Richard and Judy Spring 2011 Book Club

Richard and Judy Autumn 2010 Book Club

RICHARD AND JUDY SPRING BOOK CLUB 2012

Exclusive to WHSmith, Richard and Judy are delighted to announce a new set of great reads for Spring 2012. Richard and Judy will review one of the eight books selected every fortnight, and we will feature live interviews with each author. Be part of Britain's biggest book club, join the discussion, post reviews and vote for the winner.
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Introducing the Richard & Judy Spring Book Club 2012 Titles

"Hi everybody! Well, here we are, it's well into 2012 now, and this is the second year of the Richard and Judy Book Club. We have got eight fantastic new titles for you, and of course it's all exclusively with WHSmith. Over the last year or so we're delighted to say that our selected titles have sold over three and a half million copies, which is great, but we're confident that the spring 2012 Book Club, which as Richard said has got some really great books on it, will probably do even better."

And the WINNER of the Richard & Judy Spring Book Club 2012 Is...

Me Before You (Exclusive WHSmith Edition)
By Jojo Moyes
Only £3.99 Saving £4.00 (50%)

'Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick'
Read Sample Chapter | Read more about this book and author |

WHSmith Edition now contains Exclusive Bonus material including...

- Author Q & A
- Reading Group Questions
- Jojo Moyes's top ten books that made her cry
- Jojo Moyes's top ten tearjerker films

Jojo Moyes Talks to Richard and Judy About 'Me Before You'

"Hi, welcome to the Richard and Judy Book Club exclusive to WHSmith, and the next book on our 2012 spring list is this one - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I loved it, I absolutely couldn't put it down. It's an incredible, moving romance, it's a weepy - oh my god it's a weepy, but written with a very light touch..."

Richard & Judy's Review

Judy

This book is compelling, moving and totally absorbing. It is also a true romance, a real weepie. Louisa (known as Lou) is 26. A working-class girl, her family (mum, dad, granddad and sister Treena, who is a single parent to little Tom) depend on her meagre wage from the Buttered Bun, a cafe where Louisa has worked for six years. To her shock she is suddenly made redundant. She knows her family need her to earn and desperately starts looking for another job...

After a few false starts, she reluctantly accepts a position as carer to a young man who is paralysed as a result of a terrible accident, in which he was mowed down by a motorcyclist on a busy, wet morning in London.
Will Traynor is young, handsome, rich, upper-class, and before his accident had a high-flying career in the city. Then, in one shattering moment, his life is ruined. Resentful, convinced he has no future, he is full of anger. Will Traynor is not a very nice young man. When Lou meets him, there is instant mutual dislike. She is an ordinary girl from a poor family, while he is an arrogant guy from a very different, moneyed world, who feels his life has been poisoned by the accident. He is forced to witness his former girlfriend's new relationship with his old friend, as they visit him to commiserate, but also to make it clear that she has moved on. However, as Lou and Will get to know each other, their relationship becomes deep and profound. This book is very much a romance, and also terribly moving. Expect tears. Keep the tissues handy.
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Richard

One of the reasons I so enjoyed this novel is that it tackles a very modern dilemma. If a disabled young man feels his life is over, then no matter how much those around him - his parents, his friends - love him and want to help, is he justified in deciding his own fate, even if that means those left behind will be desolated?...

There have been a number of reports in the media lately of how seriously ill or disabled people (especially paralysed young men) feel they cannot face life, and opt to end theirs. This is, as Judy says, a real love story. Will and Lou are star-crossed lovers. They make each other happy, but for Will, that happiness is not enough. Lou has to face and accept his ultimate decision about his future, no matter how much she loves him.
But I don't want to give the impression that Me Before You (which we both loved) is mostly sad and painful, because in parts it's extremely funny. Lou's working-class family, and Will's upper-class, snooty mother, are sharply and hilariously observed. It's a very powerful and emotional novel, full of insight into people's lives. We think it is a perfect read - uplifting, but also tragic. Precisely the elements the best romantic stories are made of.
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