Hi, this is Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf and host of From the Front Porch. Since 2014, From the Front Porch has been a bookish podcast for readers of all stripes. While we’re always about books, some episodes have guests, some are full of great book recommendations, and some have hot takes. Other episodes include silly moments, as well as serious book-reading therapy.
But in every episode we dive into the world of books, old and new, helping you find your next book and a readerly community. Join us every Thursday on From the Front Porch, your new podcast home for all your literary needs.

Welcome to From the Front Porch

Welcome to From the Front Porch, a weekly conversational podcast on books, small business, and life in the South, produced by The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia.

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This week on From the Front Porch, we have a special treat for you: a Conquer a Classic sneak peek! Conquer a Classic is the From the Front Porch Patreon’s year-long book club where Annie, Hunter, and our Patreon community tackle a classic novel together month by month. Our pick for 2024 is the American Western Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. Today’s episode gives you a sneak peek of our Conquer a Classic bonus episodes on Patreon.
It’s not too late to join us! Here’s how to join our Conquer a Classic book club:

Buy your copy of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. When you order Lonesome Dove from us, your order includes an exclusive physical reading guide and Conquer a Classic sticker. You can purchase a digital download for the reading guide here.


Join our Patreon to unlock bonus episodes with Annie and Hunter.

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 Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.
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...Jennifer Bannerton, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Susan Hulings, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, and Amanda Whigham.

Episode 477 || Conquer a Classic Sneak Peek

This week on From the Front Porch, we have a new episode series: Into the Backlist! Today, Annie changes her focus from new releases to dive into the backlist: the books that came out years ago, the books that didn’t get enough attention, the books you may stumble upon while browsing in an indie bookstore like The Bookshelf.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website (type “Episode 476” into the search bar and tap enter to find the books mentioned in this episode) or or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
The Ensemble by Aja Gabel
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Annie would put The Mothers on a shelf with these books:
Revival Season by Monica West
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway
A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson (unavailable to order)
The Color of Water by James McBride
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
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 Funny Story by Emily Henry.
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...Jennifer Bannerton, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Susan Hulings, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, and Amanda Whigham.

Episode 476 || Into the Backlist, Vol. 3

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s another New Release Rundown! Annie, Erin, and Olivia are sharing the May 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 (type “Episode 475” into the search bar and tap enter to find the books mentioned in this episode), or shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
Annie's books:
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (5/7)Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (5/21)Knife River by Justine Champine (5/28)
Olivia's books:
The Kid by Jeff Schill (5/7)The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (5/7)
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton (5/21)
Erin's books:
Last House by Jessica Shattuck (5/14)When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips (5/21)I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (5/21)
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 Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum. Olivia is reading The Unwedding by Ally Condie. Erin is listening to Funny Story by Emily Henry.
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...Jennifer Bannerton, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Susan Hulings, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, and Amanda Whigham.

Episode 475 || New Release Rundown: May 2024

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in April. You get 10% off your books when you order your April Reading Recap bundle! Each month, we offer a Reading Recap bundle, which features Annie’s three favorite books she read that month.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (type “Episode 474” into the search bar and tap enter to find the books mentioned in this episode), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
Annie's April Reading Recap Bundle - $78
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Funny Story by Emily Henry
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
Worry by Alexandra Tanner
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Knife River by Justine Champine (releases 5/28)
Lies & Weddings by Kevin Kwan (releases 5/21)
Funny Story by Emily Henry
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (releases 5/7)
Thank you to this week’s sponsor, the 103rd Annual Rose Show and Festival here in Thomasville, Georgia. Held in historic Downtown Thomasville, the Rose Show & Festival is sponsored by the City of Thomasville and has been a southwest Georgia tradition since 1922. Enjoy rose and flower shows, live music, an artisan market, an antique car show, a parade and fantastic shopping and dining in Downtown Thomasville. This year’s 103rd annual event is April 26-27. Plan your visit at thomasvillega.com.
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 Swift River by Essie Chambers.
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...Jennifer Bannerton, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Susan Hulings, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, and Amanda Whigham.

Episode 474 || April Reading Recap

This week on From the Front Porch, we have a new series: Annie Recommends! In this series, Annie curates a stack of books in a certain genre or theme for you – just as if you walked into our brick-and-mortar store, The Bookshelf. Sometimes, you just want a good book list. This month, Annie recommends a short list of her favorite audiobooks.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (type “Episode 473” into the search bar and tap enter to find the books mentioned in this episode), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (Website | Libro.fm)
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz (Website | Libro.fm)
Falling by T.J. Newman (Website | Libro.fm)
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (Website | Libro.fm)
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (Website | Libro.fm)
Taste by Stanley Tucci (Website | Libro.fm)
Going There by Katie Couric (Website | Libro.fm)
The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson (Website | Libro.fm)
Thank you to this week’s sponsor, the 103rd Annual Rose Show and Festival here in Thomasville, Georgia. Held in historic Downtown Thomasville, the Rose Show & Festival is sponsored by the City of Thomasville and has been a southwest Georgia tradition since 1922. Enjoy rose and flower shows, live music, an artisan market, an antique car show, a parade and fantastic shopping and dining in Downtown Thomasville. This year’s 103rd annual event is April 26-27. Plan your visit at thomasvillega.com.
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 Honey by Victor Lodato (Website | Libro.fm).
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, Cammy Tidwell, Chanta Combs, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Kristin May, Laurie Johnson, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Stacy Laue, Stephanie Dean, Susan Hulings, and Wendi Jenkins.

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