Episode 599 || Off the Shelf with Annie & Ashley: Fall 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 599) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
Annie reading:
● Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson (October 6th, 2026)
● American Nightmare by Kelly McWilliams
● See You Next Tuesday by Kate Staymon-London
Ashley reading:
● The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
● Whistler by Ann Patchett
● The Land and Its People by David Sedaris
● Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Snapson
Annie watching:
● Sterling Point
● Not Suitable for Work
● Ted Lasso
● One Night Only
● The Devil Wears Prada 2
Ashley watching:
● Voicemails for Isabelle
Annie listening to:
● The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
● Gracie Abrams
● Olivia Rodrigo
● Noah Kahan
Ashley listening to:
● This Music May Contain Hope by Raye
● Monthly playlists
● Feel Good Piano
Annie buying:
● Football decor
Ashley buying:
● Writech pens
● Stickers
● Lunch at The Lost Kitchen
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 listening to The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. Ashley is reading Persuasion by Jane Austen.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are...Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, Gene Queens and Wendi Jenkins.
Transcript:
[00:00:00] Annie Jones: Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business, and life in the South. [music plays out]
“Authors were the people wandering down imaginary roads, and we were the ones watching, drawing attention to the artifice. Critics could be astute, respected, but almost never were we loved.”
-Rioghnach Robinson, Bad Words.
[as music fades out]
[00:00:43] I'm Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia, and this week I'm chatting autumnal " 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 McClendon 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 friends and family into joining us too. To join Patreon, just visit patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. Three tiers are available. The $5 a month tier will give you access to those Conquer a Classic episodes, including a full back catalog of episodes, and our monthly Porch Visit Q&A sessions. The $20 a month tier will give you those ad-free episodes of From the Front Porch, plus a deep dive into some of Flannery O'Connor's other works. We are on the cusp of announcing our 2027 Conquer a Classic selection, so now would be a great time to join in on the fun. We hope you'll join us. Now, back to the show. Hi, Ashley.
[00:01:57] Ashley: Hello to you. How's it going?
[00:01:59] Annie Jones: Welcome back. We're here to talk fall things. I'm not going to lie to the people, we are recording this in-- now, I won't speak for North Carolina. You guys are doing your own thing up there. But down here it is still Satan's breath. And so we're going to talk about fall things, but fall does feel slightly far off for me, a South Georgia resident. How about you?
[00:02:22] Ashley: If it makes you feel any better, it is 90 degrees here on August whatever in North Carolina. But I will say, I just got back from 10 days in New England, and the day I left it was 59 degrees.
[00:02:34] Annie Jones: Yeah. We have friends visiting from there this week, and I've got to tell you, I think they are in for a rude awakening. I'm genuinely concerned for their health.
[00:02:40] Ashley: They're going to have a hard time.
[00:02:42] Annie Jones: They were talking about walking around downtown and I thought, "I'm not sure you're going to want to do that."
[00:02:48] Ashley: And that's something that they're going to have to learn on their own.
[00:02:50] Annie Jones: Yes. He's never been south of...
[00:02:54] Ashley: Tennessee, I think.
[00:02:55] Annie Jones: Yeah, that's right. I don't think he's been south of Tennessee, and I just want to be like, "Oh, it's a different world down here."
[00:03:00] Ashley: It's so different. I was visiting friends when I was in New England, and one of them was talking about how hot it had been, because it was not a cold spell, it was back to normal. And she was like, " We had a heat wave come through." And I was like, "I'm going to stop you right there."
[00:03:13] Annie Jones: Yeah.
[00:03:14] Ashley: You can't say one single word.
[00:03:16] Annie Jones: The only way they have us beat is their air conditioning units are crap. They-
[00:03:21] Ashley: She has a window unit.
[00:03:22] Annie Jones: Window units? What?
[00:03:24] Ashley: And also I learned that a Maine winter lasts from October to June, so for those reasons I'm out.
[00:03:31] Annie Jones: So that's out for you. Yeah.
[00:03:32] Ashley: No, thank you.
[00:03:32] Annie Jones: I talk a big talk, but that would be a very long winter. I love winter, but...
[00:03:36] Ashley: I would take 90 degrees.
[00:03:37] Annie Jones: Yeah. I am torn, but the devil you know, probably. That's two Satan references. What if it was a drinking game? That's two devil references, sorry.
[00:03:47] Ashley: Two minutes into this. We're doing great.
[00:03:49] Annie Jones: So sorry. So we are going to talk about autumnal things. I am curious, we all know I know, and people maybe who have been listening for a long time know you're a summer girly. I used to be a fall girly. I don't know anymore. The Bookshelf kind of has broken the things I thought I knew about myself. But what are you looking forward to for fall? How are you feeling going into the season? What's the vibe?
[00:04:11] Ashley: Okay, I do love summer. There are some swimming pools that I have not gotten to yet this season that I still hope to have time for in the coming weeks. I'm getting a little bit nervous because September is right around the corner, and that does matter in North Carolina. However, I went on a walk today at a park, and the tops of some trees were turning red, and my heart did skip a beat, and I had to be like, "No, it's not time yet." I will be excited when it's time, but it is still summer right now.
[00:04:40] Annie Jones: When do you think it's time? Forget temperatures because, again, North Carolina, you will get an actual fall sooner than I will. But, like, when in your heart is it fall? Is it autumn?
[00:04:53] Ashley: October.
[00:04:54] Annie Jones: Okay. Jeff Zentner, do you follow him? He came to the reader retreat a couple years ago. He's an author.
[00:04:59] Ashley: Yeah.
[00:05:00] Annie Jones: But he posted the other day, and I forget he does this, I always save it because I think it's very clever. He celebrates hotumn. H-O-T-U-M-N.
[00:05:10] Ashley: Love it.
[00:05:10] Annie Jones: And for him, that starts in August.
[00:05:13] Ashley: Okay.
[00:05:13] Annie Jones: So for me, I'm with you. It will be, like, smack dab middle of fall to me in October, but I will begin, in my heart, Labor Day weekend is the... even though down here, that is not at all, Labor Day doesn't mean anything. But in my heart, I will move to fall. I will decorate the house for fall. I don't even know what that would look like, but I will try to do autumnal things. That is when it starts for me. But I don't do my fall day of fun until October.
[00:05:41] Ashley: That Labor Day weekend was my other answer. That makes sense. I accept it. I will not accept it right now. Please do not come at me with, "Fall is around the corner." No, thank you.
[00:05:49] Annie Jones: I also don't like that. I love autumn, but the real issue is school starting. But I don't want to go into Target right now-- this is me, as for me in my house again, other people, do you. But I don't want to go to Target and see Halloween stuff right now. I need a minute. Give me a second. Just give me a second. But for Kiela at the Bookshelf, for my sister-in-law, my sister-in-law, we were up there a few weeks ago, and she gave me and Isaac Halloween PJs, because she was like, "It's spooky season." Because for her spooky season starts on August 1st. And I was like "Wow, you know what? Honestly good for you guys." During the pandemic, I do think I started decorating for fall pretty early. But I'm trying to be the kind of person who enjoys summer for what it is because summer lasts so long here. I'm trying to go to the beach. Sitting by the pool is hard to do in August, I'm not going to lie to you. It's hot. I walked outside today and I thought, "Oh, my skin feels like it's on a skillet." I feel like I'm being cooked. I feel like an egg.
[00:06:43] Ashley: Cooked by Satan?
[00:06:44] Annie Jones: Yes, third reference. Anyway, okay, Labor Day, October, what are you looking forward to?
[00:06:50] Ashley: Ooh, I haven't even thought about it yet. I don't know. I loved the temperatures when I was in New England, so I guess still being outside. I'll be sad to not be able to lay in the sun, because that's one of my favorite parts about summer. I still feel like I'm learning how to do a North Carolina fall. I feel like last fall was my first real fall. Okay. I don't remember where I was in 2024. You
[00:07:13] Annie Jones: You were at the apple orchard with me, but I won't take offense.
[00:07:17] Ashley: Oh, that's right. And last year let's make this a drinking game too, just across episodes, I had my appendix taken out in August and was on bed rest through September. So I feel like that doesn't count. So I'm still just learning how a real fall happens.
[00:07:33] Annie Jones: Yeah, especially where you are. Like, you're still adjusting to that.
[00:07:37] Ashley: Yeah.
[00:07:38] Annie Jones: I, for one, am very much looking forward to I split season tickets to FSU games with your sister.
[00:07:46] Ashley: Nice.
[00:07:46] Annie Jones: And I was really hesitant to do that. It wasn't cheap, but because we're splitting, it felt attainable. And honestly, I don't need season tickets because I don't have a life where season tickets to anything makes any sense at all. I get my season tickets to TEF, and even that, I think I'm going to have to miss one of the performances. Anyway.
[00:08:05] Ashley: Sad.
[00:08:06] Annie Jones: I know. My point is this actually worked out great because it got me three games, and I picked my three games, and there's one in September, one in October, one in November. And I bought a new FSU shirt from Picked. They are not sponsoring this, but Picked, if you're listening, I love you guys and I buy a lot of stuff from you. Picked TLH, which is this FSU vintage store. So I got a new shirt. I think I'm going to splurge. Tell me if I should do this. I think I'm going to splurge on a nice clear purse that's made by this leather goods store in Atlanta. And so it could be my clear purse that I use for concerts. I've got a Mumford and Sons concert coming up this fall, those three different games. And it's made by a women's small business. They make the bags.
[00:08:49] Ashley: Okay, I would like to see a picture of that. And also, did you know I'm going to see Mumford and Sons too?
[00:08:54] Annie Jones: Yes. I think you're going the week before me maybe.
[00:08:57] Ashley: Yeah.
[00:08:57] Annie Jones: Really what I want to know is if you're going to go see John Green.
[00:09:01] Ashley: I can't. That's Reader Retreat weekend. So your welcome.
[00:09:06] Annie Jones: You're right, that is a big sacrifice. I am annoyed because he's coming to Gainesville and so I was like, "Great, I'll go see him like Lauren Groff."
[00:09:12] Ashley: Yeah.
[00:09:12] Annie Jones: You could maybe go see him if you stayed post-Reader Retreat because he's coming September 29th to Gainesville, but I will be at Mumford & Sons in Birmingham.
[00:09:21] Ashley: My word. Everything is overlapping. Okay, I also have other things that I'm looking forward to that I thought of.
[00:09:25] Annie Jones: See, I knew.
[00:09:26] Ashley: Okay. While you were talking. Number one, my birthday, hello, is in October.
[00:09:30] Annie Jones: Your Jesus year.
[00:09:31] Ashley: My Jesus year, 33. Yep. I hope it turns out better for me than him. And I'm starting school, so i'm looking forward to maybe some back to school supplies.
[00:09:40] Annie Jones: I wondered if you were going to talk about that. To me, this is a true autumnal experience. You're going back to school, baby.
[00:09:45] Ashley: I can't believe it. I have no idea what my back to school supplies will be because it is a hybrid situation, so I will be doing a lot of online work, but that doesn't mean I can't get new pens and notebooks and stuff.
[00:09:56] Annie Jones: You need a new notebook.
[00:09:57] Ashley: I really want a new backpack because the zipper broke on my Kind bag.
[00:10:01] Annie Jones: That's sad.
[00:10:03] Ashley: So if you or anybody else have any recommendations, I'm open. And then David Sedaris is coming to Greensboro-
[00:10:09] Annie Jones: I saw that.
[00:10:10] Ashley: I believe in October.
[00:10:11] Annie Jones: You should definitely get tickets to that
[00:10:13] Ashley: Pretty sure I'll be going to that.
[00:10:14] Annie Jones: Yes. That's the thing. When I was looking at the calendar, I thought, "Okay, Mumford & Sons end of September. We've got three FSU football games. Even if they're crappy, it's three games. Jordan and I get to go together. My parents are going to take care of Isaac." We might try to bring Isaac to a game. I honestly have not decided that yet. But anyway, it feels like built-in date nights. There's a couple fall movies coming out I'm excited about. And you just did around the world in 80 days, except it was just New England. But we are going in October to Connecticut to visit Athena Books. I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. And so if you're listening and you live in and around Greenwich, Connecticut, which is very close to New York-- i've figured out a lot about New England geography in the last couple weeks. But Jordan and I are going to come, and we're going to make a little trip of that. Not too long, because again, want to be cognizant of the baby we have made. The baby that now exists. But we are going to come. We're going to do a book event. Oh my gosh, and I forgot to tell you this, and then do you know Erin Carlson? She's the author of I'll Have What She's Having, which was a book about Nora Ephron. Okay, and she wrote a book about there's No Crying in Baseball. What is the name of that movie? There's No Crying in Baseball.
[00:11:22] Ashley: People are yelling it.
[00:11:23] Annie Jones: They're yelling it at me. What is it called? It's a movie. There's No Crying in Baseball. Tom Hanks. Oh, no. Great. A League of Their Own. Don't worry, everybody. We got it. That's literally what I named my fantasy league.
[00:11:37] Ashley: Our actual fantasy football league
[00:11:39] Annie Jones: Literally what we named fantasy football. Anyway, A League of Their Own. The fantasy league is called A League of Her Own, big difference. Anyway, Erin Carlson is doing a class on Zoom about Nora Ephron, and she's invited me to be her guest speaker in October. And there's another guest that I will tell you about off-air, because I'm actually not sure Erin announced it. Nobody freak out, it's not Meg Ryan. But it is so close. And so I meaning there is a connection to the movie, and she will be on screen. And it's not the ghost of Nora either. Nobody panic. But anyway, so I'm going to be doing that too. So I've got two really cool things in October from an author perspective. I get to go to Connecticut and hopefully meet with a new round of readers of Ordinary Time, and then I cannot believe that all these years... I read Erin Carlson's book years ago. And so the fact that she reached out to me... it's the night before the Athena Books event, and I was like, "I'll do it from my hotel room. I'll do whatever it takes. I'll do whatever it takes." So anyway, travel is important to me and travel in this new season of life has been challenging. And making the time for it and then traveling with a baby is different from traveling without a baby. So I hope I'm not setting myself up. Hope my hopes aren't too high, but I'm very much looking forward to, I think, three nights up in Connecticut when the leaves should be pretty primo. Do you have travel plans? I know you're going to see Mumford.
[00:13:02] Ashley: Mumford will be in Virginia. Then Reader Retreat. Then I don't know, because school, hello?
[00:13:11] Annie Jones: School, hello. Listen, you're right. And that is the most important thing on your list, and it is fun. I think you're going to have a great time.
[00:13:17] Ashley: It'll be good. That's partly why I did so much traveling this summer because I'm expecting to not have a lot of time starting in September. But I still don't think I've ever been to New York in the fall, and I don't know that this is the year for that. But yeah, I don't know any travel plans. There's probably some on my calendar, but I was going to ask if you were going to go to New York while you were in Connecticut, and then maybe I could scoot on up there and meet you there.
[00:13:39] Annie Jones: I haven't decided. It's a quick train ride. So I haven't decided if we're going to try to do New York, because I also, in all my years, never been to New York in the fall, and I would love to change that. And we had a great time in New York in May, but never forget it rained the entire time I was there. Like from the moment we landed to the moment we left. This is what I mean. We've had some real travel snafus in this season. Not snafus. They're regular travel issues that would happen to anyone. But when your travel is no longer as plentiful as it once was, you're all of a sudden real protective of wait a minute, did it have to rain every day? Or wait a minute. I was in Santa Rosa Beach this past weekend, and we got in the car and Jordan goes, "Have you ever in all of your beach-going years ever gone to the beach and not touched the beach?" And I said, "Never in my life." But we were in Santa Rosa and I never touched sand, never saw waves. I won't go into it here, I don't even know the word, but it was one minor catastrophe after another. And I ate good seafood, but I did not touch sand the whole time. And so I thought, "Soon something's going to have to give." Soon one of my trips needs to go according to plan. It was bizarre.
[00:14:45] Ashley: I feel like we can handle a lot, but taking a trip to the beach and not going to the beach would have done me in.
[00:14:52] Annie Jones: August and not even seeing the ocean. I did get to go to Sundog Books, so that was helpful.
[00:14:56] Ashley: That's something. And the beach is right there, so you heard the waves, maybe.
[00:14:58] Annie Jones: Yeah, maybe. I don't know. Have you been to Seaside lately?
[00:15:01] Ashley: Yeah, I went last summer. It's terrible. It's not for me.
[00:15:06] Annie Jones: Listen, all due respect to you 30A folks. And hear me now, don't y'all come for the Forgotten Coast. Y'all leave it alone.
[00:15:12] Ashley: That's enough. Say no more.
[00:15:14] Annie Jones: Leave it alone.
[00:15:15] Ashley: Don't worry about it. May it stay forgotten forever.
[00:15:17] Annie Jones: That's what I said when we got back. I said, "May the Forgotten Coast never be remembered." You guys enjoy Rosemary, it's beautiful. Enjoy Seaside.
[00:15:24] Ashley: Yeah, Seaside Beach is Great.
[00:15:26] Annie Jones: That water's beautiful.
[00:15:27] Ashley: Enjoy.
[00:15:29] Annie Jones: Enjoy it. We'll take our sweet tea colored water any day. Okay. Listen, we do need to focus, but I do just want to see-- I think I know because of your record from last year, but we are doing fantasy football again this year. That is one of the things I'm looking forward to. Our fantasy chat started blowing up with things to buy. And somebody, I think it was Kimberly, sent us the link to Michael's, had all this stuff for football. And at first I thought, "I don't know that's for me," and then I thought, "Wait a minute. Yes, let's lean into fun. Let's lean into whimsy. Let's lean into slightly tacky." And so I bought a ton of ribbons, including football, like it's brown and white, looks like a football ribbon. And I did not do this myself, I did send it to my mom, but she attached the ribbon to a wreath and it looks beautiful. And I bought a chalkboard. My friend Betsy inspired me. I bought a chalkboard where we're going to record what games to watch that weekend. So our league is called A League of Her Own. And each team has a literary inspired name. And the joy I got. I wasn't going to change my name. I thought, "I'll just leave it." I asked Jordan, I said, "In your previous fantasy leagues, do you change your name?" And he said, "Yeah, most people change it every year." So I was like, let me just-- and then I thought as league commissioner, I should change my name just to give people the go ahead if they wanted to change their name.
[00:16:45] Ashley: Yeah.
[00:16:45] Annie Jones: So I was like, as Commish, I will change my name. So my last year team name was Where the Sideline Ends.
[00:16:54] Ashley: Great name.
[00:16:55] Annie Jones: It was a good name. And listen, I'm very happy with where I ended last year, especially considering the catastrophe that was Joe Burrow. But this year my team name is Lord of the Fly Routes. And I'm so proud of it. Jordan was relaying this to somebody the other day, and he was like, "She called me at work." Which I'm normally calling Jordan at work not in an emergency, but an urgent need. I don't really ever call Jordan at work. And I called him because I was like, " I need your in time, in real time reaction," and it could not wait until he got home. Lord of the Fly Routes, I feel good about it.
[00:17:24] Ashley: Okay. See, I have a name in mind. I'm not going to tell you because I'm not sold on it yet.
[00:17:30] Annie Jones: Okay.
[00:17:30] Ashley: It's a reference to a book that I didn't love. I think it could be really good. I don't know. I want to change my name. My previous name is the Touchback of Notre Dame.
[00:17:41] Annie Jones: Also great.
[00:17:42] Ashley: Also great. But I think I can do better, and I think I have done better, but I'm still mulling it over. And I want to remove everyone on the team from my close friends list on Instagram, and crowdsource from everybody else.
[00:17:56] Annie Jones: When you decide, please FaceTime me so I can give in real life reaction. Because that's the best part. Getting to hear Jordan's in real time reaction, and then I texted my brother, and it was great. Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to League of Our Own. I'm looking forward to the league newsletter that I write.
[00:18:13] Ashley: Because you don't have enough things going on. I'm also looking forward to it. I went to church camp. That was one of the things I did in New England. And I helped do their nightly skits. But I was also a team leader. I was the leader of Team Orange. Did not expect to get so into it but boy howdy did I get into it.
[00:18:30] Annie Jones: Have you met you?
[00:18:32] Ashley: I don't do Halloween, and I previously have not enjoyed summer camp.
[00:18:36] Annie Jones: Yeah, but now you're a grown-up.
[00:18:38] Ashley: Now I'm a grown-up.
[00:18:38] Annie Jones: You're not a teenager doing summer camp.
[00:18:41] Ashley: It's true. And I was in charge. I got to dress up in orange, which is a terrible color, but I did it anyway. My team won. It's fine. I'm going to be humble about it. But that has given me some energy to bring into fantasy football.
[00:18:55] Annie Jones: Yes, that's what you need.
[00:18:57] Ashley: And so I still want to be a gracious winner. If you recall, I did win last season.
[00:19:02] Annie Jones: Ashley did win. Though it was hilarious because you were with another league member a couple weeks ago? Last week? I don't know.
[00:19:09] Ashley: Last week.
[00:19:10] Annie Jones: It was in the group chat, and Christine, who's in our league, was like, "I just met with Ashley, and these are the tips I got for winning fantasy." Draft Kirk Cousins, which is a true thing Ashley Sherlock did last year. Don't watch any games.
[00:19:22] Ashley: I dropped him immediately.
[00:19:25] Annie Jones: Don't watch any games, which was mostly true of Ashley Sherlock last year. And there was one other tip, and it was hilarious. Megan's who's coming for you, our friend Megan is who's coming for you. I, there's a
[00:19:35] Ashley: There's large target on my back, but I'm excited to get even more into it this year than I did last year. I have plans for draft night. I have some yarn sitting idly.
[00:19:44] Annie Jones: I would like to do Zoom on draft night. Do you think that makes sense? Would you like to do that?
[00:19:47] Ashley: Yes, that's what I was planning on.
[00:19:49] Annie Jones: Okay, I think we're going to Zoom for draft night. I'm also trying to decide, I got to get my crochet jersey out. One of my many internet tabs, I have an Abercrombie & Fitch. They do a lot of NFL merch, surprisingly. And so I have some Bengals shirts, but I'm afraid to buy Bengals stuff in case somebody else- I do think you are at high risk for this, and somebody else is at high risk for drafting Joe Burrow just because. And so I'm like, "I don't want to buy a Bengals shirt in case somebody else drafts Joe Burrow." It's risky to draft Joe Burrow anyway, because, again, turf toe. I'm not sure he's actually great.
[00:20:20] Ashley: I'm all to go ahead and tell you I'm not going to draft Joe Burrow.
[00:20:22] Annie Jones: Okay, great. Great. Sorry, we're just talking about fantasy football. We haven't even talked about books. But anyway, I'm a little nervous because you do feel... I don't know if you do, but surely you do because you won. I do feel like a slight loyalty to the people that I picked, that I drafted last year. And it's not just loyalty, it's like I'm old and I can only remember so much. I'm getting older, and I feel like I know my... you spend weeks with these players, and you're like, "Oh, Christian McCaffrey is my player." So it'll be interesting to see, can I block that this year?
[00:20:51] Ashley: This will frustrate you and everybody else on the team, but you are giving me way too much credit because I couldn't tell you a single player that I had.
[00:20:57] Annie Jones: That that's right because you didn't watch any games.
[00:20:59] Ashley: I had Patrick Mahomes, right?
[00:21:01] Annie Jones: You did, and he got injured at the very end. It didn't matter. It didn't matter because you were done
[00:21:04] Ashley: It was front-loaded baby.
[00:21:06] Annie Jones: Yeah, that's right. So I don't know. It'll just be interesting. But Jordan did bring me home a magazine that was fantasy football. It was like a fun little prize, and so I've been reading through it, and there was an article that was like how to make your fantasy league fun. And I was reading the tips, and I don't even remember what they were, but I want you to know I had already done them all. And I thought, "Okay, great."
[00:21:26] Ashley: Yeah, it's already fun.
[00:21:27] Annie Jones: It's already fun.
[00:21:28] Ashley: You're doing a good job.
[00:21:29] Annie Jones: We're doing great. Mark your calendars because you do travel a lot, but the Super Bowl is on Valentine's Day this year.
[00:21:34] Ashley: That's so dumb.
[00:21:35] Annie Jones: It is so dumb. But let me tell you who did that.
[00:21:37] Ashley: Better Super Bowl party then Valentine's Day.
[00:21:40] Annie Jones: Yes. Amen. But also a man did that. That's stupid. I told Jordan, "We only have so many holidays." Super Bowl is normally close to my birthday.
[00:21:50] Ashley: Yeah.
[00:21:51] Annie Jones: It does not make any sense to have it on Valentine's Day. I think that's dumb. I think it is stupid.
[00:21:54] Ashley: It is dumb. It's so late.
[00:21:56] Annie Jones: So late. So anyway, but mark your calendars. I hope we're going to all get together again.
[00:22:00] Ashley: Yep, it's marked.
[00:22:01] Annie Jones: Okay. We've talked about what we're looking forward to. Let's talk about what we've been reading.
[00:22:05] Ashley: Remember books?
[00:22:06] Annie Jones: Remember books. This is a book podcast. What if I quit? What if I quit From the Front Porch and I just ran a fantasy sports or just a sports podcast? That market's probably too saturated, but I think I could be a great additional voice. That's great.
[00:22:21] Ashley: Remember when you weren't allowed to have any new ideas? Wait, I can't see what it says.
[00:22:26] Annie Jones: It says, "No more good ideas, 2026." Wait, can you take my picture even though it's backwards?
[00:22:34] Ashley: Should I screenshot it or take it with my--
[00:22:35] Annie Jones: Yeah, whatever. Screenshot it. I don't know how to do that.
[00:22:38] Ashley: You're blurry. I can't see it.
[00:22:40] Annie Jones: Oh, you can't see it. Hold on. I'll do it. I got to do it for the Gram. All right, hold on. My mom came over and made me make a list of all my commitments, and then she literally said, "No more good ideas in 2026," because I'm really doing too many things. Remember when you used to work at the Bookshelf years ago and you said, "What should go on my tombstone was maybe she bit off more than she could chew?
[00:23:08] Ashley: Yes, I do.
[00:23:09] Annie Jones: Yeah, things haven't changed only I decided to add a child to the mix. So I have some things I'm learning.
[00:23:14] Ashley: Yeah, no big deal.
[00:23:15] Annie Jones: Okay, books, because this is a book podcast until we eventually change the name and it becomes a sports podcast. I just have three fall books that I personally think should be on your radar.
[00:23:26] Ashley: Okay.
[00:23:26] Annie Jones: Okay? So the first is the book I quoted at the top of the episode. It's called Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson. Her name is spelled R-I-O-G-H-N-A-C-H. It'll be in the show notes so nobody has to worry about it, but it's called Bad Words, and here's why I'm recommending it. It feels very Emily Henry adjacent. It is a romance novel, but to me, has a lot of depth to it. It is about an author and a critic, and the author is a guy, and he is coming out with his sophomore novel, and he's worried because his first novel was supposed to be this big hit, and then right before it released, a critic wrote a scathing review, and it destroyed his sales and prevented the book from really getting any traction. So his second book deal was much smaller and now that book is about to come out, and he's worried it's going to be negatively reviewed by the same critic. The critic is a woman. She is about to write a pretty negative review of this guy's second book, and then their paths continue to cross. And so the book to me is a little bit Yellowface-esque, just it's very inside baseball, and that's a compliment, about publishing, writing, the book world, reminds me of the show Younger, in that you get a lot of details about publishing. But it's also a really good romance novel where each of those characters is really fully fleshed out. I just loved it. I thought it was great, couldn't put it down, and it was more than a romance novel to me. It was more about publishing and the writing world. So I loved that. I think you would like it.
[00:25:02] The next book is American Nightmare. This is by Kelly McWilliams. She is known for writing young adult lit. I think this is her debut adult novel. But it is about a man who passes as white during the civil rights movement, particularly during the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, and it's, I believe, loosely inspired on a real person who would pass and try to get inside information about the lynchings that were occurring around the South. It is not the perfect book. I think it's very plot driven. When I found out she wrote young adult lit first, I thought, "Oh, that makes sense." There are some ways in which it is not a young adult novel, but there are some ways in which the plot and the way it's handled feels a little bit yet YA. But the good news is that makes it really propulsive, and the subject matter is really interesting about going undercover. I can't remember. I think it was for the NAACP. He goes undercover to do some reporting on these lynchings. So I thought it was great and relatively short, so you could get through it pretty quickly. And then last but not least, a fantastically titled book called See You Next Tuesday, which is a straight romance novel. It is by Kate Stayman-London. She wrote the book One to Watch, which I loved. It was kind of Bachelor inspired. Then she wrote a book called Fang Fiction, which I did not read, because it was a little bit more vampiric in nature and I just was less interested.
[00:26:25] But this is now her romance novel set in the world of politics. They are both campaigners. I loved it. There's a playlist at the back that you can-- I guarantee, I have been listening to it and I think it's a great playlist. And I know people feel some kind of way about reading political books, but the midterms are this fall. I think it would be really fun to read this fiction book. She handles it all really well. It felt like a return to hopeful politics instead of cynical without being totally unrealistic. So I really loved See You Next Tuesday, and I think the title's great. So those are my three autumnal books that I think you in particular would enjoy.
[00:26:59] Ashley: Love it. I think I've already downloaded Bad Words on Libro.fm. And I have a bingo card for 2026. Not sure if I told you about this. This is not a good item on the list, but one of the squares just says, "Be more political." So this will help me with that. Also, you said it's a great title. Is it spelled out See You Next Tuesday?
[00:27:20] Annie Jones: Yeah, it's spelled out See You Next Tuesday.
[00:27:22] Ashley: Okay. You know what see you next Tuesday means, right?
[00:27:25] Annie Jones: Yes, I do.
[00:27:26] Ashley: Just making sure.
[00:27:28] Annie Jones: Yes. Believe me, I do. Hunter did have to... He didn't tell. Okay there is in a Flannery O'Connor story a reference to a blue box, and I read the story, and I was like, "What's that?" And on air, I was like, "What was that, Hunter?" And it was a box of condoms. So you're not wrong in thinking I might not know what see you next Tuesday means, but I do.
[00:27:49] Ashley: I'm so proud.
[00:27:51] Annie Jones: I do. You don't have to worry.
[00:27:53] Ashley: Okay. Glad to know it. Again, just things that I have read. They have nothing to do with fall.
[00:27:58] Annie Jones: Listen, actually, I think two of these books could have been fall releases. I'll tell you which one.
[00:28:02] Ashley: Oh, you've seen my list already. Okay.
[00:28:04] Annie Jones: I'm looking at it right now.
[00:28:07] Ashley: Okay. I guess I'll start with Good People by... I'm not even going to try. I meant to look that up, the pronunciation.
[00:28:13] Annie Jones: Did you like it?
[00:28:14] Ashley: Yes. It has taken me a really long time to get through. I think it's a large book. I'm listening to it, but I do think it's good.
[00:28:20] Annie Jones: Patmina Sabatts, I think.
[00:28:22] Ashley: Sure.
[00:28:23] Annie Jones: I think that's right. I listened to it, and I thought it was good.
[00:28:28] Ashley: Yeah. It's good. What was that other book called? Everything Sad Is Untrue Is Better. They're not the same, for some reason they do give me the same kind of vibe. And then The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson.
[00:28:38] Annie Jones: I want to know what you thought about this book.
[00:28:41] Ashley: Almost done with it, not finished yet.
[00:28:42] Annie Jones: Okay.
[00:28:43] Ashley: I have enjoyed it more than Down with the Shipments. Again same-ish kind of vibe. What's super fun is I actually purchased this book in New England, and I did not realize that it takes place in the fictional town of Greenhead, Massachusetts. That's Ipswich.
[00:28:57] Annie Jones: I literally told you that on an episode of this show, and it is a show that is on record. I told you that in this episode, in this recording.
[00:29:07] Ashley: I retain like 50% with that.
[00:29:08] Annie Jones: I saw that on your Instagram Stories. I was like, "She never listens to me. I don't even know why I bother."
[00:29:13] Ashley: It's not just you, if it helps. Listen, I wrote down all three of those books and I was still going to ask you for a fall reading list.
[00:29:20] Annie Jones: Wait, I've already started working on one. I'll send you a separate-- I just want to know. So I loved the Ipswich of it all because you and I have both been there, so it's very fun to read that. There is one couple in that book that just does drugs all the time, and I got to be honest, I got bored out of my gourd reading about somebody doing drugs. I just don't care. I just don't care. And they were parents, and I'm not judgy. Am I? Don't answer that. But one thing I probably am a little judgy about is doing excessive drugs with children in the home.
[00:29:49] Ashley: I think that's fair. Yeah, they're just like, Hello?
[00:29:53] Annie Jones: That just got on my nerves. I wanted them to act their age. That's what it was. I wanted them to act their age.
[00:29:57] Ashley: That's fair, but also I brought up a character's name in the last episode, I believe, but tell me how we feel about the name Van.
[00:30:06] Annie Jones: As in?
[00:30:07] Ashley: V-A-N. As like the name of a man.
[00:30:10] Annie Jones: Okay, I feel uncomfortable talking about that because there is a prominent Thomasville man named Van, and I can't guarantee if he does or does not listen to this show. So I'm going to refrain from publicly stating my opinion about that name.
[00:30:23] Ashley: Is it short for anything that you know of?
[00:30:25] Annie Jones: Vancent. No, I'm just kidding.
[00:30:32] Ashley: Vancet. Okay. So sorry to real life Van. Sorry your parents didn't like you
[00:30:39] Annie Jones: To be fair, I think the Thomasville Van might spell it with two N's. You know what it sounds like to me? Van with two N's sounds like it was a maiden name a mother was clinging to. Lots of Southerners do this.
[00:30:52] Ashley: Yes, they do, but it sounds like part of a last name like Serena Vanderwoodsen, it's like it's missing something. Watch the Thomasville Van be a Vanderbilt. Anyway, I have found that to be very distracting. They call him Vanny, and I just- I
[00:31:05] Annie Jones: okay, thank you. Erin loved that book. Everybody I've seen in the internet has loved this book, and I'm like there are just some things about this book. I really liked it but there were some things that I thought, "Why are we not talking about how annoying this is?" I just found some of the characters to be really annoying
[00:31:22] Ashley: it's a good book. That is distracting to me. And also maybe you have an answer or maybe you don't, why would you change the name of the town but nothing else?
[00:31:31] Annie Jones: I don't know. Somebody please. What is that? Is that you don't want to be sued? I thought that was so dumb.
[00:31:37] Ashley: The Crane Estate, which I saw for the first time in this trip, amazing, phenomenal.
[00:31:40] Annie Jones: That's on my list now.
[00:31:41] Ashley: I don't know. That feels like copyright or something. If you were going to change anything, keep the name the same, but change the landmarks. I,
[00:31:47] Annie Jones: I thought that was so odd. I was like, "I think we can write books about real places."
[00:31:52] Ashley: Everything else is real except Ipswich/Greenhead.
[00:31:56] Annie Jones: Yeah. Bizarre.
[00:31:57] Ashley: But all of that to say I really have enjoyed the book. Great book though. Criticisms aside. Okay, let's see. I read Whistler by Anne Patchett. Really enjoyed.
[00:32:09] Annie Jones: I thought it was great. There's too many books coming out this fall, but could've been a great fall release, so I think very well-suited for fall reading.
[00:32:15] Ashley: Fall or winter. And then finally finished The Land and Its People by David Sedaris.
[00:32:20] Annie Jones: Did love it?
[00:32:21] Ashley: Loved. Took me a long time, not because I didn't like it, just because there was a period of time where I didn't read. This is one of my favorites I think that he's done.
[00:32:29] Annie Jones: Me too.
[00:32:30] Ashley: Same. I'm such a big fan of his. And I hope I go see him in October. And then lastly, I assume the Bookshelf sells this. It's a children's book called Don't Trust Fish by Neal Sharpson. I can't read my handwriting, but I read this again in Massachusetts, and it made me laugh out loud and then I read it out loud to Christine because I thought it was so funny.
[00:32:53] Annie Jones: Did you just find it at a bookstore? Is that what you mean?
[00:32:55] Ashley: Yeah, it was face out. I was like, "That's cute," and opened it up, and I had to finish it.
[00:32:59] Annie Jones: Yeah.
[00:33:00] Ashley: I think it was hilarious. This man has something against fish. I don't know what it is, but he does not trust them. And you know what, i'm on his side.
[00:33:07] Annie Jones: Olivia loves this book. It's very fun. It's a great book. We have it at the store too. Okay. What are you watching? Again, lightning round it. So Sterling Point, but I hesitate to recommend it. I'm two episodes in. It's very teenybopper, Summer I Turned Pretty. If you need a teen Dawson's Creek equivalent then I think that could be for you. But it's very summary. So I was just going to say could be I thought I would watch it as part of my Annie Survives August plan. And so I've been watching Sterling Point. I think great fall show. Not Suitable for Work. And I want to preface all of these recommendations by saying this is me, Annie B. Jones, giving you her unfiltered opinion. Meaning I have not read any reviews of any of these things. Wow. So I'm just telling you that I liked them. So Not Suitable for Work is the new show on Hulu created by Mindy Kaling about Gen Z-ers entering the workforce kind of for the first time. I loved it, thought it was great. Again, don't come at me if it got negative critic reviews. I don't know. I will just tell you as for me and my house, we enjoyed it. We meaning I. Jordan didn't watch it. We're also watching the new season of Ted Lasso, which we were both very skeptical about because we felt like you finished the story. I also did not love season two or three. I liked them, but I didn't love them. I'm here to tell you the first two episodes of this season of Ted Lasso have been charming, a return to form, a celebration of women's sports, and an indictment on kind of the lack of funding that women's sports receive. I have loved it. I thought it's great. Very feel-good hopeful in a way that I like. Now, if you're still stuck in cynicism because it's 2026 and things suck that's on you. I can't help you. I can't help you with that, but I'm liking Ted Lasso. We both are, and we both are pleasantly surprised. Also did you ever see Devil Wears Prada 2?
[00:34:55] Ashley: No, and I'm so sad. You're the second person to ask me about that today.
[00:34:58] Annie Jones: I finally saw it, and I've got to tell you, fantastic. I'm really sad I didn't see it in the theaters. Really well done. In my mind, all about modern media and the world of magazines and blogs and Instagram and social media. I loved it. Also, great to watch for the fall because I did take screenshots and images of Anne Hathaway and her outfits so that I could recreate them with some clothes from Nuuly. Great fall outfit inspo. And then last but not least, and again, I did not hear anything about this movie, we went and saw it on a whim this weekend. One Night Only starring somebody British and Monica Barbaro. I don't know his name. He was also in Eternity, which I also saw and loved. I can't decide if he's attractive or too interesting to be attractive. Do you know who I'm talking about?
[00:35:51] Ashley: No, but does that not classify as blandly handsome?
[00:35:53] Annie Jones: Blandly handsome. You have to be boringly handsome. So I can't decide if this man is too interesting looking to be... okay, hold on. The movie is called One Night Only. What is his name again? People are yelling it. Callum Turner. He's married to Dua Lipa. I was going to say Doja Cat but it's not. Dua Lipa.
[00:36:09] Ashley: Close.
[00:36:10] Annie Jones: He's married to Dua Lipa. Kendall and I were talking about this today at work. This is if The Purge was a sexy rom-com. So this is all about where unmarried people can only have sex one night out of the year.
[00:36:21] Ashley: I've heard of this.
[00:36:23] Annie Jones: Okay. I don't really care what anybody else says. We went and saw it on a whim this weekend. We laughed out loud in the theater multiple times. We had a very fun-- we had a philosophical discussion about why this would happen, what would be the impetus behind something like this what would be the repercussions. Anyway, so we had a great conversation after it was over. The leads had chemistry. It's not the perfect rom-com. It's not Nora Ephron quality but the guy who created this is the creator of that dumb movie with Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, Anyone But You. Did you see that?
[00:36:53] Ashley: Yes, I did.
[00:36:54] Annie Jones: Okay. I've seen that movie twice. I hate it. I would watch it if somebody was like, "Do you want to watch this?" And I would lie and say, "Sure." And then I would watch it, and I would be maybe entertained, but I don't really like that movie, and I love Glen Powell, but I really don't like that movie. So I had low expectations going in. This is way better than that.
[00:37:10] Ashley: Good.
[00:37:11] Annie Jones: I don't know what people's issues are with it. Apparently, our friends at the podcast hated it. I didn't know that until I went and saw it, and then somebody was like, "Oh, they hated that movie." And I was like, "Oh, normally I agree with them, but I loved this."
[00:37:20] Ashley: Too bad for them. Would you consider it a step in the right direction for rom-coms? because we've been talking about rom-coms pretty much. We've needed a rom-com since Set It Up. We talked about it at the beginning.
[00:37:30] Annie Jones: That's right, since 2018 there was one shining moment of Set It Up, Crazy Rich Asians, To All the Boys I've Loved Before. All came out in 2018.
[00:37:39] Ashley: Man, that was a good year.
[00:37:40] Annie Jones: It was a good year. That was the last good rom-com year in my mind. This probably skews slightly more sex comedy. I prefer a straight-up romantic comedy. But I'm looking for chemistry, and I think they had it, and I'm looking for believable leads. I think they were, and the overall premise was good. I think this was a step in the right direction. Also, you know how I know if I like a rom-com? Not always because we saw Anyone But You together, didn't we?
[00:38:05] Ashley: No.
[00:38:06] Annie Jones: Who did I see that with? Maybe I saw it with my friends. Anyway, I saw it with somebody. But that was a movie where the whole movie was kind of crap, or it was fine, but the end scene played that Nat- Natasha Bedingfield song, and I immediately added the Natasha Bedingfield song to my playlist.
[00:38:22] This movie ended, and three songs were immediately added to my playlist. Okay. I just I like a movie that includes good songs. There was a very funny bit about pharmaceutical commercials that Jordan and I laughed out loud in the theater. So did the other couple. There were only four of us in that theater. And the other couple also laughed, and so I don't think it was just us. We had a great time.
[00:38:42] Ashley: Okay. Good to know. is that still in theater?
[00:38:44] Annie Jones: Yeah, it is.
[00:38:45] Ashley: Okay. I'm due for a theater movie.
[00:38:47] Annie Jones: And it'd be fun solo. It'd be a fun solo movie.
[00:38:50] Ashley: I love a solo movie. Okay. Is that it for you?
[00:38:53] Annie Jones: Yeah, that's it.
[00:38:54] Ashley: I feel like I haven't watched anything.
[00:38:56] Annie Jones: You've been busy. Let's be real.
[00:38:58] Ashley: It's true. Also, did you know I still have not seen the season finale of the last Ted Lasso season? I was not in an emotionally available place for that when it was released. And then I just never did. So I feel medium about Ted Lasso right now. But I did watch two things that I remember. One of them, I'm only telling you because the first time we watched it, or the first time I watched it was with you at the beach, and I fell asleep. And that is Pride and Prejudice.
[00:39:27] Annie Jones: Oh, the Keira Knightley version. That was years ago.
[00:39:30] Ashley: And I have been trying to remember the name of it this entire episode, and I finally just did. I know the name of it. I just escaped me briefly for the last 45 minutes. And it was lovely. And then I also watched Voicemails for Isabelle.
[00:39:47] Annie Jones: Okay. I will say I also thought that was great. Did you like it?
[00:39:50] Ashley: I did. I don't need to see it again, but I like Zoey Deutch.
[00:39:54] Annie Jones: Love her. Rooting for her. This happened with One Night Only as well. There was one scene in One Night Only that I just thought, "Cut that out." And I don't want to go into details as to why. It has nothing to do with prudishness, I think it was unnecessary. And then in Voicemails for Isabelle, what is that D canoe's name?
[00:40:12] Ashley: The guy who's receiving voicemails?
[00:40:14] Annie Jones: No. The guy with the mustache. Was he in White Lotus? He was in something else. I don't know who it was. He has a very punchable face. And he's the other chef in competition with her.
[00:40:23] Ashley: Oh, that's right.
[00:40:25] Annie Jones: That kind of stuff, I'll be honest, I did not need. Some of the food truck stuff I did not need. But overall, much like in books, I feel like movies need better editors. Just tightening things up a bit. And I think Voicemails for Isabelle could've been tightened up a little bit. But the chemistry between the leads, great. And I love You've Got Mail, so I'm willing to ignore the fact that he listened in on her voicemails. Whatever. Catfishing is a trope. It is what it is. But really rooting for Zoey, always and forever.
[00:40:49] Ashley: Yeah, same.
[00:40:50] Annie Jones: Okay. Listening to. I feel like I'm really channeling my inner teen because I've been watching Sterling Point, and then I have been listening to Gracie Abrams' new album, Olivia Rodrigo's new album. Noah Kahan feels millennial-ish. Did you just see me legitimately get excited? I'm not going to see him. I saw him three years ago.
[00:41:09] Ashley: What?
[00:41:12] Annie Jones: Did you see me just for some reason think that I was going to see him in concert? I couldn't afford his tickets this time.
[00:41:17] Ashley: What happened?
[00:41:19] Annie Jones: I don't know what that was.
[00:41:19] Ashley: Are you okay?
[00:41:20] Annie Jones: I don't know why I got so legitimately excited about something I'm not going to do.
[00:41:24] Ashley: Someone's going to see him, you can be excited for them. But it's not you.
[00:41:27] Annie Jones: Yeah. Be excited for you if you're going to go see him. Noah Kahan. I've been listening to Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, and Olivia Rodrigo. And then last but not least, an audiobook rec for you is The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian. I finally looked up how to pronounce his name. But I was reading this in Kindle format, and I really liked it, but I'm not great about reading on Kindle. I had put it down, and then I saw that it was available on Libro, and guess who narrates it?
[00:41:53] Ashley: Who?
[00:41:54] Annie Jones: Melora Hardin, Jan from The Office. Jan.
[00:41:57] Ashley: Narrated by Jan.
[00:41:58] Annie Jones: She does a great job. She goes all in on the male voices which occasionally is distracting, but, really great audiobook. I'm about to take things dark for a second. It's all about a young woman who is an aspiring golfer. She's almost ready to go on tour with the LG- LPGA, and she's practicing at the driving range, and she hits a golf ball, and it goes through the net, and it hits a caddy in the head and kills him.
[00:42:19] Ashley: All right.
[00:42:19] Annie Jones: And so her whole life is totally changed, and it's narrated by her adult self looking back on her teenage self and how that one event changed the whole trajectory of her life. I thought it was great.
[00:42:32] Ashley: Good for Melora, too.
[00:42:34] Annie Jones: Yeah. I was thrilled to see her name on there. I thought, "Oh, this is where sitcom stars go to die." They go to Libro. Listen. Wait. She also was in The Bold Type, which if nobody's watched The Bold Type, what a great show.
[00:42:46] Ashley: You've told me about that a few times, and still have not.
[00:42:49] Annie Jones: Listen, I watch a lot of TV. I think I just watch way more than you do.
[00:42:52] Ashley: You for sure do.
[00:42:53] Annie Jones: Yeah, I watch a lot of TV. We were talking to our friends about this, and I would feel bad about it except Jordan was like, "No, it's a great use of your brain." It's like one of the few times my brain turns off.
[00:43:03] Ashley: It's a great use of your brain. I personally have learned a lot from TV. I'm a big supporter. I would love to watch more. I just don't for whatever reason. Okay, so my listening,. Have I talked to you about Raye? I think I have.
[00:43:14] Annie Jones: Maybe last episode.
[00:43:17] Ashley: No, I don't think so.
[00:43:18] Annie Jones: Just one song?
[00:43:20] Ashley: No, her whole album.
[00:43:22] Annie Jones: I think you recommended one song last time.
[00:43:24] Ashley: I don't think I knew who this was last time, but that's okay.
[00:43:27] Annie Jones: Okay. I'm going to write it down.
[00:43:28] Ashley: She has an album called THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. It's all caps, and every song ends with a period. But that's fine. Whatever.
[00:43:35] Annie Jones: Maybe you didn't tell me about this. Maybe somebody else did.
[00:43:38] Ashley: I think so because I didn't discover this until July. My friend Alice showed it to me.
[00:43:43] Annie Jones: Okay, somebody else might have.
[00:43:45] Ashley: You will have to be in the mood for it.
[00:43:47] Annie Jones: Okay.
[00:43:48] Ashley: Musically, it can get aggressive. Just loud. However, it starts with her narrating, and I think it ends with her narrating as well. It's fine. But the rest of it, the actual music plays like a musical, sounds like it belongs in a musical. Some of them are very sweet. Some of them are funny. There's one song that I love called the "WhatsApp Shakespeare," and then my personal favorite on the whole album is called "I Know You're Hurting." There's a specific chord progression in there that I just need in my veins. I like it a lot. You'll have to be in the mood for it. But I do think you could get into several of these songs.
[00:44:23] Annie Jones: I'm going to listen.
[00:44:24] Ashley: Also, this is not a new thing, but I did it last night. There's a playlist called Feel Good Piano, and I listened to it over the speaker while I was reading.
[00:44:33] Annie Jones: Oh, that's lovely. What a great idea.
[00:44:35] Ashley: It is such a vibe. It's a fall vibe if you will. And then similarly, I have started listening to monthly playlists made by other people. Not anything that Spotify curates for me. Actually don't enjoy stuff like that. I want to be shown something new. August playlist was lovely because I do have to listen to August by Taylor Swift, "End of August" by Noah Kahan. The point of this is to be on the nose.
[00:44:59] Annie Jones: How are you finding them?
[00:45:00] Ashley: I search Spotify for August playlists, and then I find one that has a pretty decent amount of downloads made by a random person. I play it not on shuffle. I play it in order just in case that's how the person intended. But August isn't my favorite month. And so August 1st rolled around, and I was like let me feel some August vibes. I don't know. Yeah. And I play that until September.
[00:45:20] Annie Jones: Yeah.
[00:45:20] Ashley: I really liked it. It introduced me to the song Radio by Lana Del Rey.
[00:45:23] Annie Jones: Okay.
[00:45:24] Ashley: Yeah, new favorite.
[00:45:26] Annie Jones: Okay. I like that idea. I also have been on a how do we survive August, and I do need some free ways to survive August because I definitely have to survive August. But we need some things that are budget-friendly ways to survive the month. Yeah.
[00:45:42] Ashley: So search the month on Spotify and go to town.
[00:45:44] Annie Jones: Okay. That's fun. Listen, really truly all I've been buying is stuff in hopes of football season, so I bought myself, as I mentioned, some ribbons and a chalkboard and a candle called Football Season from Bath & Body Works. I liked it because it didn't actually smell super autumnal, so I think it'll be great for September before we fully get into your pumpkins. And then I also bought some football glassware from Anthropologie. They were on sale, $8 a glass, and they're real cute. And the look on Jordan's face when he opened the box, because I told him to open it, I was like, "Open it and see what you think," and he was so pumped. Because we really do watch a lot of football together. We eat wings pretty much every Sunday, sometimes every Saturday night instead. We do that pretty much all fall long, so it's very fun to have dedicated like these are going to be our football glasses. So that's what I've been doing. That's mostly what I've been buying.
[00:46:35] Ashley: I have just a couple of things. Number one, stickers. That has become the thing that I buy when I go places now. And people were putting them on water bottles. I had seen people put them on their laptop, and I had refrained from putting them on my laptop because it's an expensive piece of machinery.
[00:46:51] Annie Jones: Yes. It's like a $2,000 thing to start putting stickers on.
[00:46:54] Ashley: However, I have started putting stickers on my laptop, and I kid you not, every time I pull it out of my bag, it makes me happy.
[00:47:01] Annie Jones: Does it make you happy?
[00:47:02] Ashley: It makes me really happy.
[00:47:04] Annie Jones: Okay.
[00:47:05] Ashley: I love my laptop stickers.
[00:47:06] Annie Jones: I've been so hesitant to do that.
[00:47:09] Ashley: It's not every sticker is made for the laptop, so it's just the good ones.
[00:47:12] Annie Jones: It's the ones you actually pick out yourself probably or are gifted.
[00:47:16] Ashley: But it truly has brought me a lot of joy in the last couple of months. Secondly is Writech pens which I discovered. Maybe you knew of them before but when we were in Atlanta for the Super Bowl. This is one of them. I really like the way they write. They're very smooth. This one is .7. I personally prefer .5 thickness.
[00:47:36] Annie Jones: I prefer a .5 as well generally, but I will take a .7. I'd rather do .7 than .1.
[00:47:42] Ashley: It almost doesn't matter just because they write so well and they're just cute.
[00:47:44] Annie Jones: I might have one of those. I like them a lot. I'm looking to see. It was Paper Source.
[00:47:47] Ashley: We were at the bar.
[00:47:47] Annie Jones: That's right, the only bar we went to was a pen bar.
[00:47:49] Ashley: Yes.
[00:47:53] Annie Jones: Wait, this is my favorite pen. This is my favorite pen. This pen is freaking awesome. I've tried to look into how to stock them for the Bookshelf, because this is my go-to pen now.
[00:48:02] Ashley: Same. They're lovely.
[00:48:03] Annie Jones: I also got the .5. They're lovely.
[00:48:05] Ashley: This one is matte. It's nice in the fingers, nice on the paper.
[00:48:09] Annie Jones: I'm so glad. And you love it. See, look, this is a good pen that a righty and a lefty love it.
[00:48:14] Ashley: Let's go. Look at us, Venn diagrams crossing once again. I'm
[00:48:17] Annie Jones: That's what I wanted to know, because I was like, wait a minute, I also bought my favorite pen there. Is it the same one? And it's not shocking that it is.
[00:48:25] Ashley: Okay. Writech pens, and then the last thing I've already told you about, but I do have to tell the masses. Do you know what it is?
[00:48:31] Annie Jones: I'm sorry, I am looking at our notes as we talk.
[00:48:33] Ashley: See, this is why I don't do that beforehand because I like an element of surprise and mystery.
[00:48:38] Annie Jones: Am sorry. Next time, fill it out before but in white font. That's what Hunter and I do with each other.
[00:48:44] Ashley: Why didn't you tell me that? That's so fun. Because I've never once filled this out beforehand. Also, I'm trying not to laugh into the microphone because I've had, I believe, a sinus infection for the last two and a half weeks. It's fine.
[00:48:54] Annie Jones: Listen, I was shocked you made it healthy through the gauntlet you just ran. I mean, all of which was fun
[00:48:59] Ashley: I've had a cough this whole time, and I'm currently trying not to hack up a lung. It's fine. Don't worry about it. Okay, but last thing that I purchased was lunch at The Lost Kitchen.
[00:49:11] Annie Jones: I'm so jealous, but also I'm so glad you got to go.
[00:49:13] Ashley: I am now a Lost Kitchen evangelist. I have known about this place for years.
[00:49:18] Annie Jones: You did?
[00:49:19] Ashley: Yes.
[00:49:20] Annie Jones: You did know about it. Because I think I asked you in text if you'd read the book. I knew about the book. And you were like, "I didn't know there was a book."
[00:49:26] Ashley: Didn't know there was a book. I just knew there was a place in Maine where you had to mail a postcard and then they would draw the postcard out of a jar or whatever in order to get a dinner reservation.
[00:49:37] Annie Jones: Do they still do that? I hope they do.
[00:49:38] Ashley: They do.
[00:49:39] Annie Jones: Okay.
[00:49:40] Ashley: So that's the only way you can get dinner there, but they do serve lunch during a certain time of year, probably summer to fall. It's not a very long time. Thank goodness I was there during the time that they were open. And our friend Brittany retold me about it when I was asking her for recommendations. But there was a line when we got there. You just show up for lunch. There was a line when we got there We waited for, I don't know, 30, 45 minutes. There was somebody who worked at the restaurant standing. You wait at the foot of a bridge. Does that make sense? One side of a bridge. Very picturesque. It's shaded. Summertime, but very pleasant. They have drinks you can buy. People are chatting it up in line, and then somebody will come towards you over the bridge like a normal person. They're leaving.
[00:50:23] Annie Jones: Not a troll. Not a bridge
[00:50:25] Ashley: troll.
[00:50:25] A normal person. A normal person who has completed their lunch, and then the worker who was on your side of the bridge will tell you, "Okay, you can cross the bridge and go talk to the other worker on the other side of the bridge and be seated." I told you it's like a garden version of The Bear. It did not appear intense or anything to me. It's just very precise. Our food was served in a basket, like a tiny little picnic basket. It was beautiful. Not only was it beautiful, it was a top three like favorite meal that I've ever had in my life. You go in, you order inside, and then you go sit down, and there's a lot of hustle and bustle except it's peaceful. I don't know how else to say that. Much like The Bear, like the workers are very hard at work, but they are so calm. Everything is smooth. That's what I hope
[00:51:17] Annie Jones: people say about The Bookshelf. That's the goal. Working hard, but peace up front.
[00:51:21] Ashley: Yes, exactly. Just a truly lovely experience.
[00:51:25] Annie Jones: I'm so glad you got to go.
[00:51:28] Ashley: And I actually saw the girl, Erin. Saw her from a distance, and then they have a little shop you can go in walk around and buy stuff. Did I buy anything? I bought some salt as a gift for somebody. But that's it. Like, if you can go while they're open, just drop in for lunch. It's so worth it. Send a postcard, too, for a dinner reservation, but if you can go for lunch.
[00:51:47] Annie Jones: But that's also good to know that like you can go because I really didn't know that. I think when you texted that you were there for lunch, I was like, "Did you send a postcard?" Because that's the only way I knew that you could go was by sending in a postcard.
[00:51:58] Ashley: No, that's all I knew, too. And I had to look it up, but it is well worth your time. Okay, I also would recommend trying to get there early. We got there closer to closing time and they were out of a few things that I do wish I had gotten to try, but everything else that we got was still phenomenal.
[00:52:12] Annie Jones: I'm so glad. What a way to cap off your summer really.
[00:52:16] Ashley: Truly.
[00:52:18] Annie Jones: Okay, thanks everybody. This was a extra lengthy episode. Maybe if you didn't want football talk, you could fast-forward. I don't know. But thank you, guys.
[00:52:24] Ashley: But it's the precursor to your fantasy football podcast. Nobody wants my opinion on that.
[00:52:28] Annie Jones: That's what it was. I'll have to come up with a cute name. We'll rebrand.
[00:52:32] Ashley: From the Front Fantasy Football Porch. You're welcome. From
[00:52:34] Annie Jones: From the Front Lines.
[00:52:35] Ashley: From the Front Lines.
[00:52:36] Annie Jones: That also sounds like it could be a war podcast.
[00:52:39] Ashley: Yeah, it does. You'll workshop it back when you're allowed to have ideas.
[00:52:43] Annie Jones: From the 50-Yard Line.
[00:52:45] Ashley: Okay. I like that, too.
[00:52:46] Annie Jones: From the 50-Yard Line.
[00:52:47] Ashley: How many words can we stick in here?
[00:52:51] Annie Jones: Listen, I love an alliteration. The staff knows it. It's a real problem. Okay I'll see you in the winter.
[00:52:58] Ashley: Nice knowing you.
[00:53:01] Annie Jones: This week, I'm listening to The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. Ashley, what are you reading?
[00:53:09] Ashley: I'm reading Persuasion by Jane Austen.
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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