Episode 586 || Off the Shelf with Annie & Ashley: Summer 2026
This week on From the Front Porch, it's an episode of Off the Shelf with Annie & Ashley! Annie is joined by friend, cousin, and former colleague, Ashley Sherlock, to chat about what they’re reading – but also what they’re watching, listening to, and buying.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 586) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
Annie is reading:
● Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox
● Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
● The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (out June 30)
Ashley is reading:
● Brawler by Lauren Groff
● Fat Swim by Emma Copley Eisenburg
● Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
● Kin by Tayari Jones
● Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
● The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos
● Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Annie is watching:
● Off Campus
● The Dark Wizard
Ashley is watching:
● Love Story
● Company Retreat
● Her shark on Fahlo
Annie listening to:
● The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline
● Mumford & Sons
● Noah Kahan
● Writing music
Ashley listening to:
● Porch Light by Noah Kahan
● Begin Again by Mumford and Sons
● Sleepyhead by Young and Sick
Annie buying:
● House stuff
Ashley buying:
● Cotton Candy grapes
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 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 Fair Ones (out October 6) by Lydia Millet. Ashley is reading Anywhere Else by
Rachel Knox.
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.
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]
“Sometimes the past is like that. Eighteen years can be forever, and it can also be no time at all.”
-Meg Mitchell Moore, Down with the Shipmans.
[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 chatting about summary off the shelf topics with my cousin, Ashley Sherlock. If you're craving more from The Front Porch, or if you want to listen to episodes ad-free, join us on Patreon. This year, listener favorite Hunter Mclendon and I are sharing our monthly recaps of our conquering of The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor. Episodes air on the last Friday of each month, and it's never too late to start reading or listening, or to cajole your friends and family into joining us too.
To join Patreon, just visit patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. There are three tiers available. The $5 a month tier will give you access to those Conquer a Classic episodes, including the back catalog of Conquer a Classic episodes, and our monthly Porch Visit Q&A sessions. Our $20 a month tier will give you ad-free episodes of From the Front Porch, plus a deep dive into some of Flannery O'Connor's other works. We hope you'll join us there. Remember, it's patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. Now, back to the show. Welcome back, Ashley.
[00:01:49] Ashley: Thank you so much. Glad to be here.
[00:01:50] Annie Jones: It is time to go off the shelf for this recurring episode series that we do together. Today, we are talking about books, yes, but we're also talking about articles, TV shows, pop culture, and what we are looking forward to this summer. Ashley is a former Bookshelf staffer, and my literal family member and friend. I'm so glad you're here. You're about to enter your favorite season. How are you feeling?
[00:02:14] Ashley: I'm going to be honest with you, today is a day I am not to be trifled with, and it does feel like the day is trifling with me. However, it is 88 degrees where I live, and that helps a lot.
[00:02:26] Annie Jones: That's funny. It's pretty much that same temperature. It's a beautiful day, which is helpful because generally, my mood is also not fantastic today. So this will be a fun vibe. Are you hopeful about the summer? Do you have any fun summer plans on the books? What you doing?
[00:02:39] Ashley: I'm very hopeful about the summer. We're recording this pre-Memorial Day, so I will be spending Memorial Day weekend at the beach. North Carolina beach. And after that, I'm heading to New York City just for the fun of it.
[00:02:53] Annie Jones: Oh, fun. We're going Friday.
[00:02:55] Ashley: Are you serious?
[00:02:57] Annie Jones: Yeah. That's where we're spending Memorial Day.
[00:02:59] Ashley: How long are you there?
[00:02:59] Annie Jones: We'll be flying back by the time it's Monday. We're leaving this Friday and coming home Monday.
[00:03:04] Ashley: Dang it. I get there Tuesday.
[00:03:06] Annie Jones: Oh, that's funny. You'll be there the same time as Kyndall.
[00:03:08] Ashley: We should have planned this better.
[00:03:09] Annie Jones: Kyndall from The Bookshelf should be there, I think, all next week.
[00:03:12] Ashley: The other people are going to be there too. This is the time. Other people I know are going to be there, and I hope other people that I don't know are not going to be there. You know what I mean?
[00:03:19] Annie Jones: I don't. I didn't know if you were referencing people you actually know or Sutton Foster.
[00:03:24] Ashley: I think Sutton Foster and Taylor Swift are both there when I'm there.
[00:03:28] Annie Jones: That's what I didn't know if you were talking about.
[00:03:30] Ashley: But I don't know, it seems super busy. It probably is. That's what I was getting at. Since everybody that I know is also going to be in New York, that probably also means everyone else is going to be in New York too.
[00:03:39] Annie Jones: I feel safe talking about that. Kyndall, I'm so sorry to out you, but I do feel safe because by the time this comes out into the world, y'all will all be long back home. You will all be back.
[00:03:48] Ashley: That's my main plan, but then I'll go back home for a while, back home to Tallahassee. I'm also very excited about that.
[00:03:53] Annie Jones: Yes, that'll be nice. Yeah, we're going to New York for a couple of days, and then we've got Market in June, which is messing with my brain a little bit. That is normally a July trip, and it is kind of throwing a kink in some of my June plans. Actually, I should announce this here. I will be at Snail on the Wall Books in Huntsville, Alabama at the end of June. So I will be there for an author event. And then Texas for the Fourth to visit friends, and then, I don't know, Jordan might have some travels, but I kind of hope July, since Market is now in June, maybe July can be my, I don't know, quiet month. Everybody keeps talking about May, and me too, I keep talking about May being over because it's chaotic, but June is not honestly looking that much better.
[00:04:36] Ashley: No, it feels like it's all going to be nuts, but please put me on your July schedule.
[00:04:40] Annie Jones: Oh, yes, that's when you will be here.
[00:04:42] Ashley: But speaking of Market being in June, it's not in July because of the World Cup, correct?
[00:04:47] Annie Jones: Correct.
[00:04:48] Ashley: Do you have a soccer team?
[00:04:51] Annie Jones: Besides America?
[00:04:52] Ashley: Yes. Such as Man City or Barcelona.
[00:04:56] Annie Jones: No. Do they compete in the World cup? I thought everybody's country competes in the World Cup.
[00:05:01] Ashley: Is that not how this works?
[00:05:03] Annie Jones: It is, but Man City is part of England.
[00:05:06] Ashley: Which is part of the world.
[00:05:07] Annie Jones: Yeah, but I thought the World Cup was like the Olympics of soccer.
[00:05:11] Ashley: Okay, that was really just my segue to ask you if you had a soccer team, just soccer in general.
[00:05:17] Annie Jones: Okay, I see. So outside of who will I be rooting for the World Cup. No, I don't. To answer your question, no.
[00:05:22] Ashley: Okay. I'm becoming surrounded by people who do enjoy watching soccer. And since we were so involved in fantasy football at the beginning of the year, we do March Madness. I already enjoy baseball. Soccer I did not enjoy playing as a child, but I would like to know something about and I would like to have a team to claim.
[00:05:44] Annie Jones: Are you on the hunt?
[00:05:45] Ashley: I'm in the market for a soccer team.
[00:05:46] Annie Jones: Does Charlotte have one?
[00:05:48] Ashley: Yes, and actually there's a Florida team, couldn't tell you who they are, coming to play in Charlotte on Halloween this year, so that could be a fun game.
[00:05:57] Annie Jones: Yeah, you should root for the team nearest you. I feel like we have friends who root for the Atlanta team. There's like a Nashville team I see people posting about all the time. So you should pick one that you could actually go watch their games. Because I do think I don't know, but to me, I prefer watching baseball in person than I do on TV.
[00:06:15] Ashley: It's the first time seeing it in person.
[00:06:16] Annie Jones: Yeah, soccer I think I might feel similarly about, but I don't know. But it would be fun while you live up there to have a team close to you.
[00:06:24] Ashley: Soccer, while a low-scoring game, I thought you would feel similarly to basketball since-- oh, I might get in trouble for saying this, but soccer just feels like basketball but with your feet. It's just a lot of running back and forth.
[00:06:37] Annie Jones: It is. There's a lot more scoring in basketball.
[00:06:40] Ashley: That's what I meant. I know. That's the difference.
[00:06:42] Annie Jones: I grew up watching basketball. I find basketball a very easy sport to watch. I think soccer is a great laundry doing sport to watch. It's good to have on in the background while you're like-- you strike me as somebody who could watch TV in the background while you cook or something like that. Just because soccer lasts a long time and is low scoring. But I think the World Cup will help you get into it. This was years ago, but when I worked at Holy Comforter one summer, that was a World Cup summer and I was in high school. I was either in high school or middle school, and there were like these college kids who were super into the World Cup, so then all of us younger than them got into it. And so I think it would be a good time to get into soccer is what I'm saying. You would feel like part of the group, which I enjoy. That's one of the reasons I like sports. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:07:26] Ashley: That'd be great.
[00:07:26] Annie Jones: So I would recommend. But what's the Charlotte's team name? Do you know?
[00:07:29] Ashley: What sport is the Panthers? Is it American football?
[00:07:32] Annie Jones: That's the NFL. Yes.
[00:07:34] Ashley: Then I don't know.
[00:07:35] Annie Jones: You should go to a game. That would be fun, I would think.
[00:07:37] Ashley: Yeah, maybe I will. It's the years of sports in my world, so..
[00:07:41] Annie Jones: Yes, you are, that has been my... my dad and I were cracking up because you, I think for the first time, forget League of Our Own, that's separate, but we were on a family group text, and it wasn't just the Masters, the Derby. Out of nowhere you texted about the Derby. And I was like Ashley's housemates must love sports because all of a sudden she is texting about the Masters, the Derby, and never in your 30 years have I ever seen you express a modicum of interest, even for as a kid, like the pretty horsies. I've never heard you care about those things. And as a kid I went through a horse girl phase for sure. The Saddle Club. Yeah.
[00:08:20] Ashley: Yes. I was a horse girl want to be. So it's more now like I just want to be a more well-rounded person, and it's not that I don't love watching sports. It's not how I would prefer to spend my time. I don't want to go to a college football game on a Saturday, but I like knowing what's going on, and I like being part of stage.
[00:08:37] Annie Jones: Yeah, it's probably helpful when you move somewhere I would think. Like an easy, basic way.
[00:08:41] Ashley: Yeah, for sure. And this year social media helps. I found out the backstories about So Happy and then Great White, who got scratched.
[00:08:48] Annie Jones: Yeah. That's what was hilarious, was Ashley all of a sudden talking about horses scratching, and it was like, "What is going on?" I felt like I was in an alternate universe. I was like, "What is happening?"
[00:08:59] Ashley: My whole goal is to just know enough to be able to converse. I don't want to be a super fan.
[00:09:05] Annie Jones: Look, and I don't know very many, to be clear... Everybody throws a Derby party. I don't know anybody that follows horse racing beyond what do they call it? The Triple Crown or whatever. I don't know a ton of people who are like, "Yes, I follow horse racing diligently." There probably are in Thomasville, let's be real. But most people I don't think are like, "Yes, I'm an avid horse racing fan." I think they're like, "Yes, I watch the Kentucky Derby," because it's like the World Cup. It's a cultural moment. It's something we're doing.
[00:09:31] Ashley: Yeah, just want to keep up, want to be able to hang out and know what I'm listening to other people talk about.
[00:09:36] Annie Jones: Yeah. No, I get that. Okay, that was Sports Corner with Annie and Ashley. I'm sure the people, that is exactly why they're here. That's what they're here. That's the content. That's the content they're here for. Okay, so we're going to talk about reading, watching, listening, buying. That's what we're going to do. I am going to run down a couple books I've been reading that I think would be of especial interest to you. The first is one I believe I texted you about, which is a book called Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox. It's a collection of essays. Did you buy it? Have you gotten it yet? Did you buy it locally up there?
[00:10:06] Ashley: Yeah. Bought it at The Bookshelf. Keila Sent it to me along with my paperback copy of Ordinary Time. I've read one chapter so far.
[00:10:13] Annie Jones: That's okay. One chapter of the Florida book or Ordinary Time?
[00:10:17] Ashley: The Florida book. I've already read Ordinary Time more than once.
[00:10:21] Annie Jones: No, the Florida book, do you like it so far?
[00:10:23] Ashley: I do. The first chapter was a doozy. Intro was great. First chapter is at least one of the reasons why there's a trigger warning in the beginning of the book.
[00:10:29] Annie Jones: She writes about Florida really well, and then she also there's, I believe, a chapter on the opioid epidemic, but she's looking at it through the lens, of course, of Florida, but also of her high school classmate and the way their lives have intersected over the years. There's a chapter Maybe about climate change or the natural world, but it incorporates the X-Files. So I feel like she and I are probably close in age, so I think it'll especially be appealing to maybe a millennial reader. But any native Floridian who is sick or gets kind of grouchy about Florida being the butt of people's jokes, I think will appreciate it. But I also just think she's a really great writer, and there were lots of paragraphs that I underlined and I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is so good." So I'm glad. I think you will really like it. I sent a page, I think, to you, and then I sent it to my brother because I think Chet would really like it as well. Okay, and then I wanted to tell you about two summer books, which are probably already on your radar, but I think you might like them. I do not know how they are in audiobook format. One is Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore, and it is like your stereotypical beach read. It's set on the coast of New England, New Hampshire, I believe, to be exact. And it's three sisters, very stereotypical eldest middle, and younger. And they go back to their family beach house the week after July 4th, so it'd be fun to read after July 4th because it's one day of that week, and they're back for their family beach trip, and their dad lets them know he's selling the beach house. And so it's them coming to terms with the death of their mom, the selling of the family home, and all their memories, and then they each are bringing their own kind of drama to the table. It felt like it could be really cheesy, but I loved it. I thought the characters were really well-drawn, and the sister aspect of it was really lovely. So that one is fantastic. And then I want you to read because I want to know your thoughts. So it's less like a full-throttled endorsement and more please read this and report back what you think, and that is The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson. Did you read Pineapple Street? Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson.
[00:12:32] Ashley: I don't think so. I'm getting this name mixed up with that author that came to the bookshelf one time.
[00:12:37] Annie Jones: Jocelyn Jackson. Okay. So Pineapple Street was, like, dysfunctional, rich New York family stuff. This is set in a fictional Greenhead, Massachusetts, but immediately I was like, "Wait a minute." And sure enough it is supposed to be Ipswich. So because you have been there, I think it will especially be interesting to you. I immediately Googled, because I was like, "Greenhead?" And Greenhead is not a real place, but it is based on Ipswich. So all of that felt very familiar. It's about a woman named Caroline who moves to the area to write a book, and she winds up falling in love with this guy and then his group of friends. Erin is reading this right now, and she is loving it. I hated all of these people so viscerally. And Erin she's like "Oh, they're just complicated." And I can tell that either I was just in a grouchy head space, or I do have things that once people are done, I will tell you why I did not like them or the decisions that they made, but it's very readable. You will want to finish it. But it's about this kind of incestuous group of friends where they date each other. And if you've ever been the outside person looking in on a group of friends who are very close-knit and you're the outlier, I think this will resonate. The story is told from all of their different perspectives, so you don't just get the outsider's perspective, you also get the insider's perspective. But there were just a couple moments where I was like, "How old are these people supposed to be?" Because some of their decisions I just was like, " This seems like something you do in your early 20s." It feels like we've aged out of this, but maybe I'm dumb and maybe we haven't aged out of it. But I thought the writing was great, and the setting is wonderful. But I really want you to read it so that I can tell you. I need to talk about these people, so I'm waiting for Erin to finish too. But I think because you also have been to Ipswich, you would really like it.
[00:14:22] Ashley: Plugging myself for another summer reading list. Can you add these to my personalized summer reading list that I still was keeping?
[00:14:26] Annie Jones: Yes, I just finished my summer reading list, so I'm working on yours and our mom's next.
[00:14:30] Ashley: Fantastic. Okay. I've actually read a lot in the past few months. A lot for me. So I'm just going to go down my list. There are a couple of things that I want to talk to you about and really only one of these books did I actually love. I read Brawler by Lauren Groff.
[00:14:46] Annie Jones: Okay. What'd you think? I haven't read it yet.
[00:14:49] Ashley: So I listened to it as I do. So the only physical books that I'm reading right now are Flannery O'Connor short stories and Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox, and then another book that I'm reading for a training. Everything else is audiobook. However, I don't believe short stories are great in audiobook format, I'm learning.
[00:15:08] Annie Jones: I think they're hard, yeah.
[00:15:10] Ashley: Because I also read Fat Swim, which that's short stories too, right?
[00:15:14] Annie Jones: I don't know. I haven't read that one.
[00:15:15] Ashley: If not, I'm dumb and very confused. Because the first one, it started off with a girl named Alice, and then I never saw Alice again after the first chapter.
[00:15:23] Annie Jones: You're right. I'm sure that's an indicator.
[00:15:26] Ashley: I read it, didn't do any research. Brawler was good. I feel not the same way about Brawler and Fat Swim, but probably just because of the way that I consumed them. Yep. But big fan of Lauren Groff always. I read Theo of Golden. Again, audio book.
[00:15:41] Annie Jones: Oh, worth it?
[00:15:43] Ashley: I can see why it's popular. Has your mom read it? She would love it.
[00:15:47] Annie Jones: Yeah. She read it. She liked it. Yeah, she liked it a lot. But I'd even think she wasn't as enamored. She did like it, but I think she reads a lot, and so she was like, "Yeah, this was really good." And then I think she moved on and read the next thing. Whereas, I think a lot of people they love it so much.
[00:16:03] Ashley: It has stuck with a lot of people. I will say I went to a local art museum, ... the Weatherstone museum of Art or something like that, Weatherstone something here in town, and they had one piece where somebody gave a dollar bill to nine different people and took a picture of the dollar bill in each person's hand. And then so that was, like, framed in one picture. And in the next frame over it was the same people and what had happened to the dollar bill in this certain amount of time. And it also had what these people did. Unhoused, barista, businessman. And the unhoused person's got stolen. Somebody else folded it into something like origami. And then other people, it had a picture of what they spent it on, which I just thought was interesting. Maybe a third of them kept the dollar because it was special. They thought it was cute. But most of them spent it on something. And that reminded me of Thief of Golden when I saw it.
[00:17:03] Annie Jones: What a cool concept.
[00:17:04] Ashley: Anyway, other things I've read. The In Between by Hadley Vlahos. She's a nurse. Did I tell you about this already?
[00:17:11] Annie Jones: I don't know.
[00:17:12] Ashley: In Florida. She worked in end-of-life care, hospice, essentially.
[00:17:17] Annie Jones: I think you did talk about this because Jordan is into this.
[00:17:20] Ashley: I'm into this, too.
[00:17:21] Annie Jones: Yeah. Jordan is into this stuff.
[00:17:23] Ashley: This one left a mark on me especially with my experience with both of our grandparents are no longer with us, but it was just about the in between. What happens, like, when you're not fully alive but also not fully passed away yet.
[00:17:37] Annie Jones: It's fascinating. Non-fiction because she worked in that field?
[00:17:39] Ashley: Yeah, it's literally just stories about her patients and how she saw them pass on. Yeah, from a not woo-woo but not completely-- some spiritual but not religious perspective, if that makes sense. That one left a mark on me. I also read Kin by Tayari Jones. Love it. I liked it. I liked it a lot. I think he recommended that to me last time.
[00:18:00] Annie Jones: It's one of my favorites of the year.
[00:18:01] Ashley: And then the last two I wanted to talk about, the one that I loved is Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. Have you read that?
[00:18:11] Annie Jones: Yes, I love that book. It's so good.
[00:18:13] Ashley: It's probably my favorite book of the year so far. It's good. I'm talking about it now, but I thought about it for weeks upon weeks after reading it. And then lastly, I don't think you finished this one, but it's Yesteryear.
[00:18:27] Annie Jones: Oh, I finished it. I read it last September, I think, or October. I do not know if this is true, but I did hear that it changed from the ARC, which rarely happens, and so I want to know if that's true or not. Because frequently an ARC will change spelling errors or punctuation, but like once an ARC has been printed, it's not really time for a whole book revamp. But somebody told me it is different, and I would be curious how. What did you think of that book?
[00:18:56] Ashley: A wild ride, but think it could be true to an extent.
[00:19:02] Annie Jones: I thought it was fine. I thought, I'm fascinated by what takes the world by storm. It feels a little Crawdads-y to me, where I'm like, "Huh, okay. All right." I don't know. I made it my book club book for June because I think it will be fantastic to discuss in a group of people. But I think I was fully invested, and I will be very clear, I finished it very quickly. It was a book that I flew through. But the back half was challenging to me. I felt a little bit like she had a great idea, and then she was like, "I'm not quite sure how to wrap this up, how do we land this plane? Yeah that's what it felt like a little bit to me. I think other critiques I've read have been more thoughtful than my own. I read it in September or October. The Edelweiss catalog said, "Best book of 2026." And so I went in with that level of, "Oh, okay." And I think when you go in with that level of expectation, it's very hard for a book to meet that level. And so I did not agree with that marketing.
[00:20:05] Ashley: But I don't agree with that either. It was my book club book this past month, but I missed, I didn't go.
[00:20:11] Annie Jones: Oh, I was going to ask how the discussion went because I bet that would be fascinating.
[00:20:14] Ashley: I missed it. But I just know they were talking about it in the text thread, and they were all like " I can't wait to talk about this." And everybody was just clutching their pearls, holding onto their hats.
[00:20:23] Annie Jones: It was fascinating because my dad, while we were at the beach, was like, "Hey, have you heard of this book called Yesteryear?" Because he'd seen, I think, the author interviewed in The New York Times. So we were talking about it because the premise is fantastic, and relatively clever, original. I feel like we've seen some stuff like that before. But yeah, I'm just not sure she stuck the landing. And then I think some other critiques I have read have been just about they wished she had leaned into making Natalie, the main character, a little bit more nuanced, particularly as it related to her religiosity. And I think the quote that she has given a couple of times is, " I specifically was vague about that because conservative Judaism, conservative Christianity, Mormonism, they're all the same." That was her quote, and there are similarities, but those are also very different world religions. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. I think I see what she's trying to say. But I've read a few critiques that maybe critique harder than I would have on that. I just struggled to believe some of the back half, I think.
[00:21:23] Ashley: Back half was tough. I have a hard time, and I tend to stay away from stories that have to do with super 2026-type subjects, like influencers, social media, and stuff, because I'm just like, first of all, it'll change tomorrow. And second I just haven't seen it done well very often.
[00:21:42] Annie Jones: Yes. And we're getting a lot of trad wife books, everybody. Like they're coming. And I don't think they've all been great.
[00:21:49] Ashley: But this one, I don't know why the only other one I can think of is called Our Stop, which I read in 2020 because somebody bought it for me. I don't even remember who wrote it. It has a yellow cover with pink writing.
[00:21:59] Annie Jones: I've got it. Laura Williams, I think is her name. I got that one. Of course.
[00:22:03] Ashley: But in terms of influencer writing, I appreciate it. I was interested in a place where I am not normally interested.
[00:22:13] Annie Jones: I think you can tell when someone has a disdain for their characters instead of a curiosity about their characters and sometimes I couldn't quite tell where she landed. Which is fine. I think it depends on what kind of book you want to write. I think she probably was writing a satire, and so maybe it's okay to treat your characters with a little bit of side eye or disdain. I don't know.
[00:22:37] Ashley: Do we know anything about this author? Does she have any connection to influencer or trad wife life?
[00:22:42] Annie Jones: So she's a podcaster, which I did not know. I didn't know anything about her until I had read it, and then I think I posted it to my Annie's Five-Star Reads, and somebody was like, "Oh, she did a critique of Ballerina Farms." And that whole sentence I was like, "what?" But then I did a deep dive. And so I think she had critiqued or maybe when she encountered this trad wife culture, I think this is when maybe she developed the idea to write the book. So that's the only connection I think when except maybe she has podcasted about it. Yeah, I think it'll get people talking, which I love. It's good for books and good for people who sell books, so I'll take it. But I wish you'd gone to your book club because I would love to... listen, and some women in my book club I already know loved this book, so I think it'll be interesting to discuss. I did not fall in the love it category, but did I read it quickly? Yes, absolutely. Was it a quick, compelling read? The first half especially to me.
[00:23:37] Ashley: I'm in agreement, I think.
[00:23:38] Annie Jones: Okay, any other readings?
[00:23:40] Ashley: That's it for now.
[00:23:42] Annie Jones: That was a lot. Good job.
[00:23:43] Ashley: Thank you.
[00:23:44] Annie Jones: That was a lot of reading you've done. Okay, as far as watching, speaking of like a deep dive, we watched The Dark Wizard on HBO, which is this documentary series about a BASE jumper and free solo climber. We thought it was really well done, and then I read a book about cave diving. Then we watched another BASE jumping documentary on Disney. We went down a little rabbit trail, but I do think The Dark Wizard is worth a watch. But really, I want to know, are you watching/have you watched Off Campus?
[00:24:15] Ashley: Wait, what is Off Campus?
[00:24:18] Annie Jones: It is this hockey show on Amazon.
[00:24:22] Ashley: I haven't.
[00:24:23] Annie Jones: Okay. I assume it's going to scratch the heated rivalry itch for a lot of people. I am on episode six as of this recording. I will be honest I started it because I kept seeing our friend Kimberly post about it And how she wanted to be watching it. And so I was like let me get on that. And so I started watching it while I was cleaning the house, and at first, because I was like half watching it, and I was like, man, there is so much music. And it felt like Dawson's Creek or that spring break episode of Gilmore Girls where there's a band. And it just felt so music-heavy that I was like, does anything ever happen to these people? I felt like an old lady. I was like, "Where's the plot?" But it does get there, and the characters have chemistry. I see why people are vibing with this show. I don't think it will quite hit the popularity of Heated Rivalry, but I think it'll be like Summer I Turned Pretty status. That's what I think. It's about a hockey player guy, and of course, he needs to pass his grades or something. And then the girl is going to lose her scholarship if she doesn't stop writing classical music and write a pop song. The you know the kind of show I'm describing.
[00:25:31] Ashley: I know.
[00:25:31] Annie Jones: It's based on a book. People are going to be offended at my description. It was very enjoyable. I'm on episode six. I'm having a good time. But I think the underlying premise is not really the point is what I'm trying to say. The point is the chemistry between these two characters and lots of fun side characters. There's a great best friend character. The hockey team is really fun. I am so sorry that I'm not going to know his name, but you watched The Pit, right?
[00:25:56] Ashley: Not yet.
[00:25:58] Annie Jones: You didn't watch The Pit? Okay. Never mind.
[00:26:00] Ashley: No. The human body is a disgusting place.
[00:26:02] Annie Jones: Never mind then. But there's an actor from The Pit who plays a pretty prominent role in a Thanksgiving episode of this show. Why this show released now, I have no idea. It is like we have given up seasonality to our television because Jordan and I just finished Rooster, which is excellent. I say it's excellent. It's good. It's fun. I think there are some meandering plot points, but there was, like, a Christmas episode, and it's April. And I was like, " what are we doing?" " I miss caring about seasons. Like it feels like we've let climate change go so far as to affect our television.
[00:26:35] Ashley: Oh, why would you say that? That's terrible.
[00:26:38] Annie Jones: It feels true. Heated Rivalry very much feels like they're on a college campus. There was just a Thanksgiving episode, and I'm watching it in May. Why? Guys, what have we done wrong? Anyway because we don't want to wait until Thanksgiving to watch. I think that's what it is. I think that's what it is. It sucks, but go watch it. I think The Bookshelf staff is very invested. I'm pretty sure Kyndall and Keila both have gone down this rabbit hole, rabbit trail, whatever the phrase is. I like it. It's cute. Off Campus.
[00:27:03] Ashley: I've heard of it. I need a new show.
[00:27:05] Annie Jones: Can I just say the other thing? The main girl's hair is the Rachel, and I guess we're just going full in. I guess we're just going all in because it is so very clearly like a top, like bob, and then feathered outie. It is so the Rachel.
[00:27:21] Ashley: But is it modern-day, like 2020s?
[00:27:23] Annie Jones: Yeah, man. That's what I mean. I think it's here. Put your overalls on, your Doc Martens, and feather out your hair. I think we're doing it. I think we're going all in.
[00:27:31] Ashley: That's a whole other conversation I'm not ready to have. Okay, I'm not actually watching that much these days. I can't even remember if I finished Company Retreat.
[00:27:44] Annie Jones: I did not. We didn't even start it.
[00:27:46] Ashley: It was a cringe fest. I think there were funny parts, but I think the overall vibe felt like Scott's Tots. I think it was a good show, but more cringe than funny. And then I also have not finished Love Story.
[00:28:02] Annie Jones: I didn't finish it either. I think once I already know how it ends, and so I'm like I don't need that episode. I think I'm fine. I lived that episode.
[00:28:09] Ashley: Did I live that episode?
[00:28:11] Annie Jones: When you were six.
[00:28:12] Ashley: Okay. I don't know about that. I've enjoyed Love Story. I have problems with both of the main actors. I don't know either of their names, but the way JFK Jr. says Carolyn. Normally I love a New England accent. My favorite accent. But the way he goes, "Carolyn, drives me up the wall." Can't stand it. My least favorite part about him. And then Carolyn needs a hair mask, and I believe that's just because of her character needs a hair mask. Like you got to tame that frizz, trim those dead ends. But also, I need her to stop biting her lip. She bites her lip so much that I made a drinking game and I finished my drink. It is so annoying to me, and I don't know if she needed direction, if she was given direction to bite her lip, or if that is something that Carolyn actually did.
[00:29:08] Annie Jones: Did Carolyn Bessette bite her lip? I don't know.
[00:29:10] Ashley: But no matter which of those it was, I hate it.
[00:29:13] Annie Jones: Too much for you.
[00:29:15] Ashley: Too much for me. Stop biting the lip.
[00:29:18] Annie Jones: Are those the reasons you did not continue with the show?
[00:29:21] Ashley: No. The reasons I haven't continued are just because I have not sat down to watch it.
[00:29:26] Annie Jones: You've been reading a lot of books and watching a lot of sports. That's what it sounds like to me.
[00:29:29] Ashley: Yeah. Exactly. And the third thing I'll tell you about, which I think I probably have already said on this podcast, but I wanted to have something besides a show. So I'm watching my shark Swim Shady on the Fahlo app. You buy a bracelet for $15, and then you get to track an endangered species for as long as their little pinger is attached to their body, and mine has been attached for two years at least. He swims back and forth between Florida and North Carolina, which I think is so cute, and I did not do on purpose. You don't get to pick who the animal is. You can pick the species. I bought my mom a sea turtle.
[00:30:04] Annie Jones: Aw, that's fun.
[00:30:05] Ashley: You could get a manatee.
[00:30:07] Annie Jones: Maybe I should get a manatee. Do you like Carley Fortune, the rom-com writer? Have you read her?
[00:30:12] Ashley: Yes, I have. What does she write?
[00:30:14] Annie Jones: She did one on Prince Edward Island, One Golden Summer something. So she has a new book called Our Perfect Storm. I could give or take; however, there is a whale plot line that I think you would be very interested in, and then at the end, in the author's note, there's this-- I do think Carley Fortune writes places really well, and she was writing about Tofino, which is an island, I think, off the coast of British Columbia, and she was talking about these whales called right whales. I had not heard of these. And so how they are endangered, and she... Anyway, I think you would find that part really interesting.
[00:30:48] Ashley: Put it on my reading list, my summer reading list.
[00:30:50] Annie Jones: Yeah, I'll add it. Okay. I am listening to an audiobook called The Foursome, and this is by Christina Baker Kline, and it's about Chang and Eng, the twins who were connected like in the 1800s. And they married two sisters from North Carolina. And I had no idea. I knew about Chang and Eng, but I did not know about their marriages. And so this is a book told from the perspective of one of the wives. Fiction, but I think Christina Baker Kline maybe can trace her ancestry through those women. And it's a great audiobook listen, and I'm really liking it. I think it's so fascinating. So anyway, I'm listening to that. And then I tell you what, I can't stop listening to the Mumford & Sons album, and I can't stop listening to the Noah Kahan album. And I think Olivia Rodrigo is about to have an album that I'm sure I will become temporarily obsessed with, but as of this recording, it is not yet out, so it's Noah Kahan and Mumford & Sons for me right now.
[00:31:48] Ashley: Porch Light by Noah Kahan was on my list. And while the first four songs of Prize Fighter by Mumford & Sons were my favorites initially, I have now become obsessed with Begin Again. And then I'll also add I'm less obsessed with this song, but it's more just like a fun little thing to have on. It's called Sleepyhead by Young and Sick and I found it because of the Artemis 2 morning wake-up song.
[00:32:13] Annie Jones: Oh, fun, fun, fun. Mumford & Sons, I feel like really part of it is when the first half of an album upon your first listen is so good, you just wind up re-- You're only in the car so much, do you know what I mean? So unless you're starting in the middle, you just hear those same four over and over again. But I also have made my way now to the back half of the album, and I like the song Stay. I really like it. What's very fun is Isaac loves Mumford & Sons. If he is upset after swim lessons or something, I just turn on Prize Fighter and he calms down. Which is cute.
[00:32:44] Ashley: Does he have a favorite song?
[00:32:46] Annie Jones: I don't want to jinx it because I do feel superstitious. But if he is upset, if I start playing the first song on the album, he will calm down.
[00:32:53] Ashley: That is crazy. What if he grows up to play the banjo or something?
[00:32:56] Annie Jones: I'd love it. I'd love it. As long as he's not annoying about it, I'd love it. As long as he's a competent banjo player who doesn't pull it out at parties like Andy Bernard or something.
[00:33:08] Ashley: Yeah, but I want him to pull it out at parties.
[00:33:11] Annie Jones: Only if asked. He'll pull it out if asked, but not unprompted.
[00:33:14] Ashley: He'll be able to read a room.
[00:33:16] Annie Jones: Yeah, that's what we want. That's what we want out of him. What am I buying right now? House stuff. I'm just trying to make this house a home. When you have lived in an old house for more than five years, I have decided you either need to move or you're going to have to do some stuff. And we're not moving because we can't, so we are doing stuff. And we're finishing the fence in our backyard. I bought a kitchen island Jordan and I put together. Some of it's cosmetic, yeah, I need a new rug, and some of it is this fence is falling apart. We've got to replace it. Oh, no, our grass is dead. We have to sod. It's just a lot of grown-up stuff that I know will be worth it, but it is not my favorite way to spend exorbitant amounts of money. And I don't know if you've heard, but supplies are really expensive right now. I don't know if that's made its way to you..
[00:34:05] Ashley: I almost wrote down gas. I think that's what I'm spending my money on, is gas.
[00:34:12] Annie Jones: I drive the world's tiniest little Subaru. Forester, that's what I drive. I don't know. Is that too much information? Will someone steal my identity now? I'm not sure. I drive a Subaru Forester, and it cost me $60 to fill up with gas the other day, and I was like... guys, we can't. What are we doing?
[00:34:30] Ashley: It's awful. It's so bad. I hate that I am this way, but every time I spend money on gas, I'm like, I could've bought all of, this, and this for the same amount of money and been so much happier.
[00:34:39] Annie Jones: Ten Dunkin' Refreshers.
[00:34:40] Ashley: I work from home, and I spent $55 on gas.
[00:34:46] Annie Jones: Yeah. It's just a bummer, and it is a bummer this time of year. We're talking about going to Texas for July 4th, and it's either, right at this moment, a $500 plane ticket per person to go to Dallas. No offense to Dallas, but no. Or it's a 13-hour drive with a baby. And probably $500 worth of gas. I'm going to be real with you those are going to look comparable in a minute.
[00:35:12] Ashley: There's no good way. Somebody's going to invent teleportation, and maybe that'll cost $5. But I'm not even going to tell you how much I spent on my no-stop flight to LaGuardia from Greensboro. It's embarrassing. I should not have spent that much money. But I did want to tell you, I'm buying cotton candy grapes, washed and then frozen. Frozen cotton candy grapes.
[00:35:31] Annie Jones: They're your summer treat.
[00:35:32] Ashley: Forever. Also, I have not been drinking enough water these days, so I have bought cucumbers and lemons to put in the water, but also I'm putting in regular water coconut water. it has electrolytes. And coconut water by itself is gross, but cut with regular water and cucumbers and lemons, doable. And then I just wanted to plug that I have been buying softball equipment that I can talk about. It's less about the buying of the equipment and more about what the buying of the equipment has allowed me to do. 2025 was the year of fantasy football. 2026 was the year of my Parks and Rec softball team.
[00:36:08] Annie Jones: That's so fun.
[00:36:10] Ashley: Highlight of the year. The season is over. We celebrated last night. I have a bobblehead that says Coach.
[00:36:18] Annie Jones: That's so good.
[00:36:19] Ashley: Because I started this team. Look, you don't have to start a softball team, but buy the Mahjong or whatever, the pickleball.
[00:36:25] Annie Jones: Yeah, do something.
[00:36:26] Ashley: Do something on a team with people. It's so fun.
[00:36:29] Annie Jones: Yeah, do something with people. Two introverts are even telling you it's fun. You can do it.
[00:36:33] Ashley: Worth it.
[00:36:34] Annie Jones: Okay. This has been delightful. Happy summer, everybody. Thank you, Ashley, for being here. I will see you in real life soon, but I'll see you on the podcast this fall.
[00:36:41] Ashley: I'll see you when I see you. Nice knowing you. Somebody's done recording.
[00:36:51] Annie Jones: This week I'm reading Fair Ones by Lydia Millet. Ashley, what are you reading?
[00:36:56] Ashley: I'm reading Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox
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:
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, Gene Queens, Beth, Jammie Treadwell…
Executive Producers (Read Their Own Names): Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins
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