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The Reading List

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The Reading List

By: Sara Nisha Adams, Paul Panting
Narrated by: Sagar Arya, Tara Divina, Paul Panting
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About this listen

A new chapter is just beginning…

*A finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Fiction 2021!*

‘A love letter to books, reading and the power of connection – absolutely gorgeous’ Sunday Times bestseller, RUTH WARE

When Aleisha discovers a crumpled reading list tucked into a tattered library book, it sparks an extraordinary journey.

From timeless stories of love and friendship to an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean with a boy and a tiger in a boat, the list opens a gateway to new and wonderful worlds – just when Aleisha needs an escape from her troubles at home.

And when widower Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to connect with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha introduces him to the magic of the reading list. An anxious teenager and a lonely grandfather forming an unlikely book club of two.

Inspiring and heartwarming, The Reading List is a love letter to storytelling – its power to transport us, connect us, and remind us that a new beginning is only a page away…

A real heart-lifter . . . . A joyful, uplifting read’ Good Housekeeping

‘A gorgeous debut novel about the power reading has to bring people together, no matter the barriers of age, culture and class’ Red

©2021 Sara Nisha Adams (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Family Life Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature Feel-Good Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

"The story is an absolute joy. I loved the way Aleisha and Mukesh found their lives entwined thanks to the power of books.... A captivating and exquisitely crafted debut." (Sunday Times best-selling author Heidi Swain)

"If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this." (Debbie Johnson)

"The Reading List absolutely captures the magic of reading and of libraries. I felt a part of Mukesh and Aleisha's book club, revisiting some of my favourite novels alongside these new friends." (Louise Hare)

All stars
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I loved this book. It is beautifully written. The way the author weaves the lives of the characters in the reading list to engulf the lives of the readers is extremely creative and engaging. This is a book that offers hope and a positive way of viewing life’s traumas and difficult moments. It left me feeling very happy And wanting to explore the reading list personally, some of the books I have never read and am looking forward to experiencing.

Life finds you in unexpected ways

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Incredible well read - kept me engaged and invested in all the little slices of the characters lives. Loved it!

A beautiful story of love and connection

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Such a sweet and uplifting story.
And the narration was brilliant.
It has also made me really want to read each book on the list, and given me a heightened appreciation for books (despite already being very bookish).

Loved it!

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This book was a journey through the little ways that we can all feel lonely and isolated, and how books can help us find community and connections again. This really pulled my heart strings with real characters and devastating plot bringing you right in to their found family. an absolute masterpiece and a must read.

A Story About Connection

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.