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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.
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

Apr 30, 2020
269 || April Reading Recap
Apr 30, 2020
Apr 30, 2020
38 min
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:
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Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan (released June 30, 2020)
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The Return by Rachel Harrison
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Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida (released January 12, 2021)
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An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
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The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
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Bloomability by Sharon Creech
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The Herd by Andrea Bartz
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The Guest List by Lucy Foley
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The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey
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Lucky Caller by Emma Mills
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The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
Other books mentioned:
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Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
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Writers and Lovers by Lily King
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Ten Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
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The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
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Option B by Sheryl Sandberg
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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.

Apr 23, 2020
268 || Baby Got Books
Apr 23, 2020
Apr 23, 2020
32 min
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.

Apr 16, 2020
267 || Recommended Royal Reads
Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020
38 min
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:
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The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
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The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
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Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel
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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
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American Royals by Katharine McGee
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Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
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Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
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Dear America series
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Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn
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Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham
Recommendations for Harry and Meghan:
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Burnout by Emily Nagoski (for Meghan)
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Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (for Harry)
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This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (for Harry)
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Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis
Recommendations for Queen Elizabeth:
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A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Recommendations for Charles:
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All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg
Recommendations for William and Kate:
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East of Eden by John Steinbeck (for William)
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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.

Apr 9, 2020
266 || Literary Therapy, Vol. 2
Apr 9, 2020
Apr 9, 2020
41 min
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:
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Hunter Mclendon at @shelfbyshelf
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Tyler Goodson at @tylergoodson
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Laura Tremaine at @laura.tremaine
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Mary Laura Philpott at @marylauraphilpott
The books mentioned in today’s episode can be purchased on The Bookshelf’s website:
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Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
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Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
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East of Eden by John Steinbeck
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The End We Start From by Megan Hunter
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The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani
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The Explanation of Everything by Lauren Grodstein
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Francis and Bernard by Carlene Bauer
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Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
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The Ensemble by Aja Gabel
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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
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A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
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A Separate Peace by John Knowles
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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.

Apr 2, 2020
265 || Bookish Bingo
Apr 2, 2020
Apr 2, 2020
45 min
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:
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A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
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Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
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The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
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The BFG by Roald Dahl
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There There by Tommy Orange
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The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
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The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer
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The Round House by Louise Erdrich
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This Is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
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She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
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Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
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Brief Answers to Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
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Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
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A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman
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Wild by Cheryl Strayed
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The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner
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Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith
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The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly
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Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkienn
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The Martian by Andy Weir
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The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
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No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
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The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon
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Bread and Wine; Bittersweet; Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist
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Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
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Flour + Water by Thomas McNaughton
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The Apprentice by Jacques Pepin
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Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White
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Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
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Illegal by Eion Colfer
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Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
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Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Aliyy
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We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
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How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
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The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
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The Great Gatsby and Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye
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Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
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Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey
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Seven Days in Augusta by Mark Cannizzaro
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Believe It by Nick Foles
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The City Game by Matthew Goodman
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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.

Mar 26, 2020
264 || March Reading Recap
Mar 26, 2020
Mar 26, 2020
33 min
Today, Annie recaps all the books she read in March.
The books mentioned in today’s episode are available at The Bookshelf:
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Most Likely by Sarah Watson
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Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
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Weather by Jenny Offill
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Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz
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Untamed by Glennon Doyle
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A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
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The Silent Treatment by Abby Greaves
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Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey
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.

Mar 19, 2020
263 || March Madness, Indeed
Mar 19, 2020
Mar 19, 2020
37 min
Annie is joined this week by her husband, friend, audiobook listener, and fellow basketball enthusiast Jordan Jones. The NCAA tournament may have been canceled -- a true tragedy in the Jones’ house -- but they’re still debating The Bookshelf’s bestsellers in their annual March Madness episode. They hope their conversation brings a little light and levity to what’s been a stressful couple of weeks.
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Nickel Boys vs. Furious Hours
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I Miss You When I Blink vs. When You Read This
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 Untamed, the new memoir by Glennon Doyle. Jordan just finished Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis.
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.

Mar 12, 2020
262 || Playlist Meets Booklist: Spring
Mar 12, 2020
Mar 12, 2020
36 min
Annie is joined by Robbie Hopkins, a former literature teacher, avid reader, and frequent Bookshelf customer. Today, the two are previewing some spring titles that should be on your radar, but it’s being done a little bit differently—literature meets music.
Tap or click here for the full Spotify playlist.
The books mentioned in today’s episode can be purchased online from The Bookshelf:
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Separation Anxietyby Laura Zigman
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All Adults Here by Emma Straub
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Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel
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The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves (preorder—released 4/7)
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The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (preorder—released 3/24)
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How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang (preorder—released 4/7)
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Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould (preorder released 4/14)
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Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida (preorder—released5/5)
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After the Last Border by Jessica Goudeau (preorder—released 4/28)
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Afterlife by Julia Alvarez (preorder—released 4/7)
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Deacon King Kong by James McBride
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 Most Likely by Sarah Watson, the creator of The Bold Type.
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.

Mar 5, 2020
261 || Backlist Book Club, Vol. 7: March
Mar 5, 2020
Mar 5, 2020
32 min
This week Annie and guest, Hunter McLendon of @shelfbyshelf, bring you the first Backlist Book Club of 2020. The discussion revolves around Geraldine Brooks' March.
All of the books discussed today can be purchased from The Bookshelf:
March by Geraldine Brooks
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever
The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers
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 Office by Andy Greene and Hunter is listening to The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 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, 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.

Feb 27, 2020
260 || February Reading Recap
Feb 27, 2020
Feb 27, 2020
37 min
This week Annie recaps the books she read in February, all of which can be purchased on our website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com:
My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Layoverland by Gabby Noone
March by Geraldine Brooks
The Office by Andy Greene
The Holdout by Graham Moore
Here for It by R. Eric Thomas
Handle with Care by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Live from New York by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales
Do You Mind if I Cancel by Gary Janetti
Defending Jacob by William Landay
The Body in Question by Jill Ciment
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, as mentioned in today’s episode, Annie is finishing up Here for It by R. Eric Thomas.
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.
