Beginning ~ on a ferry

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry ~ by Gabrielle Zevin, 2014, fiction (Massachusetts), 10/10

On the ferry from Hyannis to Alice Island, Amelia Loman paints her nails yellow and, while waiting for them to dry, skims her predecessor's notes.  "Island Books, approximately $250,000.00 per annum in sales, the better portion of that in the summer months to folks on holiday," Harvey Rhodes reports.

If the bookstore my friend Donna and I opened had "approximately $250,000.00 per annum in sales," we might still be in business.  I loved reading about a bookstore and its owner.  I rated it 10 of 10 because I couldn't put it down, literally, and read it in less than a day.  Beautiful writing, and I loved the mention of books-books-books on every page.  Very interesting way to portray the characters.  Of course, it helped that I recognized most of books the author mentioned.  Here's a summary of the novel that mentions "a mysterious package" that doesn't seem like the best way to describe what was left in A. J. Fikry's bookstore:

When his most prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, is stolen, bookstore owner A.J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family, and associates before receiving a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life.

Oh, by the way, look at that book cover. You can read the title of one book (because I used a LARGE illustration).  It's actually one of the covers of this book!  That's unusual and kind of fun, huh?  Once before I noticed the corner of a book cover showed part of another (famous) book cover, and it too was about a bookstore.  But today's book is unique.  I think you can click the cover to enlarge it, if you like.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays.  Click here for today's Mister Linky.