Saturday 11 November 2017

The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry


What book in your collection is your most valued - either in monetary terms or for sentimental reasons?

There's a book featured in The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin which has a six-figure price-tag. I know it's only fiction but it made me wonder if there are books out there that hold that sort of value.

When I first saw this book in the library I was unsure about reading it. I flicked through the chapters and couldn't understand the little pieces at the start of each chapter. However, I thought I'd give the book a go because it had been recommended as a great book if you like books about bookstores. I do!

And I loved this book. Until a few years ago I never used to read much fiction. I thought it was better to read true stories, biographies and memoirs. But reading a book like this makes me want to read more fiction. Gabrielle Zevin is a great writer

A.J.Fikry is a grumpy bookstore owner on an island which is hard to get to and only attracts visitors during the summer. His wife has died and his bookstore is not doing well. Then one day a small package is left in the bookstore for him and his life changes.

There are some great characters in this book and lots of references to various books and some beautiful lines which, if it wasn't a library book, I wouldn't mind underlining. 

Halfway through the book I started to think about how the story would end. The ending was a bit unexpected. After reading the book the reason for the small pieces at the start of each chapter also became clear. A great read! 

4 comments:

  1. This one is so interesting! I can’t wait to get it

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  2. Just got The Collected Works of A.J.Fikry from the Katikati library - I kept referring to your book blog to find one that our library had! Thanks Abbey!

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  3. Finished the book so fast - it was so well written! An unexpected ending in this one,too. I'll need to find "Storied" to read next,but it's hard to find around here.

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    1. I think the collected works and storied are the same book.

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