From the Front Porch

Episode 129 || Read It Again, Sam

Do you really know a book from reading it just once? Annie and Chris weigh in on re-reading and why they do it--or don't. Is there a value in re-reading or is it a waste of time? Are there some books that deserve to be read more than once and others that don't? Also, move over, Schrödinger. We've got our own theoretical cat experiment. "Finding out what happens is the least part of reading." Mentioned this week: + Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth + Little Women by Louisa May Alcott + An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott + Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott + Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott + the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling + the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis + The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien + The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald + The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger + Brave New World by Aldous Huxley + To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee + The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins + Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel + Paradise Lost by John Milton + The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt + The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon + The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe + Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff + Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Check out Shelf Subscriptions, a new monthly book delivery service from The Bookshelf, on our website and sign up for fresh picks from Annie, Chris, and the rest of The Bookshelf staff!

Episode 128 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 8

It's a book club-style discussion about Patricia Lockwood's new memoir, Priestdaddy. Annie and regular podcast contributors Emily McKenna (of You're Maker) and Hunter McLendon discuss what they loved and loathed about Lockwood's poetic style, her relationship with her parents, and her complicated upbringing in the Catholic faith.

You can purchase Priestdaddy here. 

Other books mentioned include:

Liars Club

Prozac Nation

BossyPants

Yes Please

Is Everyone Hanging out without Me

The Essex Serpent 

Episode 127 || What Did I Read Last?

You've got a whole stack of what you're going to read next, but what kind of record do you keep of what you've already read? Chris and Annie chat about what they've read recently and how they keep track. Spoilers: It's not G**dr**ds. Also, is Tobey Maguire the worst actor of his generation? Keep those iTunes and Stitcher reviews coming! We're well on our way to our goal, and we want to give you a special prize if you get us to 150 on iTunes.

Episode 126 || Politics and Prose?

Happy Fourth from the Front Porch! Annie and Chris are here to talk about their favorite fake news--which is to say political fiction. Also, fireworks, hot dogs, and the day summer just goes downhill.  New and upcoming: + The Golden House by Salman Rushdie (on sale in October) + The Senator's Children by Nicholas Montemorano (on sale in November) + Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin (on sale in August) + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close Backlist: + Before the Fall by Noah Hawley Non-fiction: + This Town by Mark Leibovich + Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco + Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow + Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Episode 125 || June Reading Recap

It's hot as something down here in the South, and Chris and Annie are back to talk about what they read in June. It was a light month of the highest quality. Also, Chris Pine: hot or not? And happy anniversary, Harry Potter.  Annie read: + The End We Start From by Megan Hunter (on sale November 7) + Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson (on sale July 11) + Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly (on sale October 10) + Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (on sale (on sale September 12) + Theft by Finding by David Sedaris + The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante Chris read: + Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu Hey, did you know that we read and recap books in literally every episode of this podcast, not just the ones labeled "Reading Recap"? I just want to make sure that you do because we have so many recommendations for you all the time always and want you to enjoy!

Episode 124 || Summer Reading Recs

Summer has officially begun, so Annie and Chris are here to tell you what you should be reading--whether you're inside to escape the rain or outside with the sand and sun. Also, what happens when children become club promoters?  Beach Books + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close + The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor + Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave + Windfall by Jennifer Smith + The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak Page-Turners  + Dark Matter by Blake Crouch + Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld + Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy + American Fire by Monica Hesse (on sale July 11) Stories with a Twist  + Into the Water by Paula Hawkins + Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane Family Dramas  + Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett Heavy Thinking + Option B by Sheryl Sandberg + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer + The Leavers by Lisa Ko + Theft by Finding by David Sedaris + Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu  You can read Maile Meloy's interview with Ann Patchett here. Hey, we're new to Stitcher and would love to build our review base. Can you help us get to 25 reviews? There's a prize in it for you...

Episode 123 || First Impressions

We judge books by their covers so you don't have to. First impressions are important, but are they always right or fair? Annie and Chris talk through the 50-Page Rule, trusting your gut, changing your impression, and the importance of not reading in a vacuum. Also, recommend us to a friend! Discussion includes: + The Leavers by Lisa Ko + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer + Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen + Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy + Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky + Frankenstein by Mary Shelley + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey + The First Bad Man by Miranda July + The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger + Exit West by Mohsin Hamid + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson + One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Tag us (@bookshelftville) in a tweet or Instagram post telling us what we're doing right. We want to give you more!

Episode 122 || Buy or Borrow?

Do you buy all of your books or do you borrow some? Annie and Chris answer a listener question and discuss their personal libraries, where they get their books, and what to do with the whole idea of a library when they spend their lives in the Bookshelf. This episode is also kind of a follow-up to Episode 83 || Books in Houses. "A home without books is like a body without a soul." - Pseudo-Cicero

Episode 121 || May Reading Recap

This week, Chris is back to discuss the books he and Annie read in May, one of which doesn't actually come out until next calendar year. Whoops. Also, May is a very, very long month. Annie read: + When You Find Out the World is Against You by Kelly Oxford + Option B by Sheryl Sandberg + Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett + The Assistants by Camille Perri + Ms. Marvel, vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona + The Senator's Children by Nicholas Montemarano (out November 7) + The Leavers by Lisa Ko + Windfall by Jennifer Smith + Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (out January 2018) Chris read: + The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz + It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (out October 17) + Borne by Jeff VanderMeer See also Katie Couric's interview with Sheryl Sandberg here.

Episode 120 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 7

It's time for a book club-style discussion of Katie Kitamura's A Separation. Podcast guests Emily (of You're Maker) and Hunter are back to chat all the things they loved and loathed about this literary novel, including Emily's thoughts on Greece and Hunter's profound revelation about the book's narration. 

Curious enough to buy the book? Support The Bookshelf by buying A Separation directly from the online store. 

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