The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

by Abbi Waxman

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

I've never been so offended. Abbi Waxman had the nerve to write an entire book about my life and didn't even warn me about it. Can you believe that?!

I knew I was going to love The Bookish Life of Nina Hill before I even started it. I mean, it has the word "bookish" in it. That's a guaranteed win. What I wasn't expecting was how much I would relate to Nina. No joke- Reading this felt like reading my own diary (I don't keep one, but still...). Why yes, I have canceled plans in order to stay home with a good book. And yes, I do pretend that my cat speaks with a British accent. And...Wait a minute, has Abbi Waxman and spying on me?!

Seriously, though. I don't think I've ever related to a character in a book this hard. It upped my enjoyment of the book tenfold, but it also increased my anxiety (something else Nina and I share) because I was worried someone or something would hurt Nina and I would feel it even more deeply. I don't know how to logically explain that, but such is the nature of anxiety.

Don't pick this up expecting a lot of fast-paced action, though. Nina doesn't roll that way. It takes a little while to even see where the story is going, but I was happily along for the ride, like a Sunday drive. Self-proclaimed "Book Nerds" will adore The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, no doubt. The only thing I felt was missing what is Nina's opinion on audiobooks. I have to wonder what she thinks of them. There was a little throwaway comment about turning the bookstore she works at into an all audiobook store, but that was [unfortunately] in jest.

The romance was minimal and adorable. I liked Tom, but not necessarily his response to Nina's panic attack. He seems more of the "smothering with love" type and that's not what Nina needed in that moment. His butthurt response to her telling him that was childish and I don't think she should've had to apologize for it, but whatever. I do think that Tom will ultimately be a good thing for Nina.

I really do hope Waxman writes a sequel, perhaps one involving Nina's mother. I feel like there's a lot left to be explored there and they have an interesting dynamic. I also really loved how under dramatized Nina's family drama was. It made it feel so much more realistic and not overly-sensationalized. Lydia, in particular, grew on me.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is the perfect book for book lovers. It's filled with bookish references and fantasies (wall-to-wall bookshelves, anyone?). Plus, as a trivia buff, Nina throws around fantastic pieces of trivia like confetti and I learned so many neat factoids from her I have already begun tossing around myself. This really was the most bookish story imaginable and I fell head over heels for it from the beginning because it was so stinking cute.

Narration review: I have heard Emily Rankin narrate before, but not for a while. Her performance in The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was excellent. Her pacing and comedic timing were both en pointe and she hit all the right notes to make Nina come alive, not only in my head, but in my heart as well. The tone of her voice was warm and soothing, perfect for characterizing Bookish Nina. I could just picture her curled up in a nook with a book or planning her day out while sipping a cup of tea. Rankin's performance was so moving that I overwhelmingly recommend this audiobook to all book lovers and audiobook listeners alike. ♣︎