Good Housekeeping UK announces Spring Collection of endorsed 'Good Books' as part of new accreditation programme

Britain’s biggest and most trusted women’s lifestyle brand, Good Housekeeping UK, has today announced the eight books that have been selected for the GH GOOD BOOKS Spring Collection, the first books to secure its new accreditation.

After receiving Spring Collection submissions from a plethora of major and independent publishers, all contending books were read and rated by more than 100 Good Housekeeping VIP members, as well as GH experts, including GH Books Director, Jo Finney.

There Are Rivers In The Sky by Elif Shafak – published by Viking, part of Penguin Random House (PRH) – was crowned the winning book on the power of its immersive and atmospheric storytelling, which was ‘full of humanity’. One panel member concluded: 'The writing style made me want to savour every word. As the book focuses on the theme of water and the lifecycle of that one drop of water, the reader feels how fundamental water is to life. This theme runs through every character like the branches of a river.' 

Meanwhile, seven books have been recognised as a ‘Reader Favourite’ in the GH GOOD BOOKS Spring Collection:

  • The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Vintage, PRH) 
  • Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent (Zaffre, Bonnier Books)
  • Saltblood by Francesca De Tores (Bloomsbury Publishing)
  • Nuclear Family by Kate Davies (The Borough Press, HarperCollins) 
  • Bonjour, Sophie by Elizabeth Buchan (Atlantic Books) 
  • One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (One, Simon & Schuster UK)
  • Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose (Brazen, Octopus)

Good Housekeeping Director of Books, Jo Finney, said: “It was incredibly tough narrowing down our 30 submissions for the Spring Collection to the final eight books – the quality was so good. Luckily, I had a panel of esteemed readers whose feedback was so insightful, and together we produced a list of books I’m proud to put the GOOD BOOKS logo on. I can’t wait to see what publishers put forward for the next Collection!”

Felice McKeown of Atlantic Books said: “We are delighted to partner with Good Housekeeping on this very welcome initiative: books chosen by readers, for readers. They’ve long been a trusted brand in publishing, and it’s so exciting that they’ve created a new space to build network and community around authors and stories. We’re particularly appreciative of their support of independent publishing; we’re thrilled to be chosen to work with them as part of the launch and can’t wait to see how this develops over the coming months and years.”

Katrina Northern of Vintage, Penguin Random House, said: “We're delighted to have The Husbands by Holly Gramazio as part of the inaugural Good Books selection. Having a book club in this space, and in front of a really engaged audience, is a really exciting opportunity to connect with potential readers and introduce them to their next favourite read.”

Waterstones, who are the lead retailer on GH GOOD BOOKS, will promote Spring Collection books online at waterstones.com and in selected shops. All eight accredited books will be announced to the public in April through Good Housekeeping’s print edition, a dedicated GOOD BOOKS email newsletter and across the brand’s website and social channels. Promotional material is available to drive awareness and visibility at retail, along with point of sale in major multiples and independent bookstores.

Developed in collaboration with publishing industry experts and insiders over the last six months, GH GOOD BOOKS is an adaptation of Good Housekeeping Institute’s (GHI) unique ‘Tried and Tested’ accreditation scheme which has been testing and endorsing food, beauty, household products and appliances for over a hundred years. Research* shows consumers are 82% more likely to buy a product with a GH endorsement than without. 

A further three Collections will follow in 2025 – Summer in July, Autumn/Winter in September and Christmas in December. Whilst submissions for the Summer Collection are now closed, forthcoming deadlines for the Autumn/Winter (16th May) and Christmas (11th July) Collections are in place.

For further information, or to submit books for Autumn/Winter and Christmas Collection considerations, please contact: goodbooks@goodhousekeeping.co.uk. Or to download GH GOOD BOOKS logos and marketing assets, please see here.

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*Hearst UK Consumer Panel, August 2024