Welcome to From the Front porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business, and life in the South.

Effective stewardship leads to generative work and the generative culture.

We turn wheat into bread and bread into community.

We turn grapes into wine and wine into occasions for joyful camaraderie, conviviality, conversation, and creativity.

We turn minerals into paints and paints into works that lift the heart or stir the spirit.

We turn ideas and experiences into imaginative worlds for sheer enjoyment and to expand the scope of our empathy.

Makoto Fujimura.

Culture care.

I'm Annie Jones, owner of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia.

And this week I wanted you to hear directly from the Bookshelf staff members about their favorite books of 2022.

We are closing out the year with some very fun news, breaking news from the Front porch recently reached one million downloads.

I remember vividly seeing some of my very favorite podcasters, Knox and Jamie from the podcast, Emily P. Freeman from the next right thing, reached one million downloads, and thinking that seems like a big deal.

And now we have crossed that milestone too. I can hardly believe it.

Thank you for listening to a podcast produced by a tiny bookstore in a tiny town, and for sharing about From the Front porch with your friends, in your iTunes reviews, and on social media.

Every time you listen, you are supporting the mission of our independent bookstore. Thank you.

Now, I wanted to close out the year with, of course, a list of our favorite books of 2022.

You heard me and Hunter discuss our favorites last week, but this week, as we finish off the year, I wanted you to hear from each of our Bookshelf staffers.

Their favorite titles reflect a wide range of genres and a look at their own personal tastes.

I wanted you to see who makes up the Bookshelf.

I hope hearing their voices is a reminder of how much work and how many people go into helping our small business exist in the world.

The Bookshelf is the Bookshelf because of their hard work, ingenuity and creativity, and I am grateful to know each of them. And I want you to know them too.

First up is a recognizable voice, retail floor manager, Olivia.

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