cover image The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Abbi Waxman. Berkley, $16 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-451-49187-9

In this love letter to book nerds, Waxman (The Garden of Small Beginnings) introduces the extraordinary introvert Nina Hill. Nina, who grew up on the east side of L.A. in Larchmont, Calif., has never wanted to leave her hometown. She loves her apartment, with its shelves of books; her cat; and her job as a clerk at a book shop. Filling her time with trivia nights, movies, book club, yoga class, and, of course, reading, she feels she has the perfect life. Then, one day at work, a lawyer shows up and tells her of the death of the father she never knew and the existence of his huge extended family. As Nina gets to know her newfound relatives, who all live in Southern California, she also notices a handsome and charming trivia rival, Tom, who seems to be taking an equal interest in Nina. With witty dialogue and a running sarcastic inner monologue (“Moms of a certain age know dozens of people through various channels, so they have to perform this human form of canine butt sniffing all the goddamn time”), Waxman brings Nina to vibrant life as she upends her introverted routine and become part of the family. Fans of Jojo Moyes will love this. [em](July) [/em]