I am a faithful listener to From the Front Porch, and am pleased to say that the author's first foray into writing is even better than expected. I see a young Ann Patchett in her, and hope she will write more in years to come.

when we’re younger, the idea of moving away, wiping the slate clean, and starting again is so appealing. you can shed the skin that held you captive from birth through high school graduation and start fresh, reinventing yourself at every turn. the world is yours!
in annie jones’ book, ordinary time, she explores the (groundbreaking) idea of staying put. staying in your hometown (or very close to it), staying married to the man you met the first year of college, and staying true to the things that light you up. through a series of essays, annie examines her life and the factors that led her to stay. how she’s proud of the life she’s built even though it meant a lot of loss and loneliness at times, while those she loved spread their wings and left her.
this book is a gentle reminder that the cozy familiarity of home can be just as awe inspiring as the bright lights of the big city.

thank you to harperone for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

The author has a popular podcast (which I've never heard of) and has run a small, independent bookstore for the last decade. She talks about growing up in a small town, watching many of her close friends and classmates move away to larger cities, then herself moving away to another lovely small town existence. In her new surroundings, she made the effort to acquire and keep new friends that enrich her life. Another topic was the lifelong importance of church in her family's life, where circumstances led she and her husband to explore alternative churches. Another difficulty was navigating the unpleasant role of being boss at her bookstore, and the painful experience of having to demote or fire people (it seemed to hurt her more than the employee).

I really thought I would connect with this being a quiet, introverted person who lives in a small town and finds refuge in reading. However, I was increasingly bored with the content and decided to DNF @ 50%. Maybe these chapter entries are more attractive to people who listen to her podcast, but for me they were too "ordinary" and did not engage me.

Thank you to the publisher HarperOne who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

What a sweet collection of stories and lessons from one of my favorite bookstore owners. Annie is wise, down to earth, and eager to share her experiences. I hope she keeps honing her craft.

Pros: I was so excited when I received this book from NetGalley because I love listening to Annie B. Jones’s podcast From the Front Porch. Although I read the kindle version of this book, I could hear the author’s voice in my head as I read (and hope to reread it as an audiobook). This book is full of thoughtful and honest essays on growing up and living a quiet life while also blooming where you are planted. I especially enjoyed the essays on being in a book club (and have recommending this book to my book club) and leaving a church. My favorite part of this book was how relatable the author is—we are elder millennials who are also eldest daughters, played American Girl Dolls and school but were not into summer camp, and are known to look for grammatical errors in church bulletins. I think many readers will find her to be just as relatable and will be thankful to read her words on staying put.

Cons: None!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperOne for the opportunity to read this book.

Being a librarian, I love books. I also love hearing about books, and listen to several book podcasts, including "From the Front Porch" with Annie B. Jones, who is an independent bookstore owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville GA. I live in Western NY, I'm also probably closer in age to Annie's Mother, but I related so much to her debut book of essays, "Ordinary Time". I personally love essays, and was happy that Annie used this format to tell us about her life and thoughts. I related to her struggle with being an introvert, yet working in a very public facing job, and how books can help us connect, escape, and stay sane. The essay on obituaries is one that really resonated with me - I have felt the heartbreak of realizing a favorite patron has stopped calling, or coming into the library and doing the dreaded google search to see the sad news. Her decision to leave her church, her struggle to find a new place to worship and live - all made me feel seen. This book feels like a warm hug - Annie seems so grounded and authentic. I hope one day I can visit The Bookshelf, or attend a Reader's Retreat. I am going to totally use her "I am going to collapse in on myself like a dying star" instead of going in the back room and singing my "I hate people" song when I've had too much face time. Thank you, Annie, for reminding us that life is better with a little bewilderment, and to learn to accept the good things that come our way, even if they are very ordinary. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and I enjoyed the experience, just not as much as I hoped. I found several of the essays interesting and applicable (especially those about being a lifelong reader) with moments of humor paired with insight. However, the majority of the essays were not relatable for me.

As someone who left home as soon as I graduated, I did not share in many of the authors experiences which lessened my enjoyment somewhat. I think this book is best for someone who has remained in their hometown and can more easily relate, but I think all readers can enjoy it on some level.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! All opinions expressed are my own.

Annie Jones has written a beautiful collection of personal essays. Her thoughtful writing on life, relationships, and home is worthwhile reading. Can’t wait to hear her read the audio herself.

One of my favorite quotes from poet Mary Oliver is “Be astonished. Tell about it.” One of my favorite people, Annie B. Jones, put her spin on that in her book, Ordinary Time, where she reminds us to “Be enchanted. Share about it.”

I’m astonished and enchanted and yet somehow not at all surprised by Annie’s first published book. She’s always been gifted with words and phrases, and always had the precise and thoughtful way to speak about the world around us. And yet this book, her book of essays on staying (and on leaving), feels like her heart has been distilled and crystallized for us into absolutely beautiful prose. I laughed and cried at her cleverness and her kindness, her openness and her joy.

Annie tackles big and hard and personal things, but she does them in a way that is tender and wise – that makes it feel like she’s essentially saying “this is hard, it’s ok if it’s hard for you, too.” But she also touches the many small things that, brick by brick and bird by bird, build our lives. She encourages us to feel the awe of everyday lives – I pictured her twirling an emotional support leaf, reading by the pool, watching the sun come up with her beverage of choice.

Reading Ordinary Time felt like sitting on her front porch (well, her old front porch, when she had a swing) and listening to people stroll by in the evening; it felt like watching stars come out from downtown Thomasville; it felt like potluck book club evenings where we did nothing so much as love each other well. I hope this is the first of many books she shares with us, and I hope you read it and feel that way, too.

I did receive an eARC for this from the publisher, but I also preordered the hardback for my shelves and will likely order more for gifts because it's genuinely wonderful.

What a lovely book! I was initially interested because I was already familiar with this bookstore via Instagram. The shop looks like my dream store and the owner/author is close to my age so I thought I'd relate. This book read like one is talking to a friend. I really enjoyed this insightful read and will definitely tell friends!

I started listening to Annie’s podcast during the pandemic, and it has been a comfort to me every time I press play. I felt so similarly reading this book. I identified with Annie’s struggles and questions about her faith and relationship to church.

I’ve followed Annie B Jones for a while on Instagram and have listened to her podcast for years. A lot of the stories she shared I already felt familiar with, at least some of the themes but I loved being able to hear the background behind a lot of things she has mentioned over the years. Annie writes with such authenticity, and I felt many of her essays were relatable. She talks not just about staying but also the things she has chosen to leave over time and some of the important moments in her life that have shaped her. As someone who, although I didn’t stay in my home town, has stayed in the same state and am aware I probably will the rest of my life, many of the things she said felt especially true. It’s hard to not live in dreams of what could be or have been, but Annie encourages us to remember that wherever we are, we have stories to live, people to love, and we should choose enchantment rather than cynicism. I found myself tearing up a few times throughout the book because I felt so encouraged. Highly recommend to anyone who may be feeling a bit stuck in life.

Truly, this book found me at the right time. What a delight of a read! I’ve admired Annie B. Jones for years on her podcast, and now I feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit in her beautifully written words. Her collections of essays contain such an abundance of humor and heart. I laughed as I imagined her line dancing parties, and teared up as I read her stories of marriage and friendships. What a gift of a book.

As someone who has lived in a small rural town for decades, I had high hopes for this book, But this book was pretty bland. Essays of life in a small rural town, making friends, making do. But it lacked philosophical or psychological insights that would have provided depth and meaning. Lacking that, the book fell flat for me.

“Our childhood obsessions like basketball or The Baby-Sitters Club can save us. They can remind us of who we were before anything mattered, before everything felt heavy and hard. When life is overwhelming and challenging and our joy is stolen or hard to find, I think the things we once loved can bring us back, center us, make us whole.”

One of the best lessons I’ve learned over the years from @anniebjones05 is to stay true to who I am and not be afraid to share it.

It can feel so hard to show up in this space with creativity and confidence. The internet is filled with loud opinions and judgments. But if you look closely, it’s also filled with so much joy and passion.

When we courageously share who we are and what we love, we can find the people who love it all, too. And that can save us — to know that we are never really alone.

Through Annie and @bookshelftville, I connected with women who still love The Baby-Sitters Club and we spent a pandemical summer revisiting the books, remembering how they shaped our lives. I’ve since connected here with so many beautiful people over American Girl and musicals, 90’s rom-coms and Hanson.

“Love your books and your musicians and your fan fiction and your TV characters and your poetry and your backyard and the fresh strawberry you picked right off the vine. Love it and share it with me. I want to love it all, too.”

What lights you up matters. Love it. Share it. It really can save the world.

✨ You can preorder ORDINARY TIME from @bookshelftville or your local indie today. It will release into the world on 4/22. ✨

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC.

I am a loyal listener of From the Front Porch and Annie’s book preferences map very neatly over my own. I was excited to read this collection, but I don’t think you have to be a listener to appreciate this. These essays are little snapshots about every day living. They are a way of getting to know the author better, but I don’t think you need to know the author at all to appreciate them. To be honest, I only skimmed through the essays that were overtly about faith, because that is not for me. But probably, there is something here for everyone. Come for the tales of small town life, stay for the Jones family’s most perfect dog name.

I think this book got to me at the perfect time. What does life look like when you choose to stay somewhere you expected to be for only two years? (Especially when you live in the author’s hometown)

So many beautiful essays about things that truly hit home for me. Countless highlights in my kindle and lots of thoughts have come from this book. A few have to do with religion, which is not something I personally feel connected to these days, so if you’re the same, just push through because Jones still discusses her thoughts beautifully.

I’m so honored to have received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, but even more excited to pick up my preorder from Annie B. Jones’ shop in

I absolutely loved this book. Annie has such a way with words and I loved these glimpses not only into her personal life, but I just love her outlook on life in general. Having met Annie through The Bookshelf, I am so happy to support her in her first book. It will be a yearly re-read for me--just the gentle balm my soul needs in tough times.

I started reading the book right after a difficult move….I was lucky to live in Serenbe..small Georgia rural community when it first started..so the geography seemed familiar in a good dejavu type way. Two things Annie mentions really seem like they will make a huge difference in my wandering adrenal fueled ways..lower expectations and revel in daily connections. I admire all the effort she puts into making friends and appreciate her tales of wanting to
quit when things seem impossible…Simple real wisdom is the best and I felt lucky as is the case with books, to read this when I needed to. So refreshing to come across honesty in the age of instagram.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Since Annie announced her book, I have been waiting to dive into the pages.

Annie owns a bookstore in a small town in South Georgia, very close to where I was born and raised. We also share a connection through our alma mater—she attended the same small, Christian college I did, where she participated in the Great Books program and was part of a social club, both of which I was involved in as well.

Annie writes with such vulnerability and grace that it made me reflect on my own life in new ways. As a child, she dreamed of moving to a big city to become a journalist, but as you can tell from the book's title, she "stayed put"—settling in the South, not far from where she grew up. Within the pages, she recounts the early days of owning The Bookshelf, having a pool, growing up with a brother, and throwing goodbye parties.

I highlighted so many passages in this book, either because I deeply related to them or because they were quotes I want to hold onto. I’m especially grateful for this book right now, as a single 25-year-old navigating adulthood while staying true to myself and not comparing my journey to others.

“Good stories are anywhere you are. Your ordinary life matters, and the place you’re living it matters, too.”