The storied life of A. J. Fikry

Gabrielle Zevin

Don't miss Gabrielle Zevin's new novel, Young Jane Young, coming in August 2017. A New York Times Bestseller, a #1 Indie Next Pick, and a #1 LibraryReads Selection “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 A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner of Island Books, has recently endured some tough years: his wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and his prized possession--a rare edition of Poe poems--has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly. Until a most unexpected occurrence gives him the chance to make his life over and see things anew. Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books--an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love. “Readers who delighted in Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Jessica Brockmole’s Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this adult novel by a popular YA author about a life of books, redemption, and second chances. Funny, tender, and moving.” —Library Journal, starred review “Wade into summer reading with this sweet yet soulful tale of love, loss, the power of friendship--and books. Like sunshine on a breezy spring day, you won’t want it to end.” —Family Circle “Zevin perfectly captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Filled with interesting characters, a deep knowledge of bookselling, wonderful critiques of classic titles, and very funny depictions of book clubs and author events, this will prove irresistible to book lovers everywhere.” —Booklist “Zevin is a deft writer, clever and witty.” —Publishers Weekly “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

A Novel

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

Iris van der zanden

A question I've thought about a great deal is why it is so much easier to write about the things we dislike/hate/acknowledge to be flawed than the things we love.

Anna Jasmine

“We aren’t the things we collect, acquire, read. We are, for as long as we are here, only love. The things we loved. The people we loved. And these, I think these really do live on.”

Uyirmei

In Amelia's experience, most people's problems would be solved if they would only give more things a chance.

Emily Klo

There ain’t nobody in the world like book people. 

Not a direct quote, because audiobooks, but AJ I get it

“AJ, you must keep up with the times!”

“Why, what’s so great about the times?”

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Victoria Justice

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.

My Life is in these books, he wants to tell her. Read these and know my heart.

Sometimes books don't find us until the right time.

“Marvelously optimistic about the future of books and bookstores and the people who love both.”—The Washington Post 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 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 “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

Iween Suni

Unreasonably devastating and highly recommended 

Laoise Giblin

Loved this book so much! Beautifully written and such a sad ending but love how everything came full circle and how a community and books brought people together as a family.

lily

i just can’t. This books was so heartbreaking and warming at the same time. Will definitely stick with me for a while 📖🍂

Sadie Hoffman

Monicap

Boy, have I got a book for you.

This book is incredible and sweet and real, a story that's as true as it is fairytale-esque. This book follows A.J. Fikry, following the death of his wife and the theft of a very valuable edition of Edgar Allan Poe's Tamerlane, and how multiple enter his life; a local cop that becomes his best friend; a baby left in the bookstore becomes his adopted daughter; a sales rep from a publisher becomes his second wife. This story is broken up by short story recommendations that A.J. is leaving for his daughter, and I only wish 'd read a physical copy of the books so I might have copied them down.

I did listen to this book as an audiobook; the narration is by Scott Brick, whom I've previously only heard as part of ensemble cast of narrators, however, his narration was stellar in this novel, and he has now joined my list of narrators I love, which currently stands at two. His voice of the female characters, which I often find to be the most annoying part of any narration, was just right--it' wasn't overdone, yet it was distinct. 

This book is in love with literature and book culture. There are some plot points that don't seem entirely realistic in today's culture (Unfortunately, authorship isn't quite as rock-star/people-want-to-make-out-with-you profession as it was in Lord Byron's day), but it doesn't feel off, it feels lie it fits this story and these characters. The characters connect over books and stories and as such literature is the fabric of their lives, and one can tell the author put a lot of thought and heart into these characters.

Great book, highly recommended to any literature lovers out there.

A lovely little read. Gave me ‘Before the coffee gets cold’ vibes.

Aims

Catarina Lopes 

azliana aziz

I clearly love the first part of the book more than the second one. the book is humorous, self aware and simple. a book about a bookseller that is a very unconventional man.

This is definitely one of my favorite books this year, if not of all time. 

I read this book when I was in my teenage years and it still hits a spot now that I'm in my 20's. It was a great read, it made me feel warm fluffy feelings that I never knew existed. I will definitely read more from the author.

This is definitely one of my favorite books this year, if not of all time. 

I read this book when I was in my teenage years and it still hits a spot now that I'm in my 20's. It was a great read, it made me feel warm fluffy feelings that I never knew existed. I will definitely read more from the author.

Jillian Roberts

Melissa Palmer

Book #56 Read in 2015
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I have enjoyed this author's young adult books previously but this book I absolutely loved. A.J. Fikry is a cranky bookstore owner, whose wife had died in a car accident. A.J. begins to open his heart again when Maya, a little girl, enters his life. By taking care of her, he saves himself. This book is a book lover's dream...set in a bookstore, beloved books mentioned throughout, books used as a way to connect friends and family and a lively debate of print vs. e books are all included in this book. Besides the books, there is humor, romance and even a mystery or two. The characters are ones that readers will connect with and care about and root for...all while hoping that the book will keep going. I highly recommend this one.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Lara Engle

This book is for people who love books and love reading. It almost feels like an old friend, even though I've just read it once. The references to books and stories I've read throughout my life make A.J. Fikry seem like a bestie I've never met. I truly enjoyed this book, but I can't really put my finger on why. At times it seems too sweet, despite the undercurrent of darkness, loss, and betrayal. Maybe that's part of what makes it so enjoyable, the message that life really is sweet, even with all its darkness.

Moth

It took me a while to write this review simply because it took me so long to fully find the words for it. I loved this book. I loved the story and the writing. The characters were unique and real. And so was the story. At first, during the first chapter, I wasn't sure how I felt about this book. But I read on despite being unsure. I'm so happy I did. The story filled me with a number of emotions, from happiness, to being a pile of mush from cuteness, to close to tears from the sadness. But the story was a real one. Because life has it's up and downs, the good ones, and the bad. This book was wonderful and I honestly see why so many people are considering this one of the best books of the year on a few sites. I recommend reading this only if you're able to handle the roller coaster of emotion.

altlovesbooks

"A place ain't a place without a bookstore, Izzie."

I have a soft spot for books about books. Last year's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore landed on my favorites of 2020 shelf. This book wormed its way onto my favorites of 2021 shelf. It's sweet, heartfelt, very at-face-value, but I loved it all the same.

AJ Fikry owns a bookstore on Alice Island. He purchased this bookstore with his wife, but in the way of these sorts of literary books, she's no longer in the picture. He's...sort of let himself go since, but maintains the bookstore (and a sour disposition) out of loyalty to the idea. He left the store unlocked one day while he was out, and comes back to find a small child, abandoned with a note asking for the owner of the bookstore to take care of her, because the mother wants the child to grow up around books. This is Maya. The book follows the unlikely pair as AJ remembers what it's like to be, well, a person with human emotions again, while caring for this abandoned child. 

The book is fairly straightforward, funny in spots, but the dialogue is a little simple. A few twists occur, monkeywrenches in AJ's life that he has to navigate, and there's plenty of witty remarks about books and authors. I really felt for Maya, who grows up without knowing who her parents were, who grows up around books and develops a love for them, who grows up wanting to write them. None of that describes me, but I can imagine how difficult such a background might be for a child like her. 

I can't really put my finger on why I loved this book so much, except that I did. The stories are funny, sad, heartbreaking, uplifting, in the way that books in the general fiction category tend to be. It's not deep, not thought provoking in the hidden meaning sort of way, but I did leave the book feeling sad, and any book that leaves an emotional reaction with me is a good book in my eyes. The ending touches on one of my personal fears about growing old, and maybe I projected a bit much. 

A good, quick read for people who love reading books set in old bookstores.

After Reading Tomorrow X3 by Gabrielle Zevin I know that she was going to be an author to look out for and After hearing lots of Rave reviews for The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry I knew that I had to pick it up and I’m glad that I did and I have read it in 2 days and Loved every word on the page and loved being transported into the Fictional word and not wanting to leave.

A.J. Fikry, is the owner of the independent bookstore, Island Books. Fikry is grieving the loss of his wife, sales are down, a rare book worth lots of money is stolen from the shop leaving him irritable, and irritating. Frankly he's depressed and is turning more and more inward, cutting himself off more than the normal isolation of Alice Island living. Fate or something else entirely steps in when one night he finds a special package on his bookshop floor changing his life forever.

Gabrielle Zevin treats us to some of the most likeable, memorable characters I've met in a long time. Though I adore them all, even cranky Fikry, they have a Personality that comes right through the pages even the Sid characters have lots of Personalities and make the entire reading experience to be such a Magical Experience.

Honestly, I can’t recommend this Book Highly enough- Please go and check it out if you want a Cute Book about Books and found Family and lovable Characters.

Ian Brakspear

After Reading Tomorrow X3 by Gabrielle Zevin I know that she was going to be an author to look out for and After hearing lots of Rave reviews for The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry I knew that I had to pick it up and I’m glad that I did and I have read it in 2 days and Loved every word on the page and loved being transported into the Fictional word and not wanting to leave.

 

A.J. Fikry, is the owner of the independent bookstore, Island Books. Fikry is grieving the loss of his wife, sales are down, a rare book worth lots of money is stolen from the shop leaving him irritable, and irritating. Frankly he's depressed and is turning more and more inward, cutting himself off more than the normal isolation of Alice Island living. Fate or something else entirely steps in when one night he finds a special package on his bookshop floor changing his life forever.

 

Gabrielle Zevin treats us to some of the most likeable, memorable characters I've met in a long time. Though I adore them all, even cranky Fikry, they have a Personality that comes right through the pages even the Sid characters have lots of Personalities and make the entire reading experience to be such a Magical Experience.

 

Honestly, I can’t recommend this Book Highly enough- Please go and check it out if you want a Cute Book about Books and found Family and lovable Characters.

Colleen

Well, I really wanted to like this one since it was the first book that I found through goodreads.com. But there were a few things that kept it from being a hit with me.

First of all, I don't like novels written in present tense. It annoys me. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe because it feels more like bad television narration that being told a story. It just doesn't jive with me.

Second, each chapter starts with a little blurb or review written as if by the main character. These "reviews" of random short stories were completely discongruent with the rest of the writing. More often than not they also referred to characters that hadn't been introduced yet or events that hadn't happened yet. In the end, they would vaguely tie into the main story, but I found them to possibly be some of the most annoying bit of foreshadowing I have ever some across. Just when I would get into the story, I would turn the page to the next chapter and encounter the next pill of annoyance and confusion. 

Third, the story skips years at a time. This is again personal preference, but I am just not a fan of long-spanning narratives.

That being said, the overall story is decent enough. Mostly heartwarming, but definitely with periods of maudlin. There were a couple quotes that I really liked, but it was rather like picking the chocolate chips out of a not-so-great cookie. The only thing I can fondly say I loved about the book was one tiny reference to C.S. Lewis and Turkish Delight.

Gabrielle Zevin is an incredibly talented author from the characters she creates to the morals she instils in her pages. I devoured this book in a day, every page was beautiful and warm and wholesome in one way or another. I adore books about books and this is no exception, a truly excellent book. 

Beth Bartholomew

For a 7 hr audiobook, it did seem to go on forever, but that’s probably by virtue of my own schedule and Zevins general writing style. Super beautiful as always. 

Though, rude of her to make me cry at my desk. Why does she need to play with my feelings like that???

I love books about book people. 

For a 7 hr audiobook, it did seem to go on forever, but that’s probably by virtue of my own schedule and Zevins general writing style. Super beautiful as always. 

Though, rude of her to make me cry at my desk. Why does she need to play with my feelings like that???

Ah well, still recommended. 

Rachel Kanyid

4.25/5 
All the feels.
All.
This book is so good, you guys. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because it was so short. I would have liked the time line fleshed out more. I like a little more bulk to my reads.

Jessica Ford

This was a great book. Fun story to read.

Siya S

I've finished the book like, right now! And to tell you the truth, I feel quite bad because the copy I've had in hand just happened to be in the form of e-book (you'll undertand once you get to know Mr.Fikry). 

This is such a great book that leaves you a lot of space in your heart to embrace a fully load of happiness. It reminds me of smalltown movies that all things are quirky and interestingly boring and every moment can make you feel happy even when you shouldn't be. It's like....watching Lars and the Real Girl or Wes Anderson's movies.

Oh I love the words used in this book...the word choice, the pace, the writing style...everything feels right. I've finished it in 2 days! Couldn't stop reading. I try to read the narration with Alec Baldwin's or Jude Law's voice in my head. Weird but sounds quite right to me.

I adore all the characters in this book. Everyone seems...perfect in the way that they're all imperfect. Cliche, right? But it's true...as a bookworm, a geek myself I adore Maya and Amy so much, how they always embrace things around them with love, esp. Amy and the way she sees things. Maya is such a nice kid and I love her confidence in her passion of writing. I think she'll definitely go places. 

A.J. Fikry has referenced so many books in his story...mostly short stories, because that's what he loves most. I'm thinking of doing the A.J. Fikry Reading Challenge someday. I'm not a big fan of short stories, tbh, but there're so many moments that I want to give them a try. I might probably start with Roald Dahl's story, since I believe it's quite well-known.

I think this is a book for everyone....esp. a reader. I'd recommend his book to any readers in this world. It's such a light-hearted story of life, friendship and love in many forms and of course, books. All things mentioned are related to books, which I find it loving. One of the best reads I've had this year.

A.J. Fikry is the owner of Island Books, an independent bookstore on Alice Island. While grieving the loss of his beloved wife, a rare book worth a lot of money, is stolen from him. Little does he realise that this one act creates events that changes his life and perspective for the better.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is a testimony to a love of books and reading, and how books can, unbeknownst to ourselves, shape our life and help mold our lives together.

Its beautifully written, with a cast of memorable characters which drive the story forward and creates an emotional account without too much sentimentality.

Charming and heartwarming, its a book for book lovers who want a reminder of the books that helped shape their minds and lives.

A.J. Fikry is the owner of Island Books, an independent bookstore on Alice Island. While grieving the loss of his beloved wife, a rare book worth a lot of money, is stolen from him. Little does he realise that this one act creates events that changes his life and perspective for the better.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is a testimony to a love of books and reading, and how books can, unbeknownst to ourselves, shape our life and help mold our lives together.

Its beautifully written, with a cast of memorable characters which drive the story forward and creates an emotional account without too much sentimentality.

Charming and heartwarming, its a book for book lovers who want a reminder of the books that helped shape their minds and lives.

Connor 

Fikry is an easy read with a peculiar pacing, but doesn't feel staggered or rushed for all that it took little time for me to make my way through its pages. The characters are charming, despite their faults, and the alacrity with which I grew fond of them--perhaps especially the titular character, A. J. Fikry--should probably alarm me. The intricacies of Zevin's writing are delightful to experience, and I will definitely be looking up her other books. 

My favorite college professor once told me a book doesn't have to end happily, but it should end hopeful. Zevin manages to do just that without coming across as forceful or heavy-handed in her approach. I'll definitely be adding this one to my list of books to recommend.

A.J. Fikry's life is not what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is failing, and his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. He is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island and from Amelia, the Knightley Press sales rep who refuses to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore that gives A.J. the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world.

Kirsten Simkiss

I picked this one up from a thrift store and my sister immediately said that I should read it because she really enjoyed it. She, being a book enthusiast herself, is usually pretty reliable in terms of book recommendations, though I have a tendency to read darker things than she does. Conservatively, I'd give it 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up to four.

I would like to preface this by saying that I did enjoy the book, though I wonder a bit at the title. Certainly the main character was A. J. and the events were all focused around him, but at the end I almost felt like this was a story of the bookstore itself rather than A. J. and the people it had adopted over the years.

What I liked best about the book was A.J.'s redemption arc. At the beginning of the book, A.J. is lost in his own misery and isn't really seeing life as worth living. While he isn't suicidal, he's turned to being an alcoholic to cope with the loss of his wife and his loneliness. When Maya comes into his life, he turns his life around almost immediately, and begins to care again. Maya gives his life a purpose and that was a really lovely thing to read about.

Unfortunately, I found it to be very predictable in terms of plot. That doesn't necessarily make it bad, but it made it a more boring read for me than I'd hoped. (view spoiler)[For instance, from the moment you meet Maya, you know that he's going to keep her. And from the moment he starts to dwell on Amelia, you know they're going to wind up together. I also definitely called that Maya was Daniel's daughter and that Ismay had taken the book - because really, who else would have gone in and cleaned up after him while stealing his $400,000 book. (hide spoiler)] The only thing I did not call was something you can't really have predicted. (view spoiler)[That, of course, was A.J. getting a brain tumor and dying as a result of it. (hide spoiler)]

One of my complaints is that neither of the deaths really had any impact on me. (view spoiler)[Daniel, who you see rather infrequently, wasn't exactly someone I think you're meant to mourn, but I felt as though A.J.'s death was just as hollow and empty. I didn't feel a sense of loss, despite that the book was written about his life and his place of work. Especially following his death, I had kind of hoped you'd get to hear how Maya's life turned out. Instead, it ends with Ismay, who was my least favorite character, and Lambiase taking over the book store, almost in A.J.'s memory. (hide spoiler)] Other people reported that they cried and laughed, but emotionally I didn't connect quite as well as some of the other reviewers.

Funny enough, the book had a perfect quote for that. I would have to dig through and find it, but it essentially said that some books have different effects on a person at different points in their lives based on what was going on in their life. Perhaps other reviewers could relate more to these characters and their troubles in a way I didn't. And that, my friends, is the glory of writing. A book I might not enjoy could be the best thing someone else has ever read.

All in all it was a fun read and well paced, but I feel this isn't something I would ever reread. Still, I could safely recommend this to others if it was within their tastes.

The storied life of A. J. Fikry

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