Book Spotlight: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Yesterday, the April selection was announced for the She Reads book club and it is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin. I just finished reading this book, so look for my review of it in the next week or so. In the meantime, enjoy this book spotlight
and be sure to read all the way to the bottom where you can find out
where you can go to win copies of this book for yourself!!!

Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry    

Author: Gabrielle Zevin     

Published: April 2014, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill  

Format: ARC Paperback, 230 pages   

Source: Publisher/She Reads  

In the spirit
of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Unlikely
Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love
letter to the world of books-and booksellers-that changes our lives by
giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.

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.

So, are you interested in reading this book yourself? Well, here is how you can try to get a copy:

• Head over to the She Reads site
  – they are giving away 5 copies of the book. Giveaway is open until the end of the month.

• Join
  our She Reads twitter chat on April 15 @ 8pm EST with Gabrielle Zevin – there will be a book up for grabs during the chat. The hashtag to join in
  is #srbkchat.