Podcast Summary

From the Front Porch

Episode 564: Literary Therapy, Vol. 26
Host: Annie B. Jones (owner, The Bookshelf, Thomasville, GA)
Date: January 15, 2026
Theme: Literary Therapy – tackling listener-submitted reading dilemmas at the dawn of a new year

Episode Overview

This Literary Therapy edition opens 2026 by answering a mailbag of bookish worries, resolutions, and readerly dilemmas. Host Annie Jones offers warm, practical guidance to book lovers hoping to celebrate their reading wins, manage book clutter, support indie bookstores wisely, battle TBR overwhelm, set realistic challenges, and carve space for pleasure reading. From college students to spreadsheet-keepers to mood readers, Annie delivers bespoke advice while reminding listeners to celebrate rhythms over rigid goals and to be kind to themselves as reading lives shift.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Celebrating a Year of Reading (Molly, TX)

[03:41–10:06]

• Molly’s Conundrum: Creative ways to commemorate books read in 2025 and to record future reads, beyond the usual reading journals and ornaments.
• Annie’s Advice:
  • Celebrate your wins: “We’re very good problem solvers… but it is equally important to celebrate the good things, to celebrate the wins, to honor the successes.” (04:24)
  • Favorite ideas:
    • Ornaments filled with mini books as time capsules
    • A Christmas card or postcard showcasing top books (inspired by “Ideal Bookshelf” art)
    • Top 10 Bookmarks: List your 10 favorite books of the year—print them, give them as gifts, include blanks for friends to fill in.
    • Annual mini scrapbooks or slim notebooks recording “top 10” each year
    • A podcast or coffee date with a friend to swap and discuss book lists
    • For crafty types: embroidery hoops or coloring sheets that mark finished books
  • Memorable quote:
    “Commemorating what has passed is a lovely pastime and a great way to again honor the works of art that have changed your life and your heart and your mind over the last year.” (09:28)

2. Culling Your Physical Books & Supporting Indies (Caroline, CA & Stephanie, GA)

[10:06–31:50]

• Listeners: Overwhelmed by growing TBR piles; want to buy intentionally, support indies, without breaking the bank.

• Annie’s Process:

  • Treat shelf-cleaning like closet-cleaning: “If I do that for my clothes… why would I not do that with my books?” (11:37)
  • What to Keep:
    • Books with the most personal impact or markings
    • “Sentimental books” with inscriptions or gifts from loved ones
    • Titles you consistently recall or recommend
  • What to Donate/Release:
    • Thrillers or books you enjoyed in the moment but won’t reread
    • Use Little Free Libraries or gift books to friends (“blind date with a book” bundles)
    • Mantra: “A book will find you when it’s supposed to.” (15:38)
  • How often? At least twice a year—“just like you do your clothes.”
  • Supporting Indie Bookstores without Book Clutter:
    • Buy modestly: greeting cards, chocolates, magazines, pens—small and meaningful
    • Share about your favorite local bookstore online or with friends
    • Set a “fun” book budget—e.g., buy yourself a quarterly gift card, then plan your purchases (“budgeting for fun!”)
    • Reward yourself: for every few books read from the unread shelf, treat yourself to one frontlist title

• On Reading Burnout (Stephanie):

  • Burnt out from juggling too many reads (school, professional, personal).
  • Advice: If your happy number is 2–3 at a time, honor it; use quarterly goals for kids’ lit or YA, trust expert guides, and let yourself be a mood reader.

• Notable quote (on donating): “Let those books go serve their next person… let those books go to the next person who needs them. So they’re going where they need to go.” (14:40)

3. Fitting Reading Into a Busy College Schedule (Annie Taylor, CA)

[31:50–39:05]

• Challenge: How to encourage college students (and herself) to read for pleasure amid busy academic lives.
• Annie’s Practices:
  • Audiobook Walking Groups: Walk with friends, everyone listening to their own audiobook, then gather after for a chat. Builds both reading time and connection.
  • 10 Minutes Before Bed: “Read a fun rom com or romantasy for 10 minutes right before bed. Don’t pressure yourself to read a whole chapter. Just set a timer, read for ten minutes, and turn out your light.”
  • Prioritize books that relax and nourish—don’t try to challenge yourself further with “school-like” titles late at night.

4. Tracking Your Reading: Beyond Goodreads (Haley, KY)

[39:05–46:03]

• Frustrations: Goodreads glitches; dual (digital + paper) tracking feels unruly; wants something visual but not hosted by Amazon.
• Trendy Tracking Suggestions:
  • The StoryGraph: “I personally think it’s better than Goodreads… I do recommend StoryGraph.”
  • Spreadsheets/Google Docs: Totally customizable, can track the stats you care about, super nerdy and fun for list-lovers.
  • Notes App or Old-School Legal Pad: Simple, flexible, and effective (“My 84-year-old aunt just writes the page counts because that’s what matters to her!”)
  • Creative Options: Set up a “book review” email account and send yourself updates, but beware of over-complication—keep the system you’ll actually maintain.

5. Reading Challenges for Mood Readers & Spreadsheet Lovers (Amanda, GA)

[46:03–52:21]

• Situation: Spreadsheet of 400+ backlist books; mood reading disrupts carefully made plans.
• Annie’s Solutions:
  • Organize by Genre: Whether in a spreadsheet or on shelves, so you can “shop your own shelf” when your mood strikes.
  • Bookish Bingo: Replace numeric goals with a bingo card (“a work of translation,” “a novella,” “a scary book,” etc.); set up seasonal or quarterly challenges.
  • Low-pressure lists: “There’s nothing wrong with being a mood reader.”
  • Reward Yourself! When you complete a bingo card, treat yourself (bagel, coffee, etc.), making it playful and achievable.
  • Seasonal/Quarterly Challenges rather than rigid year-long ones

6. How to Prioritize New Releases & Avoid Overwhelm (Holly, CA)

[52:21–End]

• Dilemma: Excited but overwhelmed by the flood of enticing new releases every year.

• Annie’s Tactics:

  • Leverage the Experts: Look to reading guides, trusted podcasters, or retailer picks for help narrowing focus.
  • Make Lists by Release Date or Month: On Kindle/ereader, organize ARCs by the month of publication; on phone or spreadsheet, group by interest or season.
  • Let Books Find You: “If a book is coming up more than once… it automatically gets moved to the top.”
  • Release scarcity mindset: “You have time. You’re not going to miss the pizza party… there’s plenty of time.”
  • Treat it playfully: Make a checklist or digital/physical TBR; revisit frequently and allow your priorities to evolve.
  • Don’t fret dropped books—sometimes you realize six months later, “Oh, I don’t really need to read that.”

• Memorable quote:
  “I think the key is to tell yourself, you have time. You have time… You can read them next year. You’re not behind.” (55:43)

Memorable Quotes

• Celebrating Wins:
  “Commemorating what has passed is a lovely pastime and a great way to again honor the works of art that have changed your life and your heart and your mind over the last year.” (Annie, 09:28)

• Decluttering Books:
  “Cluttered and cozy is one thing. Cluttered and hoarder is another, and the line is fine.” (Annie, 12:35)

• Letting Go of Books:
  “Let those books go serve their next person.” (Annie, 14:40)

• On Setting Boundaries for Book Buying:
  “…Part of the dopamine hit comes from the anticipation, doesn’t it? … budgeting for fun, well, this I like.” (Annie, 21:39)

• Small Purchases Matter:
  “If you come in once a week and buy a $5 greeting card, that is just as important of a purchase to me as a $35 book… Every purchase counts.” (Annie, 25:13)

• College Reading Practice:
  “Read something fun for 10 minutes right before bed. Those are the two reading practices. If I were back in college and I were trying to find time for my reading life, which was a constant struggle for me.” (Annie, 37:29)

• On Mood Reading & Challenges:
  “There’s nothing wrong with being a mood reader.” (Annie, 50:18)

• On New Release Overwhelm:
  “You’re not behind. You’re not going to fall out of line. You’re not going to miss the finish line. You’re not going to miss the pizza party. Like, there’s plenty of time.” (Annie, 55:43)

Notable Timestamps

• [03:41] Molly’s question: Commemorating reading wins
• [10:06] Caroline: How to buy, keep, and cull books; intentional indie support
• [19:13] Stephanie: Tackling the unread shelf, dopamine from shopping, and reading burnout
• [31:50] Annie Taylor: Keeping leisure reading alive in college
• [39:05] Haley: Tech and creative solutions for tracking reading
• [46:03] Amanda: Reading challenges for mood readers
• [52:21] Holly: Prioritizing new releases and avoiding overwhelm

Takeaways for Listeners

• Celebrate your reading achievements in creative, shareable ways.
• Declutter and refresh your shelves seasonally, letting go of books that don’t serve you anymore.
• Support your indie bookstore with small, intentional purchases or through advocacy, not just book buying.
• Experimental tracking systems—apps, spreadsheets, old-school notebooks—let you personalize your reading data.
• Be kind to your mood, your time, and your brain—structure goals that serve joy, not guilt.
• There’s no rush—your reading life is yours, and you can’t miss out on “all the books.”

Episode Vibe:
Warm, wise, deeply reader-centric, and brimming with practical bookish therapy—reminding us to celebrate what we’ve read, be intentional with what we buy/keep, and find rhythms that suit our lives, not the expectations of others.