The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was a common presence on book blogs a few months ago and I finally got around to reading it! And, in this case, definitely better late than never because I am unabashedly hopping on the A.J. Fikry bandwagon…I absolutely adored this book!
I’m not even sure what type of book to say this is…it has great characters, gorgeous writing, and a twisty story…it has it all! I literally loved every single thing about it. It’s a sweet book that simultaneously manages to be witty and snarky, especially when it comes to A.J.
A.J. is a book lover at heart and gives you his unbridled opinion of all things books throughout the story…his opinions are often snobbish and cutting, but they’re hilarious and generally right on target! As a fellow book nerd, I obviously loved reading A.J.’s opinions about books and I would love to read a book blog written by him…although I’m sure he would refuse to write one out of principle because “you’re supposed to come into a bookstore and talk to a ‘bookseller’ about what you might want to read next”! When I reviewed my notes, I found there were so many great quotes that I wanted to share that I decided they deserved their very own post! So keep an eye out tomorrow for my “Best of A.J. Fikry” post with my favorite quotes from this book!
Despite the fact that A.J. is a virtual recluse at the beginning of the story, he struck me as a delightful character. How one character can be snarky, snobby, irritable, and reclusive while simultaneously striking me as delightful is beyond me! A.J. is extremely self-aware and provides funny, self-deprecating observations of his personal life. He also has the capacity to be caring and nurturing in a begrudging kind of way.
And, while we’re talking about the characters, Island Books is almost a character in and of itself…sort of like New York City was a “character” in “Sex and the City”. Despite the fact that I have migrated to reading solely e-books (for convenience), Fikry made me want to pay my local bookstore a visit immediately. It reminded me of the value of an independent bookstore (and its proprietor)…the sense of community it fosters and how the proprietor can be instrumental in getting people to like reading (and to grow as readers).
My one complaint about this book is that it’s too short…I didn’t want it to end and was sad when it did! It would be a great book club selection and is one of my favorite books of the year so far.
For more reviews, check out my blog, Sarah's Book Shelves.
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We read to know we’re not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.Highlighted by 9,162 Kindle readers- Someday, you may think of marrying. Pick someone who thinks you’re the only person in the room.Highlighted by 4,688 Kindle readers
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Great read
“No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World,” reads the sign on Island Books, Alice Island’s Exclusive Provider of Fine Literary Content since 1999. In this tale by Gabrielle Zevin, we meet A.J. Fikry, owner of Island Books. His wife died young as a result of an accident. Years later, A.J. is still grieving and merely going through the motions of running the bookshop. He is unfriendly to customers and sales are poor.The only remaining joy in A.J.’s life is that he owns a valuable book, Tamerlane, by Edgar Allen Poe. He plans to auction it off one day and make enough money to have a comfortable retirement. One night after drinking too much, A.J. takes the book out of its locked case. When he wakes up the next morning, Tamerlane is missing. A.J.’s memory is fuzzy--did he forget to put it back in its case? When the book doesn’t turn up, A.J. needs to do something to take his mind off his problems so he takes up running. There’s no need to lock the store--his most valuable possession is gone.One evening after returning from a run, A.J. discovers someone has abandoned a little girl, Maya, in his shop. The mother left a note saying she couldn’t take care of her anymore, and she wanted Maya to be raised around books. After contacting Social Services and learning how foster care works, A.J. mulls over the crazy idea of raising her himself and suddenly it doesn’t seem so crazy. The decision to adopt Maya creates a ripple effect that changes the life of A.J. and impacts other residents of Alice Island as well.I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Zevin has done an excellent job creating a plausible plot and well-developed characters. With the setting in a bookstore and its many references to different books, I think it will have special appeal for book-lovers.
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Top reviews from other countries
Magnificent
Charming & heartwarming
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2024
Jayesh Gangan
Simply B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!
Reviewed in India on May 24, 2022
Jayesh Gangan
Reviewed in India on May 24, 2022
A.J. Fikry is a grumpy owner of Island Books. He's going through a tough time, his bookshop is failing, he has lost his beloved wife to an accident, & Edgar Allan Poe's Tamarlane - a rare & very old copy, has been stolen from his shop. Then one day someone drops off two-year-old Maya at his bookstore with a note attached to her asking the owner to look after her. His life changes from here on!
I have written this review several times in my head since the time I finished reading this book, but now that I am actually writing it, no words come to my mind. This book is simply so beautiful that it's tough to turn my feelings into words. This book, is a must read for everyone!
Every chapter in the book starts with a small & cute review of a book that A.J. Fikry loved & he's writing these reviews for Maya, so that she can read all of these books some time in her life!
As a book lover, what I really liked about this book was that it's really simple, characters delve into book discussions, which for me is heaven. I love reading a book where the characters talk & discuss books. There are some really funny moments as well, like when A.J. Fikry recommends an 82-year-old woman, 'The Book Thief' - a book which is narrated by DEATH. 😂
This book is a complete heaven for every book lover! 💛
"Every word is the right one and exactly where it should be. That's basically the highest compliment I can give."
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