From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Gabrielle Zevin

Start date: July 12, 2014

Finish date: July 21, 2014

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: You voted and this book won the July Anything Goes Book of the Month. CLICK HERE to get to the discussion…more
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What Members Thought

Apr 11, 2023 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: listened-to

Wow. I adore this book.

5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2014 Morgan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-read, fiction, geek-appeal, kindle-unlimited

A little torn on the rating of this one, and I might come back and change it. But I think this falls on the 4-4.5 side of the 4.5 scale. Mostly due to the last 10-15% or so which felt a little rushed in comparison to the rest.

I knew that with ridiculously adorable, I would also get other sadder emotions as well--it is contemporary fiction after all. There's a rule or something about it not a book unless you get kicked in the gut at one point or another... (Or at least an attempt at gut-kicking.) ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

After last year, I don't know how I keep finding this tear-jerking books. I didn't know much about this book going in, just that lots of people had read it and the consensus seemed to be it was "good." I loved it and couldn't put it down. Books are the basis of so much of my life, so the book was perfect for me. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 07, 2015 Roseann rated it really liked it

This one almost made it to five stars, but I rarely give those out.

Last year I fell in love with a man called Ove, this year it is A J Fikry. With echoes of George Eliot's Silas Miner this charming tale is about a 40 something man who is walking through life without really living. One day, a baby is left in his book store and life begins anew. Charming, witty, and full of books, this tale if for anyone who has love, lost, and then found love again. ...more

Like · see review

Feb 11, 2015 Julia rated it liked it

3.5 stars. I loved many of Zevin's lines, particularly in the last quarter of the book, but felt much of the character development never went deeper than the surface. ...more

Like · see review