Scan barcode
jazzsonnet's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicide
mdavis26's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Death, Suicide, and Grief
sareidle's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a heartwarming read and a reminder to be compassionate towards people, as you don't know their challenges. I found the two main characters, Mukesh and Aleisha, very compelling and lovable throughout the book, and rooted for them as they opened up and welcomed new connections in their lives. The author handles the tragic moments in the book seriously and with care. I appreciated how the themes and characters from the books on the reading list were incorporated into the plot, especially when Mukesh imagined Scout running ahead of him on his first visit to the library without his granddaughter. I wish that the later books on the list were more present in the text, but overall it was a very enjoyable read and I've added several of the titles from the titular reading list to my own TBR.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Death, Cancer, and Bullying
emerald_eyes's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A great novel to curl up with. I found myself laughing and tearing up at times. Truly a sweet story. Nothing bad about it... The only reason it's not 5 stars for me is because it's slower-paced than I prefer!
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Grief, and Death
Nothing in the book is graphic, I found it lovely and appropriate... but for anyone sensitive to death/suicide/sudden loss, it might be nice to be forewarned.stebo24's review
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Grief
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
jerseynoonatic's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So hard to put down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide and Cancer
andrewhatesham's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The Reading List explores themes of human connection, mental illness, bibliophilia, and the importance of libraries.
I got this book from a thrift store a while ago. I rarely buy books I've never heard of before, but this sounded interesting so I decided to pick it up. I'm really glad I did, because I liked it a lot! It didn't hook me in right away, I'm glad I kept on reading because it eventually picked up and I was entertained all the way through to the end!
I loved the premise and the characters. This makes me want to write a reading list of my own, and also to spend more time at the library.
If you like A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, you will probably like this, it has similar vibes.
I got this book from a thrift store a while ago. I rarely buy books I've never heard of before, but this sounded interesting so I decided to pick it up. I'm really glad I did, because I liked it a lot! It didn't hook me in right away, I'm glad I kept on reading because it eventually picked up and I was entertained all the way through to the end!
I loved the premise and the characters. This makes me want to write a reading list of my own, and also to spend more time at the library.
If you like A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, you will probably like this, it has similar vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Death, Cancer, and Suicide
Minor: Cursing
booksandharps's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide
annakh16's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
I found this to be quite the drag. The story was sweet enough and so were the characters, but there wasn’t enough happening in either plot or personality insights for me to be interested. The life lessons explored by the characters through books felt too on the nose for me. I also disliked the random time and pov jumps to minor characters; I understand Adams wanted to show how everyone was connected through the reading list, but to me it made the story more confusing rather than adding to it. Neither was the reveal of the author of the reading list a surprise to me.
The last 100-ish pages brought this back up a little, as the book finally picked up some pace. There were also some sweet quotes about libraries and reading. But overall this unfortunately wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide