The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry in The Fave Rave Reading Challenge

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December Selections: Book 2 - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
By Kristen · 1 post · 8 views

last updated Nov 30, 2017 04:54AM

December Selections: Book 1 - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
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last updated Nov 30, 2017 04:50AM

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Dec 12, 2017 Kristen Peppercorn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, e-books, adult, fave-rave-reading-challenge

"We read to know we’re not alone.
We read because we are alone.
We read and we are not alone.
We are not alone."

To read the full review, check out my blog. :)

This is the kind of book that is a real book lover's book. If you love reading as much as I do, and chances are you do if you're taking the time to read this long ass review, then I am sure you will appreciate the love that the characters in this book all have for reading. There are several references to popular books and author

"We read to know we’re not alone.
We read because we are alone.
We read and we are not alone.
We are not alone."

To read the full review, check out my blog. :)

This is the kind of book that is a real book lover's book. If you love reading as much as I do, and chances are you do if you're taking the time to read this long ass review, then I am sure you will appreciate the love that the characters in this book all have for reading. There are several references to popular books and authors that should put a big ol' smile on your nerdy little face. I know it did for me.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is not a long book. It's under 300 pages and makes for a quick read. That being said, it manages to grab hold of you for the few hours that you're reading it and not let go. A lot goes on in this slim tome. It's sort of like looking in on someone's family photo album, and watching all the love as it grows over the years before your very eyes.

I really enjoyed the familial love element to this story. It's about a family of fantastic nerds and the sentimental love and mooshiness is so strong it's almost palpable. It made me want to find a fellow reader to fall in love with. I have no friends or family in real life who appreciate books anywhere near the way that I do. In fact, most of them would probably rather be stabbed with a spork or something similarly odd and pointy than to be forced to read. Something that this book preaches is how important it is to have shared interests with those that you love. It truly helps you to grow closer with them.

"It is better to be alone than to be with someone who doesn’t share your sensibilities and interests."

I really liked A.J.'s character. He starts out a bit snobbish and curmudgeonly, recently widowed and grieving over his dead wife's recent death. He's not quite middle aged, yet definitely fed up and done with life. That is, until he opens his mind to reading a certain special book, which manages to open his cold, shrunken heart up to life and love and new experiences. After that, his life improves tenfold.

“Most people's problems would be solved if they would only give more things a chance.”

At the end of the day, this is a story about a man's transformation. If you enjoyed A Man Called Ove, I think that you're going to like this one ever more. If I have one complaint, it's that this book was a bit too fast paced. You'd get really into the moment, and then all of the sudden, you time jump YEARS ahead. Still, by the end, you don't exactly feel like you missed out. This would make a pretty perfect movie, thanks to the fast pace and the way that the story wraps itself up neatly in the end.

This is the kind of book that makes you take a moment to stop and think about your own life. I would highly recommend it, especially for a thought-provoking book club kind of read. ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Imogen Reeves marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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