The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

by Abbi Waxman

  “I can’t remember. Do you know,” Liz continued, leaning closer, “that books have been the cornerstone of my life?”

  “Yes,” said Nina, chewing.

  “I distinctly remember the first time I recommended a book—it was Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson, and I recommended it because the customer enjoyed both William Gibson and S. J. Perelman, and I thought, hey, Snow Crash is futuristic and hilarious . . .” Here she seemed to lose the thread for a moment, but after a second remembered where she was going with all this. “And he came back to the store and said he’d loved it, and I was hooked.”

  “On science fiction?”

  “No, on introducing people to books. To reading books, knowing people, and putting them together. Love Bridget Jones AND Rebecca? Try Mary Stewart, who crushes the romantic suspense genre and wrote over a dozen fantastic books.” Suddenly, she reached over and grabbed Nina’s arm. “Do you know the best feeling in the world?”

  “Uh . . .” Nina shook her head, despite having some ideas.

  Liz glowed. “It’s reading a book, loving every second of it, then turning to the front and discovering that the writer wrote fourteen zillion others.”

  “Fourteen zillion?”

  “Or a dozen!” Liz turned to Mr. Meffo. “Mr. Meffo came by to help—isn’t that lovely of him?”

  Liz was definitely losing her mind. Nina looked at their landlord. Ex-landlord. He looked sheepish.

  “I was passing,” he said, somewhat defensively, “and I heard noises and investigated. It was Liz.” He cleared his throat. “Singing.” He smiled at Liz. “And she invited me in and we had pastries and coffee and talked about books.” He was almost happy. Nina had never seen him like this. “It turns out we have a lot in common.”

  “We both worry about Curious George, for example,” said Liz. “Why doesn’t the Man with the Yellow Hat take his responsibility seriously? Why does he keep leaving George in these obviously dangerous situations and then walking away?”

  “No, no,” said Mr. Meffo. “You’re looking at it wrong. The Man with the Yellow Hat is the victim. George keeps promising to behave, but he never does. Not to mention,” he said, warming to his theme, “that Curious George basically teaches kids it’s acceptable to damage property as long as you do something cute afterward.” He threw his hands in the air. “What kind of message is that?”

  Nina glanced over at Tom, who had been leaning in the doorway listening quietly. He was looking at Liz and Meffo with narrowed eyes.

  “Where did those muffins come from?” he asked.

  “From the lovely, lovely lady who’s stealing my store,” Liz told him. “I think she felt badly about the fighting and the ice cream, so she came over last night and dropped off a peace offering.” She reached for the last mini muffin. “I ended up eating some for dinner, and then I decided to reorganize the books.” She looked around. “I started well, but then I got distracted.”

  There was a pause.

  “You’re stoned,” said Nina.

  “Don’t be silly, Nina.”

  “Liz, she sells pot-infused makeup. Someone who thinks pot should be in eye shadow certainly isn’t going to hold back when it comes to baked goods.”

  “Huh,” said Liz. “Well, that might explain my pressing desire to raise goats and live in harmony with nature.” She turned to Mr. Meffo. “My apologies, Mr. Meffo, I appear to have given you adulterated muffins.”

  “Adulterated Muffins is a great band name,” he replied, giggling again. “Plus, we’re adults, so adulterated is completely appropriate.”

  “You’re funny,” said Liz. “I should never have called you Mephistopheles.”

  “And I shouldn’t have called you Slippery Liz.” His eyes softened. “I will miss our monthly cat and mouse. Of all my delinquent tenants, you were my favorite.”

  “But wait,” said Nina to the landlord. “Do we really have to close so soon? I have money now. I want to buy into the store, pay you back, and help Liz run Knight’s for another twenty years.” She looked at her boss. “I wasn’t sure until just now, but I love readers, too, and books, and there’s nothing I want more than to spend my working life making introductions.”

  “Are you sure?” Liz looked worried. “I mean, I get that the universe whirls in mysterious yada yada, but wouldn’t you rather travel the world?”

  “No, I’d rather stay home and read.”

  “What about investing in real estate?” asked Meffo.

  “In this market, are you mad?” replied Nina.

  “What about your photography?” asked Liz.

  “I’ll buy a nicer camera, but I’m not quitting my day job.” Nina grew exasperated. “What is with everyone? I don’t want to travel, I don’t want to buy a house, I want to run a bookstore, and this is the bookstore I want to run.” She turned to Tom. “You believe me, don’t you?”

  Tom nodded. “Baby, you do you.”

  “Well, I don’t know . . .” Mr. Meffo was frowning. “Puff and Pout signed a lease.”

  “They just got you guys high without warning you! I think a strongly worded conversation should encourage them to back off.”

  Liz looked around. “It’s going to take a while to reorganize all this.”

  Nina felt triumphant. “That’s OK, Tom and I are going on a road trip, anyway.”

  “We are?” asked Tom.

  “Yes,” crowed Nina. “To Mexico. I just decided. I like being spontaneous!”

  “Oh my God,” said Liz, who was clearly losing her buzz. “You’re like a character in a book.”

  “Lizzy Bennet? Katniss Everdeen?”

  “No, the stubborn guy in Green Eggs and Ham. After all the irritating and obsessive planning, it turns out you like to wing it after all.” She adopted a singsong tone. “I do! I like being flexible! And I will do it on a train, and I will do it in the rain.” She turned to Tom. “I guess that makes you Sam-I-Am.”

  He shrugged. “I’ll take that. Persistent and loyal are pretty good character traits.”

  Nina laughed out loud. She’d found her purpose—not reading as many good books as possible, but helping other people do so. She was going to make Knight’s a huge success; she was going to add a big, shiny coffee machine, and put her photos on the wall, and get a store dog and call it Admiral Frontispiece . . . or maybe it was just the muffins kicking in.

  “Come on,” she said to Tom, jumping up. “Let’s go!”

  * * *

  • • •

  So, dear reader, that’s precisely what they did. And once they’d finished doing that, they lived happily ever after.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing books is both a solitary job and a team effort. I would never have finished The Bookish Life of Nina Hill without my trio of early readers and my wonderful editor. Leah Woodring, Candice Culnane, and Ali Gray read it waaay before it was ready, and made comments and changes that improved it immeasurably. Then my editor, Kate Seaver, dragged it over the finish line. All four of you are goddesses and snappy dressers, and I’m lucky to know you.

  The beautiful planner templates Nina uses are from happydigitaldownload.com, and my thanks to P.S. Lau for permission to use them here.

  Questions for Discussion

  1. At the outset of the novel Nina appears very happy, although she really prefers to be alone. How does that change by the end of the novel? What role does solitude play in your life?

  2. Nina loves books and is a self-proclaimed introvert. What does she find so appealing about reading? Do you think both extroverts and introverts can be passionate about reading books? How do you think the experience is similar and different for both personality types? Why do you enjoy reading?

  3. Pages from Nina’s planner were included in the book. Do you feel that added to the narrative? How did Nina’s planner pages reflect her state of mind? Do y
ou find planning and organizing helps you feel more in control?

  4. Nina’s mind is constantly moving, filling with ideas, facts, and information. How does this help and hinder Nina? What do you think are the pros and cons of having such an active brain?

  5. Nina has found a group of friends who share her love of books, trivia, and popular culture. At the opening of the novel these people are her chosen family. What interests are you passionate about? Do you have a chosen family of like-minded people, or are your friends drawn from a wider pool?

  6. Nina was raised by her nanny, Louise, a woman who wasn’t her biological parent, but who loved and cared for her very deeply. Does Nina consider Lou family? What part do you think biology plays in the formation of family?

  7. After discovering her father, Nina realizes his personality resembles hers in many ways, something she feels conflicted about. What traits does Nina share with her father? What does she like about sharing certain personality characteristics with him? What does she find difficult about it? What attributes or flaws do you share with your parents, and how does that make you feel about yourself and about them?

  8. Do you think Nina will be permanently changed by discovering her family, or will she remain essentially the same?

  9. Nina struggles badly with anxiety, which is often quite debilitating. What are her coping mechanisms? Do you think they are healthy ways to deal with her stress? How do you handle anxieties and fears in your own life?

  10. For Nina, a bookstore or library represents sanctuary. Why do you think that is? Do you feel similarly? What are some of your favorite bookstores and libraries? What are other happy places in your life?

  11. Tom is not a bookish person, but his character complements Nina’s. Why do you think Nina and Tom work so well together as a couple? How do they complement one another? In what ways have your relationships succeeded or failed because of how well you “fit” together?

  12. Nina works in an independent bookstore and seems to enjoy the physical-paper version of books. Do you prefer to read physical books or ebooks? Is your enjoyment of books affected by whether or not you read them on paper? In the street battle over books that happens toward the end of the novel, which side would you be on?

  13. Los Angeles is a major city, but Larchmont is clearly a very defined neighborhood, with a small-town atmosphere. Are you surprised by that aspect of Los Angeles, and does it conflict with the way the city is normally portrayed in popular culture?

  14. In addition to her deep love of books, Nina also loves all forms of popular culture, including movies and TV shows. Do you think that is common, or do most people prefer one over the other? Which do you prefer?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Abbi Waxman, the author of Other People's Houses and The Garden of Small Beginnings, is a chocolate-loving, dog-loving woman who lives in Los Angeles and lies down as much as possible. She worked in advertising for many years, which is how she learned to write fiction. She has three daughters, three dogs, three cats, and one very patient husband.

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