Summer Loving

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, photographer Jim Marks

The drizzly weather may be turning your summer dreams soggy, but daytime duo Richard and Judy could just cast a welcome ray of sunshine with their Summer Read. Loma-Ann Bonner checks out the list – and how the couple turn books into blockbusters.

If you haven’t already succumbed to Richard and Judy’s Book Club recommendations – and you’d be in a minority – then their shortlist of new titles could perk you up for the season.

All eight – including the debut novel Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon,  Ricky Gervais’ long term partner and TV producer of EastEnders, This Life and Teachers - provide that all-important page-turning escape that makes summer reading so special,  even if it is with raindrops dripping off your deckchair.

Richard and Judy – who feature the books on their daily teatime TV show -  are a phenomenon in the publishing world, and the Summer Read is nominated for the Harper Collins Award for Expanding the Retail Market at this year’s Bookseller Retail Awards, taking place on 20th September.

Since it began in 2004 – the first book they reviewed was Nigel Slater’s Toast – the couple have have propelled writers including Monica Ali ( Brick Lane) David Mitchell ( Cloud Atlas) and Zoe Heller ( Notes on a Scandal ) into the public consciousness, and to bookshops’ tills.

Last year titles featured on their show accounted for a quarter of all book sales.


The Beginning

Richard and Judy’s producer Amanda Ross – hailed as the most powerful person in publishing – began the Book Club and still heads up the selection panel, along with two other staff from the production company, Cactus, and a publishing industry advisor.

Each of the main publishing houses send in a maximum of six new titles for the selection panel to assess.


The Middle
Each week, a different celebrity guest jets off to an exotic destination with one of the Summer Read books. They then recount the plot and what makes the title such a must-have travel essential.

In the studio Richard and Judy are joined by two celebrity reviewers who give their views on the same book.

The first title, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards will be reviewed on July 4th and viewers are invited to read along over the eight weeks, and then vote for their favourite.


The End
If previous years are anything to go by, all eight titles will by now have been read  on beaches, by pools and in gardens across the globe.
All eight titles will probably be up there at the top of the book charts and appear with a Richard and Judy sticker bookshops.
The votes are counted and the winner will be announced on Wednesday 29th August.

Last year’s winning writer Victoria Hislop, with The Island, went on to win Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards.

This Year's Summer Read

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
4th July
 
Kim Edwards' debut novel is an exquisitely written tale of how one man's decision to send away his daughter, born with Down Syndrome, affects the rest of he and his family's life.
 

Relentless by Simon Kernick
11th July

A thriller which does exactly what it says on the tin.  I.T. Consultant Tom Meron's world is turned upside down following a phone call from an old friend, and it’s a non-stop chase from start to finish.
 
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
18th July
 
An old-fashioned upstairs-downstairs saga set in the first half of the twentieth century, but with a mystery at its heart, that will keep you guessing to the end.
 
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen by Paul Torday
25th July
 
The book follows fishery scientist Dr Alfred Jones's humorous journey as he attempts to realise the dreams of a Yemeni Shiekh to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen.
 
Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon
1st August
 
Helen finally gets what she wants. After four years 'together' her boyfriend, Matthew  finally leaves his wife, only to find that she no longer wants him. Helen then goes to ridiculous and often very funny lengths to send him back to his wife.
 
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
8th August
 

A brilliant twist on the classic who-dunnit as, in 1958, Adam Strickland has to uncover the mysteries of an Italian garden and the murderous secrets it hides.
 
How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper
15th August
 
The book sees 30-something  Doug Parker reclaim his life after the death of his wife. Very moving as well as laugh-out-loud funny.
 
The Other Side of The Bridge by Mary Lawson
22nd August
 
Set in rural Canada, dealing with war, families, love and dark secrets.
 
 
Richard and Judy is live at 5pm every weekday on Channel 4

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