Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in Wembley, in West London after losing his beloved wife. 'The most heartfelt read of the summer.a surprising delight of a novel.'-ShondalandĪn 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. On the other hand, I do think that suspension of disbelief and taking this novel’s realism with a little pinch of salt is necessary to enjoy it.A BEST OF SUMMER READ ACCORDING TO NEWSWEEK, PARADE MAGAZINE, NBC NEWS, LITHUB, AND POPSUGAR! I also love that the book was set in London, where I am originally from. Overall, I found The Reading List a nostalgic look into the power of truly reading for the first time. Allowing someone to see it through the same pair of spectacles you saw it through yourself.

There was something magical in sharing a world you have loved. “Priya knew the world he was in right now. In any case, I believe that The Reading List is Sara Nishi’s romanticised ‘love letter to books’ given that this is her debut novel. With each part dedicated to another book ( The Time Traveler’s wife, To Kill a Mockingbird, Rebecca, The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Beloved and A Suitable Boy), the protagonists occasionally see characters like Scout and Atticus from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and The March Sisters from ‘Little Women’ come to life, which I found particularly contrived. He also lived in Wembley and found a connection with his granddaughter through books. The author’s own grandfather inspired Mukesh’s character. In my Reading Club we discussed whether books can really provide solace and comfort in times of grief, or whether the novel was over-constructed and unrealistic in its depiction of books as a ‘saving grace’ in times of difficulty. The Reading List: Comforting or Unrealistic?

Therefore, a narrative which may have possibly fallen quite flat when reading it the traditional way, came to life through the different voices used in the audiobook. This was my first time listening to an audiobook. “Books say different things to different people”.

The reading list sara adams review