From the Front Porch

Episode 109 || March Madness 2017

Annie sits down with her husband Jordan for their annual March Madness discussion. This year's book bracket includes The Bookshelf's "sweet sixteen" -- the  16 bestselling books of the past 12 months. 

Magnolia Story

Present Over Perfect

Seven Brief Lessons in Physics

When Breath Becomes Air

Killing the Rising Sun

Alexander Hamilton

Tribal

Hillbilly Elegy

The Underground Railroad

A Gentleman in Moscow

Fates and Furies

All the Light We Cannot See

A Man Called Ove

Me Before You

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The After Party

Follow The Bookshelf on Instagram to cast votes for your favorite books during our March Madness celebration, or -- if you're a college basketball fan -- compete against friends in ESPN's bracket challenge.

Episode 108 || February Reading Recap

Annie and Chris walk you through what they read in February while several intrepid Saturday afternoon customers climb over a literal barricade outside the door to use the [closed] bathroom.  Annie read: + The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas + This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Into the Water by Paula Hawkins + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Annie is currently reading: + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Chris read (but hasn't quite finished): + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Follow Annie's reading on Instagram at #anniereads2017.

Episode 107 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 6

Annie, Emily, and Hunter discuss Difficult Women by Roxane Gay and try very hard to decide what they think about it!  Also mentioned this week: + Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson + Lauren Groff's review of Fortune Smiles  + Anne Bogel's advice for sensitive readers

Episode 106 || Oscar Season Reading Recs

It's Oscar Season, so Annie and Chris are rounding up their favorite books for this year's moviegoers. Also in this episode, a new feature (!!!) and Chris continues to swallow his words. If you liked Arrival, you may like: Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn How to Life Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu The Time Traveler's Almanac by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer If you liked Hell or High Water, you may like: True Grit by Charles Portis American Fire by Monica Hesse Ordinary Grace by Willian Kent Krueger All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy If you liked Hidden Figures, you may like: The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan The Radium Girls by Kate Moore Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County by Kristen Green If you liked Moonlight, you may like: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman The Whale by Mark Beauregard If you liked La La Land, you may like: I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer NEW TITLES OUT THIS WEEK: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter We Are Okay by Nina LaCour The Airbnb Story by Leigh Gallagher Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt

Episode 105 || WWLKD?

It's Galentine's Day, so Annie and Chris are answering the question on everyone's mind: What would Leslie Knope read? Also this episode, pipe bombs--the new cooking craze sweeping America? Join us at The Bookshelf on Friday, February 10, from 6 to 8 for Galentine's Day festivities, and check out our downtown partners Mode, Smith Collective, Tallokas Road, Signature Clothing Lounge, and You're Maker. +Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik +Sisters in Law by Linda Hirshman +Daring Greatly by Brené Brown +Happy Cityby Charles Montgomery +The Localist by Carrie Rollwagen Find Brené Brown's TED Talk here. Shop with us online here.

Episode 104 || January Reading Recap

Annie and Chris chat about public transit, public urination, and all the books they read in January.  Annie read: +The Underwriting by Michelle Miller +The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits +The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder +American Fire by Monica Hesse +Himself by Jess Kidd +The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

Annie is currently reading: +Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

Chris read: +The Wanderers by Meg Howrey +Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Chris is currently reading: +American War by Omar El Akkad

Episode 103 || Book Club Extravaganza

Annie and Chris get ready for the Bookshelf's upcoming Book Club Fair by discussing their favorite book club picks for 2017 (so far), including:

In Case You Missed It: + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff + Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert + This is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison + The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison

2016 Tastemakers: + A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles + Among the Living by Jonathan Rabb + A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance + Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Coming in 2017: + The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers (out now) + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey (out March 14) + Himself by Jess Kidd (out March 14) + American Fire by Monica Hesse (out July 11) + The Book that Matters Most by Ann Hood (out now--in paper back August 1) + Hue and Cry at Our House by Benjamin Taylor (out May 23)

Episode 102 || Meet the Manager

Chris and Annie chat with the Bookshelf's new manager, Magali Kent, about missionary work, the proper execution of an eye roll, culture shock, and favorite children's books. 

+ Watership Down by Richard Adams

+ Reply All

+ Lore

+ Up and Vanished

+ Serial

Episode 101 || Reading Resolutions

2016 is over, but of reading many books there is no end. In this episode, Annie and Chris talk about their resolutions for the new year and challenge one another to read outside of their usual habits--with hypothetically apocalyptic results.

+ Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

+ Rita Dove

+ Claudia Rankine

Episode 100 || Mailbag, Vol. 2

From the Front Porch celebrates episode 100! Annie and Chris answer listener questions about One Book, My Brilliant Friend, and reading translations. 

+ One Book Thomas County website

+ On the Same Page (Decatur, Ga., One Book program)

+ American Booksellers Association

+ Love It or Loathe It episode ft. My Brilliant Friend

+ Episode ft. Virginia Price