From the Front Porch

Episode 168 || Missed Opportunities

Have you ever finished a book and thought, "...Really?" This week on the show, Chris and Annie talk you through the [mostly good] books they've read with endings or other elements that just should have been a little different. Also, Lordy, I hope there are tapes. Mentioned this week: + Little Women by Louisa May Alcott + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin + Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn + Divergent by Veronica Roth + The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins + 11/22/63 by Stephen King + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + The Power by Naomi Alderman 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.

Episode 167 || Bookshelf Reading Challenge 2018

It's time to forge ahead into the wild unknown. Are you ready to earn 20% off a Bookshelf purchase? Follow along with Chris and Annie as they explain the terms of this year's Bookshelf Reading Challenge! Also, do we sound different? Mentioned this week: + Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly + The End We Start From by Megan Hunter + Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck + Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park + Encyclopedia Brown by Daniel J. Sobol + The All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor + The Familiar Enemy by Ardis Butterfield + Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen + Dead Wake by Erik Larsen + Tale of Two Americas by various + A Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes + The Evangelicals by Frances FitzGerald + Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser + Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly + Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow + The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman + The Oracle Year by Charles Soule + Arrival by Ted Chiang + How to Live Safely in a Science-Fictional Universe by Charles Yu + The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber + Dark Matter by Blake Crouch + Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis + The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien + A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle + Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer + Ready Player One by Ernest Cline + Black Panther by various + The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood + Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng + Far from the Tree by Robin Benway + Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi + The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas + Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell + When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Hunger by Roxane Gay + Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + The Color of Water by James McBride + My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante + Tangerine by Christine Mangan + The Hospital by Ahmed Bouanani + You, Me, Everything by Catherine Isaac + Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery + Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery + The Dry by Jane Harper + Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter + To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay + Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray + Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt + Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson + An American Marriage by  + Reunion by Hannah Pittard + Sean of the South by Sean Dietrich + Portrait of the Alcoholic by Kaveh Akbar + Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar + French Milk by Lucy Knisley + Displacement by Lucy Knisley + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart + Blankets by Craig Thompson + Fun Home by Alison Bechdel + Nimona by Noelle Stevenson + Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson + Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson This episode is sponsored by the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation. Learn more at their website. We talked about poetry with Will Fargason and Ruth Baumann in Episode 114. 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. 

Episode 166 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 12

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. 

Episode 165 || March Reading Recap

It's April, which means it's time to talk about what Chris and Annie were able to read in March. Follow along as we give our reviews! And hey, so sorry about all that background noise. Starting with episode 167, we will be recording with a brand new microphone setup and our quality should dramatically improve. Thank you so much for bearing with us in this transition period! Annie read: + Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi (on sale now) + A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle + All of This is True by Lygia Day Peñafor (on sale May 15) + The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer + The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn + Sociable by Rebecca Harrington Chris read: + The Oracle Year by Charles Soule 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 Spotify playlists, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 164 || How Do You Read?

Do you have a favorite chair for reading? Maybe a front porch swing or a cozy bay window? A hammock, perhaps? This week, Annie and Chris talk about reading preferences. How to do it, why, under what circumstances, and how much at a time. Also, there aren't waterproof casts, right? 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 Spotify playlists, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 163 || Spring Literary Lineup

Spring is in the air, which means pollen is in our sinuses, but Chris and Annie are here for your curated and almost week-by-week guide through some of this season's exciting new releases. Also, it occurs to me that many of you probably don't listen all the way to the end of the episode... You might enjoy what you find back there--and for the past 30 or so episodes. :) Featured books: + Tangerine by Christine Mangan (on sale now) + The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer (on sale April 3) + The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel (on sale May 1) + That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam (on sale May 8) + The Ensemble by Aja Gabel (on sale May 15) + Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton (on sale June 5) + The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (on sale June 12) 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 Spotify playlists, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 162 || March Madness 2018

Annie sits down for her husband Jordan for their annual March Madness episode, a long-standing FTFP tradition. This episode is sponsored by the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation; the Foundation's new book, Thomasville in Concert, celebrates the Foundation's 80 years in Thomasville. You can purchase the beautiful new book (written by our friend Nadia Watts) on the TEF website or in-store at The Bookshelf.  

This year's book bracket features The Bookshelf's "sweet sixteen" -- the 16 bestselling books of 2018 thus far:  + Gracism by David Anderson + Beauty by John O'Donohue + Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan + Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer + The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin + A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle + Awayland by Ramona Ausubel + Sunburn by Laura Lippman + Only Child by Rhiannon Navin + Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro + The Driest Season by Meghan Kenny + We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter + The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey + Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward + Feel Free by Zadie Smith Other books mentioned on today's episode include:  + Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott + To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett + Room by Emma Donoghue + To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee + The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon + Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle You can listen to previous March Madness episodes here.  The Out of Print book bracket from 2016 is still online.  This episode of On Being with John O'Donohue is so worth your time. Follow along with Anne Bogel's Book Flight Bonanza 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 what Annie didn't finish reading this month, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 161 || Shelf Subscription Insider

You've heard us talk about Shelf Subscriptions before, but it occurred to us that many of our listeners may not know exactly what it is we're talking about. This week, Annie and Chris are joined by bookseller Kate Sutton, one of the main cogs in the machine that is fulfilling Shelf Subscription mailing orders. Also, read the reviews on your Airbnb before book. Interested in subscribing? Learn more and set up your pick at our store 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 what Annie didn't finish reading this month, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 160 || February Reading Recap

February flew by, but Annie and Chris read some great books along the way. Follow along as they recap what they read. Also, ice dancing. Annie read: + Tangerine by Christine Mangan (on sale March 27) + Places I Stopped on the Way Home by Meg Fee (on sale May 8) + The All of It by Jeanette Haien + The Year of Less by Cait Flanders + That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam (on sale May 8) + Educated by Tara Westover Chris read: + The Hospital by Ahmed Bouanani (on sale June 26) 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 reading this month, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 159 || Red Carpet Books

It's that time of year again. Chris and Annie are here to talk about the Academy's  If you liked Lady Bird, we recommend: + Dumplin' by Julie Murphy + Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal If you liked The Shape of Water, we recommend: + Awayland by Ramona Ausubel + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer If you liked Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, we recommend: + A False Report by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong + The Hunting Ground by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering If you liked Call Me By Your Name, we recommend: + Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin + My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante If you liked The Post, we recommend: + The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman + Scoop by Evelyn Waugh If you liked Dunkirk, we recommend: + We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter + The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak If you liked Phantom Thread, reevaluate your choices, and then we recommend: + The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger If you liked Get Out, we recommend: + So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo + Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates + We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates 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 Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here.