About Rose Dhu: A prominent surgeon vanishes, leaving her devastated and close-knit Southern community sitting on a powder keg and a detective, Frank Winger, fighting against his own personal connections to the victim’s family, on the hunt for the truth. When back-door dealings and long-forgotten enemies reveal themselves, will Frank be able to distinguish fact from fiction to figure out what happened to the surgeon? Or will her whereabouts stay shrouded in the shadows of Savannah’s live oaks?

In his 1951 novel Requiem for a Nun, William Faulkner famously said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” This line is the distilled essence of the Southern Gothic subgenre, which has its origins in the dark and complex writing of the two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient from Oxford, Mississippi.

Southern Gothic literature explores the ruin and decay of the post-Civil War American South. Violence, racial prejudice, a cultural fixation on a confabulated fiction of faded glory, and a pervasive subtext of the grotesque all make Southern Gothic literature a uniquely rich American literary tradition. Faulker, who died in 1962, is the undisputed godfather of Southern Gothic. Other writers of his era notable in the subgenre include Flannery O’Connor, Carson McCullers and Eudora Welty.

More contemporary Southern Gothic writers include notables like Alice Walker, Cormac McCarthy and Jesmyn Ward. Modern offerings in other media, including highly acclaimed video productions such as the first season of the True Detective series and the Gillian Flynn miniseries Sharp Objects, reflect the same elements.

My new novel Rose Dhu is a dark, atmospheric thriller in the Southern Gothic tradition, so I thought it might be fun to look at some of the works that inspired me.

Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner (1936)

Thomas Sutpen, a white man born into poverty in western Virginia, moves to Mississippi in the 1830s. Ruthlessly pragmatic, he wishes to rise above his nondescript beginnings through the product of his own formula, which he terms his “design.” He builds an ostentatious plantation (Sutpen’s Hundred), takes a wife and embarks on a quest for an heir. His obsessive search for power, status and immortality, driven by pride and scarred by past humiliation, is ultimately undermined by his lack of empathy and inherent blindness to the human costs of his own design. Presented in fragmented fashion, largely through other characters’ recollections and with conflicting, sometimes unreliable narratives, this is a challenging read, but Faulkner himself said it was “the greatest novel of the 20^th Century.” Many critics agree.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

This Pulitzer Prize winner, loosely based upon Lee’s observation of her own family and an event that occurred in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama in 1936, involves elements of racial injustice in the postwar South. Told through the eyes of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, who is six years old at the beginning of the book, it relates Scout’s relationship with both her brother Jem and a neighbor child named “Dill” Harris, who visits his aunt’s home every summer. The three children are both fascinated by and terrified of a reclusive neighbor, Arthur “Boo” Radley, who has not been seen for years. All of which is placed in the foreground of Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus, representing Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young white woman. While innocent, Robinson is remanded to prison and dies while trying to escape and the Finch family is left to deal with the brutal aftershocks of the trial.

This book is one of the most widely read novels of the 20^th Century. Interestingly, the character of Dill Harris was based on the author Truman Capote, a childhood friend of Lee’s.

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor (1952)

This was Savannah native O’Connor’s first novel. Hazel Motes, recently discharged from the service after World War II, returns to his family home in Tennessee to find it abandoned. He takes a train where he meets Enoch Emery, an 18-year-old zookeeper who has been kicked out of his home by an abusive father. Emery introduces Motes to the concept of “wise blood,” the idea that he has an innate knowledge of how to conduct his life without the need for external guidance. After witnessing a “blind preacher” and his daughter create a ruckus in the street, Motes decides to begin an “anti-God” street ministry but he is imitated by a local con artist named Hoover Shoats, who renames himself Onnie Jay Holy. Holy begins to grow rich from his anti-God “ministry,” which angers Motes, who retaliates by killing Holy’s “prophet,” a homeless alcoholic.

With its pervasive religious imagery (a classic O’Connor feature; she grew up in the literal shadow of Savannah’s Cathedral of St. John the Baptist), incredible descriptive features and dark humor, Wise Blood has been ranked as one of the top 100 novels in the English language.

Beloved, by Toni Morrison (1987)

Another Pulitzer Prize winner, this work was inspired by the true story of a former slave named Margaret Garner. Set in 1873, Sethe is a formerly enslaved woman living in Cincinnati with her 18-year-old daughter Denver and the ghost of her other daughter, who died as a toddler. Sethe meets a man named Paul D, whom she had known at the plantation they’d been enslaved at, Sweet Home. Paul D drives out the ghost of Sethe’s daughter and convinces them to leave their home for the first time in years to go to a carnival. When they return, a young woman named Beloved is sitting in front of the house and soon Sethe and Denver are charmed by her. Paul D is seduced by Beloved, but during sex, his mind is filled with horrific memories from his past life as a slave. After he tells friends at work about his plans to start a new family with Beloved, a coworker shows Paul D a newspaper clipping about Sethe killing her infant child to keep the child from being enslaved. Paul D confronts Sethe and she confesses that she killed her eldest daughter, who was two at the time, to keep her from being carried back into a life of slavery. The daughter’s tombstone was inscribed with only one word: Beloved. 

This complex novel, filled with magical realism, is an exploration of how slavery fractured family relationships and how repressed memories of past trauma can haunt people years later. Sethe and Denver can only move on with their lives after exorcising Beloved’s ghost, who represented the traumatic choices Sethe was forced to make because of her own brutal past.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt (1994)

A true-crime story which blurs the lines between reality and fiction, this book follows the aftermath of the 1981 shooting of Danny Hansford, a local male prostitute, at the hands of his employer, notable Savannah antique dealer Jim Williams. The story is told through the recollections of various colorful Savannah personalities, including Williams himself, the transgender performer The Lady Chablis, Emma Kelly, the “Lady of a Thousand Songs,” the charismatic playboy Joe Odom, a “root doctor” from South Carolina named Minerva, historic preservationist Lee Adler, and attorney Sonny Seiler, the owner of Uga, the University of Georgia mascot. Although he took some artistic liberties with the story, Berendt insists that the book is “99 percent true and 1 percent exaggeration.” Midnight spent remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 216 weeks. Its cover, featuring photographer Jack Leigh’s iconic shot of the “Bird Girl” statue from Savannah’s Bonaventure Cemetery, is one of the most famous literary images of the past half century. 

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016)

This National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize Winner is the story of Cora, a third-generation slave on a Georgia cotton plantation who escapes with another slave named Caesar, using yams from her small garden plot that nourished her own mother Mabel during a prior escape years earlier.

In Whitehead’s alternative world, the Underground Railroad is an actual physical railroad that can transport slaves to freedom, and entire states ban Black people under penalty of death.  Whitehead’s skillful prose and blending of the horrors of the true history of slavery with a reimagined past transports the reader to the harrowing era of the Civil War. During her travels, Cora experiences hope, despair, tender kindness and brutal violence as she heads north to freedom.

The novel is both horrific and hopeful, building on the Railroad conductor’s admonition to look outside as she speeds through to find “the true face of America.” Cora says that she could not see that face, but she “felt it, moved through its heart.” The novel reflects how far we have come as a nation—but also how far we have yet to go.

The 2021 Emmy award-winning Amazon television miniseries based upon this work was mostly filmed in Savannah.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (2017)

This novel, set in the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, was the recipient of the 2017 National Book Award for fiction. The principal character is Jojo, a 13-year-old biracial boy. Jojo has assumed many adult roles in the absence of his white father Michael, currently incarcerated for drug-related charges, and the fragile state of his mother Leonie, an addict struggling with grief over the recent drug overdose death of her brother. Jojo cares for his younger sister Kayla and helps to run the family’s small farm with his maternal grandfather Pop (Alton), a veteran of the Civil Rights era and a positive influence on Jojo, and Pop’s wife Mam, who is dying.

When Leonie learns that Michael is to be released, she takes Kayla and Jojo with her. The ghosts of Richie, a boy Pop knew when he was incarcerated years earlier, and Leonie’s brother Given all lend their voices to the narrative.

Richie is trapped, unable to move on to the afterlife, and he journeys back to Bois Sauvage with Jojo’s family in hopes of finding out the circumstances of his death from Pops. After the truth about Richie’s death is revealed, Mam dies, Given’s ghost goes with her into the afterlife, and the inadequacies of Leonie and Michael as parents are exposed.

This modern-day Southern Gothic tale touches on the same elements so prevalent in other similar works: Magical realism, the idea that the past refuses to stay buried, and the way that the sins of the past can leave an indelible stain on future generations.

The American South is a complex region with a unique history. The dark legacy of slavery, coupled with its status as the only American region to have ever been defeated in war, make it a fertile ground for literary exploration. I hope that readers can see Rose Dhu as a worthy addition to the rich Southern Gothic heritage.

The post Best Southern Gothic Novels appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

HBO Max’s new series The Last of Us has been just as big of a smash hit as the 2013 game it’s adapted from. If you’re a fan of the TV show, the game, or you’re just interested in dark, post-apocalyptic stories, here are ten reading recommendations to check out!

Blindness by José Saramago

Like The Last of Us, José Saramago’s 1995 novel Blindness focuses on how the spread of a new disease can break down society and severely alter the way that humans live and interact with one another. In Blindness, a mass epidemic of blindness begins spreading through a city, affecting nearly everyone. If you’re intrigued by the “found family” relationship between Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us, then Blindness is a great book to check out: it follows a group of people who band together and create their own family unit to help navigate their way through the devastation caused by the epidemic.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Passage by Justin Cronin is a post-apocalyptic novel from 2010 that focuses on a world that has been infested with vampires (contrary to The Last of Us’s zombies). There are a lot of similarities between The Passage and The Last of Us, most notably their respective focus on a downtrodden, haunted man protecting a young, orphaned girl who may or may not hold the secret to saving the world.

The Children of Men by P.D. James

The Children of Men by P.D. James presents another take on the “disastrous change to human health greatly alters society” story. In this case, humanity becomes infertile. As in The Last of Us, The Children of Men focuses on a main character (Julian) who finds himself reluctantly working with the one person who may be able to save humanity. If Joel is your favourite The Last of Us character and you admire his story arc, then Julian’s tale in The Children of Men may be a great follow up to read.

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

If Ellie is your favourite character from The Last of Us, or you enjoy stories about intelligent children overcoming incredible hardships, then The Girl with All the Gifts is the book for you. M.R. Carey’s 2014 novel follows Melanie, a smart and witty young girl making her way through the zombie apocalypse. Melanie has many similarities to Ellie, and both The Last of Us and The Girl with All the Gifts explore the resilience of children in unimaginably difficult times.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel’s beloved 2014 novel Station Eleven is a great read for those who love the dystopian world of The Last of Us but are looking for something a little more hopeful. While Station Eleven is set in a world decimated by a flu-like virus and hardships abound, there is a sense of hopefulness to be found in this novel, especially through its main characters, a troupe of traveling performers.

World War Z by Max Brooks

If your favourite part of The Last of Us is the examination of human behaviour in a world that’s been flipped upside down, then World War Z is the book for you. Max Brooks’s 2006 horror novel provides a unique perspective on the oft-used zombie trope. Presented as an official chronicle of a fictitious zombie apocalypse, World War Z is told mostly through survivor testimonies and gives a very realistic look at how such an event would impact humanity.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

The Last of Us is set in a world trying to rebuild after the devastation of a zombie apocalypse. Colson Whitehead’s 2011 novel Zone One follows a similar storyline. If you’re interested in the psychological aspects of the aftermath of great devastation, the struggle for humans to adjust to a brand new world, and the mental anguish that comes with witnessing such devastation, then Zone One is a great follow up to read.

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

One of the most interesting aspects of The Last of Us is getting to witness a world torn apart through the eyes of a child who can’t remember a time before the devastation. Alden Bell’s underrated 2010 novel The Reapers Are the Angels also explores this concept. A young girl named Temple must navigate her way through a terrifying world in the hopes of finally finding a sense of peace.

Feed by Mira Grant

Let’s face it: along with zombie apocalypses, there’s usually some sort of corruption. Black market dealings (as in The Last of Us), people profiting off of the devastation, and–as portrayed in Mira Grant’s popular 2010 novel Feed–shady practices that led to the disastrous outbreak. Check out Feed if you want to read about people desperate to see the dark secrets of desolation come to light.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road is for people who like to feel sad. There is not a lot of hope to be found in Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 post-apocalyptic novel about a man and his son making their way through a ravaged America. If you were drawn to The Last of Us because you’re intrigued by stories of ruin and privation and how people survive under these conditions, then The Road is the book for you.

Have you read any books that gave you The Last of Us vibes? Let us know!

The post 10 Post-Apocalyptic Books for Fans of ‘The Last of Us’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any of them!

The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley
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An African tightrope walker who can’t die gets embroiled in a secret society’s deadly gladiatorial tournament in this thrilling historical fantasy set in an alternate 1880s London, perfect for fans of The Last Magician and The Gilded Wolves.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
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In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
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A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in Under the Whispering Door, a delightful queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang
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A pulse-pounding and deviously dark debut, written with the psychological acuity and emotional punch of Luckiest Girl Alive and All the Missing Girls, that explores the hungry, angry, dark side of girlhood and dares to ask what is most dangerous to a woman: showing the world what it wants to see, or who she really is?

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
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Lee Mandelo’s debut Summer Sons is a sweltering, queer Southern Gothic that crosses Appalachian street racing with academic intrigue, all haunted by a hungry ghost.

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
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From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, a gloriously entertaining novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes Empire of the Vampire, the first illustrated volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga.

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
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From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes a blockbuster fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption, the prince desperately holding it together, and the girl who will risk everything to bring it crashing down.

My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa
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Paloma thought her perfect life would begin once she was adopted and made it to America, but she’s about to find out that no matter how far you run, your past always catches up to you…

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow
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Four young Black sisters come of age during the American Civil War in So Many Beginnings, a warm and powerful YA remix of the classic novel Little Women by national bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
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New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, writing as Erin Sterling, casts a spell with a spine-tingling romance full of wishes, witches, and hexes gone wrong.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray
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In this much-anticipated series opener, fate binds two Black teenagers together as they strike a dangerous alliance to hunt down the creature menacing their home—and uncover ancient deadly secrets.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
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Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget. Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes by Alexa Martin
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Two best friends say “I do” to living together, for better or worse, in this bold women’s fiction novel from Alexa Martin.

What September 2021 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post September 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

With half of 2021 almost behind us, it’s now time to start looking towards the next six months, and more importantly, the new books releasing between July and December 2021! Your to-buy lists are about to become even longer as it’s packed with books you’ll want to have your hands on ASAP from debut authors, as well as releases from some favourites, including Elizabeth Lim, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Samantha Downing, Anthony Ryan, TJ Klune, and so many more!

Read on to discover a few of our picks and be sure to tell us in the comments if you are looking forward to any of them too, plus stay tuned for our genre specific round-ups!

JULY 2021

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
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A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for, from the brilliant New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
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Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town… where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong. 

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
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Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
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A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse… Drawing from fairy tales and East Asian folklore, this original fantasy from the author of Spin the Dawn is perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
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The New York Times bestselling author of the The Book of Lost Names returns with an evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis—until a secret from her past threatens everything.

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
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From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
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In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers’s delightful new Monk & Robot series gives us hope for the future.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
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USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…

AUGUST 2021

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
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Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places―and people―you didn’t expect.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier
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A sweet, queer teen romance perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Check, Please!

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
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The Pariah begins a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm.

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
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From the author of the beloved national bestseller Migrations, a #1 IndieNext pick, a gorgeous and pulse-pounding new novel set in the wild Scottish Highlands.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
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Beloved author Lucy Parker pens a delicious new romantic comedy that is a battle of whisks and wits.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir” about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
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The Hating Game meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in this irresistible romance starring a Mexican American teen who discovers love and profound truths about the universe when she spends her summer on a road trip across the country.

The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
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A brand-new epic fantasy adventure set in the beloved world of the Demon Cycle, following a new generation of heroes, from New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett

SEPTEMBER 2021

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a thrilling new YA fantasy about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against restless spirits of the dead.

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
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Beautiful World, Where Are You is a new novel by Sally Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations With Friends.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
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In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
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A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in Under the Whispering Door, a delightful queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
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Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers.

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang
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A pulse-pounding and deviously dark debut, written with the psychological acuity and emotional punch of Luckiest Girl Alive and All the Missing Girls, that explores the hungry, angry, dark side of girlhood and dares to ask what is most dangerous to a woman: showing the world what it wants to see, or who she really is?

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
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From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, a gloriously entertaining novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes Empire of the Vampire, the first illustrated volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga.

OCTOBER 2021

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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The highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an achingly romantic, tender tale sure to captivate fans of Adam Silvera and Mary H.K. Choi.

All the Feels by Olivia Dade
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Following Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade returns with another utterly charming romantic comedy about a devil-may-care actor—who actually cares more than anyone knows—and the no-nonsense woman hired to keep him in line.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
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USA Today bestselling author Alix E. Harrow’s A Spindle Splintered brings her patented charm to a new version of a classic story.

The Mother Next Door by Tara Laskowski
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From award-winning author Tara Laskowski, The Mother Next Door is an atmospheric novel of domestic suspense in which the strive for perfection ends in murder…

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
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Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
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As darkness closes in on the city of shattered light, an heiress and an outlaw must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other.

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest
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A psychic travel agent and a Seattle PD detective solve a murder in this quirky mystery in the vein of Lisa Lutz’s The Spellman Files and Charlaine Harris’s Aurora Teagarden series.

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word in this fresh, sizzling rom-com by Lana Harper.

NOVEMBER 2021

Her Name is Knight by Yasmin Angoe
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A smash debut novel from rising star Yasmin Angoe, Her Name Is Knight features an elite assassin heroine on a mission to topple a human trafficking ring and avenge her family.

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor
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From africanfuturist luminary Okorafor comes a new science fiction novel of intense action and thoughtful rumination on biotechnology, destiny, and humanity in a near-future Nigeria.

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
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Red White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light, featuring an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
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The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick…

You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith
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When a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath
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The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.

Blue-Skinned Gods by S.J. Sindu
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From the award-winning author of Marriage of a Thousand Lies comes a brilliantly written, globe-spanning novel about identity, faith, family, and sexuality.

Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart
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From the author of Little Broken Things, a “race-to-the-finish family drama” (People) following a mother who must confront the dark summer that changed her life forever in order to reclaim the daughter she left behind.

DECEMBER 2021

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich
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Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich’s “If This Gets Out is an absolute showstopper! Equal parts edgy and adorable, this bright, joyful book has everything I look for in a queer YA romance.” ―Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us

A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
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The New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep weaves a richly atmospheric adult debut following three residents of a secluded, seemingly peaceful commune as they investigate the disappearances of two outsiders.

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
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The Wicked Deep meets House of Salt and Sorrows in this new standalone YA fantasy set in a snow-cloaked kingdom where witches are burned, and two enchantresses secretly compete for the heart of a prince, only to discover that they might be falling for each other.

Absynthe by Brendan Bellecourt
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In his sci-fi debut, Bellecourt explores an alternate roaring 20s where a shell-shocked soldier must uncover latent telepathic abilities to save himself and the people around him.

Safecracker by Ryan Wick
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In this wicked debut, safecracker Michael Maven must pull off the most dangerous theft of his long career–or his friends and family will be killed.

Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera reunite to continue the story of Arthur and Ben, the boys readers first fell for in the New York Times bestselling rom-com What If It’s Us.

Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino
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A whip-smart, piercing debut novel, Smile and Look Pretty follows four assistants who band together to take on their toxic office environments in the ultimate comeuppance.

I Know Your Secret by Daphne Benedis-Grab
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One of Us is Lying meets Pretty Little Liars for middle-grade readers.

What 2021 releases are you looking forward to releasing between July and December? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Ever since Taylor Swift released Folklore back in July, I have been completely obsessed with this mystical and immersive album. It makes you feel like you’re wandering in the forest all by yourself, lost in your thoughts, and searching for something that’s so much bigger than yourself. If you enjoyed it as much as I did, then you’re probably wanting to relive some of the emotions you’ve had while listening to Folklore and what better way to do it than to read some books that are in the same vein! I’ve paired each song with a book or a series that I consider very similar in tone and themes, so hopefully you will find these books as magical as Folklore…

The 1 – On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
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On Chesil Beach is the story of a young love that failed due to miscommunication. Florence and Edward’s wedding night is somewhat of a fiasco because they are both unexperienced and they both harbour a huge fear of letting the other down. Instead of talking openly about those worries and their desires, they keep trying and failing to interpret what the other wants. Shortly after their wedding night, they get a divorce which makes the rest of the book be full of ‘what-ifs’ that are reminiscent to Swift’s lyrics in The 1 (You know the greatest films of all time were never made/But we were something, don’t you think so?/Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool/And if my wishes came true/It would’ve been you).

Cardigan – The Winner’s Curse Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
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These lyrics from Cardigan (Sensual politics/When you are young, they assume you know nothing/But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss/I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs/The smell of smoke would hang around this long/’Cause I knew everything when I was young) remind me so much of Kestrel, the protagonist of the series who is such a great strategist. Everybody keeps underestimating her all through the series because she’s young, but her intelligence and political skills always make her come on top. Her relationship with Arin also matches the lyrics very well as he’s the only one who really sees her for who she is, he appreciates her and makes her feel valued (And when I felt like I was an old cardigan/Under someone’s bed/You put me on and said I was your favorite).

​The Last Great American Dynasty – What Would Boudicca Do? by Elizabeth Foley & Beth Coates
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What Would Boudicca Do? is a spectacular non-fiction book that introduces you to so many wonderful women that changed the world for the better by not following the rules, by being bold and creative (There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen/She had a marvelous time ruining everything/Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city/Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names/And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet/And losing on card game bets with Dalí). The book also gives amazing advice to modern women on how to solve their problems from dealing with men that keep interrupting them in business meetings to dealing with the pressure social media puts on you to be perfect – all based on how women like Cleopatra, Coco Chanel, and Frida Kahlo acted in similar situations.

Exile – The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
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The Queen of Nothing is the final instalment in the The Folk of the Air trilogy and it explores the aftermath of Jude’s exile, which has been imposed by her fae lover. The two have a very tumultuous enemies-to-lovers relationship that includes constantly trying to best each other, misinterpreting the signals they receive and denying their feelings which reminds me very much of this song (We always walked a very thin line/You didn’t even hear me out/You never gave a warning sign/All this time/I never learned to read your mind/I couldn’t turn things around/’Cause you never gave a warning sign). I can definitely see it playing in the background while Jude is trying to pinpoint the exact moment that lead to her exile.

My Tears Ricochet – A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
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I was struggling to find a book that deals with a betrayal that’s as brutal and heartbreaking as the one depicted In My Tears Ricochet, but then I thought of A Ladder to the Sky which is an incredible fit. Maurice has no remorse while he climbs up the ladder of success by stealing the stories of those who loved him. He plagiarises, he betrays, he destroys lives only to make sure that his name will be immortalised. If the book focuses on Maurice’s perspective and is the account of a ruthless opportunist, the song would present the victims’ perspective (You know I didn’t want to have to haunt you/But what a ghostly scene/You wear the same jewels that I gave you/As you bury me/And when you can’t sleep at night/You hear my stolen lullabies).

Mirrorball – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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One of the most glamorous songs off the album, mirrorball is very similar to Reid’s book in terms of atmosphere. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about a retired Hollywood movie star who’s ready to finally tell the truth about her scandalous and captivating life that included lots of parties, film premieres and fancy clothes (I’ll get you out on the floor/Shimmering beautiful/ You’ll find me on my tallest tiptoes/Spinning in my highest heels, love/Shining just for you). The protagonist relished being the centre of attention back in the day, had a love life that got everyone talking and her ambition and charm secured her movie icon status (I’m a mirrorball/I can change everything about me to fit in/I’m still trying everything/To keep you looking at me). The book is bigger than life and so is the song, this dramatic flair that they share will have you completely under their spell.

Seven – Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
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Bridge to Terabithia is about Jess Aarons whose biggest dream is to be the fastest runner in his grade and about Leslie Burke, the new girl that outruns him on the very first day of school. It’s about the power of imagination, pure friendships and how much easier things are when you are a child (Please picture me in the trees/I hit my peak at seven/Feet in the swing over the creek/I was too scared to jump in/But I, I was high in the sky/With Pennsylvania under me/Are there still beautiful things?). Just like Swift’s Seven, the book doesn’t shy away from the grittier subjects – it’s not all about getting lost in magical worlds, it’s also about loss, dealing with grief and bullying (And I think you should come live with me/And we can be pirates/Then you won’t have to cry/Or hide in the closet/And just like a folk song/Our love will be passed on).

August – They Say Sarah by Pauline Delabroy-Allard
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They Say Sarah tells the story of a passionate and obsessive love affair between two women, a single mother who is trying to navigate the newly divorced life and a vivacious and talented violinist. The unnamed narrator has a gloomy perspective on life, every day seems to blur into the other, she doesn’t like her job as a teacher anymore and her love life is quite boring all until she meets Sarah. They have a very magnetic connection from the beginning, but there is also this sense of constant desperation at the prospect of their relationship ending (And I can see us twisted in bedsheets/August sipped away like a bottle of wine/’Cause you were never mine). Sarah is very spontaneous and volatile which means that their relationship is full of clandestine meetings, intense break-ups and even more intense reconciliations (To live for the hope of it all/Cancel plans just in case you’d call/And say, “Meet me behind the mall”/So much for summer love and saying “us”/’Cause you weren’t mine to lose/You weren’t mine to lose, no). 

This Is Me Trying – Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
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This Is Me Trying reminded me very much of Matson’s protagonist, Emily as the lyrics are filled with regret, self-doubt, uncertainty and longing for a time when everything was just fine. In the beginning of the book, we find Emily trying to adjust to an unexciting life without her best-friend, Sloane, the one who always brought her out of her shell and made sure they were always having a great time. The only thing Sloane leaves her is a list of crazy and way out of Emily’s comfort zone activities which she decides to complete hoping that they will bring her closer to Sloane and help her understand why she had left so suddenly (I’ve been having a hard time adjusting/I had the shiniest wheels, now they’re rusting/I didn’t know if you’d care if I came back/I have a lot of regrets about that/Could’ve followed my fears all the way down/And maybe I don’t quite know what to say/But I’m here in your doorway/I just wanted you to know/That this is me trying). Since You’ve Been Gone is a fun summer book about friendships and finding who you are even if it’s scary.

​Illicit Affairs – Normal People by Sally Rooney
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I believe Normal People could have worked for more than one song off this album, but Illicit Affairs fit it perfectly in particular. The book is about Marianne and Connell who start dating each other in secret at the beginning of their senior year of high-school, there are socio-economical differences, their respective reputations at their school and miscommunication that keeps them from admitting that they are together (Make sure nobody sees you leave/Hood over your head, keep your eyes down/Tell your friends you’re out for a run/You’ll be flushed when you return/And that’s the thing about illicit affairs/And clandestine meetings and longing stares/It’s born from just one single glance/But it dies and it dies and it dies/A million little times). Normal People explores the depth of their relationship as the years pass, it shows how strong human connections can be and how the love of someone else can change you for the better. It’s also very angsty at times because of how intense their on-and-off relationship is (Don’t call me kid/Don’t call me baby/Look at this idiotic fool that you made me/You taught me a secret language/I can’t speak with anyone else/And you know damn well/For you I would ruin myself/A million little times).

Invisible String – Lovely War by Julie Berry
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Invisible String is all about fate and a meant-to-be love that could defy all, which made me think of Lovely War almost instantly. Lovely War is about two couples that fall in love during World War I and it’s definitely similar in themes with the song as Aphrodite intervenes on many occasions to make sure that their love will last and they have to overcome so many obstacles in order to stay together (Time, mystical time/Cutting me open, then healing me fine/Were there clues I didn’t see?/And isn’t it just so pretty to think/All along there was some/Invisible string/Tying you to me?). It’s a beautiful tale that similarly to Swift’s song will make you believe that love can conquer it all.

Mad Woman – Sin Eater by Megan Campisi
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Sin Eater is the story of May who is punished to become a Sin Eater after stealing bread, her responsibilities include listening to the confessions of those who are about to die and then eating various foods that are associated with the confessed sins. This was an actual medieval spiritual practice that ensured people will be absolved of their sins and granted passage to heaven as the Sin Eater took all these sins on. Because of this, Sin Eaters are outcasts – no one is allowed to touch them, speak to them unless it’s during a confession which definitely made May feel angry and isolated (And there’s nothing like a mad woman/What a shame she went mad/No one likes a mad woman/You made her like that). There’s the feeling of being wronged, the topic of witches coming up and a whole mystery surrounding a court that is very similar to Elizabeth I’s that make this book so similar to the song (And women like hunting witches too/Doing your dirtiest work for you/It’s obvious that wanting me dead/Has really brought you two together/I’m taking my time, taking my time/’Cause you took everything from me).

Epiphany – The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
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The Nickel Boys is an incredible and haunting book, it’s inspired by real life events which makes it even more heart-breaking. It tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a black boy who is unfairly sentenced to the Nickel Academy, a reformatory school. The Nickel Boys go through so much there, there’s racism, abuse in all of its forms, so much corruption and injustice, it broke my heart to read about it. The writing is so good that it makes you feel all that powerlessness and anger that the characters feel. The fact that we get to see some characters after they get out of the juvenile prison and they are still trying to make sense of what they’ve seen and what they’ve endured there so many years later reminded me a lot of Swift’s song (“Sir, I think he’s bleeding out”/And some things you just can’t speak about/Only twenty minutes to sleep/But you dream of some epiphany/Just one single glimpse of relief/To make some sense of what you’ve seen).

Betty – P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
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I think Betty (I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything/But I know I miss you) reminds me so much of what happens in the second book of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy as it presents similar situations – people messing up because they are young and they don’t know any better. I think both try to send the message that you can love someone and still mess up pretty badly (You heard the rumors from Inez/You can’t believe a word she says/Most times, but this time it was true/The worst thing that I ever did/Was what I did to you). I can’t reveal much of the plot as it’s a sequel, but the whole trilogy is a very adorable coming of age journey – the characters make mistakes, they grow up, they are complex and you will root for them until the very end.

Peace – Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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Serpent & Dove is the story of Lou, a witch who is in hiding after fleeing her coven and who ends up marrying Reid, a witch hunter. As you can imagine, the situation is kind of tricky as she ends up living in a place full of witch hunters and she has to hide her identity not only from her husband, but also from everyone else. The dynamics between Lou and Reid remind me especially of this song – Lou is very fiery and impulsive while Reid is the more level-headed one, Lou also makes fun of Reid so many times of his proper manners and how full of integrity he thinks he is in comparison with her and the witches (But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm/If your cascade, ocean wave blues come/ Your integrity makes me seem small/You paint dreamscapes on the wall/I talk shit with my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honor). Their initial fake marriage and then the way they develop real feelings for each other, devotion and how they’re capable of sacrificing everything for one another also reminds me of Swift’s lyrics (All these people think love’s for show/But I would die for you in secret/The devil’s in the details, but you got a friend in me/Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?/And you know that I’d swing with you for the fences/Sit with you in the trenches/Give you my wild, give you a child/Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other).

Hoax – Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
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Anna Karenina is the story of a woman who has it all and chooses to give it all up for love. At the beginning everyone envies her for her money, her good marriage and her beauty. After she divorces her husband in order to be with her true love, Count Vronsky, she becomes somewhat of an outcast, her reputation is tainted, everyone gossips about her, her husband won’t let her see her son – the entire world turns on her and it makes her rethink all of her choices. Her love for Vronsky remains a constant even if it’s a faithless love (My only one/My smoking gun/My eclipsed sun/This has broken me down/My sleepless night/My winless fight/This has frozen my ground/ Stood on the cliffside screaming, “Give me a reason”/Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in/Don’t want no other shade of blue but you/No other sadness in the world would do).

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Book Recommendations Based On Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.