Richard and Judy Summer Read 2008
Book Club Choices for Summer Include The Outcast and Down River
The book club of TV duo Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan has been running since 2004, and has had a huge impact on British book-buying habits. A book only has to appear on their shortlist to see its sales soar, in much the same way that Oprah’s book choices influence the American public; indeed, the choices of the Richard and Judy Book Club now account for around 26% of the sales of the top 100 books in the UK.
They issue two lists every year, the “Summer Read” tending to consist of slightly lighter reading suitable to entertain readers during the holidays. So what’s on this year’s list?
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Set in the south of England in the 1950s, this tells the story of a boy who becomes estranged from his home and his family after witnessing a terrible accident. Atmospheric and moving. (Vintage, 2008, ISBN 978-0099513421)
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
Thriller. Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge wakes up one morning to discover her family has vanished without trace, and it is not until twenty-five years later that she begins to learn the truth behind their sudden disappearance. Written from the point of view of Cynthia's husband Terry, this is a gripping book you could easily read in one sitting! (Orion, 2008, ISBN 978-0752893686)
East of the Sun by Julia Gregson
Epic novel set in 1928. Three women are travelling to India: Rose is to going marry a man she hardly knows, Tor wants to find a husband and Viva, their chaperone, is travelling back to the country where she was born and where she lost her parents. (Orion, 2008, ISBN 978-1409102519)
Down River by John Hart
Thriller. Adam Chase has spent the past five years in New York, trying to come to terms with his family’s rejection after he was accused and acquitted of murder. He returns home after a call from an old friend to find more murders have begun. (John Murray, 2008, ISBN 978-1848540958)
The Pirate’s Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Based on the true story of Errol Flynn‘s arrival in Jamaica in the 1940s. Seen through the eyes of Ida, a woman who falls for Flynn, and her daughter, May. Predominantly a love story, but also concerned with depicting Jamaica before and after independence. (Headline, 2008, ISBN 978-0755343591)
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller
Debut novel by daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and wife of actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Pippa Lee is in her fifties and seems to be a perfect wife to her older husband, living peacefully in a retirement village. However, over the course of the novel she gradually reveals glimpses of a troubled past. (Canongate, 2008, ISBN 978-1847672490)
Addition by Toni Jordan
Numbers are vitally important to Grace Lisa Vandenburg. She counts continually: the letters in her name (19); the steps she takes each morning to the local cafe (920); the number of poppy seeds on her orange cake. Her orderly world is thrown into confusion when she begins a relationship that threatens this way of life. (Sceptre, 2008, ISBN 978-0340963777)
The Resurrectionist by James Bradley
Gothic thriller set in 1826. When Gabriel Swift arrives in London to study with Edwin Poll, the greatest anatomist in the city, he soon finds himself drawn to his master’s nemesis. Lucan is the most powerful resurrectionist – bodysnatcher - in London and governor of its trade in stolen bodies. (Faber & Faber, 2008, ISBN 978-0571232765)
So whether you prefer thrillers, family sagas, historical fiction or a good old-fashioned love story, there should be something here for you – don’t reject a book just because Richard and Judy have recommended it! All books available from booksellers or direct from the Richard and Judy website.
