Sadly, I went on too many requesting sprees when first starting out on NetGalley and it has tanked my ratio. Now that I’m taking my role as a reviewer more seriously, I’m being more intentional with the books I request and clearing out my shelves of books that I’m no longer interested in.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. When I finally read it, I will come back and write a review.

Well, grab your frying pan and get ready to dive into the hilarious and heartwarming world of "Atlanta Fish Fry" by Anthony "AJ" Joiner because this book is batter than you could imagine!

Life's a fish and then you fry, or at least that's the motto for AJ Joiner, a Louisiana transplant trying to navigate life in Atlanta, Georgia. When gentrification threatens to turn his neighborhood into a soulless concrete jungle, AJ hatches a plan as delicious as a freshly fried catfish – hosting a good old-fashioned fish fry to bring the community together.

But this isn't your ordinary cookout. With quirky neighbors, unexpected twists, and a villain straight out of a cheesy soap opera, AJ's journey is a rollercoaster ride of laughter, love, and, of course, plenty of crispy fish.

Join AJ and his motley crew of characters as they fry up a storm, tackle life's challenges, and serve up a heaping helping of Southern charm. From awkward boss encounters to heartwarming family moments, "Atlanta Fish Fry" is a feel-good feast for the soul.

Sure, there may be a few scales along the way – like the occasional subplot that's as confusing as a catfish in a sea of salmon – but the heart of the story shines through like a beacon of hope in a sea of uncertainty.

So, grab a plate, pull up a chair, and get ready to savor every page of "Atlanta Fish Fry." Because when life throws you lemons, sometimes you just need to batter them up, fry them to perfection, and serve them with a side of laughter.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Atlanta Fish Fry by Anthony "AJ" Joiner is a heartwarming and humorous novel that explores the themes of community, identity, and gentrification. The protagonist, AJ, is a young man who feels dissatisfied with his life in Atlanta, where he works a boring job and lives in a neighborhood that is losing its soul to development. He decides to host a fish fry, inspired by his grandmother's tradition in Louisiana, to connect with his neighbors and celebrate their culture. Along the way, he faces challenges with his health, his marriage, and his nemesis, Eddison Fisher, who is working with the city to demolish the neighborhood.

Anthony Joiner recollects his childhood memories going to his grandmother’s fish fry’s in Louisiana, where he grew up.
The food, fellowship, music and the warmth of family coziness is something you can tell he’ll never forget.

Now that he’s a grown up, Anthony is at a dead-end job, confronting a long standing medical condition, when he decides to host a fish fry to try and save his neighbor from the threat of gentrification.

I loved how relatable Anthony is and how you can see the community rally together, bringing eccentric characters together for one main goal in mind.

“Life’s a fish, and then you fry”

a slow book with a predictable ending in a few ways. though the story is good, they characters and the storyline could have been more immersive, i felt that everything is very surface level. has a lot of scope to be deeper.

This was a great story about community, change, and the man who wants to keep things the same.
Many thanks to Sterling & Stone and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A very big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Sterling and Stone for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The cover is what initially drew me to this book, but the synopsis definitely got me to stay. This is the first book I have read that food was an important focal point in the story so I was excited to dive in. This is a fast paced and fun story about Louisiana born and raised/Atlanta living Anthony Joiner and the obstacles he's faced with once he learns that the community he lives in is being overtaken by gentrification.

What I liked most is the strong sense of community displayed. There are plenty of people who can relate to their neighborhood changing right in front of their eyes and feeling powerless in the situation. However; I thoroughly enjoyed reading how no matter what the challenge the entire community were willing and eager participants. Majority of the characters were likeable and relatable, very reminiscent of the people I come across daily. Now I must be honest my least favorite character was the main character. How he chose to handle certain situations more specifically pertaining to his marriage just rubbed me the wrong way and at times had my blood boiling lol. This book is advertised as fiction, but to me it read more like a memoir. All in all if you're interested in a quick read that focuses on the importance of community AND that will leave your mouth salivating THIS is it.'

**3.5 rounded**

Atlanta Fish Fry is a sweet story about a man who wants to save his neighborhood from gentrification. So he tries to rally up the neighborhood by hosting a Lousiana style fish fry, something his grandmother used to do. The book also follows his loving marriage and he is forced to outgrow some of his flaws.

It's a delicious book quote literally! Peppered with umpteen references to the fish fry, this book is best read with some snacks or fish fry by your side. Get some Creole seasoning, fry up whatever sea fish you can find and settle into reading this book.

As an Indian who knows barely anything about Louisiana black culture, Joiner attempts at painting an immersive picture of the community were a hit. The story feels a little autobiographical.

i enjoyed this sweet little book, the message it conveyed and the sense of community it created. The comments on change are gonna stick with me for a while.

This was a cute quick story about a man working to make a life he is happy with. It isn’t easy and he makes some bad decisions, but he does make some good friends along the way who are willing to help him get to that life. And it does involve a few fish fry events that might make you hungry.

Thanks to NetGalley.

I got 'Atlanta Fish Fry' without knowing much about it, and reading a book rooted in a specific culture sure made for a lot of new things learned, especially because English is not my first language and I live in Brazil. Since the beginning of the story, Anthony describes very richly the flavors and affections involved in his childhoold Fish Fries, so when the motif of the book becomes this, we are rooting for the Atlanta Fish Fry to happen, as well as root for the cul-de-sac citizens, all of them characters well developed and very real.

There's no disclaimer if this story is a romanticized version of reality or not at all, but I think the theme and plot is very dear and familiar to this author and it shows through the pages. Recommended!

After Anthony left Louisiana as a kid, he felt unmoored. Now, living and working in Atlanta, he and his wife Renee live in a cul-de-sac, but don't really know their neighbours. Anthony decides to throw a Fish Fry, like his grandmother used to hold, to get to know everyone around him. It's a success, and boosts his spirits as he hates his job, keeps experiencing bad headaches and refuses to see a doctor about them, and finds out that their small neighbourhood is being bought up by developers for redevelopment.

Anthony gets the idea to raise funds to help with the purchase of the local corner store, an anchor in the area. With the help of his easygoing cousin Michael, Anthony goes full on into holding the best Fish Fry, choosing not to pay attention to Renee's increasing frustration with him. Things come to a head when his life pretty much explodes, and he has to choose what's really important to him and who he wants to be.

I loved the growing sense of community in the small neighbourhood Renee and Anthony lived in. The personalities of all the characters are big and likeable. I liked Anthony's personal journey, as well as the positive changes to all the ideas he had of the people around him.

The prose mostly flowed well, though I found the beginning a little slow.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Sterling & Stone for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a fun, quick read. The writing is simple but the story heart warming. I love how it brings community and neighbors together. It honestly make me look up fish frys near me. Sounds like a good time!

« Home is where you make it » Nothing lasts forever and we shouldn’t be afraid of change, because change is not always a bad thing. I liked the humor and the writing style, and the pearls of wisdom you can find in this story.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to review this book, « Atlanta Fish Fry » by Anthony « AJ » Joiner.
Highly recommended.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley and the publisher Sterling and Stone. I enjoyed this story. Anthony whose love for New Orleans took the values he learned from his grandmother and a lip smacking fish recipe to create one of the greatest fish fry’s Atlanta had seen all for the purpose of saving their neighborhood from gentrification. Throughout the book Anthony faced some major hurdles but he didn’t let them stop him. This story is a great reminder that despite our physical location we can always bring a part of home with us.

My Reaction: Such a warm and inviting read and about my favorite: FOOD!

Review:
"Life's A Fish and Then You Fry."

I was very happy to have received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. After viewing the cover and reading the synopsis, it sounded like a story that I could really get into. AND I DID!

Atlanta Fish Fry is the story of Anthony Joiner whose favorite memories of his childhood are attending his grandmoh's fish fries in Louisiana where he grew up. There was something about the coming together, the fellowship and the fantastic food (cooked with love) that he'll never forget. And now that he's grown up and moved to Atlanta he finds himself in a similar situation as his grandmoh so many years ago. There's a new developer in town and he's buying up all the property in their neighborhood and selling it to the highest bidder: whether it be large complexes or Starbucks.

Anthony is at an interesting point in his life as he's trying to juggle a dead-end job, confront a long standing serious medical condition, and now stop the threat of gentrification in his neighborhood. His grand idea is to host a fish fry to try an save the neighborhood.

What I enjoyed most about AJ's story is that it is very relatable and like him, I love a good fish fry. I loved to see a community rally together to stave off big business and the calamities of gentrification. With a cast of eccentric characters and the heart and soul of a down home gathering written all throughout, it was an enjoyable read. There were times when the story felt rushed (towards the end, and perhaps even the medical diagnosis could have been explored more). Overall it was good read!

Atlanta Fish Fry
by Anthony "AJ" Joiner

I really enjoy this book, the beginning took me back and made me cry. I remember my family packing up and moving away from what we knew and away from family. My mother got an amazing promotion. I remember my grandfather having a similar conversation with me that no matter where I go family will always be family. So I felt his pain. I did get upset with AJ, he ignored so much stuff that was in his face. And I know we all can relate to waiting to look at the positive side and not face hard uncertain things. But sir, your boss is talking to you crazy, your head is killing you, your wifey is telling you she want you to respect her opinion. Yet you are so scare if change. Someone need to change your glasses because you are tripping. All and all this was a great book on learning that change will happen no matter if you are ready or not. Thanks Netgalley this was a great one.

An enjoyable read for this Louisiana native. You had me at “fish fry.” Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed the heart put into this story, and the sense of community that was so clearly showcased, I feel like the semi-autobiographic take on this story served it’s purpose, although I wish that it was clearer in the synopsis that it’s not entirely fiction or nonfiction. The story is cute.

The issue I have with this book is with the writing itself. Sometimes the way sentences were written confused me, and I’d have to read over passages more than once. The story also didn’t feel like it had one central plot line, so the book didn’t feel like it had a purpose. That won’t necessarily be a problem for everyone, but it would make the story more accessible to have a main plot throughout the whole thing.

Overall I liked Atlanta Fish Fry and I thought that it was cute! I would recommend it to readers who are not picky about writing style. If writing style can be a pet peeve of yours maybe pass on this one.

When Anthony finds out fancy realtors or trying to buy up the property in his neighborhood to revamp it he isn’t happy but then when he finds out the marshals down the street sold the property he is in raged and although his wife tries to talk him out of confronting them he is having none of it and it doesn’t help that he gets another headache something he’s been getting a lot of lately when he stops at the marshals he is even more angered when he sees their boiling crawfish on the stove an act he considers that from his southern value culture he decides to hold an emergency neighborhood meeting but he’s not going to invite joy and her husband because the whole meeting is about how to get them to stay but when Joy and her son see everyone going to Anthony’s house she thinks they’re having a party and decides to stop by but this only helps the situation they decide they’re going to have a fish fry and try to raise money to add a bakery on to the neighborhood store to give him a reason to stay and even though Anthony has a plan a branch gets thrown into the mix when he has a health scare. Can Anthony raise the money to keep his neighbors from selling or will he have to give in to change or will he even live long enough to have a say in the matter. I loved this book I loved Anthony his cousin Michael I love the way he got along with his wife and friends there’s so much about this book I’ve loved and it’s not just because I am a southerner who loves a good fish fry but because this is a great book with great writing when I read the summary I had a feeling I would like this book and I totally did and would definitely read more from this author. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.