Ordinary Time - by Annie B Jones (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In her first book, the popular From the Front Porch podcast host and independent bookstore owner challenges the idea that loud lives are the ones that matter most, reminding us that we don't have to leave the lives we have in order to have the lives of which we've always dreamed.

This paperback edition includes an exclusive letter from Annie and two bonus chapters.

Can life be an adventure, even when it's just . . . ordinary?

Annie B. Jones always assumed adulthood would mean adventure: a high-powered career; life in a big, bustling city; and travels to far-flung places she'd longed to see. But her reality turned out differently. As the years passed, Annie was still in the same small town running an independent bookstore --the kind of life Nora Ephron dreamed.

During that time, she hosted friends' goodbye parties and mailed parting gifts; wrote recommendation letters and wished former shop staffers well. She stayed in her small town, despite her love of big cities; stayed in her marriage to the guy she met when she was eighteen; and she stayed at her bookstore while the world outside shifted steadily toward digital retailers. And she stayed loyal to a faith she sometimes didn't recognize.

After ten years, Annie realized she might never leave. But instead of regret, she had an epiphany. She awakened to the gifts of a quiet life spent staying put.

In Ordinary Time, Annie challenges the idea that loud lives matter most. Rummaging through her small-town existence, she finds hidden gifts of humor and hope from a life lived quietly. Staying, can itself be a radical act. It takes courage to stay in the places we've always called home, Annie argues, as she paints a portrait of possibility far away from thriving metropolises and Monica Gellar-inspired apartments.

We've long been encouraged to follow our dreams, to pack up and move to new places and leave old lives--and past selves--behind. While there is beauty in these kinds of adventures, Ordinary Time helps us see ourselves right where we are: in the middle of messy, mundane lives, maybe not too far from where we grew up. We don't have to leave to find what we yearn--we can choose to stay, celebrating and honoring our ordinary lives, which might turn out to be bigger and better than we ever imagined.

Review Quotes

"In Ordinary Time, Annie Jones turns mundanity into meaning--giving her readers a beautifully told and deeply considered account of the everyday choices that pile up to become a life. It reads like a soothing conversation with a trustworthy friend." -- Mary Laura Philpott, author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives

"Thoughtful childhood nostalgia and stories that find the magic in the mundane will be especially touching for millennials." -- Erin Napier, bestselling author of Heirloom Rooms and Make Something Good Today

"Annie B. Jones gently and deftly pushes back on the idea that an interesting life has to be an adventurous one. Through stories of friendship, marriage, and running a small town bookstore, she shares a life rich with beauty and meaning. Ordinary Time will make readers reflect on their seasons of letting go and the merits of staying put." -- Laura Tremaine, author of The Life Council and Share Your Stuff, I'll Go First

"Ordinary Time is like a hug from an old friend in sentence form." -- Sean Dietrich, columnist, podcaster, and author of Kinfolk and You Are My Sunshine

"Turns out, our generation's Kathleen Kelly loves empty churches and The Book of Common Prayer but also Fleabag and dancing something called the Sleazy Slide. This book proves that real life--surprising, heartbreaking, seemingly simple life--will always be better than the movies. Lucky Thomasville that Annie stuck around, and lucky us that she shares her stories." -- Elizabeth Passarella, author of Good Apple and It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway

"Annie writes a love letter to everyone who's ever wondered if they made the right choice to stay, to stick around, to continue on. I absolutely adored the tender way she carries her stories of remaining, and how she shares them to remind us of our long obedience in the same direction." -- Erin Moon, author of I've Got Questions and host of the Faith Adjacent podcast

"What a privilege it is to go along with Annie B. Jones on her journey of staying put. Earnest, graceful, and beautifully written, this book is an exquisite reflection on the art of finding enchantment in ordinary time. This is one to treasure and come back to again and again." -- Annabel Monaghan, uthor of Summer Romance and Nora Goes Off Script

"Annie B. Jones has a gift for putting complicated feelings into words--I lost count of the times I thought, "me too!" as I read these pages. Ordinary Time is a book that will help you appreciate the satisfaction of quiet days, find joy even in complicated community, and see the beauty of ending up in a life you never expected. Annie has written a lovely book about the pain of goodbyes and the surprises that can happen when you choose to stay put." -- Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks and Very Sincerely Yours

Jones, host of the popular podcast From the Front Porch, reflects on her experiences in southern Georgia and northern Florida, the only places she's ever lived. As "the person who stays," Jones' life is stable. She's married to her college sweetheart, they live in the small town of Thomasville, and she owns a bookstore, The Bookshelf. which she rescued from nearly closing. While her world may seem idyllic, Jones has her own difficulties. So many of her friends have left, making it hard for her to find social connections. She struggles with her role as the boss of her store in such a close-knit community; it's tough to maintain professional boundaries when everyone in town knows each other. But Jones finds joy in small things like learning to line dance and participating in book clubs. Her family and husband are a constant support, and she's proud of the store and the podcast she's built. Jones' strength is in her storytelling; her clear and confident voice brings the reader closer to the lessons she's learned. -- Booklist

Many nonfiction books are written about adventures--people write about the trips they are planning or have already taken, unexpected events that occurred in their lives, or encounters with famous or infamous individuals that inspire or frighten them. Rare is the book that is written about the simple joys of staying put, of the small, sweet moments that develop in a quiet life spent not necessarily in contemplation or striving for greater things but rather in living in the moment and finding peace in the quiet rhythm of everyday living. While their peers were moving to big cities and pursuing big dreams, Jones (From the Front Porch podcast) and her husband chose a different road--moving to a small town and buying a bookstore. This memoir is her tale of putting down roots and learning to find happiness in the mundane. VERDICT A beautifully written story of the sweetness of staying put, Jones's book will add depth to any memoir collection. -- Library Journal