Instant USA Today bestseller!“Abbi Waxman is both irreverent and thoughtful.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin“Meet our bookish millennial heroine—a modern-day Elizabeth Bennet, if you will… Waxman’s wit and wry humor stand out. She is funny and imaginative, and “Bookish” lands a step above run-of-the-mill romantic comedy fare.”—The Washington Post“Abbi Waxman offers up a quirky, … Washington Post
“Abbi Waxman offers up a quirky, eccentric romance that will charm any bookworm…. For anyone who’s ever wondered if their greatest romance might come between the pages of books they read, Waxman offers a heartwarming tribute to that possibility.”–Entertainment Weekly
The author of Other People’s Houses and The Garden of Small Beginnings delivers a quirky and charming novel chronicling the life of confirmed introvert Nina Hill as she does her best to fly under everyone’s radar.
Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own…shell.
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.
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For all of us who prefer to stay in and read, who like our lives tidy and uncomplicated, this is our story. Except, of course, Nina’s life becomes uncomfortably messy…and fascinating…when her biological father, a stranger to her, includes her in his will. A celebration of those of us who love trivia, reading, bookstores and home. Absolutely lovely.
Nina Hill is absolutely charming! I found myself chuckling out loud several times during this book, both at Nina’s predicaments and Ms. Waxman’s marvelous wit. Plus…a book about books! What’s not to love? As the story develops, Nina’s carefully-crafted world is jumbled up with revelations out of left field, and watching Nina cope, while wanting to slide back into her jammies, grab her cat and read, is endlessly entertaining. A colorful cast of characters surround her, and if you love stories about families, you’ll enjoy Nina’s, both the one she assembled when she was all alone and the one that springs into her life. A fun, sweet and thoughtful tale to brighten your day!
4.5 STARS!
Such a fun read, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman is an adorable and heartwarming novel!
Nina Hill is quirky, sarcastic, and an introvert. She lives in a small apartment with her cat, Phil and works at a bookstore. Nina doesn’t have much of a relationship with her mother as she was basically raised by her nanny, Louise. Nina is also imaginative. She gets lost in the stories she reads and loves, which is what all bookworms do. Soon, Nina uncovers that her deceased father (whom she never met) made her a beneficiary in his will. She also discovers she has brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces and even great-nephews/nieces. She finds what she’s always longed for… A family. Along the way Nina also finds love.
Abbi Waxman takes us on a journey throughout this novel. A journey of self-discovery through Nina’s eyes. One in which she battles anxiety and has to realize she doesn’t have to be alone to feel content. This journey allows Nina to grow and come into herself. The only fault I found was there were moments that the plot felt a bit rushed, and I’m that person that always wants more in a story… especially from the secondary characters. Regardless, it was a joy watching Nina live outside her books for once!
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was brilliantly witty and at times emotional. I enjoyed it 100%! It was small parts romance and bit of angst, but overall this book leaned more towards women’s fiction. Without question, this novel will captivate you and make you laugh. If you’re a fellow bookworm like myself and Nina Hill then this is a must read!
An unusual character who loves books more than other people. This author has a unique style and sense of humor.
Full of awkwardness, anxiety, family drama, a bit of romance, and BOOKS! Super enjoyable and relatable. Will absolutely be a re-read for me in the future.
“Do you know the best feeling in the world? … It’s reading a book, loving every second of it, then turning to the front and discovering that the writer wrote fourteen zillion others.”
I think there is a little of Nina Hill in me. She loves books, she knows a lot of useless information, and she means to do better with her diet and exercise. She’s got a crush on a fellow trivia-head, and oh yeah, a family that popped up out of nowhere. A very fun read on this Labor Day weekend
I picked this up while roaming a bookstore on vacation. Admittedly, I was attracted by the cover. (So cute.) I quickly became enamored by the quirky voice of this new-to-me author. Such a delight to be truly entertained by well-developed and REAL characters, pithy humor, and unique/fresh story. Waxman offers up a tidy, clever mix of palpable pacing with a foot on the break of internal struggle so true to real life. This novel is out of my typical niche genre of faith-based inspirational romance, but I devoured the last page both completely satisfied and wanting more. Which is all any reader can hope for. An absolute delight.
Nina Hill is a trivia-nerd who keeps a planner and who loves books. I mean, she could be me. The world building and interesting voice grabbed me and wouldn’t let me put the book down.
A heroine who is weird yet confident in her weirdness with no pressing need to change—but of course, change is thrust upon her. I particularly liked her egalitarian relationship with her cat.
This book made me smile, and at times laugh out loud. I shook my head a lot over this strange, enjoyable story about quirky Nina Hill and her life.
Nina is like the sister I never had but always wished for. A true bookworm, charming, quirky, sarcastic. You can’t help but love her! Read this one, you will thank me for the recommendation:)
Did I love this book? Um…that’s a firm YES! Nina is my spirit person. She’s hilarious, Abbi Waxman is hilarious and I could not stop laughing out loud. People were staring at me in public, but this is the kind of book that just does that to you. I totally recommend this book for people who like to laugh and think funny things they never say aloud.
Nina is a book lover who prefers her own company. When she discovers a large family she never knew she had, her life changes in significant ways. Warm, witty, and fun!
Adored this book and the quirky characters. Romantic, heartwarming and the intelligent humor was a bonus. A definite re-read.
This was a nice quirky read and I connected with the character in this so well as I am sure that a lot of other readers will in the same way. Very relatable characters and a good solid storyline. The characters complimented each other really well and I can’t wait to see if there will be more form this author in the future.
I expected to like The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. What I did not expect was to relate so well to Nina. At times, it was like I was reading about myself. For example:
-Find people and situations exhausting
-Prefer the company of books to people
-Need to be alone most of the time
-Terrible panic attacks and anxiety that require several days alone to recover
-Planning everything
-Can’t drive a stick shift
See? Wow. I adored the story. The dialogue is so freaking witty and sharp. Every character is likeable in some way, and each one is distinct with heart and substantial personalities. Nina is an awesome heroine. Just a girl trying to figure out life one planner page at the time. With a judgmental cat. I was surprised to learn that anxiety is such a big part of her life. The author addressed the subject with sensitivity and respect, for which I am grateful as an anxiety sufferer myself. Her world is thrown into chaos due to unforseen circumstances, but how Nina responds ultimately reveals her inner strength and true character. This story is amazingly well written, insightful and entertaining. I loved the book and culture references sprinkled throughout. I laughed. I cried. Everything about this book is delightful, and it’s a fun read. Abbi Waxman is definitely a new favorite for me!
I just LOVE Abbi Waxman – she writes lovely, silly, sweet, poignant, surprisingly insightful characters who live ordinary lives, with all the extraordinary nonsense that inhabits them… Her characters leap off the page and into your mind and heart, and they do so not only because of the thoughtful way that they are crafted but because they are so eminently relatable. My first foray into her world was via Other People’s Houses, which was a fantastically funny look at suburban mommy neighborhood drama. This time Waxman takes on the singleton life, and she makes the experience feel just as resonant and believable and true, despite the wild disparity in lifestyles described therein.
In this story, what should by rights be a trope – single girl who loves books more than people – is instead a glorious study of what it means to live a life that seems satisfying right up until it isn’t anymore. And anyone who has lived has lived that particular experience, which is what makes it so resonant. What makes it so enjoyable is the marvelous cast of supporting characters, which complement Nina so well and turn the entire story into a panoply of the highs and lows of life.
It was a delight to read and once again confirmed that as soon as I finish an Abbi Waxman novel I can’t wait for the next to come out! The book releases in the U.S. on July 9, 2019. Thanks to the Penguin First to Read program for my review copy!
An excellent choice when looking for a break from heavier and/or darker subject matter. I found myself nodding along with the protagonist’s philosophy and quirky choices.
What a fun and unique book! The protagonist was quite interesting and appealing, with an unusual background and an anxiety disorder to contend with, making for plenty of interesting situations. It might not be the book for anyone who is intensely put off or disturbed by particularly vulgar and juvenile humor concerning male genitalia, but should have a somewhat broad appeal, otherwise. Kudos to the author for such a cleverly conceived and cleverly written story.
I randomly came across this book and of course with the title I just had to read it. Well, I listened to the audiobook. I loved this book. It made me chuckle and had a few Alice in Wonderland references too. I want to be Nina! She’s suppose to be nerdy but she’s totally not nerdy to me. This was my first book by this author. I plan on reading more from her.