Front Porch Book Club Podcast
Grab your book and iced tea and join the Front Porch Book Club, your no-commitment, casual, and eclectic podcast about books. We examine the relationship between characters, the worlds they live in, and what that means to us.
Latest Episode
108: Laura Rudacille
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...
108: Laura Rudacille
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 as choreographer for a local high school theater program. Laura tells us she was never too much of a reader because she hated being told in school what she had to read. As a hair salon owner, she observed her clients’ reading books while their hair was drying or processing. Nora Roberts was a favorite. Then Laura found out that Nora lives nearby in Maryland. She went to some events Nora hosted and she found out Nora is just a regular person who took up writing when her kids were driving her crazy during a snowstorm. Later after Laura began trying to write, Laura’s mom brought her a box full of writing she had done that she had forgotten about. So, she was a writer as a youngster. Laura handwrote her first book, but a friend transcribed the book into digital form and urged Laura to get it published. Laura realizes now that she has always been an observer of people. She is a conversationalist, of course, behind her salon chair so she tends to be conversationally-driven. HERE’S THE THING was her first book. Her 9th grade English teacher gave her an exhaustive review that helped her improve it. One year, Laura’s family was vacationing in Chincoteague Island where she was inspired to envision a four-book series. She published SALTWATER COWBOY, the first book of the series. Then LATE TO BREAKFAST, and CATCHING STARS. She wrote INVISIBLE WOMAN, a woman’s fictional celebration about coming into her 40s. She thought another book of the series would be WAITING FOR SOMEDAY, but she skipped it and it is forthcoming, set in Philadelphia but with a visit to Chincoteague Island. Linny regales Nancy with stories of her recent trip to the shore near Chincoteague. Nancy updates Linny on her tennis game. Laughs abound.
About Front Porch Book Club
I honestly was blown away by the deep dive Nancy and Linny did into SPARKS LIKE STARS and really appreciated the personal perspectives they brought.
Nadia Hashimi, Author
Every month the Front Porch Book Club features two episodes on our selected book. In the first episode Linda and Nancy introduce the book and discuss their thoughts. In the second episode, Linda and Nancy are joined by the author or an expert to delve deeper into the book. Our book selections are eclectic: fiction, autobiography, history, memoir, investigative journalism, and classics. They are books that give us insights into how we may be more intentional, creative, and loving.
Recent Episodes
69: The Real Work
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...
68: Year in review and 2024 ahead
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:...
67: Marshmallow Clouds
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...
66: James Ker-Lindsay talks Cyprus
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...
Meet The Hosts
Growing up, Nancy always had her nose in a book. She never remembers not loving to read books. Linda, on the other hand, hated libraries and spent her childhood trying to lure Nancy away from books into some other activity that she thought would be way more fun. That’s right – we’re sisters. Nancy was more of an introvert and Linda was more of an extrovert. But, somewhere along the way, Linda started loving books and Nancy started loving talking about books. Nancy is a recovering academic in Nebraska who writes and Linda is a licensed counselor in Pennsylvania.