Episode 405 || Staff's Favorite Books of the Year
This week on From the Front Porch, The Bookshelf staff share their favorite books of 2022!
To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, visit our website:
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Art & Faith by Makoto Fujimura
The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines (Libro.fm)
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
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 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. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. 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... Donna Hetchler, Cammy Tidwell, Chantalle C, Kate O’Connell, Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Laurie Johnson and Kate Johnston Tucker.
Transcript:
Annie [00:00:01] Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South.
[00:00:25] "Effective stewardship leads to generative work and a generative culture. We turn wheat into bread-- and bread into community. We turn grapes into wine-- and wine into occasions for joyful camaraderie, conviviality, conversation and creativity. We turn minerals into paints-- and paints into works that lift the heart or stir the spirit. We turn ideas and experiences into imaginative worlds for sheer enjoyment and to expand the scope of our empathy. Makoto Fujimura. Culture care.
[00:01:03] I'm Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. And this week, I wanted you to hear directly from the bookshelves staff members about their favorite books of 2022. We are closing out the year with some very fun news. Breaking news, From the Front Porch recently reached 1 million downloads. I remember vividly seeing some of my very favorite podcasters (Knox and Jamie from the Popcast, Emily P. Freeman from the Next Right Thing) reach 1 million downloads and thinking that seems like a big deal. And now we have crossed that milestone too. I can hardly believe it. Thank you for listening to a podcast produced by a tiny bookstore in a tiny town and for sharing about From the Front Porch with your friends in your iTunes reviews and on social media. Every time you listen, you are supporting the mission of our independent bookstore. Thank you.
[00:01:56] Now, I wanted to close out the year with, of course, a list of our favorite books of 2022. You heard me and Hunter discuss our favorites last week, but this week, as we finish off the year, I wanted you to hear from each of our Bookshelf staffers. Their favorite titles reflect a wide range of genres and a look at their own personal tastes. I wanted you to see who makes up The Bookshelf. I hope hearing their voices is a reminder of how much work and how many people go into helping our small business exist in the world. The Bookshelf is The Bookshelf because of their hard work, ingenuity and creativity. And I am grateful to know each of them. And I want you to know them, too. First up is a recognizable voice, retail floor manager Olivia. Olivia runs our in-store floor operations, manages our bookselling team, functions as our children's book buyer, coordinates our kids advisory committee Dumbledore's Army, and contributes frequently to From the Front Porch.
Olivia [00:02:54] This was a difficult choice to make-- my favorite book I read this year. But I chose a Rover Story by Jasmine Warga. This came out October 4th of this year, and I remember reading it probably in the end of September and probably for the October new release podcast. And then realizing just how incredible this book was. The way that Jasmine brought to life Resilience the Rover and his story was so special. Not only do you get the perspective of Resilience being built, forming relationships with the scientists, working on them, being sent to Mars, exploring and learning, and then getting to return back home to earth, you also get this touching glimpse into the life of the daughter of one of the scientist who's writing letters to Resilience. Starts as a school project and you can tell she has resentment towards Resilience because her mom spends a lot of hours working on this rover. But then she continues writing letters and she forms this really touching kinship between herself and the rover and how the rover has been getting letters of her whole life and doing incredible things and setting records left and right. But her life has moved on while the rover has gone, and she's letting the rover know all about it. A Rover's story was filled with so much wonder and hurt. And here is one of my favorite quotes from this book. This is from Resilience, the rovers point of view. "I take a picture of the stars, I hope it captures them. I hope in some way my system will remember what they looked like so close, but so far. I hope I will remember what it felt like to really see those specks of light that illuminate the darkness, that my system will remember what it felt like to be so sure of its giganticness and its tinyness all at the same time. Remember, that is the word my system repeats over and over again when I hit the ground. I hope you enjoy this book. I hope you get a chance to read it because it was absolutely incredible. And I think everyone will enjoy the wonder and the heart that was put into this.
Annie [00:05:06] Next is our longtime bookseller, Nancy.
Nancy [00:05:09] My favorite book of this year was Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro. I read it right after it was released in October. I love this book because everyone can relate to a little something in the story. And if you have read and loved Inheritance by Dani Shapiro, you will love this book too.
Annie [00:05:35] Meet Michelle, my assistant who works remotely for The Bookshelf. Michelle keeps my calendar straight, helps me respond to emails and functions as our organizational maven.
Michelle [00:05:45] The book that really stood out to me this year was Nora Goes Off script by Annabel Monaghan, and it was released in June of 2022. I found this as a person who is very busy and has a hard time finding time to diligently read, that this was just something fun, lights and an easy read, kept me intrigued and made me want to get through the book much quicker. But then when I got to the end, I was sad because it was over. I love the setting of this book and there was so many little quips that Annabel Monaghan used throughout the story that just kind of gave me a giggle and kept it very light for me. I really resonated with Nora in so many ways, just her passion for writing, being a single mom, she was very down to earth and wasn't one that wanted to keep up with the trends. She just kind of went about her business and did her own thing, and I thought it was an interesting and unpredictable touch that the kids were such an integral part of the story. And I thought that added a really nice flair to a romance novel. And although it was a romance novel, I didn't feel like it exactly followed the typical formula that you see. One of the quotes that stood out to me from the book is, "And second, that the best things come back-- sometimes it's right after the commercial, sometimes it takes longer. But time and sunshine bring growth and life unfolds just the way it's supposed to." This was just in a year that I think was somewhat back to normal, but at the same time still very heavy. I thought that this was just a nice, gentle reminder that growth is happening whether we're aware of it or not, and just to look at the brighter side of things.
Annie [00:07:33] Next up is bookseller Keila, who you've heard on a couple of recent episodes of From the Front Porch.
Keila [00:07:40] My favorite book that I read this year was Remarkably Bright Pictures by Shelby Van Pelt. It came out in May, and I read it right after it came out. The cover caught my attention immediately, and I was like, yes, I need to read this. I really enjoyed it because it was very interesting. I learned a lot from it and it was just a happy book and it was comforting. So it's become a comfort book for me and it's not what you expect and it's just amazing. One of my favorite quotes from this book is from Marsellus and he is the octopus from the story. And he says, "Humans, for the most part, you are dull and blundering, but occasionally you can be remarkably bright creatures." And I just loved that because your faith in humanity kind of gets restored in this book and it's just lovely and delightful.
Annie [00:08:39] Laura is our shelf subscription and packaging coordinator. Every package you receive in the mail has been packaged by Laura. She is leaving us at the end of this year to continue her education at the University of Georgia, but we are so grateful for the impact she has made at The Bookshelf.
Laura [00:08:55] My favorite book I read this year was called Art and Faith by Makoto Fujimura. It was originally released last year in 2021, but it wasn't on my radar until this year, and I read it, I believe, in February of this year. And it's a book that I just keep coming back to because it's really one of those books that you kind of want to have in your collection just to look back at. And I even have a bunch of markings in there and highlighted things that I just like to come back to. I really love this book because of the way that he connects his spirituality with making art. One of the most, I think, poignant parts in the book is when he talks about how because he believes that he is a creation of God, that it only makes sense for him to-- in his life on Earth-- create things himself. I thought that was very impactful. And myself enjoying art and I love to paint, so I thought that was very special to connect that kind of spirituality with what you do and how you make things beautiful and honor your faith with making things beautiful.
Annie [00:10:07] Now, here's Felicia, our community manager. If you interact with From the Front Porch on Patreon, you know Felicia well, she is often in the chat guiding our mighty networks groups and generally keeping the community at The Bookshelf informed and excited about what we're doing.
Felicia [00:10:24] My favorite book that I read this year was The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines. Now, this book just came out in November, and I happened to listen to it on Libro.fm. I love this book. First, Joanna narrates the book. I love when an author narrates her work. It is so peaceful listening to her talk. I could just listen to her talk forever. It was just great. Joanna opens up in this book. She talks about things in such a conversational way. I felt like we were on the phone. She gives details about her kids and you know what it felt like to find out she was having another baby at 41 and she thought she was completely done. And marriage tips about Chib [Sp] and her childhood being Asian-American in elementary school describing how she didn't know that her mother had an accent until one of her classmates pointed it out, and how she resisted having shame about her heritage. It was very eye opening. I consider her work graceful and gritty, and I love that she's unashamed to talk about the wealth and the hard work that her and Chib have done to get to where they are. In the same breath, she talks about the little yellow house, all 800 square feet of it, which is the first house that her and her husband owned where it all began. I found this work to just be so refreshing and real-- very relatable. Sometimes different books don't really feel relatable, but I felt that with this one. I felt that I could go after it-- whatever that it is for me. I felt like you know what, you can do it, after listening to this. And not in a fake it till you make it kind of way or hustle kind of way, go for it, but in a calm, deep breathing, heart cleansing, I can go for it because I'm worthy. Ten out of ten. I highly recommend this book. And my favorite quote, "It causes something while we choose to live open hearted and out of our shadow side. We have to lean into the discomfort."
Annie [00:12:37] Esme is our inventory coordinator at The Bookshelf. Local customers will recognize Esme as the face behind the bookshelves register. She special orders books, keeps track of inventory and has navigated our complicated new system with aplomb.
Esme [00:12:51] My favorite book this year was Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was released August 30th of 2022. I read it shortly before it was released. This story was about a retired tennis player who gets back in the game to uphold her title that's about to be snatched away by an up and coming much younger tennis star. As a tennis player myself, I absolutely love this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid nailed the sports writing in this novel. I loved Carrie's ambition, desire to win and to be a champion. This novel isn't just for tennis players, though. I think this book is a good one for just about anyone. I had never read Reid's books before and I loved it so much that I started reading her backlist titles as well, which are all equally as good. She's one of my favorite authors now.
Annie [00:13:38] Kyndall is our newest bookseller at The Bookshelf. She balances her work here with her senior year at Florida State University, and she and Esme share the same favorite book of 2022.
Kyndall [00:13:51] My favorite book that I read this year was Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I just love how three dimensional and real Taylor Jenkins Reid just makes her characters. Especially seeing a strong female protagonist like Carrie Soto, it was super inspiring. And just seeing the way that Carrie confirms this concept of how she feels fulfilled and when will it ever be enough. And see her sort of go through that character arc was really cool and it was an incredible story.
Annie [00:14:16] Next is Erin, our online sales manager. Long-distance customers love Erin and so do we. She handles each and every customer service issue, manages our website and online sales, and interacts with our growing list of loyal long-distance customers.
Erin [00:14:32] My favorite book of 2022 has to be How Not To Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz. It released in September of 2022 and I also read it in the same month. I was so surprised by this book from start to finish. I loved the way that Angie Cruz, the author, told the story of Cara Romero, the main character-- really the only character's voice that you hear from in this book. Her story is told with a series of job interviews and job applications, as well as some forms that Cara has filled out. It is delightful, number one, because it's such a short book. It really packs a punch as far as backstory and current setting, all the while being such a small story, which is even more impressive to me. But I love Cara's attitude. I love her depth. I love that I couldn't wait to see what she was going to say next or do next. I loved her sass. I really just admire the author's ability to draw you in almost immediately from the very first words of the first chapter into Cara's life. You want to know where she came from, what she's doing now, and how she's going to fare in the future. And to me, there is no more memorable book this year than that one.
Annie [00:16:09] Caroline is our marketing manager. The genius you see happening on social media and in our store newsletter? That is Caroline.
Caroline [00:16:17] My favorite book of the year is The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka, which was released in February 2022. I read this book in August of this year at the blessed end of a brutal, airless summer. I loved the novel's atmosphere. The book seemed to breathe in my hands like a swimmer in the fast lane. The swimming pool was a little electric blue planet unto itself, with its own traditions and social conventions. The writerly gambit she used to show Alice and her family's journey into her dementia and to reflect on elder care in the United States have stayed with me. My favorite quote from the book. "The pool is their sanctuary, their refuge, the one place on earth they can go to escape from their pain, for it is only down below in the waters that their symptoms begin to abate. The moment I see that painted black line, I feel fine."
Annie [00:17:15] So many of those books were surprises to me. I did not know what they were going to say. I did not know what their voice memos sounded like. And what a fun group of literature. Everything ranging from children's chapter books, to thoughtful nonfiction, to literary fiction to memoir, it's a lovely collection of books, and I think it showcases so many of the different personalities that are present among The Bookshelf staff. I am so grateful for each and every one of them, and we in turn are grateful for each and every one of you. As we close out 2022, we are obviously filled with immense gratitude that you brought us through another year. I think ever since 2020, we end these years with perhaps more gratitude than ever, that our business still exists, that we have a place in Thomasville, that we have a place for and with long distance customers. It just feels like a gift-- every year feels like a gift. And so in all the ways and for all the ways you have supported The Bookshelf and From the Front Porch, this independent bookstore, this podcast, every Patreon member, every download, every nice comment on Instagram, we are so very grateful for your support. We are looking forward to sharing more new episodes with you in 2023 and we are excited about virtual events and reader retreats and just breathing even more life back into The Bookshelf in the New Year. So thank you for the ways you have supported us. We are wishing you a happy holiday season, a happy end to your holiday season, and a peaceful start to your new year.
[00:18:59] This week, what I am reading is brought to you by Visit Thomasville. Ring in the new year in Thomasville! There is something truly special about closing out the holiday season in a quaint small town. From shopping for last minute presents, to the twinkling lights and sparkling window displays, and the tempting smells wafting from restaurants all add to the festive feeling you've experienced all season long. From downtown hotels to delightful vacation rentals, book your getaway to Thomasville and add a little more sparkle to your holiday season.
[00:19:31] I frequently talk about the joys of downtown Thomasville, and it is true that is where I spend a lot of time because of The Bookshelf. But I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the things that are a little bit outside the downtown that make Thomasville special, including the Lapin Patterson House and the Thomasville History Center, as well as Jack Hadley's Black History Museum. I love history. It is no joke, it is no surprise that I am a giant nerd. And whenever Jordan and I travel, we love to visit history museums to kind of get a sense of place, a sense of a region and its people. And we have done both the history tours in Thomasville, and we have learned so much about this new area we call home. Thomasville is different from nearby areas, and so it's been important for us to get an understanding of where we live and what it has been like. And so the Thomasville History Center, which is located on Dawson Street and then the Jack Hadley Black History Museum, both show how much vibrant culture and history exists here. And so, although they are not quite in the downtown region, I think it's important that people know that there is stuff to do in Thomasville beyond the brick streets. So if you are here visiting for the holiday season, if you're closing out the year or welcoming the new year in Thomasville, try to get a little bit off the beaten path and explore some of what our local historians have to say.
[00:20:55] This week I'm reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld.
[00:20:59] Thank you again to our sponsor, Visit Thomasville. To find out more about how you can visit Thomasville and these great history centers, go to Thomasvillega.com.
[00:21:07] 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: bookshelfthomasville.com.
[00:21:28] A full transcript of today's episode can be found at Fromthefrontporchpodcast.com.
[00:21:33] Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of From the Front Porch and for our theme music which sets the perfect, warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
[00:21:42] Our executive producers of today's episode are Donna Hetchler. Angie Erickson. Cammy Tidwell. Kate O'Connell.
Executive Producers (Read their own names) [00:21:48] Nicole Marsee. Wendi Jenkins. Laurie Johnson.
[00:21:55] Thank you all for your support of From the Front Porch. 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.
[00:22:12] Or, if you're so inclined, you can support us over on Patreon, where we have three levels of support. Front porch friends, Book club companions and Bookshelf benefactors. Each level has an amazing number of benefits, like bonus content, access to live events, discounts and giveaways. Just go to Patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
[00:22:32] We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.