"A beautifully written story of the sweetness of staying put, Jones's book will add depth to any memoir collection."--Library Journal Can life be an adventure, even when it's just . . . ordinary? 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. 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. Finds hidden gifts of humor and hope from a life lived quietly as she rummages through her small-town existence. S Discovers staying, can itself be a radical act. Realizes that it takes courage to stay in the places we've always called home. 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 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 "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 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.
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