The Reading ListThe Reading List
What it's about
In a London suburb, Mukesh, a lonely widower, finds a handwritten list of book titles in a library. Aleisha, a troubled teenager who works there, finds it too. They start reading the books, from To Kill a Mockingbird to Little Women, and their friendship helps both of them heal.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's warm and life-affirming.
You'll love it if you liked
The Booklover's Library
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop
Remarkably Bright CreaturesGood to know
It deals with grief and mental illness.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Reading List worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 61.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Reading List about?
In a London suburb, Mukesh, a lonely widower, finds a handwritten list of book titles in a library. Aleisha, a troubled teenager who works there, finds it too. They start reading the books, from To Kill a Mockingbird to Little Women, and their friendship helps both of them heal.
How long does it take to read The Reading List?
About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Reading List?
If you liked it, try The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum or Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.