The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman

Ever since I read The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman, she’s been an author on my must-read list. And her latest couldn’t have been more fun!

Nina Hill is comfortable with her routine. She goes to work, she goes to book club, she goes to trivia. Once a week she goes to the movies, usually by herself. She doesn’t own a car, her world is basically walking distance from her cozy house where she lives with her books and her cat.

But when Nina finds out the father she never knew has passed away, all of that changes. Apparently, her dad had quite the family. Which Nina has now inherited. The introduction of a slew of strangers in her life means Nina’s carefully managed day to day existence is in complete upheaval. And she’s not sure she likes it one bit!

This latest from Waxman is just as sweet and funny as her previous outings. Plus, I feel a special kinship with Nina considering she’s book people :)

So Nina grew up without a dad. And mostly without a mom, too. Her mom is a photographer who travels the world and never really told Nina much about her father. Instead, Nina was raised by a nanny who was more of a parental figure than either of her biological parents.

And as it turns out, her father was asked to stay away and never contact her. Of course once he’s passed away he figured that deal was over and done with. Which is why Nina is contacted by a lawyer and told she’s a beneficiary in the dead man’s will.

Nina was the product of an affair. The man in question also married three times and had children in each marriage. And some of those children have children now as well. Which means Nina has quite a large family of complete strangers to get to know. And some of them are pretty intent on that happening - Nina getting to know them, that is.

But Nina is so stringent in her routine that she even has Thursday evenings blocked off to do literally nothing. And she won’t even budge for a date!

Turns out Nina’s strict scheduling is her way of dealing with anxiety, something I can sympathize with.

Like I said, her story is sweet and fun. It’s a pretty light and breezy read as well, though it does touch on anxiety issues in a way that I think even those who don’t suffer from it can understand.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is the perfect read for the end of summer. Something happy with lots of heart, perfect for these final long, sunny evenings!

Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman

Frances is fine driving carpool. It staves off the loneliness of having the house to herself after her own three kids are all in school. But when one of the neighbors' kids forgets toilet paper rolls for a school art project, Frances finds herself in an awkward situation. Tiptoeing into said neighbors house, she's shocked to find the woman in a compromising position with a man who definitely isn't her husband. 

Anne is sure Frances won't tell anyone about her little affair. Her day to day life and her marriage have become so ho hum that the new, illicit relationship offers her new found confidence and something to look forward to. But what if her husband did find out - would it be worth it?

Iris desperately wants another baby, but she knows her wife Sara won't be on board. They're finally at a place with their six year old that they can enjoy nights out again. But Iris's baby blues are getting worse and even Sara can tell she isn't satisfied these days. 

Meanwhile, Bill has been keeping a secret from everyone around him. His neighbor Frances drives his son to school, but even she doesn't now where Bill's wife, Julie, has gone to. And he's not ready to tell. 

Abbi Waxman's latest explores the social politics of neighborhoods, family relationships, and spousal relationships in her latest and it's a hoot!

Waxman's talent for building fully fleshed characters that ring true to the reader is one that drew me in with her debut and one that is oh, so definitely still a stand out in her newest book. Each character, From Frances on down to little Lally and Lucas, jumps from the pages in startling reality. Their emotions, their motivations, their struggles, and their secrets are relatable and, in many cases, tug at your heartstrings. She understands people so much so that she has the ability to not only put together these fabulous characters on the page, but she knows exactly how to make the reader truly empathize with them, no matter what might be going on in their stories. Oh, and they're usually pretty funny!

The characters are what draws me and the humor is what keeps me, because let's face it, a book about various relationship issues and such could be a huge downer. And yet, the combination of that humor and those fabulous characters means that I'm right their alongside them and happy to be there even at the most tragic moments!

If you haven't treated yourself to Waxman's work just yet, I definitely recommend you do so immediately. Reading her work is such a pleasure!

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman + a Giveaway

It's been four years since Lili's husband died and while things have gotten easier, she can't imagine a day when she'll ever be over it. His death sent her spiraling out of control, leaving her two daughters under the care of her sister in the immediate aftermath. These days, it means they're closer than ever. But as her beloved sister encourages Lili to get out there and meet someone - to take the reigns and join the dating pool once again - Lili remains staunchly against it. Not until the kids are out of college, she promises (they're seven and five). 

When her job asks her to join a gardening class at the local botanical gardens, Lili isn't at all resistant. Not only does it sound like fun, and she can bring the kids, but everyone hopes it'll get Lili and the company in the good graces of the Bloem family, a huge new account for the publisher. And since Lili will be illustrating their new vegetable guides, it should be a great opportunity for research. But what Lili isn't counting on is falling for Edward Bloem himself!

Abbi Waxman's The Garden of Small Beginnings is fantastic! It's more than bit of a tear jerker but it's still light and funny when it needs to be (which is most of the time).

Loss and grief and moving on are tough topics to tackle. As Lili and the rest of the characters show us, each and every person is different in how they react and recover to loss. And Lili is lucky that she has her sister, Rachel, in her life. Her sister who stepped up and helped out when Lili needed it most.

While this is very much Lili's story, it's also Rachel's story, and it's Lili's kids' story. And it's the story of the gardening class - led by Edward - a group of people who might never have crossed paths in their day to day lives, drawn together and made friends over the act of bringing a garden of vegetable bounty to life.

Fair warning, it'll likely make you antsy to get your own garden going, if you have one!

I loved this book. I really did - tears and all. And it really was all I could do not to let the tears take over. Out of both sadness and joy, I might add. But again, this is actually a pretty hilarious read overall. Between Lili and Rachel and Lili's daughters, there are some definitely laugh out loud moments throughout. And really, the tears are minor in comparison. Heck, even Molly Shannon (you know, MOLLY SHANNON) blurbed the book!

The Garden of Small Beginnings is new out today and should be on every reading list for anyone looking for a fun and upbeat feel good read. Perfect for spring in every way!

Thanks to the publisher, I get to give away a copy of Abbi's debut today! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, May 15. Open US only and no PO boxes please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway