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.”

This was a pleasant and easy read about how to embrace a lifestyle of staying put when it seems like everyone is moving on. I could relate to the author, but she often jumped around in her storytelling. It was hard to follow some of her stories and the execution felt quite, well, ordinary.

This book is unique, calming and inspiring. What a gift to sit down, pick up a book that not only teaches you about the power of staying and building community, but also calms your spirit. This book reads like Marilyn Robinson and Wendell Berry for the millennial generation. I’ll read anything Annie B. Jones writes!

I was so excited to get an advanced e-copy of Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones. This is a collection of essays in which Annie reflects on staying, and leaving. She reflects on the pandemic, buying her bookstore, starting her podcast From the Front Porch. She details her relationship with her grandparents, her parents, her brother and her husband, Jordan. She reveals her joy as well as her losses.

I really enjoyed this book. It was comforting while also depicting a life much different, yet still similar to my own.

Annie writes with a vulnerability and honesty that is refreshing. She is who she is. She lives the life that she lives. And I really enjoyed being with her, and part of her life, if only for 24 brief chapters.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for #ordinarytime.

What a treat to kick off 2025 reading with ORDINARY TIME! I've been a fan of Annie B. Jones' writing, podcast, and book recommendations for years, and her debut essay collection was just as wonderful as I expected. Reading these vulnerable, thoughtful, resonant, beautiful essays feels like chatting with a wise, generous friend. The behind-the-scenes details on bookstore ownership were fascinating, as were Annie's reflections on the relationships and choices that have built her "ordinary" life. This book inspired lots of reflection of my own, and I've thought of it often in the weeks since reading. There were a few areas where I would have loved to hear more, so I hope this is only the start of Annie's new role as an author.

This one had some beautiful themes about life and the beauty of being in the present moment. I will also never say no to a book set inside a bookstore

Annie B. Jones is an incredible writer and this book was delightful. At times it felt a bit repetitive and overdonez other times it felt very vague and guarded. That is just a small quibble. This would be shelved as memoir and therefore we are not entitled to know everything of this author’s life. Overall the writing is beautiful. Ordinary Time is perfect in length, and although certainly not suited for everyone, it will have no problem finding its audience.

Hopeful, inspiring, informative, slow-paced. These descriptive words form four corners of Annie B. Jones delightful memoir, as much a love story to her book-filled small town life as it is a reflection of her thoughts and feelings for what she does and believes. Such a sweet book, the kind you want to tap a patron browsing among the shelves and say, “This one. You will adore it.” A very solid four stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.