Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Algonquin Books 2014

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 260

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over--and see everything anew.

Definitely not my book. I should have known that anything labeled “sweet” was probably not going to appeal to my reading tastes. I was interested with the first two chapters, but then things went downhill immediately. Too many cutesy coincidences. Too many sweet interactions. Too many heartwarming conversations. I was rolling my eyes throughout the entire book. Curmudgeon characters are not my thing. I dislike when terminal diseases are used to pull at the heart-strings. I was not a fan of the weird time jumps. Overall, I very much disliked this book.

Next up on the TBR pile: