If you liked
Books like The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry follows a grumpy, grieving bookseller whose life reopens when a child is left in his island bookshop. Gabrielle Zevin writes a love letter to reading and second chances. If you want more warm, bookish, quietly moving novels, these are the picks.
The shortlist
What to read next
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrowby Gabrielle Zevin
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 2022 review. Three decades of creative collaboration between two video-game designers. The breakout literary commercial novel of 2022 and one of the canonical contemporary novels about friendship and work.”
The Midnight Libraryby Matt Haig
“A gorgeous concept executed with warmth and wit. The Midnight Library will make you think differently about the choices you have made - and the ones still ahead.”
Hello Beautifulby Ann Napolitano
“Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano 2023 review. Four sisters in 1980s Chicago and the graduate-student basketball player who marries into the family. Napolitano's breakout literary commercial novel.”
A Man Called Oveby Fredrik Backman
“A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 2012 review. A fifty-nine-year-old Swedish curmudgeon plans his suicide until a young family moves in across the courtyard. Backman's debut.”
Lessons in Chemistryby Bonnie Garmus
“Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 2022 review. Elizabeth Zott, a chemist pushed out of academic research in the early 1960s, becomes the unlikely host of a hit cooking show. A debut novel that became the basis for the Apple TV+ adaptation with Brie Larson.”
Dear Edwardby Ann Napolitano
“Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano 2020 review. A twelve-year-old is the sole survivor of an airline crash. Basis for the 2023 Apple TV+ limited series.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry read-alikes
- I want more Gabrielle Zevin.
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is the one, her acclaimed novel about two friends who build video games together across decades. More ambitious than A. J. Fikry, with the same deep tenderness toward creative, difficult people.
- I want the warm, life-affirming feeling.
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig both take a broken person and slowly reopen their world. Both hit the same second-chances note that makes A. J. Fikry so comforting.
- I want another gentle novel about grief and starting over.
- Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano follows the sole child survivor of a plane crash and the community that carries him, and Hello Beautiful is her warm family novel. Both are tender and hopeful in the same register.
- I want a smart, funny, feel-good read.
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus centers a brilliant woman refusing to be diminished, funny and warm at once. An easy next read for the bookish, root-for-the-good-one appeal of A. J. Fikry.
The original