I think for the right reader, this book is a balm. Jones is right—there are far more books about lighting off for the big city than about finding a happy life where you are. People can say “bloom where you’re planted” all they want, but American books and movies in particular have been telling us for decades that happiness lies elsewhere. Jones knows her audience, and she writes directly to them. I’m just a bit to the side of her audience, appreciative but not quite all the way in.
Jones’s writing is compelling, which is how I ended up plowing through this over a wet winter weekend. I’ll leave you with one of her best sentences, one that applies whether you stay or leave:
"Love what you love, and let other people see it, so they can love it, too."

Full review will be published at https://wingbackworkshop.com/ April 21, 2025.

Picture the life you lived, you will be so very Blessed if it is anything like Annie B. Jones'. She writes with feeling about all aspects of her life, good or bad. She lives the way I hope I lived and raised my sons to live (shoutout to her parents for being who they are also.). This is a book to enjoy and come away with a smile in your heart. Thank you Annie for writing it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Annie B Jones debut work. She does an amazing job of making the reader feel as if they are sitting together and enjoying a cup of tea while sharing stories and tidbits from her life. She is refreshingly candid and vulnerable about her experiences. I must confess that I feel as if Annie and I are friends from listening to her podcast From the Front Porch and visiting her bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia but I think that is due to her uncanny ability to connect with people from many places and across multiple age ranges. She is wise beyond her years and her essays are uplifting, straight to the point and encouraging. I think everyone could find something to identify with in her stories as they range from business ownership to childhood to motherhood to basketball.

Easily this is one of my new all time favorites. The essays in this book each hit me in a different piece of my heart. I felt and saw myself in so many of these stories, and I truly believe that Annie B. Jones is an absolute kindred spirit. From going out of her comfort zone to do line dancing and blasting a 90's country Spotify playlist (I think I've blared the same playlist with my best friends in a foreign country), to the pain and isolation of struggling with loss, and feelings of "ambivalence" about having children, along with the loneliness of being a late bloomer, and being at a different life stage than many of those your own age in adulthood. To questions of faith, and wondering if staying the same (especially with hairstyles!) meant missing out on things that might have been for her. I was fortunate enough to get an advanced digital copy of this book, and I had to keep putting my iPad down to write down quotes from the essays that felt like words of wisdom and comfort, words that I felt like I would come back to. This book is about those who stay, and as someone who stayed, I felt seen and heard like I've never felt before!

As a devoted and long time listener of From The Front Porch podcast, I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Ordinary Time, and it certainly did not disappoint.

I found myself highlighting numerous passages in Annie’s essays, often noting “ME TOO!” Her nostalgia for a life fully embraced was lovely, along with her perspective that not everything unfolds as we envisioned or intended, yet it remains beautiful and valuable all the same.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to millennial women who appreciate essays reflecting on life's mysteries and engaging in discussions about the lessons learned through hindsight.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperOne for the ARC and Annie B Jones for sharing with us!

a beautiful collection of stories about friends, family, love, and finding yourself in a place you’ve known all your life. eloquently written, this book feels like a much-needed hug from a good friend.

Five enthusiastic stars for this book! I have loved following Annie on social media and through her podcast, and this book was a fun glimpse into her work and her personal life. So many of her words echoed my own feelings about family, faith, and home. At the same time I appreciated her unique viewpoint and life experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has grown up and stayed in/ near the same place, but it works just as well for someone who has left a hometown behind. As I reader, I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at running a bookshop. I loved this book, and didn’t want it to end! I read this digital copy but will definitely be purchasing a copy to keep on my shelves.

As a person who lives in her hometown and has kept the same job and house for a decade, these essays about staying resonated with me. I’m a fiercely loyal enneagram 6 who has chafed against the world’s push to do more, to change, to pursue “bigger” dreams. I also resonated with the way Annie has dealt with leaving the church of her youth and appreciate her perspective and words around it. A warm, soothing book.

I'm not familiar with this author, but I love the idea of simplicity in life. This was a lot like a memoir and offered a personal look into her life. Enjoyable read.

You likely know Annie B. Jones as the host of From the Front Porch podcast and owner of the swoon-worthy bookshop, The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia. After reading Ordinary Time, I now also know her as a kindred spirit. ❤️

Like Annie, I am a chronic stayer. I live within half an hour of my birthplace (and about 1.5 miles from my parents).

Also like Annie, I met my husband when I was 18 years old, and we married in our early 20s.

I recently celebrated 20 years at my workplace, and my hairstyle hasn’t changed in decades.

I’ve often worried that I’m a little too risk-averse and a little too consistent (and let’s be real, I probably am). But seeing so many of my life experiences reflected in Annie’s Ordinary Time, I began to see the beauty in staying and in being so authentically myself.

So many of Annie’s words resonated with me. Her writing is lovely, and I felt like I was spending time with a close friend.

If you too are a stayer, you’ll find a lot to love in this book. And if you’re an adventurer and a leaver (I mean that with all positive connotations!), this might be a great book for understanding others in your life who choose to stay put. Book lovers will also see themselves in these pages.

I’m so glad I read this book!

Until now, most of us have known Annie B. Jones as a reader and bookstore owner. Now I'm excited for the world to get to know her as a writer as well.

I found this collection of essays written by Annie to be not only well written, but 100% relatable. Though I am not a religious person, and Annie talks a bit about her faith and the ups and downs she has experienced, I felt this did not stop me from connecting to Annie or her collection of stories.

I have dreams of going.... anywhere really. And hearing Annie talk about that want, while learning that where she ended up (for now) was not where she originally thought. Reading about the criticism she has taken as a bookshop owner was quite upsetting, but I expect that will be how it is for many who plant themselves in a new place that has a community built in.

HOnestly, reading Annie's book was like sitting down with a friend over the course of many years and maybe a couple glasses of wine. Stories you would hear from them over years of friendship. I have never met Annie, but I did visit Thomasville in 2023 just for the bookstore (and the cheese restaurant). The atmosphere built in the store was so welcoming. Cheers to Annie publishing her first book!

I enjoyed reading Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones. It was a quick and easy read. Annie muses about throwing going away parties for her friends, who mostly move away from where they grew up and has to build a life with her husband far from them. She is close to her parents and her brother. She buys a bookstore because she loves books and "manages" people, a new skill for her. She is very conflicted about religion, mainly because of the church she grew up in, which was regimented and strict. She longs to find a church where she belongs with like-minded people.
Annie's story is very relatable and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.

I really wanted to like this book; the early reviews were positive and the description sounded like a book I would enjoy. I live in a small town, and after making many big choices to leave, I've stayed for the past quarter century. I was expecting the beauty and thoughtfulness of a book like "Wintering," instead, I was disappointed. As much as she repeats that she chose to stay (in her small town, in her bookstore, in her church, etc.), her tone is often whiny, at times begrudging the friends who made different choices, choices to leave. While there were a few strong, insightful chapters, like Obituaries and Be Ringo, overall I found the essays to be self-centered and superficial, much like the approach the author came to accept toward many of her friendships and her church—and maybe that was the point. It could be that I'm a GenX reader and she's a millennial writer (she lets us know she's a millennial frequently). Younger readers may better relate to the ideas and writing style.

This was an incredible read! at the top of my recommendations for friends ><. The writing was spectacular and i felt engaged the entire time, i literally couldnt put it down it was so fantastic

I think I expected more self help whereas this leaned more into memoir, but that doesn't diminish the value or beauty of this book. In a world that is fast paced and increasingly accessible, this explores the magic in the day to day and in the places we currently are.

This book shares the value of “blooming where you are planted.” I enjoyed several paragraphs so much; I think this is a book with some concepts that I will remember. I enjoy Annie B. Jones’ podcast, so I may have enjoyed the audio version of this book more. Still, a lovely and important read to fill a gap in memoir/essay nonfiction.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperOne for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I, like many, adore Annie B. Jones from her From the Front Porch podcast and her Instagram. The owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia is a modern day Kathleen Kelly and partially at fault for my boundless TBR pile. She’s completely darling. When I realized a few years ago that I actually know Annie’s brother, a superbly brilliant human being, my admiration for her grew even more. Visiting The Bookshelf is on my bucket list, as I remind my husband at least once a month. Needless to say, I was thrilled to get an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Annie’s first book, Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned from Staying Put, from NetGalley. It’s a collection of stories from Annie’s life. She’s very vulnerable, delightfully charming, and completely authentic. It’s cliche, but I laughed and I cried. I related firsthand to several parts of Annie’s story and, as they say, “I feel seen”. Ordinary Time will be released in April and I highly recommend you add it to your reading plans for 2025. It’s simply wonderful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones. I listen to Annie's podcast faithfully every week and have done so for years so I was very excited to read her first book. It is no surprise to me that I loved it. There were so many essays that really hit for me - particularly the one about being an older sister to a younger brother not because that is my situation but because it was so well written. Annie is so open and honest and just so Annie in this book. She covers reading and family and faith and love in this book - I highly recommend it.

I've followed Annie B. Jones, The Bookshelf, and her podcast From the Front Porch for years, so when she announced her first book, I knew I would be reading it. Annie is close to my age and I love the way she talks about books, reading, faith, and life. Annie is a great writer, and she is transparent and vulnerable in this collection. I loved it.