From the Front Porch

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. 

Episode 158 || Love is in the Air

In the spirit of St. Valentine and Fabio, Annie and Chris are talking about romance in literature--the kind we like, the kind we don't, and why it seems like YA seems to be doing it best.  Mentioned this week:  + When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon + Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell + Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum + What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum + This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills + Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch + The Meet Cute Series by HarperCollins Publishers  You can listen to this week's This American Life 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 in-store playlists or Chris's comprehensive media log, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 157 || Love It or Loathe It, Vol. 11

It's the latest installment of our show within a show, Love It or Loathe It, in which frequent contributors Emily and Hunter discuss a contentious book with Annie in a book club-style roundtable. This week: Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro. Also mentioned this week: + What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell + Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff + At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon + Gilead by Marilynne Robinson + Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer + The Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates 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 156 || January Reading Recap

It's our first monthly reading recap of 2018, and it's relatively light--in a good way! Follow along as Annie and Chris work their way through what they read, tropical fungal rash, and whatever David Duchovny is doing blurbing novels. Annie read: + The Ensemble by Aja Gabel + History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund + Campaign Widows by Aimee Agresti + This Love Story Will Self-Destruct by Leslie Cohen Chris read: + The Infinite Future by Tim Wirkus Also mentioned: + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin + Swamplandia by Karen Russell + Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close + All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg + Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell + Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 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 in-store playlists or Chris's comprehensive media log, consider supporting us on Patreon here. 

Episode 155 || Time‘s Up

There's a lot happening in the news lately, and it's hard to know where to turn sometimes when it seems like everyone has hard opinions and no one wants to give. We like being a cozy place for you, but that's honestly kind of difficult sometimes, especially when we're passionate about something. This week, Chris and Annie talk about that difficulty. Also, check your tire pressure. Mentioned this week: + This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel + We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie + Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie + Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin + Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty + Dumplin' by Julie Murphy + The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak + The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood + Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg + If I Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down My Blouse by Gina Barreca + You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein + Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit + Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Shrill by Lindy West + This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins (on sale January 30) + Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer (on sale February 8) + Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo + Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison 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 side-podcast Unpopular Opinions, consider supporting us on Patreon here.