The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Every month, independent booksellers send reviews of their favorite new books to Indie Next; the 20 titles that receive the most votes are included on Indie Next's monthly Great Reads list. The #1 pick for April, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, garnered the most reviews ever in the several-year history of the list, which in and of itself makes it worth checking out. As it turns out, there may be a special reason for the outpouring of enthusiasm - the novel's lead character is himself a bookseller. He's a quite a curmudgeon and not a very happy camper at the outset of the book, but his life takes a turn when a baby is unexpectedly thrust upon him and he re-discovers the wisdom found in literature. Zevin has written a charming love letter to the world of books - here's what one bookseller had to say:

"Fikry is a bookseller with a small shop in a sleepy island resort town off the coast of Massachusetts. He's a bit cantankerous, but with good reason: his wife, the 'people person' of the relationship, has recently died and his prized possession, a rare copy of Tamerlane, has gone missing. Despite those losses, there's one strange addition, a baby girl left on his doorstep with an explicit request for Fikry to take her in. Zevin's novel offers the reality of both death and rebirth, held together by the spirit of the bookstore. It's a romantic comedy, a spiritual journey, and if you include the chapter openings, a collection of short story criticisms as well. In short, it's a celebration of books and the people who read them, write them, and sell them."