Title: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
Author: Abbi Waxman
Publication: July 9, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pages: 352
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.
When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is?
Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)
It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.
BOOK REVIEW:
I saw this book while scrolling Bookstagram (Instagram but only book-related content). I knew when I saw it that I had to read this book. It had Bookish in the title so how could I turn it down!? I immediately added it to my Amazon Wish List and waited patiently for the price to drop. Granted that took a few months but that is fine. When it finally hit a price that didn’t make me cringe for an e-book I pulled the trigger. I couldn’t wait to read it.
Nina Hill had her life figured out. She worked at a bookstore, played trivia and, planned her days down to the very last second. That is all thrown for a loop when she is approached by a lawyer who says her birth dad has died and her presence is required at the will reading. Her carefully planned days are also thrown when she falls for a fellow trivia player. She is forced to make time for other people in her life. This book was 100% me. I could see little bits of Nina in me. The book-loving aspect. I can only strive to have a bookcase as well-stocked at her house. I am also like her in any slight deviation from the planned day just absolutely throws me into a tailspin. I can admit it, change doesn’t really work for me. I can’t handle it in large doses, small changes I am usually ok with but anything past what I have planned just completely throws me off.
I loved the character development on Nina. From the beginning when she is super uptight and tells her crush that she can pencil him three weeks from now for a date to the end when up and decides that they are going to go to Mexico for vacation. I really liked how she had friends that brought her out of her shell. She had her boss Liz and her coworker Polly. They both kind of helped her with her quirks. The meeting of her new found family also seemed to bring something out of her. She realized that these people also seemed to have anxiety issues and the ability to remember random facts like she could. I think she felt less lonely knowing that she wasn’t the only one. She had a whole new family behind her, even if some of them didn’t like her. I could really appreciate her new boyfriend.
Someone who loves her for who she is quirks and all. I loved the little thing the author did. The man, Tom, was a carpenter and made furniture, specifically bookcases and he was dating Nina who was obsessed and loved books. I am not sure if I will read the other books this author wrote. I see they have a hit or miss reviews. I will more than likely read them and give my own opinion while reading them. I should probably add them to my Amazon Wish List and keep an eye on the price.
STAR RATING: 5/5
Pick up your copy of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or check your local bookstore. Also make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. Check out more from author Abbi Waxman on her website HERE.
