Genre Fiction
![Sara Nisha Adams - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_sara_nisha_adams.jpg)
The Reading List: A Novel
A BEST OF SUMMER READ ACCORDING TO NEWSWEEK, PARADE MAGAZINE, NBC NEWS, LITHUB, AND POPSUGAR!
"The most heartfelt read of the summer...a surprising delight of a novel."--Shondaland
An unforgettable and heartwarming debut about how a chance encounter with a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people in a London suburb.
Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in Wembley, in West London after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.
Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It's a list of novels that she's never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she's facing at home.
When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list…hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.
Editorial Reviews
"A quietly beautiful novel about the magic of books and the joy of human connection." - Newsweek
"A remarkable, heartwarming debut about the power of fiction." - Popsugar
"Thoughtful and heartwarming... An absolute delight to read, it will be catnip to book groups craving a story to remind them why we read and how very important libraries and book shops are." - Library Journal (starred review)
"A lovely story about how a love of reading can transport us to other worlds and also bring us together." - Toronto Star
"This moving debut demonstrates the power of novels to provide comfort in the face of devastating loss and loneliness, with relatable characters and a heartwarming tone throughout. Readers who enjoyed Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop will find themselves drawn in by this book." - Booklist
"The most heartfelt read of the summer...a surprising delight of a novel." - Shondaland
"The story is an absolute joy. A captivating and exquisitely crafted debut." - Heidi Swain, bestselling author of The Winter Garden
"If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this." - Debbie Johnson, bestselling author of Maybe One Day
"A wonderful read about the fundamental power of books to lift our lives from the mundane and transform them into something truly magical." - Imogen Clark, bestselling author of Postcards From a Stranger
"The Reading List absolutely captures the magic of reading and of libraries. I felt a part of Mukesh and Aleisha's book club, revisiting some of my favourite novels alongside these new friends." - Louise Hare, author of The Lovely City
"A remarkable, heartwarming debut about the power of fiction." - Popsugar
"Thoughtful and heartwarming... An absolute delight to read, it will be catnip to book groups craving a story to remind them why we read and how very important libraries and book shops are." - Library Journal (starred review)
"A lovely story about how a love of reading can transport us to other worlds and also bring us together." - Toronto Star
"This moving debut demonstrates the power of novels to provide comfort in the face of devastating loss and loneliness, with relatable characters and a heartwarming tone throughout. Readers who enjoyed Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop will find themselves drawn in by this book." - Booklist
"The most heartfelt read of the summer...a surprising delight of a novel." - Shondaland
"The story is an absolute joy. A captivating and exquisitely crafted debut." - Heidi Swain, bestselling author of The Winter Garden
"If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this." - Debbie Johnson, bestselling author of Maybe One Day
"A wonderful read about the fundamental power of books to lift our lives from the mundane and transform them into something truly magical." - Imogen Clark, bestselling author of Postcards From a Stranger
"The Reading List absolutely captures the magic of reading and of libraries. I felt a part of Mukesh and Aleisha's book club, revisiting some of my favourite novels alongside these new friends." - Louise Hare, author of The Lovely City
Readers Top Reviews
JACclare brown
took me a bit to get into the book, but once I got into it I really liked it.
BobMary_PierceJAC
A very heart warming book. Interesting how it opened so much to the reader through the books. Many of the Indian terms left me a little puzzled but it didn't deter from the story line.
#EmptyNestReaderB
“Some books change your life forever.” The Reading List is a story of two lost souls, two people who feel sad and lonely and isolated. Although neither of them had been much of a reader in the past, they both turn to books for company and understanding. A list of books found within the pages of a recently returned book becomes a starting point. Together they learn the joys of reading; that a book can take you anywhere you want to go, “She'd only read a few pages, but it had been like stepping into someone else's world, letting their emotions merge with your own, letting someone else guide you for a moment, so she could work out how best to guide herself.” And, so, the 17 year old summer librarian, Aleisha, uses the list she found in a returned book as her starting point for herself and for ideas of books she can recommend to an elderly patron, Mukesh. As they read the books and discuss them together they become a sort-of bookclub for two, as well as, a friendship. Together with their books these two unlikely friends learn to speak up for themselves and to navigate the world around them. “Sometimes, books just take us away for a little while, and return us to our place with a new perspective.” "Just in case you need it: To Kill a Mockingbird Rebecca The Kite Runner Life of Pi Pride and Prejudice Little Women Beloved A Suitable Boy" “Books show us the world; they don’t hide it.” I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to reading this book, but I’m glad I finally did. Be sure to note the author’s own book recommendations at the back of the book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
EMC#EmptyNestRead
The Reading List was so much more than I ever expected. I got involved with the characters and their unexpected growth from reading the books on the list. I wanted them to succeed, to become more from their reading; I wanted to share what they were feeling. And having just finished it, I want to read it again.
