*A finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Fiction, discover this year's most uplifting and heart-warming debut* 'Absolutely gorgeous' RUTH WARE'The most heartfelt read of the summer' SHONDALAND'A joyful, uplifting read!' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'A captivating debut' HEIDI SWAIN _________________________________________________________________ A faded list. Nine favourite stories. For two strangers, friendship is only a page away . . . When Mukesh Patel pops to the local library, forgoing his routine of grocery shopping and David Attenborough documentaries, he has no idea his life's about to change. He meets Aleisha, a reluctant librarian and the keeper of a curious reading list - just a scrappy piece of paper with the names of 9 stories. It doesn't seem anything special. Yet something tells her to keep it close . . . Story by story, Mukesh and Aleisha work their way through the list - their worries slipping away with every encounter, with every world discovered in their unlikely book club of two. A fresh chance at life, at friendship, wasn't on the cards for these lonely souls - but every story starts somewhere . . . Everyone's getting swept away with The Reading List: 'Oh this book - what a glorious, emotional, powerful and uplifting read' Netgalley reviewer 'A lovely story about the power of books and libraries' Libby Page 'A gorgeous debut novel about the power reading has to bring people together' Red 'If you love books, 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 'Joyous, uplifting and reminds us what it feels like to find a book we connect with' Netgalley reviewer 'It's a perfect escape for anyone who wants to be reminded of the power of stories' Stephanie Butland 'A beautiful book about the joys of reading and connecting with people' Netgalley reviewer 'A stunning debut that broke my heart and put it back together again' Radiya Hafiza; 432 pages; Published: 21/07/2022