Episode 357 || Reading Resolutions 2022
This week, Annie is breaking down her 2022 Reading Resolutions with her friend and frequent co-host, Hunter Mclendon. You might recognize Hunter from his work on Instagram (you can find him @shelfbyshelf), or from his weekly newsletter of the same name, which you can find on Substack.
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our new website:
Beloved by Toni Morrison (Backlist Book Club, in March)
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Sula by Toni Morrison (back-ordered)
Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib
Shelf Subscription program
Storygraph
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 at @bookshelftville, 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 below.
Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for the production of From the Front Porch and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
This week, I’m reading The Maid by Nita Prose. Hunter is reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.
If you’d like to support From the Front Porch, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the Podcast App on your phone, look for From the Front Porch, scroll down until you see ‘Write a Review’ and tell us what you think.
Or, if you’re so inclined, support us for $5 a month on Patreon, where you can follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic and participate in live video Q&As in our monthly lunch break sessions. Just go to:
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
Libro.FM:
Libro.fm lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore (Like The Bookshelf). You can pick from more than 215,000 audiobooks, and you'll get the same audiobooks at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name). But you’ll be part of a different story -- one that supports the community. All you need is a smartphone and the free Libro.fm app.
Right now, if you sign up for a new membership, you will get 2 audiobooks for the price of one. All you have to do is enter FRONTPORCH at checkout or follow this link:
Flodesk:
Do you receive a weekly or monthly newsletter from one of your favorite brands? Like maybe From the Front Porch (Or The Bookshelf)... Did you ever wonder, ‘how do they make such gorgeous emails?’
Flodesk is an email marketing service provider that's built for creators, by creators, and it’s easy to use. We’ve been using it for a couple of years now, and I personally love it. And right now you can get 50% off your Flodesk subscription by going to:
Transcript:
Annie Jones [00:00:01] Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the south.
[00:00:24] "I have always been more afraid of a pin, a bottle of ink and a sheet of paper than of a sword or a pistol." Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo.
[00:00:37] I'm Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. And we're back. This week, I'm breaking down my 2022 reading resolutions with my friend and frequent co-host Hunter McClinton. You might recognize Hunter from his work on Instagram. You can find him @shelfbyshelf or from his weekly newsletter of the same name, which you can find on Substack. We also have a link in our show notes. Hi, Hunter!
Hunter [00:01:03] Hello.
Annie Jones [00:01:05] Happy New Year!
Hunter [00:01:06] Happy New Year to you! Have we talked since the year started?
Annie Jones [00:01:09] No. I mean... No. We've texted. And I never know like how long people want you to say, Happy New Year, but I haven't seen you. So happy New Year.
Hunter [00:01:22] Happy New Year to you.
Annie Jones [00:01:23] It's our first podcast episode, kind of, back. We've been doing, kind of, these recap and compilation episodes because I needed a little breather at the end of 2021, didn't we all?
Hunter [00:01:34] Yes.
Annie Jones [00:01:35] And so we're back. We're talking about our reading resolutions, our reading intentions -- as I think you termed them in 2021. So I wanted to ask you, what were your reading intentions that you set in 2021 and did you meet them? Did they impact your reading? How do you feel as we put 2021 away?
Hunter [00:02:01] You know, it's so funny. I don't know if I like -- I don't even remember. Like, clearly, I don't think I met most of them because I don't remember what they were. But I do remember at one point I did want to read more books by more neurodiverse authors, and I did do that. So that was something that -- yeah,
Annie Jones [00:02:20] And we did together read Middlemarch. That was one of our intentions last year.
Hunter [00:02:24] Yeah. Honestly, it's so funny because I wrote this in like a post I'm posting tonight for like our recording this, but I don't know how else I would have survived the pandemic without these like conquer classic.
Annie Jones [00:02:39] Yes, they've been so grounding in a way that I could not have anticipated when we started, because here we are, season three of the 'Panin', which is what Jordan and I have chosen. That's that's the meme. That's the word we chose to hold on. I think other people chose other differently, and that is fine. 'Panin' is ours. And so we're on season three and we're on our third conquer classic book and it is a grounding activity. And I I don't know another way to describe it, but that's exactly what it feels like to me.
Hunter [00:03:12] Yeah, it's actually really funny because I was thinking, like, I had a really stressful day at work because I just don’t like people. And I was like, it's okay because I'm talking about -- and we're doing conquer classic later, and it's going to be good.
Annie Jones [00:03:29] You and I are so -- I feel like we have very different personalities, but also overlapping personalities. Because I work from home on Wednesdays and I love Wednesdays so much because I looked in the mirror at one point today and I was like, "You're the only person I've seen today, and it just filles me with so much joy." I love being in my home and I love people. I love the people at The Bookshelf. I love our customers. But, boy, do I love being at home by myself, so you and I miss the same.
Hunter [00:04:00] Let me ask, when Jordan's there does it ever like mess up your feeling of like...
Annie Jones [00:04:05] Mess up my mojo? So he's working late because the legislative session is back. And so he's doesn't get home until about 10:00, 10:30 every night so far. And he got home one night and I looked at him and I was like, I am so productive when you're not here. And he laughed. And I was like, but it's too quiet. Like, I love my quiet, happy house. But he got home and his footsteps fill the house. He's just a lot louder than I am. He hums, he whistles, he just fills the house. And so on the one hand, I am super productive and I get a lot of reading done and I love time by myself. And on the other hand, it's far more comforting to be by myself with him still around. Like, we're definitely we're meant to share a home.
Hunter [00:05:02] It's so funny because we had a long weekend and Monday he was around. And it's funny because I do get a lot done whenever he's not there. But also it's like I'm so rude. I'm like, I want you right next to me while I read, but I don't want you to make noises it's going to distract me. But I really enjoy your company while you're sitting there and I'm doing other things.
Annie Jones [00:05:24] Yes. I get that. I definitely get that. So one of my reading intentions resolutions last year was I had heard this idea at an independent bookstore conference, where a bookstore chose an author that they devoted programing and reading to all year long. And I always loved that idea. And I thought about ways to try to incorporate that into The Bookshelf life. But instead I incorporated it into my own life. So last year was my year of Jane Austen. And for people following along, I wanted to read four Jane Austen books, one each quarter. And I read three. And past Annie, I think, would be a little bit disappointed. And I mean, the night of December 30th I was like, I'm going to finish. I'm going to finish Mansfield Park. I'm going to do it. I'm just going to -- almost like cramming. Like I'm going to sit here.
[00:06:17] And then I thought, for whom or why? You read three beautiful works of Jane Austen. You listened to podcast episodes. You watched an author speak about her. Like you did all this outside research. You watched movie adaptations. You did your year. Like, I didn't finish all four, but I had a really lovely time. Why would I, kind of, ruin it by trying to check something off the list? So I finished three books, three works of Jane Austen. I read Persuasion. I read Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility. And I liked Sense and sensibility, but I think I'm at a disadvantage because I'm not a sister and I feel like that's a sister story. And I loved Persuasion because it felt like a grown up love story. But I adored and thought, nowhere is Jane Austen's wit more present than in Northanger Abbey. And so that was one of my favorites.
[00:07:13] So that was really satisfying and a really fun project. And so this year are we ready to talk about 2022?
Hunter [00:07:21] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:07:22] Okay. So this year my first reading intention is I'm going to have a Toni Morrison year, which you and I have discussed a little bit. So Toni Morrison is someone whose work I have read in excerpts through literature classes in high school and in college. But I've never read -- and I'm ashamed to say it a little bit, except there's no sense in being ashamed. It's just a fact. I've never read a full work by Toni Morrison. So I was in Auburn, Alabama, over Christmas and I stopped into their bookstore and they literally had four Toni Morrison books. So I bought the four that were there. And I'm super excited I'm going to read -- four is the goal, but if I don't I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to read Beloved, Song of Solomon, Sula and Jazz. What is your experience with those and how do you feel about this resolution?
Hunter [00:08:15] I love it. Because I've read most every book by Toni Morrison. I am a big fan of hers. I'm trying to think. I do love beloved. I think beloved is a more challenging work like on the senate's level. But, I mean, not like in a way that's deterring or anything. But I will say, I think it is her most -- her strongest on the line. Song of Solomon is my favorite Toni Morrison's novel. Sula is the first one I read, and I will say there is just something about it. I think it's the first time that like you enter into one of her worlds, like it's going to feel special no matter what.
Annie Jones [00:09:00] That's the one I picked up. I mean, I was going to buy them but I don't think this particular bookstore had The Bluest Eye in stock, and that was what I was considering. But I saw Sula on the shelf and I loved the description so much. I was like, I want to read -- like, regardless of the project, I want to read this.
Hunter [00:09:17] I do think it's very compelling and I will say it. So Jazz is one that I think is like it's very interesting structurally, but I think there's something so exciting about what she does -- So people don't talk enough about how structurally innovative she is. Like general readers, I don't think they talk about it as much as they should. Well, I'm not sure but you know what I mean. But I think that she was such a smart and just so talented in ways that we really don't highlight enough.
Annie Jones [00:09:46] I am super excited about this. So you and I, we're bringing back Backlist Book Club to From the Front Porch, which is something we did, what, 2019?
Hunter [00:10:01] Well, we did it? Yeah. I also keep forgetting that. I always mix it up with Love It or Loath It.
Annie Jones [00:10:08] Oh, right. We also did Love It or Loathe It. So Backlist Book Club, if you're a newer podcast listener, is where Hunter and I talk about a backlist title. Because -- and we're going to talk a little bit about this for Hunter. But typically neither of us reads a ton of backlists because of our work or our interests or whatever. So we're going to do backlist titles, I think we're goinig to do three or four this year. My question for you is, I had written down that Beloved was going to be our first backlist title, but is it Song of Solomon?
Hunter [00:10:39] For what?
Annie Jones [00:10:40] For Backlist Book Club?
Hunter [00:10:42] I mean, we can do whatever one.
Annie Jones [00:10:45] I feel like we talked about Pulitzer winners because I think we're going to do Annie Dillard.
Hunter [00:10:49] That's right. Beloved is the Pulitzer winner. Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:10:52] Okay. So we're going to read beloved together. It's not going to be an episode until March. So if you want to read along with us, you can. It'll be a regular feed post. You don't have to join us on Patreon or anything like that. It'll be in our regular podcast feed. And so it's a way I really do want these reading years to be like mine and not The Bookshelf's, if that makes sense. Like, I wanted to read Jane Austen just because I was interested. I didn't want it to be tied up in work, and I still feel that way about the Toni Morrison books. But I have known for a long time that you love her, and I think it'll be really fun to discuss that together. So we'll discuss Beloved in March as part of our Backlist Book Club. And so that's my Toni Morrison. You know, that's my first reading resolution for 2022. What is one of yours?
Hunter [00:11:38] I just have to very quickly say I'm very excited to reread Beloved with you because just I've always wanted to reread it. But I love rereading with you because you're one of the smartest people I know. And so I always feel like I get so much whenever I read with you, and that's just an exciting thing.
Annie Jones [00:11:56] The feeling is very mutual. I'm excited.
Hunter [00:11:59] And actually so I, like, use Beloved to tie into one of my reading resolutions, which is that I have a goal of reading every -- well, I won't probably finish it this year, but I plan on reading every single National Book Award Fiction Long List book. There's over 450, so I definitely won't finish it this year, but that's part of my goal. And actually Beloved did not win, and I think it was on the 1993 long list and there was like an uproar when it didn't win because it lost to some dumb book that people don't even read anymore.
Annie Jones [00:12:37] Oh, interesting.
Hunter [00:12:38] Yeah. And do you think it actually can help set her up for her towards to win? Because I think that people realize like, oh no, we do have to honor her. Because she actually never won the National Book Award despite her being on the long list several times.
Annie Jones [00:12:51] Oh, interesting. This is what I think is so fascinating because you're not just reading National Book Award winners, you're reading the entire long list for each year, which I think is going to be such an interesting look at where America was culturally too. I think it's going to be a little time capsule.
Hunter [00:13:09] Yeah, it's actually -- so my newsletter like Substack is all about each week I'm discussing whichever books I've read from each long list at the time. Right now I just finished the 1952 long list. And one thing that was really interesting is that all of the books -- all of them, even if they're not about war, all of them talk about World War Two in some capacity. You know, because these are all coming from a generation of writers who were directly impacted by World War Two.
Annie Jones [00:13:37] Yeah, came of age.
Hunter [00:13:38] Yeah. Like there's three books that are specifically about war and all of the men who wrote about it were actually writing from their own experiences like serving in World War Two. My granny was born in 1951, and so it's really interesting to, kind of, have this new understanding of what world she was entering into. And I think that's a really beautiful thing. It has been very exciting to see that. And also one of my reading intentions is to try to make it through this, and it's probably the most excited I've ever been for any reading project ever.
Annie Jones [00:14:18] So it has been so fun to follow along on Instagram and now I subscribed to the newsletter. And I texted you, I think, last Friday because your newsletter was about some of these books from the 50s. And there were a couple that sounded really good to me. And I was like, should I go back and read a couple of these? And so we kind of talked back and forth. Because some of these books, some of them are familiar, like The Catcher in the Rye or something like that. But many, as you pointed out, are out of print, which is a little bit sad to me. Like, there might be reasons that they're out of print, but it's a little sad that these National Book Award longlist recipients aren't in publication anymore. It's just kind of weird and a testament to the fleeting nature of time, I guess.
[00:14:58] But, anyway, so I've really loved following along the project because of your excitement about it. Because I think sometimes reading I think with the advent of Bookstagram maybe -- it's not Bookstagram assault. I love being on Instagram. I love sharing among readers, but I do feel like there's a competitive nature to it just accidentally. It's just because of social media. It's not because of anything else. It's just the nature of social media. It feels a little bit competitive and a little bit like, you know, here's what I'm reading. And then just by scrolling, you might feel pressure to read a certain book or to like a certain book a certain way. And it's probably so nice to have this project that is yours and your little thing that you're doing, almost like Julie and Julia or something like that, you know. It's like your little project.
Hunter [00:15:48] It's so funny. I don't know if you remember this. But it's so funny you said that because in my introductory, my announcement, I literally said that's how I see myself as like just a little pixie Amy Adams type. Like, you know, writing [Crosstalk]. But I think, yeah, that is definitely what it feels like.
Annie Jones [00:16:10] Perfect. So my second reading resolution is very much tied into my Bookshelf work, which is every month we select shelf subscription, the criteria is that they're my favorite book of the month. And behind the scenes that means they have to be published within a certain range of dates in order to be able to be released into the public and sent out in the mail the date we need them to be. So there's some behind the scenes, heavy lifting that goes into picking these books. And I love doing this, but it can be a chore because you could read a book that you love and then the dates are wrong. Or you can read a book you love, but it's too similar to the book that you selected last month or whatever.
[00:17:01] So truly by serendipity in November, December 2021, so a couple of months ago, I wound up reading my January and February selections. And then just through, again, kind of serendipity, providence, whatever you want to call i, I just kept reading these books that I really liked and their release dates kept lining up with shelf subscriptions. And the diverse nature of the titles also kind of made sense. Like, these weren't entirely similar. They weren't all dysfunctional family stories. They weren't all literary fiction. They were all short stories. They were kind of different. And so when I sketched them out, I realized I had picked January, February, March, April, May subscriptions and I couldn't believe it.
[00:17:45] And so then when it got to January I didn't have to put pressure on myself to read a subscription book, I could just read some new release titles that I was interested in. I could read some back list books. I listened to a book about The Beatles because that's my current obsession. So my intention for the rest of the year is to really try to pick shelf subscription titles in advance. I've already picked August. I think I just need maybe a June and July. So I'm already picking because I really would love to be done to free myself up for the serendipity of spontaneous reading, which is not something that I've really had a ton of time for. And when I look back to my 2021 intentions, one of them, not only was to read Jane Austen, but was to read some more heavy nonfiction.
[00:18:35] And I did a couple of those, but I didn't get to do it to the extent I really would have wanted to because I'm constantly reading on a deadline or I'm constantly reading as a task for work. And as much as I love that reading as part of my literal job, that is a privilege that I will never be over, I also am really excited that by being really ahead of the game in selecting shelf subscriptions and, really, I'm really proud and excited of the books I've selected. By choosing them well enough in advance, I'm freeing up. It's like past Annie is doing the work to free present Annie to read what she wants, which is just a real gift. So that's my intention. It's to kind of keep it going and to maybe by mid-year have already picked all my selections.
Hunter [00:19:24] I love that. What was your January pick?
Annie Jones [00:19:27] It was No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib.
Hunter [00:19:30] Oh, I haven't read that one. [Crosstalk]
Annie Jones [00:19:35] It's lovely. Well, even when it came in, oh, it filled me with so much joy because Olivia opened the box and she was like, I haven't heard anybody talk about this one. And I was like, I know. Because I feel like that is when you pick so far in advance, there is a risk that it will be Jenna Bush Hager's book or Reese Witherspoon's pick or something like that, which I don't always love when those overlap but sometimes it's inevitable. Or a book of the month pick or something like that, and many of our subscribers do both. And so I'm always trying to keep them in mind. And finally I was like, but I just want it to be the book that I like the most. And so No Land to Light On is really lovely because I think it's literary but also commercial. Like it would be a really great book club selection. And so, anyway, it thrilled me to no end that we got it in stock. And Olivia was like, I've never heard of this. Tell me all about it. And I said, oh, I will. Like it was so fun. So, yeah, that's my January pick.
Hunter [00:20:30] Which I will just like to say also, I feel like I might have read your February pick, but I don't know yet.
Annie Jones [00:20:39] I think you have.
Hunter [00:20:40] Okay. But it's so funny because we were talking abou it -- I just want to say it's so funny because last year, I think we were both kind of like we liked the books we read but nothing was truly exciting.
Annie Jones [00:20:50] Yeah, it felt a little off.
Hunter [00:20:53] Yeah, I was like, oh, we're going to have like a major year of books. Okay, got it. And then all of a sudden, it's like every 2022 book I've read it's been like a five star for me.
Annie Jones [00:21:05] Yeah, four or five stars. We're going to talk, I think, maybe a little bit about tracking, reading and things like that. A listener who I will name later was kind enough to generate some statistics for me about what I read in 2021. And I had a really good reading year in terms of quantity, but a lot of what I read I thought was good. I'd like to be clear, it was like three and a half stars or whatever. Like if I had to rank my reading year, I feel like 2021 was three and a half stars. And then I read some books -- maybe probably 12, like, probably a book a month, that I just loved, which is pretty good. But I looked back and I thought, oh, you know what? I didn't like rom-coms as much as I thought I did. Like some things I just looked back on and I was like, oh, I liked them, but I didn't love them. And wouldn't it be fun to have a year in which I only read things I loved? Wouldn't that be? I don't know. That could be fun. So, anyway.
Hunter [00:22:03] Okay. Let's see. We've done and talked about national -- oh essays and general nonfiction is another one of my which I like. Because you wanted to read -- is that an intention of yours? Did you say that was an intention of yours for...
Annie Jones [00:22:19] I think it was one of mine for last year -- was to try to read more nonfiction. Interestingly, it's no longer my intention and I've already read two nonfiction books this year.
Hunter [00:22:28] And that's how it always goes. It's funny. You know what, I think that for me part of it was like with the loss of Joan Didion, I was like, I really want to dedicate more time to... And also because I have something that I have -- and maybe I don't know if people would agree with me on this, but I also just feel like people just don't really have an opinion anymore. So I just feel like people are just kind of afraid to have like, I don't want to say like --
Annie Jones [00:22:59] It's on a spectrum. I feel like people either are scared to have an opinion or maybe timid or intimidated to have an opinion. Maybe because they feel like they are uneducated enough or maybe it will be unpopular on the internet or something like that. And then we also have a group of people who are so opinionated and we really wish they wouldn't be. Like, it's one or the other.
Hunter [00:23:25] I think about like Joan Didion. I think Zadie Smith is a great essayist. I think Alexander Chee is a really great one. Like Patrick Nathan, who wrote that book Image Control, which I did really enjoy last year. These were all people who they had very smart, well-considered strong opinions in their work. And that's something I'm trying to find more of this year. Because I think when you begin to consume -- and I think Brandon Taylor, his Substack, I think is great because he really has a clear understanding of what he wants to say and how he approaches that. But I want to find people who have like really smart, thoughtful, strong opinions because I think it'll help me as a person have developed stronger opinions and ideas about things.
Annie Jones [00:24:12] And as a writer, right, because you're writing these essays now every week. You've been writing for a long time some personal essays. And I think you hit -- I love the word you use, the phrase used, well-considered. Because I do feel like we live in a pretty opinionated society, whether or not those opinions are wise and well-considered I think we could argue. And so it's not surprising to me that what you're naming is a little bit long form and it's in book format, even though I think great writing can occur on the internet. I really do. I subscribes to our Eric Thomas's Substack. I think there are some great essayists on the internet, but I think there is something worth considering about the fact that some of these works have been edited and gone through an entire writing process. They're not just like what I thought of today and put on the internet today, which which I am want to do. Like..I am inclined to do that. And so I love this idea of reading well-considered essays and nonfiction.
Hunter [00:25:19] Well, yeah. When you mentioned that, it's so funny because I paid for a subscription to somebody who -- they kind of pitched to this. They wrote weekly essays about where they kind of like broke things down and it, kind of, to me, sounded something like the podcast almost where it's like it had some fun pop culture references, but with critiquing things that are going on. But I read it and I was like, oh. I was like, you didn't do enough homework before you wrote this. And so I just unsubscribe because I was like, if you're not going to do the work, then I don't want a part of it.
Annie Jones [00:25:54] Because there's a difference between a hot take and an opinion. And I'm interested in your opinion. I am not interested in your hot take.
Hunter [00:26:02] Yeah. And it's so funny because I think that like sometimes people will misconstrue the two. And sometimes you will have a really strong opinion and they'll think it's a hot take. I'm like, no, no, no. Like, I can tell that you've done a lot of effort into considering this. Put some respect on your opinion and color it up a bit.
Annie Jones [00:26:21] Call it what it is. One of my reading resolutions, intentions -- I didn't even mean to do this, but you and I are doing an event. As of this recording, we're doing it tomorrow. If you're listening to this, the day it releases, we've already done the event though you can still view Hunter and I talking about tracking our reading. You can buy a ticket through The Bookshelf at: bookshelfthomasville.com. And you can watch our recording of our Zoom conversation about tracking your reading. So we're going to be discussing tracking our reading at length. But you and I both track our reads on Instagram. One of my intentions this year is just to see if I can keep up with doing some tracking on StoryGraph. So a kind -- oh my gosh, so kind podcast listener, Dana, she is a Patreon supporter. And she was like, hey, would you ever want some statistics about what you're reading year look like?
[00:27:17] And I thought, well, yeah, that'd be really interesting. Like, as an enneagram five I love a lot of info, but I hadn't had time to, I don't know, to get the statistics myself. So I typed up the lists of books that I read last year, and Dana plugged them into StoryGraph and created these beautiful -- man, olivia would love the data. The spreadsheets. All of this great information about my reading life, which was fascinating, it showed me like the months I read the most books, the months I read the fewest books. I'm very pleased to say that the statistics matched a lot of what I already thought, which makes me feel like, okay, I have a pretty good handle on what I'm reading and how often and when. But I am going to try to keep up with that throughout the year. Please do not follow me on StoryGraph. It's not a place where you can follow people. Like I can't guarantee that --
Hunter [00:28:06] I think you can set it.
Annie Jones [00:28:07] So I have just created an account. I created an account so Dana could plug in my info. I have decided I'm going to try to stay on top of it. Of course, today I was like, oh, no, I hadn't put four books on here that I've read. But I thought, what even just once a month I did like an info dump of like, this is what I read this month? So I think I'm going to try that so that by the end of the year I've got these interesting statistics or whatever and perhaps they'll help me with my reading life throughout the year. But I'm going to try StoryGraph. I've never done Goodreads.
[00:28:37] I'm going to continue to track my reading on Instagram because partly a lot of our podcast listeners and Bookshelf friends follow me there for book reviews, but also I hate keeping up with multiple things. I've never done Goodreads for that very reason. It's not just the Amazon of it all, it's just Annie B. Jones likes one platform. I quit Twitter a while ago. I just like the one place where all my stuff is. Is it great that it's done by Facebook? It's not. It's not great. But but that is where I will continue to track my reading, though I've changed my format a little bit. So I'm curious, you track your reading on Instagram and then, unbeknownst to me, also StoryGraph?
Hunter [00:29:18] Yes. Actually, it's really funny because so Nadia, who is, I believe, the creator of StoryGraph -- founder and CEO of StoryGraph, she asked me if I'd be willing to do a quick little Meet the Bookstagrammer with her a couple of months back. And it's so funny because I followed the StoryGraph, but I don't -- and I'd seen people posting about it. But then we did our little talk and she is, I mean, an absolute joy. She just like radiates positivity and is so sweet.
Annie Jones [00:29:50] That's lovely.
Hunter [00:29:52] Yeah. And she's a very thoughtful reader too which I really like. And so, anyway, after that, I was like, oh my gosh, I have to support her like in every way now. And so that was the whole thing, right, is that with StoryGraph she wanted to create something that was not, you know, only supporting Amazon. And so that was the big part of that for her. And she's very passionate about supporting indie bookstores. Really, I love that. So, yes, I do. I started using it towards the end of last year, but I'm hoping to kind of keep up more with it this year.
Annie Jones [00:30:24] Okay. Yeah. It'll be interesting. We'll see where we are at the end of the year, but I'm going to give it a go.
Hunter [00:30:32] It always sounds great. It sounds great in theory and then like the execution for real.
Annie Jones [00:30:38] I know. We'll find out. We'll figure it out. So then my last reading intention is also, I believe, your last reading intention, which is this year I'm planning to read and recap the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Hunter [00:30:53] Yeah. Honestly, because we're recording the first episode after this, and I must say that after reading the first section, I'm like, okay, I think this is going to be a good year.
Annie Jones [00:31:08] I do, too. I'm really excited. I want to save content, but I'm pretty excited about it. So this is, again, if you're a newer listener, this is a project that we started in 2020 reading Anna Karenina and then we called it Conqueror a Classic, and we recorded monthly recap episodes and we put them on Patreon. So we did Anna Karenina in 2020 and then Middlemarch in 2021. And then in 2022, we are reading Count of Monte Cristo. The last Friday of every month we will drop an episode into the Patreon feed. We have a reading guide that you can kind of follow along, whether you've got a copy of the book from The Bookshelf or you borrowed it from the library or you're listening it on audio or whatever, we have a tracker so you can kind of keep track of the reading. We're reading about 114 or so pages each month and I really like it.
Hunter [00:32:02] I'm very excited. Also, a side note, we made plans for this I feel like at the end of 2019 for Anna Karenina because you had never read it and I have like...
Annie Jones [00:32:11] It's a bucket list book for me.
Hunter [00:32:12] A side note for anyone who hasn't listened to the -- Annie just talked about this before, but my first interaction with Anna Karenina was years ago when I was like 12, 13. And I found a copy of Anna Karenina. This is back when The Bookshelf -- it was at The Bookshelf, and it was back whenever it was on East Jackson.
Annie Jones [00:32:31] On Jackson Street. Yeah.
Hunter [00:32:32] Yeah. First of all, I loved the cover then. I do not love that cover now.
Annie Jones [00:32:39] Is it the cover with the flower in between?
Hunter [00:32:41] Yes, it's the cover that looks like it's fitting for Lolita, but not at all for Anna Karerina.
Annie Jones [00:32:46] It's so weird. We talked about that at length. It's so bizarre.
Hunter [00:32:48] It is. But the thing is, it's so funny because I think that we entered into 2020 obviously not at all aware of what was going to happen, but I think that it was such a special thing. And so, yeah, I think that I could literally do this for the rest of my life because I think this is the one thing that I've been able to commit to and just really feel like successful in the end.
Annie Jones [00:33:13] Yes, it has felt worth it. Anna Karenina was a huge bucket list book for me, but I did not think about Conquer a Classic beyond that. I just thought this is -- I've heard you talk about it. I had never read it. I'd had my copy since I was 15 and never finished it. And then the pandemic hit and it was again like this grounding exercise. It was something that you and I could still keep doing even though we weren't doing it in person or whatever. And then we chose Middlemarch. I don't even remember quite why. Lucy, one of our bookshelf staffers, it's her favorite book. But I don't really even remember why you and I picked it. We just kind of looked at some options and that's all we chose.
[00:33:53] It is so lovely. I'm in a book club. I love reading in book clubs. I also really love teeny tiny book clubs. I love it when one customer and I have read the same book and we talk about it at the register or one of my friends read something I read and we get to talk about it. And so much like discussing Toni Morrison is, I hope, going to be really life giving an interesting. I think just talking about books with you is so fun. And I love that because it's on Patreon and it feels like a little less pressure, and we kind of get to have fun with it and we get to cast it. And we talk about movie stars and pop culture references, but also historical references. Like, I don't know, it's fun
Hunter [00:34:35] Do you know what I think? Honestly, I think that to give people like an example of the experience that it feels like to me, is that when we do these, when we do a backlist book club episode or back when we did Love It or Loath It, it's like one episode talking about a book, which kind of feels like when you go and you watch like a film adaptation of a book. Where it's like -- so it's like, you know, that's like the Gone Girl, where it's like when we do these like Conquer a Classic it feels like sharp objects. And so it's a limited series. And so we have more time to explore.
Annie Jones [00:35:06] Yes, that's exactly right. Because like I started to type -- I don't know if you've seen my notes for today's podcast episode. But I started to type up notes and I was like, oh, this is a lot. And then I was like, oh, we have all year to talk about Count of Monte Cristo. I don't have to put it all. I basically did a thesis today. I wrote a grad school level thesis. Only I referenced wishbone.
Hunter [00:35:27] Yeah, I read your notes and I was like, girl, how are we going to cover all this a month? This is a lot.
Annie Jones [00:35:35] I didn't think to myself, oh, Hunter has only seen fun Annie and sometimes serious business-owner Annie. I don't know how often he's seen overachieving, high school valedictorian Annie. She came out to play today.
Hunter [00:35:49] But to be fair, a lot happened. Like, if you're not following yet, please jump on this bandwagon because a lot happens in the first section alone. You're going to want to be a part of it. Like, it's a lot. It's good.
Annie Jones [00:36:02] Count of Monte Cristo is very plot driven and so a lot happens and it's fast-paced. And so if you have felt intimidated by this book in any way, we would love for you to join us. You can support The Bookshelf on Patreon From the Front Porch. patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. It's $5 a month. You get a bonus episode plus some other bonus content, but you get the Count of Monte Cristo episodes dropped every month, the last Friday of every month. Should we check back in same time 2023?
Hunter [00:36:30] Yeah.
Annie Jones [00:36:33] All right.
Hunter [00:36:33] That's perfect.
Annie Jones [00:36:34] I feel good. I feel good about this year. I mean, tentatively hopeful is the name of the game.
Annie Jones [00:36:40] That's a good way to put it. Yeah.
[00:36:42] This week I'm reading The Maid by Nita Prose. Hunter, what are you reading?
Hunter [00:36:47] I'm reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Yes.
Annie Jones [00:36:51] Yeah. That's right.
[00:36:58] From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram @bookshelftville. And all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website:.
[00:37:15] bookshelfthomasville.com
[00:37:18] A full transcript of today's episode can be found at:.
[00:37:21] fromthefrontporchpodcast.com
[00:37:24] Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of From the Front Porch and for our theme music, which that's the perfect, warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
[00:37:42] If you'd like to support From the Front Porch, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the podcast app on your phone, look up From the Front Porch, scroll until you see, 'Write a Review' and tell us what you think.
[00:37:59] Or, if you're so inclined, support us for $5 a month on Patreon, where you can follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic and as I participate in live video Q&A is in our monthly lunch break sessions. Just go to:
[00:38:12] patreon.com/slashfromthefrontporch.
[00:38:16] We're so grateful for you and we look forward to meeting back here next week.