The Book Junkie

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin A.J. is a character who wakes up each day and busies himself with his job but doesn't have much of a life outside of the bookstore. Right from the start of the story, the reader is drawn into his life and wants more for him. Wants him to realize that it is possible to love again, to start over. Amelia hasn't had a lot of luck in the relationship department either, is kind of eccentric in her style of dress, and at 31 years old, hasn't yet found true love. When these two first meet, it is a less than pleasant but I knew that they would meet again, I could just feel that it would happen and I was glad it did. Chief Lambaise, Ismay, Daniel, and all of the other characters in the town of Alice are in need of a good dose of hope and inspiration. That something comes in the form of a small child who brings these characters closer to one another, filling in the empty spaces and rekindling hope and possibility.

Maya takes over the story from the moment she enters it. She is enchanting. I especially loved her dialogue and the unique way she spoke. I could hear her little voice in my head. She immediately attracts the residents of Alice to the bookstore and almost forces A.J. to begin socializing again. It was a win-win situation. Maya gives A.J. the push he needs to re-enter the world and he gives her a father to love and raise her as his own. They are each other's second chance.

One of my favorite places is a bookstore. Even though I don't buy paper books anymore, there is nothing like the feeling you get when you are browsing the shelves in the local bookshop. The setting of this story was beautiful. A small bookshop in a town on an island you can only get to by ferry. Somewhere any book lover would want to live.

It is impossible to describe this book with just one word. There are too many that come to mind. Inspiring, original, uplifting, bittersweet. I felt a range of emotions as I read the story. Gabrielle Zevin is definitely a writer whose books I will be picking up again.

Currently reading

Spying in High Heels
Gemma Halliday
The Stars Turned Away
Lisa Maxwell
A Perilous Undertaking
Deanna Raybourn
The Newbie
Leta P. Hawk
Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine (Kindle Single)
Claire Prentice
Blood Magick
Nora Roberts
The Dress Shop of Dreams
Menna van Praag
Spellcast
Barbara Ashford
The Arrivals
Melissa Marr