The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

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Ross defends Book Club reviews

26.06.08 Anna Richardson

Cactus m.d. Amanda Ross has stressed that "Richard & Judy" aims to produce "fair reviews" of its Book Club selection, in response to criticism from a member of a book club that was filmed for the Best Read strand.

The Author magazine's new issue features a letter from Amanda Rainger, whose book group was filmed discussing an unnamed Best Read title. Rainger wrote that even though "having read the book, only one person [from the group] was uncritical", the edited clip shown during the programme "offered only neutral and factual comments on the book". "Given that the book was already doing well, you would have thought they could have afforded a few adverse comments," Rainger added.

In a response, published alongside the letter, Ross said that the programme aimed to include "comments of a positive and negative nature" from celebrity reviewers and featured book groups. "We do not manipulate people's words or make anyone say anything they didn't say," she stressed. "These pieces are not for critical analysis but to help viewers understand the content and style of the books."

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