The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams tells the story of two lost souls, Alisha, a 17-year-old, and Mukesh, an Indian widower, who both live in London. They somehow manage to find each other living amongst the chaos of the busy city. They form a unique bond of kinship through books found on a reading list left behind.

“Books say different things to different people.”

My First Audiobook Experience

This was my first time listening to an audiobook. 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.

The Reading List: Comforting or Unrealistic?

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 author’s own grandfather inspired Mukesh’s character. He also lived in Wembley and found a connection with his granddaughter through books.

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.

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.

“Priya knew the world he was in right now. There was something magical in sharing a world you have loved. Allowing someone to see it through the same pair of spectacles you saw it through yourself.”

Conclusion

Overall, I found The Reading List a nostalgic look into the power of truly reading for the first time. I also love that the book was set in London, where I am originally from. 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.

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Have you read this? Would you read it? Which books would your own personalised Reading List contain?

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