In February 2023, three friends and I visited The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia while on a trip to Tallahassee. Annie B. Jones owns the independent bookstore, and I had learned about the store as a listener of From the Front Porch, her podcast about the store, books, and life in the South.

Annie’s first book was published last spring, and I quickly added the book of essays to my TBR. Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put reasons how the desire for a life of adventure in a bustling big city can be supplanted by an ordinary life in a small town.

The essays take the reader through Annie’s life from childhood to adulthood. They are nostalgic and also introspective. Since turning the last page, these are the questions I continue to ask:

  1. Why do we believe living a loud life is better than a quiet one?
  2. Can we love the life we are led to even if it is not the one we dreamed of?
  3. What do we let go of and what do we hold onto if we are the one who stayed?

Read the book or listen to the audiobook. Both are excellent!

Look for books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent bookstore each week.

Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to inspire you to become one, too. For more recommendations or to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.

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