Front Porch Book Club: Recent Episodes
Front Porch Book Club
This is a short, catch-up episode of the Front Porch Book Club. Nancy admits that she ran out of time finding a guest for Crazy Rich Asians. Kevin Kwan was unavailable (!) as were a number of the experts Nancy contacted. Instead, we catch-up on what is going on in our lives. Linny tells Nancy […]
This month we’re talking about CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan. This book was published in 2013. This is basically a romantic comedy. In fact, a movie of the same name was released in 2018 based on this book. CRAZY RICH ASIANS is the first book in a trilogy, with the other books being CHINA […]
Today we interview Dr. Taiwo Bello about the historical and contemporary contexts of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's HALF OF A YELLOW SUN. Nancy loves this interview because neither she nor Linda knew anything about the Biafran War. Linny likes that we then talk about lessons we can learn so we don’t repeat those mistakes. Taiwo Bello […]
This month we’re reading HALF OF A YELLOW SUN by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Listeners might remember Episode 88 when our guest to discuss Chinua Achebe’s THINGS FALL ABOUT, Dr. Thomas Jay Lynn, mentioned one of his favorite books about Africa was HALF OF A YELLOW SUN. We made a note of that, and here we […]
Today we interview Dr. Ted Hamann about EDUCATED, a memoir by Tara Westover. Ted is the Charles Bessey professor of teaching, learning and teacher education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Ted is an anthropologist of education with a primary scholarly focus on the interface between education policy and practice. He is author/editor of 14 books/monographs/journal […]
Our September book, EDUCATED, is a memoir by Tara Westover. The youngest of seven children, Tara recounts her experience growing up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho, living mostly in isolation with her family, no formal education, not much money, and few ties to the surrounding community. Against all odds, Tara decides to follow […]
We chat with Laura Rudacille, author of this month's book, CATCHING STARS. She is an author and event speaker, specializing in women’s enrichment. Laura has written five novels and contributed inspirational articles to four publications. She’s a licensed cosmetologist and salon owner in York, Pennsylvania. Yes, that’s where Linny lives! For ten years, Laura served […]
It’s the summer of great beach reads on the Front Porch! This month we travel to Chincoteague Island. And, Linny this very next weekend is, in real life, on her way to the shore right near Chincoteague! But, in our book this month, CATCHING STARS, Lindy Colton tries to forget her violent father by leaving […]
In this episode, we’re discussing a brand-new book titled I WILL BLOSSOM ANYWAY by Disha Bose. This is a book about a young expat, Durga, who has moved from her native Calcutta, India to Ireland. Durga comes from an educated, middle-class family that observes traditional Indian ways, including “arranged” marriages. Durga is anxious to escape […]
Today we interview Erica Slason about THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE, by James McBride, and its setting in Pottstown, PA. Erica Slason joined the Historical Society of Montgomery County as archivist in 2022. Pottstown is in Montgomery County. Erica has written about the historical Pottstown portrayed in THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE. We […]
We're dropping this episode a week earlier than usual since Nancy is heading to Boulder. And, we can't wait to introduce you to James McBride's recent novel – THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE. This is a book about community and relationships, good and bad, in 1920s-30s Pottstown, Pennsylvania. We meet and grow to love […]
Allegra Goodman, author of ISOLA joins us on the front porch. Allegra is the author of seven novels. ISOLA was a Reese’s Book Club selection. Her novel SAM was a Read With Jenna Book Club selection. KAATERSKILL FALLS was a National Book Award finalist. THE CHALK ARTIST was winner of the Massachusetts Book Award. Her […]
ISOLA, a brand-new novel by Allegra Goodman, takes us to Renaissance France and into the life of Marguerite, a child heir to a fortune. Unfortunately for Marguerite, her deceased parents' choice for her guardian means her life does not unfold as one of prosperity and gentility. Instead, her guardian fritters away her wealth on his […]
We are so excited to interview Eowyn Ivey about her latest book, BLACK WOODS, BLUE SKY. Eowyn was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. Her debut novel, THE SNOW CHILD, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and is a New York Times bestseller published in […]
It's our 100th episode and this is an episode with a lot of laughter. To celebrate we reminisce about why we decided to start the podcast. Nancy and Linny have VERY different reasons! We laugh about some of our early missteps and nervousness. Nancy quizzes Linny about some of the statistics about the podcast. Linny […]
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is the oldest book we’ve discussed on the front porch; it was published in 1958 just as the European colonization of Africa was being dismantled. The book’s setting is the beginning of colonization in the 1880’s in what is now Nigeria, but was then Igboland. Achebe immerses us deeply into […]
Picking up where Patrick Radden Keefe’s book Empire of Pain left off, journalist Aneri Pattani brings us up to date with the latest developments for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. Aneri is KFF Health News' award-winning senior correspondent. For the past two years, Aneri has been following the opioid settlement and the use of […]
In this investigative non-fiction book, Patrick Radden Keefe reveals the role of the Sackler family in the prescription opioid epidemic that has decimated communities and families since the 1990s. Empire of Pain is an unflinching and horrifying account of how the Sacklers, aware of the drug's addictiveness, pushed Oxycontin through clever marketing to doctors, willful […]
We wanted to learn more about mystery as a genre after reading Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. Lucky for us, Dr. Karen Roggenkamp, professor of Literature and Languages at Texas A & M-Commerce, was available to stop by the Front Porch to talk about mysteries, crime, and mayhem. Karen helps us examine why mysteries […]
Murder comes to the Front Porch. But don't worry… this is a cozy murder, so we aren't too concerned that unsavory characters are killed. We are introduced to the members of The Thursday Murder Club: four seniors living in a retirement community who try to stay sharp by solving unsolved murders. But then, murder comes […]
Linny and Nancy delve into commentary about Achilles and Patroclus, the main characters in Madeline Miller’s retelling of the Iliad in her novel, The Song of Achilles. Miller was inspired to write this book to better understand Achilles’ terrible rage when hearing of the death of his friend, Patroclus. Miller writes a story of a […]
This debut novel by Madeline Miller retells the ancient story of Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. This vivid reinterpretation is told from the viewpoint of Petroclus, a minor but pivotal character in The Iliad, but one who is Achilles’ close companion. Through Petroclus’ eyes we see Achilles grow from gifted boy to the greatest warrior […]
Award-winning author Anne Boyd Rioux tells us all about Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Little Women. Anne is just the guest because she wrote the nonfiction book Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters. Little Women inspired Anne Napolitano in her writing of Hello Beautiful, our June book. In […]
Four sisters, one lonely boy. Sounds like Little Women, right? Ann Napolitano thought so, too, when she was about 100 pages into writing what would become her bestselling novel, Hello Beautiful. She realized the similarities and decided to mold the story into a modern-day retelling of the classic. Napolitano’s version is set in Chicago and […]
Memoirist Ileen Dunivent regales us with stories of her mischievous childhood in Colorado and then Missouri, meeting her great love, Orville, and her amazing ability to make friends and create a full and well-lived life. At 87 years of age, Ileen decided to write the story of her life, longhand on lined notebook paper. The […]
Memoirist Ileen Dunivent regales us with stories of her mischievous childhood in Colorado and then Missouri, meeting her great love, Orville, and her amazing ability to make friends and create a full and well-lived life. At 87 years of age, Ileen decided to write the story of her life, longhand on lined notebook paper. The task took 14 months with the result being book (Stories for My Kids: Learning to Yodel and Other Life Lessons) packed with joyful, funny accounts of times gone by. Ileen has not slowed down a bit. She is busy with book signings and has also designed small accessory dwelling units (granny pods), oh, and is writing several more books. You'll love Ileen as much as we do.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
We're leaning into Mother's Day month with Stories for My Kids: Learning to Yodel and Other Life Lessons, by first time author Ileen Dunivant. This charming and warm memoir tracks Ileen's life from a mischievous Rocky Mountain tomboy to a crazy in love teenager to a mom and grandma in Missouri. Ileen has a gift […]
We're leaning into Mother's Day month with Stories for My Kids: Learning to Yodel and Other Life Lessons, by first time author Ileen Dunivent. This charming and warm memoir tracks Ileen's life from a mischievous Rocky Mountain tomboy to a crazy in love teenager to a mom and grandma in Missouri. Ileen has a gift for storytelling and she manages to find humor and joy, as well as convey deep wisdom, throughout the episodes of her life. Reading this book is like sitting down with your favorite grandma and laughing with her until your stomach hurts, and maybe shedding a few tears, too. Born in 1934, Ileen's life has spanned much of the 20th century's incredible challenges and innovations. Oh, and she even shares some of her favorite recipes in the book, too.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
We learn about mental skills athletes use to compete at the highest levels. Dr. Jennifer Cumming, former competitive athlete and now sports psychologist and professor, describes techniques for building mental skills. She trains professional and recreational athletes, and applies her work in other fields such as medicine, law enforcement, and the military, as well as […]
We learn about mental skills athletes use to compete at the highest levels. Dr. Jennifer Cumming, former competitive athlete and now sports psychologist and professor, describes techniques for building mental skills. She trains professional and recreational athletes, and applies her work in other fields such as medicine, law enforcement, and the military, as well as working with youth who are experiencing homelessness. She shares how mental skills training could have helped our April book protagonist, Carrie Soto, in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Carrie Soto is Back.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Carrie Soto is Back, by best-selling novelist Taylor Jenkins Reid, plunges us into the world of professional tennis. We meet retired phenom, Carrie, who decides to return to the circuit to defend her Grand Slam titles record. Carrie's singular focus on her tennis legacy has Linny and Nancy talking legacy, what it means, and why it matters.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
We take an incredible journey through Spain's 20th century, the setting of this month's book, The Shadow of the Wind,with our guest Sara Brenneis, an Amherst professor specializing in this era. Delving more deeply into Spain's social, political, religious, and economic context opened up this book in ways we never expected. Linny has a new admiration for the women in the book. Nancy is amazed by the authorial restraint of not explaining everything shown by the author, Carlos Ruiz Zafon. And yes, we also have some great laughs, too!
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
In post-civil war Spain, young Daniel is cast into danger when he refuses to sell his rare copy of a Julian Carax novel to a mysterious cloaked man intent on destroying all copies of the author's books. Over a ten-year period, Daniel uncovers old resentments, past loves, deadly lies, and true love as he learns the secrets of the mysterious man and of the author who has disappeared. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon sets this unforgettable novel in Barcelona, a city teeming with secrets of its own.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, has become a word-of-mouth bestseller. No surprise, since this warm and generous novel introduces three very different characters all facing their own "stuckness": a grieving widow, an aquarium-confined octopus, and a struggling young man. Shelby joins us on the front porch to talk about her journey as a first-time author, these remarkable characters, Community Reads programs, and so much more. Yes, we also laugh!
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, has lived most of his life in the Sowell Bay Aquarium but yearns for the ocean's currents while he watches the humans who pass his tank with disdain. That is, until Tova, the night janitor saves him from dying on one of his nighttime expeditions. They form a sort of friendship that will change their lives and the lives of those around them, including Ethan the small town's grocer and Cameron an aimless newcomer. This warm and generous novel by Shelby Van Pelt is a celebration of the power of connection and of second chances.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
We delve into the research-based side of talent development with Dr. Kenneth Kiewra, an educational psychology professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who is an expert in talent development. We learn about talent development in children and adults, along with Ken's other fascinating research on learning in and teaching of children, young people, scholars, and older adults. We are astounded to learn of the many parallels between Ken's research-based findings and Adam Gopnik's experiential themes in our January book, The Real Work.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
In his latest book, The Real Work, Adam Gopnik undertakes a George Plimpton-esque journey to master skills as diverse as boxing and drawing, bread baking and driving, dancing and overcoming a mental health illness. Gopnik, along the way, shares three themes of mastery and seven mysteries of mastery. Gopnik has called this book a “self-help book that doesn’t help” because it does not prescribe steps or tasks. Instead, readers are inspired by his comic essays and by the masters he introduces. Linny and Nancy discuss new skills they want to learn or continue to sharpen.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Linny and Nancy look back at 2023 and share some of their favorite books, moments, surprises, and behind-the-scenes mix-ups. Looking forward to 2024, they announce the first three book selections for 2024.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
It's children's book month and our 2023 is a gem: Marshmallow Clouds, written by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek and illustrated by Richard Jones. The book features 30 poems that celebrate finding wonder through imagination and are loosely categorized by the four classical elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. These are poems to be savored and enjoyed over and over.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
James Ker-Lindsay introduces us to the beautiful and complex island of Cyprus, the setting of Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees. Ker-Lindsay is a scholar whose research focuses on conflict, and peace and security in South East Europe. He tells us about the history of the Cyprus conflict and describes barriers to reunification. We also hear about his personal connection to Cyprus and his experience as a historical consultant for Elif Shafak as she wrote The Island of Missing Trees.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
In The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, young lovers Defne and Kostas are torn apart by the Cyprus war in the 1970s. When they meet again, 25 years later, Defne has become part of a team dedicated to finding graves of war victims and Kostas has become a scholar who focuses on trees. Their career paths mirror the emotional journeys they have taken since they were separated. Defne has buried the secrets from her past. Kostas has not healed from his memories of times with Defne at the local tavern, The Happy Fig. We discuss the book, what we remember about the war in Cyprus, sentient trees, #CanYouHearMeNow, and much more.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Was sexism in the STEM workplace really as bad as that faced by Elizabeth Zott in Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry? Cultural historian Julie Des Jardins leads us through the experiences of women in the workforce in the 20th-century. Let’s just say, most women scientists faced a lot of barriers! We also learn about Julie’s current work to increase diversity in STEM fields at the Center for Quantum Networks at the University of Arizona. She outlines for us the 21st century challenges for women in science as well as the strategies she is using to create cultural change in STEM fields.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
In this laugh out loud funny novel, Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist who just wants to do her research, but it's the 1960s and none of the men in her field quite know what to do with this determined woman, so mostly they attempt to ruin her. Except for Calvin Evans, the renowned but awkward chemist who is as dazzled by her mind as her beauty. He wants to marry her, which she refuses on the basis it will destroy what small career she has been able to carve out for herself. Within a year, Calvin is gone, Elizabeth has had his child, she has been fired, she has become a TV cooking show phenomenon, and she is as far from her dream to be left alone to do chemistry as she possibly could be. And people and one incredibly perceptive dog keep attaching themselves to her. Is chemistry all there is, or might there be more for Elizabeth? Linda and Nancy discuss this book, its zany characters, and sexism in the 1960s.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
In Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch, Blandine is obsessed by Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th century abbess. We wanted to learn more about this German theologian, composer, and botanist, so asked Dr. Jennifer Bain to join us. She is the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Hildegard of Bingen and professor of Musicology and Gender and Women's Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Think the multi-hyphenates of today are impressive? You need to hear about Hildegard!
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
In the New York Times bestselling novel, The Rabbit Hutch, Tess Gunty introduces us to Vacca Vale, Indiana, a dying city clinging to its past automobile manufacturing glory days. After decades of economic disintegration brought on by the closing of Zorn Automotive Manufacturing, we meet the residents of an affordable housing building, particularly the brilliant but lost 17-year-old, Blandine, who has “graduated” from foster care and is now living with three boys, also products of the broken system. We meet Blandine’s lecherous high school teacher, a developer who plans to build on the only remaining green space in the city, and an aged former child star who has died. Blandine, guided by the writings of medieval saints, tries to find a future for herself, her city, and the only remaining green space which is about to go under the developer’s shovel. “Inventive, heartbreaking and acutely funny” Observer.---Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Intrigue abounds as we learn how 16th century Italian courts schemed and fought to maintain their power, as we read about in Maggie O'Farrell's latest historical novel, The Marriage Portrait. In the swirl of wars and murder, we talk about how women in different courts distinguished themselves and the roles they played. We also talk about some of the finer things in Renaissance life, such as art, music, and fashion. Our guide in this immersion is Dr. Deanna Shemek, a University of California-Irvine professor and Italian expert who specializes in Italian literature, Italian and European history, women and gender studies, and Renaissance and early modern studies. We learn a lot and share some laughs, too!
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
The Marriage Portrait, a riveting historical fiction novel, plunges us into the 16th-century world of Lucrezia de’ Medici whose parents have forced her to wed Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. He has taken her to his isolated hunting lodge and she becomes aware of the fact that he means to murder her there. As the novel skips around in chronology we learn about Lucrezia’s conception, birth, and childhood that brought her to this moment. She is a sensitive, artistic, and misunderstood youngest daughter. We hang on by our fingernails to see how her story ends.
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Today we interview Joe Starita about his book, I Am A Man. The narrative non-fiction book describes the real life story of Ponca Chief Standing Bear. He was a man who just wanted to live peaceably, with his tribe, on their ancestral homeland that was deeded to them by the U.S. government in a treaty. However, government mistakes, prejudice, and people following orders from their superiors led to the Ponca being stripped of their Nebraska homeland in 1877, many deaths on their journey to a reservation in Oklahoma, and eventually Chief Standing Bear’s suit against the federal government, the first time a Native American had been allowed to testify in a US courtroom. And he won. Join us to learn more about this remarkable, heartbreaking, and inspiring man.
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
I Am a Man by Joe Starita documents the heartbreaking exile of Chief Standing Bear from his homeland to his journey to establishing the personhood of Native Americans in US courts. Chief Standing Bear promised his dying teenage son that he would bury him in the ancestral graveyard back along the Niobrara River in northeast Nebraska. On his journey home with his son’s body, he was jailed for leaving the Oklahoma reservation and for visiting his friends and relatives on the Omaha reservation. The US Army intended to force him to return to Oklahoma. However, a newspaperman and two attorneys in Omaha helped him file a suit against the US government. He ended up being the first Native person to testify in a US court and his case established that Native persons have the same rights as the nation’s White and Black citizens, which was not clear in the muddle of the way Native Americans were treated. His most famous lines are from his testimony in court about his personhood. He stood and held out his hand and said: “That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be of the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both.”
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Dr. Margaret Jacobs joins us on the front porch to investigate how the US has forcibly removed children from their parents, a policy expanded in Celeste Ng’s Our Missing Hearts. In Our Missing Hearts, a Choctaw grandmother reminds Noah’s mom that taking children away from their parents is not unprecedented in US history and she alludes to indigenous child removal, as well as the separation of children from their parents who have illegally crossed the country’s southern border. In this episode, we learn about the reality of these past policies and also Indigenous and Non-indigenous people working together to forge a reconciliation over these past wrongs.
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
To what lengths would you go to protect your child? In Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng introduces us to Bird, a 12-year-old boy whose mother has left him and his father years earlier. His father disavows her and her poetry that is being used by resisters standing up against an authoritarian government in the United States. When Bird receives a mysterious letter, he goes on a journey to find his mother.
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
It's Mother's Day as we record this episode about Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon. This nonfiction book explores the differences that separate children from their parents, often in damaging ways. Solomon believes that parents have children to perpetuate themselves and when the children are different from them, parents often react negatively. Six chapters deal with categories of difference that have been long-classified as illnesses: children who are deaf, those who are dwarfs, and those who have down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, other disabilities. Four chapters deal with more socially-constructed difference: children who: are prodigies, the product of rape, commit crimes, and are transgender.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Nadia Hashimi joins us to discuss her bestselling book, Sparks Like Stars. This book is the darling of book clubs. The story of Sitara, a privileged young girl living in Kabul, draws you in as the 1978 coup strips everything away from her that she loves. Nadia tells us about her inspiration for Sitara, her family’s experience leaving Afghanistan and the nostalgia they still experience for a Kabul that has disappeared. We also learn Nadia's opinion about whether Shair pulled the trigger.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Sher Jan Ahmadzai tells us his remarkable story: fleeing Afghan as a child, returning to work for the President of Afghanistan, and eventual immigrating to the United States. He expands our understanding of historical and current day Afghanistan, the setting for this month's book, Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Discussing Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi, we dive into the harrowing tale of Sitara, a young girl from a privileged Kabul family whose life changes forever in the 1978 coup of the government. Sitara must assume another identity and travel across the ocean to find safety. But healing will take decades until she finally returns to Afghanistan and comes face to face with the her buried past.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frontporchbookclub/support
Grief experts, Alyssa Christensen and Amy Lipins join us on the front porch to discuss A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. We discuss the power of community and support to help those who have lost a loved one honor their person and learn to heal. Alyssa and Amy work at Mourning Hope Grief Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
In Frederik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, Ove is the quintessential grumpy old man. The self-appointed enforcer of Residents’ Association rules. The responsible man frustrated by the incompetence of everyone around him. The despiser of computers and consultants and joggers. Ove has lost his beloved wife and just been forcibly retired from his job. He has no friends. He decides to end his life. When a new neighbor backs a moving trailer into Ove’s empty rose bed, Ove’s plans to end his life are thwarted again and again. Soon Ove has unintentionally drawn around him a muddle of neighbors, and a stray cat, who collectively shape a new purpose for his life.---Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We welcome Front Porch Book Club friend Marlene Castillo to discuss Kiley Reid’s debut novel Such A Fun Age.---Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
In Kiley Reid’s debut novel, Such A Fun Age, a racial profiling sets college-educated Emira on a collision course with her employer, Alix, and new boyfriend Kelley. Emira is looking for a good job with health insurance and would prefer not to be the latest racial incident. Alix and Kelley have their own ideas about Emira's future, until they meet each other (again!).
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
In his book, Max Out Mindset, Larry “Doc” Widman describes the mindset skills we can apply to max out our performance in athletics and life. Most New Year’s resolutions have been abandoned by February. Doc shares with us how to set and achieve our goals using the building blocks of positive psychology. We learn that elite athletes struggle with the same mindset challenges Linny does when she's on the pickleball court. Doc shares with us that the same strategies that made Jordan Larson an Olympic gold medalist may help Linny improve her game, too.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Just in time for New Year’s resolutions, we discuss Max Out Mindset, Dr. Larry Widman’s book describing how elite athletes achieve results through his evidence-based approach and how we can apply them to improve our performance in life, work, and play.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Author Sue Ray-Smolik joins us on the front porch to tells us about her brand-new children’s picture book, The Evening Walk, a story about how visually-impaired Mommy shows toddler Liam that sight is only one way to experience the world around them, but love is everywhere.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Join us on the Front Porch as we revel in Sue Ray-Smolik’s joyful new children’s book, The Evening Walk, a beautifully illustrated story in which toddler Liam describes what he sees to his visually-impaired Mommy who lovingly helps him experience their walk with touch, smell, taste, and sound.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Dr. Kevin Bower takes us to the post-Civil War South, interpreting the fascinating political, social, and economic upheavals that are the backdrop for Nathan Harris' The Sweetness of Water.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris received all the awards! No wonder as it transports readers to the American south in the turbulent weeks following the end of the Civil War. As the characters struggle to make lives for themselves in the changing world, we see the book's application to today's bitter acrimony over who will decide what our country will be.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Behavioral consultant Jess Hess joins us on the front porch to share her insights on one of her favorite books, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We discuss Theodore Roosevelt’s disastrous expedition to map a tributary of the Amazon River retold in Candice Millard’s gripping New York Times bestseller, River of Doubt.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
An early, exceptional episode: By special arrangement, four-time New York Times bestselling author and speaker for the 27th annual Nebraska Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities on September 28, 2022, Candice Millard joins us to discuss her first best-seller, The River of Doubt, that traces Theodore Roosevelt’s disastrous Amazon River expedition after his devastating defeat in the 1912 presidential election.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, unforgettable Addie makes a pact with the devil for immortality, with the curse she will be forgotten whenever she leaves others’ presence. When she falls in love with Henry and finds out he, too, has made a deal with the devil, she takes extraordinary actions to try to save him. Linda and Nancy discuss immortality, codependence, tragedy, and grit.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
New York Times best-selling author, Robert Kolker, joins us on the front porch to discuss his book, Hidden Valley Road. The book, based on the true life story of a family of 12 children, six of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia, has made all the lists -- from New York Times, to Oprah, to President Obama. Robert shares his interest in writing about everyday people faced with extraordinary circumstances and gives us the behind the scenes peek at two films based on his writing.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
The true story of one family with 12 children, six of whom are diagnosed with schizophrenia. We discuss the unforgettable story of the Galvin family and the evolution and research breakthroughs of treatment for this cruel disease.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Van Jones presents solutions in four areas that liberals and conservatives can agree on. Linda and Nancy delve into policy and Van’s life experiences that have led him to his broadcasting, policy, and advocacy work.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Is it possible to find bipartisan solutions to the problems America faces? Van Jones says it is in his book, Beyond the Messy Truth. Join us in finding hope in America’s acrimonious political landscape.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Join our mini-book club discussion about The Nightingale with sweet tea drinker Jona Green.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We discuss Kristin Hannah’s best seller, The Nightingale, the captivating tale of two sisters in World War II France.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Erin shares the funny side of young motherhood in this book of hilarious snippets.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linda and Nancy share their favorite snippets from this book of short takes on parenthood. Hilarity ensues as Linda and Nancy recount the fires and near miss flooding they caused in their early parenting years.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Dr. Dawne Curry takes us on an incomparable journey through South Africa's social and political structures that set up Apartheid and led to its eventual dismantling, all the while relating it to Trevor Noah's experience. Grab your suitcases -- we're going on a trip!
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
His father was white. His mother was Black. Trevor Noah was "illegal" in South Africa. He recounts his experience under Apartheid, unmasking the system's brutality with candid humor. Join us as we discuss Noah's Born a Crime.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linda interviews co-host Nancy, along with Timothy W Scholl about the writing and production of This Mortal Life Also, a play about Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linny and Nancy dig into this biography of the courageous actions of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi in the German Resistance to Nazism.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Larry McDaniel, founder of Coyote Hill - a foster care provider and services agency, joins us on the Front Porch to discuss The Lincoln Highway. Larry's expertise in working with children gives him special insight into the characters in this book by Amor Towles.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We discuss The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles' engrossing and devastating story of four boys who hope to find their futures at the end of the 1950s Lincoln Highway.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Choose to find the humor! The front porch rings with laughter as Linda and Nancy welcome Anna Lind Thomas to discuss her hilarious memoir, We'll Laugh About This Someday. Anna dishes about dating Lady Gaga’s ex and how she is giving away her book for free, sort of with her publisher's blessing.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We'll Laugh About This Someday is Anna Lind Thomas' hilarious memoir of growing up the youngest, fluffy child in a loving but eccentric family. We root for her as she goes off to college, share her dating foibles, and revel in the joy and tedium of motherhood. Along the way, tears streamed down our cheeks, as Anna shares the hard, the funny, and the good.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Children’s book author and retired psychologist Chrissi Hart joins us on the Front Porch to discuss her book, Tea with the Queen. The book takes us on a fanciful journey to England with mouse Charlie and his grandparents. The journey includes a thrilling flight on the back of Percy the goose, an encounter with a pair of corgis, and finally a meeting with the mouse queen who lives under the floor boards of Buckingham Palace. This richly illustrated book is perfect for young children and their adults. Charlie learns problem-solving, resilience, and that others may be relied upon when unexpected things happen.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
It's children's book month for the Front Porch. In Tea with the Queen, Charlie and his grandparents go on an exciting adventure to meet the queen. Charlie learns to problem solve and that he can rely on others. A great gift for the young children in your life.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Author Dr. Meghan Winchell discusses her book about USO hostesses during World War II. We explore how USOs supported the troops, but also struggled with issues of gender, race, and class during this tumultuous time when even the military was still segregated. Since Meghan's book is about good fun, we share lots of laughter, too!
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
At the height of World War II, over 3,000 USO clubs served 1 million soldiers throughout the United States. Linda and Nancy discuss Dr. Meghan Winchell’s fascinating book, Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun: The Story of USO Hostesses during World War II. The story of the USO is told through the memories of those who volunteered and visited the USO clubs, as well as through Meghan's in-depth research exploring issues of sexism, racism, and classism.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Looking for a dose of moral clarity? In this episode Laura Fabrycky joins us on the front porch to talk about her experience as a guide in Berlin's Bonhoeffer Haus, during the tumultuous years following the 2016 US presidential election. Laura invites us to consider how Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life serves as a model for moral decision-making and ethical thinking.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
This historically-grounded memoir takes readers on an unforgettable journey as the author steeps herself in the life of German theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, mapping a course for herself as a guide in his Berlin home and an American diplomatic spouse finding her way through politically turbulent times.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Love Jane Austen? You'll be fascinated hearing from Wendy Jones, author of Jane on the Brain. Her book dissects Austen's characters using current mind/brain research, showing how Austen was a master of realistic characterization. You'll gain a deeper fascination and understanding of everyone from Elizabeth to Emma to Anne. Along the way, you'll learn a lot about scientific discoveries and maybe even yourself.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Jane Austen alert! This month's book, Jane on the Brain, was a New York Times "New and Notable Selection." Wendy Jones's fun and insightful book presents how Jane Austen's characters model what we now understand to be mind/brain science. This book had Linda gushing about its smart and witty illustrations of psychological concepts using some of her favorite characters. Nancy loved the book, too -- I mean its focus is Jane Austen! If you love to dissect why people do the things they do, or if you love Jane Austen, this episode is for you! If you like both, you need to buy this book!
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Author Dr. Patrice McMahon joins us on the front porch to discuss her book, The NGO Game: Post-conflict Peacebuilding in the Balkans and Beyond. This book is a front row seat to the failure of Western interests to build strong civil societies after the Balkan wars. Through public/private partnerships, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were tasked with rebuilding war-torn countries. Instead, countries were subjected to an ineffective boom of foreign capital, much of which didn't address the needs of the citizens, and then were crippled by the inevitable bust when interests drifted to other international disasters.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
The Front Porch reaches for our back-to-school backpacks as we review, The NGO Game, a scholarly critique of non-governmental organizations in post-conflict countries. The book examines the failure of peace-building efforts in the Balkans and examines the role these organizations played.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We have a blast on the front porch talking with Mark Snyder, Jr., author of the paranormal thriller, The Legacy. Linda and Mark go way back, and Linda asks Mark how such a wonderful, generous person could write such a disturbing book! Mark describes the genesis of the book and tells us how writing the book was a cathartic experience as he worries about adverse human impacts on the health of our planet.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
The Legacy, by Mark Snyder, Jr., is a paranormal thriller that places humanity's future in the hands of gods who will determine whether our race deserves to survive. The book prompts Linda and Nancy to discuss their thoughts on destiny, mission, and purpose. Find out what Linda hopes people will say at her funeral.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linda and Nancy welcome Jennie Cole-Mossman, child and family counselor, to the front porch to discuss Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. We discuss the importance of attachment and bonding to young children and relate that to the story of Kya, abandoned by her family in the North Carolina marsh. We explore the role of community members, like Jumpin’ and Mabel, in supporting healing from trauma.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linda and Nancy discuss Delia Owen’s New York Times bestselling book, Where the Crawdads Sing. This book tells the riveting story of Kya, a young girl abandoned by her family in the North Carolina swamp, her journey to young womanhood, and her entanglement in the murder of the town’s golden boy.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
In This Blessed Earth by Ted Genoways, we read about Dr. Don Wilhite, international expert on drought. In this episode, Don joins us on the front porch to tell us about the critical challenge of drought and its impact on food production. Dr. Wilhite is the founding director of the National Drought Mitigation Center and has worked around the world to help producers, regions, and countries implement sound water planning practices.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linda and Nancy discuss This Blessed Earth by investigative journalist Ted Genoways. This nonfiction book follows a year in the life of a Nebraska farm family and examines the social, political, emotional, economic, and environmental challenges facing the people who grow the food WE eat! The book was named one of the Smithsonian’s Ten Best Books of 2017. Linda and Nancy discuss their family's farming background and recognize the complex decisions agricultural producers face.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Author Lisa Lawmaster Hess joins us on the front porch to discuss her Christian fiction book, Casting the First Stone. The book is the first in a trilogy about three strong female characters navigating a child custody battle. Old wounds and mistakes threaten to destroy each character's dreams for her life. Lisa describes how she developed the characters in the book and how her own journey and experiences inform her writing.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Linda and Nancy discuss Casting the First Stone, the first book in a trilogy by Lisa Lawmaster Hess. Three heroines face-off over a custody battle that bring out their own insecurities and past experiences. Linda and Nancy debate how, in our culture, women navigate relationships and they reflect on lifelong friendships that have supported them. They also discuss how the book upends some stereotypes about faith.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
Author Sarah Crawford joins us on the front porch to discuss her work, Lessons from Better People. Sarah describes her experience as a Syracuse University Remembrance Scholar visiting Lockerbie, Scotland where, 30 years ago, 35 Syracuse University students and 11 residents were killed in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. She reflects on how the people she met in Lockerbie created a path through through unspeakable grief. We also discuss her internship at a Brussels PR firm and the challenges of mastering office life in a foreign country. Sarah graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a degree in PR, Writing & Rhetoric, and a minor in European History. She was a 2019-2020 Remembrance Scholar, a Renee Crown Honors Grant recipient, and recipient of the Best of Student Nonfiction Writing award.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support
We discuss Lessons from Better People by Sarah Crawford. This fictionalized account and personal narrative blends humor, pathos, and expert characterization in an unforgettable story about a Syracuse University Remembrance Scholar who spends the summer in Europe with two goals in mind: forget a broken relationship during her internship at a fancy Brussels PR firm, and visit Lockerbie, Scotland where 30 years ago Syracuse students just like her were killed in bombing of Pan Am flight 103.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/frontporchbookclub/support