Nina Hill is perfectly pleased with her comfortable life: employment at her local bookstore (including running their many book clubs), trivia competitions and movies, morning with her planner and nights blocked off for reading. It only takes one event to turn her life upside down: learning that her father has named her in his will alongside all the members of the rather large and unusual family that she’s never met. As Nina navigates all the new twists life is throwing her way, she might just learn to accept that life isn’t always going to happen according to plan. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a book I did enjoy, particularly because of Nina, who felt incredibly relatable to me on a personal level. Waxman does well in incorporating details that bring Nina and her world to life – the trivia nights, Nina’s penchant for organization and vision boards, her deep love of books and reading, the personalities of Nina’s extended family members and friends. The only thing that I didn’t love was the writing style. It felt very detached and impersonal, though that did improve a little bit in the second half of the story. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a charming, feel good contemporary story, and I’m ultimately glad I read it.
What kind of trivia night would you be good at? If we were competing regarding Disney movie songs or characters, I think I'd be a good team member to have!
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was released on July 9, 2019 from Berkley Books.
I received an ARC from the publisher for review.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was released on July 9, 2019 from Berkley Books.
I received an ARC from the publisher for review.
Amelia Linehan finds her entire life derailed when the liver condition she's had since birth has a flare-up severe enough to land her in the hospital. As she waits for her chance at an organ transplant, Amelia grapples with the physical and emotional ramifications of her condition and its bearing on her life and future. Don't let the seriousness of the bones of this tale fool you - The Arrival of Someday is an emotionally intense read that reduced me to tears more than once, but it managed to delight and surprise me along the way. Malone impressed me with her compelling take on what it is like for a teen to have to come to terms with a disease that affects their whole life. Her portrayal of how difficult it is to toe the line between optimistic and realistic, to not want your disease to define you, to dealing with the fear of the unknown - these things definitely added to the novel's raw emotional edge. Malone also took the time to flesh out secondary characters and Amelia's core relationships, allowing readers to see how each person who loved Amelia was affected by and reacted to this new development in her condition. Heartfelt, emotional and compelling, The Arrival of Someday was well worth the read (though you need to be prepared to experience heavy-hitting emotional ups and downs, especially if you've personally experienced a loved one having a life-threatening medical condition).
Were you part of any competitive team events, athletic or otherwise, in high school? There was a very, very brief time when I was part of the swim team during our sports festival. But aside from that, I can't say that I was into competitive team activities!
The Arrival of Someday was released on July 23, 2019 from Harper Teen.
I received an e-galley from the publisher via Edelweiss.
The Arrival of Someday was released on July 23, 2019 from Harper Teen.
I received an e-galley from the publisher via Edelweiss.
Both of these are on my TBR and I cannot wait to read them! I played volleyball in HS and loved it. I was on a swim team in middle school, but quickly learned it wasn't for me.
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