The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Nina Hill is 29, single, and likes her life just fine, thank you very much. She has a structured, organized life with a decent job at a bookstore, good friends, and a cat. She and her friends are in a competitive bar trivia league, where one of the guys on an opposing team is kinda cute, but she bets he's not into reading. And then her orderly life is upended when a lawyer comes to her bookstore and drops a bomb shell: not only is her father, whom she's never met, dead, but he's put her in the will to the potential chagrin of the rather large immediate family.

This is exactly the sort of rom-com I like, complete with snarky narrator. I could completely relate to Nina - perhaps too much - and I appreciated the way in which she was show more portrayed as having a full and happy life even before she met the guy. She struggles with anxiety and is an introvert who prefers her own company, and that doesn't suddenly change when she has a date. She just has to figure out if it's worth it to make a change. And did I mention the snarky narrator? I was laughing out loud at some points and smiling throughout. This is the kind of warm, fuzzy book you want to hug when it's over. show less

Nina loves her small life in a little, green, residential pocket of LA. She works in an independent bookstore and fills her spare time with book clubs, yoga classes, and pub trivia competitions. Then, out of the blue, she learns that her father has died, and that he left her something in his will. Since she had no idea who her father was until the lawyer turned up, this comes as quite a shock. Nina meets several members of her newly-acquired family. Some are nice, and some are resentful and suspicious. In the meantime, Nina begins a tentative romance with the captain of a rival quiz team, but can he deal with her occasional panic attacks, and can she come to terms with the fact that he's not much of a reader? Plus, the bookstore is show more having financial difficulties. Is Nina's carefully curated life about to come crashing down around her?

This was cute and fluffy, a nice audiobook for traveling, as it kept my attention without requiring too much deep thought. It's a little predictable, so if that bothers you in your fluff reading, you may want to steer clear. I also didn't find Nina a terribly sympathetic character, though anxious, bookish women are usually my jam. The conclusion felt a little rushed to me, and a little too perfect (The unlikable characters all get a chance at redemption, the bookstore is saved by Nina's inheritance, the romance is saved by a Grand Romantic Gesture...), but again, that may not be a problem for you. If you're looking for a light and fun read with bookish notes and a charming setting, then this one's for you. show less

Really charmingly written. The main character's neuroses would normally annoy me, but I appreciated them being explained in the context of anxiety and ADHD, plus the charming writing. But the love interest was NOT nerdy enough for her!

Nina is perfectly content with her life. She works at a local independent bookstore in her tight-knit neighbourhood in Los Angeles, she has her cat, Phil, her trivia team and book clubs, and more than enough reading to fill any time she has left. But one day everything is thrown into chaos when she finds out that her father, whom she never met, has included her in his will and she is suddenly embroiled in the drama of her newly discovered, large family. Plus, the team captain of an opposing trivia team appears to maybe like her. All Nina wants is to sit in her house and read but she may just discover that expanding her world for all these new people is worth it after all.

I adored this book. It's funny and sweet and full of bookish and show more pop culture references. Nina's a sympathetic protagonist who's a textbook introvert with some chronic anxiety added into the mix. It's not high literature but if you're looking for a charming comfort read, I can't recommend this book highly enough. show less

LOVED IT! I identified strongly with the main character which definitely made me enjoy this book even more. I really appreciated the author's depiction of the main character's condition of anxiety and her coping mechanisms for it. In my opinion too often author's write unrealistic portrayals of character's with anxiety. They try to make it "quirky" and "cute" instead of the serious condition it is, which is very off putting. Even though there is central romance to this book and it has a very rom-com feel to it, I think even if you took out that romance you would still have a very enjoyable book. I will now have to read this author's other works and hopefully they will be just as enjoyable.

Book nerd/trivia buff Nina Hill is an only child, a compulsive list maker and introvert who savors the Thursday evenings she spends alone reading. All of that is about to change…

I don't think I've enjoyed a romantic 'book about books' as much as I did this since Parnassus on Wheels or come across a character as quirky and endearing since Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. And the nonstop banter along with all the pop culture and literary references were downright fun. As for the romance, it was just right - no toxic drama or TMI. I was pretty sure I was in for a treat from having read an earlier book by Abbi Waxman, The Garden of Small Beginnings (and I loved the little tie in), and that's exactly what I got. I'll definitely be on show more the lookout for the next thing she writes.

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. show less

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a book nerd’s beach read. I would love to be Nina in an alternate universe – she works at a bookstore, plays on a winning pub trivia team and has a cat. What more could you want in life? A family, I suppose.

Nina was raised by a single mom who told her she didn’t know who her father was. But one day a man walks into the bookstore and tells Nina that her father has died. He’s her father’s lawyer and he’s come to invite her to the will reading. Nina is very taken aback of course. Her new family ends up being a diverse cast of characters.

At the same time, Nina meets Tom, a player on a rival trivia team. He’s interested in her but she’s not so sure about him. Also, she’s pretty busy dealing show more with her new crazy family.

Even though this book was a little predictable at times (what romantic comedy isn’t?), I found the story to be funny and charming. Nina’s cat Phil has an inner dialogue that’s hilarious. There is some depth to the story as well. It was the February selection for one of my book clubs and we found plenty to talk about. There’s a discussion guide in the back of the paperback edition that was helpful. Recommended, especially for fellow book nerds. show less