From the Front Porch

274 || Reading as a Place to Start

It’s hard to know what to say, so this week’s episode is unusually short, focused instead on sending you toward resources we hope might be helpful as we grieve and learn together.

You can find several titles geared toward racial justice on our store website, including: How to Be an Antiracist, Just Mercy, and I’m Still Here. Ten percent of the proceeds from the sales of these titles and more are being donated to the Equal Justice Initiative.

Traci from The Stacks Podcast and Jaime from Absorbed in Pages posted excellent lists of fiction and nonfiction titles addressing anti-black racism and anti-racism. 

• Fiction

• Nonfiction

You can listen to The Stacks podcast here, and if you want to support Jamie and Traci directly, consider purchasing through Bookshop:

• Jamie’s Bookshop page

• Traci’s Bookshop page

Other resources:

• Black Coffee with White Friends

• Mockingbird History Lessons

• Black Coffee with White Friends book list

More than ever, it’s important to support black-owned small businesses; below are links to a few bookstores owned by people of color, and a more comprehensive list can be found here.

• Brave + Kind in Georgia

• The Listening Tree in Georgia

• The Lit Bar in the Bronx

• Loyalty Bookstore in D.C.

• Books and Crannies in Virginia

• Semicolon in Chicago

• Harriett’s Bookshop in Philadelphia

273 || May Reading Recap

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:

• Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

• Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

• American Royals by Katherine McGee

• You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe

• Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

• Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

• Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

• Beach Read by Emily Henry

• Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin

• Sea Wife by Amity Gaige

• All Things Reconsidered by Knox McCoy

• Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin (Buy your own Babysitter’s Book Club bundle here!)

• The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

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.

272 || Casting Call

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.

271 || The One with the Pandemic

Annie and cousin, friend, and former Bookshelf staffer Ashley Sherlock share their thoughts on quarantine reading. What is one supposed to read during a global pandemic? The following are Annie and Ashley’s recommendations.

All of the books mentioned in today’s podcast are available at The Bookshelf:

• The one who wants to pretend everything is fine: How To Be Fine by Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer; The Office by Andy Greene; Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

• The new homeschooler: Matilda by Roald Dahl; Bloomability by Sharon Creech

• The graduate with no graduation: Here For It by R. Eric Thomas; Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas // Booksmart on Hulu

• The one freaking out: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox & the Horse by Charlie Mackesy;The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits

• The one doomsday prepping: The Road by Cormac McCarthy; The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker // The Leftovers on HBO

• The one planning her post-pandemic party: The After Party by Anton DiSclafani; The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

• The one dreaming of a trip she’ll never take: Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin;The Vacationers by Emma Straub // Home on AppleTV

• The one who cries every day at 3:00: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman

• The one whose family is driving them crazy: All Adults Here by Emma Straub; The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson or The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

• The one whose wedding got postponed: Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams; Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen

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 Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas and Ashley is reading The Office by Andy Greene.

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.

270 || Building a Personal Library

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.

269 || April Reading Recap

This week, Annie recaps the eleven books she read during the month of April, all of which can be purchased on The Bookshelf’s website:

• Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan (released June 30, 2020)

• The Return by Rachel Harrison

• Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida (released January 12, 2021)

• An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

• The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

• Bloomability by Sharon Creech

• The Herd by Andrea Bartz

• The Guest List by Lucy Foley

• The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey

• Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

• The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Other books mentioned:

• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

• Writers and Lovers by Lily King

• Ten Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

• Option B by Sheryl Sandberg

• A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

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 still reading You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe.

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.

268 || Baby Got Books

This week, Annie chats with Bookshelf staffer Lucy all about her favorite baby books and books for mom and moms-to-be, including:

• Great with Child
• How to Raise a Reader
• Giraffes Can’t Dance
• The Read-Aloud Family
• Who Sang the First Song
• Don't Forget to Remember
• You Nest with Me
• Because
• Cribsheet
• Expecting Better
• Let Us Pray
• The Word of the Lord
• If There Never Was a You

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's reading The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey. Lucy is reading The Splendid and the Vile. 

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.

267 || Recommended Royal Reads

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:

• The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

• The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

• Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel

• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

• American Royals by Katharine McGee

• Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

• The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot

• Dear America series

• Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

• Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham

Recommendations for Harry and Meghan:

• Burnout by Emily Nagoski (for Meghan)

• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (for Harry)

• This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (for Harry)

• Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis

Recommendations for Queen Elizabeth:

• A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Recommendations for Charles:

• All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg

Recommendations for William and Kate:

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck (for William)

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle Melton (for 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.

266 || Literary Therapy, Vol. 2

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:

• Hunter Mclendon at @shelfbyshelf

• Tyler Goodson at @tylergoodson

• Laura Tremaine at @laura.tremaine

• Mary Laura Philpott at @marylauraphilpott

The books mentioned in today’s episode can be purchased on The Bookshelf’s website:

• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

• Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

• The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

• The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani

• The Explanation of Everything by Lauren Grodstein

• Francis and Bernard by Carlene Bauer

• Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

• The Ensemble by Aja Gabel

• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

• A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

• A Separate Peace by John Knowles

• The Mothers by Brit Bennett

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.

265 || Bookish Bingo

Annie and Olivia sat down in the middle of the chaos to talk about The Bookshelf’s reading challenge (of sorts!) for 2020. We covered all sorts of categories, with a variety of books:

• A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

• Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

• The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

• The BFG by Roald Dahl

• There There by Tommy Orange

• The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

• The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer

• The Round House by Louise Erdrich

• This Is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila

• Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson

• She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

• Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

• Brief Answers to Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

• A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

• The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner

• Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

• The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly

• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkienn

• The Martian by Andy Weir

• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

• No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

• The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

• Bread and Wine; Bittersweet; Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

• Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl

• Flour + Water by Thomas McNaughton

• The Apprentice by Jacques Pepin

• Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White

• Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

• Illegal by Eion Colfer

• Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Aliyy

• We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

• How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang

• The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

• The Great Gatsby and Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

• Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

• Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey

• Seven Days in Augusta by Mark Cannizzaro

• Believe It by Nick Foles

• The City Game by Matthew Goodman

• Open by Andre Agassi

Find your Bookish bingo card 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's 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.