The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin is the story of life on a small island.

AJ Fikry owns a bookstore on Alice Island, off the US Northeast Coast. He opened the store with his now-deceased wife. In his grief he has become known in the publishing world as a hard sell - he knows what books he likes and will not pander to the summer people (in spite of likely increased sales).

Amelia is a new sales representative for a small publisher. Her predecessor left notes on bookstore owners/buyers. She is making the two-hour ferry ride to Alice Island knowing that she is unlikely to sell many books to Mr. Fikry. And she is correct - their first meeting goes horribly.

But thing are about to change for AJ. First a valuable, rare first edition of an Edgar Allan Poe is stolen from his apartment. 

Second, someone leaves a baby in his store with a note that says her name is Maya, please raise her to love books. 

Gabrielle Zevin is a wonderful storyteller. I will be reading everything she writes. 

Zevin, Gabrielle. (2014). The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry. New York: Algonquin Books.

Mutineer (Kris Longknife #1)

Mutineer by Mike Shephard is the first book in the science fiction series featuring Kris Longknife. 

Born into the Longknife legacy – daughter to the planet’s Prime Minister and granddaughter to two war heroes – Kris has chosen another path. She will not run for office like her father and brother. She is joining the Space Navy of the Society of Humanity as an ensign. No special favors from on high like those who refer to her family as “those Longknifes would expect of her. 

And it looks like maybe she is getting all the worst assignments in the Navy. Her first deployment being a hostage rescue in a cabin that makes Fort Knox look like a piggy bank. 

Shephard’s first in the Kris Longknife series is a great space opera. I will be reading the entire series (currently twenty volumes). 

Shephard, Mike. (2021). Mutineer. New York: Ace Books

Bookish People

Bookish People by Susan Coll is about a collection of book-loving people who work at an independent bookstore in Washington, D.C. 

Sophie Bernstein is the bookstore owner who just lost her husband. She is pulling away from any socialization, including employee communications, in her grief. 

She is burned out and worried about the state of the world. This is about the same time she remembers a secret nook in the store that hides behind a shelf, and she decides to make herself a fallout shelter of sorts. 

Clemi has taken over the events organization for the store. While almost every other bookstore in UK and the US has cancelled readings by poet Raymond Chaucer, she plans to keep their engagement. She has wanted to meet him for a long time – not because she is a fan, but because she suspects he may be her father. 

With most employees doing things on their own without consulting co-workers, the bookstore is starting to feel unsettled. The current manager is moving away, a newer employee was just fired and banned from the store, and Sophie is at war with a six-hundred-dollar vacuum. 

Coll has written a cast of characters readers will not soon forget. 

Coll, Susan. (2022). Bookish People. New York: Harper Muse.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (al-Sirafi #1)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty is a wonderful pirate adventure set in the twelfth century in the Indian Ocean. 

Amina al-Sarafi is a nakhudha, a pirate and a smuggler. She is a legend who brings fear to sailors and merchants. 

She retired ten years ago. She found a dilapidated house in the jungle and fixed it up for her daughter. Her mother often lives with them and her brother visits when he can. She has a quiet, peaceful life though she does miss the sea. 

When a wealthy woman offers her a huge amount of money to find her kidnapped granddaughter – the daughter of one of al-Sirafi’s crew – she cannot pass up the chance for a quick sail. Afterall, her ship is ready to go. She promises to look for four months for an upfront fee… 

Chakraborty is a great storyteller weaving in right lore to create a reading experience that is fun and adventurous. 

Chakraborty, Shannon. (2023). The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. New York: Harper Voyager.