From the Front Porch

It's the end of the month, and we made it--along with some thoughts and feelings about cover songs and Canadian ice dancers. Chris and Annie talk through the books they read in the month of June.  If you'd like to purchase any of the books we discussed this episode, just follow the links below! Annie read: +  Dreams of Falling by Karen White +  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman...

Sorry for the delay! This week, Emily and Hunter are back for Love It or Loathe It to talk with Annie about Kevin Kwon's Crazy Rich Asians.  If you would like to purchase Crazy Rich Asians, you can do so from The Bookshelf . 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 intere...

It's time for our seasonal look at what's on the horizon in Book World! These are Chris and Annie's picks for summer 2018. Also, not every novel whose title is just a woman's first name was necessarily written in the 18th century.  New in June: + There There by Tommy Orange + Florida by Lauren Groff + A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza + Campaign Widows by Aimee Agresti + Social Creature by Ta...

This week, we have a very special live show with friend of the show Anne Bogel, host of What Should I Read Next?  By the way! Our next Love It or Loathe It (in two weeks) will be centered around Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.  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 in...

PBS has recently released a two-part special called The Great American Read, hosted by Meredith Vieira and filled with interviews and sound bites from well-known authors and readers on the hundred novels that America loves best. This week on the show, Annie and Chris give their takes on the list. Also, goat or beaver? Please take just a minute to fill out our  short survey . PBS's list can be foun...

As the old and definitely very common saying goes, May is the December of the spring, and with that in mind, it's time for our regular recap of the books Chris and Annie read this month.  If you've got a few minutes, help us out by filling out this survey . Annie read:  + The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon + The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager + Minding the Store by Julie Gaines (on sale October 30) +...

Annie puts her journalism degree to use as she and Chris conduct a deep dive into the complicated legal and literary legacy of Harper Lee and Monroeville, AL.  We also have a short survey for you. Thanks so much for your time! Mentioned this week: + To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee + The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills Thanks, as always, to Forlorn Strangers for the use of our theme music....

Want to take a book-themed summer road trip and see where some of your favorite Southern authors lived and breathed? Well then we have the show for you. This week, Chris and Annie talk about the Southern Literary Trail, organized by the Mississippi State University libraries. Learn more at their website . Selected authors on the Trail: + Truman Capote + Harper Lee + F. Scott Fitzgerald + Zelda Fit...

We missed Children's Book Week last week because our Reading Recap real estate is very valuable, but we want to take this opportunity to tell you about some of our favorite new books for kids and get side-tracked several times along the way! We also have new Shelf Subscription options available for children, middle readers, and young adults! Learn more and subscribe here . Mentioned this week: + H...

April showers bring Mayflowers, but what do Mayflowers bring? Well, that's complicated, but what Annie and Chris bring to the table is a new recap of what they read in April.  Also, social media? Donezo. Annie read: + Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley + Limelight by Amy Poeppel + The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills + Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton (on sale June 5) + Killers of t...

Have you ever finished a book and thought, "...Really?" This week on the show, Chris and Annie talk you through the [mostly good] books they've read with endings or other elements that just should have been a little different. Also, Lordy, I hope there are tapes. Mentioned this week: + Little Women by Louisa May Alcott + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey + The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin + Gone Girl...

It's time to forge ahead into the wild unknown. Are you ready to earn 20% off a Bookshelf purchase? Follow along with Chris and Annie as they explain the terms of this year's Bookshelf Reading Challenge! Also, do we sound different? Mentioned this week: + Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly + The End We Start From by Megan Hunter + Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck + Junie B. Jones by Barbara...

Annie sits down for our bi-monthly show-within-a-show with frequent guests Emily and Hunter. This month, one of President Obama's favorite books of 2017, The Power by Naomi Alderman. This week's episode is brought to you in part by the City of Thomasville's 97th annual Rose Show and Festival. To learn more (and to begin booking your trip), check out the City of Thomasville's website . ​​​​​​​Thank...

It's April, which means it's time to talk about what Chris and Annie were able to read in March. Follow along as we give our reviews! And hey, so sorry about all that background noise. Starting with episode 167, we will be recording with a brand new microphone setup and our quality should dramatically improve. Thank you so much for bearing with us in this transition period! Annie read: + Emergency...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 T...

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, Missou...

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...

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 Robins...

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...

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 w...

It's a new year and we've got our resolutions ready, but what about all those books that are supposed to help us sort ourselves out? This week, Annie and Chris chat about self-help and personal growth. Pretty scary, right? Mentioned this week: + The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton + Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller + A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller + Velvet Elvis b...