“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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Sometimes you just know a book is going to be good after reading the first few pages.
It is kind of like you know after an interview that you are going to get that job. Or if you are dating someone for the first time and you know that there is potential for a relationship or even marriage. The initial impression can determine how things are going to be further down the road.
Well, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, passes the initial impression test with an “A.” The novel revolves around A.J. Fikry, a gruff, irascible bookstore owner of Island Books on Alice Island. It is the only bookstore on the island and business is not doing well. Furthermore, Mr. Fikry’s wife just died recently.
Mr. Fikry sees a mysterious package in the bookstore one evening before closing. He opens the package to see a baby girl inside and decides he will take care of it. The relationship between the two is the main thrust of the novel. But, there are some other characters like Amelia, the sales rep of Knightley Press and Lambaise, the police chief of Alice Island, that adds a lot of color to this delightful story.
Zevin does an excellent job of placing quotes from various books and grasping of how a mom-and-pop bookstore operates. Being a former bookseller myself, the novel brought back quite a few memories for me.
I enjoyed reading this wonderful, gentle novel of a bookstore owner’s transformation and a love letter to books and bookstores. The sign on the front door of the bookstore in the story, “No Man Is An Island, Every Book Is A World.” gives it a fitting tribute to the importance of books and bookstores to a community.
Bravo to Gabrielle Zevin for reminding us how the power of stories can truly shape one’s life.
What can I say about this book? I LOVED IT. Truly, it’s a story about books, book lovers, bookstores, book clubs, booksellers/publicists, and writers. It’s a must-read for those of us who love to read and who love books, in all forms. I love my Kindle, but I am nostalgic when it comes to the small, privately-owned bookstores and book dealers who specialize in Used Books. How much fun did we have and how many hours did we spend losing ourselves amongst those bookshelves, often knee-deep in the stacks?
The story’s main character, A.J., is a young widower whose wife passed away only 18 months prior and is, understandably, having a difficult time dealing with his loss. He’s the owner of the only bookstore on a little island off the coast of Massachusetts. Never one to be friendly or outgoing — that was left to his beloved wife, Nicole — A.J. has become even more withdrawn from society until one pivotal day changes his life.
This is a VERY quotable book (and I’ve got the “highlights” to prove it!), in turns laugh-out-loud funny and then quiet and introspective.
I highly recommend The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry — 5 stars and 2 big thumbs up!
Loved this book. Magical.
Makes me feel happy about my love of books.
Set on a small island in the Northeast, reminiscent of Nantucket, the story follows the life of A.J. Friky. He owns a small bookstore, which is the only one on the island. The story opens with a display of his cantankerous demeanor toward others. He’s not a bad man, just overly grouchy. As the story progresses, you begin to learn the reasons for his bitterness. But even early in the story, one cannot help but like the character.
Books are a centerpiece of the story, during good times and bad. They are quoted often and help those in the story work through many difficult days of their lives. Each chapter of the story begins with a short book review written by him.
I felt a whole range of emotions while reading this book. You will laugh and cry, but mostly, you will feel good about other people, and maybe become a bit more understanding of someone who might be going through a difficult time in life. You will see the good in life, and that’s what I mostly took from this book. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is one of those rare books that will stay with me a long while.
Loved this story and the way it unfolded.
I really wanted to like this book but I honestly got bored of it about a third of the way through. I like the beginning, A.J. seemed like an interesting character and I was curious to see what happened with Tamerlane but then suddenly we’ve got an abandoned baby left at the book store. Suddenly the book turns into this cutesy story of a grumpy old man who adopts a child and learns to love again and then suddenly finds a new wife… blah blah blah. Then we had the sister- and brother-in-law as added interest because, well… you have to have some kind of drama to keep the plot moving and tie it all together. Yes I loved the nerdy book references and the book itself has some beautiful quotes but I found myself zoning out all too often. I read a quote from another review on here where they quoted Keith Donohue’s Washington Post review that stated “Everything is explained, and all the loose ends are tied up with a bow.” And I couldn’t agree more.
hopeful
It’s a great book with a wonderful main character. Read it in one day!
I have recommended this book to several friends now. Reading it takes you into a world inhabited by slightly quirky, but completely believable characters whose lives are complicated and wonderful and sad and both hopeful and hopeless…just like ours. I thoroughly enjoyed the literary “background” (as he owns a bookstore and associates with people in the world of literature, it works seamlessly). The people of Alice Island stayed with me long after I finished the book.
Loved the premise, loved the characters, I will read this book again, and have recommended it to family and friends.
This is a book lover’s book, and this book lover loved it!
I couldn’t put it down-could not wait to get back to it after “daily” chores were done. it was different
I liked the characters and the story.
One of the best books I’ve read in the last few years, I highly recommend it…a book about book lovers for book lovers.
Well-written, lovely story of a book shop owner dealing with some changes in his life. It will touch your heart, especially if you love the world of books. Charming and engaging!
Unique story line. A little whimsy, a lot of charm. I usually seem to enjoy suspense or spy intrigue it this was delightful from the first page to the last.
A hauntingly beautiful story of a widower and how his life changes once a beautiful bright 2 year old baby girl is left in his care
A book-lovers book, and for those who love people who love books.
Absolutely wonderful loved every page!
Reminds me of: Me before you