From the Front Porch

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 595) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app.

Lizzy:

The House of Mirth or The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe

The Group by Mary McCarthy

Kate:

Literary westerns

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzales James

Outlawed by Anna North

God’s Country by Percival Everett

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy: All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain

The Plague of Doves and The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Prioux

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

The Son by Philipp Meyer

Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt

The Dying Grass by William T. Vollman

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer

Rachel:

Books about Spain

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafòn

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

The Muse by Jessie Burton

Alberto’s Lost Birthday by Diana Rosie

Homage to Barcelona by Colm Toibin

Ellen:

Fantasy

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

The Bright Sword (Arthurian retelling) by Lev Grossman

Circe by Madeline Miller

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Romantasy:

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft 

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer l armentrout

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

Lindsay: Literary palate cleansers

Humor/memoir

Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

Kid lit

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

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 Tenderness by Rowan Beaird.

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...Joseph Shorter IV, Beth, Jammie Treadwell, Kimberly, Gene Queens, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins and Cammy Tidwell.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie is speculating what Rory Gilmore (from WB/CW show Gilmore Girls) might read now, in 2026. If she walked into The Bookshelf, what books would Annie put into her hands? Or what books do we sell that she’s already read and loved? Dysfunctional family lit? Reimaginings of her favorite classics? Books about quirky small towns and their inhabitants? Here’s what Annie came up with:

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 594), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

James by Percival Everett

SPQR by Mary Beard

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood 

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri

Audition by Katie Kitamura

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 Last Days of Vic and Coco (March 2, 2027) by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 

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...Joseph Shorter IV, Beth, Jammie Treadwell, Kimberly, Gene Queens, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins and Cammy Tidwell.

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s a New Release Rundown! Annie and Erin share the August 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 584), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

Annie’s books

Everything That Is Beautiful by Louise Nealon (August 6th, 2026)

A Tender Age by Chang-Rae Lee (August 11th, 2026)

Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias (August 25th, 2026)

Erin’s books

Etna by Paul Yoon

Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty

Kitten by Stacey Yu 

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 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 Wasp’s Nest by Kat Stoddard. Erin is listening to Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman.

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...Joseph Shorter IV, Beth, Jammie Treadwell, Kimberly, Gene Queens, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins and Cammy Tidwell.

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie wraps up our Summer Readings series! In this series, Annie introduces you to one book you should read this summer by reading an excerpt (with permission from publishers).

Today, Annie reads a passage from Andrew Sean Greer’s new book Villa Coco. Use code SUMMERREADINGS at checkout to get 10% off Villa Coco this week.

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 592) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

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 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 Little Friend by Donna Tartt.

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...Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, Martha, and Wendi Jenkins.

This week on From the Front Porch, our Summer Readings series continues! In this series, Annie introduces you to one book you should read this summer by reading an excerpt (with permission from publishers).

Today, Annie reads a passage from Rachel Beanland’s new book The Half Life. Use code SUMMERREADINGS at checkout to get 10% off The Half Life this week.

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 591) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

The Half Life by Rachael Beanland

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachael Beanland

The House Is on Fire by Rachael Beanland

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson

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 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 A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia.

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...Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, Martha, and Wendi Jenkins.