Annie Jones with I Miss You When I Blink author Laura Philpott during the July 2019 Reader Retreat .
“ It ’ s a woman-owned , women-run bookstore ,” she said . “ We ’ re very proud to be an independent small business among so many other wonderful small , locally owned and women-owned businesses in downtown Thomasville .”
According to Owens , the Reader Retreats are a camp for grownups and a way to connect with the more introverted locals of Thomasville , as well as those from afar .
“ We originally envisioned a Reader Retreat to be a camp for grownups basically , but with fewer required activities and more quiet time for the sort of bookish and introverted among us ,” she said . “ As readers , we ’ re often introverted and our idea of fun is maybe a little different from some other more extroverted peoples ’ idea of fun .”
She said that they wanted to bring kindred spirits from corners of the nation to Thomasville , not only to show them The Bookshelf , but the rest of the beauty and delights of Thomasville .
“ We wanted to bring kindred spirits from all across the country to Thomasville , because we want to show them The Bookshelf , but we also want to show them Thomasville and what Thomasville has to offer ,” Owens said . “ So , the engine that powers Reader Retreats and sort of got it started was not only the amazing energy and businesses we have here in Thomasville , but also The Bookshelf ’ s podcast , From The Front Porch .”
From The Front Porch , The Bookshelf ’ s podcast since 2013 , recently celebrated attaining over 3 million views . The podcast discusses books , small businesses and life in the south every week .
“ From The Front Porch is a weekly conversational podcast about books , small business and life in the south , that ’ s what you ’ ll hear at the top of every show ,” Owens said . “ Annie , the owner , is the host and she has on a couple of regular guests and also has interviewed authors occasionally , although it ’ s usually just a conversational podcast with our staff here .”
Owens said that the growing popularity of the podcast has brought a lot of their listeners , both local and beyond , to Thomasville through the Reader Retreats .
“ Most of the people that actually come to Reader Retreats are listeners ,” she said . “ They ’ re from California , they ’ re from Connecticut , they ’ re from Colorado , all across the country and their introduction to Thomasville is actually through the Front Porch .
46 Fall 2023 | Thomasville Scene