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on January 27, 2016
but none the less I loved this book. I could easily relate to the characters even though their lives were much different than mine, but that is what makes an enjoyable, readable book. From the start I liked A. J. Fikry, though the first introduction makes you picture someone much older, certainly because of his crankiness. It was a fun read, and one that touched my heart. Interestingly, the day after I finished, one of my daughters dropped by and said, "I read the best book this weekend." (Our conversations always include books and what we are reading.) My daughter and I are (of course) different generations, yet we both loved this story. I was more familiar with many of the books mentioned and quoted, my daughter had to Google Tamerlane to learn if it was real. I felt the story drifted a bit in the second half, lost some of the tightness of the first part, but I would still recommend The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry to any of my reading friends. It is one of those books that you remember and while not quite up to The Guernsey Literary Society it will go on the same shelf in my head, to be read again when I need to read something I know I love.
on January 17, 2017
*** SPOILER ALERT!! *** I bought this as an impulse purchase. I liked the cover, it was on sale, and I figured anything about a bookstore couldn't be too bad.
I was so pleasantly surprised at just how much I liked this book. Literally from the opening pages to the very end, I found it relatable and charming.
It wasn't at all what I expected, even having read the lengthy description on Goodreads. And the part at the end when she is writing the letter to her replacement and talks about the store, I teared up. Because that's how I feel about bookstores as a whole.
"I love Island Books with all my heart. I do not believe in God. I have no religion. But this to me is as close to a church as I have known in this life. It is a holy place."
- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
I was so pleasantly surprised at just how much I liked this book. Literally from the opening pages to the very end, I found it relatable and charming.
It wasn't at all what I expected, even having read the lengthy description on Goodreads. And the part at the end when she is writing the letter to her replacement and talks about the store, I teared up. Because that's how I feel about bookstores as a whole.
"I love Island Books with all my heart. I do not believe in God. I have no religion. But this to me is as close to a church as I have known in this life. It is a holy place."
- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
on October 8, 2015
It is a really neat story. I bought this based on the reviews and finished the book on a 6 hour flight across the pond. Its a very endearing book. The quirks in the character of AJ Fikry is the essence of the book, from the fact that books are so dear to him to his tragic loss, you would have thought that here was one tough dude...then he fools us all and adopts Maya and the friendship with the cop and the sales woman are like the wonderful trinkets you discover in a garage sale. I cannot for the life of me figure out why Daniel Parrish and his wife did not adopt Maya. That Maya is a child of inter racial parentage is so beautifully brought out that it was a classic piece of writing. Very readable. That is a good writer for you. Kinda like comfort food. Hope you enjoy the book
on April 23, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book very much. A.J. Fikry showed pure love of reading books. It was his sincere desire to introduce various genre of books to other people even by sacrificing his further PhD education to open a book store in a small island. Raising Maya by himself initially under the odd circumstance was an honorable thing to do. Love for Amelia was moving as with his family and friends support for him, although their lives were not perfect either. I would recommend this book to 17 years and older audience. I gave five stars because it was a well written book with twisted plots, yet somehow love brought all of them together.
on January 28, 2015
I'll write a little blurb after I clean up the small mound of Kleenex's by my bed. What a fantastic story...
Alright, I cleaned myself up. Now I can talk about the book. First, this book contains some of the best dialogue I've ever read. Maybe its because I related so much to AJ, or maybe its because it was laugh out loud funny.
Example: AJ is changing a diaper for the first time while having a conversation with said baby for the first time. (baby is 2.5... but very precocious)
AJ: "The sooner you stop s***ing your pants, the better this will be for both of us."
:D
I loved AJ, I loved the book references and the smug feeling when you recognize a book or author. Isn't that a large part of this book? Its written for book lovers about loving books? And don't we all love books here? But its also about life and its unpredictability, and how we are all connected.
This story has all the components for a favorite. I laughed, cried, and related to the characters. If you don't want to read the book, at least look at the quotes in the book. They truly are some of the best.
Alright, I cleaned myself up. Now I can talk about the book. First, this book contains some of the best dialogue I've ever read. Maybe its because I related so much to AJ, or maybe its because it was laugh out loud funny.
Example: AJ is changing a diaper for the first time while having a conversation with said baby for the first time. (baby is 2.5... but very precocious)
AJ: "The sooner you stop s***ing your pants, the better this will be for both of us."
:D
I loved AJ, I loved the book references and the smug feeling when you recognize a book or author. Isn't that a large part of this book? Its written for book lovers about loving books? And don't we all love books here? But its also about life and its unpredictability, and how we are all connected.
This story has all the components for a favorite. I laughed, cried, and related to the characters. If you don't want to read the book, at least look at the quotes in the book. They truly are some of the best.
on June 14, 2014
I chose this novel because each chapter begins with the title of a famous short story and a well-crafted preface.like "Lambs to the Slaughter" (Roald Dahl) and "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (Mark Twain). In addition the poignant tale unfolds on an island in New England. The short novel follows the life of a bookstore owner (A. J. Fikry) with few real book interests although he admits to a relish for short stories. Also, there is a mystery involving a little girl left abandoned at his place, a policemen who reads mostly Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme forensic novels and eventually becomes a loyal companion of our store owner. Finally but integral to building of the plot is an attractive bookseller who has to travel by ferry to bring Fikry her publishers' latest catalog and some galleys of publications for the irritable and grieving owner to consider stocking. Fikry treats her abominably on her first visit (She has replaced the former bookseller to whom Fikry had formed a fond attachment). Also, our reclusive, lonely bookstore owner still mourns the death of his wife, a former partner, in a tragic automobile accident. If you like reading books about quaint, picturesque settings, a mystery involving a missing child, frequent allusions to authors and their works, a bonding, friendship, love, and fulfillment, The Storied Life of A J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin is a must read I bought the Kindle version for my Kindle Fire.
on May 21, 2015
A.J. Fikry is a flawed character who comes across perfectly human on the page. In mainstream fiction, it's rare for a character to be so realistic. He's dynamic and although you hate him in the beginning, his faults are endearing. As a person who wants to open her own independent bookstore one day, like A.J., or work in publishing, like Amelia Loman, I relate to the scenery and the shared love of books. There are several literary quotes and allusions and they make <I>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</I> all the more ubiquitous.
The writing is flawless, and this is the first book I've read in a long time where I couldn't locate any typos or grammatical errors. The language is beautiful in its simplicity yet there are philosophical passages full of hidden meaning. I'm now on a mission to understand all the allusions in the book, so I have more than a hundred novels, novellas, and short stories to add to my "to be read" pile.
Gabrielle Zevin is brilliant in literary knowledge and her craft since she created this work in which she scrutinizes literature, writing style, and bookish people with such a clear lens. I look forward to discovering more of her stories.
It's always difficult to pinpoint a favorite book, which many people, just like A.J., think defines a person; however, I wouldn't hesitate to say that Zevin's <I>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</I> is my new favorite. The story has unexpected twists, but it's the simplicity of the story that makes it so relatable yet engaging. It's truly a story of a life, but no matter how many times people insist that mundane lives are boring, that's simply not the case.
For any lover of books, and let's face it, most readers are, this is a book you must read.
The writing is flawless, and this is the first book I've read in a long time where I couldn't locate any typos or grammatical errors. The language is beautiful in its simplicity yet there are philosophical passages full of hidden meaning. I'm now on a mission to understand all the allusions in the book, so I have more than a hundred novels, novellas, and short stories to add to my "to be read" pile.
Gabrielle Zevin is brilliant in literary knowledge and her craft since she created this work in which she scrutinizes literature, writing style, and bookish people with such a clear lens. I look forward to discovering more of her stories.
It's always difficult to pinpoint a favorite book, which many people, just like A.J., think defines a person; however, I wouldn't hesitate to say that Zevin's <I>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</I> is my new favorite. The story has unexpected twists, but it's the simplicity of the story that makes it so relatable yet engaging. It's truly a story of a life, but no matter how many times people insist that mundane lives are boring, that's simply not the case.
For any lover of books, and let's face it, most readers are, this is a book you must read.
on March 24, 2015
This is a delightful story that reminds us, to those who love books, why we love them and what they mean for us.
AJ Frikry is a bookstore owner when in the middle of a rough time in his life, unexpected things began to happen; that would eventually change his life and give him a second chance towards happiness.
I liked that it was an easy read, where you can relax and not over analyze things. If you need some peaceful time while enjoying a nice story, this is the book for you. I would have wanted it to be longer though, I was disappointed that when I was feeling excited towards the story it was almost about to end. I would have also wanted to discover more about the character’s feelings and thoughts in a more profound way, so I could understand them better.
The author’s style was ok for me, pretty straight forward, clear and right to the point; which makes the story, as I said before, pretty easy and quickly in motion.
The story sets in today's time and in a small island where practically every one knows each other. These characteristics give the central theme about books a really interesting reflection on how it is hard for small bookstores to keep it up to new technologies that affect the way books are distributed, sold and read. We are living in times where unfortunately “physical books” are being overshadowed by “e-books” and I was really glad to see it portrayed in the story.
I would conclude saying it is a good read worthy reading if you want to take your mind off something and enjoy a good time. If you would like something more heavier, I don’t think this is for you.
Favorite Quotes
- “ No man is an island: every book is a world”
- “We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end we are collected works”
- “People tell boring lies about politics, God and love. You need everything you know about a person from the answer to the question: What is your favorite book?”
AJ Frikry is a bookstore owner when in the middle of a rough time in his life, unexpected things began to happen; that would eventually change his life and give him a second chance towards happiness.
I liked that it was an easy read, where you can relax and not over analyze things. If you need some peaceful time while enjoying a nice story, this is the book for you. I would have wanted it to be longer though, I was disappointed that when I was feeling excited towards the story it was almost about to end. I would have also wanted to discover more about the character’s feelings and thoughts in a more profound way, so I could understand them better.
The author’s style was ok for me, pretty straight forward, clear and right to the point; which makes the story, as I said before, pretty easy and quickly in motion.
The story sets in today's time and in a small island where practically every one knows each other. These characteristics give the central theme about books a really interesting reflection on how it is hard for small bookstores to keep it up to new technologies that affect the way books are distributed, sold and read. We are living in times where unfortunately “physical books” are being overshadowed by “e-books” and I was really glad to see it portrayed in the story.
I would conclude saying it is a good read worthy reading if you want to take your mind off something and enjoy a good time. If you would like something more heavier, I don’t think this is for you.
Favorite Quotes
- “ No man is an island: every book is a world”
- “We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end we are collected works”
- “People tell boring lies about politics, God and love. You need everything you know about a person from the answer to the question: What is your favorite book?”
on May 27, 2017
I read all types of genres, especially thrillers and psychological thrillers, even some love stories. But sometimes you need something more. This is definitely more and gentle. I was very "iffy" when I made the purchase. So glad I did. It's worth every minute of your time!
