Storied Life of A. J. Fikry | 
πThe Zig Zag Girl
ποΈGabrielle Zevin
π₯Zootopia
π€Zuill Bailey (cellist)
πΆZoot Suit Riot
#manicmonday #letterZ
Remember Maya: the things we respond to at twenty are not necessarily the same things we will respond to at forty and vice versa. This is true in books and also in life.
My last read of the year. I loved this little story. Lovable characters. Cozy plot.
pickI waited months for this book to be available at the library and was hoping that it would be as good as I had heard that it was, it was way better! An optimistic story about a pessimistic man AND a surprise orphan, be still my heart.
#12booksof2022 @Andrew65
Day 4 - April. I didn‘t have any 5 star reads in April, but this sweet story was close. β€οΈπ
Close second would be The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes.
pickI found the perfect spot to read in Porto. Right next to the river. The weather was perfect, there was a gentle breeze, and the background noise was quiet enough that I didn't lose focus. I finished it in that spot and I may have added a couple of tears to the river. Anyway I consoled myself with a glass of green wine but I still think about these characters.
pickπ 11-1-22 || Why didn‘t I read this sooner?! I absolutely love this one, and I definitely needed some tissues. The characters are loveable and the story is moving. So many books and authors mentionedβ¦ this is a book for those who love to read. βWe read to know we are not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone.β
pickA must-read for people who truly love books. To quote from the book: βBookstores attract the right kind of folk. Good people...And I like talking about books with people who like talking about books. I like paper. I like how it feels, and I like the feel of a book in my back pocket. I like how a new book smells, too.β Gabrielle Zevin must love books in order to write that. It really gets to the meat of things.
pickAs a former bookseller, novels about bookstores can either can either have a huge impact on your soul or leave your wanting. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry not only had that impact, but this has become one of my favorite stories of all time. AJ is a character that has found his way into my own heart along with ncredible cast of characters that surround him. AJ is truly the heart and soul of this novel. Fair warning, have the tissues ready!
I sent the last two books out together β¦so sorry so late covid was something elseβ¦. Made me so very behind!!! I loved all our books- I read the last one in one setting! So fun!
Best group I‘ve read with to date!!!
pickA cute story, if somewhat predictable. Old codger and young girl discover the meaning of life together and build a found family in a small town. In this one, the old codger is a bookstore owner on a small island in the Northeast somewhere, which makes it the perfect #vacationread or #beachread. Easy reading, interesting characters, fast-paced.
@TheBookHippie The book is on its way to you! (Just noticingβmy hand looks very old. π)
Looking forward to the next book!
#lmpbc @Hazel2019 @Pogue @suvata
I listened to this book a few years ago and thought, βMeh.β Not so!
The writing is too good to listen. See above. Between this and Carrie Brownstein‘s bookβI love it but it isn‘t delightful like this one isβI‘m in a writing-savoring moment. #greatwriters #savor #lmpbc @Hazel2019 @Pogue @TheBookHippie
I am hopelessly behind in my #lmpbc reading. I‘m going to binge over the next couple of days. Good thing it‘s an easy read. And I just love AJ and all his crankiness.
Sorry for the delay, @TheBookHippie π€¦ββοΈ Boom! Itβs October. How did that happen?
I‘m curious who AJ is writing his book reviews to. Maybe I missed it in the beginning. Maybe it‘s yet to be revealed.
@Hazel2019 @Pogue
I have been meaning to read this book for years. I fell in love with it watching this trailer. Time to dig it out and read it before it comes out!
Starting my new #lmpbc book. Thanks @Pogue for including the cat bookmark! β€οΈ
Pele, aka cow dog, was living his best life eating grass. π€¦ββοΈπ
@TheBookHippie @Hazel2019 @suvata
I made time for my favorite creative outlet... #bookspinbingo board design! @thearomaofbooks
I've already started the tagged book on audio.
pickThis was a sweet, quick read about a cranky, set in his ways middle aged man whose life is turned around when someone leaves a toddler in his bookstore.
so-soI think after reading A Man Called Ove, it's hard to top it in the 'grumpy guy redeemed by found family' subgenre. I saw the twist(s) coming, I cried at the first chapter but was strangely unmoved by the remainder. A pleasant diversion, a love letter to (some) books.
"A question I've thought about a great deal is why it is so much easier to write about the things we dislike/hate/acknowledge to be flawed than the things we love.*...*This accounts for much of the internet of course." ??ββοΈ?
"They are different...We have to look inside many...We agree to be disappointed sometimes so that we can be exhilarated every now and again." ?
"...the necessity of encountering stories at precisely the right time in our lives...the things we respond to at twenty are not necessarily the same things we will respond to at forty and vice versa. This is true in books and also in life." ??
pickHere are my top favorites of books about booksππ
I recommend all of them! Enjoy!
#BookAboutBooks #ArtfulAugust @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
pick#LMPBC #GroupI @TheBookHippie @Maria514626 @Hazel2019 I got this on Friday. Read this on Friday. I could not put it down.
Upcoming reads: My impression is these both come under the niche subgenre of 'cranky old guy has life changed by children'. Accurate? We shall see!
pickβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
Yes! I loved it! It had me all emotionally invested & feeling close to all the characters.
It‘s a very βbookish‘ book following the life of a bookseller (AJ) and his bookstore on Alice Island. AJ‘s wife dies in a car accident & he adopts a toddler that someone leaves at his store for him to find. You will have to read it to find out more but overall it‘s about books, people & relationships. π
#LMPBC #Round15 #GroupI
#LMPBC #ROUND15 #GroupI
Here we go!!! π
Yes, I‘m trying to be organized π
@Pogue @Maria514626 @TheBookHippie @suvata
OK, I think we have a winner! Here‘s my pick for #Round15 #GroupI #LMPBC read!
@Pogue @Maria514626 @TheBookHippie @suvata
Screaming.
βWhy is any one book different from any other book? They are different, A.J. decides, because they are. We have to look inside many. We have to believe. We agree to be disappointed sometimes so that we can be exhilarated every now and then.β β€οΈπ
pickSuch a lovely story about a curmudgeon bookseller who is really a good human and a softie inside. It‘s about second chances, love, loyalty, friendship, and books! βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ/5 β€οΈπ
Thanks to the beautiful @Eggs for this lovely gift. π
This was my #bookspin for April! @TheAromaofBooks
pickOh this one has me crying at the end. It's a great story with a lot of heart. Even the parts that are predictable (they fall in love, someone gets sick, etc), are still enjoyable because the characters are so likable.
Starting my #bookspin for April! β€οΈπ
pickA book for lovers of books. A.J. owns Island Books on Alice Island that he opened with his wife. He no longer is the man that he was. When an unexpected delivery arrives at the store one night, A.J. has an opportunity to begin again. Many, many book references throughout! Sympathetic characters. And a rare Edgar Allen Poe book! Store‘s slogan: No man is an island; every book is a worldβ
βοΈ βοΈβοΈβοΈ
This book has been on my shelves for a very long time. Started the audio on Hoopla. Taking an alternate path to reading my collection. π
pickWhat an emotional, sweet, lovely book. I don't reread books, but I do believe I will read this again. The characters are so true to life and relatable. The writing is amazing, and the literary references are perfect. I have to mark this as one of my favorites.
And someday, you don‘t know when, he, or indeed she, will be there. You will be loved because for the first in your life, you will truly not be alone. You will have chosen not to be alone.
I‘ve always felt this way. βThe things we respond to at twenty are not necessarily the same things we will respond to at forty and vice versa.β
This has a Lemony Snicket the author is talking to you through the book vibe that I enjoyed (though not comparable in the quality in my opinion). The twists fit well and it‘s fun to read a book about people who love reading/books. They do handle heavy topics a bit too on the surface.
#ithadtobeyou #booklove @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
Because it‘s about an owner of a bookshop β€οΈ
pickI‘ve spent most of today strapped into this machine and reading this book. Gosh was it good!! The book, the machine not so much. Not sure why I took so long to finally read it, but am glad that the #readharderchallenge had a prompt for a book set in a bookstore. What a delight. I also want to read all the books and stories mentioned in it. Add them to the never ending list.
so-soIt's was OK, although it was a weird book: charming story, where everything was made cute. Cute suicide, cute violent sudden death, cute baby abandonment, cute heartlessness, cute infidelity, cute alcoholism... π
Also, it is a story of love, loss, and second chances. And love for books, the importance of reading π
I didn‘t love it, but I certainly liked it.
