The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Being that it’s the week of teachers starting back at school and my mind’s adjustment back into work mode is happening at a glacial pace, I really needed a book that felt like a nice, warm hug. You know, the kind of book that gives you a pat on the back and lightens the mood with a good joke.

If there is any author who has been gifted with the ability to put some peppiness into this week, it’s Abbi Waxman. She is phenomenally talented at fleshing out the most quirky and adorable protagonists; Women who may appear average on the outside, but contain nuances that are unique and endear them to the reader from the get go.

I’ve read all three of Waxman’s books, including The Garden of Small Beginnings and Other People’s Houses, and have found that it is nearly impossible to choose a favorite among them. Each book is hysterically funny and are unputdownable gold mines of witty banter and flirty quips. But I’ve been especially anxious to get my hands on Waxman’s latest novel, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill because, well… it’s about a nerdy book-obsessed introvert living in LA (exactly how I described myself when I was living in LA! The only difference now is I live in VA.)

Let me reflect on all the ways I loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill:

1. Nina Hill is an almost 30 year old woman, working at an independent bookstore in East LA (a personal dream of mine, that I get to vicariously experience through Nina.)
2. Nina has a globe trotting, absentee mother and no father to speak of (at least not that she’s been made aware of in her 29 years of life.)
3. Nina spends her days reading, working in the bookstore, running numerous book clubs, reading, competing in a trivia league, helping her boss dodge their landlord, reading, and spending quality time with her cat Phil.
4. As many strong, independent female protagonists are prone to do, Nina convinces herself “she don’t need no man” and she doesn’t have time in her thoroughly organized schedule for a boyfriend anyway.
5. A children’s book club sounds amazing and stressful, but the best part of the one Nina runs is the kind of kids who join – they’re equal parts strange, adorable, and oblivious to societal norms in etiquette.
6. Tom, the love struck fellow trivia buff, is a truly relentless and dogged man. You’ll find yourself cheering him on throughout the book in his pursuit of Nina’s affection…even though he doesn’t like leisure reading. Agh.

Nina Hill is comfortable with her thoroughly structured and scheduled life. Everything she does has a designated time and place in her agenda, which doesn’t leave much room for unexpected curve balls. But as they say, disasters tend to come in threes. In Nina’s case there’s no exception.

Growing up, Nina learned that relying on others was pretty much a recipe for disappointment. Her mother, a globe trotting native of Australia, was barely around for her childhood, she has no idea who her father is, and the nanny who practically raised her has moved back East to live with her own family. Nina doesn’t stake much need in other people. The only solace she requires is the kind that can be provided by the company of a good book.

Then a wrench gets thrown into the steady flow of her predictable life, opening a world to a (huge and confusing) family she never knew she had. Along with this, things at the bookstore aren’t going so well, and she finds herself being pressured by her trivia pals to pursue a frustrating, yet admittedly attractive, guy (Tom.)

Will Nina learn to cope in this messy chaotic reality, or will it all prove too much for a woman who thrives on predictability?

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is adorable. It’s so LA, with it’s references to East vs. West LA, the description of the hipster Santa Monica Angelinos, and pot infused everything. It’s fun and made me do that “laugh out loud” stifling all book worms try to perfect so we don’t look crazy in public places. This was a book that brought a lot of California sunshine to my week and was much needed. I truly loved it! 5/5 stars for me! Can’t wait for your next book, Abbi!

Abbi Waxman’s other two books I highly recommend:

And another “book about books” I’m currently reading and really enjoying is The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson.

Hope you have a spectacular end of August! Pick up one of these reads to end it with a smile!

Happy & healthy reading!

Lexi