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
130: Lindsey Goldstein
Today we interview Lindsey Goldstein about her book, GAP YEAR. One of her early publications was an adorable personal essay she wrote for THE NEW YORK TIMES' Modern Love column: At the cusp of 40, Lindsey decided there was only gain to try her hand at becoming a...
130: Lindsey Goldstein
Today we interview Lindsey Goldstein about her book, GAP YEAR.
One of her early publications was an adorable personal essay she wrote for THE NEW YORK TIMES' Modern Love column:
At the cusp of 40, Lindsey decided there was only gain to try her hand at becoming a novelist. She wrote her first novel in her early 40s. GAP YEAR was her third novel and first published one.
GAP YEAR takes place in Ecuador, where Lindsey has visited and has swum with the penguins and sea lions, just as Jane did in GAP YEAR. Lindsey, like Jane, also had a gap year (traditional one, though!) and stayed in a hostel. We explore other ways Lindsey pulled from her own experiences, including those as a friend, daughter, and mother to bring realism to the novel.
We talk about youthful dreams and the importance of pursuing those that are meaningful to you, even if in just small steps.
Lindsey tells us how other authors have inspired her passions and her writing, including:
Bill Bryson’s A WALK IN THE WOODS
Rebecca Serle’s IN FIVE YEARS
Ashley Poston’s alternate reality books
Linny and Nancy discuss the REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES series and reminisce about how much they loved chatting with author Shelby Van Pelt.
Episode 71: Our review of REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES
Episode 72: Our chat with Shelby Van Pelt, author of REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES
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
121: Laws of Love and Logic
Our book this month has JUST been released. In fact, the publisher shared an Advanced Reader Copy with us so we could review it as it’s being released. The book is LAWS OF LOVE AND LOGIC by Debra Curtis. Dutiful and romantic, Lily Webb is growing up in Rhode Island in...
120: Nguyên Phan Quê’ Mai
In a heartfelt conversation in this episode, author Quế Mai shared her inspiring journey as a writer and the powerful themes explored in her novel, DUST CHILD. The discussion illuminated the significance of reclaiming narratives that have long been silenced,...
118: Bryan Denny Rerecorded
Dr. Bryan Denny joins us to further our understanding of emotional regulation research, particularly research that combines traditional diagnostic approaches with neurobiology. Bryan is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice...
119: Dust Child
DUST CHILD, by Nguyen Phan Que Mai, catapults us into the interconnecting lives of those caught in the brutality of the Vietnam War. We meet Dan, an American who is returning with his wife to the country where he was a young GI fifty years earlier. We are transported...
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.