Thursday, September 19, 2019

Bookish Mewsings: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman & How Long It Takes Me to Finish a Book



Along with my mini reviews, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.


The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman 
Berkley, 2019
Fiction; 352 pgs

Book Beginnings:
Imagine you’re a bird. You can be any kind of bird, but those of you who've chosen ostrich or chicken are going to struggle to keep up.

Friday 56 (excerpt from 56%):
They say you always remember your first time, and Nina definitely did. Walking into the Los Angeles Central Library to get her first library card, when she was eight or so, was still a memory she treasured. The entry hall of the library was as beautiful as any cathedral, and Nina had looked around and realized she would never run out things to read, and that certainty filled with peace and satisfaction. It didn’t matter what hit the fan; as long as there were unread books in the world, she would be fine.

My thoughts:
This turned out to be the perfect choice as my August TBR List winner (thanks to everyone who voted!). It was funny and touching without being overly sweet. I knew from the first paragraph I would enjoy The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, and I was right. Nina is pretty settled into her routine and life. She works in a bookstore, including leading a couple of book clubs, has a cat, loves to read, and is on a trivia team. She likes to keep as busy as possible, afraid of her own thoughts, and plans just about every second of the day. Her life is turned upside down when she discovers her father she never knew has died and included her in his will. Not only that, but she evidently has a rather big family that are just surprised to learn about her as she is about them. While some are happier to meet her than others, she isn’t sure how she feels. Add to that the cute guy from a rival trivia team who has taken an interest in her and who she reluctantly likes back. Nina’s orderly life is suddenly disrupted, and she isn’t sure if she can handle it.

Nina is smart and sarcastic, and I just loved her character. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I could relate to Nina on many levels. She likes organization and having things planned out. She is not one for surprises or spontaneity. At least not the big kind. I enjoyed the pop culture and literary references that were woven into the novel. Waxman was able to make Larchmont in Los Angeles feel like a small town, and in many ways it is similar to one. I enjoyed getting to know all of Nina’s new relatives right alongside Nina, and I really liked Tom. I especially liked how he accepted Nina for who she is—quirks and all. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill may be a bit predictable at times, but it is a comforting sort of predictable. This was such an enjoyable and fun book to read.


Does this sound like something you would enjoy reading? Have you read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill


Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

How long does it usually take you to finish a book?

There is no short answer to this question other than it depends.

Many factors can come into play:

  • The type of book (It takes me forever to get through an audiobook. And I tend to read nonfiction and literary fiction at a slower pace. Romance, young adult, and urban fantasy tend to be faster reads for me.)
  • The writing style (there are those books that I just devour like a favorite snack, and others I like to savor, taking my time and enjoying the books more slowly)
  • The size of the book (although isn't it funny that sometimes the shortest of books take forever to get through and the longest can go so quickly?) 
  • How many books I have going at once (I tend to read one or two books at a time, which divides my reading time and attention)
  • How engaged I am in the book (the more engaged I am, the quicker I am likely to finish it, whereas if I am not as engrossed in the story, I find myself easily distracted)
  • What is going on in my life at any given moment (work, home and family, health, etc) 
  • My mood (which often dictates which book I decide to read as well. But if I am reading a book I'm suddenly not in the mood for, it can impact my reading speed. Especially if it is a book I want to finish regardless.)


One or two or all of these factors can mean I read a book in a relatively short amount of time or it takes me a week or two—sometimes longer. Nowadays, it is rare I read a book in a day unless it is very short and engaging (and I have the time to actually sit and read at leisure with few interruptions--but when does that ever happen?!) or a children’s book. I am more likely to read a book over the course of a week or two. I try to get in at least a little reading every day, but sometimes I even fail at that.

On average, how long does it take you to read a book?


 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!


© 2019, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

52 comments:

  1. I read part of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill a while ago. I never finished it, but this reminds me how interesting the story seemed. I may eventually revisit it.

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    1. Breana - I am sorry you couldn't get into The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Maybe if you do try again, you'll have better luck. If not, that's okay too. Not every book will appeal to every reader. Thank you for visiting!

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  2. The Bookish Life of Nina Gill sounds right up my street. I love the cover too.
    Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/

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    1. Cora - I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. I think I'd like The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, too. I've read another Waxman book and thought it was charming.

    If life isn't too crazy, I can read a book fairly quickly but, if I'm not enjoying the book, it takes me forever to slog through it. I've got to get better at setting books aside.

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    1. Kathy - I think you'd like it too. I haven't read Waxman before, but I would like to read her other work.

      Books that aren't working for me as well do tend to take awhile to get through. I tend to only set books aside if I have completely lost interest in them.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  4. I'm with you... There's no simple answer to how long it takes me to read a book. Too many factors come into play.

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    1. Nicci - Exactly. It really does vary how long it will take me to get through a book. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. I agree with you! How long I take to finish a book depends on a lot of things, including mood (:

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    1. Eustacia - Yes, my mood can play a big factor in how long it takes me to get through a book too. Thank you for visiting!

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  6. I've been planning to read the Nina Hill book too. Sounds like one I would enjoy very much. As to how long it takes for me to read a book - so many factors. I think many of mine would mirror yours. There are times when I get through a book in a day and other times - weeks - literally. It's all good, right? Reading a little every day is necessary for me, but when I'm even able to manage that it usually means I'm sick physically or something really tough is going on. Hope you have a good weekend, Wendy!

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    1. Kay - I hope you enjoy The Bookish Life of Nina Hill when you do read it, Kay. It was such a good book. I loved the humor throughout.

      Oh, yes. I think however long it takes us--or how fast--it is all good as long as we are able to read. Like you, I need to read at least a little every day. And often that's about all I can manage. I hope you have a great week. Thank you for stopping by, Kay!

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  7. Thanks for your thoughts on this book, which is on my Kindle and waiting to be read.

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  8. Love the quote about birds, and I'd certainly choose one that would help me keep up :) I read pretty quickly, but all of the factors you mention come in to play.

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    1. Jenclair - I love that opening. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill sounds like a delightful read.

    I think my reading pace depends on how much I enjoy the book and also how much free time I could allow myself to immense into my reading. :)

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    1. Melody - It is delightful! I highly recommend it if you get the chance.

      I think a lot depends on how much I am enjoying a book, honestly. That and how much free time I have. I often wish I had more time to devote to reading!

      Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I would love to get my hands one this one, it sounds so good!

    I can finish a book in a day most of the time, but I am a homeschool mom and sometimes it takes longer to get through the school work with my daughter, especially on Algebra days so reading gets pushed aside. ;)

    Have a great weekend.

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    1. Jenea - I hope you are able to read it!

      I envy those who are able to read a book in a day so often. Depending on the book, I used to have that kind of time to devote to a book on a weekend day pre-child days. It does happen now, but on the very rare occasion. I hope you have a great week! Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. fun cover and i like a sarcastic character. makes me feel right at home. lol
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Sherry - She's a great character. I could relate. Haha. Thank you for visiting!

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  12. Now I want to read this one even more than I already did! :)

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    1. Lark - I hope you love it when you do! Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. This is one I have on my GR list! Happy weekend!

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    1. Freda - I hope you enjoy it if you read it. Thank you for visiting!

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  14. I like the cute cover with her glasses making the 'OO'. Clever.

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    1. Nicki - It is a cute cover. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. I am very practical (too much according to my children) so I do not think the book is me. I like the cover though.

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    1. Mystica - It is sort of a whimsical book, I suppose, although Nina herself is quite practical--to a fault really. I imagine it isn't for everyone though. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  16. Oh, I love that first line, definitely makes you wonder what is goingn to come next!

    Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a lovely weekend!!

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    1. Sassy - I hope you have a great week! Thank you for stopping by. :-)

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  17. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill sounds like just the type of book I'd love.

    That's so true about short books sometimes taking longer than bigger books. I recently read a short book that I thought I could finish really quick, but it took me longer to read than a book that was more than twice it's size. It's so weird when that happens, lol.

    Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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    1. Ashley - I hope you do get a chance to read it. It does seem odd when a short book takes longer than a book with a higher page count, doesn't it? Thank you for visiting!

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  18. Sounds like a charming book -- I love the bird joke!

    Thanks for playing along with BBOF. I've been so busy at work the past several months that I haven't had time to visit my fellow BB friends. But things have calmed down a little, for a while, so I hope to come around more often.

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    1. Gillion - It really is charming. I highly recommend it. :-)

      I know you've had a lot on your plate, and it's great to see you here. Thank you for stopping by!

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  19. I just finished Nina Hill a week or so ago and enjoyed it -- no review yet. I can read a 300 page book in one sitting if I'm loving it but, can be easily distracted if it doesn't engage me early on. Right now I have the 18-hour audio download of The Institute, Stephen King, I was engaged but now parts are dragging.

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    1. Diane - I wish I had the time to sit and read like that. One day again, I am sure. I'm in no rush though. I like my eight year old distraction too much. LOL Thank you for visiting!

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  20. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill seems to be a very interesting read. I´ve seen it quite around and with that cover I might have to read it as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it.

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    1. Vi - If you decide to read it, I hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  21. Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed Nina Hill! That one was such a fun read for me. I want to be bffs with Nina, lol.

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    1. Suzanne - It was a lot of fun to read. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  22. I think I'm going to have to try this one!

    Lauren @ Always Me

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    1. Lauren - I hope you enjoy it if you do! Thank you for stopping by. :-)

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  23. I don't think I have read one review that didn't like The Bookish Life of Nina Hill -- and I need to read this goodness!

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    1. Verushka - I hope you like it if you read it. Thank you for visiting!

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  24. So glad to hear you enjoyed the Nina Hill book! I liked it a lot too (just haven't gotten around to reviewing it!). and, how long does it take me to finish a book... well, it depends. I usually have several going on at once so that sometimes makes me feel like I'm not making progress but if we are talking on vacation, then I can make a serious dent in my stacks thanks to all of the uninterrupted and relaxing time :)

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    1. Iliana - I am glad to hear you liked it too. :-) Having more than one book going at a time can make it seems like we're not progressing very fast, I agree. I could use a reading vacation! Uninterrupted is such a foreign concept to me these days. Haha. Thanks for stopping by!

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  25. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill sounds like such a great book! The time it takes me to read a book really varies a lot. It depends on what is going on in my life, how much I am liking the book, what kind of book it is, how I am feeling, and how many books I am juggling. Sometimes, I can read a book in a day and sometimes it takes me a couple of weeks.

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    1. Carole - It was really good! Yes, that's exactly how it is for me too when it comes to how long (or little) time it takes me to read book. Thank you for visiting!

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  26. I love the excerpt about Nina's first visit to library! She sounds like a character that I would relate too. I'm a planner and like organization too. Meeting her rather large surprising family sounds like a fun aspect to the story! Lovely Review and quotes!

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. Lindy - That's one of my favorite excerpts from the book. :-) Thank you!

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