Linda's first review of 2022...

Linda Reviews:

The Reading List by Sara Nish Adams

A book about the power of books.

A book about the power of the library.

A book about the power of friendship.

Sara Nish Adams debut novel is a wonderful story of the connection between books and people.

Some books you finish and feel you would be doing an injustice if you started another one too soon. You take the time to reflect on what you have just read and live with the characters for just a little bit longer. This is one of those books.

Aleisha, a sad lonely teenage girl, has reluctantly got herself a holiday job at the library. She needs the money and has to do something before starting uni.  A library, so not her. All hush, hush, books, books.

Mukesh, a recently widowed and aging man, is a new library user and like Aleisha is uncomfortable in the library environment. Unsurprisingly, given her attitude, Aleisha initially does not make Mukesh feel comfortable or welcome. However, her chance find of a crumbled reading list in a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird sets her and Mukesh on a path to an unlikely friendship and alliance.

I would suggest you have some uninterrupted time reading this. You may not want to be interrupted when you are in the middle of a crisis with Aleisha, or that you are supporting widower Mukesh in his time of grief.

I highly recommend this for your book discussion group.

If you enjoyed this book you may also like: The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson