A.J. Fikry is the owner of Island Books which is suffering
its worst sales in its history. This is not helped by A.J. himself who is
grumpy and unwilling to try selling any books that he does not like or approve
of. When he is approached by Amelia Loman, the new and idealistic
representative from Knightly Publishing with their upcoming list, his attitude
to her is hostile to say the least.
A.J.’s life has not turned out as he planned. He is already
widowed and is left with nothing but his failing bookshop and a rare edition of
poems by Poe. That is until the book is stolen. However, he soon finds himself left with a new
responsibility and he does not foresee just how much his life it about to
change as a consequence.
This book was a wonderful start to my reading for 2015. It
was a delightful and charming story with characters that I liked and really
cared about. All of the characters have a quirkiness about them which made them
both engaging and lovable.
I found myself wanting to sit and read this book in one
sitting as it was a wonderful combination of sadness and humour. There were a
few occasions when I chuckled to myself but there are also moments of real
poignancy. I was completely gripped from the first page. Our introduction to
A.J.’s irascibility at the outset of the novel meant I could not help but like
him and ignited my desire to find out how the author was going to shape his
character as the story progressed.
My only criticism is the ending which just felt a bit rushed
but this does not detract from this book being a very enjoyable read.
However, this is a little gem of a book and one I am sure I
will reread in the future. It is an uplifting story of second chances and the
power of love to transform lives. An excellent read and I would
recommend it to anyone who likes books about books.
ISBN: 978 1408704615
Publisher: Little Brown
Price: £11.59
About the Author:
Gabrielle Zevin is the author several Young Adult books and
is most well known for her novel, Elsewhere. She began her writing career at
age fourteen as a music critic for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
She is a graduate of Harvard University. After many years on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she recently moved to Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
She is a graduate of Harvard University. After many years on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she recently moved to Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
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