Name: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
Author: Abbi Waxman
Genre: Modern Fiction
Publisher: WF Howes
Synopsis
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. […] 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! […] 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.
Goodreads
My Review
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill depicts the journey of a 29-year-old woman coming out of her shell after learning her late father and his family’s identity.
Nina thrives under predictable and well-regulated situations. She liked “being prepared in advance.” Thus, it comes as a shock to her when a lawyer contacts Nina about her father’s demise - a man she had never met before. It turns out that the man had mentioned her in his will and wanted her to become a part of his family. When Nina meets the rest of her living relatives in the lawyer’s office, she gets mixed reactions - some are welcoming while others are not. And to make matters worse, she starts developing feelings for her rival in trivia competitions - Tom, a good-natured fellow, seemingly interested in sports, which makes him (to Nina) a complete jock.
The book was off to a good start. While I got interested in the character of Nina, she felt too self-involved and critical at times. She can be overly judgmental sometimes, which leads her to make mistakes in the long run. Nina’s relationship with Tom is intriguing and cute. Sometimes, too cute. The introduction of her family and her interactions with her relatives seemed like filler moments now and then. That being said, the characters (apart from Nina) are less developed.
The ending felt a little rushed. There are some funny moments in the book that would make the reader laugh. But, gradually, it succumbs into a monotonous endeavor by the end. Nonetheless, the author does a fantastic job of keeping you interested enough to complete the book.
Biology is not destiny. And love is not proportionate to shared DNA
Abbi Waxman, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
My Rating
P.S.: I have made a section in my blog called ‘Compendium.’ It consists of two things - my Resonance Calendar (inspired by Ali Abdaal) and book notes from the various non-fiction books I read. If this interests you, feel free to check it out here (for book notes) and here (for my Resonance Calendar). I will be updating them in future. Thank you!
Anwesha RC 
[…] Read my full book review here. […]
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