The Storied life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

from goodreads

4.5 stars

Happy last day of April! I can't believe how fast time goes now. When I was a child I remember the school days dragging on and on. Now as a mom I am always surprised when I look at the clock and realize it is time to pick up the kids from school. Sometimes I think, "didn't I just drop them off?"

Right now I am currently getting ready for a big event on Saturday. My darling Miss V. turned 8 and is getting baptized. I am so super excited for her, so are a lot of other people, so now I am getting things ready to feed said people. It is going to be great and I hope I am able to create a beautiful and memorable day for my girl who has to put up with loopy parents and crazy sisters. What a trooper!

Synopsis

A.J. Fikry is a sad man. He lives on an island and owns Island books. His wife has just died which has left him sad and grouchy and causes him to close himself off from life.

When a little girl is left in his store with a note asking him to look after her everything changes.

My Thoughts

This was such a beautiful story. It makes you laugh it makes you cry it makes you want to live your life to the fullest.

The characters in this book are real and so relatable. Even if they are not completely likeable you still can understand their motives, why they do things they do and think the way they do. A.J. is the best man character. He truly is the glue that holds this story together.

I loved watching the transformation of A.J.'s life. He went from being so withdrawn into himself and his misery, to really being the social centre of his town. I love how his store evolved and the different book clubs that started, especially the mom one.

I loved the insights into reading and why we are readers. If I was smart I would have had a notebook beside me the whole time writing down the profound wisdoms found in this book and shared them with you. Alas, I did not. But it did give some food for thought about the power of books, why they speak to us, and the importance of the actual printed material not just electronic copies (though electronic copies do have a role to play.)

I highly recommend this book. It would make a great summer read if you are compiling your summer read list. I just loved it.