Front Porch Book Club Reading List

Explore the books we’re reading!

The Books and Their Episodes

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Episodes 69 to Current

April: Carrie Soto is back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Amazon.

Episode 76. Dr. Jennifer Cumming discusses the mental skills needed by athletes (including Carrie Soto!) and applies them to those of us who aren’t professional athletes but who want to improve performance in some aspect of life.

Episode 75. Linda and Nancy discuss Carrie Soto is Back.

March: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Amazon.

Episode 74. Dr. Sara Brenneis joins us to discuss 20th century Spain, the setting for The Shadow of the Wind.

Episode 73. Linda and Nancy discuss The Shadow of the Wind.

February: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Amazon.

Episode 72. Author Shelby Van Pelt joins us on the front porch.

Episode 71. Linda and Nancy discuss Remarkably Bright Creatures.

January: The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery by Adam Gopnik. Amazon.

Episode 70. Scholar Dr. Kenneth Kiewra joins us to discuss research about talent development, and teaching and learning generally.

Episode 69. Linda and Nancy discuss The Real Work.

Episodes 45 to 68

2023 in review and sneak peak of 2024.

Episode 68. Linny and Nancy chat about 2023 and 2024 to come.

December: Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek. Illustrated by Richard Jones. Amazon.

Episode 67. Linny and Nancy discuss Marshmallow Clouds.

November: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. Amazon.

Episode 66. Professor James Ker-Lindsay, an international relations and conflict scholar, joins us to discuss Cyprus and his role as a historical consultant for The Island of Missing Trees.

Episode 65. Linny and Nancy discuss The Island of Missing Trees.

October: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Amazon.

Episode 64. Cultural historian Dr. Julie Des Jardins explores the experience of women scientists during the mid-20th century.

Episode 63. Linny and Nancy discuss Lessons in Chemistry.

September: The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty. Amazon.

Episode 62. Hildegard of Bingen scholar, Dr. Jennifer Bain, tells us all about this 12th century saint with whom Blandine is obsessed in The Rabbit Hutch.

Episode 61. Linny and Nancy discuss The Rabbit Hutch.

August: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. Amazon.

Episode 60. Italian Renaissance expert Dr. Deanna Shemek visits the Front Porch.

Episode 59. Linny and Nancy discuss The Marriage Portrait.

July: I Am A Man by Joe Starita. Amazon.

Episode 58. Author Joe Starita discusses his book, I Am A Man, about Chief Standing Bear.

Episode 57. Linny and Nancy discuss I Am A Man.

June: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. Amazon.

Episode 56. Dr. Margaret Jacobs joins us to share the actual history of governmental policies that separated children from their parents, as mentioned and expanded in Our Missing Hearts.

Episode 55. Linny and Nancy discuss Our Missing Hearts.

May: Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon. Amazon.

Episode 54. Linny and Nancy discuss Far From the Tree.

April and May: Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi. Amazon.

Episode 53. Author Nadia Hashimi discusses her book Sparks Like Stars.

Episode 52. Sher Jan Ahmadzai, director of the University of Nebraska Omaha Center on Afghanistan Studies discusses his experiences as an Afghan refugee, Presidential scheduler, and American student.

Episode 51. Linny and Nancy discuss Sparks Like Stars.

March: A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman. Amazon.

Episode 50. Two grief support specialists join us.

Episode 49. Linny and Nancy discuss A Man Called Ove.

February: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Amazon.

Episode 48. Marlene Castillo joins us to talk all things Such A Fun Age.

Episode 47. Linny and Nancy discuss Such a Fun Age.

January: Max Out Mindset by Dr. Larry Widman. Amazon.

Episode 46. Author Dr. Larry Widman supercharges our new year telling us about his book, Max Out Mindset.

Episode 45. Linda and Nancy discuss Max Out Mindset.

Episodes 21 - 44

December: The Evening Walk by Sue Ray-Smolik. Amazon.

Episode 44. Author Sue Ray-Smolik tells us about her new book, The Evening Walk.

Episode 43. Linda and Nancy discuss the childrens’ picture book, The Evening Walk.

November: The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris. Amazon.

Episode 42. Dr. Kevin Bower joins us to discuss the post-Civil War era and its relevance to us today.

Episode 41. Linda and Nancy discuss The Sweetness of Water.

October: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Amazon.

Episode 40. Jess Hess, behavioral counselor, joins us to discuss the book she recommended for the Front Porch!

October: The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Amazon.

Episode 39. Linda and Nancy discuss The River of Doubt.

September: The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Amazon.

Episode 38. Author Candice Millard joins us for a special episode.

September: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Amazon.

Episode 37. Linda and Nancy discuss The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

August: Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker. Amazon.

Episode 36. Author of Hidden Valley Road, Robert Kolker joins us on the Front Porch.

Episode 35. Linda and Nancy discuss Hidden Valley Road.

July: Beyond the Messy Truth by Van Jones. Amazon.

Episode 34. Linda and Nancy dig deeper into the policy solutions Van suggests.

Episode 33. Linda and Nancy share their thoughts about Beyond the Messy Truth.

June: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Amazon.

Episode 32. It’s a vacation from our normal format as Jona Green, Linda’s wonderful former co-worker joins us to discuss The Nightingale.

Episode 31. Linda and Nancy discuss The Nightingale.

May: Accidental Super Mom by Erin De Boer. Amazon.

Episode 30. Interview with Erin de Boer.

Episode 29. Linda and Nancy discuss Accidental Super Mom.

April: Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. Amazon.

Episode 28. Interview with Dr. Dawne Curry, Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Episode 27. Linda and Nancy discuss Born a Crime.

March: No Ordinary Men: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi, Resisters Against Hitler in Church and State. Amazon.

Episode 26. Linda interviews Nancy and director/producer Timothy Scholl about Nancy’s play This Mortal Life Also, based on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Episode 25. Linda and Nancy discuss No Ordinary Men.

February: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Amazon.

Episode 24. Interview with Larry McDaniel, co-founder of Coyote Hill.

Episode 23. Linda and Nancy discuss The Lincoln Highway.

January: We’ll Laugh About This Someday by Anna Lind Thomas. Amazon.

Episode 22. Interview with Anna Lind Thomas.

Episode 21. Linda and Nancy laugh through We’ll Laugh About This Someday.

Episodes 1-20

Tea with the Queen by Chrissi Hart. Amazon.

Episode 20. Interview with Dr. Chrissi Hart.

Episode 19. Linda and Nancy discuss Tea with the Queen.

Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun: The Story of USO Hostesses during World War II by Dr. Meghan Winchell. Amazon.

Episode 18. Interview with Dr. Meghan Winchell.

Episode 17. Linda and Nancy discuss Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun.

Keys to Bonhoeffer’s Haus: Exploring the World and Wisdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Laura Fabrycky. Amazon.

Episode 16. Interview with author Laura Fabrycky.

Episode 15. Linda and Nancy discuss Keys to Bonhoeffer’s Haus.

Jane on the Brain by Wendy Jones. Amazon.

Episode 14. Interview with author Wendy Jones.

Episode 13. Linda and Nancy discuss Jane on the Brain.

The NGO Game: Post-conflict Peacekeeping in the Balkans and Beyond by Dr. Patrice C. McMahon. Amazon.

Episode 12. Interview with Dr. Patrice McMahon, author of The NGO Game.

Episode 11. Linda and Nancy discuss The NGO Game.

The Legacy by Mark Snyder, Jr. Amazon. IndieBound.

Episode 10. Interview with Mark Snyder, Jr. , author of The Legacy!

Episode 9. Linda and Nancy discuss The Legacy by Mark Snyder, Jr.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Amazon. IndieBound.

Episode 8. Interview with child and family counselor, Jennie Cole-Mossman.

Episode 7. Linda and Nancy discuss Where the Crawdads Sing.

This Blessed Earth by Ted Genoways. Amazon. IndieBound.

Episode 6. Interview with National Drought Mitigation Center founder Dr. Don Wilhite.

Episode 5. Linda and Nancy discuss This Blessed Earth.

Casting the First Stone by Lisa Lawmaster Hess. Amazon. IndieBound.

Episode 4. Interview with author Lisa Lawmaster Hess.

Episode 3. Linda and Nancy discuss Casting the First Stone.

Lessons from Better People by Sarah Crawford. Available for free: Syracuse University.

Episode 2. Interview with author Sarah Crawford.

Episode 1. Linda and Nancy discuss Lessons from Better People.

Coming Up!

May:

Stories for My Kids by Ileen Dunivent. Amazon.

June:

Hello Beautiful: A Novel by Ann Napolitano. Amazon.

July:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Amazon.

August:

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Amazon.

September:

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe. Amazon.