So Channel 4's TV Book Club is back, and with a list of eight titles to read over the summer of 2011. As ever the novels are varied, interesting, and contemporary. Sadly, I don't think I'll have a chance to get through all eight this summer (especially as I don't have a holiday booked!), so I thought I'd ask you guys to help me pick one or two to take on over the next couple of months, plus I thought you might like a few suggestions for reading material to take with you as you jet off around the world chasing a little sun.

Last summer's selection was excellent, including titles like The Help, The Weight of Silence, and eventual winner The Legacy. This years list looks equally promising - I've lifted a short description of each novel from the book club website (www.tvbookclub.co.uk) to help get you in the mood and included a poll at the end of this post. Vote to let me know which titles sound most interesting, or comment if you have read and can recommend any of the selection. I'll pick a couple to read based on your very excellent feedback. The list:

Summer Reads 2011

A beautifully told and evocative story, The Lantern is the latest novel from the immensely talented Deborah Lawrenson. Set in the south of France, this is the page-turning and mysterious story of an abandoned house and its new owners, Eve and Dom.

Linked to his earlier hit novel, Gone, Baby, Gone, Dennis Lehane’s latest mystery – Moonlight Mile – sees Patrick Kenzie investigate a second disappearance – 12 years after the first.

An incredible jigsaw puzzle of a novel from Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad circles the lives of Bennie Salazar, an aging record executive, and Sasha, the passionate and troubled young woman he employs.

An evocative coming-of-age story in which the loyalty of two friends who lead very disparate lives is tested on the deepest level, Night Road is a moving novel by Kristin Hannah, filled with beautifully painted characters.

A heart-stopping journey from Napoleon’s shamed Venice to the last picaresque days of colonial Peru, The Book of Human Skin is a unique novel by Michelle Lovric that follows a merchant’s family that falls apart when he is away.

rom worldwide bestselling author Camilla Lackberg, The Hidden Child is another fantastic Scandinavian thriller that sees a young woman face a chilling struggle as she uncovers her family’s wartime secrets.

A fantastically bloody contemporary vampire novel, The Radleys is Matt Haig’s story of a Yorkshire family that much like any other are fairly dysfunctional, but fairly content. A tale of abstinence and indulgence filled with sharp and dark humour.

A tender and unforgettable story of a profoundly disabled young girl and her spirit-soaring tale of love against the odds, Grace Williams Says it Loud earned author Emma Henderson an Orange Fiction Prize nomination.

Ok, so those are the choices, add your vote below or leave a comment!




The TV Book Club - What to Read?