The Collected Works of A.J. Fikry | 
pickI loved this novel! I liked most of the characters. I loved the island. This novel had much more to offer than I could have expected. The beginning had we wondering but soon I realized it was a great novel. I liked AJ Fikry and his daughter Mia. I am a book nerd and loved the fact AJ read books to Mia. I loved Amelia/Amy. I could only imagine what her job was like. I believe it was perfect for her. This story had all the details I like. 5/5
1. I‘m an English teacher and love wordplay, so I liked the multiple meanings in my Litsy handle. I‘m an upbeat person, so I‘m usually happy; therefore, my life is lit (great). Also, I‘m all about books, both personally and professionally, so my life is lit(erature)! 😁
2. Driving, household tasks, bathing, and exercising.
3. Tagged book. Just finished audio of The Warm Hands of Ghosts.
#WondrousWednesday
A little more than half-way in and I‘m having a hard time staying with this. I can‘t get into the audio and feel like I would enjoy the book more if read.
pickThis started out very mundane with choppy writing, but I kept with it based on all the rave reviews and that a movie was made based on it. It reads as though Morgan Freeman is narrating like he did in the Lego Movie, very interesting but hard to get used to when the story starts boring. BUT I‘m glad I stuck it out because it weaves the lives of seemingly normal people together and in the end you feel part of their tapestry too. Book #6 in 2024
Yesterday I was very cold and very sad, so I pulled THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY off the shelf and found exactly what I needed. I‘ve got friends who‘re down on it for being twee, but I stand very much with the Washington Post, who found it “engaging and funny without being cloying or sentimental.” It‘s a great celebration of books and community (albeit one tempered by A.J.‘s often frustrating and rarely challenged genre snobbery.)
pickThe protagonist stated he liked ambiguity in novels. The author of this book seems to enjoy them too. A good story with a lot of intertwining and meaningful connections. I like that some of the characters just won't know everything, and those withholding have their reasons, good and otherwise. I didn't like the main char much but he fulfilled the 'curmudgeonly man who does the right thing' role.
pickI loved this book. Recommend for any book lover who also loves a bit of a heartwarming story.
August Fiction #ReadingBracket2023 update
This month was a very tough choice as I had multiple five star reads and it came down to AJ Fikry vs The Lost Ticket. Fikry just won out. Going with A Restless Truth for the overall pick though because magical queer adventures are the best.
pickI really enjoyed this one. AJ Fikry is a lonely bookseller after the death of his wife. When a rare book is stolen from his home and a young child is left in his bookshop, his life takes a different path. I loved the unexpected friendships and community he finds in his small town once he learns to open his heart to new experiences. I also watched the film adaptation and it was really well done
pickI‘ve never been one for fictional grumpy men (I never read about Ove), but the one in this book was so sympathetically written, I really did love him. I wish IRL people loved books as much as all the people in this book do. 💜
“‘Fucking love‘, he thinks. What a bother. It‘s completely gotten in the way of his plan to drink himself to death, to drive his business to ruin. The most annoying thing about it is that once a person gives a shit about one thing, he finds he has to start giving a shit about everything.” I feel this.
pick3.5 stars ⭐️
This story was so heartwarming! It was a bit crass, and I didn't like the ending. However, I really loved the overall plot and characters and it really brought the magic of bookstores to life. Not at all like what I thought it would be, but I'm glad I read it!
pickListened to this one over audio. It was a quick, easy listen. I enjoyed the story. I haven‘t seen the movie yet. I liked the quotes/bits of advice from different stories at the beginning of each chapter. The end broke my heart but overall I liked it. Looking forward to my next Zevin book. #bookspin book
bailedBook club member fail but I just can't. In the same vein as A Man Called Ove this is a giant NOT FOR ME book about a supposed curmudgeon who finds he has a heart after all. (Or so I assume.) I had to quit once an abandoned toddler Fikry takes in starts calling him Daddy. 🙄
#unpopularopinion
pick"We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end, we are collected works"
pickWell, every one of you who told me this was good and that I‘d love it? You were spot on and absolutely right! What a beautiful story ❤️ A curmudgeonly main character is always my jam, and I truly (mostly) loved all of the other characters. The ending was 😢😢😢 #titlesandtunes #islandvibes #bookspin (April), #doublespin (May)
I‘ve been meaning to read this one for a couple of months, so it‘s perfect timing for #TitlesandTunes #May #IslandVibe 🏝️ 📕 🎶 And I absolutely adore this song, I sing along every time I hear it ❤️💚
pickThis was the second book I‘ve read by this author. I‘m beginning to think she‘ll be one of my favorites. I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to watching the film adaption on Hulu. It‘s a story about a bookstore owner who gets a second chance at love. It‘s a very fast read that kept me interested until the end.
pickA.J. owns Island Books, a small bookstore on Alice Island that specializes in literary fiction. He‘s also a bit of a dick. When a 2 year old girl is abandoned in his store, he decides to adopt her, changing the bookstore and his life forever.
The style took a bit to get used to. Some sections were written almost like lists of actions and some were complete scenes but I really liked the character development, not just in A.J. but in all of them.
📗The Zig Zag Girl
🖊️Gabrielle Zevin
🎥Zootopia
🎤Zuill Bailey (cellist)
🎶Zoot Suit Riot
#manicmonday #letterZ
Remember Maya: the things we respond to at twenty are not necessarily the same things we will respond to at forty and vice versa. This is true in books and also in life.
My last read of the year. I loved this little story. Lovable characters. Cozy plot.
pickI waited months for this book to be available at the library and was hoping that it would be as good as I had heard that it was, it was way better! An optimistic story about a pessimistic man AND a surprise orphan, be still my heart.
#12booksof2022 @Andrew65
Day 4 - April. I didn‘t have any 5 star reads in April, but this sweet story was close. ❤️📚
Close second would be The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes.
pickI found the perfect spot to read in Porto. Right next to the river. The weather was perfect, there was a gentle breeze, and the background noise was quiet enough that I didn't lose focus. I finished it in that spot and I may have added a couple of tears to the river. Anyway I consoled myself with a glass of green wine but I still think about these characters.
pick📖 11-1-22 || Why didn‘t I read this sooner?! I absolutely love this one, and I definitely needed some tissues. The characters are loveable and the story is moving. So many books and authors mentioned… this is a book for those who love to read. “We read to know we are not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.”
pickA 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.
pickAs a former bookseller, novels about bookstores can either can either have a huge impact on your soul or leave your wanting. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry not only had that impact, but this has become one of my favorite stories of all time. AJ is a character that has found his way into my own heart along with ncredible cast of characters that surround him. AJ is truly the heart and soul of this novel. Fair warning, have the tissues ready!
pickA cute story, if somewhat predictable. Old codger and young girl discover the meaning of life together and build a found family in a small town. In this one, the old codger is a bookstore owner on a small island in the Northeast somewhere, which makes it the perfect #vacationread or #beachread. Easy reading, interesting characters, fast-paced.
@TheBookHippie The book is on its way to you! (Just noticing—my hand looks very old. 😄)
Looking forward to the next book!
#lmpbc @Hazel2019 @Pogue @suvata
I listened to this book a few years ago and thought, “Meh.” Not so!
The writing is too good to listen. See above. Between this and Carrie Brownstein‘s book—I love it but it isn‘t delightful like this one is—I‘m in a writing-savoring moment. #greatwriters #savor #lmpbc @Hazel2019 @Pogue @TheBookHippie
I am hopelessly behind in my #lmpbc reading. I‘m going to binge over the next couple of days. Good thing it‘s an easy read. And I just love AJ and all his crankiness.
Sorry for the delay, @TheBookHippie 🤦♀️ Boom! It‘s October. How did that happen?
I‘m curious who AJ is writing his book reviews to. Maybe I missed it in the beginning. Maybe it‘s yet to be revealed.
@Hazel2019 @Pogue
I have been meaning to read this book for years. I fell in love with it watching this trailer. Time to dig it out and read it before it comes out!
Starting my new #lmpbc book. Thanks @Pogue for including the cat bookmark! ❤️
Pele, aka cow dog, was living his best life eating grass. 🤦♀️😄
@TheBookHippie @Hazel2019 @suvata
I made time for my favorite creative outlet... #bookspinbingo board design! @thearomaofbooks
I've already started the tagged book on audio.
pickThis was a sweet, quick read about a cranky, set in his ways middle aged man whose life is turned around when someone leaves a toddler in his bookstore.
so-soI think after reading A Man Called Ove, it's hard to top it in the 'grumpy guy redeemed by found family' subgenre. I saw the twist(s) coming, I cried at the first chapter but was strangely unmoved by the remainder. A pleasant diversion, a love letter to (some) books.
"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.*...*This accounts for much of the internet of course." ??♂️?
"They are different...We have to look inside many...We agree to be disappointed sometimes so that we can be exhilarated every now and again." ?
"...the necessity of encountering stories at precisely the right time in our lives...the things we respond to at twenty are not necessarily the same things we will respond to at forty and vice versa. This is true in books and also in life." ??
pickHere are my top favorites of books about books📚📚
I recommend all of them! Enjoy!
#BookAboutBooks #ArtfulAugust @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
