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.

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (type “Episode 469” 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:

Shop our March Madness merch in the store or online here.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros vs. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett vs. Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano vs. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus vs. Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich vs. The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver vs. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Happy Place by Emily Henry vs. Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai vs. Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey

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 They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib. Jordan 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, 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.