A longstanding American bestseller, a whimsical tale of fishing in the Middle East and the debut novel from the producer of This Life and Teachers are among the latest books anointed for success by Richard and Judy.

The eight titles that make up the summer strand of the couple’s influential book club were unveiled yesterday.

They include The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards, which has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 50 weeks but was published only recently in Britain; Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, by Paul Torday; and Getting Rid of Matthew, a “chic noir” novel by Jane Fallon, the television producer and girlfriend of the comedian Ricky Gervais. Their publishers can now sit back and wait for the money to roll in.

Richard Madeley and his wife, Judy Finnigan, started their reading group three years ago and selection for it has become the surest guarantee of bestseller status in British publishing.

The top two places in the 2006 Nielsen BookScan sales charts were filled by Richard and Judy picks – Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth and Victoria Hislop’s The Island. Altogether their choices accounted for 26 per cent of all books sold last year.

Between January 2004 and the end of May 2006, consumers purchased ten million copies of the 30 books appearing on the Richard & Judy Book Club, at a cost of over £58 million.

Amanda Ross, the executive producer, who selects the books for the show, is often described as the most powerful person in the British book trade. “Each year I’m truly overwhelmed by the popularity of our choices,” she said yesterday. “We take the process incredibly seriously, and it’s hard to sleep until I get a reaction to the list.”

Two other staff from Cactus, her television company, and a publishing industry adviser help her to trawl through entries. Publishers are limited to a maximum of six submissions.

Starting on July 4. a title will be reviewed each week on Richard and Judy’s teatime show. A famous guest will champion each book from an exotic holiday destination while Richard and Judy will discuss the choices with a pair of celebrity reviewers in the studio. Previous pundits have included Bob Geldof, Richard E. Grant, Michael Palin, Simon Callow, Brenda Blethyn, Amanda Holden and Sir Trevor McDonald.

Viewers will then be invited to vote for their favourite “Summer Read”, with the winning title revealed on August 29.

Madeley said: “A cracking read can be the ultimate antidote for a summer’s day, and Summer Read hands viewers eight engaging and exciting books on a plate. There’s nothing worse than being at the airport and simply grabbing the first book you see on the shelf. Our audience can be assured that a long thought process has gone into choosing the right books for them.”

Finnigan added: “Richard and I are avid readers, and it gives us a real buzz to see the titles that we’re recommending getting such a warm reception. It’s a wonderful feeling witnessing writers coming from nowhere and having such an impact on buyers. We strive to ensure that every title we select captures the summer spirit.”

Tipped for the top

1 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards How a man’s decision to send away his daughter, born with Down’s syndrome, affects his family’s life (out July 4)

2 Relentless by Simon Kernick A thriller that does what it says on the tin (July 11)

3 The House at Riverton by Kate Morton An old-fashioned upstairs-downstairs saga (July 18)

4 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday A scientist attempts to realise the dream of a Yemeni sheikh to bring salmon fishing to Yemen (July 25)

5 Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon Helen finally gets what she wants when her boyfriend, Matthew, leaves his wife, only to find she no longer wants him (August 1)

6 The Savage Garden by Mark Mills A whodunnit that uncovers the murderous secrets of an Italian garden (August 8)

7 How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper Doug Parker reclaims his life after the death of his wife (August 15)

8 The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson A story set in rural Canada, dealing with war, families, love and dark secrets (August 22)

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