Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry discussion

Leave a short note introducing yourself to the group.

Hi everyone! I'm Ami, and I work at Goodreads. I love talking about my favorite books--even if it is sometimes very hard for me to choose just a few.

I'm Gabrielle! I'm terrible at naming favorite books, but enjoy hearing other people's.

Also, I wrote The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

I'm Marla - love to read, love books, and generally have a hard time naming hard favorites. Usually I just have a list (constantly growing list)of books that are great and "faves", but and I LOVED The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and I've been telling everyone who will listen that it is my favorite for the year!

I'm Jo Beth . I'm a high school librarian who LOVED The Storied
Life of AJ Fikrey. Have already passed it on to others. Coincidentally, Nicole Kraus is a graduate of the school I teach at(she was before my time). I have not always been a librarian this is my millionth career, but I always wanted to be one so I got my masters and landed in my dream job.

Hey there. I am Kelly K-G. I teach reading at Spanish River High in Boca Raton, FL! Gabrielle's alma mater. We love your books and I am excited to read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

I'm becca and I currently study English language and literature as well as other things! Someday I want to write a book that makes people change their opinions. I have no favourite book because I can not compare them when they are all so brilliant in different ways.

I'm Davida, and I'm a (semi-professional) book reviewer and an online content writer, but my day-job is writing for a non-profit organization. In my distant past, I was a poet. Well, I guess I still am a poet (I actually got paid for some of my poems), even if I haven't written any poems for many years. Anyway, the last time I got as excited about a book as I did about Fikry, that book was short listed for the Man Booker Prize.

I got my copy from NetGalley and you can read my review here

Hi,

I am Nada. I'm a blogger. I got a copy of the book through NetGalley and absolutely loved it! See the review here: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2013...

I so look forward to hearing more about the story behind the book.

Hi! My name is shelby. I am currently enrolled in a high school for gifted students where my main focus is english and creative writing. I spend every second of my free time reading. I absolutely loved elsewhere and then continued to read the birthright series, and memoirs of a teenage amnesiac. I am currently reading Margarettown and hope to read the storied life of AJ Firky soon!!

Hi I'm Marci!!! I'm a library assistant and got a copy via Edelweiss. It was a great read! I keep talking it up to all my members.

hi. my name is mia (a.k.a. missing in action) and i am always reading about 3-4 books. i can't remember not knowing how to read.

Hi Everyone,

My name is Susan and I have been teaching English for 21 years. One of the best parts of my job is keeping up with YA literature! Haven't yet read The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, but after reading the synopsis and all the rave reviews it is definitely going to be my next book! One of my all time favorite books is elsewhere-- it is nothing short of brilliant... One of the coolest premises ever written.

Okay! I have now finished TSLOAJF and LOVED it! I will be buying it as gifts for all my best-literary-friends! What a sweet little book it is.

I'm Meran, a bibliophile... I've never read this book, but it sounds very intriguing!
Joined the group because I want to hear what y'all are saying about it.

Aloha. My name is Natalie, and I love reading contemporary fiction. Alice in Wonderland is my very favorite book ever, but Elsewhere comes to a pretty close second. I've read it many times, and I love the originality.

Hello, My name is Karin. I am a bookseller at an independent bookseller in Central Maine. I Loved The Storied Life of A. J.Fikry. I love books about books and reading. This book totally pegged bookselling and bookstores. LOVED it. I got my copy as a
ARC at work.

Becca wrote: "I'm becca and I currently study English language and literature as well as other things! Someday I want to write a book that makes people change their opinions. I have no favourite book because I c..."

Oh wow, me too. 'Took the words right outta my mouth ;P

Um, hi I'm Sarah. I've read Memoirs of a Amnesiac, Elsewhere and Margarettown by Gabrielle Zevin. I haven't actually read The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry *blush* but I will probably love it. (I'll get it today). And I was wondering whether - in the Ask Gabrielle chat - if I could ask Gabrielle stuff about her other books ?
By the way,this chatroom's awfully formal; I get the feeling I'm waayyy younger than you lovely people :]

Sarah! Same! Don't worry.... :)

Oh, okay cool beans. Thanks Becca ^_^

Bo problemo!

Haha, bo :]

Don here, I work in the administrative offices of public library in the Midwest that I am proud to say is a LJ 5-star library for several years now. I thoroughly enjoyed The Storied Life of A J Fikry. I have been spreading the word how great it is. Recently at PLA in Indianapolis I got to speak to a rep from the publishing house who said it was his favorite of the season and I kept directing other attendees to his booth to look at the book.

Divergent's swell, ikr ! And it comes out in the cinemas today, you know

Divergent is great! I have been waiting for a month since it came out in America to see it and had to deal with spoilers but going to see it on Sunday!!

Oh, you're in America. Everyone's in America

No I'm in England!

Ohhh, Oh ah. I see. Sorry, there was a misunderstanding there llol :P

And I'm in Israel!

Hey guys !
Israel's so cool

Wasn't Margarettown surreal ?

Bookseller. I fell in love with #1 in Birthright series which had me quickly dive into the earlier books. All caught up with YA. Now I'm almost done with "Storied.." (sob). What a beautiful ode to the quirkiness of booksellers, the delight of books and the wonder of writing.

Books I am passionate about:
"Amy Falls Down" by Jincy Willett.
"Wonder" by R J Palacio
"Me Before You" Jojo Moyes

Hi! I'm Paige and I'm a high school librarian in Kentucky. I love to read, I love my job, I love life! I read mostly young adult so that I can suggest great reads to my high school students. I was sent a copy of "Because It's My Blood" by Zevin and realized that I didn't have the first books in the series. Once I got them I started to read and finished the series in a weekend. This is rare for me. I usually do not get into series books. Needless to say this started my love for Zevin and I went to a local bookstore and bought "Elsewhere" and "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry". I'm a huge fan and have yet to be disappointed by reading a Zevin Novel.

Hi! I'm Kathy and am a bookaholic (also the name of my book page on FB). Usually, when I start naming my favorite books, it turns into a list of 50 or more, so the discussion of favorite books, just listing three, is a much truncated one for me. Reading Gabrielle's Elsewhere was one of the best reading experiences I've had. It was profound in ways that I never expected, and from thence on, I was a fan of Gabrielle Zevin. I just bought The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry and so hope to read it before the chat here.

Hi, I'm Marion, a librarian in a high school in Christchurch, New Zealand. I was introduced to Gabrielle Zevin's books by a student last year and haven't looked back. I have to say though The storied Life of A J Fikry is my new favourite book.

Hello, i am Shoshi and It is the same by me too. Hard to say, what novels are my favorites. I have a broad selection on books I favor. But you can see on the books on my 'to-read-list' what it is. Looking forward to be in your group. Thanks.

Hi My name is Jacqueline! I just published my first book called In The Hands Of Fate by Page Publishing. Not only do I love to write, but I love to read other peoples stories! A story can take you anywhere you want to go, be anyone you want to be, and the characters come alive! I love all kinds of books, I am excited about being in your group!
Jacqueline

Hi I'm Emily, I love reading and getting lost in books. I'm in the military so reading helps with those long night watches. I also do some writing and am trying to write my own novel. It's hard to write when you're never home. I have two cats, that make it their mission in life to annoy me and be cute so I can never get mad. Right now I'm currently addicted to the food network lol.

Shalom, Israel and a good Pesach !

My Fikry book arrived finally today.
I have 6 or 7 books to read for other groups for May, so it'll be June before I can read it, by the looks of it ;)

In the meantime, I'll read y'all's reviews on what you're reading...

Hi! My name is Lynne what a treat The Storied Life of AJ Fikry was to read; I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommended it to a friend and she loved it so much that once she finished it she immediately started reading it again. I decided to read it after hearing the NPR interview.

Hi I'm Caroline and I have not read the Storied Life as yet, but I'd like to. I've published Bleu Moon and am writing another. I have a big stack I hope to tackle in July, when I'm only going to read and not be writing!
Nice to be here.

Hello, I'm Melissa and a fellow book nut. Reading is one of my favorite past times. Since discovering Goodreads, it has opened up a whole new world of people, bookclubs, and more books. As to The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, I thought it was a sweet read, but would of liked more depth to the characters. Loved the book list! This book makes me fantasize about owning a local coffee/book store.