On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the
Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a
World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what
that truly means.
A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; 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; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; 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; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
My Review:
As the story starts A.J. Fikry is a lonely sad man. He has lost his wife and owns a book store
that is barely making ends meet. He is
extremely opinionated and never hesitates to tell whoever asks exactly what he
thinks. I had a hard time connecting
with A.J. Fikry. He was not a person
that I liked, I did feel bad for him living such a sad life. As the story continues I begin to understand
A.J. a little more. As people start
coming into his life, I see him coming out of his sad world a little more. One thing that I always liked about A.J. is
his absolute love of books, even if I didn’t always agree with his tastes.
My favorite thing in this book is the bookstore. I would love to find a small and hometown
bookstore that stocks only books that will sell, but not always the most
popular books. Imagine finishing a book,
walking into your own home (which is the bookstore) and just picking up
another. Never having to worry about
what to read next. You can change your
mind at a whim and pick up another book.
That would be dream like to me.
This bookstore seemed to bring in people, not just readers, but people
who were looking after A.J. and the bookstore.
People who cared about what happens to their town and want the bookstore
to succeed. These people became friends
and some even family.
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