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

Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publication Date: April 1st, 2014
Edition: Paperback/Audiobook Pages: 288
Purchase: Book Depository

My Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars) 

Synopsis

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 (Goodreads).

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading/listening to this book! The main thing that sold me on this book was that it is a book about books. The book mentions so many books and authors it makes you want to read even more (here is a list of books mentioned in Storied). 

I love the characters, I love how the story progressed, I enjoyed the little twists and turns, and I adored the beautiful and bittersweet moments in the book. There is so much that I can say about this book but I really don't want to give away too much. The synopsis says enough! Oh, and I adore Amelia! She is my spirit animal!

This book has some great quotes about books and love, and just some really funny moments. 

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books about books or books about bookish people because sometimes you just need to read a book about people like yourself. 

“Sometimes books don't find us until the right time.” 

“They had only ever discussed books but what, in this life, is more personal than books?” 

“You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite book?” 

Get to Know Me | Questions and Answers (#1)

Hello All! I've been wanting to do a Q&A/ get to know me kind of post for a while now just to help you get to know me more. Thanks to those who have asked questions on Instagram! Lets start with some basics: my name is Amanda, I am 24 years old, and I teach middle school science.

A few people may remember my Instagram started as @amandareads21 in January of 2015. I started the separate Instagram account specifically for my book pictures because I wanted to share them with people that would appreciate them and the friends and family that follow my personal IG just weren't the audience I was going for. Then I started thing that my username was pretty generic and didn't represent me the way I wanted it to so I wanted to go by a different username and create a stronger presence within the bookstagram community. So, in June after BookCon I made the change, I started this blog for my reviews, called it The Bookish Hollow, and started "making a name for myself" under the new handle. I love sharing pictures and reviews of the books I read and I have thoroughly enjoyed this past year of sharing my reading with you. Now, on the the questions you sent!


First book you read? - thebookishangel 
I am not really sure. The first books I remember reading in Elementary school were Eric Carle books (I loved Brown Bear, Brown Bear) and the Magic Tree House books. I was also a huge Scholastic book fair nut and was a member of the Magic Tree House and Dear America book clubs.

What book got you into reading? - fictionandtea
Matilda by Roald Dahl!

Do you have any siblings who are obsessed with books? Where are you from? - fictionandpages 
I have a 30 year old brother that is not a fan of reading, so unfortunately no. I don't really have much family that is into reading. My mom has read some things that I have forced on her. I make up for the lack of bookishness in my family by having friends that love to read books and the people I know through bookstagram/blogging of course! I live in the state of Delaware in the U.S.

How old are you? - rosexblood 
I am 24 years old! I am a 90's baby and the song Unbelievable by Owl City featuring Hanson is my theme song! Plus Hanson is my jam!

How has your life changed by having a bookstagram and blog? - livthebooknerd 
This is a really interesting question! My life hasn't changed too much really. I spend a little more time taking pictures of the books I am reading and buying and chatting with other 'grammers. I also put more effort into my reviews to make them interesting to read. I have also been able to get some galley's from a local bookstore and NetGalley.

Who's your favorite book villian? - samreadstoomuch 
Hmmm... I really love to hate Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events and Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter Series.

Favorite series/show? - maddiejo3l 
Once Upon a Time, Doctor Who, House, Sherlock, Supernatural, and Criminal Minds are just a few of my current favorite TV shows. My all time favorite TV shows are probably Lizzie McGuire and Boy Meets World.

Book that surprised me the most this year? - sarenasashabooks 
I have read many a good book this year and could say that they have all surprised me in some way or another but to narrow it down I have 3 different ways to answer this question...

1. The "no words/please leave me to my tears" book - I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson and My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga 
2. The "holy plot twist, Batman" book - Damage Done by Amanda Panitch
3. The "overwhelmed by awesomeness" book - Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Favorite Book Adaptation? - totoro_books
The Hunger Games movies are probably my favorites! I love the HP adaptations and The Fault in Our Stars but I think The Hunger Games movies have been consistently the best!

What are your opinions on ARCs, do you think they give blogger status? - booksbyvale
I enjoy getting access to the few ARCs that I do get and I kind of enjoy getting early access to new books. I don't particularly like that ARCs are given out for some sequels just because if it is an establish series or the first book was well received then I feel like the sequels should be kept from everyone. I do think that bloggers that receive lots of ARCs do gain a bit of status but so have the booktubers. I don't really care about the status of ARCs I just enjoy getting a first look and be able to recommend some new books to people. I would still blog even if I didn't get to review a few ARCs.

What do you and your favorite book hero/heroine have in common? - booksbyvale
Hands down my favorite protagonist is Matilda! I connected a lot with her when I was younger being the bookish loner that I was. I loved her bravery and though my family is nothing like hers I connected with how books were her escape and school was what I looked forward to, even with the bullies.

If your question wasn't answered here then I may have already answered it or I am saving it for it's own post! Thank you all so much for asking such wonderful questions! If you have a question you would like me to answer next time, please comment down below!