Porch Picks #1
Community-sourced book and podcast recommendations for the Summer Season
A few weeks ago, we asked the community to recommend:
Books perfect for porch reading that inspire, educate, or entertain
Podcasts that make great companions while walking or running through town or on our trails
Check out our inaugural list of community-sourced recommendations below. (And submit your own for the next edition of Porch Picks!)
Books
The Propagandist by Cecile Desprairies
Recommenced by Jill McCorkel
Desprairies is a historian who specializes in the Nazi occupation in France (approximately 1940 - 1944). In what she refers to as an "autobiographical novel," she tells the real story of a family secret that shaped the entirety of her childhood and early adulthood. That secret--and I'm not giving anything away here--is that her mother worked as a propagandist for the Nazis in France. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into occupied France and the lives and perspectives of French collaborators with the Nazis. It is simultaneously a compelling account of how secrets and shame shape and destroy family relationships and memories.
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Recommended by Tim Flowers
It is easy to imagine Aldo Leopold, author of the seminal A Sand County Almanac, feeling at ease in Mount Gretna, where many residents revere the natural world. First published in 1949, it has become a reference for many college ecology courses. This was my introduction to it, which has imbued a lifelong yearning to understand the community of life from lowly fungi to apex predators and how beautifully they manage to remain in harmony, until the heavy hand of man’s advancement intercedes. Or as Leopold puts it:” Man always kills the thing he loves…”
Barbara Kingsolver places this book in a revered pile to be re-read once a decade; you should give this book a home on the porch, perhaps with a towhee chirping in the background, and follow in Leopold’s remarkable journey of understanding the natural world.
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley
Recommended by Yulia Davydovitch
Having recently experienced both the one-man play performed by Bringley himself in New York City and subsequently reading the book, I believe this profound work embodies everything our Chautauqua community values about the transformative power of art and self-reflection.
All the Beauty in the World chronicles Bringley's decade serving as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art—a career he chose after the devastating loss of his brother to cancer at age 26. Seeking solace in "the most beautiful place he knew," Bringley's journey from grief to healing through art mirrors our community's belief in the restorative power of beauty and contemplation. This book moved me deeply. His journey from grief to finding meaning through art resonated with me in ways I wasn't expecting.
What touched me most was how Bringley discovered that art isn't just something we observe—it's something that can hold us when we're broken. His beautiful writing shows how slowing down to truly see beauty can be transformative. As I read, I kept thinking how perfectly this aligns with everything we value at Chautauqua.
I believe this book would spark wonderful conversations in our community about art's healing power, the value of contemplation, and finding meaning in unexpected places. Much like Chautauqua's founding principles of arts appreciation and personal enrichment, this memoir shows how immersion in art and culture can transform lives.
What better way to embrace our Chautauqua spirit than by sharing the words and ideas that move us? Whether you're a voracious reader or an avid podcast listener, let us know what's inspiring you this season! See details below.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Recommended by Sue Hostetter
Are you an extrovert or introvert or a bit of both? Cain posits that introverts are undervalued and shows how our culture has shifted since the days of Dale Carnegie to embrace the "extrovert ideal.” You’ll read some great stories of real people (both types) and take an informal assessment. Learn how introverts and extroverts think and process differently. This is one book that will always remain on my shelf.
Podcasts
Recommended by Jeff Grimshaw
The Rest is History has become my gateway drug to historical topics I once considered uninteresting. Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook have rare chemistry. With low-key British wit, they collaborate to transform dense historical material into gripping narratives—while needling the hell out of each other.
Until TRIH, I knew only 2 or 3 bullet points about the French Revolution (starts with ep. 475) and even less about Peter the Great vs. Sweden’s Charles XII in the Great Northern War (starts with ep. 562). Turns out that both of these historical periods were bonkers and worth exploring.
But if you’re willing to try just one episode, I recommend 533: “Wojtek, the bear who beat the Nazis.” The one bright spot in TRIH’s multiple series on Hitler’s rise to power.
Sherlock & Co. surprised me even more, since I'm not a Sherlock Holmes fan (never read a single story) nor a previous fan of podcast fiction. I only tried it because Dominic from The Rest is History mentioned his guest role. But I was instantly hooked. This modern adaptation reimagines Dr. Watson as a PTSD-suffering veteran turned true-crime podcaster, documenting his adventures with a brilliant-but-deeply-flawed and neurodivergent Sherlock Holmes.
The writing is clever, the voice acting is top-notch, and there's something beautifully-cringy-but-uplifting about Watson's vulnerability as he struggles to get more comfortable in his podcast hosting role…and in his post-combat life overall. (Note: PG-13ish language and adult themes.)
Submit your porch picks
We’re looking for…
Books perfect for porch reading that inspire, educate, or entertain
Podcasts that make great companions while walking or running through town or on our beautiful trails
Guidance: We’re especially interested in highlighting recommendations that connect to at least one of our four Chautauqua pillars—Arts, Education, Religion, and Recreation. (Fiction is a literary art—so completely acceptable.) In keeping with our editorial guidelines, please avoid contemporary political content.
How to Submit
Simply email gretna1892@gmail.com with:
Your name
Title of the book or podcast
A brief description (3-5 sentences) explaining your recommendation
For podcasts, please include a link to the podcast or specific episode(s) if possible.