Chapter Two Hundred Eleven: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

So I wanted something short-ish to read on a plane ride recently, and also something that I could get as an e-book (due to luggage restrictions...), so I finally got around to Gabrielle Zevins's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which has been vaguely on my to-read list for quite some time.  It wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but I really enjoyed this novel nonetheless.  The narration is oddly distant from the characters, sort of keeping them at arm's length, which I normally wouldn't go in for, except they're all so loveable, or at least interesting (plus they're book lovers) that I didn't mind the emotional distance of the narration.  This novel is sort of a cross between a curmudgeon-finds-family tale (think A Man Called Ove) and a small-town-life tale (think At Home in Mitford), and I found it totally delightful, if a little rough at the start.  If you're looking for a heartwarming tale of an unusual family and its unusual little town, try The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.