What readers think of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, plus links to write your own review.

This book was, hands down, a gem. From page one Zevin had me involved in a whirlwind of full bodied characters and I couldn't put the book down until I finished. There were nice surprises along the way and I learned to look out of the small clues she left like bread crumbs. AJ was quite a sharp personality, but I found myself cheering him as he moved from utter desolation to opening himself to the possibility of a good life. The distinct personalities of the book company rep (bigger than life), the town cop (ever so subtle with AJ), the sister-in-law (harsh ... but really not in the end). I don't want to give even a little bit of this story away so I leave it at that. There's the heart of a small town here, but never in a way I would expect.

Maybe because I'm a bibliophile this book just reached out and drew me right in. Who wouldn't want to live above a bookstore? The characters are well-developed and lovable. Reading about the lives the build and the changes they go through took me right into their world. I couldn't put it down. Don't you love when that happens?
Maybe it doesn't have the stereotypical happy ending but that's ok, life seldom does.
A must read for book lovers!

A must-read for people who truly love books. To quote from the book: "Bookstores attract the right kind of folk. Good people...And I like talking about books with people who like talking about books. I like paper. I like how it feels, and I like the feel of a book in my back pocket. I like how a new book smells, too." Gabrielle Zevin must love books in order to write that. It really gets to the meat of things.

This is a totally delightful story of a curmudgeonly man who runs a bookstore on Alice Island. His wife was killed in a car accident and he has lost the zest of life. One day he enters his bookstore and finds a package marked for him. The contents of this package totally turns his life around. The characters in the book are real. I found myself really investing my emotions into their lives. Joy, sadness, loneliness, comfort. It's all there. I really hated to end my visit to Alice Island.

This book started out rather prescribed, or so I thought. I thought I knew WHAT was going to happen, until the "surprise" upon Mr. Fikry's doorstep. What happened during the rest of the book grabbed my heart, tore it at the edges, and also made me laugh and fall in love with Mr. Fikry. His "reviews" throughout the book (with his daughter as the audience) were poignant and witty, especially if I had read the book he was reviewing. This story also taught me a little of how a bookstore operates, things I wondered about; lots of fun facts. This author hit the mark with this book. I adored this story and think of it as a lovely book. You CAN teach an old (grumpy) dog new tricks, so to speak. Go get a copy of this book today – you will fall in love with Mr. Fikry, too! I give this book a double-thumbs-up.

I am truly sad this book ended. I pine for the characters and for Island Books.

This story of loss, love and the love of books was touching without being overly sentimental. The characters, thrown together by chance, are so endearing and such real people that I am so disappointed that I can not continue to be a part of their lives. Island Books is a living breathing character all itself. The ending, let's just say "Happy" there seems to be a hopeful future for books shops and booksellers everywhere once people read this book! Hug your bookseller today as they are an important part of your "collection".

Cold self-contained A J Fikry owns an island book store - a book store that is not currently profitable. Add to this, a very expensive book - his planned retirement - has been stolen. He does not especially warm up the public or to his book salesmen, however one pretty lady, Amelia, finally catches his eye. He also becomes more human when little Maya is left in his store and he takes on the duty of caring for her.
Taking a second chance on life, we see A J make changes and turn his island book store around, while also opening his heart and finding love.
Not the book I expected, but a readable light romance.