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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This was awesome! If you enjoyed, Where’d you go Bernadette? You’ll enjoy the Bookish Life of Nina Hill. It’s got trivia, book clubs, and cats. What could be better!
Was a lovely, light read. Loved Nina and her life, she was a unique character who was easy to love. I was sad to finish the book and say goodbye to her. I would compare it to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine or the Rosie Project.
So cute and fun! I loved the trivia and the trivia team names! The surprise visits from the characters in her first book were great, and Nina herself really is a delight. The bits about anxiety were well done, too - very realistic and not too serious, just matter of fact.
Adored this! I loved the Garden of Small Beginnings by this author and was excited for this new release. It did not disappoint! I laughed out loud several times and fell in love with the characters. It’s book candy and easy reading. But left me with a big smile.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nina could be me in another life- anxious, loves books, prefers to be alone. I loved reading about her life!
3.5 stars—loved the premise and really related with Nina BUT the story and character development just felt a little shallow for me. Not a fan of the ending either. Nonetheless, it was a quick and enjoyable read.
Quirky. I laughed out loud a lot. Poor character development. Awful descriptions of what anxiety is actually like, to the point that I didn’t actually believe Nina HAD anxiety.
2 stars
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is your typical contemporary fiction. It is about a socially awkward, bookish woman who is forced out of her comfort zone because of some unlikely event and who also falls for a guy she previously disliked (but who, as she finds out, has more in common with her than she previously thought).
So it really doesn't win any awards for originality. I don't read that much contemporary fiction, but this has basically the same plot as any of the other contemporary fiction I've read lately, like this or this or this.
The writing is decentbut not note-worthy in any way, I laughed out loud a couple of times. The plot was pretty lackluster, and the story just stops abruptly, like in the other examples I listed.
It isn't as problematic as two of the other three books I've linked, and the main character is certainly not nearly as unlikable and I probably would have rated this higher, but I'm seriously over this same old plot.
My main issue with TBLoNH though is how unrelatable Nina is. I don't know what other reviewers have been smoking, but Nina is the most unrelatable character I've read in a long time. She is pretty (so much so, that at least three different characters comment on how good-looking she is on three different occasions) who dates a model-handsome guy (who also has at least three of four people notice how good he looks) and who doesn't stop pursuing her, despite her rejecting him and not showing any interest in him multiple time (but not in a creepy way, because he is also understanding and caring and gives Nina the space that she needs).
Nina is introverted and shy and socially awkward and ineptthough certainly not as much as Eleanor Olpihant, for example who obsessively plans out her entire life and who is completely inflexible. She is also has some pretty serious anxiety. But! But despite all that she has a huge friend circle and is immediately liked by everyone and likes everyone. For example, she is close with almost her family almost immediately.
The author tries to make her more relatable - like making her imagine her dialogue with her cat, making Nina make occasionally inappropriate (read: rude and sometimes very mean) comments or paying the necessary tribute to Harry Potter but she fails miserably.
Also, the main character, a straight, white woman, seems to view her nephew, a gay man, more like an accessory than a person, so that's, uh, cool, I guess. Because white women treating gay men like objects isn't problematic and stuff. Especially since Peter is one giant walking chliché.
Tl;dr: Honestly, I would only recommend this to someone who hasn't read much and not much contemporary fiction in their lives. For everyone else: skip this one, you won't miss out by not reading it.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is your typical contemporary fiction. It is about a socially awkward, bookish woman who is forced out of her comfort zone because of some unlikely event and who also falls for a guy she previously disliked (but who, as she finds out, has more in common with her than she previously thought).
So it really doesn't win any awards for originality. I don't read that much contemporary fiction, but this has basically the same plot as any of the other contemporary fiction I've read lately, like this or this or this.
The writing is decent
It isn't as problematic as two of the other three books I've linked, and the main character is certainly not nearly as unlikable and I probably would have rated this higher, but I'm seriously over this same old plot.
My main issue with TBLoNH though is how unrelatable Nina is. I don't know what other reviewers have been smoking, but Nina is the most unrelatable character I've read in a long time. She is pretty (so much so, that at least three different characters comment on how good-looking she is on three different occasions) who dates a model-handsome guy (who also has at least three of four people notice how good he looks) and who doesn't stop pursuing her, despite her rejecting him and not showing any interest in him multiple time (but not in a creepy way, because he is also understanding and caring and gives Nina the space that she needs).
Nina is introverted and shy and socially awkward and inept
The author tries to make her more relatable - like making her imagine her dialogue with her cat, making Nina make occasionally inappropriate (read: rude and sometimes very mean) comments or paying the necessary tribute to Harry Potter
Spoiler
as did the other books I linked, because god-forbid a contemporary book doesn't mention Harry Potter. I already ranted enough about this in my review of Leah on the Offbeat and The Unhoenymooners though, so I won't say more hereAlso, the main character, a straight, white woman, seems to view her nephew, a gay man, more like an accessory than a person, so that's, uh, cool, I guess. Because white women treating gay men like objects isn't problematic and stuff. Especially since Peter is one giant walking chliché.
Tl;dr: Honestly, I would only recommend this to someone who hasn't read much and not much contemporary fiction in their lives. For everyone else: skip this one, you won't miss out by not reading it.
I really did not enjoy the first half of the book, I thought it was just very "ok" but the second half was incredible and I really enjoyed it. Nina was such a great character and she was a refreshing take on the anxious, book-ish character. Definitely worth the read.