It’s easy to root for people who make the same choices you do. I think the metaphor I use in the book is it’s harder to be the person standing on the shore when you thought you were going to be the person on the boat or on the plane. I thought I was going to be the leaver, and instead I had to be the one who threw the goodbye parties. And I’m grateful for that. It taught me some really important lessons about being happy for people, even when the choices they make are different from your own. And you really have to be content in your contentedness in order to root for and support the people who leave. And I do think it’s important that you do that, because the conclusion I have reached in my almost 40 years is we all will do both. We are not all going to stay all the time and we’re not all going to leave all the time. It’s both. And so, I currently sit in a seat of staying, but I also have left beloved institutions. I have left relationships. And so, that’s the other side is, I hope I’m learning lessons from my friends who have left. They have something to teach me too.
― Annie B. Jones, Interview, Emily Freeman | The Next Right Thing Podcast
What booksellers are saying about Ordinary Time
- Fans of Annie Jones’ podcast and The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA will love getting a little peek behind the scenes, but even for those unfamiliar with Annie’s story, this collection of essays is deeply relatable. Perfect for those who stayed in their hometowns, for those who decided to lead a quieter life, and especially for those who have struggled with their faith. This is a book I will be gifting to so many people in my life..
― Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in
Rome, Georgia | BUY
- I had the unique experience of reading Annie Jones’s Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put while moving, an experience made even more unique because I was moving to the small town where Annie lives, Thomasville, GA, a special town made better by its special bookshop and its special bookshop-owner. Annie is many things. She’s a reader, a podcaster, a bookseller, a concerned citizen, an early aughts romantic comedy aficionado , and ― as evidenced by her essays ― a wise writer. She’s both learned and learning, and how generous is it of her to share that with us?
― TLaura Cotten, Thank You Books in
Birmingham, Alabama | BUY
- This is the book anyone who knows Annie B. Jones, whether in real life, in her bookstore, or through her podcast From the Front Porch, has been waiting for for years! Annie’s wisdom, humor, faith, and love for her friends, family, and hometown are all so deeply relatable. This book of essays is perfect for fans of CJ Hauser, Mary Laura Philpott, and Ann Patchett; it’s the kind of book you buy multiple copies of at once, one for yourself and the rest for the people you love.
― Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina | BUY
- Annie Jones’ Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned by Staying Put is the perfect cozy read for anyone who’s drawn to simplicity and quiet and relishes a strong sense of place and comfort. This collection of essays reflects on the many ways to define a home, on finding and creating community, and on finding joy in the familiar and making lemonade from the unexpected.
― Anna Taleysnik-Mehta, Old Town Books in
Alexandria, Virginia | BUY
About Annie B. Jones
Annie B. Jones is a writer, podcaster, and the owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. Jones hosts From the Front Porch, a weekly podcast about books, small business, and life in the South, and her work has been featured in Southern Living magazine. A native of Tallahassee, Florida, she lives in Thomasville with her husband, Jordan, and their dog, Sam Malone.
