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Welcome to From the Front Porch, a weekly conversational podcast on books, small business, and life in the South, produced by The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia.
Episodes
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie is joined by Hunter McLendon (@shelfbyshelf) to chat about their 2023 reading resolutions!
We’re thrilled that you can now shop for the books mentioned in this episode on our brand-new website:
Annie's reading resolutions last year:
Recitatif by Toni Morrison
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Sula by Toni Morrison
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Annie's resolutions this year:
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
Standing by Words by Wendell Berry (unavailable to order)
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
This week, Annie is reading Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny. Hunter is reading The Farewell Tour by Stephanie Clifford.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, and Laurie Johnson.
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
This week on From the Front Porch, it’s time for another Literary Therapy session! Our literary Frasier Crane, Annie, is back to answer more of your reading questions and dilemmas. If you have a question you would like Annie to answer in a future episode, you can leave us a voicemail here.
Our new website will be live on Friday, January 20! You can purchase books mentioned in today’s episode in the store or on our website starting January 20:
Heating & Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly (unavailable to order)
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
But You Did Not Come Back by Marceline Loridan-Ivens (unavailable order)
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (unavailable to order)
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Brainwaite
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb (unavailable to order)
Glitter & Glue by Kelly Corrigan (unavailable to order)
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
One More Thing by BJ Novak (unavailable to order)
Single, Carefree, and Mellow by Katherine Heiny (unavailable to order)
Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close (unavailable to order)
My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Maus by Art Spiegalman
Displacement by Lucy Knisley (unavailable to order)
Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto (unavailable to order)
And Now I Spill the Family Secrets by Margaret Kimball (unavailable to order)
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall
Audition by Barbara Walters
I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethaway
Beautiful Country by Quian Julie Wang
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker (unavailable to order)
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
Spare by Prince Harry
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Chasing History by Charles Bernstein
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
This week, Annie is reading Spare by Prince Harry.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, and Laurie Johnson.
Thursday Jan 05, 2023
Thursday Jan 05, 2023
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie tells you all about her favorite books ever! Don’t forget to join our bookish Patreon community and get your copy of Bleak House if you’d like to join our Conquer a Classic Book Club this year.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (unavailable to order)
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
This week, Annie is reading Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
This week on From the Front Porch, The Bookshelf staff share their favorite books of 2022!
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Art & Faith by Makoto Fujimura
The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines (Libro.fm)
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Saturday Dec 24, 2022
Saturday Dec 24, 2022
Merry Christmas, friends! On today’s bonus episode, Annie reads the New York Sun reporter Francis P. Church’s timeless 1897 response to eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon’s question: “Is there a Santa Claus?” Read the letter and learn about its history here.
We wish you and yours a peaceful and joyful holiday! Thank you for listening.
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie and Hunter (@shelfbyshelf) discuss their top five favorite books of 2022!
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
Annie's Top Five:
The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
Hunter's Top Five:
The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
Trust by Hernan Diaz
The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid
Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell
Other favorites:
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela
Paul by Daisy Lafarge
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
Clean Air by Sarah Blake
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
This week, Annie is reading Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston. Hunter is reading A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie is joined by friend, cousin and former colleague, Ashley Sherlock. Annie and Ashley share what they’re reading, watching, listening to and buying.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
Annie’s holiday reading:
-
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
-
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
-
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Ashley’s holiday reading:
-
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Other books mentioned in this episode:
-
Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks (releases 1/10/23)
-
Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham
Annie’s holiday watching:
-
Home Alone
-
The Family Stone
-
White Christmas
-
Miracle on 34th Street
-
#Xmas (Clare Bowen and Brant Daugherty)
Ashley’s holiday watching:
-
White Christmas
-
Miracle on 34th Street
-
Elf
-
It’s a Wonderful Life
Annie’s holiday listening:
-
My First Popsicle edited by Zosia Mamet
-
Taste by Stanley Tucci
Ashley’s buying:
-
Zabar’s
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
If you liked what you heard in 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
This week on From the Front Porch, it’s time for another Literary Therapy session! Our literary Frasier Crane, Annie, is back to answer more of your reading questions and dilemmas. If you have a question you would like Annie to answer in a future episode, you can leave us a voicemail here.
Get your copies of the books mentioned in this episode from The Bookshelf:
Flight by Lynn Steger Strong
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak (currently unavailable to order)
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
Voracious! by Cara Nicoletti (currently unavailable to order)
My First Popsicle edited by Zosia Mamet
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Winter Solstice by Rosmunde Pilcher
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (currently unavailable to order)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva (currently unavailable to order)
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Wintering by Katherine May
Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
Little Women (painted edition) by Louisa May Alcott
Persuasion (painted edition) by Jane Austen
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
All These Wonders and Occasional Magic by The Moth
Liturgies for Hope by Elizabeth Moore & Audrey Elledge
A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Miracle on 10th Street by Madeleine L’Engle (currently unavailable to order)
A Treasury of Family Christmas Poems by Union Square Kids
The Boy, The Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses (releases 1/17/23)
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
If you liked what you heard in 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Thursday Dec 01, 2022
Thursday Dec 01, 2022
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in November. As always, we’re offering a Reading Recap Bundle, which features Annie’s three favorite books she read this month.
Get your November Reading Recap Bundle or your favorites of Annie’s November reads on our website:
November Reading Recap Bundle (includes The Road, Have I Told You This Already?, and Holiday Romance)
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Maame by Jessica George (releases 1/31/23)
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
If you liked what you heard in 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving! We’re so grateful for you. To thank you for listening, we have a special episode for you this week: a recording of our live show from our August Reader Retreat! In this episode, Annie, Ashley, and Hunter pair books with their favorite celebrity couples and chat about what they were reading, watching, and listening to this past summer.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements
The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
My Eyes are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann (currently unavailable to order)
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
The Work Wife by Alison Hart
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Hooked by Sutton Foster
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
Florida Woman by Deb Rogers
Paul by Daisy Lefarge
Babysitter by Joyce Carol Oates
All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan
Husband Material by Alexis Hall
Rabbit Run by John Updike (currently unavailable to order)
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
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 Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.
If you liked what you heard in 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 and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Our Executive Producers are... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.