From the Front Porch

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie invites you to join our Conquer a Classic book club! It’s not too late. A Year With Flannery is a communal exploration of Georgia author Flannery O’Connor’s short stories (and novels). Listen to learn how to join our From the Front Porch Patreon Conquer a Classic book club (you’ll also find details below).

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 581) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

From the Front Porch Patreon

Conquer a Classic 2026 Collection

The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

Conquer a Classic 2026 Bundle

This bundle includes

The Complete Stories

The Violent Bear it Away

Wise Blood

Mystery & Manners: Occasional Prose

Now is a great time to join the From the Front Porch Patreon community and our Conquer a Classic Book Club. One perk of being a Patreon member is being a part of our super-popular, year-long Conquer a Classic book club! Each year, Annie and Hunter select a classic book and read it with our Patreon community over the course of the year. 

Join our Conquer a Classic book club: 

Step 1. Join the Patreon here. You’ll unlock bonus episodes of the podcast where Annie and Hunter discuss Flannery’s works, plus discussion forums with other Conquer a Classic book club members.

Step 2. Buy your copy of THE COMPLETE STORIES or your Conquer a Classic bundle here. Your order will include an exclusive reading guide and bookmark. 

On Patreon, you can choose from two different tiers to join our Conquer a Classic book club: 

For $5/month, you get: 

Monthly Conquer a Classic recap episodes with Annie and Hunter for THE COMPLETE STORIES

Monthly Porch Visits on Zoom with Annie

For $20/month, you get: 

Monthly Conquer a Classic recap episodes with Annie and Hunter for THE COMPLETE STORIES

Monthly Porch Visits on Zoom with Annie

Quarterly book club conversations about O’Connor’s books: WISE BLOOD, THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY, and MYSTERY AND MANNERS

Biannual movie recap episodes with Annie and Hunter: FLANNERY (2019) and WILDCAT (2023)

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 Guide to Open Water Lifesaving by Virginia Eubanks (out August 11).

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.

This week on From the Front Porch, it’s a New Release Rundown! Annie, Erin, and Olivia share the May 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 580), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

Annie's books:

Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester (May 5th, 2026)

Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick (May 26th, 2026)

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (May 26th, 2026)

Olivia's books:

Five by Ilona Bannister (May 5th, 2026)

Young World by Soman Chainani (May 5th, 2026)

Night Objects by Eli Raphael (May 26th, 2026)

Erin's books:

Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel (May 5th, 2026)

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline (May 12th, 2026)

Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin (May 26th, 2026)

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 Whistler by Ann Patchett. Olivia is reading The Mortons by Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier. Erin is listening to Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

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

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie recaps the books she read and loved in April. You get 10% off your books when you order your April Reading Recap bundle. Each month, we offer a Reading Recap bundle, which features Annie’s favorite books she read that month.

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 579), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer (releases June 9)

Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (releases June 30)

Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore (releases June 2)

Everything That Is Beautiful by Louise Nealon (releases August 4)

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Make Nice by Ryan Effgen (releases July 14)

Famesick by Lena Dunham

The Half Life by Rachel Beanland (releases July 14)

Judy Blume by Mark Oppenheimer  

April Reading Recap Bundle  - $76

Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney 

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  

Judy Blume by Mark Oppenheimer  

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 Monster of a Land by Lauren Hough.

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

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

Anonymous Voicemail:

Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin (backordered)

Love by the Book by Jessica George

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

At the Pond by Margaret Drabble

Anonymous Voicemail:

Joyful Anyway by Kate Bowler

The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder

Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

Caroline

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevins

The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Jeanette

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Time of the Child by Niall Williams

Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White

Ordinary Time by Catherine Rentzenbrink

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

Tales of a Country Parish by Colin Heber-Percy

Even After Everything by Stephanie Duncan Smith

The Irrational Season by Madeline L'Engle and Graham Greene

Trudy

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

This Is Where I Leave You byJonathan Tropper

Flight by Lynn Steger Strong

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Like Family by Erin White 

Family Trust by Kathy Wang

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 Judy Blume by Mark Oppenheimer.

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

This week on From the Front Porch, we have a special treat: a recording of our live show from The Bookshelf’s March 2026 Reader Retreat! In this episode, Annie and Hunter engage in an abbreviated March Madness debate and play the Newlywed Game with help from Ashley. Enjoy!

To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 577), or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app:

The Liar's Club by Mary Karr vs. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara vs. The Goldfinch by Donna Tart

Edinburgh by Alexander Chee vs. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff vs. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates vs. Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout

The Road by Cormac McCarthy 

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.

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