From the Front Porch (The Bookshelf Thomasville)
Explore every episode of From the Front Porch
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2015 | Episode 26 || Audiobooks | 00:28:39 | |
Annie chats with husband and frequent podcast contributor Jordan about audiobooks: he loves them, but she's not a fan. Where do you stand? (Some of Jordan's favorites, in case you're curious: Defending Jacob, The Dinner, and Lord of the Rings.) Annie would rather listen to podcasts; some of her favorites: Lit Up, Books on the Nightstand, This American Life, Gilmore Guys, Around the Table, and The Popcast. | |||
| 28 Sep 2017 | Episode 138 || Fall Literary Lineup | 00:26:54 | |
Annie's back from SIBA, and we're here to let you in on a long-distance version of the Fall Literary Luncheon we hosted in the Bookshelf last week. Here's what we're recommending for the fall! + Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng + Artemis by Andy Weir + The Senator's Children by Nicholas Montemarano + The Glass Eye by Jeannie Vanasco + Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks + Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie + My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent + Five-Carat Soul by James McBride + The Floating World by C. Morgan Babst + Grant by Ron Chernow + An Odyssey by Daniel Mendelsohn + The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers + Blood at the Root by Patrick Phillips + What Unites Us by Dan Rather Also mentioned: + Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward + Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng + The Martian by Andy Weir Support us on Patreon here. Listen to previous episodes here. Learn more about Shelf Subscriptions here. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers. Learn more here. | |||
| 16 Apr 2020 | 267 || Recommended Royal Reads | 00:38:41 | |
This week on From the Front Porch, host and owner of The Bookshelf, Annie Jones, has a special guest joining her to tackle an important listener question: What should the royals be reading? Annie’s friend Courtney Kinsey is a fellow royals enthusiast, an avid reader and book club member, and a podcaster in her own right, co-hosting the show “I Do Declare!” with her sister Betsy. The books mentioned on today’s episode are available for purchase on The Bookshelf website:
Recommendations for Harry and Meghan:
Recommendations for Queen Elizabeth:
Recommendations for Charles:
Recommendations for William and Kate:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week, I’m reading You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe. Courtney is reading The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 18 Oct 2018 | Episode 193 || Underappreciated | 00:36:53 | |
It's award season, and some of our absolute favorites got robbed. As much as we are Professional Book People™️, we're not professional critics--and we're the first people to admit that the critics don't always know what they're talking about. Join us as we talk through some of those books. + Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + An American Marriage by Tayari Jones + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + Commonwealth by Ann Patchett + Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng + The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt + Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill + The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce + The End We Start From by Megan Hunter + Less by Andrew Sean Greer Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 21 Nov 2017 | Episode 146 || Food for Thought | 00:28:45 | |
Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, we're coming to you a couple days early! Spend time with us, and then spend time with your loved ones. Best of both worlds. This week, Annie and Chris talk about food books, cookbooks, and how feasting structures our lives. Also, bedbugs. Featured this week: + The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn + Cooked by Michael Pollan + Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community by Wendell Berry + Voracious by Cara Nicoletti + A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller + Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin + Dough Knights and Dragons by Dee Leone + Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon + Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist + Of Mess and Moxie by Jen Hatmaker Follow Joy the Baker here. (Or Drake on Cake here.) This week's episode is sponsored by the Paxton House, a historic bed and breakfast in downtown Thomasville. Make a reservation at their website above and follow them on Instagram here! Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like our side-podcast Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 13 Aug 2015 | Episode 36 || Entrepreneurship + The New South | 00:28:10 | |
Annie chats with Florida State University entrepreneur-in-residence Christine Nieves; the two discuss porch swings and creativity, the importance of connection, and life in the new South (hint: it's a lot of storytelling and hard work). Christine also lists her favorite spots in Tallahassee and Thomasville: Quarter Moon Imports, Black Dog, Ripe City Urban Farm, Railroad Square, Fermentation Lounge, Grasslands Brewery, Jonah's, and Sweet Grass Dairy. Follow Christine on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Rate and review From the Front Porch on iTunes here. | |||
| 28 Jul 2016 | Episode 79 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 4 | 00:27:50 | |
Can't decide if you love or hate a book? This is the podcast series for you. Annie once again joins frequent podcast contributors Hunter McLendon and Rebekah Arwood for a discussion of Wendy Walker's All Is Not Forgotten (a new thriller on shelves now; Reese Witherspoon's already bought the film rights). Comparable titles: + Defending Jacob by William Landay + Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng + Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber + We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates + Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight | |||
| 18 Jul 2019 | Episode 232 || Imagining the Perfect Book | 00:25:58 | |
Last month, Chris and Annie were challenged to think of a book that doesn't exist (yet) that they would love to see written. This episode is a very silly grappling with answers to that question. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 02 Feb 2017 | Episode 104 || January Reading Recap | 00:39:26 | |
Annie and Chris chat about public transit, public urination, and all the books they read in January. Annie read: +The Underwriting by Michelle Miller +The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits +The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder +American Fire by Monica Hesse +Himself by Jess Kidd +The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers Annie is currently reading: +Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl Chris read: +The Wanderers by Meg Howrey +Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Chris is currently reading: +American War by Omar El Akkad | |||
| 28 Dec 2017 | Episode 151 || Best Books of 2017 | 00:40:18 | |
It's our last episode of 2017, so it's time for a SUPER-SIZED reading recap. Chris and Annie walk you through their favorite books of 2017, and here they are! Thanks so much for sticking with us, even when our sound quality is far below what we typically aim for. + The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey + This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel + The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng + The End We Start From by Megan Hunter + Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward + The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak + We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter + Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie + Option B by Sheryl Sandberg + Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar + Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin + Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like our side-podcast Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. See you in 2018! | |||
| 31 Oct 2019 | Episode 247 || October Reading Recap | 00:38:05 | |
Happy Halloween! Spooky Season will soon be over, but Chris and Annie are here to walk you through what they read in October. You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. + The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman + Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra + Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow + East of Eden by John Steinbeck + Miracles (And Other Reasonable Things) by Sarah Bessey + 21 Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks + Do You Mind if I Cancel? by Gary Janetti + The Preacher's Wife by Kate Bowler Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Annie's author interviews, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 14 Apr 2016 | Episode 64 || Making of a Music Festival | 00:23:43 | |
One perk of life in a small town: You can try something just to see if it works. And if it does? Then you've established a new town tradition, like Thomasville's Due South music festival, put on by the Center of the Arts. Annie and Chris chat with the Center's marketing director, Callie Sewell, about music festivals; the Athens, Ga., music scene; and whether Jane Eyre is overrated. BUY TICKETS for Due South here.
Books mentioned: + Jane Eyre + The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls + No One Belongs Here More Than You + The Nest + The Empathy Exams
Podcasts mentioned: + Serial + The Moth | |||
| 27 Oct 2016 | Episode 92 || By the Book with Annie and Chris | 00:39:01 | |
If you're new to From the Front Porch, this episode will introduce you to hosts Annie and Chris. Learn about their reading tastes, what they do when their not at The Bookshelf, and who they'd have over for their dream literary dinner party. (The interview was inspired by the New York Times' By the Book interviews. Gretchen Rubin's is here.) Books and authors mentioned include: + Station Eleven + My Brilliant Friend + Present Over Perfect + Pond + Boss Life + Grit + Neil Gaiman + Mindy Kaling + F. Scott Fitzgerald + Umberto Ecco + Hannah Arendt + Flannery O'Connor + Madeleine L'Engle + J.K. Rowling + Shauna Niequist + Swing Time + The Martian + Bread and Wine + The Mothers + Another Day in the Death of America + The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Find The Bookshelf online here. | |||
| 19 Dec 2019 | 254 || Favorite Books of 2019 | 00:38:19 | |
In our final episode of 2019 (and the decade as a whole!), Annie and Bookshelf staffers Olivia and Lucy sit down to talk through their favorite titles of the year. These are the books that meant the most over the last 12 months: Annie's List: 1. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 2. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 3. The Dearly Beloved by Carla Wall 4. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout 5. Family of Origin by CJ Hauser 6. Normal People by Sally Rooney 7. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane 8. Miracles and Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey 9. The Current by Tim Johnston 10. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Olivia's List 1. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern 2. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher 3. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 4. All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker 5. The Line Tender by Kate Allen 6. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson 7. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia 8. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson 9. This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews 10. The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas Lucy's List: 1. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell 2. Furious Hours by Casey Cep 3. The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey 4. Stars of Alabama by Sean Dietrich 5. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger 6. The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan 7. The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman 8. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 9. The Innocents by Michael Crummey 10. The Organs of Sense by Adam Ehrlich Sachs -- As we close out 2019, we're so grateful to our listeners for playing such a large role The Bookshelf's success. Every purchase, every like, every comment, every email means the world. Special thanks to Chris Jensen for his work on From the Front Porch over the years. We're so grateful for his contribution to The Bookshelf and the podcast, and we wish him nothing but the best in his next endeavor. This episode of From the Front Porch was produced by Dylan Garven at Studio D Productions. Our new theme music -- a hint of what's to come in 2020 -- is by Simeon Church. Annie's got some fun things in the work for Patreon; support us there for more bonus Bookshelf content coming in 2020. From the Front Porch is going on a brief hiatus; new episodes will launch Thursday, January 30. | |||
| 27 Sep 2018 | Episode 190 || September Reading Recap | 00:38:53 | |
It's time for our regular jaunt through the books we finished this month. Join us for the recap! Also, and very importantly: teenage penguins. + Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller + Fear by Bob Woodward + Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman + A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson (on sale October 9) + The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy + A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti + Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes + I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott (on sale April 2, 2019) Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 13 Oct 2016 | Episode 90 || Book Talk with Anne Bogel | 00:31:10 | |
Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy and the What Should I Read Next podcast joins Annie and Chris to chat about book blogging, all those advanced reading copies, and what she's reading right now. Podcasts Anne recommends: Books mentioned in this episode: + Crossing to Safety + Age of Innocence + Madame Bovary + Alexander Hamilton + Commonwealth + Run + Bel Canto For additional bookish conversation, hop on over to Episode 44 of What Should I Read Next; Annie was a guest this week! | |||
| 03 Sep 2015 | Episode 38 || August Reading Recap | 00:30:43 | |
Annie recaps the books she read in August, including "super science-y" The Martian and R-rated Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes, plus shout-outs to book Instagrammer SJ Shepperd and the hosts of The Popcast. Rank, review, and subscribe on iTunes. | |||
| 06 May 2021 | 319 || April Reading Recap | 00:47:24 | |
This week Annie recaps and reviews her April reads. The books mentioned in this week’s episode can be purchased from The Bookshelf:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 29 Dec 2016 | Episode 99 || Best Books of 2016 | 00:32:12 | |
It's time to reflect back on 2016, which means... It's time to recap Annie's favorite books of the year. + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty by Ramona Ausubel + Commonwealth by Ann Patchet + Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin + This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick + When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi + My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout + Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Yeung + You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein | |||
| 02 Aug 2018 | Episode 182 || July Reading Recap | 00:49:52 | |
At the end of every month, Annie and Chris sit down to talk about the books they read, and listener, it's the end of the month. Annie accidentally read to sort of a theme this month, and Chris doesn't think it's a coincidence. Also, we need to talk about the train. Annie read: + Save the Date by Morgan Matson + Marriage Vacation by "Pauline Brooks" + Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (on sale August 14) + The Witch Elm by Tana French (on sale October 9) + The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert + A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler (on sale October 16) + Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza + Beartown by Frederick Bakman + The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like a blow-by-blow account of a terrible wedding, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 26 Mar 2020 | 264 || March Reading Recap | 00:33:55 | |
Today, Annie recaps all the books she read in March. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available at The Bookshelf:
Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Friends & Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 26 Nov 2020 | 299 || Literary Therapy, Vol. 5 | 00:36:01 | |
Join Annie this week for a little literary therapy as she answers and consults listeners on their questions and reading conundrums. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available for purchase from The Bookshelf:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Anna K by Jenny Lee. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 03 Nov 2016 | Episode 93 || October Reading Recap | 00:32:08 | |
Annie chats with Chris about the books she read in October: + Today Will Be Different + Dark Matter + In the Garden of Small Beginnings + Juniper (listen to this Radiolab episode for more on this story) + The Children + Who Killed These Girls? (here's the Reply All episode Chris mentioned) ** Shop these titles on The Bookshelf website here. ** Other titles mentioned include: + Where'd You Go, Bernadette + Leave Me + The Martian + Before the Fall + Kitchens of the Great Midwest + Visit from the Goon Squad + Seating Arrangements + The Nest + Commonwealth + The Children's Crusade
Annie mentioned how she finds book recommendations on Instagram through Shauna Niequist and Elise Blaha Cripe.
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| 09 Mar 2017 | Episode 109 || March Madness 2017 | 00:29:53 | |
Annie sits down with her husband Jordan for their annual March Madness discussion. This year's book bracket includes The Bookshelf's "sweet sixteen" -- the 16 bestselling books of the past 12 months. Magnolia Story Present Over Perfect Seven Brief Lessons in Physics When Breath Becomes Air Killing the Rising Sun Alexander Hamilton Tribal Hillbilly Elegy The Underground Railroad A Gentleman in Moscow Fates and Furies All the Light We Cannot See A Man Called Ove Me Before You Harry Potter and the Cursed Child The After Party Follow The Bookshelf on Instagram to cast votes for your favorite books during our March Madness celebration, or -- if you're a college basketball fan -- compete against friends in ESPN's bracket challenge. | |||
| 21 May 2020 | 272 || Casting Call | 00:52:35 | |
NOTE: There’s a small audio glitch in today’s episode, and you may hear it pop up when Annie's speaks. It’s not you; it’s us, and it should be resolved next week. Annie is joined today by friend and fellow book club member Julie Anna Helms. You may know Julie Anna from her popular bookstagram account, @julieannareads, where she specializes in “Who Would You Cast?,” an Instagram story series where she partners with her followers to brainstorm casting her favorite books. This week, Julie Anna joins Annie on the front porch to cast one of Annie’s favorite books of the year, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. You can purchase The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires here. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week, I’m reading Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin; and Julie Anna just finished reading The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 13 Dec 2018 | Episode 201 || Live with Knox McCoy | 00:45:56 | |
Annie sits down with Knox McCoy, co-host of The Popcast and author of The Wondering Years, in front of a LIVE audience to talk about books, faith, and pop culture. Order Knox's book here. Learn more about The Popcast here. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 02 Jul 2015 | Episode 31 || June Reading Recap | 00:33:37 | |
Annie lists the books she read in June, including The Rocks by Peter Nichols, The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. (This episode also includes references to the Emily books by L.M. Montgomery and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. | |||
| 17 Sep 2020 | 289 || Our Top Ten of the Year (thus far) | 00:41:15 | |
Annie is joined by friend and bookstagrammer from @shelfbyshelf, Hunter, to discuss their top ten reads of the year thus far. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available for purchase from The Bookshelf: Annie’s Top Ten 1. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 3. House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister 4. Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb 5. A Burning by Megha Majumdar 6. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 7. Here for It by R. Eric Thomas 8. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London 9. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid 10. Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Hunter’s Top Ten 1. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 2. Fairest by Meredith Talusan 3. Real Life by Brandon Taylor 4. How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang 5. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 6. Kept Animals by Kate Milliken 7. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 8. Shiner by Amy Jo Burns 9. Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid 10. Cleanness by Garth Greenwell and I know You Know Who I Am by Peter Kispert Also mentioned: Memorial by Bryan Washington, Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland, Daddy by Emma Cline, and What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez. A full transcript for today’s episode is available here. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Memorial by Bryan Washington, and Hunter is reading A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online books orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. | |||
| 07 Dec 2017 | Episode 148 || November Reading Recap | 00:36:20 | |
The holiday season is upon us, which means it's time for us to recap what we read in the month of November. Give thanks! Also, Universal, please consider changing how your lockers work. Annie read: + Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman (on sale February 27) + The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule + Loving Frank by Nancy Horan + Rosie Colored Glasses by Brianna Wolfson (on sale February 20) Chris read: + Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich Also mentioned: + Mindhunter + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett This episode is brought to you in part by the city of Thomasville. Come join us for Victorian Christmas, our annual celebration of the holiday in the manner of a Victorian street fair! Mark December 14 and 15 on your calendars and learn more here. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like our side-podcast Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 23 Dec 2015 | Episode 51 || Where You're From Matters | 00:36:52 | |
Where we're from affects how we read. Annie chats with blogger, podcaster, and aspiring author Science Mike about science, faith, and the many nuances of the South, plus their favorite Thomasville spots and what they're reading right now. (Mike's reading The Last Pilot, and Annie's reading Live from New York.) Mike's website || The Liturgists podcasts || Ask Science Mike podcast
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| 12 Jan 2017 | Episode 101 || Reading Resolutions | 00:22:49 | |
2016 is over, but of reading many books there is no end. In this episode, Annie and Chris talk about their resolutions for the new year and challenge one another to read outside of their usual habits--with hypothetically apocalyptic results. + Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow + Rita Dove + Claudia Rankine | |||
| 01 Sep 2016 | Episode 84 || August Reading Recap (aka The Power of Oprah) | 00:31:22 | |
Behold, the power of Oprah. Annie and Chris chat about the books Annie read in August, including Oprah's book club book, The Underground Railroad. The rest of Annie's list: + Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill + The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead + You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close + The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer + Before the Fall by Noah Hawley + Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge
And other books Annie and Chris mentioned: + Fates & Furies + Crossing to Safety + Pond + The Royal We + Station Eleven + Everything I Never Told You + Reconstructing Amelia + Prep + Ghettoside | |||
| 22 Jun 2017 | Episode 124 || Summer Reading Recs | 00:33:15 | |
Summer has officially begun, so Annie and Chris are here to tell you what you should be reading--whether you're inside to escape the rain or outside with the sand and sun. Also, what happens when children become club promoters? Beach Books + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close + The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor + Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave + Windfall by Jennifer Smith + The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak Page-Turners + Dark Matter by Blake Crouch + Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld + Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy + American Fire by Monica Hesse (on sale July 11) Stories with a Twist + Into the Water by Paula Hawkins + Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane Family Dramas + Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett Heavy Thinking + Option B by Sheryl Sandberg + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer + The Leavers by Lisa Ko + Theft by Finding by David Sedaris + Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu You can read Maile Meloy's interview with Ann Patchett here. Hey, we're new to Stitcher and would love to build our review base. Can you help us get to 25 reviews? There's a prize in it for you... | |||
| 12 Sep 2019 | Episode 240 || Book-TV-Movie | 00:37:56 | |
The fall season means new TV, and Annie came prepared this week with a series of curated media samplers just for you. Also, Chris and Annie have some cultural amnesia regarding the respective careers of Amanda Bynes and Mandy Moore. You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. + The Politician (Netflix) + The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern + Election (dir. Alexander Payne, 1999) + Nancy Drew (The CW) + The Spellman Files by + Nancy Drew by Kelly Thompson and Jenn St. Onge + Nancy Drew (dir. Andrew Fleming, 2007) + Nancy Drew (dir. Kat Shea, 2019) + Succession (HBO) + All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg + This is Where I Leave You (dir. Shawn Levy, 2014) + The Righteous Gemstones (HBO) + The Preacher's Wife by Kate Bowler + The Book of Essie by Meghan McLean Weir + Saved! (dir. Brian Dannelly, 2004) + Unbelievable (Netflix) + A False Report by Ken Armstrong and T. Christian Miller + The Hunting Ground (dir. Kirby Dick, 2015) + The Unicorn (CBS) + Fleishman is in Trouble by + Three Men and a Baby (dir. Leonard Nimoy, 1987) Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris's ranking of Taylor Swift songs, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 01 Feb 2018 | Episode 156 || January Reading Recap | 00:31:38 | |
It's our first monthly reading recap of 2018, and it's relatively light--in a good way! Follow along as Annie and Chris work their way through what they read, tropical fungal rash, and whatever David Duchovny is doing blurbing novels. Annie read: + The Ensemble by Aja Gabel + History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund + Campaign Widows by Aimee Agresti + This Love Story Will Self-Destruct by Leslie Cohen Chris read: + The Infinite Future by Tim Wirkus Also mentioned: + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin + Swamplandia by Karen Russell + Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close + All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg + Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell + Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like in-store playlists or Chris's comprehensive media log, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 10 Dec 2020 | 301 || Books You Might Have Missed | 00:36:51 | |
Annie is joined by frequent guest, friend and bookstagrammer, Hunter McLendon (@shelfbyshelf ) to chat about books they loved that you might have missed in 2020 since, you know, pandemic. The books mentioned in today’s episode can be purchased from The Bookshelf: Weather by Jenny Offill His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie Writers and Lovers by Lily King Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves Sad Janet by Lucie Britsch Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans Kept Animals by Kate Milliken Sisters by Daisy Johnson Cleanness by Garth Greenwell From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant and Hunter is reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 05 Nov 2015 | Episode 46 || October Reading Recap | 00:23:16 | |
| 26 Jul 2018 | Episode 181 || Baby Got Backlist | 00:42:34 | |
We talk a lot about brand new books on the show, but we thought it might be time to talk about some of our favorites from the "backlist." They're not new, but they're not "classics" yet, either. In any case, we think you should read them. You can find all of these books for sale in our online store. Chris and Annie recommend: + The Secret History by Donna Tartt + Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford + Loving Frank by Nancy Horan + The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco + Gilead by Marilynne Robinson + The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber + The Explanation for Everything by Lauren Grodstein + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer + A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan + The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker + The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce + The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman + How to Live Safely in a Science-Fictional Universe by Charles Yu + A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara + The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl + Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like a tour through market with Annie, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 17 Nov 2016 | Episode 94 || Mailbag, Vol. 1 | 00:17:43 | |
On this unintentionally abbreviated episode of the podcast, Annie and Chris answer a listener email all about finding the time to read. Have your own bookish question you'd like answered? Email Annie: annie [at] bookshelfthomasville [dot] com -- Check out The Bookshelf online store here. | |||
| 08 Apr 2021 | 315 || The Power of Poetry | 00:29:45 | |
Listen in this week as Annie is joined by special guest and author Andre' Hadley Marria (The Songs I Could Not Sing) to discuss all things poetry. The books mentioned in this week’s episode can be purchased from The Bookshelf:
Some of Andre’s other favorite poets:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 26 Sep 2019 | Episode 242 || Banned Books Week | 00:38:26 | |
Challenges and censorship are hard things to discuss! But we're going to try. The American Library Association's discussion of 2018's most challenged books is here. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris's ranking of Taylor Swift songs, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 29 Nov 2018 | Episode 199 || November Reading Recap | 00:30:51 | |
Thanksgiving is over, so it's the holiday season (the holiday season) and time to recap the books Annie read in November! + The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (on sale in January) + A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi + Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller + My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite + From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 01 Aug 2019 | Episode 234 || July Reading Recap | 00:38:11 | |
July was a very busy month here at The Bookshelf, and while our combined list is somewhat small, it allowed us to have a deeper conversation about what we managed to finish! You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. Annie read: + Ordinary People by Diana Evans + The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory + Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner + The Other's Gold by Elizabeth Ames Chris read: + Family of Origin by CJ Hauser + God by Reza Aslan Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 18 Mar 2021 | 312 || What Would Susie Read?, Vol. 2 | 00:41:33 | |
Annie’s mom Susie joins the podcast this week to discuss books for sensitive readers. The books mentioned in this week’s episode can be purchased from The Bookshelf:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann and Susie is reading The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 16 Feb 2017 | Episode 106 || Oscar Season Reading Recs | 00:32:52 | |
It's Oscar Season, so Annie and Chris are rounding up their favorite books for this year's moviegoers. Also in this episode, a new feature (!!!) and Chris continues to swallow his words. If you liked Arrival, you may like: Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn How to Life Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu The Time Traveler's Almanac by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer If you liked Hell or High Water, you may like: True Grit by Charles Portis American Fire by Monica Hesse Ordinary Grace by Willian Kent Krueger All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy If you liked Hidden Figures, you may like: The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan The Radium Girls by Kate Moore Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County by Kristen Green If you liked Moonlight, you may like: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman The Whale by Mark Beauregard If you liked La La Land, you may like: I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer NEW TITLES OUT THIS WEEK: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter We Are Okay by Nina LaCour The Airbnb Story by Leigh Gallagher Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt | |||
| 18 May 2017 | Episode 119 || The Politics of Being Southern | 00:31:36 | |
Chris is pursuing that ever-elusive PhD, so this week, Annie interviewed Sarah Holland from the Pantsuit Politics podcast. In addition to being the left-leaning cohost of Pantsuit Politics, Sarah is a city commissioner from Paducah, Kentucky, and she's a lifelong southerner. Annie and Sarah chatted about what "life in the South" really entails, including the hard truth about where Southern maker culture really comes from and Sarah's obsession with Designing Women. Annie and Sarah mentioned: + the Southern Foodways Alliance + the Whitney Plantation + Designing Women, "Southerns Do NOT Eat Dirt" + Classics Sarah's never read but wish she has: Don Quixote and War and Peace + Podcasts Sarah listens to: Pod Save America; The Weeds; This American Life; On Being; Death, Sex, & Money; Freakonomics; Hidden Brain + Indigo Girl's "Southland in the Springtime" + Sarah's currently reading: Tales of Titans, East of Eden, and Talent Code | |||
| 29 Aug 2019 | Episode 238 || We‘re Stressed Out! | 00:37:33 | |
Annie and Chris are back together, but y'all, it's a stressful season. And we know we always say that! Join us for a discussion of some of the particular stressors in our lives and how they do or do not affect our reading habits. Particular books we recommend on the subject are: + Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski + Marriageology by Belinda Luscombe Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris's ranking of Taylor Swift songs, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 09 Aug 2018 | Episode 183 || Owner of the Bookshelf | 00:45:04 | |
We asked, and it seems like a lot of people want to know: Who is Annie B. Jones? This week, Chris sits down with Annie to talk about how she came to be owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like behind-the-scenes content from life at the Bookshelf, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 18 Jan 2018 | Episode 154 || New Year, New You? | 00:27:05 | |
It's a new year and we've got our resolutions ready, but what about all those books that are supposed to help us sort ourselves out? This week, Annie and Chris chat about self-help and personal growth. Pretty scary, right? Mentioned this week: + The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton + Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller + A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller + Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell + The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo + The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell + The New Minimalism by Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici + The Capsule Wardrobe by Wendy Mak + The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees + The Art of Stopping Time by Pedram Shojai + How to Stop Time by Matt Haig (on sale February 6) + The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead + Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill by Gretchen Rubin + The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin + Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin + The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin + The Family Manager by Kathy Peel + The Simplified Life by Emily Ley + When by Daniel H. Pink + Originals by Adam Grant + Grit by Angela Duckworth + What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like our side-podcast Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 13 Aug 2020 | 284 || How to Start a Book Club | 00:43:36 | |
This week Annie discusses how to start a book club and includes the view point of several of her book club friends. The books mentioned on today’s podcast are available for purchase through The Bookshelf:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. | |||
| 02 Mar 2017 | Episode 108 || February Reading Recap | 00:32:05 | |
Annie and Chris walk you through what they read in February while several intrepid Saturday afternoon customers climb over a literal barricade outside the door to use the [closed] bathroom. Annie read: + The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas + This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Into the Water by Paula Hawkins + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Annie is currently reading: + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Chris read (but hasn't quite finished): + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Follow Annie's reading on Instagram at #anniereads2017. | |||
| 17 Mar 2016 | Episode 60 || Book Clubs + Guys | 00:28:32 | |
Ever wondered why guys aren't in book clubs? Listen as Annie and Grassroots Coffee roaster Peyton Hodges chat about co-ed book clubs, plus Peyton schools Annie on her knowledge of sci-fi literature. Peyton mentions: + Sad Puppies and the 2015 Hugo Awards + Ready Player One by Ernest Cline + Dune by Frank Herbert + Author David Wong + Author Neal Stephenson + Saga + Hark! A Vagrant --- How to rate/review From the Front Porch Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. | |||
| 11 Apr 2019 | Episode 218 || Backlist Book Club, Vol. 2 | 00:37:24 | |
Your favorite long-distance book club is back as Annie and frequent contributor Hunter discuss Mary Karr's celebrated memoir, The Liar's Club. You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. + The Liar's Club by Mary Karr Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 25 Jun 2020 | 277 || Traveling through Books | 00:40:19 | |
Annie is joined this week by her well-traveled friend and fellow entrepreneur, Morgan Thomason. Morgan is the designer behind Winsome Paper, a whimsical stationery brand. Annie and Morgan help listeners travel through books this summer as most of our travel plans are a bust (for now). The books discussed on today’s podcast are available for purchase from The Bookshelf: London picks:
Europe picks:
America picks:
Other hot summer vacation picks:
Annie’s Summer TBR list:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and Morgan is reading Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty by Kate Hennessy. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. | |||
| 12 Feb 2015 | Episode 13 || January Reading Recap | 00:30:02 | |
This episode, Annie reviews the books she read in January (eight in all... hooray!). A complete list of titles and reviews can be found on The Bookshelf store blog and in the latest issue of the Thomasville Townie. Author Celeste Ng has a helpful book club guide on her website, and her novel, Everything I Never Told You, comes out in paperback later this year. A free soundtrack inspired by Donald Miller's new book, Scary Close, is available here. Here's a link to that BookPage article about Scott Blackwood's See How Small. More about Carrie Rollwagen's The Localist can be found here. | |||
| 15 Oct 2020 | 293 || Baby-Sitters Back, Alright! | 00:43:21 | |
Annie is joined by Olivia and Lucy this week to discuss the Baby-Sitters Club books and the enjoyment they've brought during these strange times. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available at The Bookshelf: Claudia and the Phantom Caller The Truth about Stacey Mary-Anne Saves the Day Dawn and the Impossible Three Kristy’s Big Day Claudia and Mean Janine Boy-Crazy Stacey The Ghost at Dawn’s House A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week, I’m reading I Have Been Assigned the Single Bird by Sue Cerulean. Olivia is reading Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood. Lucy is reading The National Road by Tom Zoellner. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 03 Jun 2015 | Episode 27 || May Reading Recap | 00:32:02 | |
Annie reviews the books she read in May, including Mamrie Hart's You Deserve a Drink and Erik Larson's Dead Wake. Don't forget to rank and review the podcast on iTunes here. | |||
| 11 Mar 2021 | 311 || Literary Therapy, Vol. 6 | 00:43:01 | |
This week Annie puts her literary therapy hat back on to answer some listener questions. To leave your own voicemail for an upcoming literary therapy episode, go here. The books mentioned in this week’s episode can be purchased from The Bookshelf:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 01 Oct 2020 | 291 || September Reading Recap | 00:37:04 | |
This week Annie recaps the books she read in September.
A full transcript for today’s episode is available here. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online books orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. | |||
| 29 Jun 2017 | Episode 125 || June Reading Recap | 00:31:29 | |
It's hot as something down here in the South, and Chris and Annie are back to talk about what they read in June. It was a light month of the highest quality. Also, Chris Pine: hot or not? And happy anniversary, Harry Potter. Annie read: + The End We Start From by Megan Hunter (on sale November 7) + Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson (on sale July 11) + Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly (on sale October 10) + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (on sale (on sale September 12) + Theft by Finding by David Sedaris + The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante Chris read: + Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu Hey, did you know that we read and recap books in literally every episode of this podcast, not just the ones labeled "Reading Recap"? I just want to make sure that you do because we have so many recommendations for you all the time always and want you to enjoy! | |||
| 27 Jul 2017 | Episode 129 || Read It Again, Sam | 00:29:38 | |
Do you really know a book from reading it just once? Annie and Chris weigh in on re-reading and why they do it--or don't. Is there a value in re-reading or is it a waste of time? Are there some books that deserve to be read more than once and others that don't? Also, move over, Schrödinger. We've got our own theoretical cat experiment. "Finding out what happens is the least part of reading." Mentioned this week: + Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth + Little Women by Louisa May Alcott + An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott + Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott + Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott + the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling + the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis + The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien + The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald + The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger + Brave New World by Aldous Huxley + To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee + The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins + Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel + Paradise Lost by John Milton + The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt + The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon + The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe + Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff + Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Check out Shelf Subscriptions, a new monthly book delivery service from The Bookshelf, on our website and sign up for fresh picks from Annie, Chris, and the rest of The Bookshelf staff! | |||
| 23 Jul 2015 | Episode 33 || Adventures on the Coast | 00:34:20 | |
Learn about Florida's coastal islands as Annie interviews author and naturalist Sue Cerulean. Sue's newest book, COMING TO PASS, both inspires and informs readers about Florida's coast. In this episode, Annie and Sue discuss what makes this region of the country unique and where to go adventuring (including Birdsong Nature Center, Leon Sinks, Wakulla Springs, St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, and the Ochlocknee River State Park), plus Sue shares some her favorite writers and books, like Janisse Ray's ECOLOGY OF A CRACKER CHILDHOOD. | |||
| 12 Apr 2018 | Episode 166 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 12 | 00:49:36 | |
Annie sits down for our bi-monthly show-within-a-show with frequent guests Emily and Hunter. This month, one of President Obama's favorite books of 2017, The Power by Naomi Alderman. This week's episode is brought to you in part by the City of Thomasville's 97th annual Rose Show and Festival. To learn more (and to begin booking your trip), check out the City of Thomasville's website. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like our weekly behind-the-scenes newsletter, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 28 May 2020 | 273 || May Reading Recap | 00:43:27 | |
This week, Annie recaps the fourteen books she read during the month of May, all of which can be purchased on The Bookshelf’s website:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 finishing The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 09 Nov 2017 | Episode 144 || October Reading Recap | 00:37:32 | |
It's a week later than usual, but it's a brand new month, which means it's time for a reading recap, our monthly feature in which Annie and Chris briefly review what they read this month. October was long, but we read some great books! Annie read: + Thanks, Obama by David Litt + Sunburn by Laura Lippman + Unbelievable by Katy Tur + Turtles All the Way Down by John Green + Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro + Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum + Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Chris read: + Pregnant Butch by A. K. Summers + Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel + The First Bad Man by Miranda July Also mentioned: + Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco + Looking for Alaska by John Green + The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Check out their website here. Find a full back catalogue of our show here. If you're interested in our exclusive bonus content like Unpopular Opinions or our weekly newsletter, you can learn more on our Patreon site. | |||
| 11 Jan 2018 | Episode 153 || Reading Resolutions, Vol. 4 | 00:27:42 | |
It's a new year, so Chris and Annie are back to discuss their reading plans for 2018. Spoiler: We're not doing quantitative tracking. Also, what is the natural habitat of the North American beaver? Additionally, an extended discussion on Jason Rekulak's The Impossible Fortress and what "YA" means in terms of readership. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like our side-podcast Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 01 Apr 2021 | 314 || March Reading Recap | 00:52:55 | |
This week Annie recaps and reviews her March reads. The books mentioned in this week’s episode can be purchased from The Bookshelf: March Reads:
Other books mentioned:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 145th Street by Walter Dean Myers. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 12 May 2016 | Episode 68 || Our Feelings on the News | 00:41:13 | |
What do you get when you have a bookstore staffer who's also a news junkie? A very special episode of this podcast. Chris and Annie chat with bookseller Sterling Ivey about news in pop culture, favorite news sources, and what he really thinks about morning show hosts. Sterling's favorite podcasts: + Serial + Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin Books mentioned in this episode: + Middlemarch + Plato's Republic + The First Nazi + Kissinger + The Whale + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty | |||
| 13 Feb 2020 | 258 || To All the Boys in Books I‘ve Loved Before | 00:36:26 | |
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Annie and her two special guests — Ashley Sherlock, cousin, friend, and former Bookshelf social media guru, and Hunter McLendon of @shelfbyshelf — discuss the book To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han and reminisce about all the literary crushes they’ve had and what literary crushes say about you. Most of the books discussed today can be purchased from The Bookshelf:
Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D productions for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week Hunter is listening to Flowers in the Attic and Ashley is listening to Such A Fun Age on Libro.fm. This week, Annie is reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King, and she adores it. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 09 Feb 2017 | Episode 105 || WWLKD? | 00:24:29 | |
It's Galentine's Day, so Annie and Chris are answering the question on everyone's mind: What would Leslie Knope read? Also this episode, pipe bombs--the new cooking craze sweeping America? Join us at The Bookshelf on Friday, February 10, from 6 to 8 for Galentine's Day festivities, and check out our downtown partners Mode, Smith Collective, Tallokas Road, Signature Clothing Lounge, and You're Maker. +Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik +Sisters in Law by Linda Hirshman +Daring Greatly by Brené Brown +Happy Cityby Charles Montgomery +The Localist by Carrie Rollwagen Find Brené Brown's TED Talk here. Shop with us online here. | |||
| 07 Sep 2017 | Episode 135 || Campus Tour + Nothing Stays the Same! | 00:37:40 | |
Welcome to the brand new month of September! School is back in session, Fall is (kinda-sorta) in the air, and change is afoot. Check out our new podcast website and see all the new, special content we've been making just for you! Also, Nick and Vanessa? Donezo. Mentioned this week: + The Secret History by Donna Tartt + Liberal Arts + Shadow of the Lions by Christopher Swann + A Separate Peace by John Knowles + Looking for Alaska by John Green + The Fault in Our Stars by John Green + The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach + Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld + Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan + Friends from College + Tribal by Diane Roberts + Tribe by Sebastian Junger + Against Football by Steve Almond + The One and Only by Emily Giffin Learn more about Forlorn Strangers at their website. Support us on Patreon here. Find your favorite books in our online store. | |||
| 11 Feb 2021 | 307 || Share Your Stuff: A Galentine‘s Conversation | 01:00:55 | |
Annie is joined by special guest and author Laura Tremaine, whose new book, Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First, is perfect reading for Galentine’s Day. Laura is also the host of the podcast Ten Things to Tell You, and her book’s mission intertwines beautifully with her work there, encouraging readers and listeners to open up and share their stories. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available for purchase from The Bookshelf:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 15 Jun 2017 | Episode 123 || First Impressions | 00:28:41 | |
We judge books by their covers so you don't have to. First impressions are important, but are they always right or fair? Annie and Chris talk through the 50-Page Rule, trusting your gut, changing your impression, and the importance of not reading in a vacuum. Also, recommend us to a friend! Discussion includes: + The Leavers by Lisa Ko + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer + Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen + Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy + Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky + Frankenstein by Mary Shelley + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey + The First Bad Man by Miranda July + The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger + Exit West by Mohsin Hamid + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson + One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Tag us (@bookshelftville) in a tweet or Instagram post telling us what we're doing right. We want to give you more! | |||
| 23 Jul 2020 | 281 || Owning a Bookstore: A Reflection | 00:35:11 | |
This week, Annie shares her journey of becoming, and being, the owner of The Bookshelf for the past seven years. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 The Bright Lands by John Fram. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
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| 09 Apr 2020 | 266 || Literary Therapy, Vol. 2 | 00:41:34 | |
Today, it’s time for another round of Literary Therapy. If you’re new here, Literary Therapy is a recurring episode series in which Annie plays the Dr. Frasier Crane or the Lucy van Pelt to listeners’ literary ailments. As mentioned in the episode, you can get book recs from the following:
The books mentioned in today’s episode can be purchased on The Bookshelf’s website:
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 03 May 2018 | Episode 169 || April Reading Recap | 00:36:09 | |
April showers bring Mayflowers, but what do Mayflowers bring? Well, that's complicated, but what Annie and Chris bring to the table is a new recap of what they read in April. Also, social media? Donezo. Annie read: + Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley + Limelight by Amy Poeppel + The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills + Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton (on sale June 5) + Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann + The Sarah Book by Scott McClanahan For a fantastic story about a local production of Peter Pan gone awry, check out this classic episode of This American Life. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like What Annie Didn't Finish, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 26 Mar 2015 | Episode 19 || March Madness, Vol. 1 | 00:49:12 | |
Annie and Jordan tackle literary bracketology, BOOK MADNESS 2015, and John Green. | |||
| 16 Aug 2018 | Episode 184 || Curriculum | 00:47:50 | |
Since this was Annie's show last week, it's only fair that Chris gets a turn, too! He's thoughtfully prepared four sets of discussion-based course curriculum just like he would for one of his classes at Florida State--in fact, two of them are adapted from courses he's actually taught. These curated lists of five books each are centered around asking questions. Perfect for book clubs! The ranking Annie mentions at the top of the show can be found here. The 'Other' Mother (for fans of That Kind of Mother) + Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu + The First Bad Man by Miranda July + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett How to be a Human (for fans of Station Eleven) + Brave New World by Aldous Huxley + Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury + A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller, Jr. + Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro + The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Florida, O Florida (for people who wonder how we live here) + Best. State. Ever. by Dave Barry + Swamplandia! by Karen Russell + Sunshine State by Sarah Gerard + Florida by Lauren Groff + Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer Small Town Living (for fans of A Man Called Ove) + Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry + This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick + The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch + The From-Aways by CJ Hauser + Beartown by Frederik Backman Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like a collaborative newsletter, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 02 Nov 2017 | Episode 143 || Short Form | 00:37:39 | |
Why do so many readers seem to be afraid of short stories? Annie and Chris chat with author and professor CJ Hauser about how short stories are different from novels, how to approach a collection, and why book clubs should embrace shorts. Stop worrying and love the short story! Mentioned this episode: + The Collected Stories of Grace Paley + Selected Stories: Andre Dubus + Flannery O'Connor: The Complete Stories + We're in Trouble by Christopher Coake + Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson + Emporium by Adam Johnson + Later, at the Bar by Rebecca Barry + Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout + Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower + CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders + One More Thing by B. J. Novak + Music for Wartime by Rebecca Makkai + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Awayland by Ramona Ausubel + Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado CJ's favorite collections: + Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger + Bear Down, Bear North by Melinda Moustakis + St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell Annie's favorite collections: + St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell + Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson + A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor Chris's favorite collections: + No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July + Sorry Please Thank You by Charles Yu + CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders Learn more about CJ and find links to her writing on her website. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for our intro music. You can check them out at their website. This episode is sponsored in part by Fontaine Maury, a branding and design firm with offices in Thomasville and Tallahassee. Check them out at their website. You can find full episodes of our show on our website. You can support us on Patreon here. | |||
| 17 Jan 2019 | Episode 206 || Seasonal Reads: Fresh Start | 00:33:30 | |
Believe it or not, we're only two weeks into the new year. It's a time when many of us make new resolutions and restart aspects of our lives with fresh eyes and a fresh heart. This week on the show, Chris and Annie talk about all the things "fresh start" might mean--and all the books to help yours. Also, as with last week, we accidentally recorded with a built-in laptop microphone, so please excuse our audio quality! Mentioned this week: + The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo + Cozy Minimalist Home by Miquillyn Smith + Calypso by David Sedaris + Bossypants by Tina Fey + Yes Please by Amy Poehler + Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling + Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling + This Will Only Hurt A Little by Busy Philipps + Becoming by Michelle Obama + Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett + This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng + Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss + What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vaderkam + Essentialism by Brene Brown + Lord of the Flies by William Golding + Hey Ladies by Caroline Moss and Michelle Markowitz + If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin If you're not already on board, check out Libro.fm for all your audiobook needs. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 31 May 2018 | Episode 173 || May Reading Recap | 00:41:41 | |
As the old and definitely very common saying goes, May is the December of the spring, and with that in mind, it's time for our regular recap of the books Chris and Annie read this month. If you've got a few minutes, help us out by filling out this survey. Annie read: + The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon + The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager + Minding the Store by Julie Gaines (on sale October 30) + Hey Ladies! by Caroline Moss and Michelle Markowitz + The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel + Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson + Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King + The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman + A Double Life by Flynn Berry (on sale July 31) Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 07 May 2020 | 270 || Building a Personal Library | 00:36:04 | |
Annie is joined today by my friend Hunter McLendon to talk all about personal libraries. What books do we buy, which do we borrow? What titles stay on our shelves forever and which ones make their way to a donation bin? The books mentioned in today’s episode can be purchased on The Bookshelf’s website. The New York Times' piece about celebrities' bookshelves is here. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Hunter is reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 20 Feb 2020 | 259 || Literary Therapy, Vol. 1 | 00:27:47 | |
Today, Annie is diving into listeners’ bookish dilemmas with some literary therapy. Topics include romance novels, tackling nonfiction, genre shame, and, of course, Little Women. Pretend Annie is coming to you live from Seattle, because she is Annie Jones, and she is listening. Want to leave a voicemail for the next round of Literary Therapy? Email podcast@bookshelfthomasville.com, or leave a voicemail here. Bossy Pants by Tina Fey Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe Dead Wake by Erik Larson The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Inheritance by Dani Shapiro Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Know My Name by Chanel Miller I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Americana by Bhu Srinivasan An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino 27 Dresses by Jesse Russell Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy by Ann Boyd Rioux March Sisters by Kate Bolick, Jenny Zhang, Carmen Maria Machado & Jane Smiley Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D 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 Handle with Care by Lore Ferguson Wilbert. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free shipping on all your online orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 30 Jan 2020 | Episode 256 || January Reading Recap | 00:34:22 | |
On this week’s episode of From the Front Porch, Annie recaps all the books she read in January. These can be ordered or pre-ordered through The Bookshelf website:
Follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D productions for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week, Annie’s listening to Know My Name by Chanel Miller, which you can listen to on Libro.fm. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon. | |||
| 08 Sep 2016 | Episode 85 || Saints of Old Florida | 00:26:38 | |
For some, life on the Gulf Coast is a religion, and now, we've got our very own Bible of sorts: Saints of Old Florida, a gorgeous new lifestyle book by Emily Raffield, Melissa Farrell, and Christina McDermott. Emily and Melissa chatted with Annie and Chris about life on the coast, their favorite coastal memories, and why collecting our Southern stories is so important. For more information about Emily, Melissa, Christina, and their new book, visit their website, Saints of Old Florida. The book can be purchased online or through several locally-owned shops in and around the coast; a full stockist list is here. Melissa's shop in Port St. Joe is called Joseph's Cottage. In this episode, books and podcasts mentioned include: + Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert + Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray + Garance Dore's podcast, Pardon My French | |||
| 16 Jun 2016 | Episode 73 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 3 | 00:34:26 | |
Ever wondered if a particular book is worth reading? In our Love It or Loathe It episodes, we debate newly released titles and whether they're worth adding to your TBR list or not. This episode, Annie, Rebekah, and Hunter chat about Walt by Russell Wangersky. | |||
| 01 Jun 2017 | Episode 121 || May Reading Recap | 00:39:20 | |
This week, Chris is back to discuss the books he and Annie read in May, one of which doesn't actually come out until next calendar year. Whoops. Also, May is a very, very long month. Annie read: + When You Find Out the World is Against You by Kelly Oxford + Option B by Sheryl Sandberg + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett + The Assistants by Camille Perri + Ms. Marvel, vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona + The Senator's Children by Nicholas Montemarano (out November 7) + The Leavers by Lisa Ko + Windfall by Jennifer Smith + Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (out January 2018) Chris read: + The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz + It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (out October 17) + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer See also Katie Couric's interview with Sheryl Sandberg here. | |||
| 04 Jul 2019 | Episode 230 || Seasonal Reads: America | 00:35:05 | |
As the heat settles and the mosquitos start biting and we all converge in the back of a pickup truck in an antique store parking lot to watch the fireworks, we hope you'll take the time to join us for a conversation on books about what our nation is, has been, and could be. Happy Independence Day. https://www.raicestexas.org/donate/ You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. + Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville + Signing Their Lives Away and Signing Their Rights Away by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese + I Think You're Wrong, But I'm Listening by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth A. Shivers + A Sin By Any Other Name by Robert W. Lee + We Were 8 Years in Powerby Ta-Nehisi Coates + The Soul of America by Jon Meacham + Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie + Rise and Fall by Mitchell Zuckoff + Impeachment: An American History by Jeffrey A. Engel, Jon Meacham, Timothy Naftali, and Peter Baker + Parkland by Dave Cullen + Dissent and the Supreme Court by Melvin Urofsky + Songs of America by Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 12 Nov 2020 | 297 || Holiday Shopping with The Bookshelf | 00:33:46 | |
This week, Annie is joined by Bookshelf manager, Olivia Schaffer and online sales coordinator, Lucy Stoltzfus. The three talk all about holiday book-buying and sharing their favorite titles for gifting this season. A full transcript of the episode can be found here. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available for purchase from The Bookshelf: What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani This Is a Book for People Who Love the Royals by Rebecca Stoeker Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval Creativity by John Cleese The Zealot and the Emancipator by H.W. Brands Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty Crossings by Alex Landragin The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week, I’m reading Admission by Julie Buxbaum. Lucy is reading The Heiress by Molly Greeley. Olivia is reading Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. | |||
| 20 Dec 2018 | Episode 202 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 16 | 00:40:44 | |
Annie is joined once again by frequent guest contributors Hunter and Emily to discuss Puddin' by Julie Murphy. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show, including the first fifteen installments of Love It or Loathe It, here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 13 Mar 2015 | Episode 17 || The Future of Retail | 00:26:51 | |
Annie and Katie discuss The Localist, kindred spirit Carrie Rollwagen, shopping locally in Thomasville, "perfect as enemy of the good," the future of retail, why it's okay to settle, and what they're reading right now. (Bonus reading: Ronda Rich on why shopping for books in person is always better, John Green on the future of bookselling, why Millennials like to read paper books, and "The Health of the Independent Bookstore.") | |||
| 31 Mar 2016 | Episode 62 || A New Host + March Reading Recap | 00:33:36 | |
The podcast introduces a new co-host with a familiar voice, and Annie recaps the books she read in March, including: - Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - The After Party by Anton DiSclafani - I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck - Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk - This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick Annie also menions: American Girls, The Nest, and The Excellent Lombards. Find the Perfect Days podcast episode here. Check out this episode of This American Life about American teenagers on social media. (It's fascinating!) --- Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. | |||
| 10 Mar 2016 | Episode 59 || Path to a Presidency | 00:27:39 | |
Small-town virtues to the Oval Office? Jimmy Carter's presidency may have inspired our current political climate, and Annie interviews author Robert Buccellato to find out why. His new book Jimmy Carter in Plains shares insight into President Carter's approachability and how his underdog story and small-town, Southern charm made a lasting impact. + Robert's author page + tour dates + How to rate/review From the Front Porch + From the Front Porch on iTunes Robert is reading Stone Door, a YA fantasy, and Why the Dutch Are Different, a memoir. Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. | |||
| 08 Jul 2015 | Episode 32 || Reading Rhythms | 00:27:20 | |
Annie and Katie discuss the importance of establishing a reading rhythm and debate reading in bed, plus reference book blogger Modern Mrs. Darcy and this fantastic podcast episode by NPR podcast Note to Self. Katie shares her favorite poetry book for young kids, Lullaby and Kisses Sweet, and Annie raves about Kitchens of the Great Midwest.
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| 15 Oct 2015 | Episode 44 || The Happiness Project + Gretchen Rubin | 00:31:56 | |
What one book would you make your community read? Annie interviews New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin; they chat about habits, happiness, and Thomasville's One Book 2015 festival. Then, Annie visits with Lauren Basford, executive director of the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce. Gretchen's podcast | One Book website | Chamber of Commerce website | |||
| 14 Nov 2019 | Episode 249 || Who Are We Really? | 00:45:03 | |
Chris and Annie take a personal deep-dive into a few literary characters they may or may not resemble, and what that ultimately means to them. You can read CJ Hauser's "Just (Un)Like Me" at The Millions. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Annie's author interviews, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 08 Jun 2017 | Episode 122 || Buy or Borrow? | 00:29:18 | |
Do you buy all of your books or do you borrow some? Annie and Chris answer a listener question and discuss their personal libraries, where they get their books, and what to do with the whole idea of a library when they spend their lives in the Bookshelf. This episode is also kind of a follow-up to Episode 83 || Books in Houses. "A home without books is like a body without a soul." - Pseudo-Cicero | |||
| 23 Sep 2014 | Episode 5 || A Chat on Education | 00:22:33 | |
The podcast is back this month after a brief summer hiatus, and Annie and Katie are talking about their favorite books on education. They're covering Montessori schools and the importance of playing outside, plus how big a role technology plays in today's classrooms. And, this month, Annie's introducing shownotes -- a rundown of everything discussed in this episode. Books on education you need to add to your list: - Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner - Whatever It Takes by Paul Tough - The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer - How Children Succeed by Paul Tough - The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley What you need to watch: The Up Series, a BBC documentary that follows a group of children from the age of seven until present day. "Give me a child when he is seven, and I will show you the man." Katie's intrigued by Bill Gates' Big History Project, which aims to give students of all ages an over-arching picture of our world's history. Check it out here. Turns out intellect is only a small part of how we learn and succeed. David Brooks talks about the "mental virtues" in this article in the New York Times. Let's lighten up with a look at how our vocabulary is shaped and what words make up your fingerprint. | |||
| 07 Mar 2019 | Episode 213 || Seasonal Reads: Spring Break | 00:32:43 | |
I don't know what it's like where you live, but we're in the middle of a cold snap, and it doesn't feel much like spring break. Join us this week on a new installment of Seasonal Reads in which we recommend just the right books to get you ready for a break. Spring break forever. You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. + The Vacationers by Emma Straub + Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty + Tomorrow There Will Be Sun by Dana Reinhardt + Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy + This is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison + A Separation by Katie Kitamura + Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter + Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward + Tangerine by Christine Mangan + Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan + The From-Aways by CJ Hauser + Summer Sisters by Judy Blume Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and Annie's Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||
| 13 Sep 2018 | Episode 188 || Does What the Author Thinks Actually Matter? | 00:34:39 | |
When authors endlessly tweet about what was actually happening in the background of a given book, or, worse, release a sequel or companion text, does that thrill you or make you cringe? This week, Annie and Chris field a listener question about what counts as "canon" in the books we love. Also, more #blandsome files. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and listen more here. Listen to a full back catalogue of our show here, and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like brief interviews with not-so-hideous booksellers, consider supporting us on Patreon here. | |||