Episode 588 || Best Books of the Year (So Far)

This week on From the Front Porch, Annie and Hunter discuss the best books of 2026 (so far)! To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 588) or download and shop on The Bookshelf’s official app: Annie First five-star read: The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman Most surprising: Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen Least favorite: Man Overboard! By Kathleen Rooney (July 7th, 2026) and Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune Next on your TBR: June Baby by Shannon Garvey Most anticipated fall release: The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw (September 29th, 2026), Fair Ones by Lydia Millett (October 6th, 2026) Annie’s Top 10 1. Kin by Tayari Jones 2. Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin 3. Strangers by Belle Burden 4. The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman 5. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout 6. Anywhere Else by Rachel Knox 7. Whistler by Ann Patchett 8. Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer 9. Good People by Patmeena Shaw 10. This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman Hunter’s Top 10 1. Brawler by Lauren Groff 2. Whidbey by Kira Madden 3. Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg 4. Departures by Julian Barnes 5. Kin by Tayari Jones 6. Gunk by Saba Sams 7. My Dear You by Rachel Khong 8. Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novak 9. The Complex by Karan Mahajan 10. Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash 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 and Facebook, 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 here. 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.  This week, Annie is reading Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object by Laurie Colwin. Hunter is reading Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer. If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. 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...Ashley Ferrell, Beth, Cammy Tidwell, Gene Queens, Jammie Treadwell, Joseph Shorter IV, Kimberly, Linda Lee Drozt, Nicole Marsee, Stephanie Dean, and Wendi Jenkins.