The Thirty Before Thirty List

Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

Maya’s life is safe, predictable, quiet . . .

She spends her days at the same job she’s been at for years, her evenings watching Bollywood movies with her parents and her Saturday nights eating out at the same restaurant with her childhood best friend.

When Maya meets Noah on the Underground, for twenty glorious minutes her life becomes exciting. Until he jumps off the train, accidentally leaving behind a notebook containing a list of thirty things he wants to do before he turns thirty.

Crushed by the abrupt ending to what could have been her happily ever after, Maya challenges herself to work through the items on his list, secretly hoping that whilst climbing out of her rut and (quite literally) climbing mountains, she may find Noah as well as herself. Instead, she meets Zakariya; an annoying suitor brought to her by her parents via a dodgy marriage CV.

But how can a flawed, real life person ever compare to the man in the notebook?

Media Reviews

This is such an engaging and enjoyable romcom, which had me turning the pages to see what would happen next! Romance, sexual chemistry and unexpected twists and turns unfold in a pacey plot, which had me thinking about how to live our best lives – Aliya Ali-Afzal

An engaging and heartwarming story about a young woman’s desire to experience life and love on her own terms. Tasneem shows us that brown girls deserve love and romance too and I wish that I had been able to read fiction like this when I was young – Ronali Collings

A warm hug of a book! With a hugely relatable protagonist, both funny and heartwarming moments, this is the perfect uplifting read about a woman who finds an unconventional solution to no longer feel stuck in her life. I couldn’t put it down! – Sara Jafari

A totally charming book. I do love a love story, and found The Thirty Before Thirty List the perfect fit. A joy to read – Eva Verde