The Reading List

This debut is a heartwarming read that I listened to a few weeks ago. I found it to be an inspirational story which is told using multiple audio narrators who do a great job vocalizing the multiple POVs. These POVs tell a story that tackles emotional topics such as grief and family with particular focus on the importance and transformative qualities of public libraries, books, community, and intergenerational friendship.

This is <b>a sweet read for the book nerd in you</b>, but I found it came off overly sentimental at times and I found the pacing (and my attention) meandered a bit. I enjoyed the reading list which features several popular books - not all of which I've yet read. The list includes The Kite Runner, Rebecca, Pride and Prejudice, Little Woman, Beloved and A Suitable Boy. I think readers will get more out of the connections between the book themes and the characters' lives if they've read the books on the list, but I don't think it's necessary to read them all since Adams gives you enough of an overview to understand the gist of each book and its relevance.

The Reading List seems to be a fan favourite and it is <b>a sweet read that is comfort food for the book nerd soul</b>. I enjoyed its bookish focus and how the author cleverly reminds people of the importance and power of books no matter your age, ethnicity, or the money in your pocket and how books can help give readers different perspectives on life.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Sara Nisha Adams

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: eAudiobook from public library

Narrators: Tara Divina, Sagar Arya, Paul Panting

Run Time: 12 hours, 47 minutes

Publisher: HarperAudio

First Published: August 2021

Book Description from GoodReads: An unforgettable and heartwarming debut about how a chance encounter and a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people—a lonely London widower and a troubled teenager.

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing 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.