From the Front Porch

Episode 207 || KonMari and the ”30 Books” Rule

There's been some hubbub in the online book world about something Marie Kondo may or may not have said about how many books you should keep in your home. This week on the show, Annie and Chris attempt to set the record straight and consider how and why we value the books we love.

You can read the Bustle article on KonMari by Kerri Jarema 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.  

Episode 206 || Seasonal Reads: Fresh Start

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.  

Episode 205 || Reading Resolutions, Vol. 5

Happy New Year! For real this time. This week, Annie and Chris talk about what worked and what didn't in 2018 and about setting their reading goals and intentions for the new year. It's just the time for a fresh start. 

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.  

Episode 204 || Leftovers, or Mailbag, Vol. 5

Happy New Year! For auld lang syne, Annie and Chris sat down to answer some leftover listener questions from our recent 200th episode. 

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.  

Episode 203 || Best Books of 2018

We made it! Thanks for everything you've given us, 2018, but we're moving on. Before we do, though, we've compiled our own end-of-year list to share with our listeners. What were your favorite books this year?  Annie's favorite books of the year: + Hey Ladies! by Caroline Moss and Michelle Markowitz+ Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman + My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite + Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro + Educated by Tara Westover  + The Female Persuasion by Meg Woltizer + The Ensemble by Aja Gabel + Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver + There There by Tommy Orange + A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza Chris's favorite books of the year: + The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce + There There by Tommy Orange + Calypso by David Sedaris + The Oracle Year by Charles Soule + The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey Chris's unofficial aggregate of the internet's favorite books: + The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai + There There by Tommy Orange + Educated by Tara Westover + Circe by Madeline Miller + The Incendiares by R. O. Kwon + A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza + That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam + Florida by Lauren Groff + How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee + Melmoth by Sarah Perry 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.  

Episode 202 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 16

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.  

Episode 201 || Live with Knox McCoy

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.  

Episode 200 || Mailbag, Vol. 4

We did it. The big one. Here we are at our 200th episode, and we've only got YOU to thank. This week, Annie and Chris answer your questions, some about themselves, some about books, some about The Bookshelf, and some just about life.  Jacey Verdicchio's Start Your Podcast guide is here. We've had a blast making 200 episodes of From the Front Porch for you. We're going to continue after this, obviously, but thank you so much for getting us this far. We've got exciting things ahead. 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.  

Episode 199 || November Reading Recap

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.  

Episode 198 || In the Kitchen

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! (Thagsgibbon, if you’re in the know.) Chris and Annie are enjoying the holiday by talking about some excellent new cookbooks—perfect gifts for the aspiring chef in your life. + Milk Street Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball + Eating Well: Soups+ Cook Like a Pro by Ina Garten + All About Cake by Christina Tosi + Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen + Potluck by the editors of Food & Wine + Now and Again by Julia Turshen Find all these great books at The Bookshelf 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.