Archive for March, 2010

Most popular books 21 – 28 Mar 2010

Lovereading.co.uk Top 10

1		The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson Winner of the Galaxy Crime Thriller of the Year 2009. A forty year old mystery all mixed up with family feuds, fraud and corruption this is the first of a trilogy. There is plenty to keep … Download free opening extract
2		The Neighbour Lisa Gardner A riveting book that I found hard to put down. A young mother disappears in a novel that explores how physical and sexual abuse can have a devastating effect on future relationships and how we protect ourselves from past memories. … Download free opening extract
3		The Solitude of Prime Numbers Paolo Giordano A bestseller in Italy this book won the Italian equivalent of the Man Booker Prize and it is easy to see why. Beautiful prose and a haunting story about loss, love, growing up and finding yourself, make for a mesmerising … Download free opening extract
4		Katy Carter Wants a Hero Ruth Saberton A wonderfully funny, fresh debut. Katy Carter is a lovable character suffering the ups and downs of relationship drama and making some interesting discoveries along the way. You will be routing for her all the way as she realises perhaps … Download free opening extract
5		The Book of Negroes Lawrence Hill A hard-to-put-down, excellent read of slavery, harrowing but full of love and hope. The characters are very real and the writing is gripping. Based on fact, the actual document of ‘The Book of Negroes’, which is a list of all … Download free opening extract
6		The Slippery Year: How One Woman Found Happiness in Everyday Life Melanie Gideon February 2010 Editor’s Choice. A woman of a certain age wondering quite how her life turned out the way it did, and was this really where she expected to be. When the author published an article in the New York Times … Download free opening extract
7		The Breaking of Eggs Jim Powell March 2010 Editor’s Choice. An incredibly moving story of a man whose whole life is turned around as he finds everything he had always believed in crumbling around him. Funny, sad and thoroughly absorbing. Dear Reader,How often do you come across a …Download free opening extract
8		The Suicide Club Rhys Thomas March 2010 Debut of the Month. My favourite first novel of the month. A raw, compelling slice of teenage angst taken to the limits. It tells of the ‘new boy’ influencing a bunch of misfits, loners, who need to belong and … Download free opening extract
9		The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas John Boyne Voted 2009 Penguin Orange Readers’ Group Book of the Year. Now a major film.Initially it is difficult to believe that the young son of the commandant of Auschwitz is as innocent as he is, then you begin to accept his … Download free opening extract
10		Relics of the Dead Ariana Franklin March 2010 Book of the Month. This is the third in a seriously good medical crime series starring a feisty heroine, anatomist Adelia Aguilar. The first (a must read), Mistress of the Art of Death, won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Historical … Download free opening extract

Lovereading4kids.co.uk Top 10

1		The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 Harriet Goodwin Shortlisted for the 2010 Blue Peter ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ Award. Adventurous, charming and poignant by turns, The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 is a quirky debut novel laced with humour and a dollop of magic. … Download free opening extract
2		Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang Emma Thompson With wit and warmth and warts and all, the wonderfully talented writer and star of Nanny Mcphee, Emma Thompson recounts the story of the film, a story of one family’s summer with Nanny McPhee, a story of blackmail, tragedy and … Download free opening extract
3		The Silver Blade Sally Gardner Shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2009 The dramatic, horrific and sometimes romantic events of the FrenchRevolution, which Sally Gardner so brilliantly portrayed in The Red Necklaceare moved on a stage in this equally vivid and richly imagined sequel, yet stand-alone novel, … Download free opening extract
4		Little Darlings Jacqueline Wilson Bestselling Jacqueline Wilson tells a fairy tale story of the unlikely intertwining of two very different families against a strong and realistic background. Destiny is growing up poor with her mum who does three jobs and struggles to pay the … Download free opening extract
5		Drawing with Light Julia Green A touching and tender teenage novel of love and exploration this tells how sixteen-year-old Emily finds first love and also begins an important search to find her mother. Emily was only two when her artist mother left home and she … Download free opening extract
6		Jonadab and Rita Shirley Hughes Steeped in magic, this is a wonderful story that demands to be read again and again. A bit old and a bit shabby, Jonadab is a donkey, just one of the many toys in Minnie’s toy box. Both he and … Download free opening extract
7		The Heart and the Bottle Oliver Jeffers Award winning Oliver Jeffers’s latest book is wholly compelling for the importance of its message and the brilliance of how that is conveyed in words and pictures. To overcome her sadness when her grandfather dies a little girl decides to … Download free opening extract
8		Maskmaker Jane Johnson There’s magic deep in the heart of this highly inventive story. Jamie’s life changes when he tries on the tiger mask he makes in an art class. This is an action-packed adventure exploding with magic and mystery. With the mask … Download free opening extract
9		Raven Mysteries 3: Lunatics and Luck Marcus Sedgwick As told by a raven, this Gothic horror richly laced in humour is a delicious read – especially when the moon is full! Castle Otherhand is beset by problems. There are the usual ones of money troubles but this time … Download free opening extract
10		The Facts of Life Joanna Nadin In this, another brilliant installment of Rachel Riley’s hilarious diaries, join her in her no-nonsense, fact-based approach to life. Just when she thought she had finally found her knight in shining skinny jeans i.e. the ONE, an accidental snog with … Download free opening extract

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,Stieg Larsson,The Neighbour,Lisa Gardner,The Solitude of Prime Numbers,Paolo Giordano,Katy Carter Wants a Hero,Ruth Saberton,The Book of Negroes,Lawrence Hill,The Slippery Year: How One Woman Found Happiness in Everyday Life,Melanie Gideon,The Breaking of Eggs,Jim Powell,The Suicide Club,Rhys Thomas,The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,John Boyne,Relics of the Dead,Ariana Franklin,The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43,Harriet Goodwin,Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang,Emma Thompson,The Silver Blade,Sally Gardner,Little Darlings,Jacqueline Wilson,Drawing with Light,Julia Green,Jonadab and Rita,Shirley Hughes,The Heart and the Bottle,Oliver Jeffers,Maskmaker,Jane Johnson,Raven Mysteries 3: Lunatics and Luck,Marcus Sedgwick,The Facts of Life,Joanna Nadin,How to Catch a Star,Oliver Jeffers,I Like Fruit (Petit Collage),Lorena Siminovich,Monkey and Me (Board Book),Emily Gravett,The Heart and the Bottle,Oliver Jeffers,Caterpillar Dreams,Jeanne Willis,Why the Animals Came to Town,Michael Foreman,Jonadab and Rita,Shirley Hughes,Dinosaur Cove: Clash of the Monster Crocs,Rex Stone,Winnie Goes Batty,Laura Owen,Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang,Emma Thompson,Raven Mysteries 3: Lunatics and Luck,Marcus Sedgwick,The Great Hamster Massacre,Katie Davies,The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43,Harriet Goodwin,The Silver Blade,Sally Gardner,Little Darlings,Jacqueline Wilson,The Truth About Leo,David Yelland,Luke and Jon,Robert Williams,I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend,Cora Harrison,Drawing with Light,Julia Green,The Facts of Life,Joanna Nadin,The Immortals: Evermore,Alyson Noel

Peter C :: Mar.29.2010 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »

Most popular books 14 – 21 Mar 2010

Lovereading.co.uk Top 10

1		The Book of Negroes Lawrence Hill A hard-to-put-down, excellent read of slavery, harrowing but full of love and hope. The characters are very real and the writing is gripping. Based on fact, the actual document of ‘The Book of Negroes’, which is a list of all … Download free opening extract
2		The Neighbour Lisa Gardner A riveting book that I found hard to put down. A young mother disappears in a novel that explores how physical and sexual abuse can have a devastating effect on future relationships and how we protect ourselves from past memories. … Download free opening extract
3		The Suicide Club Rhys Thomas March 2010 Debut of the Month. My favourite first novel of the month. A raw, compelling slice of teenage angst taken to the limits. It tells of the ‘new boy’ influencing a bunch of misfits, loners, who need to belong and … Download free opening extract
4		Katy Carter Wants a Hero Ruth Saberton A wonderfully funny, fresh debut. Katy Carter is a lovable character suffering the ups and downs of relationship drama and making some interesting discoveries along the way. You will be routing for her all the way as she realises perhaps … Download free opening extract
5		The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson August 2008 Book of the Month. Winner of the Galaxy Crime Thriller of the Year 2009. A forty year old mystery all mixed up with family feuds, fraud and corruption this is the first of a trilogy. There is plenty to keep … Download free opening extract
6		Relics of the Dead Ariana Franklin March 2010 Book of the Month. This is the third in a seriously good medical crime series starring a feisty heroine, anatomist Adelia Aguilar. The first (a must read), Mistress of the Art of Death, won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Historical … Download free opening extract
7		The Solitude of Prime Numbers Paolo Giordano A bestseller in Italy this book won the Italian equivalent of the Man Booker Prize and it is easy to see why. Beautiful prose and a haunting story about loss, love, growing up and finding yourself, make for a mesmerising … Download free opening extract
8		The Breaking of Eggs Jim Powell March 2010 Editor’s Choice. An incredibly moving story of a man whose whole life is turned around as he finds everything he had always believed in crumbling around him. Funny, sad and thoroughly absorbing. Dear Reader,How often do you come across a … Download free opening extract
9		The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas John Boyne Voted 2009 Penguin Orange Readers’ Group Book of the Year. Now a major film. Initially it is difficult to believe that the young son of the commandant of Auschwitz is as innocent as he is, then you begin to accept his … Download free opening extract
10		Black Rock Amanda Smyth March 2010 Debut of the Month. As colourful as the country of which she writes, Trinidad and Tobago; as lusty as her protagonist, Celia, a girl who cannot see how she attracts men and suffers for the sex appeal she exudes. … Download free opening extract

Lovereading4kids.co.uk Top 10

1		The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 Harriet Goodwin Shortlisted for the 2010 Blue Peter ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ Award. Adventurous, charming and poignant by turns, The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 is a quirky debut novel laced with humour and a dollop of magic. … Download free opening extract
2		Little Darlings Jacqueline Wilson Bestselling Jacqueline Wilson tells a fairy tale story of the unlikely intertwining of two very different families against a strong and realistic background. Destiny is growing up poor with her mum who does three jobs and struggles to pay the … Download free opening extract
3		Raven Mysteries 3: Lunatics and Luck Marcus Sedgwick As told by a raven, this Gothic horror richly laced in humour is a delicious read – especially when the moon is full! Castle Otherhand is beset by problems. There are the usual ones of money troubles but this time … Download free opening extract
4		The Heart and the Bottle Oliver Jeffers Award winning Oliver Jeffers’s latest book is wholly compelling for the importance of its message and the brilliance of how that is conveyed in words and pictures. To overcome her sadness when her grandfather dies a little girl decides to … Download free opening extract
5		The Silver Blade Sally Gardner Shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2009 The dramatic, horrific and sometimes romantic events of the FrenchRevolution, which Sally Gardner so brilliantly portrayed in The Red Necklaceare moved on a stage in this equally vivid and richly imagined sequel, yet stand-alone novel, … Download free opening extract
6		Luke and Jon Robert Williams This is a wonderfully original and arresting debut novel about friendship, grief and love. Written with great power, warmth and humour with not a word out of place you feel utterly compelled to read on. Luke and Jon is a … Download free opening extract
7		I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend Cora Harrison Rich in period detail and full of romance and fantasy, this is a delightful imaginary diary of Jenny Cooper which gives entertaining insights into what Jane Austen might have been like as a teenager. Jenny is the pretty, clever but … Download free opening extract
8		Flossie Crums: The Fairies Cupcake Ball Nathan, Helen This is not just a wonderful story of Flossie Crums the Fairy, this is also a wonderful baking adventure too. Simple mouth-watering recipes are woven into the story so that parents and children together can have fun baking alongside the … Download free opening extract
9		Vampireology Nick Holt Tapping into the current zeitgeist of all things vampire the subject is tackled with originality and flair. It’s a terrific book that will be pored over by younger children in the family who are too young to read the plethora of … Download free opening extract
10		This Book is Not Good for You Pseudonymous Bosch Mysterious, marvellous, witty, exciting and dangerous. Here, in this the author’s 3rd book that you really shouldn’t be reading but few have taken heed, you’ll meet a cursed aztec artefact, an evil and deranged chef, a secret jungle lair inahibited … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Mar.22.2010 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »

Your chance to choose the Book of the Decade

In February 2010 we began our search for the Lovereading readers’ Books of the Decade. Initially Sarah Broadhurst, our Editorial guru chose her 50 favourites from the last 10 years and then it was over to you.

Well, nearly 20,000 of your votes later ,we’re delighted to announce the Lovereading Top 10 and now is your chance to get voting again and to choose your overall favourite.

We’ll be crowning the winner at the end of April. See more about the shortlisted books below and go to our special section on the website to cast your vote.

Sarah Broadhurst commented:

Ten terrific books, something for everyone from love story (The Time Traveler’s Wife) to thriller (The Shadow of the Wind), strong drama (The Kite Runner) to a book narrated by Death himself (The Book Thief); a difficult choice to choose just one. I have, now you must. It is interesting to note that of the ten, seven have been filmed. Good films though they may be, none of them can portray the full depth and strength of the novels so if you have seen the film, now read the book and glean so much more from it.

More about the book choices

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne: A gripping story about an unlikely friendship between two young boys during World War II – one the son of a Nazi, the other imprisoned behind a long stretch of fence, in his striped pyjamas. Published 2006.

Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier: A gently told, yet gripping historical novel set in the 1660s, detailing the relationship between a young servant girl and master painter, Vermeer. Published 2000.

Chocolat, by Joanne Harris: This book is well written and clever, as it details the battle between the church and unlikely foe – chocolate. Published 200.

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini: This brilliant book, written in the context of a bitter part of Afghan history, tells the tragic tale of a childhood lived in fear. Published 2003.

Small Island, by Andrea Levy: This award-winning novel, taking place after World War II, takes a close look at racism and bigotry, challenging preconceptions, and providing an uplifting feel in the end. Published 2004.

The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger: This amazing book tells the story of a man and woman separated by time; while the concept is science fiction, the book is a romantic and beautifully written love story, that stays with the reader for days. Published 2003.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold: This unusual and breathtaking novel tells the story of a horrible rape and murder, through the eyes of the victim as she watches from heaven above. Despite the difficult subject matter, and sad impact that events have on the lives of those left behind, this book is spirit lifting in the end. Published 2002.

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver: At the foundation, this is a story of a teenage boy who commits mass murder in his school, and his mother’s feelings of responsibility. But the unusual prose, and letter writing form of presentation, help bring this book to life, framing the tragedy as part of a larger, national problem. Published 2003.

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: Set in the city of Barcelona, amidst a community of secret police, and a world of secret love, this is a mystery novel from start to finish, and one of the best books of the year. Published 2001.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak: This book provides a unique perspective into the horrors of Nazi, Germany, as narrated by Death itself, yet seen through the eyes of an 11 year old girl. Published 2005.

To read more about the top 10 books of the decade, including a free Opening Extract, and to cast your vote for the read that stands out above the rest, visit www.Lovereading.com/genre/dec

By casting your vote, you can help decide which book deserves the title Number 1 Book of the decade! The vote closes 30 April so find out more today and have your say.

butchik :: Mar.19.2010 :: General Book News :: No Comments »

Lovereading – Most popular Opening Extracts 7 – 14 Mar 2010

Lovereading.co.uk Top 10

1		The Neighbour Lisa Gardner A riveting book that I found hard to put down. A young mother disappears in a novel that explores how physical and sexual abuse can have a devastating effect on future relationships and how we protect ourselves from past memories. … Download free opening extract
2		Relics of the Dead Ariana Franklin March 2010 Book of the Month. This is the third in a seriously good medical crime series starring a feisty heroine, anatomist Adelia Aguilar. The first (a must read), Mistress of the Art of Death, won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Historical … Download free opening extract
3		The Suicide Club Rhys Thomas March 2010 Debut of the Month. My favourite first novel of the month. A raw, compelling slice of teenage angst taken to the limits. It tells of the ‘new boy’ influencing a bunch of misfits, loners, who need to belong and … Download free opening extract
4		The Solitude of Prime Numbers Paolo Giordano A bestseller in Italy this book won the Italian equivalent of the Man Booker Prize and it is easy to see why. Beautiful prose and a haunting story about loss, love, growing up and finding yourself, make for a mesmerising … Download free opening extract
5		Skin and Bones Tom Bale February 2010 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
6		The Breaking of Eggs Jim Powell March 2010 Editor’s Choice. An incredibly moving story of a man whose whole life is turned around as he finds everything he had always believed in crumbling around him. Funny, sad and thoroughly absorbing. Dear Reader,How often do you come across a … Download free opening extract
7		Black Rock Amanda Smyth March 2010 Debut of the Month. As colourful as the country of which she writes, Trinidad and Tobago; as lusty as her protagonist, Celia, a girl who cannot see how she attracts men and suffers for the sex appeal she exudes. … Download free opening extract
8		Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel April 2010 Good Housekeeping selection. Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2009. Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2009. Costa Book Awards 2009 Judges’ comment: “One of the outstanding books of the year – historical fiction at its best.” Featured on … Download free opening extract
9		The Twenty – Year Itch Linda Kelsey April 2010 Good Housekeeping selection. Linda Kelsey’s The Twenty-Year Itch sees uptight doctor Julie facing marital meltdown when her husband suddenly announces he is taking a grown-up gap year – by himself. An entertaining and sometimes moving insight into how challenging … Download free opening extract
10		Passion Louise Bagshawe Shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2010. August 2009 Book of the Month. After 13 top selling glitz and glamour novels, this talented author has changed tack and written an adventure yarn, a sort of James Bond for … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Mar.15.2010 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »

Most popular Opening Extracts 28 Feb – 7 Mar 2010

Lovereading.co.uk 10

1		The Neighbour Lisa Gardner A riveting book that I found hard to put down. A young mother disappears in a novel that explores how physical and sexual abuse can have a devastating effect on future relationships and how we protect ourselves from past memories. … Download free opening extract
2		Relics of the Dead Ariana Franklin March 2010 Book of the Month. This is the third in a seriously good medical crime series starring a feisty heroine, anatomist Adelia Aguilar. The first (a must read), Mistress of the Art of Death, won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Historical … Download free opening extract
3		The Suicide Club Rhys Thomas March 2010 Debut of the Month. My favourite first novel of the month. A raw, compelling slice of teenage angst taken to the limits. It tells of the ‘new boy’ influencing a bunch of misfits, loners, who need to belong and … Download free opening extract
4		Black Rock Amanda Smyth March 2010 Debut of the Month. As colourful as the country of which she writes, Trinidad and Tobago; as lusty as her protagonist, Celia, a girl who cannot see how she attracts men and suffers for the sex appeal she exudes. … Download free opening extract
5		Skin and Bones Tom Bale February 2010 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
6		I Do Not Come to You by Chance Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani March 2010 Debut of the Month. A witty and compelling novel following the story of Kingsley, whose aspirations for pursuing knowledge and education get knocked back by a family tragedy, leading him in to the seedier, money-making world of email-scamming. … Download free opening extract
7		The Solitude of Prime Numbers Paolo Giordano A bestseller in Italy this book won the Italian equivalent of the Man Booker Prize and it is easy to see why. Beautiful prose and a haunting story about loss, love, growing up and finding yourself, make for a mesmerising … Download free opening extract
8		City-Pick: Dublin March 2010 Book of the Month. Get a feel for Dublin with this wonderful book full of short pieces and extracts about one of the best cities in the world. Whether you are travelling there or simply want to enjoy others … Download free opening extract
9		Recipe for Life Nicky Pellegrino March 2010 Editor’s Choice. Nicky Pellegrino has a knack for transporting you in to the Italian countryside, smelling and tasting the air and the food and feeling the sun on your face. Another lovely tale of relationships, friendships and discovering what … Download free opening extract
10		The Missing Jane Casey February 2010 Debut of the Month. A terrific novel taking place in two separate times, 16 years apart, but with both disappearances affecting one character. It is very well structured, a most impressive first novel, a psychological thriller that builds to … Download free opening extract

KIDS SITE TOP 10

1		The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 Harriet Goodwin Shortlisted for the 2010 Blue Peter ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ Award. Adventurous, charming and poignant by turns, The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 is a quirky debut novel laced with humour and a dollop of magic. … Download free opening extract
2		Little Darlings Jacqueline Wilson Bestselling Jacqueline Wilson tells a fairy tale story of the unlikely intertwining of two very different families against a strong and realistic background. Destiny is growing up poor with her mum who does three jobs and struggles to pay the … Download free opening extract
3		The Heart and the Bottle Oliver Jeffers Award winning Oliver Jeffers’s latest book is wholly compelling for the importance of its message and the brilliance of how that is conveyed in words and pictures. To overcome her sadness when her grandfather dies a little girl decides to … Download free opening extract
4		I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend Cora Harrison Rich in period detail and full of romance and fantasy, this is a delightful imaginary diary of Jenny Cooper which gives entertaining insights into what Jane Austen might have been like as a teenager. Jenny is the pretty, clever but … Download free opening extract
5		The Queen Must Die: Chronicles of the Tempus K.A.S. Quinn Completely gripping, this rollercoaster time travel adventure takes Katie, a contemporary New York teenager, back right into the heart of Queen Victoria’s reign. Landing unexpectedly in the Buckingham Palace bedroom of Alice, Queen Victoria’s younger daughter, Katie is swiftly caught … Download free opening extract
6		The Great Hamster Massacre Katie Davies Winner of the Waterstone’s Book Award 2010 An entertaining behind-the-scenes look at family life in all its intricacies as it revolves around pet ownership and the drama that surrounds it. Nine year old Anna tells how she and her younger brother … Download free opening extract
7		Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder Jo Nesbo Fuelled by farts, this is fast-paced and a delightfully ridiculous adventure. Newly moved into the neighbourhood, Nilly meets a strange old man who turns out to be Doctor Proctor, an almost famous inventor who is about to come up with … Download free opening extract
8		Frozen In Time Ali Sparkes Overall winnner of the 2010 Blue Peter Award 2010 and ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ category Award. A page-turning mystery-adventure with a pleasingly old-fashioned feel as two children, frozen by cryonic suspension by their father in 1956, are miraculously brought back … Download free opening extract
9		Time Riders Alex Scarrow This is a thrilling action adventure which hurtles across time and place at breakneck speed. Three children are on the bring of death: Liam is about to drown as the Titanic sinks in 1912, Maddy is on an aeroplane fitted … Download free opening extract
10		London Deep Robin Price, Paul McGrory This is a terrifically atmospheric page-turning adventure told through words and comic art. Set in the near future, in a flooded London where rival police forces – one for adults and one for kids – compete to keep the peace, … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Mar.08.2010 :: Most Popular Books :: 1 Comment »

Debuts, Guest Editor and dozens of great books for March.

Hi again, from Lovereading. We hope you’re doing well and reading lots. March has some interesting anniversaries and events for those of you who like to soak up facts like a literary sponge: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Douglas Adams and Wilfred Owen were all March babies, and round about this time 195 years ago Jane Austen was just putting the finishing touches to Emma . Zooming back to the present, this month is host to World Book Day and the Oxford Literary Festival. In short, the book world is still going strong!

Author of the Month – the dark and delicious Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner lives in New England and frequently takes her husband on walking holidays to decide the best spot one of her characters might commit a murder!

Her novels are fast and full of dangerous people and her new book, The Neighbour, is out now and we love and recommend them all. Find out more and get hooked on The Neighbour and all her other thrillers today… (photo John Earle)

Books of the Month – Dublin, death and danger

City-Pick: Dublin
More from the fantastic travel series that gives you a feel for a place through snippets of literature this time featuring Dublin.
Format: Paperback
Released: 11/03/2010

6.74 Save 25%

Land of Ghosts
E.V. Seymour
A tense conspiracy thriller about an ex-police officer who is conscripted by MI5 to carry out some work of a morally dubious nature…

Format: Paperback
Released: 19/03/2010

5.24 Save 25%

Relics of the Dead
Ariana Franklin
The third outing for anatomist Adelia Aguilar in this fantastic, historical, whodunit set in the court of Henry II.

Format: Paperback
Released: 18/03/2010

5.99 Save 25%

Guest Editor Susan Fletcher picks the books that inspired her

Susan’s debut, Eve Green, won the Whitbread First Novel Award, and she hasn’t looked back since. Her latest novel, Corrag, delves into the history of the Glencoe Massacre through the eyes of a woman condemned for her involvement in the murders. You can find out more about her books and other authors that inspired and influenced her on her rise to the top, and they might just inspire you too.

Debuts of the Month – mixed-up teens, sex appeal and email scams

The Suicide Club
Rhys Thomas
This compelling read, about a disturbing suicide pact between three high school friends, skilfully tackles the difficult task of getting inside mixed-up teenagers heads.

Format: Paperback
Released: 04/03/2010

5.99 Save 25%

Black Rock
Amanda Smyth
A lovely story about a young girl in Trinidad unaware of the sex appeal she exudes and perplexed by the problems it causes her.

Format: Paperback
Released: 11/03/2010

5.99 Save 25%

I Do Not Come to You by Chance
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
A witty and compelling novel following the story of Kingsley, whose aspirations get knocked back by a family tragedy, leading him in to the seedy, world of email-scamming.

Format: Paperback
Released: 04/03/2010

5.99 Save 25%

Follow your heart – vote in the Pure Passion awards and win £50 of National book tokens

Lovereading has teamed up with the Romantic Novelist Association to establish their new romantic fiction awards. Visit our page to vote for your favourite absorbing read and your favourite romantic film and you could win £50 of National Book Tokens to help you keep the reading flame burning!

Meet the Lovereading Family!

Finally if you Love ‘Lovereading’ don’t for get to take a look at our sister sites. If you have children Lovereading4kids.co.uk does for kids what love reading does for grown-ups. Lovereading4schools.co.uk helps schools create reading lists. And last but not least if you have written a book yourself and want to promote it try Loverwriting.co.uk.

Please scroll down to see our personal recommendations for reading this month based on what genres you have told us you like.

Happy reading

butchik :: Mar.05.2010 :: Newsletters :: No Comments »

Most popular downloaded books 21 – 28 Feb 2010

Lovereading.co.uk Top 10

1		Skin and Bones Tom Bale February 2010 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
2		Recipe for Life Nicky Pellegrino March 2010 Editor’s Choice. Nicky Pellegrino has a knack for transporting you in to the Italian countryside, smelling and tasting the air and the food and feeling the sun on your face. Another lovely tale of relationships, friendships and discovering what … Download free opening extract
3		The Lace Reader Brunonia Barry February 2010 Debut of the Month. With any novel set in Salem, Massachusetts, you sort of know it is going to be haunted with the legacy of witchcraft and this one uses that knowledge with great skill. Uncertain of what is … Download free opening extract
4		The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley February 2010 Debut of the Month. Death in the cucumber patch and a young girl turns detective in a spirited pastiche of the English village murder-mystery with a nod to Agatha Christie and some nice original touches. With a breathless and … Download free opening extract
5		Moonlight in Odessa Janet Skeslien Charles February 2010 Debut of the Month. This comic novel is jam-packed with hilarious and very well observed insights in to relationships, not just those between lovers but also work colleagues, friends and family. Daria the main character is feisty and headstrong … Download free opening extract
6		The Missing Jane Casey February 2010 Debut of the Month. A terrific novel taking place in two separate times, 16 years apart, but with both disappearances affecting one character. It is very well structured, a most impressive first novel, a psychological thriller that builds to … Download free opening extract
7		The Breaking of Eggs Jim Powell March 2010 Editor’s Choice. An incredibly moving story of a man whose whole life is turned around as he finds everything he had always believed in crumbling around him. Funny, sad and thoroughly absorbing. Dear Reader,How often do you come across a … Download free opening extract
8		The Last 10 Seconds Simon Kernick Simon Kernick is fast becoming one of the top crime writers in Britain today and at Lovereading we have been fans for a long time. Here we have another gritty, fast paced, suspense-filled triumph. This one is going to have … Download free opening extract
9		Under This Unbroken Sky Shandi Mitchell February 2010 Debut of the Month. If I had a star choice for the month this would be it. It is a devastating, powerful tale of poverty, endurance, jealousy, hardship and sadness, set in 1938 amongst Ukrainian immigrants trying to carve … Download free opening extract
10		Take a Chance on Me Jill Mansell March 2010 Good Housekeeping selection. Best-selling author of Rumour Has It, Jill Mansell returns with Take A Chance On Me – a fun, readable romp through the love life of Cleo Quinn, hapless in romance and still haunted by herchildhood nemesis, … Download free opening extract

Peter C :: Mar.01.2010 :: Most Popular Books :: No Comments »