About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Remember these lines? Remember gushing over them? That was over fifteen years ago.

Needless to say, Twilight was one of the most talked about books of 2005, that forever changed the way we think about vampires. Twilight was named an “ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults,” an Amazon.com “Best Book of the Decade So Far”, and so much more!

There is a reason for it being the huge hit that it is… that high school romance coupled with the promise of eternity, the right amount of intrigue, and that fairytale vibe, which is kinda hard to resist, isn’t it?

And now, in 2020, Midnight Sun is expected to be released on August 4^th 2020. When Bella met Edward, an unforgettable love story was born, and now fans get to experience this all over again but through the eyes of Edward Cullen.

Whether it’s been years since you read the book or if you have been going back to it for rereads, we got you covered. Here are a few book series that you can read if you loved The Twilight Saga and these will get in the perfect mood before the release of Midnight Sun.

1. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

This series features vampires, though not in the way Stephenie Meyer did. There are the Moroi and the Strigoi (the good ones and the bad) and Rose is training to be a guardian for her best friend Lissa, but trouble seems to find them in the very place that is to be their refuge. It is a wonderful tale of friendships, sacrifices, suspense, and romance, especially because Rose and Dimitri have to make up one of the best ships in the entire YA genre. You are sure to fall in love with them and the series, which is made up of six books, perfect for a binge read, don’t you think?

2. Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

This is a spin-off of to The Vampire Academy series and features Adrian, the royal Moroi and Sydney, an alchemist. If forbidden love is your guilty pleasure, then this book is perfect for you. Sydney has been taught her whole life that vampires are evil and unnatural, but all that changes when she is forced into hiding with three of them. There’s something about Adrian that she can’t seem to resist and as if that is not enough, she gets caught up in secrets and lies and has to deal with high school! The series comprising of six books is sure to keep your heart racing. Oh, and the slow burn? Yes, please.

3. Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Okay, this isn’t about vampires, but the series does involve a fallen angel! Nora Grey’s life changes when she meets Patch and against her better judgement, she seems to be drawn to him and a world she didn’t know existed. This is a perfect fit for lovers of Twilight and will keep you up through the night, glued to the pages.

4. The Immortals series by Alyson Noel

Now for an addictive, haunting, and mesmerising tale, The Immortals series! Sixteen-year-old, Ever, lost her family and now has a weird superpower that got her branded as a freak. But her life takes a drastic turn when she meets Damen, a gorgeous, exotic, wealthy man belonging to another world, the only one who can soothe her powers. This book has the ability to capture your heart and your imagination, transporting you to a whole new world.

5. Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Katy starts her senior year in a new school resigned to a boring life…. until she meets her neighbour. Daemon is infuriating, arrogant, gorgeous…. and what did I miss? Right, he’s an alien. When the alien next door marks her, things get complicated and also extremely entertaining. With Daemon’s attitude and Katy’s wit, this book will have you laughing, crying, and swooning. Again, not a vampire novel, but nevertheless it will definitely appeal to your inner Twilight fan.

6. The Vampire Diaries 

It’s almost impossible to talk about vampires and not mention The Vampire Diaries. If the book series by L.J. Smith isn’t your thing, then you have to check out the television series, or rewatch it again, as it is vastly different from the books.

The eight seasons are one huge rollercoaster ride following the life of Elena Gilbert as she falls in love with Stefan Salvatore. Their relationship gets increasingly complicated as Damon returns with plans of resurrecting their past love, Katherine Pierce. What happens next?

7. The Twilight Saga

This is a no-brainer. If you loved Twlight back then, now is the time to revisit Forks and you have the perfect excuse! What better way to read Midnight Sun other than to reread the Twilight saga?

Other than the four books – Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, there are a few extras.

• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (The Twilight Saga #3.5) was published in 2010. It’s the devastating tale of the newborn army as they prepare to close in on the Cullens.
• Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (The Twilight Saga #1.75) published on November 1^st 2016

Be sure to check out Stephenie Meyer’s website where a quote from the book is to be posted every Tuesday and Friday until Midnight Sun is released!

Are you looking forward to Midnight Sun? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 7 Book Series To Read While Waiting For ‘Midnight Sun’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The category that is young adult is filled with so many different types of books and genres that nowadays it can be a bit tricky to find what to read since there are so many options. However, like most things, there are certain styles and genres that create a trend.

Many trends have emerged to worldwide acclaim this century and are part of (now) adults’ teenage reading favourites, including my own. Trends peak and fade with time and interest by readers and many new ones emerge every year, so let’s go down memory lane and see the biggest trends in the last decade or so, as well as the current trends and predictions for 2018 and beyond!

The Paranormal Band: Vampires, Werewolves & Witches

It would be an understatement to say that the paranormal trend took to young adults (and adults!) by storm. It was so hugely popular especially with the fast development of social media that it began a domino effect and crossover into Hollywood as YA book to movie adaptations smashed box offices around the world. Many consider Twilight as the pivotal origin of the paranormal hype as sparkling vampires became famous. More and more successful novels and series such as Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, The Southern Vampire Mysteries (True Blood), and House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, were consequently eaten up by readers, some adapted in movies and many remain current favourites for readers. This trend didn’t only apply to vampires but also to witches (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia), ghosts (Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake) and werewolves (Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater).

Angels and Demons

There’s nothing more attractive to teen girls than the heavenly dream of finding the perfect boyfriend that is literally an angel or at least angel related, despite all the angst and probable family issues it brings. Angels and Demons was another huge trend, as a subcategory of the paranormal and fantasy genres. Angels were all the rage, with the building of backstories, describing those beautiful wings and the challenges of falling in love with an angel – an angel who might’ve literally fallen out of heaven and fallen for you too. Demons played their part too of course, and some might say the mixed elements of angel and demon drama in The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and the entire Shadowhunter Chronicles it triggered is what continues to make it the most successful angel themed YA book series to date.

A Recipe for a Utopia with a Dash of Science Fiction

Dystopian and science fiction was another massively successful trend that created many book to movie adaptations and loyal fandoms worldwide. The concept of different worlds and societies in the future gone wrong was fresh and thought-provoking for young adults. It sparked discussion on themes of identity, society, class, politics, power and different versions of reality in a unique way. It even had teenagers taking personality tests for which faction you’d be in (Divergent by Veronica Roth). The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the obvious game-changing novel that began this trend with many more that preceded it like Matched by Ally Condie adding to the fuel.

Fantastic Female Fronted High Fantasy

Any current YA reader would have heard of Sarah J Maas at least once, since her Throne of Glass series was among the great number of amazing female fronted high fantasy series to influence YA books in the last few years. These fantasy books are packed with action, intricate world-building, a bit of romance here and there, and a wide cast of characters to choose your favourite from. The protagonists aren’t delicate ladies either but are strong women who won’t back down or give up the fight and inspire other young women everywhere. Not only do these high fantasy books create an addiction for more but they have also popularised sub-genres of faeries, assassins and dragons which are all current trends of today. These high fantasy books had so much imagination to offer and are still cult favourites in the YA high fantasy genre since they brought so much to love. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder brought gorgeous magic, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard brought spies in disguise and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo brought the most badass villain who likes to wear black. It is no wonder that this started a trend and is still successful to this day.

Retold Again and Again

Retellings have also become a trend in the last few years, with many more reaching beyond the usual Grimm Brothers fairy tales. While books based on these tales like Cinder by Marissa Meyer and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, inspired by Cinderella and Beauty & The Beast respectively, are still extremely popular, there has been a great turnaround for alternatives. A unique and well-loved series by Rick Riordan is of course Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, which is based on Greek mythology. Other alternative inspiring retellings are The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, a retelling of the Arabian Nights and Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff which is a retelling of Japanese mythology. These books have become quite popular and trending with readers because the innovation of having the same story retold in a different and new way that is fresh and well executed is very appealing. Let’s hope this trend doesn’t die out too fast and continues its minor reign within YA fantasy books.

The Diversity Movement

Diversity has become a huge issue with readers and within the publishing community as more people demanded and expressed their need for equal and widespread representations. Race, sexuality, disabilities and gender themes have been some of the issues young adults have been craving to read in YA Fiction so they can relate what they’re reading to who they are and their everyday lives. The huge push by readers for more diversity has been a slow and successful ongoing trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and sure has gotten some incredible diverse novels out there for us to enjoy.

YA Trend Predictions for 2018

So, these are some of the trends that have occurred in the last decade, but what about what’s happening now? Currently many of the trends below are predicted to make it big and rise in popularity. The success of certain novels in these genres in the last year shows how future books in those same categories can truly boom.

Thrillers & Whodunnits

Novels like One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus and Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco in the last year has shown how powerful and addictive thrillers and mysteries can be, and this genre really seems like it’s about to take off especially because of the second rise in popularity of the book to TV adaptation of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
  Four teenagers obsessed with a novel called Undertow make a plan to befriend its author Fatima Ro, and they can’t believe their luck when she lets them into her life. Until they are shocked to discover that Fatima’s latest book unveils all their secrets and revelations with devastating effects.
• The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
  After the multiple consecutive deaths of cheerleaders, Sunnybrook High disbands its cheer squad. Yet 5 years later it seems that there is more to it and something is still going on as Monica, the sister of the last cheerleader killed, unravels secrets and suspicious activity. Some people in Sunnybrook may be hiding more than they’re willing to admit, and even though there are no more cheerleaders, it doesn’t mean everyone is safe.

Hi-Tech Worlds & Games

With the massive fandoms and widespread love for gaming, social media and new technology in this era, it makes sense that young adults would embrace these high tech sci-fi books that show the potential technology may have one day in the future. The thought of spaceships and virtual reality gaming The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman and Warcross by Marie Lu have brought in the last year are pretty mind-blowing and interesting to read about. It seems logical that this YA genre and its themes will remain consistent in 2018.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• The Leveller by Julia Durango
  Nixy Bauer is a bounty hunter with the task of taking kids back to their parents in the real world from their virtual reality gaming world. However when the game’s rich developper loses track of his own kid, Nixy has the biggest challenge of her life finding him especially when it seems that he wasn’t trying to hide but is being held captive against his will within the game.
• Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
  A space action-packed Anastasia retelling, this fun sci-fi novel depicts a girl named Ana, who was found aboard a pod with no recollection of her past. Desperate to help fix the android named D09 who was aboard with her, she tries to find the coordinates to the lost ship that may hold all her answers. Until a spoiled Ironblood boy beats her to it, yet events unfold that have them both running for their lives, marked as fugitives, and not everyone wants to capture them alive.

Shock! Horror!

Horror has always be a favourite genre for many people in fiction, however for young adult fiction it can be quite rare. Not all young people tend to want to be scared, however this genre might just be on the rise. With the popularity of Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (Sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper) and recent release The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, many more older young adults may lean more towards this direction.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
  The sequel to the its predecessor Scythe, Thunderhead follows the adventures, deadly tasks and dilemmas its protagonists must endure following the last event of Scythe. Scythe introduces a dystopia far in the future where humans are no longer affected by age, disease or war. Now scythes are the only ones who can and will end life to manage the world’s constant growing population. Rowan and Citra are two teenagers unwillingly chosen to apprentice for a Scythe. They must master the art of killing yet they must also understand learning the consequences of failing to take a life, as it may take their own.
• Contagion by Erin Bowman
  An urgent SOS is sent from a distant planet. A small crew is dispatched for search and rescue yet what they find is something best left uncovered as they try to piece together who or what decimated a whole operation on this planet.

For Realz

As mentioned above, the explosion of diversity in YA literature has created so many more representations and opportunities of expression. The diversity movement has also helped create another subgenre of Realistic Fiction. This genre is basically fiction that describes real life issues of today, more serious points of discussion everyone should be exposed to regardless of what format they’re influenced by including books. This subgenre is great and it seems like a major theme in 2018 for YA contemporaries and fantasies as well. There’s hope that more novels with themes such as mental illness, race, lgbtqia+, the effect of terrorism as well as teen depression and suicide are well read by teens to engage in discussion about important social and life issues we may all face.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter
  Maddie’s best friend Logan is the President’s son, while her dad is a secret service agent. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and forces her to be dragged to the middle of nowhere in Alaska where she gets not word from Logan. Then he shows up, 6 years later, and an assailant gets in the way of Maddie killing him herself and she really wants to.
• The Place Between Breaths by An Na
  Grace is in a race against time and she doesn’t even know it. When her mother flees in fear of hurting their family due to the schizophrenia she’s been struggling with for years, her dad’s schizophrenia research continues in full force. Grace does her part by interning there, and they find what might be a breakthrough, but Grace starts to unravel and starts to question what’s real and what isn’t. Is her discovery real or a side effect of schizophrenia taking hold?

Under the Sea

While many mermaid novels and series have come out in the past decade such as Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, there hasn’t been a whole lotta love for them but there may be a change in the air. These book recommendations below could mean a massive turnaround for mermaid to come in the future.

2018 Book Recommendations:

• To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
  Princess Lira is a lethal siren royal, known for bringing prince’s hearts home to her collection until she’s forced to kill one of their own. As punishment, she’s made a human and has a year to bring home the heart of Prince Elian, a prince who’s siren killing hobby is peaked when a drowning woman he saves promises him the key to wiping out all sirenkind.
• Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
  Evie has become an outcast witch ever since her best friend Anna drowned, yet she’s convinced Anna survived as she meets another girl with limited time on land who resembles Anna. However, she’s got secrets of her own and Evie will try anything to keep her humanity as well as a prince’s heart with her magic until she discovers too late, the truth of the bargain she made.

Do you know any of these iconic novels and series in these older trends? What do you think of these trend predictions for 2018? Let us know in the comments!

The post YA Book Trend Report & The Trends of 2018 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The young adult genre has certainly grown substantially over the last two decades in terms of both readership, books, and sub-genres. From the crazes of paranormal and dystopian, to the growing representation of diversity being included within these novels, there has certainly been many up’s and down’s. That being said, there will always be some books and series that will stand out to readers depending on the age and year they were introduced to the genre.

We’ve found fourteen YA series from over the past two decades that certainly shows the evolution of the genre, and although some may be a little ‘cringe-worthy’ these days, they’re almost seen as a “classic” in some ways for the genre.

Read on to discover some of the YA series you should have read by now, and if you haven’t, give them a go just for curiosity’s sake and fun!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Goodreads

This series is talked about quite frequently, but there are many that don’t appreciate or like them. However, they are incredibly captivating because of the great adventure inside! The Shatter Me series follows a 17-year-old girl who has a lethal touch. She is locked into a cell for accidentally killing someone, but when they world is crashing down she could be a weapon or a warrior. Four books have been published in this series and there are two more are on the way!

The Program series by Suzanne Young
Goodreads

The hype this series doesn’t receive is saddening! In a world where suicide is an international epidemic, there is the program, used to treat kids to not kill themselves. However, the program doesn’t just take that urge, but it also takes memories and it makes you forget. For young Sloane, along with her boyfriend James, they are running and hiding from them. This series will not let you put it down until you are finished and even though there are only six books in the series, you’ll probably be finished in a day.

Fallen series by Lauren Kate
Goodreads

A somewhat ‘classic’ YA series, Fallen follows a girl named Lucinda (Luce) Price who is sent to a new school called Sword and Cross after being accused of murdering a boy by starting a fire. This school isn’t a normal one and it’s there that she meets a boy named Daniel, but she has a feeling they have met before. This series is super engaging and it’s full of twists and turns. It has angels and will make you fall in love with them. Lauren Kate’s writing is spectacular; she has a way of pulling you in through all 4-6 books, depending if you read the extras.

Illuminae series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Goodreads

This series is an extremely unusual kind of read with the story told from a series of emails, letters, and reports. There are three books and each follows different characters with each set of characters living in space because the planet is no longer habitable. Again, this series has such a unique of writing that really intrigues the reader and a truly epic story.

Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick
Goodreads

This is another series about angels and Becca Fitzpatrick makes you fall in love with them. Nora Grey is just an average teenager making her way through high school along with Patch, an annoying boy, who always seems be where she is. Nora then finds out who Patch really is, a fallen angel, and starts to wonder about her angelic heritage. This series is a page-turning leap into the world of fallen angels that will change your views of good and bad.

Matched series by Ally Condie
Goodreads

Let’s face it, we all love a good dystopian and this series is definitely one to consider picking up! In this world there is a tightly-controlled society that chooses peoples life partners at the young age of 17. Our main character Cassia is matched to her best friend, Xander, however, she soon realises there is another. Cassia is then faced with the decision of following government rules or setting herself free. This series was all the rage when it first came out, but has died down since, however it still deserves all of the hype it received.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Goodreads

This trilogy is completely different from other YA books out there and it certainly deserves more appreciation. Karou is just a normal girl who is trying to live life, but she was raised by chimaera, who are creatures of different human and animal attributes. The chimaera she lives with demand teeth in exchange for wishes, and send Karou to fetch them, which leaves Karou to wonder about what she is doing. Laini Taylor portrays this universe extremely well and that is what makes a good book that deserves to be read.

A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket
Goodreads

This series has previously been made into film and a Netflix series last year. The series follows the Baudelaire children who have just lost their parents and home in a fire, but Count Olaf is trying to take their fortune. The children are sent from guardian to guardian just trying to escape from Olaf. This series is very intriguing because of how it narrated and it has 13 books in the entire series.

Asylum series by Madeleine Roux
Goodreads

The Asylum series is a paranormal YA trilogy that needs to be read by all. Dan Crawford has gotten the chance of a lifetime to go to the school he wants, but when he gets there he, and his new friends, end up staying at Brookline Dorm, which used to be a psychiatric hospital. Throughout the story he and his friends find out what really happened at the psych ward and discover their attachments to it. This series will have you on the edge of your seat, just don’t read it in the dark!

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han
Goodreads

Lara Jean Song Covey is 16 years old and she has a box that contains letters to all the boys she’s loved before and these boys don’t know she loved them. However, one night her little sister sends all the letters out creating a whirlwind for Lara Jean. This trilogy sees Lara Jean weave her way through love, heartbreak and family. This series is so heartfelt and real, which makes them a great page-turner.

Taken series by Erin Bowman
Goodreads

This dystopian series follows a government that takes boys on their eighteenth birthday, and nobody knows where they go, but you can’t run. There’s no place to run because going just over the wall is a suicide mission. Gray is almost eighteen and he needs to decide what he will do to survive. The Taken trilogy is very captivating and will cause readers to feel full of emotion.

Let the Sky Fall series by Shannon Messenger
Goodreads

Shannon Messenger is a spectacular storyteller in this fantasy series! The main character Vane Weston should’ve died in a tornado that killed his parents, but he didn’t and has no memories of what happened. However, he has dreams of a girl that isn’t human, and Vane is baffled when one day she walks by him real as can be and starts to discover the truth about himself.

The Selection series by Kiera Cass
Goodreads

This series is a little more royal than everything else on this list. It follows a competition to become the prince’s betrothed. It takes place in a world like ours where places, such as the United States, have been overthrown and renamed. This series is set up a little differently with the first three books told in a different point of view in comparison to the last two.

Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo
Goodreads

Leigh Bardugo has beautifully crafted a very intriguing world called the Grisha Verse. This trilogy is the first of this series and it is so amazing that it’s unbelievable. Alina grew up in an orphanage with her friend Mal, they were both tested to see if they were Grisha, but neither of them were. However, fast forward many years Alina thought she was normal until one day she proved she wasn’t. Many other books by Bardugo are popular, such as Six of Crows, but this series has been kind of downgraded, but shouldn’t be because it started this awesome universe.

Any other books you would add? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 14 YA Book Series You Should Have Read By Now appeared first on The Nerd Daily.