From the Front Porch

Episode 212 || February Reading Recap

February is the shortest month of the year, and it really felt like it this time around! Join Annie and Chris as they discuss what they were able to read this month--because they were some really good ones. You can find all of the following books for sale (or preorder) in The Bookshelf's online store. Annie read: + Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (on sale July 16) + Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (on sale March 5) + Tomorrow There Will Be Sun by Dana Reinhardt (on sale March 5) + If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin + Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey (on sale June 11) + Dopesick by Beth Macy Chris read: + Multiple Man by Matthew Rosenberg and Andy MacDonald 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 211 || Backlist Book Club, Vol. 1

Annie is joined once again by frequent contributors Hunter McLendon and Emily McKenna for the first installment in our new series, Backlist Book Club. Up first on the docket: If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin. You can purchase any of the books mentioned on today's episode at The Bookshelf. Hunter's list of recommended list of resources is as follows: + The Stacks+ read.rewind + reads_by_rodkelly + absorbedinpages You can follow Hunter and Emily on Instagram. 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 210 || Oscar Season Reading Recs

Book-to-Movie Nominations

+ Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

+ Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

+ First Man by James R. Hansen

+ Can You Ever Forgive Me? by Lee Israel

+ If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

+ My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

+ Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

+ The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

Our Recs Based on Best Picture

If you liked Black Panther, try:

+ Black Panther, Vol. 1: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates

+ Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

If you liked BlacKkKlansman or Green Book, try:

+ Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth

+ Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

If you liked Bohemian Rhapsody or A Star is Born, try:

+ Moonage Daydream by Davie Bowie

+ Just Kids by Patti Smith

+ Life by Keith Richards

+ Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you liked The Favourite, try:

+ The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

+ The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland

If you liked Vice, try:

+ Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush

+ Days of Fire by Peter Baker

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 209 || Seasonal Reads: Romance

Love is in the air, which is how you know it's time for Chris and Annie to jump into February's edition of Seasonal Reads.

Also, a brief history of the term "romance."

+ Yvain, or The Knight with the Lion by Chretien de Troyes

+ To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

+ Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

+ Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

+ Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

+ When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

+ What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

+ Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

+ A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

+ Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

+ The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis-Graves (on sale April 2)

+ The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn

+ The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

+ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

+ Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casie McQuiston (on sale May 14)

+ One Day in December by Josie Silver

+ When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri

+ I'll Have What She's Having by Erin Carlson

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.  

Bonus Episode || Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth A. Silvers

In this very special bonus episode of From the Front Porch, Annie interviews Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth A. Silvers, the ladies behind the hit Pantsuit Politics podcast and the brand new book, I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening), on sale today.  Learn more about their show at their website. You can purchase their book through The Bookshelf. Thank you to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn more at their website.

Episode 208 || January Reading Recap

On this, the 87th day of January, Chris and Annie attempt to distract you from the polar vortex with a hopefully delightful chat about the books they finished this month. It was a long one, folks!

Annie read:

+ All These Wonders edited by Catherine Burns

+ Becoming by Michelle Obama

+ Leading Men by Christopher Castellani

+ Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush

+ The Elephant in the Room by Tommy Tomlinson

+ When You Read This by Mary Adkins (on sale February 5)

+ The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray (on sale February 19)

+ The Current by Tim Johnston

+ I Think You're Wrong, but I'm Listening by Sarah Steward Holland and Beth A. Silvers (on sale February 5)

Chris read:

+ The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

+ The Death of Arthur from The Lancelot-Grail Cycle translated by Norris Lacy

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 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.