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The Reading List cover art

The Reading List

Written by: Sara Nisha Adams
Narrated by: Tara Divina, Sagar Arya, Paul Panting
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2021 Sara Nisha Adams (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about The Reading List

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great story made even better by the actors who read the characters, especially Mukesh Patel

This book was a pleasure to read. The characters developed naturally throughout the book, and the ending did not seem contrived. Plus there are two great reading lists arising in this book - one that the book is framed around, and another that the author shared in the end notes. I found the list in my hardcover version of the book. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was contained in the audiobook. This should be rectified.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely!

I felt so many emotions listening to this book, I can't believe it's already ended. The narrators were excellent! There are other books referenced in this book that I haven't read yet, which have now been added to my list!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • DMD
  • 2023-10-11

The Transformative Power of a Story

I really enjoyed this book. Aleisha begins to work at the library and at first she's not happy about it, but when she meets a lonely widower named Mukesh, things begin to change. She finds a Reading List in a book and begins to recommend those books to Mukesh and also begins to read them herself.

Books have the power to change us and the way we see the world and they begin to change both Aleisha and Mukesh and also to create a powerful friendship between the two.

I thought the narrator did a good job with the story and the accents.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I adored this book

Beautifully read! Poignant, stirring and a wonderful reminder of the power of books and community

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Zac
  • 2023-09-18

A lovely weave of lives

This book was lovely to hear. You love the characters and by the end want to read every book on the list!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • AT
  • 2023-03-10

Great book and narrators. A bit slow at times.

I enjoyed the book but found it slow at times. The narration was well done. The ending brings it all together.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gentle story

Great book for when you are in the mood for a strong story line with family twists and a happy vibe.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

loved it!

I wasn't sure if I would like this one but I did! It got better and better. narrators were excellent.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this story!

I was so glad I purchased this story - even though some Goodreads reviewers said this story was too saccharine for them. While it does have a hallmark feel to it, the author kept me wanting to hear more. I enjoyed watching the 2 main characters come to immerse themselves into reading and connect with others through reading. To find a love in listening to the character's (of each novel) story to tell. How they identified themself with some of the characters. It showed how much they were enjoy reading. And that is why I read: to immerse myself into another world.. to see life from someone else's eyes.
I've read most of the books on the list and plan to read the ones I haven't. Or re-read some of my favourites there were listed here.
I laughed and cried and totally loved this book. And I thought the narrators did an excellent job of bring each character to life. I do recommend this book to book lovers worldwide.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

ok

I can't really recomend this book,found it boring and depressing. Maybe if you had read all the books on the reading list that this book talks about you would have enjoyed it more. Not for me.

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