The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"The girl was right - Naina would be proud, not just because he'd read a book quickly...but because today he took himself out of his comfort zone, and for a few moments of his day, he'd made a brand new friend." (p 108) 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

August 2021; William Morrow; 978-0063025288
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); women's fiction

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.

What could be better than a book about books and libraries! The Reading List has well-written characters, a great plot, and mentions some fantastic books that opened up new worlds for the two characters and helped them become friends.

Mukesh is a widower. He misses his wife desperately and he sees her everywhere. His daughters try to help him but they end up overprotecting him. He wants to find a way to connect with his young granddaughter. All she wants to do is read but then he realizes books were what made her close with her grandmother. So he makes the trek to the library that is far outside his neighborhood and when he gets a reading list that was left by an anonymous person, he decides to read all of the books on the list.

Aleisha is a teenager who reluctantly works at the library. When she finds the reading list, she decides to read all of the books on the list hoping that they will help her deal with her life at home.

Mukesh and Aleisha started off as strangers but the more they discussed the books that they were reading, the more their friendship grew and they begin to realize that there was a whole world outside of what had been their dreary lives.

As readers, we all know how books can affect your life and the way you view the world around you. This book was so great because it showed how two non-readers were affected by the books on the reading list and the changes that the books helped make in their lives. This is a heart-warming novel about the magic of books!

Buy The Reading List at Amazon  

If you're curious - here are the books on the reading list that changed the lives of Mukesh and Aleisha and cemented their new friendship.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Rebecca

Life of Pi 

The Kite Runner 

Pride and Prejudice

Little Women 

A Suitable Boy  

Beloved  

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina with her husband of over 50 years.  She grew up in Michigan but now calls North Carolina home. Since her travel plans had to be canceled for this year, she is starting to make plans for travel in 2021. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

 

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