Is there anything better than sitting in the sun and enjoying a good book? Perhaps a glass of something cold beside you and the hazy, fragrant summer breeze in your hair? But, how to choose that perfect book? Fear not! Our unique Summer Reading section is at hand to help you. We have broken the categories down into 'moods', so that you can find exactly what you feel like reading – from gripping thrillers and mysterious adventures, to feel-good tales and emotional journeys. There’s even a section for teens so you can keep your kids happy while you relax! Each title is, of course, available in every format: paper, eBook and CD Audio, so it really is a one-stop-shop for all your holiday reading! Scroll down to see some of the selections in all the sctions….You also have the chance to win £100 of iBook vouchers – just see any book in the Summer reading category to find our more.

Recommended iBooks – now easy to get via iTunes In April we launched our recommended iBooks category and now with our next selection we can announce that getting them is now a whole easier as the clever people at Apple have added the iBookstore to iTunes. All this means is that you can now buy iBooks directly from your computer instead of only being able to get them via an iPad. Find out more with this month's selections... A Visit from the Goon Squad  Jennifer Egan Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction 2011. Featured on The TV Book Club on More4 on 10 Jul 2011. Jennifer Egans spellbinding novel circles the lives of Bennie Salazar, an aging former punk rocker and record executive, and Sasha, the... The Stranger's Child  Alan Hollinghurst At the centre of this often richly comic history of sexual mores and literary reputation runs the story of Daphne, from innocent girlhood to wary old age. Around her Hollinghurst draws an absorbing picture of an England constantly in flux.... The Track of Sand  Andrea Camilleri Inspector Montalbano rises one morning to find the carcass of a horse on the beach in front of his seaside home. But no sooner do his men arrive, than the body has mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only a trail in... Blue Monday  Nicci French The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he... The Radleys  Matt Haig Featured on The TV Book Club on More4 on 7 Aug 2011. Meet the Radleys. Peter, Helen and their teenage children, Clara and Rowan, live in a typical suburban English town. They are an everyday family, averagely dysfunctional, averagely content. But,... The Sixth Man  David Baldacci After alleged serial killer Edgar Roy is apprehended and locked away in a psychiatric unit, private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's lawyer—an old friend of Sean King— to look into the case. But their...

Did We Mention …?

I know, we do go on about them a bit, but we are very proud of our new categories on the site, which are proving very popular with you. So, we just wanted to let you know that we have new titles in some of them for you to take a peek at: In Gardening, Spade as Mighty as the Sword: The Story of World War Two's Dig for Victory Campaign is a brilliant explanation of how gardening became a major part of the war effort in the face of serious food shortage. In Food and Drink Michelin starred chef Tom Kitchin outlines how to cook seasonally in From Nature to Plate. And finally our History category brings the past to life, this month we have the great value paperback edition of Michael Wood’s The Story of England and Red Plenty a strange and wonderful look back to life in 1950’s Russia. Have you been hooked on the TV drama starring Kate Winslett called Mildred Pierce. If so you’ll love the original book on which the drama is based.

Hot off the Press! - Pre Publication Exclusives

Lots to choose from this month and an interesting sequel to get an exclusive advance view. Trevanian was a bestselling author in the '70s and '80s a new edition of his 1979 bestselling novel Shibumi has been released to introduce new readers to a sequel Satori - being published but written by Don Winslow.

The Language of Flowers  Vanessa Diffenbaugh A must read. Brilliant, page-turning, beautiful novel about love, family, secrets and … flowers.	Bertie Plays The Blues (A 44 Scotland St novel)  Alexander McCall Smith Dysfunctional life for the gang at 44 Scotland Street continues in this treat from our Guest Editor..
Satori  Trevanian, Don Winslow Martial arts and assassination and a struggle to win freedom.	The Reckoning  Jane Casey Compulsive, menacing, gripping and thoroughly satisfying psychological detective drama.
A Private Affair  Lesley Lokko Spellbinding tale of love and friendship, glamour and guilt, secrets and deceit from a bestselling author.	Spartan  Matthew Dunn An incredibly realistic (MI5 tried to recall it) contemporary spy thriller, written by a former spy!
Private Lives  Tasmina Perry Elegance, danger, money and super-injunctions set around a top flight law firm - perfect summer reading!	The Birthday Party  Veronica Henry The lives and loves, secrets and public slip-ups of the superstar party set. Great, glamourous fun.
On Canaan's Side  Sebastian Barry Spanning 7 decades, an epic, intimate tale of a life through war, love and family ties. Likely to be one of the books of the year.	A Rural Affair  Catherine Alliott Full of her trademark wit and characters perfect to curl up with.

Also, don’t forget …!

Our Audio Section - Very cleverly, we trawl all of the books we are featuring to see if a CD Audio version is available – and put them all in one place for you! Author Favourites – Again this month a number of authors – PD James and Giles Coren among them - share a favourite book, so that you can read what they read. We love this section! Or see our If you Like You’ll Love section to discover some new authors

Summer Reading Selections for July

Scroll down to see a selection of our Summer Reads Happy reading

Action Packed & Exciting - High Octane reading for the Summer
War Torn Andy McNab From an author who knows more about warfare and what it's really like out there on the battlefield of Helmand. McNab is probably best known for Bravo Two Zero and like that one this first novel in an exciting...	The Radleys Matt Haig Featured on The TV Book Club on More4 on 7 Aug 2011. Rowan and Clara think they are ordinary teenagers. They live quietly with their ordinary Mum and Dad doing all the things that their friends do. But, the Radley parents...	The Passage Justin Cronin May 2011 Mega Book of the Month. A truly epic masterpiece that will have you hanging on for dear life for both its conclusion and the next volume. It's a chilling end of...
Miracle Cure Harlan Coben Following the success of his debut PLAY DEAD, another classic Coben is re-released for his huge army of fans. First published about 20 years ago, it doesn't quite have the non-stop suspense that his more recent books have but...	Die Twice Andrew Grant Cooler than Bond. Deadlier than Bourne. This is the second spy thriller in the David Trevellyan series. Obliged to leave New York City in the aftermath of his previous mission, David Trevellyan is summoned to the British Consulate in Chicago....	1222 Anne Holt This is crime fiction at its tip top best from one of Scandinavia’s bestselling female crime writers. It’s modern and a pitch-perfect reinvention of the classic locked room mystery. Retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen has learned the hard way that...

Another time, another place - Historical stories to transport you in time
The Ribbon Weaver Rosie Goodwin In this moving and powerful tale of family secrets, love and heartache, Rosie Goodwin is at her heart-warming best. A baby rescued from the snow. A wealthy family's tragic secret. A girl determined to make her mark.	The Fort Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell, King of the historical action adventure has picked on an extraordinary battle in history -The Penobscot Expedition - that has fascinated the author for years, and will now fascinate his readers. Told from both sides of the battle,...	Only Time Will Tell Jeffrey Archer The Clifton Chronicles is Jeffrey Archer's most ambitious work in four decades as an international bestselling author. Covers the years from 1920 to 1940, and includes a cast of memorable characters that The Times has compared to The Forsyte...

Emotional & Absorbing - Get lost in a beautiful story
This is Where I Leave You Jonathan Tropper May 2011 Book of the Month. The Richard & Judy-selected author of How to Talk to a Widower returns with a funny, touching, moving, powerful and poignant novel. It really is Jonathan...	The Shape of Her Rowan Somerville A darkly erotic story. Two young lovers fly off to a Greek idyll for a seemingly perfect holiday but unresolved traumas from their childhood’s surface to turn paradise into more of a nightmare. With rich language and vivid local colour...	The Distant Hours Kate Morton May 2011 Book of the Month. From the international bestselling author of The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden comes a brand new tale of love, mystery, betrayal and dark...
Stand by Me Sheila O'Flanagan Bond dealer turned best-selling author Shelia O’Flanagan has written another cracking page turning, highly readable romantic novel. Dominique is left to pick up the pieces of her husband’s business after he just disappears… but just as she gets herself back...	Last Fling Sue Gee This is the first short story collection from an acclaimed novelist with a wide and loyal readership. All stories are written with Sue Gee's insight, precision and delicacy of style and tone. Poignant, haunting and immensely readable.	Aphrodite's Hat Salley Vickers This book is sheer delight. With a sharp observation of the minutiae of human life combined with wonderful little twists and turns, the writing is reminiscent of all that so many enjoy in Alexander McCall Smith. Here, Salley Vickers...

Fun and Feel Good - Love the book you are reading
Minding Frankie Maeve Binchy June 2011 Book of the Month and eBook of the Month. A great family tale about the power of love and friendships. Noel finds himself left alone to bring up baby Frankie but...	To the Moon and Back Jill Mansell This is the gorgeously indulgent, funny and touching new novel from one of the UK's bestselling authors. With characters you'll warm to, a real emotional depth and Mansell's trademark warmth and humour it's a book that is the perfect romantic...	The Villa Girls Nicky Pellegrino July 2011 Book of the Month. This is a cracking, beautifully paced read to curl up with either instead of taking a holiday or while on holiday. It's a story of friendships, of...
The Garden Party Sarah Challis Big family occasions can be fraught with hidden peril as Alice finds out as she organises her 40th wedding anniversary celebrations. This is a warm, wise and moving new novel from the author of FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND.	Summer Holiday Penny Smith The riotously funny new novel from Penny Smith is your perfect beach read with all the vital 'S's' included - sun, sea, sand and sex.	Jump! Jilly Cooper Just reading the synopsis of this book made me smile and feel a warm glow that Jilly Cooper was back! With her wicked sense of humour and her attention to detail Jilly Cooper’s books may not be the stuff of...
Destiny Louise Bagshawe May 2011 Book of the Month. The bestselling author of DESIRE and PASSION is back with a fantastic new blockbuster. It's a fabulously addictive read filled with glamour, passion, ambition, secrets,...	The Summer Season Julia Williams Passions flare, secrets unravel and love blossoms in the heart of the summer season. Kick of your sandals, enjoy a glass of rose and escape into a gorgeous novel this summer with Julia Williams.	It Happened One Summer Polly Williams Lovely characters, very good one liners and a clever plot (no spoilers but we are pretty sure you won’t get the twist) make this highly enjoyable top notch chick lit a perfect holiday read.

Mysterious & Thrilling - Edge of the sunbed stuff
Three Stations Martin Cruz Smith Read on BBC Book at Bedtime from 13th June to 20th June 2011. The latest thriller by the author of Gorky Park is set in Putin's Moscow where three stations meet. As she arrives at the station a teenage girl wakes...	The Wings of the Sphinx Andrea Camilleri Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger 2011. Already the eleventh volume available in English of the Inspector Montalbano Sicilian-set series which is rapidly becoming an acquired taste for the Anglo-Saxon reader (and might even prove more popular should the TV series...	Stories Al Sarrantonio, Neil Gaiman Contributors include: Roddy Doyle; Joyce Carol Oates; Joanne Harris; Neil Gaiman; Michael Marshall; Smith; Joe R. Lansdale; Walter Mosley; Richard Adams; Jodi Picoult; Michael Swanwick; Peter Straub; Lawrence Block; Jeffrey Ford; Chuck Palahniuk; Diana Wynne Jones; Stewart O'Nan; Gene Wolfe;...
Never Look Away Linwood Barclay July 2011 Book of the Month. This is one of Linwood's most gripping thrillers to date with a plot that twists and turns at break neck pace to leave you in complete suspense...	Everyone Loves You When You're Dead (and Other Things I Learned From Famous People) Neil Strauss Neil Strauss is best known as the master of seduction 'Style' from The Game. But long before he ever shaved his head and donned gold boots he was one of the best rock journalists in the world, writing for Rolling...	A Method Actor's Guide to Jekyll and Hyde Kevin MacNeil This is one of those books you begin reading, a little intrigued as to where it’s going, trying to second guess it, continue reading, find you can’t second guess, get nearer and nearer to the end, discover a great twist...

People and places - The pick of the best real life stories
I Left My Tent in San Francisco Emma Kennedy Startlingly honest and ridiculously funny, I Left My Tent in San Francisco is the miraculous story of how the hapless pair made it back alive to tell the disastrous tale. Emma Kennedy has the wonderful gift of being able to...	How To Be a Woman Caitlin Moran There's never been a better time to be a woman: we have the vote and the Pill, and we haven't been burnt as witches since 1727. However, a few nagging questions do remain... Why are we supposed to get Brazilians?...	Dylan's Vision of Sin Christopher Ricks This biography by Ricks boldly and successfully judges Bob Dylan as a poet not a lyricist and in his tour-de-force makes endless illuminating comparisons with canonical writers such as Eliot, Hardy, Hopkins and Larkin. There are plenty of books on...
And Furthermore Dame Judi Dench July 2011 Book of the Month. Judi Dench fans will read this without recommendation but for others I’d say it’s well worth reading. Firstly there’s Judi Dench’s own personality which shines through in...	A Small Dog Saved My Life Bel Mooney Another doggy memoir I thought on picking this up, I’ll read this first, it won’t take long... Well, spectacular misjudgement on my part. This is no pot-boiler, it’s a deeply charged and passionate look at the role of companion animals...	A Friend Like Ben : A Mother Desperate for Love. A Little Boy Unable to Show it. The Cat That Brought Them Together. Julia Romp Get the tissues ready when you read this incredibly touching, heart-warming true story that demonstrates the power animals can have on transforming autistic children and the drama that comes when the cat goes missing and the efforts his Mother goes...

Real World - Top notch Non-Fiction
This May Help You Understand the World Lawrence Potter This is definitely one of the best and most informative and useful non-fiction books I've read this year. It iis a life raft for anyone who finds themselves floundering amidst a sea of ten-second soundbites, wishing they had a better...	Red One : A Bomb Disposal Expert on the Front Line Kevin Ivison Gripping true story of bomb disposal work that won Captain Kevin Ivison a George Medal - and started a living nightmare... In this gut-wrenching and terrifying true story of heroism and survival, Kevin Ivison explains why he chose to be...	Map of a Nation A Biography of the Ordnance Survey Rachel Hewitt Map of a Nation is a deliciously readable account of one of the great untold British adventure stories, featuring intrepid individuals lugging brass theodolites up mountains to make the country visible to itself for the first time. A much beloved...
Little Princes Conor Grennan April 2011 Non-Fiction Book of the Month. On arriving in Nepal Conor Grennan found a desperate situation, thousands of children separated from their homeland and families, many victims of Maoist guerrillas and most...	How to Land an A330 Airbus And Other Vital Skills for the Modern Man James May Being given yet another pointless 'man manual' that told him fifty ways to tie a bow tie in under 30 seconds made James May certain there was a need for another kind of book. This book, in fact.	Cream Teas, Traffic Jams and Sunburn The Great British Holiday Brian Viner The British on holiday: how can four simple words evoke so many vivid images, images of raw sunburn and relentless rain, of John Bull's Pub (in Lanzarote) and Antonio's Tapas Bar (in Torquay), of endless queues to get through security...

Books for teens and yound adults
You Against Me Jenny Downham Prize-winning Jenny Downham’s debut novel Before I Die was the profoundly moving story of the death of a teenager. Told with immense insight and compassion it showed Jenny’s talent for understanding the energetic positivity of teenagers; how, for them,...	Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf Curtis Jobling January 2011 Fantasy Debut of the Month. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2011. This is an absolutely cracking debut fantasy novel. Every teenager should make time for it as it's truly gripping and utterly original. You'll find yourself...	Ultraviolet R. J. Anderson From the bestselling author of Knife, Rebel and Arrow comes a mesmerising and fear inducing novel. Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case...
The Catcher in the Rye J D Salinger Shortlisted for the 2009 Penguin Orange Readers' Group Book of the Year. A great teenage classic. Holden Caufield is the ultimate outsider; he is expelled from school, falls out with his friends and finally suffers a nervous breakdown. The...	Matched Ally Condie Introducing a rare new talent and almost certainly one of the biggest Young Adult debuts of the year this is the first in an utterly compelling, visionary and imaginative series that is set to be a sensation. The book is...	It's Not Summer without You Jenny Han One girl. Two brothers. Which one will she choose? Isabel's lazy, long hot summers at her family friends' beach house are over. Conrad - sexy and unavailable - is the only boy she's ever loved. He's left for college, taking...
The Immortals: Everlasting Alyson Noel The sixth and final book in the bestselling The Immortals series - not to be missed! A Piece of Passion from the author's UK Publisher:The wait is over! The 6th and final part of Alyson Noël’s spellbinding The Immortals...	Angel's Fury Bryony Pearce Every atrocity. Every war. Every act of vengeance. One fallen angel walks the earth to bring mankind to its destruction...Turning love into hate, forgiveness into blame, hope into despair. Through the fires of hell he will come to haunt one...	The Diary of a Lottery Winner's Daughter Penelope Bush Does money have to change everything? Charlotte and her family are determined that winning£3.7 million on the lottery won’t change them. But they haven’t counted on how everyone around them will react.Charlotte’s best friend is acting strangely,...