The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman published by Transworld £7.99

Unusual story of a lighthouse keeper, veteran of WW1, who keeps a remote lighthouse off the coast of Australia. He marries Isobel in 1926 and after several miscarriages they give up hope of having a baby. Then a boat is washed up at the lighthouse containing a dead man and a baby.

Their dilemma, and its repercussions make for a great story, well told. It is about right and wrong, and has as its heart the relationship between these two main characters. Living in such a remote place, with very little contact with the outside world throws them into an intense marriage.

Picked for Richard and Judy Summer Read 2013.

This Boy by Alan Johnson published by Transworld £7.99

The autobiography of Alan Johnson MP. This is an astonishing story of an extraordinary life. He would say it was an ordinary life – as experienced by many many people who lived and worked in post war Britain.

Home was in the slums of North Kensington without inside toilets, conditions hard to imagine nowadays. His family was held together by first his mother, Lily, and then his sister Linda. His feckless, violent father left his family to fend for itself. Lily had many jobs to make ends meet, although she herself suffered ill health, exacerbated by the damp housing.

When she dies prematurely Linda fought to take charge of her little brother, which in actuality she had been doing for many years. Against all the odds she is allowed to carry on caring for the young Alan who became a husband and father in his teens. He went on to become a member of the Post Office Workers Union, Home Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and is now one of the people ‘on the couch’ on This Week, the late night political show hosted by Andrew Neil, although the book stops when he gets to the age of eighteen.

A wonderfully readable, completely un sorry for himself autobiography, full of humour, pathos, and loyalty to Linda, the other families in the same situation, his school etc. A great read for all those who do not want to read fiction but like a ‘good read’.

The Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell published by Headline £7.99

Utterly classic summer read - love, romance, humour, Cornwall, California, Josh, Sophie and a cast of others. The plot is good, the characters real and the possibilities endless. Nothing not to like. Great book for lovers of Maeve Binchy, Joanna Trollope and Jilly Cooper. Well written which is so important – the language does not get in the way of the story - as well as a good storyline which keeps the reader hooked. The characters stories weave in and out of each other with some unlikely pairings that do work out and some likely ones that don’t. This is an easy relaxing read.

Best British Short Stories 2013 published by Salt Publishing edited by Nicholas Royle at £9.99

If you have not read a book in ages, perhaps a young parent who used to read but can no longer find the time but would really like to get back to reading, this is the book for you. Short stories by some of the masters of this genre. This is a great way to get back into reading. Each story, utterly gripping, is just a few pages long. Perfect for reading when there are children around. A few pages and then check no one has drowned! We all loved it.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes published by Transworld £7.99

This book opens with the discovery of the body of a young woman is found face down in a bath of acid with her throat cut. A Pilgrim is the name for a member of ‘The Department’, a kind of military police for the CIA, and extremely hush hush. The New York Police department bring back a retired ‘pilgrim’, the author of a definitive guide to forensic criminal investigation, to help solve the murder. The stakes are high, as a race to save America from oblivion ensues. The story has all the excitement of a Bond film, with spies, gadgets and a love interest. The action travels around the world – Moscow, New York, Paris… The author is a screen writer and the chapters are short making it an ideal beach book.