Episode 577 || From the Front Porch Live from Reader Retreat

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s a Literary Therapy session! Our literary Frasier Crane, Annie, is back to answer more of your reading questions and dilemmas. If you have a question you would like Annie to answer in a future episode, you can leave us a voicemail here. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 578) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app. Anonymous Voicemail: Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin (backordered) Love by the Book by Jessica George Ordinary People by Diana Evans At the Pond by Margaret Drabble Anonymous Voicemail: Joyful Anyway by Kate Bowler The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell Caroline Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevins The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Jeanette Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Time of the Child by Niall Williams Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Gilead by Marilynne Robinson The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White Ordinary Time by Catherine Rentzenbrink Empire Falls by Richard Russo Tales of a Country Parish by Colin Heber-Percy Even After Everything by Stephanie Duncan Smith The Irrational Season by Madeline L'Engle and Graham Greene Trudy The Mothers by Brit Bennett This Is Where I Leave You byJonathan Tropper Flight by Lynn Steger Strong Commonwealth by Ann Patchett Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane Mercury by Amy Jo Burns Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson Like Family by Erin White  Family Trust by Kathy Wang From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. This week, Annie is listening to Judy Blume by Mark Oppenheimer. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, we have a special treat: a recording of our live show from The Bookshelf’s March 2026 Reader Retreat! In this episode, Annie and Hunter engage in an abbreviated March Madness debate and play the Newlywed Game with help from Ashley. Enjoy! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 577), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: The Liar's Club by Mary Karr vs. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara vs. The Goldfinch by Donna Tart Edinburgh by Alexander Chee vs. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff vs. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates vs. Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout The Road by Cormac McCarthy  From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie shares the modern books she would recommend to the March sisters from Little Women. Listen to find out what books Annie would recommend for Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy if they walked into The Bookshelf. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 576), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: For Meg The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaffer Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall For Jo Writers & Lovers by Lily King A Swim in the Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Masterclass on Writing, Reading and Life by George Saunders Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott For Beth To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green For Amy Loving Frank by Nancy Horan Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading Love By The Book by Jessica George. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s a New Release Rundown! Annie, Erin, and Olivia share the March releases they’re excited about to help you build your TBR. When you purchase or preorder any of the books they talk about, enter the code NEWRELEASEPLEASE at checkout for 10% off your order! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 575), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Annie’s books ○ The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne (4/7) ○ Love by the Book by Jessica George (4/7) ○ Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Mguyen (4/14) Olivia’s books ○ The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (April 7th) ○ Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer by Paige Classey (April 28th) ○ We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune (April 28th) Erin’s books ○ Like This, But Funnier by Hallie Cantor (April 7th) ○ Small Town Girls by Jayne Anne Phillips (April 21st) ○ The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva (April 28th) From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian. Olivia is reading Young World by Soman Chainani. Erin is reading Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in March. You get 10% off your books when you order your March Reading Recap bundle. Each month, we offer a Reading Recap bundle, which features Annie’s favorite books she read that month. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 574), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Reading Recap Bundle Upward Bound by Woody Brown Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan One & Only by Maureen Goo The Mash Up by Laura Marie Meyers Joyful Anyway by Kate Bowler Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen Unspeakable Things by Brooke Nevils Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading Abby Offsides by Anna McCallie. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s all about books and basketball! Annie is joined by her husband and friend, Jordan, to set different books head to head and debate their merits in this beloved yearly tradition. If you love From the Front Porch, get your tickets to our live show on Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. in Thomasville, Georgia! Join us for an evening of book banter, laughter, and fun. Learn more and get your tickets here. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 573), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: My Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom vs. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry vs. It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan Heartwood by Amity Gaige vs. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy A Century of Healing: Centennial Reflections on the John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital by C. L. Bragg vs. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green The Correspondent by Virginia Evans vs. The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry Same by Hannah Rosenberg vs. A Rebellion of Care by David Gate Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes vs. Onyx Storm  by  Rebecca Yarros Ordinary Times by Annie B. Jones vs. The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor A Woman’s Place is in the Paint T-Shirt From the Front Porch Live Tickets - Saturday, March 28 From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie chats with her mom, Susie, about books for readers with PG-13 tastes. You get 10% off the Susie-approved reads mentioned in this episode when you use code SHOPMOMSELECTS at checkout online and in-store! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 572), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff Hurricane Season by Lauren K Denton The Chancellor's Mansion: A Renovation Story of Family, Home, History, and Mystery by Jamie Arty A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband,Career, and Everything I Owned to Become A Nun by Sister Monica Claire Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker Summer Light on Nantucket by Nancy Thayer A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn Something to Look Forward To by Fanny Flagg Marce Catlett: The Fore of a Story by Wendell Berry My Beloved: A Mitford Novel by Jan Karon Theo of Golden by Allen Levi The Sisters of Book Row by Shelly Noble 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke More Than Enough by Anna Quindlan From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is listening to Annie is reading Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan. Susie is reading The Little Bookshop by the Harbor by Jean Stone. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s a New Release Rundown! Annie, Erin, and Olivia share the March releases they’re excited about to help you build your TBR. When you purchase or preorder any of the books they talk about, enter the code NEWRELEASEPLEASE at checkout for 10% off your order! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 571), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Annie's books: Whidbey by T. Kira Madden Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin Upward Bound by Woody Brown Olivia's books: Phoenix by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson The Fountain by Casey Scieszka Erin's books: Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser Once and Again by Rebecca Serle This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is listening to Annie is reading Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester. Olivia is reading Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen. Erin is listening to Escape! by Stephen Fishbach. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in February. You get 10% off your books when you order your February Reading Recap bundle. Each month, we offer a Reading Recap bundle, which features Annie’s favorite books she read that month. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 570), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Kin by Tayari Jones  Another Marvelous Thing by Laurie Colwin  Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney  Strangers by Belle Burden  Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra  February Reading Recap Bundle From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is listening to One and Only by Maureen Goo. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.      

This week on From the Front Porch, it's an episode of Off the Shelf with Annie & Ashley! Annie is joined by friend, cousin, and former colleague, Ashley Sherlock, to chat about what they’re reading – but also what they’re watching, listening to, and buying. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 569) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Annie reading: Kin by Tayari Jones The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman Ashley reading: Lit by Mary Karr The Secret Place by Tana French Annie listening to: This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum Ashley listening to: Beth’s Dead From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading Kin by Tayari Jones. Ashley is reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.