What a smart, funny book! It’s a romance, but the "love stuff" is surprisingly detached from the principal story which is about a woman and her love of literature and trivia. Nina Hill seems like a fairly normal bookstore employee. She reads, a lot. She knows trivia, a lot. And she talks to her cat, the normal amount.

But things start to get a little abnormal when Nina discovers that her estranged father has passed away and left her an inheritance and a large extended family as well. Add that discovery to an unexpected mutual attraction to a fellow trivia buff and you have the formula for a series of events that threatens to uproot Nina from her quiet life as an introvert.

This book has everything: rowdy relatives, a talking cat, flying cupcakes, and Mephistopheles. But if you're thinking that it sounds like it would be an utterly ridiculous story, you'd be utterly wrong! Bookish Life is a witty and well-rounded book that left me laughing, commiserating, and then, at the end, wanting to know even more about Nina Hill.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At times the author was trying far too hard to create a nerdy bookish character. Nina is relatable in many aspects (especially since most people reading this book are book lovers themselves) but she often overflows into this cartoonish character.

I was really intrigued by the concept of the book but overall disappointed in the stereotypical characters, cheesy writing, and cringey character decisions.

Very cute. Nina is definitely my kind of person! This is romance, comedy, contemporary women's fiction, and tough topics all rolled into one.

I always love a good book about people who love books and this one fit the bill perfectly. Nina was such a fun character to read about. Her insatiable quest for trivia knowledge, anxiety for new situations, and brand new family added to her already quirky nature. There were also plenty of secondary characters that added to the story. I did feel like there were a few things that were a bit unbelievable, but they were small enough to be overlooked. Overall, this was a quick, fun read with plenty of humorous situations for a good laugh.

This book was an absolute delight to read. Nina's character is so relatable to the introverted bookworm (aka just about every person in the online book community) and it was so much fun to follow along while her life absolutely changes. The romance was adorable, the girl talk during book club was again, super relatable and hilarious, and I LOVED the trivia element added to it. As someone who knows endless information on pointless stuff, I thought it was alot of fun. I would highly recommend this book!

Nina Hill has her life just how she wants it: a job at a bookstore, an apartment with a reading nook and her cat Phil, and her days scheduled around her organized planner. But her neatly designed life gets a big shock when the father she never knew suddenly dies, giving Nina newfound knowledge of a host of brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Add on to that a crush on her trivia nemesis, Tom, and Nina's careful life is a mess.

I've been wanting to read this for a while, as it sounded totally up my alley, and it so was. It's a major ode to books and bookworms. I felt such an affinity to Nina, and I found the book to be witty and sweet. When I first started it, I was worried it might be a little too cute (the writing style is quirky and different), but Nina and the writing quickly grew on me.

There's so much to love and identify with in this one--about books and bookstores, trivia, family, love, and it deftly handles anxiety and introversion. I'm sure so many readers will find parts of themselves in Nina. I know I did.

"As an only child of a single mother, Nina's natural state was solitude. Growing up, she saw other people with fathers and brothers and sisters, and it looked like fun, but generally, she thought she was better of without a crowd."

I absolutely adored how Nina's finding her new family changed her--it was touching and funny. The cast of characters we meet is hilarious and yet poignant at times. Because Nina's (now late) father was older, she has brothers and sisters of a variety of ages, as well as a charming gay nephew. But watching her come out of her shell, meeting these people, is really lovely. (And brave.)

"Nina worried she liked being alone too much; it was the only time she ever fully relaxed. People were... exhausting. They made her anxious."

Honestly, I loved Nina. The way she interacted with the kids in the various book groups she ran at the bookstore. The way she handled falling for Tom. The way she loved her cat. The realistic way she presented her anxiety. The fact that she was introverted but friendly and kind. (Imagine that? Introverts can be fun, not just evil curmudgeons.) Her deep love of books and her desire to help other people love books, too. I could go on and on.

While you can see how some of this story will play out, it doesn't make it any less fun to read. It's really sweet, funny, and enjoyable. I totally fell for Nina and found it so easy to get caught up in her story and her life. This book was very touching, and I totally teared up at the end, which is rare for me. Definitely recommend this one. 4+ stars.

Nina Hill is a book loving introvert who has job in a bookstore, loves playing trivia with her friends and lives a very structured life. Until she gets word that she has an entire new family she never knew existed. Drama ensues as she's thrust very far out of her comfort zone. I liked Nina, but I didn't love her. Yes, she was quirky, sometimes charming, and had a bookish zest for all things books and reading which booklovers can definitely relate to. But at times I found her quirkiness to be a tad much. I also had no interest in the new family storyline although the romantic was fairly engaging. The pace was ok, I just found this to be an average summer read overall

This book was funny and cute. I found myself laughing and chuckling out loud a lot throughout. I really related to Nina Hill with her anxiety, active brain and preference of alone time. This book was a nice change of pace and not something I would have normally picked out for myself.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2896433028

Before I start with my New book Review , I would like to thank @PRHGlobal @prhinternational for Providing me with a free E-galley copy of this book for my Honest Review . Thanks a lot for giving me the opportunity to read this novel .

*****************

“People were... exhausting. They made her anxious. Leaving her apartment every morning was the turning over of a giant hourglass, the mental energy she’d stored up overnight eroding grain by grain. She refueled during the day by grabbing moments of solitude and sometimes felt her life was a long-distance swim between islands of silence.”

Book : The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill .

Author : Abbi Waxman .

Genre : Fiction , Romance , Contemporary .

Rate : 5/5.

Review in one word : Soul - Touching .

******************

As I'm not a professional Book Reviewer , My main standards in  evaluating  any  book , are my ability to connect with  the characters , The writing style of the author and my love of the story . 

This Book got my heart from the first sentence , Nina is one of the few characters that I could relate to and connect with in a strong way . she is a Bookworm  , an extreme one , awkward , kind and  loves reading so much . So , book lovers , you HAVE TO READ THIS NOVEL . 

The story is about Nina's life , her relationships with her new discovered family , how she tries to leave her safe zone to connect with them , a lot of the situations in this book , I go through in my real life and I think every bibliophile do too . 

There is a love story in this book , but it's not what this novel is all about , the romance is sweet and cute.

The author writing style is really cool , witty and interesting . I liked it so much , would love to read more from this brilliant author  .

What I really loved about this book , is how Nina is trying to work through her anxiety and awkwardness to strengthen her relations with the people in her world . Got all the warm vibes while reading .

Highly recommended , one of my 2019 favorite books .

“It also meant she thought of books as medication and sanctuary and the source of all good things. Nothing yet had proved her wrong.”

I received an arc of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

My rating is 3.5 / 5 stars

Nina is an introvert living in L.A. and working in a bookstore. Her life is busy with reading, weekly book club and trivia meetings, and movies. Los Angeles has been Nina's home since she was a small girl and she doesn't travel very much. Work is calm (mostly) and filled with Nina's passion: books.

But Nina's world is turned upside down when she is contacted by her father's lawyer. A man she never met (the dad not the lawyer-- though she didn't know the lawyer either). She has siblings, and nieces, nephews and other relatives that she's really not sure she wants to meet. And there is Tom, an opponent from the trivia league, and the feelings she gets when he's near.

Like many introverts, Nina best expresses herself in her own thoughts and rarely does her mouth or actions do a good job of portraying them. Nina spends a vast amount of this story in her own head. I'd describe the "thinking" portion of this book as rambling. It's often amusing and I found myself highlighting them. For example, when comparing herself to her father (who was old, overweight and male), she thinks it's not like apples and oranges, but grapes and raisins. Or "Magical thinking only works for children. And politicians, maybe."

It was the humour that kept me coming back to the story. Book lovers will find pieces of themselves scattered throughout the story - in her love of books, or Nina's need to arrange bookshelves just so, or maybe in the comfort gleaned between the pages of a good book.

I found this book very imaginative and funny. The thoughts going through Nina's head were hilarious!

This book was adorable! I could relate almost too much to Nina and I know that if she was real we'd be great friends. The ending felt a little rushed, but the build up to it was satisfying.
I'd definitely recommend it to patrons (and already have)!

Nina Hill is perfectly pleased with her comfortable life: employment at her local bookstore (including running their many book clubs), trivia competitions and movies, morning with her planner and nights blocked off for reading. It only takes one event to turn her life upside down: learning that her father has named her in his will alongside all the members of the rather large and unusual family that she’s never met. As Nina navigates all the new twists life is throwing her way, she might just learn to accept that life isn’t always going to happen according to plan. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a book I did enjoy, particularly because of Nina, who felt incredibly relatable to me on a personal level. Waxman does well in incorporating details that bring Nina and her world to life – the trivia nights, Nina’s penchant for organization and vision boards, her deep love of books and reading, the personalities of Nina’s extended family members and friends. The only thing that I didn’t love was the writing style. It felt very detached and impersonal, though that did improve a little bit in the second half of the story. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a charming, feel good contemporary story, and I’m ultimately glad I read it.

I love a bookish main character! The synopsis of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill had me so excited: "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." Add a little romance and it is the perfect recipe. Nina is so endearing! I just wanted to get to know her from the beginning and by the end I wanted to be her, ha ha. She is the classic introverted, anxious, bookish gal who happens to now have to deal with the onslaught of meeting new people she suddenly finds herself related to. The supporting characters were just as fun, from the bookstore owner to the trivia teammates. Made me really see that no matter how quirky you are, you can find your tribe. As a local south Californian, I appreciate the truthful and humorous discussion of east versus west LA. If you are in the mood for a fun, light, bookish read, dive into a humorous adventure with Nina.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My favorite of Waxman's books so far! She has created a really great and likable protagonist in Nina Hill. Yes, Nina is a complete book nerd with anxiety, but she's not a total social idiot (as nerds and sufferers of anxiety can sometimes be portrayed). She even shows that introverts can actually like people! Obviously, as a librarian and a big-time reader, I related immensely to the character :-)

If you love books about loving books, then it's an easy one to recommend.

There were aspects of this story I really loved and some things I didn't. I think Nina is a unique character, though, and I know a lot of readers will be able to relate to her and her story!

I mean…I absolutely LOVED this book! It was everything I wanted it to be and more. It not only has a bookish vibe (always, always, ALWAYS a winner for me), but I found myself wanting to be friends with Nina throughout the entire read. That doesn’t happen all the time for me, but when it does-it’s truly something magical 🙂 Here’s a little about Nina- She works in a bookstore, has a great little apartment and a slightly snarky and jealous cat named Phil. She is full of schedules, keeps to herself for the most part and has a distanced relationship with her free-spirited and neglectful Mother. She plays trivia at local bars and seems to love her life the way it is. She has a confidence in herself that I admired but a realness to her that that says, “I know I’m not perfect, but I like myself this way.” Personally, I’m not looking for crazy adventures or to travel to far away places. I’m not looking to hit up the bars late at night with drinks and a constant litany of friends in tow. I’m more of a cup of tea at night with a good book in my hand, curled up with my dog on the couch and my wife doing the same thing next to me. I love my friends and enjoy a night out once in a while, but I would have zero problem saying no to an event because I already had plans that night—to read. I seriously think Nina and I would be friends and could picture us both participating in a silent book club together 🙂 Side note: Abbi Waxman, if you wrote your character to be anything like yourself, or if you know someone like Nina, send them my info 😉

This book was truly magical for me. I haven’t enjoyed reading a book like I enjoyed The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in a long time. (and that’s saying a lot, because I usually enjoy most books I pick up). The bookish references were everything, I found myself laughing out loud many, many times, and I just kept thinking that Nina was speaking my language. I am going to miss Nina and a lot of the characters that Waxman created so much and imagine myself thinking of them for a long time to come. If you liked Eleanor Oliphant (I loveddd Eleanor) and books about books are your jam, definitely go out and grab this one right away! You won’t be disappointed. It filled my bookish heart with joy!

Nina Hill is my spirit animal. I really loved this book. It was a cute bookworm book. I felt like I was reading a book that was written just for me. All of the book references and such were so fun.

Bookworms will love The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. If you love books about books, bookstores, readers, etc. you should pick this one up. Very cute, light read.⁠
⁠
Nina works in a bookstore, is part of a trivia team, and likes living alone with her cat. Her quiet, solitary life is upended when she finds out that the father she never knew has died and she is required to come to the reading of his will...and to meet her complicated and extended new family. As if that wasn't enough to send her into a tailspin, her handsome trivia nemesis is turning into a suitor...and maybe more!⁠
⁠
My favorite part of this book is that each chapter begins with a page of Nina's planner. I love that stuff in books: diary entries, letters, post-its, emails, etc.

I loved this book so much, I scheduled an interview with the author! Nina is wonderful and quirky and Bookworm-tastic. I loved the Whole Thing!