The Reading List

In this charming story, formerly non-readers from a suburb of London form meaningful & unexpected relationships as they discover the power of books at a local library; as challenges arise in their lives, they see that books can be a source of refuge, sage advice, and most importantly, a point of connection with others.

Of course, I love the message of this book. Clearly, I'm a big reader, and I love books for all the reasons that this book explores. Books are empathy machines, allowing us to understand people who are vastly different from us. Books are nostalgia. Books are an escape from reality. Books connect us more deeply to our emotions. Books allow us to reflect. Books change our perspective and offer great wisdom. Books are adapted to some of the best movies. And books bring us together.

As much as I love all that, and as much as I like the general plot of the story (young, troubled woman becomes friends with elderly, lonely man – a classic trope), this book lacks character depth and the plot is forced. Some plot points are so undeveloped that they don't make much sense, and the reader is forced to make some big assumptions. The tone is cutesy, but very intense moments feel at odds with that tone. The writing is exceptionally basic, so it's tempting to skim. Overall, just an okay reading experience for me, which is a shame given the whole point of the book.