From the Front Porch

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

Which book wins this year's Out of Print Book Bracket? Listen as Annie and frequent podcast contributor Jordan Jones duke it out over their favorite contemporary classics, including Fates and Furies vs. Looking for Alaska and All the Light We Cannot See vs. Room. Round One match-ups can be found here. Follow The Bookshelf on Instagram for the shop's own version of March Madness. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Ever wondered why guys aren't in book clubs? Listen as Annie and Grassroots Coffee roaster Peyton Hodges chat about co-ed book clubs, plus Peyton schools Annie on her knowledge of sci-fi literature. Peyton mentions: + Sad Puppies and the 2015 Hugo Awards + Ready Player One by Ernest Cline + Dune by Frank Herbert + Author David Wong + Author Neal Stephenson + Saga + Hark! A Vagrant --- How to rate/review From the Front Porch Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Small-town virtues to the Oval Office? Jimmy Carter's presidency may have inspired our current political climate, and Annie interviews author Robert Buccellato to find out why. His new book Jimmy Carter in Plains shares insight into President Carter's approachability and how his underdog story and small-town, Southern charm made a lasting impact. + Robert's author page + tour dates + How to rate/review From the Front Porch + From the Front Porch on iTunes Robert is reading Stone Door, a YA fantasy, and Why the Dutch Are Different, a memoir. Full show notes from today's episode and past episodes here. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Annie recaps the books she read in February, including: - Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty - My Name Is Lucy Barton - The Good Goodbye - The Interestings - American Housewife - Opening Belle - Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend Looking for other indie bookstores to support? Annie loves Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida, and The Hidden Lantern Books in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Rate the podcast on iTunes!

Annie and Bookshelf staffer Chris share their love for the Oscars and this year's Oscar-inspired books, plus they chat briefly about Harper Lee and what her death means to the literary world. iTunes || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram

Ever read a book you hated? Annie, Rebekah, and Hunter discuss the new suspense novel Perfect Days by Raphael Montes. (Spoiler-free discussion, with five minutes of spoiler-filled bonus conversation at the close of the episode.) The book reaction video Annie mentions is here.

Annie recaps the books she read in January, including several ARCs, a couple of thrillers, and a YA novel. (Full list with titles and authors here.) Instagram || Facebook || Twitter

What are your reading goals for 2016? Annie chats reading resolutions with returning podcast guest Hunter McLendon. Annie and Hunter also make their way through Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2016 Reading Challenge, plus talk about what they're reading right now (him: Americanah; her: The Expatriates). What Should I Read Next? podcast Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Have you ever wondered how your favorite book would play out on-stage? Annie interviews Jana Mohr, president of Thomasville On Stage and Company, Thomasville's community theatre. Annie and Jana chat about TOSAC's upcoming production of A Little Princess, plus why books make great on-stage adaptations. For tickets to A Little Princess, click here. Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

We're back with our first episode of 2016, and Annie's recapping her favorite books of 2015. (You can find the full list here.) Local listeners may want to subscribe to The Bookshelf newsletter, a weekly update on bookstore happenings. Faraway folks, you can subscribe to Annie's monthly musings -- including reading recaps -- here.

Where we're from affects how we read. Annie chats with blogger, podcaster, and aspiring author Science Mike about science, faith, and the many nuances of the South, plus their favorite Thomasville spots and what they're reading right now. (Mike's reading The Last Pilot, and Annie's reading Live from New York.) Mike's website || The Liturgists podcasts || Ask Science Mike podcast

Annie reviews the six books she read in November: Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber; Distance from Me to You by Marina Gessner; The Clasp by Sloane Crosley; Flood Girls by Richard Fifield; The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes; You Don't Have to Like Me by Alida Nugent. Facebook || Instagram || Twitter || iTunes

What makes David Sedaris so funny? Annie chats with Atlanta author, blogger, and comic Jim Hodgson about the ever-changing publishing industry, urban fantasy fiction, and Jim's latest book, Ten Thousand Gods. You can find it and his other works on his website, www.jimhodgson.com. Jim is also the founding writer and editor of the Atlanta Banana.

What's on your table this Thanksgiving? Annie and fellow bookseller Chris Jensen discuss food and food writing, including whether cookbooks are becoming obsolete and their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Similar carrot recipe (find the one Chris made in A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen Avid Bookshop Annie loves: Supper of the Lamb, Delancey, A Homemade Life, The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Voracious

What do all those different festivals do for their cities? Annie chats with Laura Beggs, the main street coordinator for the city of Thomasville. They discuss their favorite spots in downtown T'ville, plus Thomasville's Victorian Christmas (details here). Shop online with The Bookshelf here.