“Funny, tender, and moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us all exactly why we read and why we love.”*
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its … at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over–and see everything anew.
“This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love–love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory.” –Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child
“Marvelously optimistic about the future of books and bookstores and the people who love both.” —The Washington Post
“You won’t want it to end.” —Family Circle
“A natural for book groups.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“A reader’s paradise of the first order.” —The Buffalo News
“A fun, page-turning delight.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Irresistible.” —Booklist
“A wonderful, moving, endearing story of redemption and transformation that will sing in your heart for a very, very long time.” –Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
“Readers who delighted in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this novel.” –*Library Journal, starred review
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This is a book about books, book nerds who love books and the various ways books touch the lives of bookish people.
And it all starts with the theft of a book.
When you start reading this book, if you’re like me, you may wonder how in the world will I ever grow to care about so unpleasant a person. AJ is about as close to a grumpy old book snob as you can get. One who snears at the books others read off the mass market shelf as though only those who’ve read Proust or Poe or some five hundred page depressing tome are the only true lovers of the written word, and the rest are posers.
But, after reading a few chapers, I was hooked and so much so that I couldn’t stop reading. I knew I’d finish it in one day after reading while walking, crossing a highway ( yes I know how incredibly stupid that is, but in my defense I’ve walked these streets a million times since childhood; I’m 39. Granted still incredibly stupid.), while purchasing groceries, back across same mentioned highway and then home again. I held my cell in my death grip the entire time I put away food, made a snack and ate. It actually pained me to have to stop to go potty.
Not every book does that to everyone but this by far is one to place on my fave list, my recommend list, and my books to reread list. I have,on purpose, left out the plot so that you can decide from the above summary whether it’s worth reading. But, honestly, I truly believe it is. By the end you truly will grow to love AJ and his merry band of book nerds that his love of reading creates.
While searching the Internet for titles for our neighborhood book club to read, this book was recommended several times. So, we decided to give it a try. The basic plot sounded intriguing – a widowed, lonely, depressed bookstore owner gains a new lease on life when a soon to be orphaned toddler is left in his bookstore with a note attached asking him to care for the child. As a grandparent of 2 young children, I could totally relate to how the love of a child can change your entire life. The beginning of the story took a little effort to “get into” because it jumps forward in time at a fairly quick rate, but once you settle into the pace of the book, you love it. It was fun to see how many book references I could identify and determine how many I have (and have not) read. As you get to the end of the story, the unexpected twist gives you that “aha!” moment when you realize how and why the book was structured the way it was. This book spoke to me on a personal level as a word nerd and book lover. There were so many poignant quotes that perfectly explained the way I feel about books and life. I am so glad I read this book (and so were the ladies in my book club)!
Set in a bookstore, it’s hard not to like this tale of humanity rehumanized. The characters are appealing. The surprises and humor, with a dash of warmth, in the end come together, but I could see why someone might find this too ‘nice’ with not enough reader challenges, but it’s still very well told.
This is a book for people who love books and people who love people who love books. One of my favorite reads last year.
Oh my goodness if you read one new book this year make it this one. And if you’ve ever wanted to understand Readers or Book People – or if you are one who has ever felt like no one quite captured what that meant in a character before – then you also must try this one. It’s lovely and moving and funny and poignant and absolutely delightful…
The characters’ stories are unusual and yet life is unusual – saying that the story is “life-like” puts that in context. I enjoyed the cranky internal narrative of A.J. Fikry. He didn’t deserve the warm and interesting child and woman who came into his life. But “deserve” is a word I would take out of the lexicon because no one really does. The writing is good and the book kept me actively engaged the whole time. And at the end – okay, life is sad sometimes. We can’t give up the sad because it costs us every single bit of the glad.
This is a marvelous book. First, it is structurally interesting. Each chapter starts with shelf notes written by the protagonist about particular books in his store. Naturally, the books and the notes have some relevance to the events of the chapter. Second, the characters are well-developed, complex, and memorable. Third, the plotting is executed flawlessly. The story is about the interconnected events of the lives of several people living on an island off the coast of Massachusetts, centered around an independent bookstore and the transformation of its isolated owner. The writing is clever and evocative, and full of the joys and sorrows of being human.
A wonderful book that makes you realize that with the characters ” you can’t judge a book by its cover. Loveable, flawed characters, witty dialogue, and an unusual ending make this book a delightful read.
A cranky old man is down on his luck, his wife died a few years before. He’s running a bookstore that is failing, and someone stole his most prized possession that was his ticket into retirement. As if things can’t get any worse… someone dumps a baby on his doorstep. It’s one of my favorite books I’ve read.
Thanks to my mother’s influence, I’ve been a voracious reader since I was seven. I’ve instilled that same love of books into my son, and he’s already doing the same with his newborn daughter. So it’s no wonder that I loved reading THE STORIED LIFE OF A. J. FIKRY. Every time the engaging storyline included the title of a book that I’ve enjoyed at some point in my life, it brought back tremendous joy. Read on!
Interesting story. Not the best writing in the world, but good.
I was captivated by the characters in this book; the attitudes and the transformations that took place. It was a wonderful read and different from the usual relationship stories.
Honestly, the first 20 pages, I did not think I was going to enjoy this book. It’s not the type of book I am normally drawn to. But as the characters started to flesh out, the more intrigued I became. There are minimum characters in the beginning; A.J., his sister-in-law, his brother-in-law, the woman that works for the publishing company. A.J.’s life has become very small since the unexpected death of his wife and he is not open to change or letting new people in. Then he walks into his book shop and finds an abandoned two-year-old girl. A pivotal moment that becomes the axis on which this book turns. Suddenly, I fell in love.
I enjoyed the mystery of this little girl and how she came to be there. Then to watch A.J. change; care for that child, allow others to come into and change his life, see the intertwining of other peoples’ existence and how they all bump into each other, leaving an unseen residue. Like an invisible dance building up to an amazing crescendo with a totally unexpected twist at its finale.
This story turned out to be a very enjoyable read. I laughed out loud. I cried when I didn’t expect to. I was wrung out by an unforeseen turn. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who would like a peek into what may really be in the heart of a man who believes he doesn’t need anyone.
I love a book about books, or a story that revolves around them. This was a great one!
This book was a very satisfying read. There is a happy ending to be had but not until you have traveled a circuitous and somewhat zany route to get there. I really enjoyed reading it.
A.J. Fikry owned a bookstore! What is there not to love? This story is beautifully written. As an avid reader and a writer, I immediately loved this character so dedicated to the art of literature and to keeping his bookstore in business during a time when brick and mortar bookstores are dead or dying.
Of course, the little girl left at his shop gives him purpose and brings love back into his life after the death of his wife. He went from being a bitter, sad soul to being a Dad blessed with the love of an innocent child and later, he finds love again in a quirky book rep. Great story with surprising twists..
Great characters and a very nice story. Really enjoyed it.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read this but it sticks in my mind as one of the most original books I’ve read with charming, lovely characters all coming together to help a child. It was recommended to me by an author in a thread that was “favorite books of all time.” I picked up some great books thanks to that thread and this was the one that really plucked at my heartstrings. It’s a book themed book and if you’re an avid reader it’s sure to charm you.
Loved this journey through the main character’s life, his second chance at life and love when he finds an abandoned baby in his book shop, and all the wonderful things life brings to A.J. when he though all was lost when his wife died.
Very different and interesting