In this unique, multi-layered novel, we meet a varied cast of characters. Mukesh is a lonely widower who feels lost without his beloved, book-loving wife, Naina. Aleisha, a seventeen-year-old library assistant, dislikes both reading and her job. Thomas is the unfortunate target of a bully who spends his after-school hours at the library while his mother works. Izzy collects no-longer-needed shopping lists (and any others she finds), thinking they give her insights into their writers. The members of this diverse group appear to have little or nothing in common except for living in Wembley, a London suburb.

Yet there is one connection they share. Each discovers an identical list of books written in elegant handwriting and headed by the introduction, “Just in case you need it,” with the words Harrow Road Library stamped on the back.

Mukesh discovers the library’s magic when he finds The Time Traveler’s Wife, a novel borrowed by Naina and never returned. Although not the book lover she was, he reads it, finding solace—and a closeness with his beloved wife—within its pages. Thinking it would please Naina, Mukesh makes his way to the library to return the book.

It is there that he meets Aleisha—and becomes a victim of the girl’s detestation of her job, expressed by her sharp refusal to help him find a novel he would enjoy. Only after a regular patron hints that the old man might like To Kill a Mockingbird (the first novel on the reading list) does Aleisha relent and offer the suggestion. This rocky encounter gradually metamorphoses into a close bond as the two discover and share what the novels on the list can teach them.

Although this becomes Mukesh’s and Aleisha’s story, all of the characters play a role. The discovery of the reading list and the new—or already existing—fondness for the library bring out the best in each member of this group. They discover a common purpose as well: saving the Harrow Road Library from closure because the powers that be believe it to be underused and therefore unnecessary. And there is the undercurrent of a mystery: who wrote the list and how did it come into the possession of each reader?

Sara Nisha Adams deftly intersperses the stories of the characters with the plots of each novel. She skillfully avoids any spoilers, enticing her audience to read at least some of these titles themselves. Through both times of joy and tragedy, the growing bond among Mukesh, Aleisha, and the rest (which has a ripple effect on some who have never seen the reading list) makes for a moving, uplifting story. The common thread they share turns a random group of individuals into a close-knit group united by a growing love of reading and the messages discovered within the pages of the stories.

Each person in Mukesh’s and Aleisha’s world is well-rounded and believable. Even telephone messages reveal aspects of the caller’s and recipient’s personalities and life stories. All in all, this is a moving tale of family and friendship that brings home the importance of reading and libraries in people’s lives. By the time readers complete The Reading List, they may well come up with one of their own.

This book is a love letter to both people and libraries, and I adored every word. The two main characters in this story are some of the best I've seen, and I loved their depiction and dialogue the most. Thank you for the e-arc.

Wonderful book - interesting characters and wonderful storyline. I will recommend it to my book club as it speaks to the power of books and how they can transform people, help in hard times, and connect people . Enjoyed it immensely

I enjoyed this book and once begun, I didn’t want to put it aside. My only complaint was the swear words, which would keep me from purchasing it for my church library.

Heartwarming with a satisfactory ending.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely story about the power of books, reading and connection. A widower and a teenage library employee become unlikely friends over a mysterious list of books. A love letter to libraries and reading. 3.5

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams is beautifully written with so much to consider and reflect upon. It reminds us of the power of books and the special people found in libraries.

Mukesh Patel lost his wife Naina to cancer and is still grieving when he finds a library book of his wife's that had never been returned. Even though Mukesh has been mostly staying at home since Naina died, he decides to take the book back after reading it. Naina had always been a reader and was encouraging her granddaughter Priya to read. Aleisha, on the other hand, a non-reader, has taken a summer job at the library that she detests at the urging of her brother who finds peace there. They are both taking care of their mom, who has been and still is going through a rough patch. Copies of a reading list are being found by various people in the town of Wembley and frequently the copies found at the struggling library are helpful to those taking a chance reading recommended books from a stranger. The friendship that forms between the young woman and the widower is sweet, but prickly in the beginning. In fact it took me a bit to warm up to Aleisha, but the other characters are fun and relatable and Mukesh a delight. My one criticism is one I cannot write about or it would give too much away. But if spending a day reading is a great day for you, take a chance and read this on a strangers recommendation. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgallery for the advance ecopy of this sweet book. I loved the cast of characters, variety of ages of ethnicities, and of course the library/reading theme. Would recommend!

A charming book about people who needs books. Damaged people. Hurting people. Helping people. And ultimately, hopeful people. The Reading List is proof that the right book can make all the difference. Sara Nisha Adams has captured the characters fully. The choice of books in the list is nicely diverse and well-woven into the story.

Heartbreaking, Hopeful, Relatable, and full of wonderful books. An absolute must read for anyone who is looking for a touching and inspiring story that really pulls your heartstrings.

A little bit of London suburbia, a little bit of To Kill A Mockingbird, a ton of amazing moments in this story! I adored this book so much.

As a librarian, the title of this book caught my eye right away and I couldn’t wait to start reading it. The book centers on two main characters - a lonely widower named Mukesh and a bored, troubled teenager named Aleisha. Aleisha takes a job for the summer working in the library - a job that she finds tedious and boring. She discovers someone’s reading list of classic novels in a book and decides to fill her time by reading them. Mukesh discovers an overdue library book of his deceased wife’s and decides to read it. He feels such a connection to the book and to his deceased wife who was an avid reader that he decides to take a trip to the library to take out more books. .He also hopes that by reading he can maybe forge a connection with his granddaughter who is an avid reader as well Aleisha starts to recommend the books that are on the list and before long the two of them form an unlikely friendship.
I loved the format of this book! The author divided it into sections according to the book that was being read at the time and wrote about how that particular book was relevant not only to Aleisha and Mukesh but also to a host of other characters that were introduced to the reader. As all of these characters work their way through the reading list, the author begins to form connections among them and highlights the importance of a library to the surrounding community. This is a fabulous debut novel and one that I highly recommend. At the very least, it has spurred me on to reading some of the classics that were on the list!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a librarian so how could I not love a book that centers around a public library and the act of reading? Two main characters begin to read books from a reading list that is passed somewhat magically from person to person. An elderly gentleman who is still suffering from the loss of his beloved wife is finding books as a way of healing and connecting with his bookish granddaughter. A summer library clerk finds the reading list and decides that she needs to up her novel-reading so she can help library patrons more effectively. She also finds solace in reading fiction from her home situation.

A lovely book that centers around the pleasure and life-affirming act of reading.

As one might surmise, The Reading List is a book about books— how they help us cope, how we see ourselves in them, how we learn from them, and how they connect us. All the characters in the book come into possession of the same mysterious book list, with the heading “just in case you need it”. The list includes classics like TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and newer titles like A SUITABLE BOY. The two main characters Aliesha and Murkesh, a young woman and an elderly man are brought together when Murkesh goes to the library for the first time, and meets Aliesha, who works there. They are both grieving for different reasons, but as they work through the list together, they both find their world transformed.
I am all for promoting the power of books, but this one is a bit too treacly and precious for me, with the almost constant reminders of how the books impact our characters, so it feels like being hit over the head with the message. Also, a student who works in the library for the summer is NOT a librarian, and although it is common for patrons to make this mistake, the author of this book knows better, and the distinction should be acknowledged.

A great read for anyone who loves libraries and the power of reading. This was a heart warming read.

The Reading list simultaneously broke me and healed me. Anyone who loves books will devour this story about how books can heal us and bring us together in the most difficult times. Following a diverse and unique group of characters The Reading List uses well known novels as a framework for creating friendships and family from loss. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

If you have read any of my reviews, you know I am a fan of books about books. The title alone of this book called to me. This is a story of loneliness and the power of literature to connect us. The setting is Wembley, England which seems to be a small city with a diverse population and the usual clash of generations and cultures. We meet a young girl working in a city library for the summer who surprisingly has no interest in reading. Her first opportunity to provide service to a library patron is dismissive and rude as she impatiently offers no help to a recent widower from a strong Indian community who hesitantly makes his first trip to the library which his wife had loved. Her supervisor reminds her the struggling library might be shut down and she needs to do better in serving the few customers they have. The problem is that the grieving widower wants a book suggestion, and she has none to offer.Fortunately she comes upon a reading list mysteriously tucked in a returned book which Spurs her to read through the list and in turn reach out to the widower and suggest the books to him. Thus begins a friendship which serves them both.
The families of both these characters play important roles in the story. Many of them were annoying, but I felt my impatience was due to cultural mores that I didn’t understand The three daughters of the widower were all aggravating as was the mother of Aleisha the library worker.. Her brother’s influence was profound but also hard for me to accept.
The actual reading list played a major part in the story and along with offering an interesting mix of titles, there was the mystery of who created the original list.. I have read most of the suggested books but there is one I definitely want to look for. This book provided food for thought and a moderate amount of entertainment. I think if the characters had been more sympathetic, it could have been more enjoyable. However there was definite growth on the part of every one so that has to count for something.

I enjoyed this book about books and the connections we can find through reading. There's always a book that can change our perspective, the way we look at the world and look at ourselves. This particular book changed my view of loneliness after loss in old age.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

What happens when a bunch of different people find book lists in different places and decide to read the books on the lists? Who made the lists? Why did they make the lists? This was just a lovely story about how books can bring people together. I can kind of think it would also work really well as a movie.

Read if you: Want a charming story about the magic of books, sharing books, and the importance of libraries.

I'll be honest. Books about the magic of books, libraries, bookstores, etc usually leave me cold. Now, I totally believe in the power of books to comfort, entertain, challenge, educate, and change lives. However, I usually find such stories....annoying? I realize I'm in the minority with that opinion.

However--this has received so much love on #ewgc chat among librarians that I wanted to check it out, especially since it features an Indian-British family. This is a very idealized view of what it's like to work in libraries (and it steers somewhat into invasion of patron privacy), but if you need a warm and bighearted read this summer, try this one.

Librarians/booksellers: Patrons/customers LOVE books about the magic of books and libraries/bookstores. (There is a bookstore scene, booksellers!)

Many thanks to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.