A nowhere book that suddenly, because there was nowhere else to go, turned into Fredrik Backman’s “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”, then bounces back to nowhere only to finish up as a romance.

I have no idea what happened here, in the past, Abbi Waxman’s books were a must buy, they were full of family, humor, and the realities of life. Yes, to be honest, this book touches on family, a damaged one, but still family. There is humor, sparks here and there, but not sustained. I just found it a disappointing foray into the same Larchmont neighborhood of her two prior books.

The introverted only child of a professional photographer single mother, who left her in the care of a nanny when she could no longer fit in a cardboard box, suddenly becomes aware that there was a father out there. A man who recently died and has mentioned her in his will. Not only is she learning about a man she never knew but she has come to find three sisters, a brother, and a smattering of nieces and nephews. With Nina’s anxiety attacks, over planned journal, pub quiz night, a new family, a new man, and a dearly loved job surrounded by books which is about to close its doors, it is no surprise that this wandering book encapsulates a life half lived.

If you are looking for a happily ever after type of book, you will literally find it here since that is how Abbi Waxman decided to end this book – with those exact words.

Nina Hill is a quirky character. She's introverted and bookish. She is on a trivia team and develops a crush on their arch-rival. She never knew her father, but when he dies, he leaves her something in his will and she learns she has a large extended family who all want to get to know her. The bookstore where she works is not doing well because of online booksellers.

This book is good. It's cute. At times, it feels like an ode to the book lovers, which is really sweet and something I could relate to.

Have you ever read a book that you identified with so strongly that you couldn't do anything but giggle and smile like a loon and highlight quotes and passages to your heart's delight??

That was this book for me. I absolutely loved reading about a bookish character that was outgoing and confident in herself, totally throwing a big middle finger to the idea that just because someone is super into reading must naturally mean that they are also timid and meek. Nina has anxiety issues, and sometimes she needs to recharge her extrovert battery (hello, I feel this), but she also goes to trivia nights and is outgoing and snarky and frankly, hilarious.

I loved the entire premise of this book - creating a world around yourself based on truths you know about your family and then watching all of those truths get completely waylaid as you find out that you are not, in fact, an only child - you've got half siblings, and aunts and uncles, and grandparents, and nieces and nephews and even GREAT nieces and nephews. I loved how the family was unique and fun and not all rainbows and sunshine (seriously, Lydia - chill already).

However, in a weird way, the part about her family is where the book both excelled and where it was most wanting. I felt like there would have been a lot more about this portion of the plot, but by the end, it just sort of evaporated into a lot of tiny neat packages with adorable little bows on them - I would have liked to have a bit more of a conclusion to that portion. If this were a book with a sequel, I wouldn't mind in the slightest. However, the end of the book seemed a bit ~finished~ without any hope of a follow-up.

Another thing that I really loved that was executed SO well can be summed up in just one word ... COMMUNICATION. People actually, like, talked to one another? And, you know, explained things?? It shouldn't be such a complete shocker that this can actually happen in books, but I'm always so pleasantly surprised when this trope isn't taken advantage of in yet another contemporary novel.

Overall, I really & truly loved this book, even though the ending (while still super cute and fluffy) was very abrupt and not-finished-feeling, I still have to rate it 5 stars because it was just such a frickin' delight to read. (&&the addition of her planner pages at the beginning of some pages was an A+++++ part of the set up of this book!)

This was an overall sweet novel that falls into the same vein as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - a quirky, introverted, set-in-her-ways main character whose life gets thrown slightly off course by some events. It doesn’t nearly live up to Eleanor Oliphant’s legacy, though. 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

The description of this book makes it sound like it’s all about Nina Hill (an indeed bookish, introverted, schedule-oriented, cat-loving trivia expert who lives and works in Larchmont Village in LA) suddenly discovering that she has a huge, crazy family. In reality, I would say that accounts for about 25–40% of the book. It’s mostly about Nina and her friends/trivia team (“Book ‘Em Danno”), Nina falling in love with a rival trivia team member, Nina working at a bookstore, and Nina hosting a variety of book clubs.

I enjoyed the setting and the lightheartedness of the whole book. It was easy to read and enjoyable.

The writing in this book, as well as the characterization of Nina, was good - if not a little too “perfect.” You know how you watch a movie and just think to yourself, “This is not how real people talk. No group of people is this witty and weird, and this doesn’t sound like real human dialogue to me.” That’s how I felt reading this book. It was certainly fun banter at times, but none of it felt like a real or plausible story.

What missed the mark for me was that even Nina is a little too unrealistic - she’s weird but not that weird, bookish but still hip on pop culture, a totally normal functioning adult who is passed off as a strange quirky redheaded gal. I liked her okay, but I didn’t feel like I was rooting for her as a protagonist. I didn’t really care about her or how she dealt with any of her (very minor) problems in the book.

This book isn’t meant to be a roller coaster ride - it’s a story that hums along like a storybook ride. But even then, there are tiny blips in the machine that are supposed to be plot turns - I do wish they were more than just blips. Particularly given how this reminds you so much of Eleanor Oliphant, a seemingly charming story with a startling climax and falling action, you find yourself wishing that feathers would be a little bit more ruffled.

Overall: Easy summer read, enjoyable, and fun - but don’t go looking for any kind of intense plot, well-rounded characters, or realism, because you won’t find it here.

I have never connected so much to a character as I did with Nina Hill. This was an engaging read from the first page and I didn't want it to end. The way that Nina evolves as the story goes on was thoughtfully handled. I will recommend this book to everyone!

The ARC was provided by NetGalley, and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I found Nina to be entirely relatable as she discovered a family, a love, and a life outside of her regimented existence. I also loved the supporting characters, although a few strings were too quickly and neatly tied up in the end. The world of trivia quizzes made for a great backdrop, and I will definitely recommend this book!

Abbi Waxman's writing style never disappoints! This, however, was my favorite of her books, probably because I felt so much of myself in Abbi. Books are safe, trivia brings out my fierce side, and I am the epitome of introvert. This book was funny, charming, and engaging. I will absolutely purchase a copy for my library and give it a staff pick recommendation! Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read this book.

I’ve loved Abby Waxman and this new book did not disappoint. I love the multiple story lines - others have said it gets confusing or messy but I disagree. Yet, it feels different than her last book (Other People’s Houses) which one might assume might be too similar. Solid 4 stars.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Nina Hill is my spirit animal. For all my life, I've loved being alone and have always been made to feel "weird" because of it. I do like people have have friends and love being with my family, but I feel like I'm at my best when I'm by myself. I've only recently started to see this as a gift- how lucky am I that I can be alone and be so perfectly happy? Oh, and I love my husband dearly and one of my greatest compliments to him is that being with him is as good as being alone. Like Nina, reading it my great passion and I am very tied to my schedule and hate veering from it. Unlike Nina, I'm not good at trivia. At all.

I think my favorite thing about this book is that it felt so "normal." As readers, we're just following along with Nina's daily life and getting to know her and her habits, friends, etc. When we join her, she's just learned her father has passed away. The thing is, she never knew a thing about her dad as her mom raised her on her own. And now she's learning she not only had a dad, but that she has quite a few siblings, nieces and nephews, etc. In the midst of dealing with this news, she's working at her bookstore job, attending trivia nights with her friends, and getting to know a guy who seems very interested in her.

I've heard some people criticizing this book for having too many storylines, but that's what I love so much about it.... Because that's life! We don't often go through "one thing at a time" in our daily lives and things tend to keep moving on no matter what else is going on. I love that we get to join Nina in her daily life. I also love how many surprises she holds. At first I thought Nina was a super nerdy, kinda uptight good girl... So, I was a bit surprised by some of the conversations she and her friends had and the descriptions of her time with Tom. But those things only made Nina more relatable to me and I feel like Abbi Waxman did a really good job of creating a character who felt real. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill feels totally different than Other People's Houses (the last book I read by Waxman), but in a really good way for me.

Now that I'm done with the book, I seriously miss Nina Hill and wish I had more of her in my life!

Oh, this book. I read it with a smile on my face while I cackled with every chapter. This is definitely going to be one I return to through the years, and with all the books out there that need to be read, that's one of the best compliments I can give.

Nina Hill's life is going according to plan. She has an apartment with bookshelves aplenty, a job at a bookstore she loves - walking distance from her apartment, no less, a trivia team that usually wins when they're not getting kicked out of bars, a planner where every inch of the day is accounted for, and of course, she has books.

Oh, and some people too. Her coworkers, her trivia team, her much absent mother - just enough people to hold at arm's length and ignore if they don't fit in her perfectly planned world. Because we all know that works well...

Despite believing that a father was out of the equation in her life, suddenly one falls into her lap when she finds out he's dead and she's been listed in his will. Oh, and he has many other children...and grandchildren...and scores of other relatives just waiting to suss Nina out. Even without her constant anxiety that would be overwhelming.

But she overcomes her fears and begins to meet her newfound family. Surprisingly, some of them are nice. And very similar to Nina. Genetics are wild, it turns out.

But the turmoil continues to spiral.

Her trivia nemesis, Tom, is actually far less of a jerk than she anticipated. In fact, he's gorgeous and tempting. And interested in her. To top it all off, Knight's Bookstore, her beloved place of work, is on its last legs. It's been on its last legs for a long time, and those legs are finally starting to crumble. I guess all those visits from the landlord should have tipped her off.

With all this drama, bookish Nina will have to do something she's never considered before - take charge and make some changes in her life. Her planner isn't going to be too happy about this...

I'm not sure if I've ever related to a main character as much as I related to Nina. She's much wittier and well organized than I'll ever hope to be, but it's nice to have aspirations.

Not stopping at Nina, all the other characters were firmly fleshed out and their personalities were so vibrant that I felt like I knew them. I would play trivia with the Book 'Em crew, climb Tom like a tree, and grab a croissant with Peter any day of the week.

This story just felt like a warm hug. I sunk into it immediately and it felt lovely and familiar. I adored this book. The humor, the struggles that Nina went through, the absurdity of a food fight between hippies and bookworms - it's all magical. I can't wait for everyone to read this book!

Introverts and book worms unite! I'm surprised I haven't come across more books about reclusive book lovers, but I'm glad I did with The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. It's like reading into a mirror for fellow book lovers.
The incredible wit and literary knowledge of the author is almost intimidating, but enjoyable to read.
There was a Pride and Prejudice in Los Angeles feel to the book and main character.
The setting and plot were well laid out for the reader's escape although the main character was a bit too elusive.
The ending was great and I especially like the new name of the bookstore, Knight Hills. (I was thinking Nina's.)

Thank you for the ARC

Nina loves all things bookish, she works at a bookstore and enjoys her planners/and making lists.

This was a cute, fast read that follows Nina, a 29 year old who is happily living her bookish life when she gets some news that she has a second family that she never knew about. She grew up with an absent mother and was mostly raised by a live-in nanny. She finds out that she is in her deceased father's will. What could he have left her? He was a wealthy man.

She starts to get to know her "new" family and if course it creates a lot of drama when they find out that she is included in the will. The chaos and interactions with her new family members had me thinking about how one would react to such news. A shock to all of them.

There is also a bit of a romance when she meets someone, but this part of the story line felt a bit bland to me.

Nina was my favorite character and I loved how the author focused on her emotional side and her personality traits that many will may relate to like I did.. The best part was all the bookish references and the adorable character, Nina Hill.  A light read that would be good for a lazy afternoon on the porch or beach side. And just look at that cover!

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author but I have heard great things about their other book. I cannot say enough good things about this book I absolutely loved it, and it was definitely one of my favorites of the year. I could relate to the main character so much I felt like the book was written specifically for me.

I thought it was a very interesting that the trivia was brought up in this book. I know people who go or have gone to trivia and loved it, I have actually gone myself and found that it was really fun. I thought it was comical how seriously the characters took their trivia team, but also could see why it was taken so seriously.

This is honestly such a cute book I would highly recommend it to anybody that is a fan of romance. I could even see people who are not fans of romance enjoying this one because the story was a lot more than just romantic relationships. I can’t wait to read more books by this author, they have definitely become an auto by author for me.

This was a fun lighthearted romp through the life of an avid book lover. I spend a lot of time reading and I got a kick when the author mention books that I enjoyed myself. I like that the main character had anxiety, but was learning how to cope with it. The romantic interest was realistic ( thank goodness no insta-love). I liked how the inheritance that she received was more about family then the money.

This was a fun, cute summer read. I could relate to Nina in a lot of ways and the romance between her and her fellow trivia-hound was adorable. I'd recommend this book to someone who wants something light and funny to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill follows introverted, book loving Nina as her life is thrown for a loop. Nina likes order, thrives on it in fact, and gets the surprise of her life when the father she never knew dies and includes her in the will setting her in the sights of a family she never knew. Brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews oh my! On top of all this her trivia nemesis, Tom, might be more than she thought and she is quickly losing control of the order in her life.

The book is fairly cute, the banter pretty spot on, and a lot of pop culture references, not just books. I’m a sucker for found family and Nina only just found this side of her family so it works for me. Her new family is quite big and a little overwhelming for someone whose only had her mom and nanny her whole life so seeing her adjust to it was interesting.

I saw a fair bit of myself in Nina, she prefers going home and reading over surrounding herself with people. Most of the time she does get with people it’s usually about books. She has anxiety and best recharges and recovers when she’s alone. I got her to a degree, sometimes her thought track would lose me or would be a bit much but for the most part I got her.

Tom was kind of a swoon worthy guy. I enjoyed him a lot too, but again the inner monologue would lose me a fair bit, and while I liked him the chemistry between him and Nina didn’t mesh for me as well as I’d hoped. He tried, and stumbled, when it came to Nina but at least at the end they seemed to be on the same page and that was definitely a step in the right direction for me.

It’s a book that is quite perfect for a beach read, or light reading in general. It’s a fairly quick and fun read.

I loved this book! So funny, so sweet, so touching, so filled with biting social commentary. I could not put it down. I found myself laughing out loud, sighing audibly, and shaking my head in frustration and satisfaction.

Nina is a sweet, book-crazy, well-organized single woman who is perfectly satisfied with her well-ordered life. She does not have room for a boyfriend (certainly not for one who doesn't read!) or relatives she knew nothing about and who suddenly appear out of nowhere. Of course, that's exactly what happens and she finds herself falling in love with Tom and even some of the relatives. The plot is somewhat predictable, sure, but the writing is so filled with quotable lines and hilarious social commentary that I didn't care -- that scene in the fancy restaurant!! Nina is a very relatable character. She knows what she wants and is afraid that deviation will upset her well-ordered life.

OK -- it's "chick lit", but who cares. Fun, engaging, the perfect summer read AND some great book recommendations to boot. For fans of Jennifer Wiener and Candace Bushnell or any "book person"

How could I resist a book about a bookworm? Not just a bookworm, but an only child bookworm that finds solace and peace in books, a child whose mother is absent and father is unknown. Well, until a lawyer appears informing Nina her father had died and she has half-siblings.

I love the writing style that Waxman uses. Reminiscent of a 19th century novel, complete with witty glimpses of what is to transpire at the start of each chapter.

There’s a dry sense of humor to this book. “He didn’t remind her of herself, but, to be fair, she was a slender 29 year old woman with dark red shirted and freckles, and he had been a rounded old man with white hair and wrinkles, so it wasn’t exactly apples to apples. More like grapes to raisins.” And that’s a quote from the book I can include! One of the funnier ones would probably be banned by GR.

This book is just plain fun. But it also makes some wonderful points. I just adored how they all discover their similarity, as the weird things that seem to be genetic enthrall me. I found it a delight to read and wanted to spend every waking minute with Nina, her friends and her new found family. Make sure you actually read the daily planner pages that precede each chapter.

My thanks to netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

This novel keeps up a fun, friendly patter while still dealing realistically and respectfully with mental health issues in the form of anxiety. A good "cozy read," a good "beach read," a good choice for a wide range of readers.

So much fun! The Bookish Life of Nina Hill has lovable characters, witty dialog, and great chemistry. You won't regret binge reading it this summer.