The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (alkuperäinen julkaisuvuosi 2019; vuoden 2019 painos)

2.5 ( )

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a quirky and humorous read, perfect for your summer beach bag. Author Abbi Waxman introduces us to a woman named Nina, who has lived a quiet life filled with predictability and routine.

She works ats a bookstore, enjoys trivia nights and struggles with many social situations. She is happy with the simplicity and life she has lived for so long when an out of the blue communication disrupts her world. She receives news that she has a whole side of her family she previously had no idea about. Her life gets flipped upside down and a little messy and an entirely new cast of characters enter’s Nina’s previously peaceful bubble.

Waxman walks us through Nina’s transition with smart humor, witty dialogue and a level of intimacy that many other bookish readers will connect and relate with. Nina says what she thinks, and isn’t afraid to be herself. She struggles with change, and we get to walk along this path with her. The other characters in the book were enjoyable to connect with, and I especially loved meeting Mr. Phil, her feline sidekick.

While there are elements of romance, the most significant part of this story for me was the growth and change Nina experienced in her relationship with herself. She has a love interest, and some may be disappointed that this isn’t the highlight of the book, but as a reader, I enjoyed that this was only a smaller part of the storyline and this book was indeed about Nina’s personal journey and growth.

We get to watch Nina come into her own, experience ups and downs, and adapt to a new life and the people that are now in it. I loved that Waxman was able to address Nina’s insecurities and struggles with anxiety, and not only was this relatable but also inspiring as we watched her come out of her comfort zone. There was a beautiful mix of dry humor and a feel-good storyline.

Thank you to Berkley Pub for an advanced copy . ( )

It's cute, cosy and charming. It is also cliche-ridden, cheesy and chaotic.
The dialogue is witty and funny, if somewhat unrealistic.
There's anxiety which is more realistic.
There's a talking cat, which is only realistic if you have certain forms of mental illness.
There's the world's unlikeliest romance based on the "opposites attract" concept... I struggled to believe in it, or in any form of a happily ever after for two such mismatched characters.
There's a lot of minor characters who seemed interchangeable and who are never really developed.
There are a lot of literary/book references which are cute but can also get a bit over the top.

Oh and I so wish people would stop equating loving reading to hoarding books or being a book snob. It is entirely possible to love reading and not own three floor to ceiling book cabinets. Collecting books and reading are two different hobbies, and neither is a substitute for a personality. And I really wanted to inject most of the characters with a bit more personality. ( )

Cute beachy read kind of book, enjoyable characters. ( )

I worry that I related a little too much to Nina Hill, a character who likes to stick to her routines and who often prefers the company of books to real people. This book is a charmer that offers a lively cast of character and many moments that made me laugh out loud.