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Book Summary and Reviews of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

by Abbi Waxman

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • Jul 2019, 352 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own...shell.

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. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Paperback original

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"In this love letter to book nerds, Waxman introduces the extraordinary introvert Nina Hill… With witty dialogue and a running sarcastic inner monologue, Waxman brings Nina to vibrant life as she upends her introverted routine and becomes part of the family. Fans of Jojo Moyes will love this." - Publishers Weekly

"Waxman has created a thoroughly engaging character in this bookish, contemplative, set-in-her ways woman. Be prepared to chuckle." - Kirkus Review (starred review)

"Full of pop culture references (bonus points for readers who catch the Men at Work one), and the handwritten planner entries are reminiscent of those in Bridget Jones's diary….Will appeal to chick lit fans who enjoy copious rapid-fire dialog."- Library Journal

"Move over on the settee, Jane Austen. You've met your modern-day match in Abbi Waxman. Bitingly funny, relatable and intelligent, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a must for anyone who loves to read." - Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck With That

This information about The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

CarolT

Need an antidote for reality?
Exactly what I needed to combat reality!

Sandi W.

cute, funny, an easy to read and an enjoyable plot...
This was my second book by Abbi Waxman, and although I say I am not a romance reader, I did like this one. I thought it was cute, funny, an easy to read enjoyable plot, and actually reminded me of myself in places. We recluses have to stick together...lol!

Nina worked in a book store and preferred staying at home and reading with her cat, Phil, to any social commitments. She did however belong to trivia group as her once a month extra curricular entertainment. Her life was set...until...she received the news! The father she never knew has passed away and left her a full fledged family! Now, mix that will the accidental force feeding of a good looking trivia opponent and Nina's life is off the rails.

Definitely a chick-lit book, but one that is light and airy and moves quickly.

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Author Information

Abbi Waxman Author Biography

Photo: Leanna Creel

Born in England, Abbi Waxman worked as a copywriter at various advertising agencies in London and New York. Eventually she quit advertising, had three kids and started writing books, TV shows and screenplays, largely in order to get a moment's peace. Abbi lives in Los Angeles with her husband, three kids, three dogs, three cats, a gecko, two mice and six chickens.

Author Interview
Link to Abbi Waxman's Website

Other books by Abbi Waxman at BookBrowse
  • The Garden of Small Beginnings jacket
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