I read it with a smile on my face while I cackled with every chapter. This is definitely going to be one I return to through the years, and with all the books out there that need to be read, that’s one of the best compliments I can give.
Nina Hill’s life is going according to plan.
She has an apartment with bookshelves aplenty, a job at a bookstore she loves – walking distance from her apartment, no less – a trivia team that usually wins when they’re not getting kicked out of bars, a planner where every inch of the day is accounted for, and of course, she has books. Oh, and some people too. Her coworkers, her trivia team, her much absent mother – just enough people to hold at arm’s length and ignore if they don’t fit in her perfectly planned world. Because we all know that works well…
Despite believing that a father was out of the equation in her life, suddenly one falls into her lap when she finds out he’s just died and she’s been listed in his will. Oh, and he has many other children…and grandchildren…and scores of other relatives just waiting to suss Nina out. Even without her constant anxiety that would be overwhelming. But she overcomes her fears and begins to meet her newfound family. Surprisingly, some of them are nice. And very similar to Nina. Genetics are wild, it turns out.
But the turmoil continues to spiral.
Her trivia nemesis, Tom, is actually far less of a jerk than she anticipated. In fact, he’s gorgeous and tempting. And interested in her. To top it all off, Knight’s Bookstore, her beloved place of work, is on its last legs. It’s been on its last legs for a long time, and those legs are finally starting to crumble. I guess all those visits from the landlord should have tipped her off.
With all this drama, bookish Nina will have to do something she’s never considered before: take charge and make some changes in her life. Her planner isn’t going to be too happy about this…
I’m not sure if I’ve ever related to a fictional character as much as I related to Nina.
She’s much wittier and well organized than I’ll ever hope to be, but it’s nice to have aspirations. Not stopping at Nina, all the other characters were firmly fleshed out and their personalities were so vibrant that I felt like I knew them. I would play trivia with the Book ‘Em crew, climb Tom like a tree, and grab a croissant with Peter any day of the week.
This story just felt like a warm hug. I sunk into it immediately and it felt lovely and familiar. I adored this book. The humor, the struggles that Nina went through, the absurdity of a food fight between hippies and bookworms – it’s all magical. If books are your sanctuary – and I think that’s the case for a lot of us here at That’s Normal, then Nina will immediately feel like a kindred spirit. And her story will feel like it could be your own. I can’t wait for everyone to read this book!
