The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry in Bookmarks Subscribers

Dec 28, 2013 Denise rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, fiction, 2013-reading-challenge, arc

THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY is for book lovers. Anyone who has worked in the business of selling or publishing books will adore how Gabrielle Zevin weaves 'insider' humor throughout the story. Booksellers everywhere will be nodding their heads unanimously, exclaiming, "Yep, that's exactly how it is!"

But one doesn't have to be in the book business to love this book. There is something for everyone: love, friendship, sorrow, romance, laughter, unforgettable characters and writing that sparkles. ...more

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Mar 30, 2014 Beth Knight rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-about-books, own-it

This was such a fun book to read. It was light and funny and any book that features a bookstore and references to books themselves is a must-read , in my opinion. While there were a few predictable parts and the writing itself wasn't phenomenal, it was worthwhile. The a Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was the perfect "mind cleanser" of a book to read after The Goldfinch, so I'd recommend it to any book lover in need of a little break from heavier reading. ...more

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Apr 01, 2014 Kathy rated it it was amazing

"Sometimes books don't find us until the right time." ~A.J. Fikry

The hardest book reviews to write are for those books that touch your soul, stories that you cannot imagine living your life and not having read. It's so hard to do those books justice, because it's so hard to capture that inner joy of complete satisfaction gained through a piece of magical narrative. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is special beyond just a great read; it is a promise of second chances for us all. Nobody does transf "Sometimes books don't find us until the right time." ~A.J. Fikry

The hardest book reviews to write are for those books that touch your soul, stories that you cannot imagine living your life and not having read. It's so hard to do those books justice, because it's so hard to capture that inner joy of complete satisfaction gained through a piece of magical narrative. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is special beyond just a great read; it is a promise of second chances for us all. Nobody does transformations better than Gabrielle Zevin. She smacks it out of the ballpark right to your door, where you have no choice but to envision it for yourself. Her stories redeem us and dare us to transcend our boundaries of imagination and possibility. This latest novel reveals that life throws chances for change and happiness at us, if we are only open to catch them.

For many readers, the first tantalizing aspect of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is that A.J. owns and runs a bookstore on an island, Alice Island, and he is passionate and knowledgeable about reading. How many of those of us who love books have dreamed about owning a bookstore, and on a island to boot. Book lovers will be delighted with all the mentions of classical literature, adult contemporary literature, young adult lit, and children's books. Each chapter begins with an introduction to a short story that has somehow been important in the life of A.J. Mention of the books and the stories may well cause additional reading after this novel, as the connection felt with A.J. and others causes a desire to inhabit their world and read their books.

When the reader first gains entry in A.J.'s world, the book connoisseur is recently widowed at the young age of 39 and is rather snobby about his literature tastes, persnickety and curmudgeonly inclined. But, through the interaction with certain people on the island that is rather accidentally thrust upon him, A.J. and his bookstore, Island Books, will undergo a metamorphosis that has a ripple effect. After losing his wife in a car accident, A.J. was well on his way to a life of chosen misery. However, he will be gobsmacked with a surprise that puts to rest his desolate plan to drink himself to death.

Along with A.J., there are great characters that populate this book and the island of Alice. Chief Lambiase, Alice's chief of police, is an unlikely recruit to the world of books, but as his reading expands through A.J.'s mentoring, so does the community's involvement. The friendship between A.J. and Lambiase is sweet part of A.J.'s salvation. Zevin's characters, both major and minor, are always brilliantly developed and integral to the story. The characters of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry invite the reader in and set a place at the table. Funny, sad, uplifting, heartbreaking, hopeful. Your emotions will be spent loving and living this story. I'm reminded of a line from the movie Moulin Rouge, where the writer states, "The greatest thing, you'll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved . . . in return." I believe this quote encapsulates the essence of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: very-best-of-2014

This book was recommended to me by two different coworkers. A book about books and bookstores , one I would enjoy. They were right! What a fantastic read. Two sentences that really had me shaking my head in agreement:
" there ain't nobody in the world like book people". And " I like talking about books with people who like talking about books". If you like books about books, I highly recommend this book! ...more

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Feb 06, 2014 Linda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, arc, fiction, books-about-books

This is one of those books that I couldn't get enough time with. If I could have, I would have read it in one sitting.
A. J. Fikry is the owner of a bookstore. Each chapter of the book starts with a recommendation from Mr. Fikry to his daughter.
I laughed with this book. I cried, I cringed, I prodded, I loved.
Mr. Fikry is alone at the beginning of the book, but by the end, the reader is only one of his many admirers. ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: _own-ebook, fiction, _own-home-library, read-in-2014

Such a lovely little book! I really enjoyed every moment of this novel! Especially relevant for book lovers! I think this is a novel that has something for everyone! I can't recommend it highly enough! ...more

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Apr 03, 2014 Jessica rated it liked it

I was drawn to read this after seeing many mentions for it on book/reader websites and emails, all giving it high praise. I thought this was a good story that book lovers will feel a kinship with. After his wife's death A.J. Fikry seems to be going through the motions of life, running the bookstore they had bought together during the day and eating bad microwave cooked meals and drinking himself to sleep at night. And then one night something is left at his store that will change his life foreve ...more

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May 08, 2014 Patti rated it it was amazing

Let me just start out by saying I will read any book that is about a bookstore or books. I love them! So when I read about this book I knew right away that I had to read it.

A.J. Fikrey is a widower, a bookstore owner, and a drunk. He is on the verge of bankruptcy when within a span of a few days his life changes dramatically. He discovers that his rare copy of Poe's Tamerlane, worth a lot of money has been stolen, and two year old Maya is left on his doorstep. Fikrey decides he must keep Maya as ...more

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Jun 02, 2014 Sera rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, favorites, library, literary-fiction

Outstanding on audio.

The story opens with Fikry, a bookseller, who lost his wife after having only been married to her for two years. Fikry is depressed and drowning his sorrows in alcohol when a series of events occurs that changes his life forever. The story is both engaging and charming, but it's the metafictional parts of the book that made me smile widely. Any book that mentions Infinite Jest twice (twice!) gets an extra star in my book.

I highly recommend this book as a must read for Summer ...more

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Apr 07, 2014 Nancy Motto rated it it was amazing

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

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Apr 15, 2014 Amanda rated it it was amazing

https://guninactone.wordpress.com/201...

I love books about books. I can’t help it, I just do. We meet A.J. Fikry when he’s in a place of despair. His book store is failing, his wife is dead, his best friend is a womanizing drunk. A.J is a grump. He’s a book snob. He reminded me of my husband (a former book seller)-who I love dearly-but he is also a book snob (and maybe a grump).

“Everyone thinks they have good taste, but most people do not have good taste. In fact, I’d argue that most people have ...more

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