Stuck for ideas of what to read next? Look no further than our Mid-September email update…

     

On Your Marks! – It’s Award Season

With the medal successes of the Rio Olympics and Paralympics, there are new champions to cheer on this month. The Man Booker shortlist has just been announced and you can see all the hopefuls here. Our favourite is Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. And if you’re hungry for something sweet, check out As Weekends Go by Jan Brigden, the fairytale winner of the, Lovereading-supported, Choc Lit Search for a Star competition. Get set. Go!

September Highlights

This is our “just in case you missed” section, where we highlight great books that you may have overlooked. This month, it’s the Rising Dragon series by Jan-Philipp Sendker. Beautifully written, these books are so much more than murder-mysteries, they are thought-provoking and atmospheric explorations of the human soul. Reader Reviewers loved Whispering Shadows (see what they said). And the second book, Dragon Games, is out later this month. The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow by Jackie Morris. A collection of interconnected short stories with musically-themed illustrations that we think is absolutely and completely enchanting and will make you feel like a child again. The illustrations, originally created for charity Christmas cards, speak eloquently and beautifully so we suggest you just sink into the pages, drift away on the words and share with your loved ones of any age. And don’t forget to check out our Books of the Month category, every one of them a great read including  Tastes Like Fear and The Weekends of You and Me.

I Say! Rather! – The Roaring 20s in Fiction

With an enticing blend of period character and riveting mystery, Fiona Veitch Smith’s novels summon up the fizzy days of the roaring ’20s through the eyes of a fantastic heroine. The brilliant and lovable Poppy Denby takes post-WWI London and the rise of the suffragette movement in her quirky stride and is plunged into a dark underbelly of crime and intrigue. First in the series, The Jazz Files, was hailed by our Reader Reviewers as “addictive”, “sharp and witty” and “full of daring do” (sic) and the latest title, The Kill Fee, is out now! Click here for more.

Murphy’s Law – Legal Thrillers by Peter Murphy

Welsh rugby fan, Cambridge graduate and former judge, Peter Murphy paints a vivid picture of the intrigues and idiosyncrasies of the crooked, creaking corridors of the British legal system in the 1960s. Through his hero Ben Schroeder, Murphy gives us an intriguing and thrilling ride into the justice system at the heart of a London in transition. There are four in the series with the latest, The Heirs of Owain Glyndwr, out now. See the shelf below for all the titles in the series.
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It’s a Blog’s Life! – The Quick Guide to Parenting

Blogger, Laura Quick (The ‘Quick’ Guide – get it?) has compiled a hugely enjoyable and affirming collection of the hilarious, embarrassing and toe-curling moments in a parent’s journey. From the day her daughter tried to poke her finger into a dog’s rear end, to the temper tantrums, and the sense of relief when the school holidays are over, this is welcome light relief for world-weary parents everywhere. Find out more.

A Glass Act! – Cathy Glass

When a book has the author’s experiences pouring out of every word, the reader can’t help but feel every bite and bend, hope and fear and twist and turn of it. The memoirs that read like fiction of foster-carer Cathy Glass are a great example. Strong and sometimes hard to face, Can I Let You Go, Girl Alone and The Silent Cry will leave you wrung out, inspired and filled with hope. See them here.

You Can Make it! - Arts and Crafts Category

A brand new category for all you crafty and handy makers and doers out there, and all of you who just want to be more creative. Get sewing, knitting, drawing and more to thrill friends and family with your offerings! More titles will be added on a regular basis. Find out more now.

Nordic and Noir

Over the last decade there has been huge growth in the popularity of crime fiction in translation from the Scandinavian countries. They’ve led to an explosion in the popularity of film and TV from these countries and together they are referred to as Nordic noir or Scandi crime. We love it so much we have decided to give it its own special category to celebrate the best of the blossoming crop of high-quality crime writers, like Gunnar Staalesen, coming from the Scandinavian countries.

Know what you Like? - We know what you'll LOVE!

So, that book you like is finished, it’s the last one in the series AND it’s by your favourite author. Fret not. Let us guide you to other authors we think you’ll love.
If you like S. J. Watson you’ll love the gripping, chilling The Unravelling by Thorne Moore. If you like Gillian Flynn you’ll love the darkly mesmerising The Loving Husband by Christobel Kent. If you like Louise Doughty (Apple Tree Yard) you’ll love the tension-filled Undertow by Elizabeth Heathcote.
If you like M. J. Arlidge you’ll love the adrenaline rush of a read that is Strangers by Paul Finch. If you like Jojo Moyes or Cecelia Ahern you’ll love the gorgeously bright and bubbly The Ex Factor by Eva Woods.

Maxim-ise your choices this September!

Book guru Maxim Jakubowski happily drowns himself in fiction every month to bring us his top tips for rollicking reads. It’s a labour of love! This month his hotlist includes: Book of the Month. Smoke by Dan Vyleta – Deliciously dark, historical-dystopian, horror ride. A real treat for people who like to read with one hand over their eyes! Highly Recommended. The Young Bride by Alessandro Baricco – Opaque, fascinating, elegant and disconcertingly imaginative modern fable: a tale that will take root in your mind and grow and grow.

Lovereading Loves Reading Groups!

We are big supporters of reading groups. Whether you’re looking for intellectual talking points or a shared experience with friends, there is so much to choose from. This month, we particularily recommend: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick – A charming tale of loneliness, bereavement and adventure. ‘A lovely novel which is a sheer delight to read from beginning to end’. (Reader Review). A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart – Honestly told and heartwarming tale of parenting in the shadow of autism.

Get ahead of the crowds.

News of two books coming out this autumn that we think will be huge and for die-hard fans who want to get the books as soon as possible we recommend you pre-order it which you can do easily on them book pages. Betrayal by Martina Cole. Her twenty-third East End thriller is as raw and involved as one has come to expect. With huge family betrayals and some very nasty goings-on indeed. It fair pounds along leaving you breathless and probably shattered. Cartes Postales from Greece by Victoria Hislop.  A novel but illustrated with photographs and it is these that make this journey, inspired by the beauty of her beloved Greece, already alive in the imagination, linger forever in the mind. It also features a groundbreaking design that makes it a book to treasure …or give to those you love.

Lit fest autumn round-up

This autumn’s harvest of literary festivals includes a 10% discount on tickets at Blenheim Palace Festival of Literature (13-16 October), a chance to win free tickets to Paddy Ashdown or Graham Norton at Guildford Book Festival (9-16 October) and a fine crop of authors at Chester Literature Festival (8-23 October). We hope you enjoy the rest of the month and we’ll be back with the latest and best book recommendations in October. P.S. Do you know a 14 – 18 year old who loves books? Maybe they would like to be a judge on a prestigious Book Award? Find out more before 28 October.