From the Front Porch

Annie is joined once again by frequent guest contributors Hunter and Emily to discuss Puddin' by Julie Murphy. 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, including the first fifteen installments of Love It or Loathe It,  here , and, if you're interested in some exclusive content like Chris and A...

Annie sits down with Knox McCoy, co-host of The Popcast and author of The Wondering Years, in front of a LIVE audience to talk about books, faith, and pop culture. Order Knox's book here . Learn more about The Popcast  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 inte...

We did it. The big one. Here we are at our 200th episode, and we've only got YOU to thank. This week, Annie and Chris answer your questions, some about themselves, some about books, some about The Bookshelf, and some just about life.  Jacey Verdicchio's Start Your Podcast guide is here . We've had a blast making 200 episodes of From the Front Porch for you. We're going to continue after this, obvi...

Thanksgiving is over, so it's the holiday season (the holiday season) and time to recap the books Annie read in November! + The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (on sale in January) + A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi + Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller + My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite + From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Th...

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! (Thagsgibbon, if you’re in the know.) Chris and Annie are enjoying the holiday by talking about some excellent new cookbooks—perfect gifts for the aspiring chef in your life. + Milk Street Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball + Eating Well: Soups+ Cook Like a Pro by Ina Garten + All About Cake by Christina Tosi + Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen + Potluck...

The world is a very confusing place even in the most stable of times, and everyday people depend on journalists and other writers to figure out and lend some structure to the swirling facts and details of our lives. This week, Annie and Chris salute the heroes of nonfiction and hope to introduce you to the large and fascinating conversation about how we tell the truth. Listen to Robin Young's Here...

Thanks to the efforts of PBS, we now have a definitive list of America's favorite books. Annie and Chris are now recapping and providing their commentary on the top picks of PBS's Great American Read.  You can learn more about The Great American Read at PBS's website . Send your Mailbag questions to podcast [at] bookshelfthomasville [dot] com.  America's top five picks were: + The Lord of the Ring...

Okay, everybody. Spooky season is over, so Annie and Chris and back to walk you through what they read this month.  Annie read: + The Winters by Lisa Gabriele + Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier + Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis + If I'm Being Honest by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley + The Editor by Stephen Crowley + Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver + I'll Be There For You by Kelsey Mill...

Okay, so sometimes scheduling things weeks in advance is hard, and it turns out it's NOT the week of Halloween, but Annie and Chris have a great list of books to get you in the mood for what is objectively the best fourth-quarter holiday! Also, honk honk. We recommend: + Foe by Iain Reid + The Witch Elm by Tana French + The Widow by Fiona Barton + The Child by Fiona Barton + The Winters by Lisa Ga...

It's award season, and some of our absolute favorites got robbed. As much as we are Professional Book People™️, we're not professional critics--and we're the first people to admit that the critics don't always know what they're talking about. Join us as we talk through some of those books. + Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + An American Marriage...

Annie is joined by frequent guest Hunter to chat about listener-favorite Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. What are your thoughts on this suspense classic? It's so funny, but 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 ...

In addition to being Professional Book People™️, Annie and Chris are also avid TV watchers. Take that as you will. This week, book recommendations based on new and upcoming television. Binge with us a little bit, won't you? Also, The VVitch is a very scary movie. For fans of Murphy Brown: + Amanda Wakes Up by Alisyn Camerota + Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave For fans of The Good Place: + How to Inve...

It's time for our regular jaunt through the books we finished this month. Join us for the recap! Also, and very importantly: teenage penguins. + Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller + Fear by Bob Woodward + Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman + A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson (on sale October 9) + The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy + A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti + Propert...

Annie hosted Books and Brunch event in the shop last week and previewed some of her favorite coming releases of the fall season. This week, we're giving you an opportunity to get caught up!  Annie recommends: + Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller + Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver (on sale October 16-- preorder here ) + Gone So Long by Andre Dubus III (on sale October 2) + Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti...

In preparation for Thomasville's annual One Book festival, Annie sat down with New York Times bestselling author Georgia Hunter, the great mind behind We Were the Lucky Ones. Georgia will be in Thomasville on Thursday, October 4 at 7:00 PM in the Thomas County Board of Education Auditorium. For more information, including how to purchase tickets for the event, visit the One Book website here .

When authors endlessly tweet about what was actually happening in the background of a given book, or, worse, release a sequel or companion text, does that thrill you or make you cringe? This week, Annie and Chris field a listener question about what counts as "canon" in the books we love. Also, more #blandsome files. Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music. Learn and...

As with salsa, some readers prefer their literature mild. And that's okay! Although Annie and Chris often prefer some darkness in their books, they recognize that's not for everyone, so this episode is dedicated to those readers who prefer something a little PG. It's not just for kids! Also, somebody finally watched Set It Up. Mentioned this week: + The Port William Series by Wendell Berry + The M...

School's back in session and Annie's door is swollen shut, so you know it's almost September. (Don't worry. We set an alarm to wake up Green Day.) Here at the end of the month, we like to recap what we've read for our listeners. Join us as we enter the rom-comaissance. Annie read: + The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows + The Masterpiece by Fiona D...

Annie, Emily, and Hunter discuss one of the hottest literary books of 2018: Tommy Orange's There, There. It's a difficult, sometimes harrowing read of contemporary Native American life with important insights into how we got to now.  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'...

Since this was Annie's show last week, it's only fair that Chris gets a turn, too! He's thoughtfully prepared four sets of discussion-based course curriculum just like he would for one of his classes at Florida State--in fact, two of them are adapted from courses he's actually taught. These curated lists of five books each are centered around asking questions. Perfect for book clubs! The ranking A...

We asked, and it seems like a lot of people want to know: Who is Annie B. Jones? This week, Chris sits down with Annie to talk about how she came to be owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia.  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 ,...

At the end of every month, Annie and Chris sit down to talk about the books they read, and listener, it's the end of the month. Annie accidentally read to sort of a theme this month, and Chris doesn't think it's a coincidence. Also, we need to talk about the train. Annie read: + Save the Date by Morgan Matson + Marriage Vacation by "Pauline Brooks" + Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (on sale...

We talk a lot about brand new books on the show, but we thought it might be time to talk about some of our favorites from the "backlist." They're not new, but they're not "classics" yet, either. In any case, we think you should read them. You can find all of these books for sale in our online store . Chris and Annie recommend: + The Secret History by Donna Tartt + Everybody Rise by Stephanie Cliff...

One of the most exciting options the Bookshelf offers is the Shelf Subscription, a book-a-month club featuring newly released hardcovers from your favorite independent booksellers. This week on the podcast, Chris and Annie break down what the Shelf Subscription is, how it works, what you can expect, and how to get started.  Listen closely for code that will net you a 10% discount on your subscript...

We're taking a quick break from books this week to talk about the small businesses on our street as we take you on a tour of our slice of life in the South: beautiful downtown Thomasville, GA. Special thanks to our neighbors: + The Paxton + Sweet Grass Dairy + South Life Supply + Grassroots Coffee + Firefly + Farmer's Daughter Vineyard + The Hare and the Hart + Kathy's Shoes + Savannah Moon + Q Ca...