Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List: A Journey of Self-Discovery Through Fiction

Amazon Customer: Lovely page turner of a book. glad I read it. Nicely plotted and written. Highly recommended. Portrays multiethnic wembley well.

United Kingdom on Nov 14, 2023

Robert Heinemann: Those of us who are avid readers have common problems. If we love a book we mourn the idea that it will end. If it ends what do we read next?

The Reading List is a book that combines these ideas with the humanity that is at the center of every reader. It is the story of many inhabitants of a small English town that become joined by a mystery reading list that appears to each of them...in a book, in a bag, In a shelf, even in a shoe rack.
One of the main characters, Mr P. Is mourning the loss of his beloved wife from Cancer. She was a devoted wife and family woman and an avid reader although he is not. When he happens upon the list, he unexpectedly goes to tge local library and begins to read. This joins his life with many others...a young librarian who is trying to care for her mother who suffers from depression and mental illness, old friends through his temple center, and his daughters and especially his granddaughter. Along the way we are exposed to the others as well as several classic novels that all have something to share with these readers. We also join the community as they attempt to save their local library for a tragic closing.

Most of all we are...

United States on Nov 08, 2023

Cathy Thompson: I really enjoyed this book, rich in culture and diverse characters. I loved the references to classic novels and the way the author wove them through her story.

Australia on Nov 07, 2023

Beth Deese: One of the first things I wonder when I pick up a new book is if it will be worth my time, worth the investment of stopping all my other activities to read what this one author wants to say about life.

The Reading List certainly was worth my time and I enjoyed the characters and the taste of both Indian and English modern suburban culture. It’s certainly a unique storyline!

The setup is a bit confusing as the point of view switches between multiple characters. I found that hard to follow, especially at the beginning when you’re trying to get a handle on how to read the book, though it’s explained by the ending so I’ll forgive it.

Different people are finding the same reading list at different points in time. I was trying to track the list as I read but there was no link to how it was passed on. Also, some of those characters weave into the story and some really don’t. I kept expecting them to come back. We do find out the link between them and the lists later so I won’t give it away. But I would have liked more follow through with the minor characters and a better meshing of all of them so they enriched the story.

The 2 main characters,...

United States on Aug 15, 2023

Santiago A. Martínez Sierra: Aún estoy en ello pero ayuda a mantener en forma el inglés

Spain on Jul 11, 2023

Lee: A reading list is found inside a library book with the heading: "Just in case you need it." The same list ends up circulating throughout the small town of Wembley and as the story progresses, we see the impact that this list ends up having on various members of the community. In the story, each character has to deal with various harsh realities that life hurls at them — issues that are difficult and perhaps even unresolvable, since they are part of what it means to be human. Most of the characters come upon reading by chance, but become lifelong readers after witnessing for themselves how much the books they pick up end up helping them work through certain things. As an avid reader myself who has experienced first- hand how finding the right book(s) at the right time can truly be life-changing, I love how the author, Sara Nisha Adams, emphasized this point in the ways she incorporated each of the books on the list into the story line.

This was a story that covered a lot of ground emotionally, as it made me both laugh and cry in turn. The characters were endearing and I absolutely loved spending time with them — to the point that I honestly didn't want the story to end....

United States on May 27, 2023

Andrew N: This seems to be a book written by a bibliophile, for bibliophiles about a bibliophile, albeit a nascent one. I found it entertaining but was disappointed by its inherent narrowness and lack of depth. Apart from Mukesh, firmly embedded in his Hindu community, I was disoriented by the lack of social context of the other characters. London is a melting pot, but that doesn’t homogenize the cultural diversity – quite the opposite. The central plot theme, the friendship based on reading books between an adolescent girl and a much older man from a different community is a worthy subject for a novel, but both the relationship and the analysis of it remain superficial. Mukesh is a King Lear character, but why is Aleisha drawn to him? Doesn’t she have grandparents of her own? The problems of being a young carer would also be worth rehearsing in greater depth. It undoubtedly leads to isolation, reading books might be reasonable refuge, although that wouldn’t help solve any problems. Confiding in someone willing to help would have been more valuable. Doesn’t she have any friends or wider family apart from a busy and distant cousin? Did she descend from Mars? A suicide occurs, which...

United Kingdom on Feb 27, 2023

Marie: How the magic of books can bring people together… I loved following the dawning and blooming of the friendship between Aleisha and Mr. Patel through the books they share.
Books can take you away from the hardship of reality nonetheless teaching valuable lessons and helping you deal with real life. Books are true friends which bring people closer together.
And the reading list of the book is truly awesome.

France on Jun 10, 2022