From the Front Porch

Lots of people asked us why we're always raving about sad books, and they weren't satisfied when we quoted Sally Sparrow and said, "It's happy for deep people." This week, Annie and Chris explain what they call "grief literature" and recommend a bunch of their favorite sad books with justifications for why you should feel sad sometimes. + Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (really, why aren't you reading this one yet?) + A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis + The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion + "The Faery Handbag" from The Faery Reel by Kelly Link + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart + Fun Home by Alison Bechdel + When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi + Gilead by Marilynne Robinson + The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger + Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer + The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson + Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice NEW THIS WEEK: + The Hogwarts Library (expanded) by J. K. Rowling + The Wanderers by Meg Howry + Before the War by Fay Weldon + The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo + The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy + The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Teaches Us About Living Fullyby Frank Ostaseski

Annie sits down with her husband Jordan for their annual March Madness discussion. This year's book bracket includes The Bookshelf's "sweet sixteen" -- the 16 bestselling books of the past 12 months. Magnolia Story Present Over Perfect Seven Brief Lessons in Physics When Breath Becomes Air Killing the Rising Sun Alexander Hamilton Tribal Hillbilly Elegy The Underground Railroad A Gentleman in Moscow Fates and Furies All the Light We Cannot See A Man Called Ove Me Before You Harry Potter and the Cursed Child The After Party Follow The Bookshelf on Instagram to cast votes for your favorite books during our March Madness celebration, or -- if you're a college basketball fan -- compete against friends in ESPN's bracket challenge.

Annie and Chris walk you through what they read in February while several intrepid Saturday afternoon customers climb over a literal barricade outside the door to use the [closed] bathroom. Annie read: + The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas + This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel + Last Things by Marissa Moss + Into the Water by Paula Hawkins + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Annie is currently reading: + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Chris read (but hasn't quite finished): + Difficult Women by Roxane Gay + Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Follow Annie's reading on Instagram at #anniereads2017.

Annie, Emily, and Hunter discuss Difficult Women by Roxane Gay and try very hard to decide what they think about it! Also mentioned this week: + Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson + Lauren Groff's review of Fortune Smiles + Anne Bogel's advice for sensitive readers

It's Oscar Season, so Annie and Chris are rounding up their favorite books for this year's moviegoers. Also in this episode, a new feature (!!!) and Chris continues to swallow his words. If you liked Arrival, you may like: Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn How to Life Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu The Time Traveler's Almanac by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer If you liked Hell or High Water, you may like: True Grit by Charles Portis American Fire by Monica Hesse Ordinary Grace by Willian Kent Krueger All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy If you liked Hidden Figures, you may like: The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan The Radium Girls by Kate Moore Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County by Kristen Green If you liked Moonlight, you may like: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman The Whale by Mark Beauregard If you liked La La Land, you may like: I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer NEW TITLES OUT THIS WEEK: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter We Are Okay by Nina LaCour The Airbnb Story by Leigh Gallagher Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt

It's Galentine's Day, so Annie and Chris are answering the question on everyone's mind: What would Leslie Knope read? Also this episode, pipe bombs--the new cooking craze sweeping America? Join us at The Bookshelf on Friday, February 10, from 6 to 8 for Galentine's Day festivities, and check out our downtown partners Mode, Smith Collective, Tallokas Road, Signature Clothing Lounge, and You're Maker. +Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik +Sisters in Law by Linda Hirshman +Daring Greatly by Brené Brown +Happy Cityby Charles Montgomery +The Localist by Carrie Rollwagen Find Brené Brown's TED Talk here. Shop with us online here.

Annie and Chris chat about public transit, public urination, and all the books they read in January. Annie read: +The Underwriting by Michelle Miller +The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits +The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder +American Fire by Monica Hesse +Himself by Jess Kidd +The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers Annie is currently reading: +Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl Chris read: +The Wanderers by Meg Howrey +Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Chris is currently reading: +American War by Omar El Akkad

Annie and Chris get ready for the Bookshelf's upcoming Book Club Fair by discussing their favorite book club picks for 2017 (so far), including: In Case You Missed It: + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff + Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert + This is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison + The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison 2016 Tastemakers: + A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles + Among the Living by Jonathan Rabb + A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman + Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance + Commonwealth by Ann Patchett Coming in 2017: + The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers (out now) + The Wanderers by Meg Howrey (out March 14) + Himself by Jess Kidd (out March 14) + American Fire by Monica Hesse (out July 11) + The Book that Matters Most by Ann Hood (out now--in paper back August 1) + Hue and Cry at Our House by Benjamin Taylor (out May 23)

Chris and Annie chat with the Bookshelf's new manager, Magali Kent, about missionary work, the proper execution of an eye roll, culture shock, and favorite children's books. + Watership Down by Richard Adams + Reply All + Lore + Up and Vanished + Serial

2016 is over, but of reading many books there is no end. In this episode, Annie and Chris talk about their resolutions for the new year and challenge one another to read outside of their usual habits--with hypothetically apocalyptic results. + Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow + Rita Dove + Claudia Rankine

From the Front Porch celebrates episode 100! Annie and Chris answer listener questions about One Book, My Brilliant Friend, and reading translations. + One Book Thomas County website + On the Same Page (Decatur, Ga., One Book program) + American Booksellers Association + Love It or Loathe It episode ft. My Brilliant Friend + Episode ft. Virginia Price

It's time to reflect back on 2016, which means... It's time to recap Annie's favorite books of the year. + The Mothers by Brit Bennett + Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty by Ramona Ausubel + Commonwealth by Ann Patchet + Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin + This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick + When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi + My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout + Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Yeung + You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein

"Grape nuts or sex? It's a no brainer." Food writer and editor Julia Reed popped by the podcast to chat about Southern food culture, holiday entertaining, and mixing politics with pleasure. (You'll hear lots of laughter this episode; Julia's one-liners will have you in stitches.) + You can find Julia's piece about Bill and Melinda Gates in the Wall Street Journal Magazine. + More about Julia Reed and her books can be found here. + Julia was in town for Thomasville's Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival + William Christenberry photography + Garden and Gun magazine + The Bitter Southerner Julia mentions: + William Trevor short stories + Walker Percy + Night School by Lee Child + The Jealous Kind by James Lee Burke Don't forget to leave us a voicemail for our 100th episode here!

Annie and Chris work through Annie's books she read in November: + Fun Home + Scrappy Little Nobody + My Brilliant Friend + Talking as Fast as I Can Listen to Anna Kendrick's Nerdist interview here. Reply All's 48-hour call-in episode. Listen to our Love It or Loathe It episode about My Brilliant Friend here. Vote for The Bookshelf in the Indie Awards: http://www.independentwestand.org/indies/profile.php?id=92. Don't forget to leave us a voice message for our upcoming 100th episode: http://www.bookshelfthomasville.com/frontporch.

Annie sits down with podcast regular Hunter McLendon and new voice Emily McKenna to discuss Elena Ferrante's international bestseller My Brilliant Friend. + Get an introduction to Emily on her first podcast episode here. + Read more about the mystery of Elena Ferrante here. Shop from The Bookshelf here.

Annie and Chris talk Thanksgiving menus and favorite cookbooks. + The Can't Cookbook + A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen + Jamie's Food Revolution + Soup Nights + Appetites + Cooking for Jeffrey + Joy of Cooking + The Forest Feast Learn all about Ina and Jeffrey's marriage here. Shop local from faraway by browsing our online store here.

On this unintentionally abbreviated episode of the podcast, Annie and Chris answer a listener email all about finding the time to read. Have your own bookish question you'd like answered? Email Annie: annie [at] bookshelfthomasville [dot] com -- Check out The Bookshelf online store here.

Southern hosts and hostesses, unite! On this special bonus episode, Annie chats with Southern lifestyle guru James Farmer. James is the author of A Time to Celebrate, A Time to Cook, Dinner on the Grounds, and several other beautiful coffee table books all about Southern hospitality. He's in Thomasville this week for the city's annual Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival, and -- if you're local! -- you can find James at the following events: + Cocktails and Conversations on Thursday, November 17, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets available here. Join James, Julia Reed, and the Mashburns as they chat about Southern hospitality inspired by the fall season! + Book signing at downtown Thomasville's store Relish on Friday, November 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. James will be signing copies of his beautiful books during this free event. You can find James online on Instagram and his website. James is reading: + The Flower Hunter and the People by Matthew Jennings + Liberating Paris by Linda Bloodsworth Thompson

Annie chats with Chris about the books she read in October: + Today Will Be Different + Dark Matter + In the Garden of Small Beginnings + Juniper (listen to this Radiolab episode for more on this story) + The Children + Who Killed These Girls? (here's the Reply All episode Chris mentioned) ** Shop these titles on The Bookshelf website here. ** Other titles mentioned include: + Where'd You Go, Bernadette + Leave Me + The Martian + Before the Fall + Kitchens of the Great Midwest + Visit from the Goon Squad + Seating Arrangements + The Nest + Commonwealth + The Children's Crusade Annie mentioned how she finds book recommendations on Instagram through Shauna Niequist and Elise Blaha Cripe.

If you're new to From the Front Porch, this episode will introduce you to hosts Annie and Chris. Learn about their reading tastes, what they do when their not at The Bookshelf, and who they'd have over for their dream literary dinner party. (The interview was inspired by the New York Times' By the Book interviews. Gretchen Rubin's is here.) Books and authors mentioned include: + Station Eleven + My Brilliant Friend + Present Over Perfect + Pond + Boss Life + Grit + Neil Gaiman + Mindy Kaling + F. Scott Fitzgerald + Umberto Ecco + Hannah Arendt + Flannery O'Connor + Madeleine L'Engle + J.K. Rowling + Shauna Niequist + Swing Time + The Martian + Bread and Wine + The Mothers + Another Day in the Death of America + The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Find The Bookshelf online here.

Ever wonder what it's like to run a small business start-up? Annie and Chris chat with Scott Chastain, the owner and founder of Everfan, a customizable costume accessory company. Everfan bases their thriving Internet business in Thomasville, so Annie, Chris, and Scott discuss entrepreneurship, small town living, and of course, what Scott's been reading lately. Find Everfan online: Website | Instagram | Facebook Podcasts mentioned: + Slate Political Gabfest + StartUp + Reply All Books mentioned: + A Confederacy of Dunces + Catch-22 + Catcher in the Rye + When Breath Becomes Air

Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy and the What Should I Read Next podcast joins Annie and Chris to chat about book blogging, all those advanced reading copies, and what she's reading right now. Podcasts Anne recommends: + Pantsuit Politics + Young House Love + The Popcast + Books on the Nightstand + Smartest Person in the Room Books mentioned in this episode: + Crossing to Safety + Age of Innocence + Madame Bovary + Alexander Hamilton + Commonwealth + Run + Bel Canto For additional bookish conversation, hop on over to Episode 44 of What Should I Read Next; Annie was a guest this week!

Annie talks about the effects of stress on her reading life and chats with Chris about the books she read in September. Last month's selections included: + Moo by Sharon Creech + The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware + Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray + The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell You can find these selections and more on our store website: www.bookshelfthomasville.com.

Curious what the life of a book sales rep might look like? Annie and Chris interview Virginia Price, a sales rep for Penguin Random House. Virginia recommends her favorite upcoming fall book releases (and gives readers a preview of some spring titles to come). Plus, the three book lovers share their favorite podcasts and why movie book covers are so, so bad. FICTION: + The Mothers + Ninth City Burning + Reputations + Swing Time + Ink and Bone + The Girl on the Train NONFICTION: + The Princess Diarist + The Book of Joy + The Glass Universe + Dogs and Their People Other titles mentioned: + War and Peace + Anna Karenina + Lord of the Rings + Exit West + MacArthur's Spies Podcasts mentioned: + 410wned Gaming Podcast + This American Life + RadioLab + Welcome to Night Vale + The Bright Sessions + Grammar Girl For more book recommendations, you can reach Virginia at vprice {at} penguinrandomhouse {dot} com.

Ever wonder what a booksellers conference might look like? Annie chats with her mom about this year's Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA): the authors, the booksellers, the lessons learned. Books, podcasts, authors, and blogs mentioned: + DesignSponge and Grace Bonney + In the Company of Women + The King of the Birds + Girl in Pieces + Author Liane Moriarty + Author Mary Kay Andrews + Author Shauna Niequist + Little Women + A Year of Living Danishly

Author Ann Patchett recently compared bookselling to being on a sitcom. Annie and Chris investigate that claim, comparing their fellow booksellers to Friends characters and examining why we identify with fictional characters of all kinds. + Read Ann Patchett's original interview, here. + Find CJ Hauser's essay all about characters who are "just like us" here.

For some, life on the Gulf Coast is a religion, and now, we've got our very own Bible of sorts: Saints of Old Florida, a gorgeous new lifestyle book by Emily Raffield, Melissa Farrell, and Christina McDermott. Emily and Melissa chatted with Annie and Chris about life on the coast, their favorite coastal memories, and why collecting our Southern stories is so important. For more information about Emily, Melissa, Christina, and their new book, visit their website, Saints of Old Florida. The book can be purchased online or through several locally-owned shops in and around the coast; a full stockist list is here. Melissa's shop in Port St. Joe is called Joseph's Cottage. In this episode, books and podcasts mentioned include: + Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert + Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray + Garance Dore's podcast, Pardon My French

Behold, the power of Oprah. Annie and Chris chat about the books Annie read in August, including Oprah's book club book, The Underground Railroad. The rest of Annie's list: + Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill + The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead + You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott + The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close + The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer + Before the Fall by Noah Hawley + Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge And other books Annie and Chris mentioned: + Fates & Furies + Crossing to Safety + Pond + The Royal We + Station Eleven + Everything I Never Told You + Reconstructing Amelia + Prep + Ghettoside

"A room without books is a body without a soul," said Cicero, and so we believe. This episode, Annie and Chris talk about the roles books play in homes and home decor: why we keep books and what they say about us. + This episode was inspired by Robbie Hopkins from Audible Discernment; you can check out our full episode with Robbie and the guys here. + Books by the foot your thing? You can buy them from another indie bookstore, Strand Books, here. + Mrs. Kendall's Unread Library, here.

When you travel, how big of a role does food play in your experience of a new city or town? This episode, Debra Smith, the owner and founder of Taste of Thomasville, a Thomasville Food Tour, visits with Annie and Chris. They chat about Thomasville's best restaurants, Gone with the Wind, and that big oak tree everybody's always talking about. Debra's favorite podcasts are The Dave Ramsey Show and Serial. She's currently reading The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. You can find information and tickets on the Taste of Thomasville tour at www.tasteofthomasvillefoodtour.com.

Have you read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child yet? No spoilers here, but Chris and Annie do chat about their expectations going into the newly released book. They also discuss Go Set a Watchman, J.K. Rowling's turn as Robert Galbraith, and how they'd be sorted at Hogwarts.

Annie and Chris recap the books Annie read in July, plus they chat about what to do when you're in a reading rut. Books discussed include: + Commonwealth by Ann Patchett + The Trespasser by Tana French + You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein + Swing Time by Zadie Smith

Can't decide if you love or hate a book? This is the podcast series for you. Annie once again joins frequent podcast contributors Hunter McLendon and Rebekah Arwood for a discussion of Wendy Walker's All Is Not Forgotten (a new thriller on shelves now; Reese Witherspoon's already bought the film rights). Comparable titles: + Defending Jacob by William Landay + Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng + Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber + We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates + Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Love books, music, and the South? Then we've got the episode for you. Annie and Chris met with the guys of Audible Discernment, a music podcast out of nearby Albany, Ga., and they chat all things literary and musical (including a nostalgia for country music and why Pride and Prejudice would be better set in the South). Books mentioned: + Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison + A Boy from Georgia by Hamilton Jordan + The Dark Tower series by Stephen King + Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen + The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers + Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace + The Whale by Mark Beauregard + The Last Days of Video by Jeremy Hawkins

Annie and Chris deep dive into reading more than one book at any given time... And some book therapy ensues. They mention: + Commonwealth by Ann Patchett + The Trespasser by Tana French + The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth + Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin + Grit by Angela Duckworth + The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell + The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon Plus this article about millennials, this one about what Obama does at night, and... are you an abstainer or a moderator?

Looking for your next summer read? Look no further. Annie and Chris chat about the books Annie read in June, including: + The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis (rel. August 23) + Love Warrior by Glennon Melton Doyle (rel. September 6) + It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool, Too) by Nora McIrney Purmort + Light to Paris by Eleanor Brown + All Stories Are Love Stories by Elizabeth Percer + How to Ruin Everything by George Watsky + Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni + Leave Me by Gayle Forman (rel. September 6) Also mentioned: + The Momastery blog + Aaron Purmort's obituary + Lin-Manuel Miranda's Twitter account + WTXL card-making segment + Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide

Earlier this month, Annie traveled to Haiti with Dot Products, a school supply company based out of Jackson, Mississippi. This episode, Chris and Annie chat with Hallie Darphin, founder of Dot, about Dot's mission, making a global impact, and the magic of reading recommendations. Hallie mentions these books: + The Color Purple + 1984 + Brave New World + Quiet (and this TED Talk by Susan Cain) And these podcasts: + Being Boss + Serial + This American Life + The Moth Find Dot online: Website | Instagram | Facebook Plus, here's a video from Annie's time in Haiti with Dot.

New York Times bestselling author Anton DiSclafani (The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, The After Party) drops by the podcast to talk about life in a small town, North Florida versus South Florida, and writing with a baby on board. Anton mentions: + Radiolab + LaRose by Louise Erdrich + The Golden Bowl by Henry James Event details about Anton's signing are here.

Ever wondered if a particular book is worth reading? In our Love It or Loathe It episodes, we debate newly released titles and whether they're worth adding to your TBR list or not. This episode, Annie, Rebekah, and Hunter chat about Walt by Russell Wangersky.

Turns out design is pretty much what makes the world -- and small businesses -- go 'round. Learn all about marketing and the ups and downs of social media as Annie and Chris chat with local small business consultant Dara Barwick. + Dara's website + The Southern C Summit + Our interview with Sarah Turner + Our interview with Laura Beggs + Melanie Duncan podcast episodes + Deep South Details podcast Annie and Chris mention: + The Popcast + Serial + This American Life + Reply All Dara's book recommendations: + Under the Hood + Good to Great and the Social Sector

Chris asks Annie about the books she read in May, including: + Brighton by Michael Harvey (releases June 14) + Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam (releases June 7) + A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman + Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld + The Girls by Emma Cline (releases June 14) + Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson (releases September 13) + Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty (releases July 26) + The Mothers by Britt Bennett (releases October 11) Also mentioned: + Defending Jacob + Everybody Rise + Britt-Marie Was Here + American Girls + The Dollhouse + We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of those Instagram accounts we all follow? Annie and Chris chat with Lindsay Hopkins of Pen and Paint, an enormously popular Instagram account and Etsy shop based in Albany, Georgia. Find Lindsay on Instagram and Etsy. Podcasts we mention: + StoryCorps + This American Life + Smart Creative Women + Elise Gets Crafty + Audible Discernment Books Lindsay mentions: + Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen + Tattoos on the Heart by Father Gregory Boyle (The podcast episode Annie mentions is from On Being with Krista Tippett, found here.) + Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

Want to know if a book's for you? Welcome to Love It or Loathe It, episodes where Bookshelf staffers and friends tell you exactly what they think about a newly released title. In this volume, Annie chats with Bookshelf manager Rebekah and frequent podcast contributor Hunter all about I'm Glad about You by Theresa Rebeck. Other titles mentioned: + Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham + Are You My Mother?, by Alison Bechdel + Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal + A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty by Ramona Ausubel

What do you get when you have a bookstore staffer who's also a news junkie? A very special episode of this podcast. Chris and Annie chat with bookseller Sterling Ivey about news in pop culture, favorite news sources, and what he really thinks about morning show hosts. Sterling's favorite podcasts: + Serial + This American Life + Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin + WTF with Marc Maron + Comedy Bang! Bang! Books mentioned in this episode: + Middlemarch + Plato's Republic + The First Nazi + Kissinger + The Whale + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

We're living in a post-Gone Girl world, which means not all thrillers are created equal. Annie and Chris chat about the books she read in April, including a couple of just-okay novels and one National Book Award winner. + Read Bottom Up + The Passenger + Ordinary Grace + We Are Called To Rise + Losing It + Fortune Smiles + Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty The Adam Johnson Annie references is here. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Chris' blog is here.

News flash: Some TV shows are better than others. Chris and Annie wax philosophical about their favorite TV shows for readers, including: + Gilmore Girls + Arrested Development + Breaking Bad + Jane the Virgin + Mad Men + House of Cards + Seinfeld + The Office + The Wonder Years + The Bachelor Related: All 339 Books Referenced in Gilmore Girls Share your favorites: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Rate and review us on iTunes.

Thomasville is the City of Roses, and spring is the town's time to shine! Each year, Thomasville hosts the Rose Show and Festival, and Chris and Annie talk to city event coordinator Sarah Turner about balancing tradition with new ideas, why a festival devoted to roses, and what she's reading right now. Vote for Thomasville in USA Today's Best Historic Small Town competition! Check out all the Rose Show festivities -- including parade details and flower show times -- here. Support Tallahassee's Word of South festival. Sarah's go-to podcasts: + Radio Lab + This American Life Books Sarah mentioned: + In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware + Fed, White, and Blue by Simon Majumdar + Tribal by Diane Roberts + The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh + How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran Books Chris mentioned: + The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison + Battleborn by Claire Watkins + Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson Books Annie mentioned: + Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson Website | Twitter | Instagram

One perk of life in a small town: You can try something just to see if it works. And if it does? Then you've established a new town tradition, like Thomasville's Due South music festival, put on by the Center of the Arts. Annie and Chris chat with the Center's marketing director, Callie Sewell, about music festivals; the Athens, Ga., music scene; and whether Jane Eyre is overrated. BUY TICKETS for Due South here. Books mentioned: + Jane Eyre + The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls + No One Belongs Here More Than You + The Nest + The Empathy Exams Podcasts mentioned: + This American Life + Serial + The Moth + Mom and Dad Are Fighting + Gilmore Guys

How do you raise creative kids? Do small towns foster creativity better than big cities do? Annie and guest Emily McKenna chat about these questions, plus book hangover and what they're reading right now. Emily is the product developer for Everfan, a superhero and imaginative play company located right above The Bookshelf in Thomasville. Emily is also the owner of You're Maker, where she teaches classes to adults and children. Books mentioned in today's episode: - Imagine by Jonah Lehrer - Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (plus the Austin Family Chronicles and Walking on Water - Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warlick (preorder here) Plus, Chip Kidd's TED talk, and How to review the podcast on iTunes. Full show notes here.

The podcast introduces a new co-host with a familiar voice, and Annie recaps the books she read in March, including: - Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - The After Party by Anton DiSclafani - I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck - Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk - This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick Annie also menions: American Girls, The Nest, and The Excellent Lombards. Find the Perfect Days podcast episode here. Check out this episode of This American Life about American teenagers on social media. (It's fascinating!) --- Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter