The novel was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. A.J. Fikry is stalled in his life. He’s a prickly character with unyielding opinions. The books he has read shape how he interprets the world, and as such he has a very strong view on what comprises quality literature. Early on in the novel, a plot twist leaves him with a tiny girl to look after. Their relationship and the changes that it forces from this otherwise intractable character becomes the primary focus of Zevin’s story.
The book is fairly short and the plot moves quickly throughout. However, my issue was ultimately that the story did not hold my interest. A little more than half way through the book, the story had its first could-be ending. But, the plot continued forward. I had seen the first exit though, and I saw several others follow. After each I grew more wary, and more ready to reach the true end. The story itself was pleasant and quaint enough, but from my perspective, not particularly memorable.
I’m such a bibliophile, and stories about books would typically be my cup of tea, but this one just wasn’t. It was fine - I didn’t dislike it - but if I could go back, I’d skip it.