie Jones [00:21:15] I cannot believe.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:16] Well, I did it because I was little embarrassed. But I did Google to look for Mitford-like books.  

Annie Jones [00:21:22] Okay. I can't believe you didn't trust me with this, but that's fine.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:24] You didn't have to bring that up. But since you did-- never mind. I got my hands on this book.  

Annie Jones [00:21:31] She found a copy somewhere.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:33] Home to Harmony by Phillip Gulley.  

Annie Jones [00:21:41] The cover is very [crosstalk] in the league with Jane Karen's Mitford series.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:46] No, it's not.  

Annie Jones [00:21:47] Oh, it's not?  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:48] No, it's not.  

Annie Jones [00:21:49] Okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:49] But it's precious. It's cute. Sweet.  

Annie Jones [00:21:53] Alright. The cover reminds me of-- which I don't think you've ever read anything by her-- Fanny Flagg.  

Susie Butterworth [00:21:57] Oh, but I should.  

Annie Jones [00:21:58] You really should. Fried green tomatoes. Yeah, you should try those.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:03] Oh, I really should. That's what it reminds me. And he's a Quaker preacher.  

Annie Jones [00:22:07] The author or the...  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:09] He's a Quaker minister.  

Annie Jones [00:22:10] Oh, cool.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:11] And he's writing about a Quaker minister.  

Annie Jones [00:22:13] Oh, that's fun.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:14] So there's a whole series of these. So if you got into this-- and I could totally see me get into this, but I have too many other things to try to do.  

Annie Jones [00:22:21] Well, that's what I was going to ask. Did this make you want to read the rest of the series?  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:24] I wouldn't mind if I'm in a shlump again. Yeah, I wouldn't mind picking up another one.  

Annie Jones [00:22:29] Okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:30] Because if anybody's ever heard of Garrison Keillor, well, he...  

Annie Jones [00:22:35] He's got a radio show.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:36] Yes. He would love this. And it's very much like him.  

Annie Jones [00:22:38] Okay. Where is it set?  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:40] It is. Oh, why did you ask me?  

Annie Jones [00:22:42] I'm sorry. It says it's a small town. I was just wondering Midwest or.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:46] I want to say it's Midwest. 

Annie Jones [00:22:49] Oh, it's got a little streetscape in the front.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:52] Just like Mitford.  

Annie Jones [00:22:53] Oh, yeah. This is a fun fact about me. I like a book that is set spring, summer, fall, winter.  

Susie Butterworth [00:22:59] It is.  

Annie Jones [00:23:00] I love that too.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:01]  I really did love it.  

Annie Jones [00:23:03] Short chapters.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:05] Everybody, it's a little paperback book that if you want to buy one for your mom or your grandma, it's perfect.  

Annie Jones [00:23:11] But you didn't mark a ton in here.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:13] No, I didn't. I whizzed through it.  

Annie Jones [00:23:15] Yes. Look, and sometimes we just need those kinds of books. It's fun. 

Susie Butterworth [00:23:19] I really do. And it was perfect. I just whizzed right through it.  

Annie Jones [00:23:22] There's the sausage queen on the front.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:25] It's really cute. It's Mayberry. It's not Mitford. It's Mayberry.  

Annie Jones [00:23:30] All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:30] And so I really did love it. And guess what? It did just what I needed it to do.  

Annie Jones [00:23:35] Well, sometimes that's all we want.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:36] That's right. So, no, I didn't mark it a bunch.  

Annie Jones [00:23:39] Book Page says Harmony has the biggest collection of crusty, lovable characters since James Herriot settled in Yorkshire.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:45] And we love that.  

Annie Jones [00:23:47] Yeah. Okay. Intrigued. 

Susie Butterworth [00:23:48] So I really did like that. But it was.  

Annie Jones [00:23:51] A backlist-based. All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:23:52] Okay, so now my next book is Summer Stage, which I think just released, by Meg Mitchel Moore, who wrote Vacationland, which I loved.  

Annie Jones [00:24:02] Was that a Shelf Subscription year last year?  

Susie Butterworth [00:24:05] I think it might have been.  

Annie Jones [00:24:05] I think so too.  

Susie Butterworth [00:24:05] And I loved it. She might rank up there with Lauren Denton for summer reads. I really loved Vacationland and I really loved this one. Now, this is a little bit different. It's set in a New England in a tiny beach town. Well, it's partly in London and partly on Block Island about a family with theatrical backgrounds.  

Annie Jones [00:24:28] All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:24:28] Okay. So Amy is our mom character. She is a former aspiring playright and she's now a teacher, just a regular Joe with her husband, who's an HVACK person. He owns his own business. They live in a small town and her son is in college and her daughter-- okay, back it up. Amy's brother, Timothy, became a Hollywood big star. So it's all in the family.  

Annie Jones [00:24:59] Yes. Okay. But Amy had to kind of leave her dreams behind.  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:02] Amy took care of the family.  

Annie Jones [00:25:04] There's always one.  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:05] Yeah. The oldest now. 

Annie Jones [00:25:08] Yeah, occasionally.  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:10] Amy's daughter, Sam, becomes a TikTok sensation. She was in a play with Uncle Timmy and she started to scout. And then she became a little Disney sensation.  

Annie Jones [00:25:22] Okay, this is fun.  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:23] It is fun. Her parents want her home to live a normal life, but then she becomes a TikTok sensation. Now, look, I've never seen this show, but it reminds me of something Big Brotherly. They all live in a house, and they're all kind of influencers.  

Annie Jones [00:25:42] Because of Sam the daughter.  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:43] Because Sam, that's what she has done. She's gone to New York City, and she lives in this house that sounds Big Brother-esq.  

Annie Jones [00:25:51] With her family or not?  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:53] No.  

Annie Jones [00:25:53] Oh, I see. So she's living like a reality show.  

Susie Butterworth [00:25:57] [Crosstalk] like a reality show. And they're hawking their stuff all the time.  

Annie Jones [00:26:00] They're influencers.  

Susie Butterworth [00:26:01] Yes.  

Annie Jones [00:26:02] All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:26:02] And so, now she's come home because some scandal happened.  

Annie Jones [00:26:07] Oh, sure.  

Susie Butterworth [00:26:09] As in a big brother situation. So she's come home. Uncle Timmy's come back because he's going to do a play on Block Island.  

Annie Jones [00:26:18] This is delightful sounding already. I'm very into this.  

Susie Butterworth [00:26:22] I hated to see it end. I loved this book so much. And she is a great writer.  

Annie Jones [00:26:27] That is great to know. I do think you would like Things by Amy Poeppel. I've talked about her before. She wrote a book called Limelight where a woman, the main character, is trying to restart her career, and she winds up becoming the handler for like a Justin Bieber type person who goes on Broadway. And so it's very funny, charming. And the characters are complicated, but really likable.  

Susie Butterworth [00:26:53] That's this.  

Annie Jones [00:26:54] Yeah. I think you would like this.  

Susie Butterworth [00:26:55] Even though Timothy went through years of obviously a Hollywood success story full of himself--  

Annie Jones [00:27:02] A little bit arrogant. Yeah.  

Susie Butterworth [00:27:03] You still love him. And Sam, bless her, you like her.  

Annie Jones [00:27:09] Bless those TikTok influencers.  

Susie Butterworth [00:27:11] You still wind up liking her. She tries to come back home and figure out herself. And so she has this acting background. And when one of the lead characters pulls out of the play at the last minute, she's the only one who can fill in.  

Annie Jones [00:27:27] Sam has to fill in.  

Susie Butterworth [00:27:29] She's actually in hiding. But she comes out, helps them do this. And because of her TikTok influence, which is also made fun of as not being legit, she gets this huge following to support the play.  

Annie Jones [00:27:44] Okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:27:44] Oh, it's so great. It's about family dynamics. It's about forgiving the past. It's about moving forward and together creating something special. So that just sounds like something I would love.  

Annie Jones [00:27:55] It does. It's got a great, charming cover.  

Susie Butterworth [00:27:58] It's a beautiful cover for a beach read.  

Annie Jones [00:28:00] Yeah. Kristy Watson Harvey blurbed it. Do you like her?  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:03] I don't know.  

Annie Jones [00:28:04] Oh, she came to the Bookshelf a few years ago.  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:06] Really?  

Annie Jones [00:28:06] Yeah, she's a great Southern writer.  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:09] You'll have to show me some of her books.  

Annie Jones [00:28:10] Okay. And then if you want a backlist book, Meg Mitchel Moore also wrote Vacationland.  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:15] Yes. Which I love.  

Annie Jones [00:28:16] Which did you like more?  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:17] This one. Only because this is fresher probably. But I really did love this because that's very different than what we normally read.  

Annie Jones [00:28:25] Yes, absolutely. Well, I think you're right. Sometimes, especially during summer, I think when we think of beach read we do think of a romcom or somebody like me might occasionally think of a thriller, but it can be hard to have an original sounding book.  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:38] That's right.  

Annie Jones [00:28:38] And I think that one does.  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:39] This was a boy meets girl. This wasn't anybody leaving their husband. This was really a great book, and I wish you all could see the cover. It's very pretty.  

Annie Jones [00:28:48] It's great.  

Susie Butterworth [00:28:48] Okay. And then my last time I was on here, I read a book by Henry Nowen, and so I wanted to get another one by him. So this is just one that I am quite not finished with, but it's called Following Jesus: Finding our Way Home in an Age of Anxiety.  

Annie Jones [00:29:05] Well, that sounds timely.  

Susie Butterworth [00:29:05] And I just thought it was.  

Annie Jones [00:29:07] Oh, it's a little book.  

Susie Butterworth [00:29:08] It's a little book. His book so far are little books. And so I loved it.  

Annie Jones [00:29:13] Okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:29:13] And I'm loving it. I'm not completely done with it. It's lectures that he's written.  

Annie Jones [00:29:19] I love when you recommend kind of some spiritual-- feel like the last time you were here you recommended [crosstalk].  

Susie Butterworth [00:29:24] Because his other one I just finished--  

Annie Jones [00:29:28] The Life of the Beloved.  

Susie Butterworth [00:29:29] The Life of the Beloved. That was really good. And I just wanted another one. And when I saw that title, I picked it. And now I've got a few books for you to order for me.  

Annie Jones [00:29:39] Oh, you're going to order from me? 

Susie Butterworth [00:29:41] Yes. By a Buddhist monk that Chet [sp] quoted the other day. I'm like, "Oh, that sounds lovely." He said, "Mom, you would love the book." So I've already picked up two for you to order for me for next time. This is what I'm reading now.  

Annie Jones [00:29:54] Okay. What's the last book then you're going to talk about?  

Susie Butterworth [00:29:57] I'm going to just briefly talk about another beach read. This is by Nancy Thayer.  

Annie Jones [00:30:02] Have you read her before?  

Susie Butterworth [00:30:03] No, I haven't. And so this is called All the Days of Summer.  

Annie Jones [00:30:08] I feel like people who like Ellen Hildebrand like her. Wait. Am I doing that right? Oh, my gosh. Sorry. This is a booksellers faux pas. There's Ellen Hilderbrand, but then there's another one who writes nonfiction. I'm so sorry. Everyone is screaming into their phones and radios right now because they know who I mean. And so, anyway, we'll just pretend I didn't say that.  

Susie Butterworth [00:30:29] But we'll be reading all the comments.  

Annie Jones [00:30:31] Oh, yeah, It'll be great.  

Susie Butterworth [00:30:32] I know. I love the comments.  

Annie Jones [00:30:34] Well, mom, you and I are really [inaudible].  

Susie Butterworth [00:30:36] Kind of like help us out everybody. This is super.  

Annie Jones [00:30:39] Well, wait, we should mention that last time-- okay, this did make me laugh. You had just finished a beautiful book about peach county in Colorado. What was the name of that book?  

Susie Butterworth [00:30:49] Oh, my goodness.  

Annie Jones [00:30:50] Oh, no. People are yelling into their phones again. Go is the River.  

Susie Butterworth [00:30:53] Go is the river. It was my Shelf Subscription.  

Annie Jones [00:30:56] It was your Shelf Subscription. We talked about it on air and we casually were like Colorado peaches? And we got so many really nice emails and DMs.  

Susie Butterworth [00:31:05] I loved it.  

Annie Jones [00:31:05] And that was really fun actually.  

Susie Butterworth [00:31:07] Keep those ideas coming, everybody.  

Annie Jones [00:31:08] Mom love them. But then, okay, this cracked me up because I follow-- I know I've talked to you about this before. I follow Mosheh Oinounou.  

Susie Butterworth [00:31:16] Yeah. I do too. 

Annie Jones [00:31:17]  I follow his news account and he was talking recently like in the last couple weeks about peach production in America. And he was talking about how South Carolina and Georgia, because we had those really late freezes, our peaches are not bought.  

Susie Butterworth [00:31:33] No.  

Annie Jones [00:31:34] But then he posted a chart that was surprisingly, Georgia isn't the number one peach producer in the U.S., it's South Carolina. So he did the list. But then I saw sure enough on the list, I think they were four or five, it was Colorado.  

Susie Butterworth [00:31:50] That was so shocking.  

Annie Jones [00:31:50] And I was like, oh, Mo, I already know because of all of our listeners. And then sure enough, because sometimes he posts people's comments or DMs, and he posted and said, "Wow, Colorado has really come out and told me that they have a lot of peaches." And I thought, oh Mo, they also came out and told me. So now we have to go to Colorado and try their peaches.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:11] I love that.  

Annie Jones [00:32:12] Yeah.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:13] Pick a date. I would love that.  

Annie Jones [00:32:15]  I think that'll be so fun.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:17] I do too. Anyway, I do love the comment.  

Annie Jones [00:32:20] Yes, they are fun. People are nice.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:22] So I'm reading this right now, just kind of got started.  

Annie Jones [00:32:25] What's the name of it again?  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:26] All the Days of Summer.  

Annie Jones [00:32:28] All right. It's got a great cover. Beachy.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:29] It's another beautiful cover. It's about another marriage gone sour.  

Annie Jones [00:32:34] All right.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:35] Sorry.  

Annie Jones [00:32:37] Where is it set?  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:38]  It's Nantucket.  

Annie Jones [00:32:39] Great. Love it already. Sold.  

Susie Butterworth [00:32:41] I knew you were going to love it because Heather Willett, her son is graduating from college. She's been sticking with-- and let me tell you something, he is a grumpypuss husband. I mean, he is really a piece of work. He's a workaholic, owns his own business. I'm sorry to say that it didn't work out for them. But she needs some space. So right now I'm just getting started. So right now, her girlfriend has helped her find sort of a tiny, rundown, maybe a little bit overgrown cottage on Nantucket to go for a few months to just sort of chill. Well, unbeknownst to her, the son who's supposed to come home and help his daddy run the business, is picking his girlfriend's daddy to go run his business.  

Annie Jones [00:33:29] Oh, dear.  

Susie Butterworth [00:33:30] Guess where? On Nantucket. Now his mother's going to be there. And he's there with his new girlfriend and her family. Huge construction business. I do feel sorry for the rotten husband who's left at home to run his business all alone, even though he's grumpy. And so now I'm just kind of getting into this, but there's some butting heads between Heather, the mom, and the girlfriend. And I don't know where this is going to lead yet because I'm just getting started.  

Annie Jones [00:33:59] Do you like what you've read?  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:00] Yes, I do.  

Annie Jones [00:34:01] Okay. Great.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:01] And it'll be another great beach read.  

Annie Jones [00:34:04] You're not reading these on the beach or are you?  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:06] I did go Sunday.  

Annie Jones [00:34:08] Oh, okay.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:09] And I took this with me and got started on it.  

Annie Jones [00:34:11] Okay, good. Because I think when we say beach read, we obviously would prefer to be reading at the beach always.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:18] But you can read it on your porch swing. That's where I normally do all my reading.  

Annie Jones [00:34:22] Yes.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:22] And you can you can pretend you're there. Because some of these writers are so talented. I just want this cottage in this book.  

Annie Jones [00:34:32]  When you said Nantucket and earlier you were talking about the book set in Rhode Island, I really do love books set on the northeastern coast. And I think that's just because it's so different f from where we get to go. I love where we get to go, but in my brain the ideal temperature is long sleeved t-shirt with shorts.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:51] I know.  

Annie Jones [00:34:52] And we don't get that here.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:53] A sweater on the beach is awesome.  

Annie Jones [00:34:55]  I think people in Nantucket get that.  

Susie Butterworth [00:34:58] Well, I will tell you a little funny thing about that. The first book I mentioned, where it's off the coast of Rhode Island, that felt Saint George Island to me.  

Annie Jones [00:35:08] Oh, wow. Because of the small town?  

Susie Butterworth [00:35:10] Because of the big monstrosity being built overshadowing it. But the description of this one feels very Nantucket. 

Annie Jones [00:35:19] Very New England.  

Susie Butterworth [00:35:20] Yes. Very New England.  

Annie Jones [00:35:21] Okay. Well, that's a fun little stack, mom.  

Susie Butterworth [00:35:24] Thank you.  

Annie Jones [00:35:24] I actually do have one recommendation for you.  

Susie Butterworth [00:35:27] Oh, good.  

Annie Jones [00:35:28] Because I just finished it. I listened to the audiobook, but I do wish I had the physical copy. And Jordan and I listened to it together on a road trip, and I thought mom would really like this. And it's Gretchen Rubin's new book, Life in Five Senses.  

Susie Butterworth [00:35:41] I have all of her books. I don't have that one yet 

Annie Jones [00:35:45] You and I, that is one way the Annie-Susie Venn diagram overlaps, I think, is some of those self-help personal growth books. I think I inherited your appreciation for some of them. She writes really good.  

Susie Butterworth [00:35:58] I love her writing.  

Annie Jones [00:35:58] Well-researched practical nonfiction. We liked listening to it because--  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:04] She read it?  

Annie Jones [00:36:05] Yes, she read it.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:06] I might like to listen to it.  

Annie Jones [00:36:07] So it's a fun audio book because she reads it and I like her. She came to the Bookshelf years ago.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:13] Guess what? This is so funny. Dad's cleaning out his pictures because I told him I'm not going to pay for Google Pictures. I said you've got to go clear them out. And he went, "Who is this?" Just this morning, in the porch swing. Who is this? I went, "That's Gretchen Rubin. She's a famous author."  

Annie Jones [00:36:27] She came to the Bookshelf.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:28] She came for one book.  

Annie Jones [00:36:29] Yeah.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:29] Huge.  

Annie Jones [00:36:29] Honestly, I don't think Thomasville realize what a big deal that was. It was a big deal. And she came to do the Happiness Project.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:36] Well, it was very young in your Bookshelf.  

Annie Jones [00:36:39] Yes, it was early in my tenure.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:41] So people might not have thought you knew who you were getting.  

Annie Jones [00:36:46] I just think she was so great and she was lovely in person.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:49] I have to have her book because I have all of her books.  

Annie Jones [00:36:52] Okay, great.  

Susie Butterworth [00:36:53] Gretchen, if you're listening, I have all of your books.  

Annie Jones [00:36:55] And her books are beautiful. So this one is great. It's got a great cover. I'm not going to spoil anything, but when you listen to it, there are some aspects to the cover that she has really thought about because her book is about experiencing life using all five of your senses, which I think you would love. Because she opens by talking about she had a kind of a health scare about her eyesight. And, of course, after that moment, she thought to herself, I don't appreciate this enough.  

Susie Butterworth [00:37:23] Right. We're all walking around blindly most of the time..  

Annie Jones [00:37:25] Yes. And so she talked about really taking her time to appreciate all five of her senses and engaging all of them. And so as she does in a lot of her other books, she basically launches this project to get her to focus more, which I think you would love because I do think you do a good job of this already. I think Jordan and I loved it because we spent a lot of time in our heads and brains. And so, I really loved the reminder to really hear things, to really touch things, really taste things. And a perk for us was that one of the projects she embarked on was to spend a year every day going to the Met Museum.  

Susie Butterworth [00:38:01] Yes, I follow her on Instagram, so I know that she's been doing that. It is like all year.  

Annie Jones [00:38:07] Every day. Yeah. And so she gets to see it. So we had just been there and so it wound up being really serendipitous. I read it and I thought mom would really like this.  

Susie Butterworth [00:38:18] And you know I have words of the year. And so mine is mindful.  

Annie Jones [00:38:23] Oh, yeah. You've got to read this.  

Susie Butterworth [00:38:26] I thing it goes straight along with that.  

Annie Jones [00:38:29] She's a great narrator. She has a podcast, so that's not surprising. But the only reason I wish I had the physical copy is there were things I would have liked to have underlined and revisit. And that's the only bummer to me sometimes about audio books is then I'm like, "Oh no, where's that quote?"  

Susie Butterworth [00:38:43]  And since I have all of her other ones, I have to have it. So I'll get that somewhere at the store.  

Annie Jones [00:38:47] So that's my recommendation.  

Susie Butterworth [00:38:48] Well, thank you.  

Annie Jones [00:38:49] Thank you, Mom. This has been delightful.  

Susie Butterworth [00:38:50] Thank you, Annie.  

Annie Jones [00:38:55] This week, what I'm reading is brought to you by visit Thomasville. Summer is a wonderful time to see Thomasville, Georgia. If it's time to hit the road for a quick getaway, we are exactly what you're looking for. You can rekindle your spark, explore historical sites, indulge in dining out, shop at amazing independent stores, and finally relax and unwind. There's no better getaway than Thomasville. Whether you live close by or are just passing through, we hope you'll visit beautiful Thomasville, Georgia. It's worth the trip. Plan Your visit at ThomasvilleGA.com.  

[00:39:28] We just got done talking about all kinds of great beach books. And I can't help but think two things. Number one, if you are headed to the beach, specifically to the Gulf Coast of Florida or Alabama this year, I think you should plan a pit stop in Thomasville. For many people, Thomasville is kind of sort of on the way to the coast. And so if you're trying to break up your trip at all, I think Thomasville is a great little in-between spot for your family to kind of take a breather, spend the night and then hit the road. And that way you get to explore some of our restaurants, some of our shops before heading on to your final destination. Or as mom was talking about, yes, you can read beach reads on the beach, but also you can read them on your porch. And there are so many cute little Airbnbs in Thomasville. In fact, mom and dad and I were just driving around before Mom and I recorded this podcast. And my old house, Jordan and I old house, is now an Airbnb and has a great front porch that I do miss. And reading on that front porch was so fun. And my love of front porches is partly why this podcast is named what it is. So if you are trying to think about coming to visit Thomasville, don't let the heat scare you away. Come visit. Stay in an Airbnb. Explore the slow, Mayberry-esq feel of Thomasville. Sit on your front porch and read a book. I think you will have just the most lovely time. This week I'm reading Dear Regina by Flannery O'Connor. Mom, what are you reading?  

Susie Butterworth [00:40:49] Well, we just talked about it. I'm reading All the Days of Summer by Nancy Thayer.  

Annie Jones [00:40:54] Thank you again to our sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Remember, you can plan your upcoming visit at ThomasvilleGA.com.  

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 at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website: bookshelfthomasville.com 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… 

Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle Carl, Kate O'Connell, Kristin May, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Stacy Laue, Chanta Combs, Stephanie Dean, Ashley Ferrell 

Executive Producers (Read Their Own Names): Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson, Susan Hulings

Annie Jones: 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. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us over on Patreon, where we have 3 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. 




Caroline Weeks