Ordinary Time is…ordinary. I didn’t expect this to be a memoir, but it is a compilation of essays on the author’s own experience of choosing to settle down early and never moving far away from her hometown while all her friends left - a “stayer”. The book mainly talks about her experiences running a bookstore in a small town during the pandemic and her journey with her religion - in fact, faith permeates every part of the book, which was very unexpected for me as I usually do not pick up books that are religious-focused and I thought it was strange that this was left out of the summary considering that it is a significant part. I guess I expected this book to be more about finding beauty and solace in the ordinary based on the synopsis.

In a time when 80% of people never move away from home, part of me was interested in learning more about the stayers, especially since I’ve always been the opposite, trying to move away from hometown as soon as possible and always looking for the next place to go to. However, most of my peers are also stayers, so I wanted to gain more perspective on why most people have chosen this safe path. The thing about writing about a simpler life means that there needs to be more of a balance in imparting some meaning, reflection, or wisdom. I didn’t find that the book delved deeper into this to avoid sinking into the mundane. Instead, the author draws from a lot of pop culture references and quotes to relate to her experience.

Another thing that makes me uncomfortable with the writing is how much rumination and self-pity there is - for instance, how many minor negative instances makes her want to quit the bookstore, how many times she’s had to Google her regulars to check that they’re still alive, how her experiences with church made her want to cry many times, and even how negative criticism shook her. Throughout the book, it seems like any negative interaction prompts her to cry. I feel like the author was in her head too much especially when most of these issues seem pretty small and commonplace and part of the human experience.

Thank you to HarperOne and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are independently my own.

Beloved bookstore owner and podcaster Annie B. Jones’ debut essay collection was the last book I read in 2024 and it was a lovely way to close out the year. What ties this collection together ostensibly is meditation on staying—staying in a place, a relationship, a faith, a disposition, etc.—but what really united it for me were Jones’ voice and worldview. This collection is unshakably earnest in its approach to life in a manner that is both refreshing and inspiring. Whether she’s writing about line dancing or The Babysitter’s Club or leaving her church or the decision to have children, Jones brings an intentionality of will and openness of spirit that serve as exquisite models for how to be in the world. As with almost any collection, there were essays that resonated with me deeply alongside some that made less of an impression, but it’s the overall ethos of Ordinary Time that I’ll remember and take with me into the new year. If you’re looking for a gentle, but serious read that examines and lifts up the ordinary, add this to your TBR now.

I've been following @bookshelftville for years, but I'm not a podcast person (too many audiobooks on my TBR!), so I'm not all that familiar with Annie B. Jones and her background. Ordinary Time is a memoir about Annie, a bookstore owner in Georgia, USA. The book reflects on staying when it feels like everyone around you is moving away. It's about growing a flourishing where you're planted. It's also quite a bit about the author's journey with religion. This is where I kind of tuned out, if I'm honest. I wasn't expecting the religious aspect, so it threw me off! Overall I enjoyed the sentiment, finding awe in the ordinary. It's a quick read and I really liked most of her essays.

Witty, charming, and full of heart. I love Annie from Instagram and her podcast and I loved getting a peek into her world and the lessons learned along the way.

A lovely little series of reflective stories. I found a lot of it relatable, being someone who’s also chosen to stay put.

I really enjoyed this debut from Annie B. Jones! I have been a fan of Annie's podcast, From the Front Porch for a few years now and reading this collection of essays about her life in a small, Southern town was just like having her podcast in my ears.
The essay that sticks out the most in my memory is Obituaries, where she talks about the impact that you see only in one facet of your life can have. I found that essay deeply moving.
Annie does a great job of describing life in a small town as a small business owner and the reasons why we stay in our hometowns. As a person that left her hometown, this book made me somewhat homesick (in a good way!) for that small town life.

I have been a loyal listener of Annie's podcast for years, and found her first foray into literature to be just as warm, insightful, and engaging. As much as I wanted to race through the book, I had to slow down in order to really savor this quietly beautiful book. I will read anything Annie writes, and I hope this is just the beginning.

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.