Another reviewer mentioned that the third person narrator is what killed it for them, and I wholly agree. Nina's story felt flat and predictable

I wanted to love this book way more than I did but I just found it very slow. This really appealed to me because like Nina I also work at a bookstore but I just didn’t feel a connection to the main character. I did like that the characters had quirks and felt really unique which I think has been a big trend the last two years. Overall it was okay but I’m not in love.

(Sorry I just put this in the notes on the last page) -

This book just was not for me. The narrative voice was not appealing to me in any way. The narrator wanted so much to be my friend and used snarky asides to try to make me think she was hip and with it. But instead, she just got on my nerves. I could not relate to the way in which the author made fun of her protagonist's neighborhood by naming every child that came into the bookstore something ridiculous (like Elephantine). I understand that she was trying to show us how pretentious the neighborhood was but then Nina was not very self-aware since, I mean really, how pretentious do you have to be to live in that kind of neighborhood with your mother's amazing secondhand furniture that you just happened into. Also, Nina just didn't strike me as an actual bookish person. I just could not make myself stick with this book until the end.

I enjoyed this book as a nice rainy day read. I liked the cover art and the book description intrigued me. I could really relate to Nina and her life. Being bookish and a little socially awkward is something I can connect with. I liked seeing Nina interacting with her new extended family. I wished the romance between Nina and Tom had been better. Felt a little lackluster. Overall a cute read that I would recommend.

Book nerd. Reading snob. Trivia fanatic. So much fun! I can't wait to buy this book and read it again and again - for the days when you need a pick-me-up. The passages with rambling connections make me feel better about my brain! Authors I've never read have just jumped to the top of the t0-be-read pile (no more than 6 at a time, thank you very much). Nina Hill is a great every-anxious-woman with an incredible backstory. The LA, Larchmont setting is intriguing and I just want to spend a day living Nina's life. Bring on the beach reading, again and again!

A thoroughly enjoyable story of an introvert who finds her personal sphere wildly expanded by the discovery of her paternity. And I loved the reappearance of a character from The Garden of Small Beginnings.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Nina has the perfectly planned life until an unexpected death leaves her with more than she ever imagined.

With a fun cover and interesting synopsis, this book should have blown me out of the water. It didn’t. I wanted to love it so much so perhaps my expectations were a little too high going into this novel. That’s not to say it’s a bad story. With delightful interactions between characters and a focus on relationships (romance, friendships, family), it reminded me a lot of Pride and Prejudice. It’s very much a slice of life story set in a charming suburb of Los Angeles.

My biggest issue with The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is the point-of-view. Written in third person omniscience, it did a poor job connecting genuine emotion and personal drive to the characters. I knew most of the character’s inner thoughts, but their personal journeys never came close to engaging me. Not connecting to any of the characters, including the titular Nina, meant I never really connected to the story.

tl;dr A shallow slice-of-life story with not enough emotional impact to keep me truly entertained.

I received a digital copy of this book from a Net Galley. I could relate to Nina as a lover of books and their stories. Trivia is also something that is of interest. Add in a romance and a large family and the unexpected for a fun read. Highly recommend!

Let’s start off by saying this is a quick, chick-lit read. Nina is the only child and has never known her father... until he dies. She finds out she has quite the extended family, the problem is she is an introvert who has no time for things not in her “schedule." Also, she meets a guy. I didn’t really identify with Nina’s character. I was hoping for another “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.” This is not it. I didn’t find Nina’s life or verbiage indicative of an introvert. I also couldn't reconcile her sex life with her personality. I found most of the book enjoyable once I got used to the writing style (sort of rambling). Overall I’d give it a 3 out of 5.

I was drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover, and the contents are just as nice. I enjoyed the quirky cast in this character driven novel. Not much happens, but you really get to know the main character, Nina. The planner pages at the beginning of each chapter are a nice touch!

I was very excited to see that Abbi Waxman had a new book. I love that she keeps returning to this small town but focusing on a different main character. It's fun to see her previous characters show up. As a person who suffers from anxiety, I think Waxman handles it in a very realistic way.

Writing: 4.5/5 Plot: 3/5 Characters: 4/5 Pleasure reading: 5/5

Fun book with a capital F!

Nina Lee Hill is introduced to us as the “spinster of this parish and heroine both of her own life and the book you’re holding in your hand.” The parish in question is Knights — an independent bookstore in Larchmont Village (a quaint neighborhood in central Los Angeles) and her place of employment. She is a delightfully interesting character — an anxiety-ridden Millenial with a super-active brain who thinks of books as “medication and sanctuary and the source of all good things.” A surprise bequest from a father she didn’t know she had coupled with an obnoxious but attractive trivia competitor form the scaffolding of the simultaneously modern and Edwardian plot of this ultra-literary, romp through a central LA I never knew existed.

Funny, intelligent, and clever writing coupled with an array of engaging and quirky characters make this book what it is. Great dialog and banter and even … grammar jokes! The literary references range from Harry Potter to Chinua Achebe, Dickens and Austen to SF biggies Gaiman and Stephenson, Star Wars to Flowers for Algernon. I even discovered some new “classics” — a rare occurrence for me. Part Eleanor Oliphant, part Jane Austen, a great, fun, read that will leave you gasping on the floor from too much lol-ing.

Delightful Quotes:
“Grilled cheese in any form was her spirit animal.”

“Nina might battle crippling anxiety once or twice a week, but she also worked in retail, and rudeness is the special sauce on the burger that is the Los Angeles shopping public.”

After sputtering the phrase “Cool Beans” at the object of her affection … “At this her brain threw up its metaphorical hands and curled upon its stem like a pissed off hen.”

Quotes about Los Angeles:
“Whenever Nina was stuck there, which was rarely, because she would rather have filled her ears with flaming dog turds than go to the West side…”

“Sartre said hell was other people, but that was only because the 405 hadn’t been built yet.” <— my favorite!

Quirky. Intelligent. Hilarious. And seriously introspective. Nina has everything planned, order rules, until it doesn't. I couldn't stop reading, or laughing. Absolutely wonderful. Please give us more Ms Waxman.

It was a cute story with memorable characters. I enjoyed reading Nina's journey and her family and her romance with Tom. And so much trivia!

Sweet, feel-good read. A safe bet for a beach vacation, or those just looking to get lost in a book.

Thank you to Netgalley for this digital ARC.
I give this book 3.5 stars. Nina Hill is introverted, plans every single day down to the minute, and works in a bookstore. She quickly discovers that her absent father has died and there's a whole lot more family than just her and her constantly traveling mom. I was intrigued by the cover and the description of this book and wasn't sure what to expect. What I got in the end was a so-so romance but a great and well-rounded character with an interesting personal story.
I really connected with Nina because of her love of books and her job. Her quirk of knowing random facts at the drop of a hat really made me like her more. The quiz nights were fun and made me laugh because they always seemed to get out of hand. What made this book for me was the complicated family that Nina eventually becomes a part of. Having nephews that are older than her and sisters decades younger and older was fascinating. I needed a chart myself to keep up with it all. I wanted to keep on reading just so I could see what she ended up with during the will reading.
The romance between Nina and Tom was just okay. It was honestly the weakest part of the whole story. It felt superficial to me and there wasn't a lot of tension or build-up between them. Their conversations lacked passion and substance. There needed to be more to their whole relationship. Too much detail and depth was missing from them as a whole. They were cute but I didn't feel anything for them. I wanted to get back to the financial hardships of the bookstore and learning more about the family.
All that being said, I think this is a solid book with plenty of entertainment sprinkled throughout the pages.

Nina loves to read and works in a book store. She likes her life just the way it is. But, change is inevitable. She learns that she has a Dad and he is dead. She learns that she has a very large family. And, they want her to be a part of it. She learns she has a lot in common with her very large family. Oh and she met a guy. This is a lot of change and is hard for Nina to cope with especially given she has anxiety. Family, Boyfriend, Anxiety. She wants her quiet life back! Or does she?

I loved this novel! Abbi Waxman takes us into the life of Nina Hill and her friends and newly found family. This book will have you laughing out loud (which I did often). We have all been Nina Hill at times, navigating through life and anxiety. She sometimes stumbles but always manages to pull through. I have ordered this book for my library and will bring it to the book club I host.
Ms. Waxman, thank you for this witty, wonderful read. And thank you for the laughs, we all need to laugh!

What a pleasure to venture into Nina Hill's bookish life. An only child, Nina has lived a quiet life dictated by her daily planner - read, work at her beloved bookstore, trivia night, friends, repeat. When her life is turned upside down by the sudden appearance of an entire extended family, uncertainty at work and a rivalry turned new relationship, we see Nina's plans go out the window and enjoy the journey that ensues. For fans of Maria Semple and Jennie Colgan.

What a fun book to read! Plenty of sensible chuckles and some laugh out loud moments were had. The characters are funny and relatable, and I enjoy the random trivia facts peppered here and there. Okay, so maybe the whole "we're family and the proof is in the genetics that make us do and like similar things" thing was a tad overdone, but overall the story was quite enjoyable. It also reminds me of how much I enjoy reading. Thank you!