Episode 474 || April Reading Recap
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in April. You get 10% off your books when you order your April Reading Recap bundle! Each month, we offer a Reading Recap bundle, which features Annie’s three favorite books she read that month.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (type “Episode 474” into the search bar and tap enter to find the books mentioned in this episode), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
Annie's April Reading Recap Bundle - $78
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Funny Story by Emily Henry
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
Worry by Alexandra Tanner
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Knife River by Justine Champine (releases 5/28)
Lies & Weddings by Kevin Kwan (releases 5/21)
Funny Story by Emily Henry
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (releases 5/7)
Thank you to this week’s sponsor, the 103rd Annual Rose Show and Festival here in Thomasville, Georgia. Held in historic Downtown Thomasville, the Rose Show & Festival is sponsored by the City of Thomasville and has been a southwest Georgia tradition since 1922. Enjoy rose and flower shows, live music, an artisan market, an antique car show, a parade and fantastic shopping and dining in Downtown Thomasville. This year’s 103rd annual event is April 26-27. Plan your visit at thomasvillega.com.
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, Tiktok, and Facebook, 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 Swift River by Essie Chambers.
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Our Executive Producers are...Jennifer Bannerton, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Susan Hulings, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, and Amanda Whigham.
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]
“The same universe that dispassionately takes things away can bring you things you weren't imaginative enough to dream up.” - Emily Henry, Funny Story
[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 recapping the books I read in April. [00:00:49] It's never too late to join Annie's Five-Star books on Instagram. If you didn't know, for $50 a year, you can become a part of this bookish community online. Through my private Instagram account, you'll get access to my book reviews, backlist and front list titles. And I host monthly Instagram Lives/Instagram stories because maybe Instagram Lives haven't been working on the private account. But I've been doing monthly Instagram stories. I hop on there to chat books to tell you what I did and didn't finish each month. And then I just give kind of behind the scenes look at what I'm reading right now. If you follow me personally on Instagram, you've seen my reviews for years there. And, of course, from the Front Porch listeners (that's you) will always have access to these free monthly reading recap episodes. The private Instagram is just a place where I get to be more detailed with my reviews, and Five-Star Book Club members can also choose if they want my Five-Star reads mailed to them each month from The Bookshelf. There's a newsletter component too, so for more information or to sign up for our 2024 group, you can visit https://anniebjoneswrites.com/fivestar-book-club. There's a link in the show notes, too. I'd love to have you following along there this year. [00:02:05] Now, back to the show. Okay, April. If I sound tired, I do think I am. I think I got on here to start recording and I thought, does my voice sound funny? And it is morning time as I am recording this, but also it's allergy season. The pollen is actually better than it was, but both Jordan and Olivia think it's the worst pollen we've ever had. And maybe it was. And Jordan and I did a little bit of traveling this month to go to my nephew's first birthday, and we went to the beach. So we've been in and out. So maybe I am tired and maybe I am pollinated, I don't know. But if you're listening to this and you're wondering, her voice sounds funny, that's why. So here's the deal. I really had a good reading month, but I didn't feel like I did. I looked back and I'm like, oh no, I read some good things. But you'll be able to tell, I think, as I'm reviewing them, my very favorites. I think there were three books that I really loved. And then I liked a lot of books, and then I didn't like a book. So it was an eclectic reading month genre wise, and then also not every book was a five-star book, if that makes sense. And normally, when I've tracked my reading in years past, March and April are hugely 'successful' reading months for me. Typically, spring is a really great time of year for reading for me, and this year it's been fine. And so that's just my very honest overview of my April reading. But I did read some really good books. I want to review the ones I read. I finished seven books, which is okay. I've really averaged really almost exactly eight books every month, which is what I have always said would be a pretty good reading rhythm for me if I didn't work at The Bookshelf. But working at The Bookshelf, I feel like I should be reading more. So that might also be part of the problem, is I feel a little behind this year. [00:04:08] Okay, that being said, let me tell you about the first book I finished. At the very beginning of April, I finished a book that I had been listening to for probably two weeks in March, and I really came so close to not finishing it. And I'll tell you why. But, first, the name of the book is Worry. So I listened to Worry by Alexandra Tanner. I picked this one up through Libro.fm. It's narrated by Helen Laser who also narrated or provided part of the narration for the recent Lynn Painter book that I read. And I really liked her. And so worry was appealing to me just from the description. And this really was a situation where I was browsing Libro.fm, which sometimes I do if I'm looking for an audiobook to listen to while I'm paying bills at The Bookshelf or something like that. And I was in between audiobooks and didn't really have one that I knew I wanted to start. I didn't have like one next up on my list. So instead I was scrolling and kind of browsing there and I came across Worry, and the description sounded exactly like something I might like. And it was narrated by Helen Laser who I really enjoy her narration. She's a narrator that I've come to enjoy, so I picked this one up metaphorically. I listened to it. I downloaded it. The book is about Jules and Poppy, two millennial sisters. Although, I just want to say here, young millennials. Which must be very different from an old millennial. I'm not even going to say older. I just feel like now I'm old. I'm an old millennial. So Jules and Poppy, two millennial sisters. [00:05:49] The book is set in 2019, and it covers the entire year in 2019. I kept waiting. I thought the book was going to extend beyond 2019 and we were going to get some pandemic stuff- you don't. This book is set entirely in 2019 when Poppy moves from Central Florida to be with her her older sister Jules in New York, and they begin living together. And what I want you to know is that nothing happens in this book, and I believe the blurb even says nothing happens in this book. But I want you to listen to my voice. Nothing happens in this book, and that's okay. I love character-driven novels. I read that descriptor and thought, that's fine, I don't need anything to happen. But nothing happens in this book, including character growth and maturity, which I say is fine. I have said many, many times on this podcast and in other various venues that I don't need likable characters. I don't need things wrapped up in a tiny, pretty bow, and I don't think I need those things. But there must also be a part of me, probably the eight-year-old version of me, who loved Little Women so much and really did love the moralistic nature of that book, that still does want her characters to grow up, to mature, to work toward redemption. I think I do look for that in books, but I would never have said that until reading Worry. Because these two sisters, for the first half of the book, I was highly entertained. I was laughing out loud while putting on my makeup. I thought these sisters were hilarious. I really did. Alexandra Tanner, I can't wait to see what she writes next, because the writing in this book is outstanding. [00:07:53] I thought the New York setting was great. Jules and Poppy are two Jewish young women, they frequently call home to their mother. Especially in the audiobook, you get these really great voices and conversations, kind of mixing generations, familial drama, things like that. And I loved all of that. I thought it was all highly entertaining, very funny that these characters say things that just are horrific. And then at the halfway point, I began to grow weary of Jules and Poppy's antics because things weren't changing. At the halfway point, I thought, oh, surely the lame plot point will happen. But here's not one. Okay. Well, surely these young women will begin to realize, oh, I need to go to my job and be on time. I need to call home and make plans. I don't know. I just kept thinking these girls would grow up, and they just didn't. They just didn't. And if you like funny, snarky, witty prose that's peppered with the occasional pop culture reference. I think there is a lot to like about this book. When I say I grew weary, that's the best thing I can say. I was so high on this book. I was so gung-ho, I talked about it with Erin. I was like, oh, this audiobook is so great, and the audiobook really is great. Helen Lisa is a really good narrator, but truly it was like a flip switch at the halfway point. And I became irrationally angry with these young women. I was yelling in my car. I went from laughing while putting on my makeup-- and these are real experiences I had. And then as I was driving in my car and I said out loud, "I hate these people. I hate these people so much." And I did. I really hated them. And so kudos to Alexandra Tanner for creating characters that made me feel all kinds of ways. I did wind up finishing this one. [00:09:53] I had posted to my private Instagram that I was listening to this and that I was, I think, 87% finished. And I thought, no, I can't do it. I'm not going to do it. Because very much in the world where I exist as a bookseller and bookstore owner, I quit books. In my previous life, I had a harder time with that. But now I have no real problem quitting books that aren't hitting right. But I was really torn about this one because I was so far gone. I was 87% through, so it's not like I'd only read 50 pages. I'd almost finish this book, and I felt like, oh my gosh, shouldn't I just finish? And I did, I finished it. I didn't need to. Now the ending is wild, but borders on nonsensical. That's all I'll say about that. I think here's what I've settled on. Years ago, I started watching the HBO Showgirls, and I think a friend of mine had told me to watch it, and I couldn't finish. We all know I'm a prude. I'm picky about things that I watch with sex content. But that wasn't even why I quit. I quit watching it because I was like, I hate these people. And so if you loved the Showgirls, I suspect Worry by Alexandra Tanner will be great for you. If you could not finish the Showgirls because you hated them, you will hate these characters too and you will not want to finish this book. That's the best comparison I can give because really, Alexandra Tanner, this is her debut. I was immediately invested in her writing and in her storytelling. She's written these characters so well. I mean, the fact that I hate them, that also takes real skill for a writer. And if you're okay with people who are terrible and never become not terrible, then I think you'll like this. [00:11:57] And one thing I always do try to say on this podcast and in my real reading life with my friends and as a bookseller, just because the book's not for me doesn't mean it won't be for you. I always want to review books in such a way as somebody might discover Worry, and it might be just the book for them. It was not the book for me, but I loved the audiobook narration. I loved the writing. I wound up really not caring for the characters and wanting more for them. And this is not a book where that happens. This is a year in the life of two sisters and they stay exactly the same. But this does have a lot to say about millennial culture, maybe even a little bit about Gen Z culture. I think Jules is 28 and Poppy is 25/26. And so there's plenty to mine in terms of generational observations, pop culture references, etc. So if any of that appeals to you, I do think you should try Worry. But for me it did not work overall. That is Worry by Alexandra Tanner. I listened to it on Libro.fm It was narrated by Helen Laser. [00:13:15] And then I finally finished listening to The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James. And if you listened to this podcast, you might mentally be having a record scratch. Like, wait a minute, I thought she already finished this. Well, I reviewed it, I want to say in February-- maybe even January. It might have been January. This was an audiobook I downloaded. It's narrated by Lee Osorio. It's a fantastic audiobook. Jordan and I listened to it together. But the problem when Jordan and I start an audiobook together is we typically try to start a book we know we could finish in one road trip. Because otherwise Jordan commutes, I work in Thomasville, we are not often in the car together unless we are road tripping. And going to dinner five minutes down the road, we're not going to listen to the audiobook for five minutes. This was another audiobook where I was sitting at like 90% done, which is why I reviewed it. I'm pretty sure on the January episode From the Front Porch, the January reading recap episode. This book is excellent. I really liked it. It goes back and forth between 1895 and 1964. In 1895, we meet Antonio and Antonio is a bandit. He travels with his brother Hugo. And his brother Hugo winds up getting killed by the Texas Rangers. And so Antonio then becomes a revenge seeker and desperately wants to avenge his brother's death. Then we fast forward to the 1960s, where we meet Jamie. I won't spoil who he is, but he is an actor, and he is discovering his ancestry. And he is trying to figure out who his family is and where his family came from, and uncovers some myths and stories about his family. And this is no spoilers, including Antonio. So I loved Antonio's story in the 1890s the best. And what I'd be curious to know is if that's because of Lonesome Dove. Because I am finding this to be my year of the Western. Not just in literature, but I'm finding myself really drawn to them in terms of watching. [00:15:41] Jordan and I rewatched Hell or High Water earlier this month that made us watch Sicario-- which we did not like that much. But we love No Country for Old Men. It made us rewatch that. So, anyway, I have found myself drawn to Westerns, and I think it's because I'm slowly reading Lonesome Dove, and I love this character so much because I'm reading it slowly. Sometimes I miss them. And so to fill that void, I feel like I'm drawn towards these books and these stories that are around the same time period and in the same setting. So that is one of the reasons I think I loved the Bullet Swallower. But the 1960s was less appealing to me, and the ancestry work was less appealing to me. I really liked the adventure and revenge story, almost Count of Monte Cristo-esque revenge story. There's some magical realism in this book that I think is handled really well. I typically don't enjoy that kind of thing, but I liked it in this book quite a bit. And I'm thrilled to say we finally finished. Jordan and I went to the beach. We literally had 30 minutes left on this audiobook. And you'd think we would have just sat down in our living room and played it, but we did not. And so we finally went to the beach together. And for the first 30 minutes, we finished this audiobook. I do not recommend listening to this audiobook in pieces parts. I do think the audiobook is great, but reading this particular work in probably two or three clumps. I think it's the kind of book that you should just immerse yourself in. And the audiobook is great, but I think the physical book would even lend itself to be read more quickly, if that makes sense. So that's my only regret with this one, is I wish I had kind of read it all at one time instead of piecing it out over essentially three months. But really liked it. If you're reading Lonesome Dove along with us on Patreon, or if you already finished and you're looking for something to fill that void, this should do it. So that is the bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James. [00:17:41] Speaking of the beach, while we were at Saint George Island, we were there for two nights-- which we felt really lucky to get to do. We kind of went impromptu, which is unlike us, and it was so nice. But that neither here nor there. While we were there, I told Jordan, I looked him in the eyeballs and I said, "I just want to read one book." And I think this little anecdote shows you what the month was like. I just think I had trouble focusing this month. And that's always true when we're busy at The Bookshelf. But we just come off Reader Retreat at the end of March. I don't know, maybe it was just a lot and a lot going on. Like I said, we traveled. So I just felt really desperate to finish a book. I just wanted to read, and it had been a long time since I had hunkered down with something and read something in one or two sittings. And so I brought Knife River by Justine Champagne. This is set in upstate New York. It is a literary suspense, a literary thriller. I brought this specifically because I thought maybe if it's a thriller, I'll finish it. And I did. I was immediately hooked. This is really a sister story, and I read quite a bit of sister stories. It feels like I have in the last little bit. Worry certainly qualifies as a sister story. And then knife River, two sisters, Jess and Liz, their mother went missing when they were 19 and 13. Liz is the older sister and Jess is the younger. When they were 19 and 13, their mom went out for a walk and she never came home. And for a decade, the small town where they are from has not been able to solve their mother's disappearance. There have been no leads in her case. And so, Jess-- she's the younger sister-- when she comes of age, she leaves her small town. She leaves her sister, who's been her caregiver, and she kind of strikes out on her own. Liz stays put, stays in the house, stays in the small town. Really championing her mother, desperate to find out what happened to their mother. [00:20:11] And so, when these women are in their 30s, I guess, Jess gets a call. The younger sister gets a call from Liz, letting her know that some bones have been found, and they think it's their mother's remains. The police think it's their mother's remains. So Jess comes back home to Knife River. That's the name of the town where they live. And Jess and Liz once again are working together and working with the police to try to find out what happened to their mother. The mystery, the suspense in this story is really compelling and really well done. That mystery that they're working on the entire book. I really wanted to know what happened. And I think it's really well-told. It reminds me a little bit of Granite Harbor, which was a book I think I finished in March. It was another literary suspense. I really liked that book. But I struggled with how things ended. So that's a book that I love. I still recommend. I think it was a four-star book for me. I would still recommend it to you. But I struggled just a smidge with the end. Knife River, I have none of those qualms. I just thought it was so well handled. Great storytelling. Suspenseful. And at the same time, and the reason I think this qualifies as a literary suspense or a literary thriller is there's so much that Justine Champaign is unpacking regarding sister relationships and sisterhood. Jess and Liz definitely kind of feel that older sister-younger sister relationship. But also Liz has stayed. And what are the consequences for having stayed? Jess comes back and Liz is still in their same house, and the house is kind of fallen apart and the house is a mess. [00:22:13] She's worried her sister's some kind of almost hoarder. And then Jess has no roots whatsoever and is in the middle of a relationship. The book starts with Jess in the relationship, and then she comes back to Knife River and she takes back up with her high school girlfriend or her high school crush. And so there's just so much happening behind the scenes. I think this would make a fantastic HBO mini series. I know I've already mentioned Granite Harbor, and certainly there's some overlap there, but the best comp is Long Bright River. Which I know Olivia read and loved. I read and loved. And so if you liked Long Bright River, I think you will love this. It's weird. I'm seeing now that river is in both of the titles. But if you liked Long Bright River, which also dealt with sister relationships, really rich setting. The setting here is really memorable. I loved this book. It is Knife River by Justine Champaign and I don't want you to get mad at me, but it doesn't release until May 28th, which is fine, because I think this will be a great summer book. So it's going to be great. It's going to be fine. I think it is worth the wait. So Knife River by Justine Champaign releases May 28th. [00:23:33] Okay. Then while also while at the beach, I picked up Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan. I love Kevin Kwan and I look forward to his books. He of course wrote The Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. But he also wrote Sex and Vanity which came out, I want to say maybe in 2020, and I really liked that. So he's consistent. I know I'm going to have a good time when I pick up his books, and I did. I had a great time with this book. I'll also say I always think his books could be like 100 pages shorter. I think that's me and my desire for a 90 minute movie. And sometimes I'm just like a 300 page book is where it's at. And so sometimes his books feel a little long, but I'm highly entertained the whole time. And I was highly entertained the entire time I read Lies and Weddings. So, to me, this is a comedy of manners. It feels the most Jane Austen-esque of Kevin Kwan's books. There are lots and lots of characters, but the main character is Rufus. He is the future Earl of, I believe, Gresham Berry. So he grew up landed gentry, tons of property, this beautiful home. But his father is going through financial issues and turns out they're very, very much in debt. And so Rufus needs to marry someone really wealthy. And as we all know, Kevin Kwan is writing about really, really wealthy people, more wealth than I could possibly imagine. So his mother, who's a real piece of work, is trying to get him to marry into aristocracy, or like a modern almost Silicon Valley type billionaire. [00:25:27] And this is not a spoiler, this is pretty obvious from the first page. Rufus is in love with his more or less next door neighbor, Eden. Eden and her father have been living on the Gresham Berry property in, like, a little cottage because he is the village doctor and he is best friends with the current Earl of Gresham Berry- Rufus's dad. And so Rufus and Eden grew up next door to each other, more or less. And Rufus has long loved Eden. So much happens in this book. Remember how nothing happened in Worry? Everything happens in Lies and Weddings. And it is set, as usual, with Kevin Kwan across multiple locales. So the book is set at first in England and then on this private island, and then Hong Kong and then California and then briefly, Marfa, Texas. And so it just there's so much going on in this book, but somehow it all makes sense. I'm never confused, even though there's a million characters. I keep them all straight because Kevin Kwan, I think, is a genius at what he does. This will be a great book for summer. It releases on May 21st, so you've got some time to preorder it. But I think this will just be a really fun summer book and be the romp that you kind of need as summer starts. So if you are a big Kevin Kwan fan, this is great. If you've never read Kevin Kwan, I still would start with Crazy Rich Asians. That would still be the one I would put in your hand as a bookseller. But if you've already read Kevin Kwan or you've read part of that trilogy, or you read Sex and Vanity, Lies and Weddings is-- and I mean this in the best possible way-- more of the same. And honestly, how nice to have an author that you can kind of count on for just a good time. This is a good time. So that is Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan, out on May 21st. [00:27:21] Speaking of an author we can just rely on, I listened to Funny Story by Emily Henry. I love Emily Henry. You love Emily Henry. We all love Emily Henry. And I'm grateful. My friend Marcy talks about looking forward every year to the new thriller by Riley Sager, like how he faithfully puts out a new book every year and how much she looks forward to it. I read Harry Potter in real time, which meant I had to wait for a new installment every summer. And there was something really fun about that. And so maybe the Riley Sagers, the Emily Henrys, they take us back to that feeling, because there has been so much fun anticipation about this book. And by the time you listen to this, we will have thrown our midnight release party for it, which we debated doing. We thought, is Thomasville going to want a midnight release party? And you know what? We've got I think 23, 25 women coming, which is remarkable to me. To a midnight release party on a Monday night. That's a school night, y'all. You got to go to work the next day. So I'm just delighted. I hope it's a good time. I think it will be. But it's been fun to see how many people get excited and are looking forward to and anticipating this new book by Emily Henry. So I did break my rule, which is-- so back in 2020 when Emily Henry released Beach Read, it was a huge bestseller for us. And I'm not being facetious when I say this. I'm not speaking in hyperbole. That book really helped save us that summer. So many people bought that book from us. And I'm not even sure why it took off the way it did. Because at that time, as I recall, no one knew who Emily Henry was. People were buying books, but debuts or unknown authors. I mean, the fact that she did so well was just remarkable and kind of unbelievable. [00:29:28] I read Beach Read and it still holds. I need to reread it to see if this is true, but it still holds a special place in my heart. I still think it's my favorite Emily Henry. Now, I've only read every Emily Henry book one time, and so I have no doubt that my memory of Beach Read is also so tied up in appreciation for that book getting us through the pandemic financially. But I remember where I was when I read it. I have really fond memories of it. It would be fun to go back and reread it to see if it still is my favorite. But Beach Read is my favorite. I really liked People We Meet on vacation. And then I just liked-- I mean, I liked it. Don't get me wrong, Emily Henry has a really high bar. But I know a lot of people loved Book Lovers and loved Happy Place. I liked both of those books. Book Lovers, as I recall, was a sister story and I think sometimes those don't resonate with me as much because I don't have that relationship in my life. And so I love reading about it, but occasionally I feel a little lost. Like, yeah, I don't I know what this is like. And I liked Happy Place. I liked the setting in Happy Place quite a bit. Funny Story is going to be up there for me. So I'm trying to decide. I think Funny Story might be my second favorite after Beach Read. I loved it so much. But I broke my rule. This is where I was going with this. I broke my rule because Beach Read and people we meet on vacation, I read physical copies. Book Lovers and Happy Place, I listened to. And I was starting to feel like maybe listening to the audiobooks is part of the problem. Maybe these audiobooks are fun. Julia Whelan does them and she is beloved. She's the best audiobook reader of all time. People love her and I like her a lot. Usually, it's too many voices for me. Occasionally it's too performative for me. You've heard me say that before. But she's universally beloved. I do think she does a great job narrating these books. [00:31:32] But I had started to wonder, well, maybe the reason I liked those a little less was because I listened to them instead of reading the physical copies. So I told myself when Funny Story comes out, do not listen to it, read it. Take it home and read it. Read it by the pool. Let it be like a whole thing. Well, I would have done that. I promise I would have done that. I wanted to do that except then audiobook listening copies-- so ALCs like ARCs, but early listening copies-- were released by Libro.fm at the beginning of this month, and there was Funny Story and I just thought, well, why would I wait? Why wouldn't I read this right now? And as much as I had examined or wondered if the audiobook was affecting my enjoyment-- I really do enjoy these stories and it's comforting to get in my car and immediately have something to listen to and to know it's going to be good. Even if sometimes I occasionally don't like the voices. So I listened to this on Libro.fm-- listened to the audiobook by Julia Whalen. I do wish I had read this one because I really liked it. I'm going to buy it because I want to mark up some things that I really liked. I love and adore the setting of this book. I need to go to Michigan so badly. I want to go to Michigan so badly. It was already on my bucket list of places because of years and years ago reading Shauna Niequist book, Cold Tangerines, and she writes so fondly about Michigan. Then I think last year Tom Lake, and now this year Funny Story. I'm just desperate. I wish I could summer in Michigan, because summer in Michigan feels so much more romantic and less sweaty than summer in the South. I got to tell you, reading a book like Funny Story makes me just desperate for summer now. I just want summer so badly. And then I remind myself the summer I just read about is not the summer I will get. Emily Henry has yet to write a summer set in the swamp. You know what I mean? And so these books that romanticize summer, they just filled me with so much joy. I loved the setting of this book. I also loved the main characters. [00:33:52] So Daphne is a children's librarian. She is engaged to Peter, who just strikes me as a very handsome boy. I don't even know. I can't remember how Emily Henry describes him, but I picture a handsome blond man, like, very striking. And Daphne just feel so lucky that Peter chose her. Peter comes from a kind of waspy sounding family. Daphne is the daughter of a wonderful single mother. And then our male protagonist is Miles, and Miles is dating Petra. And Petra and Peter are best friends from childhood. And so the two couples kind of have a history. Maybe they went on a couple of double dates, that kind of thing. But Daphne and Peter's engagement is cut short after Peter goes on his bachelor party. He goes to his bachelor party, and Petra is there because she's his BFF. And Daphne never says a thing about it. Not sure how I'd feel, but Daphne's fine. Until, of course, Peter comes home and tells her he and Petra are running off together. Their engagement is off. So if you're confused, Peter and Petra are now together. They're dating, and Daphne has nowhere to live. And she winds up becoming roommates with Miles, Petra's ex. So it's a convoluted mess that immediately I was like, oh, I'm here for all of this. This is a great setup. It's really funny. I don't know if this is her funniest book because I really like all of her books, but this one is funny, and I was very charmed. And then it's a real love story to libraries. I loved learning about Daphne's job and how much she loved it. Certainly there's overlap there with bookselling. But it felt like a real homage to libraries and librarians. And then Miles and Daphne, they're set up as kind of opposites. He's a little bit messy, kind of a slob. She is very particular. She likes things a certain way. Almost when Harry met Sally-esque. But then as the book progresses, they actually are quite similar. I found the romance to be utterly charming and realistic. Sometimes because I think I love Emily Henry's characters and stories so much that I do forget these are relatively open door. Now, another listener might disagree. But there are definitely a couple of steamy scenes. I don't know if it's the way Emily Henry writes them, but they never bother me. Guys, I'm a prude. I fast forwarded through a couple of sections, a couple of descriptions, but just completely charmed by this book. If you have had this on your TBR, if you've been highly anticipating it, I'm here to tell you, you won't be disappointed. This book is so great! I loved it! Funny story by Emily Henry out this week. [00:37:04] Okay, very different. But when Jordan and I went to Chattanooga, for my nephew's first birthday, we listened to A Fever in the Heartland. This is by Timothy Egan. He is a national Book Award, I believe, winning historical nonfiction writer. This was a Sharon Says So Book Club selection. So I've followed Sharon McMahon for years on her Instagram account, Sharon Says So. I also have paid for years for her private Instagram account. But I don't always participate in the book club. In fact, I rarely participate. Often, I'll read the books. I really just like the Instagram content. And I really don't always make time, if ever, for the workshops and things, even though I love them. So Sharon has a book club and this was one of the book club selections either this time or last time. I can't remember. Might have been this semester, might have been last semester, but my aunt was reading it. My Aunt Nina is in her 80s and she is an avid, avid reader. And I was asking her at a family get together what she was reading right now, and she told me this. And I thought, you know what, I've been wanting to read that. Is it good? Should I read it? And normally my aunt reads like thick books. And so rarely do we overlap. But this one I looked at the length and I then I looked up the audiobook and I was like, Jordan and I should listen to this. And so we did. The audiobook is narrated by Timothy Egan. I do think that was a mistake. I do think a professional audiobook narrator should have been hired, but he does fine. He's fine. I would read the physical copy of this one. So the subtitle of this book is The Ku Klux Klan Plot to Take Over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them. So this book is about the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s and their expansion, particularly into the Midwest. [00:38:52] I had no idea the hold the Ku Klux Klan had in the Midwest. Obviously, I know at least a little bit about the Ku Klux Klan in the South and the role they played, particularly post-Civil War. But, apparently, there was a time in which it kind of died down in the South, but then had a resurgence and an expansion in the Midwest, particularly in Indiana. So this was fascinating to me. I just had no idea. Jordan and I, it felt like we were listening with our mouths agape. We loved this. It read almost like a crime procedural. But here's what I will say, because of that subtitle-- so the book is called A fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan Plot to Take Over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them. Because of that subtitle and because of the introduction or the first couple of chapters, Jordan and I both thought we were getting like a young woman spy story where this woman named Madge Oberholtzer takes down the Ku Klux Klan, or maybe she's a journalist and she takes down the Klan. I want you to know right off the bat-- because I wish I had known right off the bat, but that's not what this is. Madge Oberholtzer was a young woman living in Indiana, and the leader of the Klan at that time paid attention to her. He was a womanizer, a misogynist, and she caught his eye. I am going to get graphic for about 10s. So fast forward if you need to. Please fast forward. She ends up becoming sexually assaulted and murdered by the leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Jordan and I did have some questions about the murder aspects, but she is assaulted horrifically. And Timothy Egan holds back no detail. She is assaulted and dies at the hands of the leader of the Klan at that time. And so he winds up going to trial-- none of this is spoilers. This happened in the 1920s. So he goes to trial. I really thought we were getting a different kind of book. And, of course, this is history and this is what really happened. And there is heroism here even still, even in the horrible ways she was a victim to this horrific man. There is heroism here. It just wasn't the heroism Jordan and I thought we were getting. This is not an uplifting story. It's a tragic story. It's deeply, deeply tragic. It's excellent. It feels like an excellent piece of historic journalism to me. It's been a long time since I read historic nonfiction that I really liked, and I really like this. So that's A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan. [00:41:38] And then last but not least, this month I read-- I think what I'm seeing, by the way, is that I listened to a lot of books this month, which is kind of flip flop. Normally I listen to a couple and I read more, but I think I listened to a lot and then read a couple. But I read the physical copy of The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. This book is so fun. I think I suspect you're going to see this everywhere. It releases on May 7th. It is a complete mash up of genres, and I was not going to pick it up because this is one of those books-- the reason I think you'll see it everywhere-- we received multiple arcs. And that kind of gets on my nerves sometimes because sometimes I'm like, why are we getting multiple copies of this book? It almost feels like too much pressure or too much hype. And I was not going to read this. And then Olivia read it and she said it was good. She said it was fine. But she was like, you might like it more. And I thought, okay, so I brought it home, but put off reading it. And then liked the look of the length. And I just thought, well, let me try it then Olivia and I can talk about it. We like talking about books at work. So this is a mash up of genres, in my opinion, in the most fun and delightful way. Well, it's a lot of time travel. It's a lot of little bit of spy mystery intrigue, a little bit of romance. Basically, we have an unnamed civil servant who works in the Ministry of Time in Great Britain. I do not think we know her name. I'm pretty sure she remains unnamed the entire time. I flip through the book and I'm, like, I don't think she's ever named. But, anyway, she is a civil servant. She winds up getting a job with the Ministry of Time. Basically, acting as a liaison between-- Britain in the near future has access to time travel, and a group of people have just time traveled from various points in history, 1600s, 1700s, 1800s. I think that's as far back. And they have time traveled, and now they've each been assigned a bridge. A bridge being a person who was going to help them acclimate to the modern world. [00:43:44] So our time traveler, the main time traveler that we hear about, is Commander Graham Gore. This is a real life historical figure, which I find just a charming little detail. He's from 1847. We know him frequently in the book as 1847. Each of the time travelers is known by the year in which they came from. Commander Graham Gore comes, he lives with his bridge, and some romance is ensues. The romance is sweet and I like it. But really, what I loved about this book is watching these-- I think there's five time travelers-- adjust and acclimate to the modern world. I thought this book was so funny. I've seen people compare it, perhaps obviously, to Outlander to About Time. But I'm going to tell you what it most reminded me of, and that is the classic American film Kate and Leopold, starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, which I rewatched within the last three years. And you know what? I think it holds up pretty well. It's a little cheesy, but Hugh Jackman is charming. Of course, he is. And that is what this book reminded me of, because the best parts of Kate and Leopold are Leopold adjusting to modern life, modern dating, modern science, modern manners. And that is what is so fun to me about the Ministry of Time. There is, like I said, a spy element where we can't really tell what the purpose of this time traveling experiment is. Is there something nefarious afoot? We don't really know. And so that part also will keep you reading. There are some flashbacks that I'm not sure were entirely necessary. In my mind, this is not a perfect book, but man, it is creative and fun and feels pretty original. There's a ton of books about time travel, but I thought this one was perhaps the most fun one that I've read. I, years and years ago, probably used to read The Time Traveler's Wife. I have very fond memories of that book. I liked that book a lot, but that was not a fun book. That was a bittersweet, very sad book in parts. This is a very fun spring/summer book that I really do think will be seen everywhere, because I think it'll hit so many readers. I think potentially a sci-fi reader like Olivia, somebody who occasionally read sci-fi, she might enjoy it. That type of reader might enjoy it. A mystery reader might enjoy it. Spy novel reader might enjoy it. Romance reader might enjoy it. Historical fiction reader might enjoy it. All of this is going to hit all of those people. And so rarely do you find a book that will cross genres like this. And so I'm interested to see how it does. So that is the Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. [00:46:30] So those are the books I read in April. As usual with our reading recap episodes, we are offering a reading recap bundle for this month. Our April Reading Recap bundle is $78 and it includes three books, all hardbacks, which is why that price is a little higher. It includes The Bullet Swallower because I liked the audiobook, but I think readers might prefer to read it in hardcover format. Funny story, Emily Henry. And A Fever in the Heartland. So I think those are three great books. I think that's a fun bundle for April. You can find more details and the bundle online. There's a link in our show notes. Or just go to Bookshelfthomasville.com and type episode 474 in the search bar. [00:47:14] This week what I am reading is brought to you by the 103rd Annual Rose Show and Festival here in Thomasville, Georgia. Y'all, it's this week. It's happening. Held in historic downtown Thomasville, the Rose Show and Festival is sponsored by the city of Thomasville and has been a Southwest Georgia tradition since 1922. You can enjoy rose and flower shows, live music, an artisan market, an antique car show, a parade, and fantastic shopping and dining in downtown Thomasville. This year's 103rd Annual Event is this weekend, April 26th and 27th. Plan your visit at ThomasvilleGA.com. I hope you have made plans to be here this weekend. We are so excited! Half of our staff or part of our staff will be at Word of South on Saturday. I and the rest of the staff will be at The Bookshelf on Saturday. I will be at the parade on Friday night. I'm bringing my mom and dad because I think they're going to have a good time. And it's my mom's birthday this weekend, so just a fun, celebratory atmosphere. I cannot wait. And if you are nearby, if you're in Tallahassee or Valdosta or somewhere relatively close by, it's not too late, you can come join in the fun. And I hope that you do, it's just a special weekend in Thomasville this week. [00:48:25] I'm reading Swift River by Essie Chambers. Thank you again to our sponsor, the 103rd Annual Rose Show and Festival here in Thomasville, Georgia. 00:48:50] Annie Jones: From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram 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:
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, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Stephanie Dean, Ashley Ferrell, Jennifer Bannerton
Executive Producers (Read Their Own Names): Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, 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.