Episode 404 || Best Books of the Year

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie and Hunter (@shelfbyshelf) discuss their top five favorite books of 2022!

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:

Annie's Top Five:

The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

Hunter's Top Five:

The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

Trust by Hernan Diaz

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid

Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell

Other favorites:

The Book of Goose by Yiyun LiNora Goes Off Script by Annabel MonaghanDinosaurs by Lydia MilletHow Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie CruzOur Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldThe Town of Babylon by Alejandro VarelaPaul by Daisy LafargeLapvona by Ottessa MoshfeghClean Air by Sarah Blake

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 at @bookshelftville, 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. 

Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Spend Christmas in Thomasville! There is something truly special about the holiday season in Thomasville. From shopping for those must-have presents for everyone on your list, to the twinkling lights, sparkling window displays, and tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling of the season. From downtown hotels, to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holidays! Learn more and plan your trip at www.thomasvillega.com or @thomasvillega on Instagram.

This week, Annie is reading Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston. Hunter is reading A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux.

If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. 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... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.