Lovereading.co.uk

Lovereading Top 10

1		The Secret Scripture Sebastian Barry   Winner of the Costa Book of the Year Award 2008.   Winner of the Costa Novel Award 2008.   Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2008.   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 19 February 2009.   Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “A heartbreaking … Download free opening extract
2		The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher Kate Summerscale   Reviewed on Richard & Judy’s Book Club 2009 on Wednesday 28 January.   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 4 December 2008.   This reads like a first rate crime novel but is in fact an analysis of real life events. It’s … Download free opening extract
3		The Golden Pig Mark Penny, Jonathan Penny   February 2009 Debut of the Month.   This is one of those titles we love to discover on Lovereading and pass the word on about. A brilliantly funny detective novel from two new authors -The Penny Brothers. They have written each part … Download free opening extract
4		Choral Society Prue Leith   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 19 February 2009.   Three single women join a choir all looking to find different things, a new challenge, friendship, a new man. What they do find is each other and come together … Download free opening extract
5		East of the Sun Julia Gregson   Winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009.   This is an utterly captivating story of three young British women in search of freedom and love in 1920s India, but it also provides a wonderful insight into a now vanished world. … Download free opening extract
6		The Truth About Love Josephine Hart   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 5 February 2009.   It has been a little while since we had a novel from this author but it has been worth the wait as she returns with an emotional and remarkable … Download free opening extract
7		The Brutal Art Jesse Kellerman   Reviewed on Richard & Judy’s Book Club 2009 on Wednesay 21 January.   This is not a run of the mill police procedural more a thriller that slowly unravels a mystery. When Ethan Muller discovers a series of paintings he … Download free opening extract
8		The Gargoyle Andrew Davidson   Reviewed on Richard & Judy’s Book Club 2009 on Wednesday 4 February.   A cleverly told debut novel. The narrator of the story is an attractive man who has been horrifically burned in a car crash. While in hospital a mysterious woman … Download free opening extract
9		Child 44 Tom Rob Smith   February 2009 Book of the Month.   Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2008.   Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2008.Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “This gripping, unputdownable thriller is an exciting new addition to the genre.”   Controversially, and in … Download free opening extract
10		December Elizabeth H Winthrop   Due to be reviewed on Richard & Judy’s Book Club 2009 on Wednesday 18 March.   A family struggling to cope with the self-imposed silence the eleven year old daughter has been keeping up for the last nine months. This has a … Download free opening extract

Lovereading4kids Top 10

1		Everything Beautiful Simmone Howell This novel is so tuned in to the teenage psyche – sharp, full of humour and a touch subversive – that it’s hard to believe it’s not written by one.  In fact it comes from the pen of Simmone Howell … Download free opening extract
2		Running On The Cracks Julia Donaldson A thrilling corkscrew of a novel that twists and turns weaving several strands of story into one compelling narrative, and the first novel from an established and bestselling picture book author for younger readers. Orphaned after the death of her … Download free opening extract
3		Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Jeff Kinney Take a peek into Greg’s diary and find out the story of his life – and especially about his relationship with his older brother Roderick. Wittily told in words and pictures, this diary charts the trials and tribulations of a … Download free opening extract
4		A Michael Recycle Adventure: Litterbug Doug Ellie Bethel A campaigning picture book that will encourage all to recycle. Litterbug Doug hates recycling; instead he creates a heap of litter all around his home. When green-hero Michael appears Litterbug Doug refuses to listen to the recycling message and does … Download free opening extract
5		Auslander Paul Dowswell A chilling, powerful and thought-provoking thriller about a Polish orphan’s subversion of Nazi ideals.  Meticulously researched and incredibly imagined it will at times almost take your breath away. Perceived as the perfect Aryan specimen by the German family who adopt Peter … Download free opening extract
6		Foul Play Tom Palmer On the Blue Peter Award Shortlist – Football mad boys and girls will devour this all-action adventure novel, virtually in a sitting. Hopefully, even the most reluctant reader, just like the author himself was at school, will devour it too. … Download free opening extract
7		Flood And Fang: Raven Mysteries Book One Marcus Sedgwick Told from the bird’s eye view of a resident raven, this is a deliciously topsy-turvy comedy full of unusual details. The Otherhand family are far from normal and life in Otherhand Castle is distinctly strange. Edgar the raven cares little … Download free opening extract
8		Billy Bonkers 2: More Madness Giles Andreae Madcap adventures with huge naughty boy appeal featuring Billy and his family, and wittily illustrated by Nick Sharratt. At school there’s the great sports day fiasco, then there’s the Bonkers’ unfortunate holiday on the shores of Loch Ness and finally … Download free opening extract
9		Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure Amanda Wood This lavish account of Darwin’s life and of the voyage of the Beagle from 1831 to 1836 provides the most detailed but accessible account for children about Darwin, his discoveries and a part of his life that was so important … Download free opening extract
10		Malice Chris Wooding Enter this terrifying parallel world if you dare! From the dramatic 3-D cover onwards, everything about Malice is original and just a little bit different. Cleverly told as both a novel and a graphic novel, this is the scary story … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Feb.23.2009 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »

February may be short but it’s a busy month in the book world. In addition to our regular areas within the site, we have some special features for you to peruse this month as well. From Prize Winning romantic novels, through Richard and Judy’s latest selections and we’ve refreshed our Poetry category too, so there’s something for every taste.

Are you a member of a reading group?

There are upwards of 50,000 reading groups in the UK but we know, from our relationship with some of them, that they found it hard to choose the next book until they discovered Lovereading’s  ‘Reading Group’ category. In case you’ve not found it yet, every month we take 5 or 6 titles that our reading experts believe will make perfect ‘group’ books. So, if you are still deciding then just print off the free Opening Extract and see what the rest of the group thinks. Finally, if you buy 5 or more copies of the same book we will give you a further 5% off the total order! We hope you enjoy the service and do let us have any feedback.

The Latest Prize Winners

Anyone who reads wants to keep up with which book has won what prize. So our special  Prize Winners section, which features not just the winners but also the shortlists, is one of the most popular areas of the site. This month find out more about the Costa Prize winner The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry and  East of the Sun by Julia Gregson that has just won the Romantic Novel of the Year.

Richard and Judy 2009

Richard and Judy have redefined the whole book market in the last few years with their twice yearly selections. Their choices are not always the choice of Lovereading but regardless of that we think it’s important that you can find out all about them. Also, and with all featured books on Lovereading, you can read free Opening Extracts  to help you choose the book your next great book.

Other highlights this month

Happy reading and don’t forget to tell friends and family about us – a Lovereading money-off voucher could be winging its way to you – click here to find out more.

Peter C :: Feb.18.2009 :: Newsletters :: No Comments »

Lovereading Top 10

1		The Golden Pig Mark Penny, Jonathan Penny    February 2009 Debut of the Month. This is one of those titles we love to discover on Lovereading and pass the word on about. A brilliantly funny detective novel from two new authors -The Penny Brothers. They have written each part …Download free opening extract
2		The Truth About Love Josephine Hart     Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 5 February 2009. It has been a little while since we had a novel from this author but it has been worth the wait as she returns with an emotional and remarkable … Download free opening extract
3		The Other Half Lives Sophie Hannah     Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 5 February 2009.   Download free opening extract
4		Small World Matt Beaumont   February 2009 Book of the Month. A real favourite of mine. I was very impressed with the clever, multi-voiced drama where every character, large or small, speaks to us in the first person. It’s about chance encounters and misunderstandings, about a …Download free opening extract
5		East of the Sun Julia Gregson     Winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009. This is an utterly captivating story of three young British women in search of freedom and love in 1920s India, but it also provides a wonderful insight into a now vanished world. … Download free opening extract
6		Remember Me… Melvyn Bragg     Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 5 February 2009.   Download free opening extract
7		Child 44 Tom Rob Smith    February 2009 Book of the Month. Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2008.Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2008.Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “This gripping, unputdownable thriller is an exciting new addition to the genre.”   Controversially, and in … Download free opening extract
8		The Secret Scripture Sebastian Barry Winner of the Costa Book of the Year Award 2008.   Winner of the Costa Novel Award 2008.   Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2008.   Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “A heartbreaking and lyrical tale of loss, betrayal and redemption.”   A powerful and moving … Download free opening extract
9		The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher Kate Summerscale     Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 4 December 2008. This reads like a first rate crime novel but is in fact an analysis of real life events. It’s so good it won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2008. … Download free opening extract
10		Dance with Wings Amelia Carr     February 2009 Debut of the Month. A sweeping family drama crossing three generations of women from the second world war through to the present day. Great characters, intriguing plot lines and plenty of romance. … Download free opening extract

KIDS SITE TOP 10

1		Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Jeff Kinney Take a peek into Greg’s diary and find out the story of his life – and especially about his relationship with his older brother Roderick. Wittily told in words and pictures, this diary charts the trials and tribulations of a … Download free opening extract
2		Dogs Emily Gravett Prize-winning illustrator Emily Gravett delights with another wonderful new book. Apparently a celebration of dogs of all kind, this is also a book with a witty twist at the end. Gorgeous pictures of big dogs and small dogs, hairy dogs … Download free opening extract
3		Amy Green Teen Agony Queen: Boy Trouble Sarah Webb Sarah Webb is a debut children’s author but an established chick-lit novelist and her wonderful 13 year old character creation in Amy Green, teen agony aunt extraordinaire, is set to be the new best friend for every pre-teen girl.  Full of humour … Download free opening extract
4		Litterbug Doug: In the Missions of Michael Recycle Ellie Bethel A campaigning picture book that will encourage all to recycle. Litterbug Doug hates recycling; instead he creates a heap of litter all around his home. When green-hero Michael appears Litterbug Doug refuses to listen to the recycling message and does … Download free opening extract
5		Billy Bonkers 2: More Madness Giles Andreae Madcap adventures with huge naughty boy appeal featuring Billy and his family, and wittily illustrated by Nick Sharratt. At school there’s the great sports day fiasco, then there’s the Bonkers’ unfortunate holiday on the shores of Loch Ness and finally … Download free opening extract
6		101 Ways To Get Your Child To Read Patience Thomson For parents: There are many different reasons why children find learning to read difficult. Calmly and with loads of different tips, this book helps to guide parents to understand the myriad problems which may be causing the difficulty and gives … Download free opening extract
7		Weird Street: The Curse Of Captain Cross-eyed Margaret Ryan Weird Street is a terrific little four book series that will get 6-9 year old boys (in particular) and girls really reading and enjoying it.  Weird Street is on Johnny’s paper round, a bizarre, scary and extremely unusual paper round, where he … Download free opening extract
8		Brilliant Billy Does His Bit Simon Hutton An entertaining story about how one boy gets so absorbed in the effect of the Second World War on ordinary people’s lives that he begins to do things in the same way. When the teacher describes how people managed by … Download free opening extract
9		Malice Chris Wooding Enter this terrifying parallel world if you dare! From the dramatic 3-D cover onwards, everything about Malice is original and just a little bit different. Cleverly told as both a novel and a graphic novel, this is the scary story … Download free opening extract
10		Charles Darwin Alan Gibbons Discover the world of Darwin through the diary of a ship’s boy.  Combining non-fiction and fiction but factually absolutely accurate, this book is published to coincide with Darwin’s 200th birthday.  It begins with a diary, told from the point of view of … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Feb.16.2009 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »

We don’t know about you, but here at Lovereading we wish there were more hours in the day to read all of the wonderful titles being published each month. This month we’ve found some real corkers – spell-binding gritty noir, humour and pathos and heart-melting moments.

Keep up to date with the Prize Winning books

One of the most prestigious book awards of the year is the Costa Prize, and the overall winner of the various category winners has just this week been announced as Sebastian Barry, with his love story, The Secret Scripture. But don’t forget that exclusively at Lovereading we also have features and extracts for the entire shortlist, and all the category winners, for you to feast your imaginations on. Rumour has it, it was a close run thing between Barry and Athill, who won the Biography category. The favourite in the Lovereading poll was Sadie Jones with The Outcast but the general consensus in the Lovereading office is that Athill was robbed!

Another longstanding award, this time from The Romantic Novelists’ Association, has just announced its shortlist, and Lovereading’s Peter Crawshaw is on the judging panel! Download some heart-melting free opening extracts of the shortlisted books here. The winner will be announced on 10 February. Why not enter our poll to vote for your personal favourite.

Make the most out of 2009

Our New Year, New You category continues with the addition of one or two further titles that might just help you to achieve your ‘New Year, New You’ goals. We are all feeling the credit crunch so Spendsmart might be the perfect book to help you save some money in these belt-tightening times.

Romantic Fiction just got darker!

Next up, we have an intriguing new genre to make your heart glow ghostly white. ‘Paranormal Romance’ is big in the States and, undoubtedly, will be here too if the success of the film Twilight is anything to go by. Download some free Opening Extracts and find out what you get when you combine all the spookiness of the supernatural with romance and seduction. Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the best in this genre and the next in her Dream Hunter series is out now – Dream Warrior.

Author of the Month – Graham Hurley

Author of the Month is crime writer Graham Hurley. His new book, The Price of Darkness is spellbinding, gritty noir that critics have likened to Ian Rankin. An award winning documentary maker, Hurley decided to turn his hand to writing and is now one of our best up and coming crime writers We rate him highly.

February Books of the Month

We’ve got some incredible Books of the Month which are sure to keep the grey matter sharp and give your emotions a good workout.

Small World by Matt Beaumont – Humour and pathos abound in, a novel about how every person you come into contact with impacts the way your day goes.	Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith – the gripping first novel, is out in paperback. It’s an unputdownable thriller set in a bleak and skilfully realised Stalinist Russia.	The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain – a darkly intriguing novel about an unsolved murder, a missing child, and a lifetime of deception…	The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville’s – Her stunning new novel follows an astronomer who arrives in New South Wales with the first British settlers, and finds his life changed by the local Aboriginal people.

Discover someone new from our Debuts of the Month

Dance with Wings by Amelia Carr – a heart-warming family drama spanning three generations with an unforgettable love story at its centre.	The Golden Pig by the Penny Brothers – an hilarious odyssey, who took it in turns to write the chapters unfolding this surreal, North London private detective story.	The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz – a Pulitzer prize winning literary treat about a ghetto nerd and his family’s uproarious journeys in the Dominican Republic and the USA.

The best new books for Teenagers and Young Adults

If you have children who’ve reached an age where they’re looking for more grown-up reading challenges, show them our ‘New Gen’ section of books written for young adults:

Weighing it Up by Ali Valenzuela – a teenager’s frank account of her successful battle to overcome life-threatening anorexia.	House of Night: Betrayed – the second book in the brilliant series by mother and daughter team P.C and Kristin Cast, set in a ‘vampyre finishing school’.	Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd – a powerful book, full of mystery, about a boy, a murder, and the troubles of Northern Ireland – for us it’s a must read!

So visit Lovereading, try out some free Opening Extracts from this marvellous mixture of books, and find a few to keep you turning pages into 2009.

Peter C :: Feb.13.2009 :: Newsletters :: No Comments »

Julia Gregson’s East of the Sun, a story about love, friendship and adventure, has won the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009. Organised by the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the award recognises the best of the year’s novels exploring the deep mysteries of the human heart.

The prize was presented to Julia at the RNA’s Awards Lunch at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, on Tuesday 10th February. The judges, Alice O’Keeffe, Fanny Blake and Peter Crawshaw, said of the winning book: “The last days of the British Raj in India, at a pivotal moment of its history during the ascendancy of Gandhi, were brilliantly evoked in the author’s skilled hands. With three remarkable women at its centre, each with different flaws, strengths and voices, the novel engages the reader from the first page and never lets go, following their various fortunes until it reaches its truly satisfying ending.”

Peter Crawshaw said ‘Being the bloke on the judging panel of the Romantic Novel Award was a little daunting and I wondered whether being forced to read ‘romantic books’ would be like being forced to read and analyse the classics for O level English! It couldn’t have been further from the truth. I thoroughly enjoyed all the books. I learnt a lot about India, Japan, The Jacobites and even being blind. I got carried away with the characters and there stories. I even shed a few tears at the end of one of the books! Perhaps there be a few less problems in the world if more men read books like this.’

Lovereading also ran a poll among it’s readers to see which book was there favourite. This turned out to be Star Gazing by Linda Gillard as you can see from the results below.

Before the Storm – Judith Lennox 6%
Sophia’s Secret – Susanna Kearsley 7%
The Last Concubine – Lesley Downer 3%
Thanks for the Memories – Cecelia Ahern 23%
East of the Sun – Julia Gregson 7%
Star Gazing – Linda Gillard 54%

Peter C :: Feb.12.2009 :: General Book News :: No Comments »

 Lovereading.co.uk Top 10

1		The Secret Scripture Sebastian Barry Winner of the Costa Book of the Year Award 2008.   Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2008.   Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “A heartbreaking and lyrical tale of loss, betrayal and redemption.”   A powerful and moving … Download free opening extract
2		Small World Matt Beaumont   February 2009 Book of the Month. A real favourite of mine. I was very impressed with the clever, multi-voiced drama where every character, large or small, speaks to us in the first person. It’s about chance encounters and misunderstandings, about a … Download free opening extract
3		The Golden Pig Mark Penny, Jonathan Penny    February 2009 Debut of the Month. This is one of those titles we love to discover on Lovereading and pass the word on about. A brilliantly funny detective novel from two new authors -The Penny Brothers. They have written each part …Download free opening extract
4		The Truth About Love Josephine Hart  Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 5 February 2009.  It has been a little while since we had a novel from this author but it has been worth the wait as she returns with an emotional and remarkable … Download free opening extract
5		Star Gazing Linda Gillard   Shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009.  This was a joy to read from the first page to the last. The characters are all interesting and involving, the settings both in Edinburgh and Skye are brought further to life …  Download free opening extract
6		Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend Jenny Colgan  Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 15 January 2009.  Jenny Colgans new novel is not only a great piece of ‘chick lit’ but also a social comment on the ever-increasing idea that all you need is money in … Download free opening extract
7		Child 44 Tom Rob Smith    February 2009 Book of the Month. Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2008.Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2008.Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “This gripping, unputdownable thriller is an exciting new addition to the genre.”   Controversially, and in … Download free opening extract
8		In Bed With… Imogen Edwards-jones, Jessica Adams, Maggie Alderson, Kathy Letter This is the most enormous fun – a collection of sexy short stories written by bestselling authors. To add to the fun, they have all used ‘porn’ pseudonyms, a combination of their first pet and their street names. … Download free opening extract
9		The Price of Darkness Graham Hurley The 8th Joe Faraday novel has DC Winter undercover, dangerous and wondering if crime might just pay! This is perhaps the author’s best book yet, dark, hypnotic, well-crafted and very impressive police procedural stuff. You’ll love it. Comparison: Mark Billingham, Peter … Download free opening extract
10		The Lost Daughter Diane Chamberlain   February 2009 Book of the Month. Moral dilemmas, motherhood, secrets, lies, murder? and miscarriage of justice? It’s all here in a strong tale that deserves a comparison with Jodi Picoult for as this builds, one does indeed wonder if all will … Download free opening extract

Lovereading4kids Top 10

1		An Awfully Beastly Business: Bang Goes A Troll! Beastly Boys For fans of dragons, giants and werewolves, this new series entitled An Awfully Beastly Business has proved to be a sure-fire hit with even the most reluctant reader. This is the third title in the series.    Short snappy sentences with pages … Download free opening extract
2		Billy Bonkers 2: More Madness Giles Andreae Madcap adventures with huge naughty boy appeal featuring Billy and his family, and wittily illustrated by Nick Sharratt. At school there’s the great sports day fiasco, then there’s the Bonkers’ unfortunate holiday on the shores of Loch Ness and finally … Download free opening extract
3		Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Jeff Kinney Take a peek into Greg’s diary and find out the story of his life – and especially about his relationship with his older brother Roderick. Wittily told in words and pictures, this diary charts the trials and tribulations of a … Download free opening extract
4		Malice Chris Wooding Enter this terrifying parallel world if you dare! From the dramatic 3-D cover onwards, everything about Malice is original and just a little bit different. Cleverly told as both a novel and a graphic novel, this is the scary story … Download free opening extract
5		Dogs Emily Gravett Prize-winning illustrator Emily Gravett delights with another wonderful new book. Apparently a celebration of dogs of all kind, this is also a book with a witty twist at the end. Gorgeous pictures of big dogs and small dogs, hairy dogs … Download free opening extract
6		The Sandfather Linda Newbery This is a gripping, fast-paced and at times heart-stopping read about a 13 year old boy’s search for identity by the winner of the 2006 Costa Children’s Book Award. Hal’s exclusion from school leads him to a period of discovery … Download free opening extract
7		101 Ways To Get Your Child To Read Patience Thomson There are many different reasons why children find learning to read difficult. Calmly and with loads of different tips, this book helps to guide parents to understand the myriad problems which may be causing the difficulty and gives them practical … Download free opening extract
8		Charles Darwin Alan Gibbons Discover the world of Darwin through the diary of a ship’s boy.  Combining non-fiction and fiction but factually absolutely accurate, this book is published to coincide with Darwin’s 200th birthday.  It begins with a diary, told from the point of view of … Download free opening extract
9		Solace Of The Road Siobhan Dowd Beautifully written and achingly moving, Solace of the Road is the poignant and desperate story of one girl’s search for her mother. Running away from her foster home, Holly dons the blonde wig she finds and reinvents herself as the … Download free opening extract
10		Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure Amanda Wood This lavish account of Darwin’s life and of the voyage of the Beagle from 1831 to 1836 provides the most detailed but accessible account for children about Darwin, his discoveries and a part of his life that was so important … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Feb.09.2009 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »

Lovereading Top 10

1		In Bed With… Imogen Edwards-jones, Jessica Adams, Maggie Alderson, Kathy Letter This is the most enormous fun – a collection of sexy short stories written by bestselling authors. To add to the fun, they have all used ‘porn’ pseudonyms, a combination of their first pet and their street names. … Download free opening extract
2		Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend Jenny Colgan   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 15 January 2009.  … Download free opening extract
3		A Simple Act of Violence R J Ellory   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 15 January 2009.  . Download free opening extract
4		The Outcast Sadie Jones Winner of the Costa First Novel Award 2008. Shortlisted for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2008.   Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges’ comment: “The repressive society of ordinary people is elegantly portrayed in an assured novel of great note.”   An incredibly moving story … Download free opening extract
5		We Need to Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 29 January 2009.   Drop everything! This spectacular book will grab you and will not put you down, keeping you guessing until the final pages. Eva’s words may … Download free opening extract
6		Skin and Bones Tom Bale     January 2009 Debut of the Month.  With one of the best opening pages to a book you’ll ever read this electrifying debut thriller will leave you gasping for breath. Reminiscent to the writing of Harlan Coben but Tom Bale is British … Download free opening extract
7		Once Upon a Time in the North Philip Pullman   Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 22 January 2009. A wonderful tale from a master storyteller, giving us, just as Lyra’s Oxford did, more extraordinary insight into the world of Pullman’s ‘Dark Materials’. This one tells the story … Download free opening extract
8		Past Imperfect Julian Fellowes    Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 29 January 2009.    Snobs, his first novel, was brilliant and Past Imperfect is better and coming from ‘the bottom end of the gentry’ gives Julian’s a voyeuristic authenticity! In the late 60’s … Download free opening extract
9		Somewhere Towards the End Diana Athill   Winner of the Costa Biography Award 2008. The sixth instalment of this great lady’s life. She was the backbone of the publishing house Andre Deutsch and even though, being in the business, I am naturally drawn to this, I do … Download free opening extract
10		Poison Study Maria V SnyderSeptember 2007 Debut of the Month. An intriguing fantasy novel, fast paced and action packed, you feel the heroine, Yelena, barely has time to catch her breath before she is running for her life again. Constantly watching her back for unknown … Download free opening extract

Lovereading4kids Top 10

1		The BFG Roald Dahl This is a delightful, funny and exciting story about a special friendship between two people from different worlds – a giant and a child. As the story develops it shows how trust and love develops between them. It also … Download free opening extract
2		Before I Die Jenny Downham Winner of the Branford Boase Award 2008. This is a haunting yet truly amazing read but don’t read it too young. Definitely not for someone less than 14 years old. If you knew you were going to die what would … Download free opening extract
3		Then Morris Gleitzman In Once, Morris Gleitzman created a brilliant and unusual way of telling the story of how two children survived in Nazi Germany. In the sequel Then, Felix and Zelda continue on their journey to safety. Felix, who tells the story … Download free opening extract
4		Dogs Emily Gravett Prize-winning illustrator Emily Gravett delights with another wonderful new book. Apparently a celebration of dogs of all kind, this is also a book with a witty twist at the end. Gorgeous pictures of big dogs and small dogs, hairy dogs … Download free opening extract
5		The Sandfather Linda Newbery This is a gripping, fast-paced and at times heart-stopping read about a 13 year old boy’s search for identity by the winner of the 2006 Costa Children’s Book Award. Hal’s exclusion from school leads him to a period of discovery … Download free opening extract
6		Just Henry Michelle Magorian Winner of the 2008 Costa Children’s Book Award – What the Costa judges said: ‘This is a master storyteller at work with the sort of descriptive writing that is a joy to read. Just Henry is a soaring, uplifting warm … Download free opening extract
7		Malice Chris Wooding Enter this terrifying parallel world if you dare! From the dramatic 3-D cover onwards, everything about Malice is original and just a little bit different. Cleverly told as both a novel and a graphic novel, this is the scary story … Download free opening extract
8		Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Jeff Kinney Take a peek into Greg’s diary and find out the story of his life – and especially about his relationship with his older brother Roderick. Wittily told in words and pictures, this diary charts the trials and tribulations of a … Download free opening extract
9		Weird Street: The Curse Of Captain Cross-eyed Margaret Ryan Weird Street is a terrific little four book series that will get 6-9 year old boys (in particular) and girls really reading and enjoying it.  Weird Street is on Johnny’s paper round, a bizarre, scary and extremely unusual paper round, where he … Download free opening extract
10		Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure Amanda Wood This lavish account of Darwin’s life and of the voyage of the Beagle from 1831 to 1836 provides the most detailed but accessible account for children about Darwin, his discoveries and a part of his life that was so important … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Feb.03.2009 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »