The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, 260 pages

The owner of an independent bookstore in New England, A.J. Fikry is the definition of "curmudgeon." He's a book snob (his list of things he doesn't like is about 30 times longer than the list of things he does), he's something of a loner, and he's quite possibly an alcoholic. But then one day he wakes up to find a baby in his bookstore, along with a note asking him to take care of the child.

With a set-up like that (and the requisite romantic storyline), it's incredible that this book never crosses the line into schmaltz. But it never does, and instead offers a thoroughly enjoyable story full of humor and literary references. This will particularly appeal to those who love bookstores and libraries (which will probably include almost everyone who reads these words), but it's certainly not limited to that crowd. There's a reason why this book is on so many best-of-2014 lists.