Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
by Abbi Waxman
Berkley, 2019. 332 pages, General Fiction

Nina Hill has a very simple and lovely life. She works in a bookstore, is an asset on her competitive trivia team, enjoys a carefully regimented schedule of exercise and socializing, and even sets aside specific time to read and do nothing with her cat. When the father she never knew she had dies, his lawyer contacts her about the reading of his will in which she is included. When he informs her that the brother and sisters who didn’t know she existed either are not happy about her encroaching on their inheritance, her simple life quickly becomes a lot more complicated.

As I read this book, I wanted to be Nina Hill, living simply and happily with her day planner and her furry friend, a mind full of trivia facts and a group of snarky, supportive friends and coworkers. While light, fluffy, romantic reads are not my go to genre, this one had enough sarcasm, wit, and sass to keep me turning the pages. This is a quick, delightful read with pop culture and literary reference abounding, a satisfyingly unpredictable turn of events, and laugh out loud moments that might make some readers blush. A fun jaunt into what it means to be family, and how you never really know what life will throw at you next.

RC

2 comments:

Breanne said...

This was a delightful read about Nina Hill, a quirky main character who loves all things literature. When the father she never knew dies and bequeaths something to her, she is suddenly introduced to a family she didn't know she had. As life becomes more complicated, a rival triva team member catches her eye and Nina's simple life is suddenly simple no more. This was a very enjoyable read, and the audiobook version was well-narrated. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy chick lit, literature, and pop culture references.

AG said...

Nina Hill plans things. She spends thirty minutes every morning planning out her day in her dependable planner. She plans when to read, when to go to book club, when to bone up on sports for her trivia team, etc. But suddenly her life is full of unplanned things. Things like finding out that the father she never knew has left her something in his will. And that she now has a slew of half brothers and sisters, cousins, and nieces and nephews. Not only that but the tall guy in the opposing trivia team seems to be very attractive and might be in to her. These are all things that she never planned, but could they be the very things that might change her bookish life for the better? This is a delightful book with lots of book references and trivia. But most of all, it has a main character who learns that sometimes the best things happen when they aren't planned.

AGP