February 'Must Reads' all with free Opening Extracts

Dear Matt,

The amazing thing about books is there's one for every occasion and every taste. With Valentine's Day and Mother's Day fast approaching, Lovereading can help you make two special people very happy this Spring. And with the weight of expectation safely taken care of, you can download some free Opening Extracts and find a great book for yourself too - all at a 25% discount off the RRP!

 

Scroll down for some hand picked selections in the genres you have told us you love reading, or why not read more about this month's site highlights?

 

Did you know that the Catalans in Barcelona celebrate their Valentine's Day by exchanging gifts with their sweethearts? The men give roses and the women give books. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 400,000 books will have been bought in the name of love. At Lovereading we thought that sounded inspired; but why should the boys get all the books? We've put together a special Valentine's selection perfect for a man to give to the woman in his life or for you to treat yourself.

 

Author of the Month Iain Banks Author of the Month for February is the enigmatic, dual personality writer Iain Banks. His Sci Fi 'Culture' books, written as Iain M Banks are breathtaking and redefine the genre - the latest one Matter is out this month. Classics written as Iain Banks include The Wasp Factory and Complicity and his latest A Steep Approach to Garbadale. Find out more in our special section.

 

Book of the Month is the thriller The Watchman from Robert Crais that makes the TV series 24 look like a walk in the park. A chance encounter leaves a rich socialite as a target for contract killers and she needs protection. Cracking stuff and definitely a book to be read in a single sitting! It's not published until 21 Feb but you can read an exclusive extract now and if you like it pre order it.

 

Debut of the Month is The Bethlehem Murders, an insightful novel about modern Palestinian society by Matt Rees. Omar Yussef is a teacher sickened by the culture of death and the glorification of gunmen he sees around him. He is forced to leave his classroom to save an old Christian pupil, accused of collaborating with Israel. A hugely exciting and believable story that explores the factions and mutual suspicions of a troubled state.

 

We also have recently announced book awards you might be interested in.

 

The Romantic Novelists' Association decided the winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award on 4 February. The award went to Pillow Talk by Freya North, a wonderfully uplifting novel of love and life, but the favourite in our Lovereading poll - with 68% of the votes - was One Last Summer by Catrin Collier. Why not try them both or any of the six fantastic short listed books?

 

Meanwhile the prestigious Costa Book of the Year Award 2007 has recently been announced. A.L. Kennedy took the coveted prize with her fifth novel, Day, about a former RAF prisoner-of-war who returns to Germany to confront some demons. As usual we have all the shortlised books so you can keep up with what's being read and talked about. It's out in paperback on 7 Feb for just £5.99.

 

The literary year is well and truly in full swing now and it's only early February! So please enjoy some free Opening Extracts of these great books and buy them with a 25% discount off the RRP. And finally if you're looking for a gift, remember that from Anniversaries to Zen Buddhists' birthdays, Lovereading has a book for every occasion.

 

This Month's Featured ''new gen' - Great Fiction for Teens and Young Adults' Books The Ultimate Teen Book Guide Stuck for something to read? Whether you're searching for a book to blow your mind and change your life, or a light read for the beach, particularly at a time when you can't lay your hands on a computer that's... £9.74 Save 25% Faerie Lord Herbie Brennan This is the thrilling climax of the New York Times bestselling Faerie Wars quartet. Eoin Colfer said, the books are 'an astounding blend of fantasy, mythology and science. Wonderfully inventive... £5.24 Save 25% Un Lun Dun China Mieville What an absolutely brilliant, extraordinary and wildly inventive fantasy adventure this will be devoured. Everything ordinary in London becomes extraordinary here in Un lun dun. Fast-paced, bizarre, funny but scary, it's... £5.24 Save 25% Three's a Crowd Sophie Mckenzie Full of passion and heartbreak, this is a powerful and touching love story. Luke and Eve are longing for their first holiday together but they hadn't reckoned what it would be like staying with Eve's father. Almost from the start,... £4.49 Save 25% Graffiti My Soul Niven Govinden Some fairly hard hitting stuff in this tale of Veerapen and his friends stuck in the boredom of their suburban lives. Niven Govinden really projects the voices of the disaffected, 'bored with life' teenager. The story starts at the end... £5.99 Save 25% More books in this genre

 

This Month's Featured 'Crime / Whodunit' Books The Cambridge Curry Club Saumya Balsari This is fascinating. Centred round a Cambridge charity shop supporting an Indian village, it unfolds slowly in slices of the volunteer's lives; delightful caricatures that build to reveal a plot. However it's their philosophy, hopes and acceptance of life that... £5.99 Save 25% The Bethlehem Murders Matt Rees February 2008 Debut of the Month. There are plenty of good detective stories but when one comes along with the ability to widen your knowledge and make you think as well as entertaining you with a gripping plot and... £5.99 Save 25% Heartsick Chelsea Cain This is pretty frightening stuff. The descriptions of the torture and horror inflicted on the central character are particularly unpleasant, not for the squeamish. It is about the psychology of pain and fear and dependency and it is utterly gripping. ... £5.24 Save 25% The Apothecary's House Adrian Mathews Combining some terrific elements of superb detection and riveting mystery alongside a very inventive plot and set in Amsterdam's art world. WW2's Nazi looting is cleverly intertwined within a modern and accurate setting of the city today..... £5.99 Save 25%

 

This Month's Featured 'Literary / Contemporary' Books Boy A Jonathan Trigell The obvious connection here is between the boys who murdered Jamie Bulger and it is a fascinating topic to cover. How does a child reconcile himself to things he's done in the past and the opportunity's he is now given... £5.99 Save 25% Salt & Honey Candi Miller A highly evocative story about the injustices that took place under the apartheid regime in South Africa. A young girl, Koba, witnesses the murder of her family and is brought up away from her people. She faces the choice of... £5.99 Save 25% Random Acts of Heroic Love Danny Scheinmann Reviewed on Richard & Judy on 16 January 2008. A thoroughly absorbing book that is very movingly written. Two stories are told of two men who have had love ripped away from them and how the memory of that love... £5.99 Save 25% The Diplomat's Wife Pam Jenoff We made Pam Jenoff's book Kommandant's Girl debut of the month last March and it was a great success, with this follow up she does not disappoint. Set again in the perils of the Second World War this is a... £5.24 Save 25%

 

This Month's Featured 'Relationship Tales' Books Everything Changes Jonathan Tropper He writes sympathetic characters with believable problems who react in convincing ways. Sad, funny, brilliant and romantic, a bit of something for everyone. Also do try his first book - How to talk to a widower . £5.24 Save 25% Wednesdays at Four Debbie Macomber Another great read. A group of women get together every Wednesday to chat about what's going on in their lives and soon they find they are all united in unburdening their various stresses and problems. A great... £5.24 Save 25% The Love of My Life Louise Douglas Get the tissues out and prepare to have a good old weep with this one. The outcome is known from the start but the writing compels you to read what inevitably will be a sad story of love and loss.... £9.74 Save 25% The Flirt Kathleen Tessaro Sporting an interesting interviewing technique for an unspecified job, man-about-town Hughie gets lucky. This is charming, tongue-in-cheek, classy, romantic comedy with heart. Really great fun. £5.24 Save 25%

 

This Month's Featured 'Mystery / Thriller' Books The Watchman Robert Crais February 2008 Book of the Month. If you like high octane, relentless and hard-boiled crime thrillers this is the book for you. Joe Pike is an ex police man turned mercenary with a conscience. As a favour to an old... £5.24 Save 25% Unforgotten Clare Francis It's been 4 yrs since her last novel and definitely worth the wait. Unforgotten is a crime thriller but its also a really involving family drama with engrossing real life characters. The central character, a lawyer called Hugh Gwynne, has spent... £12.74 Save 25% The One from the Other Philip Kerr Brilliantly evoking a dark, deceitful world of post war Germany, where no one seems trustworthy and paranoia is rife, Kerr brings back his hard boiled P.I Bernie Gunther. The historical references make this series a fascinating read with this one... £5.99 Save 25% Sacrifice S J Bolton A chilling and atmospheric debut. Mixing myths and legends with the hard facts of forensics. Tora Hamilton is a surgeon, recently moved to remote Shetland and on discovering a murdered woman she is determined to find out the... £7.5 Save 25% Happy Lovereading !