Dr Alex George and Emma Donoghue

The Pull of the Stars is the last of the Early Summer Book Club reads. It tells the story of Nurse Julia Power as she helps deliver babies in an understaffed, overcrowded ward during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. Returning Book Club author Emma Donoghue joins Richard and Judy to discuss writing about the politics of childbirth, and why she likes writing novels set in confined spaces. Meanwhile, A&E and TV doctor Alex George has been working in a hospital throughout this century’s pandemic. Together, they all explore the differences – and many similarities – between the Spanish Flu and Covid-19. Alex also explains why he wrote his book Live Well Every Day, and why he feels it’s important that mental health sits on the school curriculum alongside maths and English. Simply head online to whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire Early Summer Book Club collection, and use the code BOOKCLUB10 for a 10% discount.    

Om Podcasten

The UK’s biggest book club is back with an all new podcast hosted by television royalty; Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. Each week, Richard and Judy will be discussing a brand-new book with its author, delving into the novel’s origins, themes, inspirations and much, much more. This is the perfect podcast for any book lover, and with each title available in your nearest WHSmith store as part of their exclusive Richard and Judy Book Club collection, it’s never been easier to join Britain’s biggest book club! Simply pop in to your local WHSmith or head to www.whsmith.co.uk to browse the entire seasonal collection. Get reading and tune in each week as Richard and Judy take a deep-dive into a different, riveting title. So, grab a cuppa and join Richard and Judy on the sofa for this brand-new podcast, and welcome to the Richard and Judy Book Club, exclusive to WHSmith! Oh – and join the conversation and let us know what Book Club novels you’ve been reading recently by emailing [email protected]