From the Front Porch

Can't decide if you love or hate a book? This is the podcast series for you. Annie once again joins frequent podcast contributors Hunter McLendon and Rebekah Arwood for a discussion of Wendy Walker's All Is Not Forgotten (a new thriller on shelves now; Reese Witherspoon's already bought the film rights).  Comparable titles:  + Defending Jacob by William Landay + Everything I Never Told You by Cele...

Love books, music, and the South? Then we've got the episode for you. Annie and Chris met with the guys of Audible Discernment , a music podcast out of nearby Albany, Ga., and they chat all things literary and musical (including a nostalgia for country music and why Pride and Prejudice would be better set in the South).  Books mentioned:  + Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison  + A Boy from...

Annie and Chris deep dive into reading more than one book at any given time... And some book therapy ensues.  They mention:  + Commonwealth by Ann Patchett + The Trespasser by Tana French + The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth + Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin + Grit by Angela Duckworth + The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell + The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon Plus this article about millenni...

Looking for your next summer read? Look no further. Annie and Chris chat about the books Annie read in June, including:  + The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis (rel. August 23) + Love Warrior by Glennon Melton Doyle (rel. September 6)  + It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool, Too) by Nora McIrney Purmort + Light to Paris by Eleanor Brown + All Stories Are Love Stories by Elizabeth Percer + How to Ruin Everyt...

Earlier this month, Annie traveled to Haiti with Dot Products, a school supply company based out of Jackson, Mississippi. This episode, Chris and Annie chat with Hallie Darphin, founder of Dot, about Dot's mission, making a global impact, and the magic of reading recommendations.    Hallie mentions these books:  + The Color Purple + 1984 + Brave New World + Quiet (and this TED Talk by Susan Cain) ...

New York Times bestselling author Anton DiSclafani (The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, The After Party) drops by the podcast to talk about life in a small town, North Florida versus South Florida, and writing with a baby on board.  Anton mentions:  + Radiolab + LaRose by Louise Erdrich + The Golden Bowl by Henry James Event details about Anton's signing are here . 

Ever wondered if a particular book is worth reading? In our Love It or Loathe It episodes, we debate newly released titles and whether they're worth adding to your TBR list or not.  This episode, Annie, Rebekah, and Hunter chat about Walt by Russell Wangersky. 

Turns out design is pretty much what makes the world -- and small businesses -- go 'round. Learn all about marketing and the ups and downs of social media as Annie and Chris chat with local small business consultant Dara Barwick.  + Dara's website + The Southern C Summit + Our interview with Sarah Turner + Our interview with Laura Beggs + Melanie Duncan podcast episodes + Deep South Details podcas...

Chris asks Annie about the books she read in May, including:  + Brighton by Michael Harvey (releases June 14) + Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam (releases June 7) + A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman + Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld + The Girls by Emma Cline (releases June 14)  + Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson (releases September 13)  + Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty (releases July 26) + The...

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of those Instagram accounts we all follow? Annie and Chris chat with Lindsay Hopkins of Pen and Paint , an enormously popular Instagram account and Etsy shop based in Albany, Georgia.  Find Lindsay on Instagram and Etsy .   Podcasts we mention:  + StoryCorps + This American Life + Smart Creative Women + Elise Gets Crafty + Audible Discernment   Books Li...

Want to know if a book's for you? Welcome to Love It or Loathe It, episodes where Bookshelf staffers and friends tell you exactly what they think about a newly released title. In this volume, Annie chats with Bookshelf manager Rebekah and frequent podcast contributor Hunter all about I'm Glad about You by Theresa Rebeck.  Other titles mentioned:  + Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham + Are Yo...

What do you get when you have a bookstore staffer who's also a news junkie? A very special episode of this podcast. Chris and Annie chat with bookseller Sterling Ivey about news in pop culture, favorite news sources, and what he really thinks about morning show hosts.  Sterling's favorite podcasts:  + Serial + This American Life + Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin + WTF with Marc Maron + Comedy B...

We're living in a post-Gone Girl world, which means not all thrillers are created equal. Annie and Chris chat about the books she read in April, including a couple of just-okay novels and one National Book Award winner.  + Read Bottom Up + The Passenger + Ordinary Grace + We Are Called To Rise + Losing It + Fortune Smiles + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty The Adam Johnson Annie references is...

News flash: Some TV shows are better than others. Chris and Annie wax philosophical about their favorite TV shows for readers, including:  + Gilmore Girls + Arrested Development + Breaking Bad  + Jane the Virgin + Mad Men + House of Cards + Seinfeld + The Office + The Wonder Years + The Bachelor   Related: All 339 Books Referenced in Gilmore Girls Share your favorites: Twitter | Instagram | Facebo...

Thomasville is the City of Roses, and spring is the town's time to shine! Each year, Thomasville hosts the Rose Show and Festival, and Chris and Annie talk to city event coordinator Sarah Turner about balancing tradition with new ideas, why a festival devoted to roses, and what she's reading right now.  Vote for Thomasville in USA Today's Best Historic Small Town competition!  Check out all the Ro...

One perk of life in a small town: You can try something just to see if it works. And if it does? Then you've established a new town tradition, like Thomasville's Due South music festival, put on by the Center of the Arts .  Annie and Chris chat with the Center's marketing director, Callie Sewell, about music festivals; the Athens, Ga., music scene; and whether Jane Eyre is overrated.  BUY TICKETS...

How do you raise creative kids? Do small towns foster creativity better than big cities do? Annie and guest Emily McKenna chat about these questions, plus book hangover and what they're reading right now.  Emily is the product developer for Everfan , a superhero and imaginative play company located right above The Bookshelf in Thomasville. Emily is also the owner of You're Maker , where she teache...

The podcast introduces a new co-host with a familiar voice, and Annie recaps the books she read in March, including:  - Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - The After Party by Anton DiSclafani - I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck - Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk - This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick Annie also menions: American Girls...

Which book wins this year's Out of Print Book Bracket ? Listen as Annie and frequent podcast contributor Jordan Jones duke it out over their favorite contemporary classics, including Fates and Furies vs. Looking for Alaska and All the Light We Cannot See vs. Room.  Round One match-ups can be found here .  Follow The Bookshelf on Instagram for the shop's own version of March Madness.  Rate and revi...

Ever wondered why guys aren't in book clubs? Listen as Annie and  Grassroots Coffee  roaster Peyton Hodges chat about co-ed book clubs, plus Peyton schools Annie on her knowledge of sci-fi literature. Peyton mentions:  + Sad Puppies and the 2015 Hugo Awards + Ready Player One by Ernest Cline + Dune by Frank Herbert + Author David Wong + Author Neal Stephenson + Saga + Hark! A Vagrant --- How to ra...

Small-town virtues to the Oval Office? Jimmy Carter's presidency may have inspired our current political climate, and Annie interviews author Robert Buccellato to find out why. His new book Jimmy Carter in Plains shares insight into President Carter's approachability and how his underdog story and small-town, Southern charm made a lasting impact.  + Robert's author page + tour dates + How to rate/...

Annie recaps the books she read in February, including:  - Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty - My Name Is Lucy Barton - The Good Goodbye - The Interestings - American Housewife - Opening Belle - Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend  Looking for other indie bookstores to support? Annie loves Sundog Books  in Seaside, Florida, and The Hidden Lantern Books in Rosemary Beach, Florida.  Rate the podcast on...

Annie and Bookshelf staffer Chris share their love for the Oscars and this year's Oscar-inspired books, plus they chat briefly about Harper Lee and what her death means to the literary world.  iTunes || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram

Ever read a book you hated? Annie, Rebekah, and Hunter discuss the new suspense novel  Perfect Days  by Raphael Montes. (Spoiler-free discussion, with five minutes of spoiler-filled bonus conversation at the close of the episode.)  The book reaction video Annie mentions is here . 

Annie recaps the books she read in January, including several ARCs, a couple of thrillers, and a YA novel. (Full list with titles and authors here .)    Instagram || Facebook || Twitter