About Vervain Hollow: Two years ago, Laura was in a cult. But when the sprawling house in the hollow burned down with the cult’s magnetic leader trapped inside, Laura had nowhere to go but home. Brokenhearted, she finds herself longing for Vervain, their lost leader—despite the trauma of that strange and terrifying year, she knows the power he promised her was real. But when her estranged friend, Aliyah, calls to tell her that another acolyte has been lured back to the hollow by a message from Vervain, Laura only hears one thing: He’s still alive. As Laura and Aliyah venture back to the house of their nightmares to find the truth, Laura soon realizes that not everything she remembers can be trusted—and that the darkness will do anything to get her back. Releases June 16th 2026.

In the classic Gothic novel, the protagonist enters a shadowy world with its own rules, cut off from reality. They are unable to leave; they are gaslit, made to doubt their own sanity; often, they come under the influence of a mysterious, controlling figure, a source of both desire and fear.

In other words, it’s very much like joining a cult!

The thematic fit between the Gothic and cults is a driving force behind my novel Vervain Hollow. The protagonist Laura, naïve, passionate, and insecure, has all the characteristics of a Gothic heroine – characteristics that make her highly susceptible to cult recruitment. Meanwhile, Vervain, the antagonist, is both a prototypical Gothic villain – dark, brooding, linked to the supernatural – and a classic cult leader, whose initial seductive charisma quickly gives way to manipulation.

Here are five more Gothic novels about cults, where the aesthetic and thematic tropes of the Gothic marry perfectly with the authors’ explorations of brainwashing, groupthink, and coercive control.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Fleeing a series of bad decisions made in her last summer of high school, Ines winds up in Catherine House: an elite college where tuition and board are free, on condition that students cut themselves off from the outside world for the duration of their three years’ study. Thomas’s dreamlike prose perfectly evokes the fugue state Ines drifts into during her time in Catherine, a mindset as Gothic as the house itself: a sprawling, interconnected mansion of decaying rooms and maze-like corridors.

While the novel invites multiple interpretations, it can be read as a surreal extrapolation of the experience of attending an elite institution. Ines feels the exhilaration of being chosen and the joy of belonging, but around every corner lurks the dissonance of her complicity in a dark legacy. Ultimately, her choice is between letting Catherine absorb and define her, or breaking away in search of an uncertain, terrifying freedom.

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

Part horror, part magic realism, Enriquez’s epic novel takes on the legacy of the Argentinian dictatorship through the story of a family entangled in a darkness-worshipping cult. Weaving back and forth through forty years, the story follows Juan and Rosario as they attempt to protect their son Gaspar from the machinations of the cult they are both deeply enmeshed in: Juan as the medium who can call the darkness into the human world, and Rosario as a privileged scion of the cult’s founding family.

What makes this novel Gothic is not just the surface elements – ghosts, family secrets, legacies of trauma – but the darkness within the characters: Juan and Rosario are trapped in the cult partly by their inability to let go of the power and prestige it offers. Meanwhile, the cult itself, and the colonial compound that serves as its stronghold, function as a clear allegory for the callousness of the rich and their complicity in the country’s suffering. Often deeply painful, the novel is also drenched in wonder and love of beauty, bringing an aching tenderness especially to the complicated father-son relationship between Juan and Gaspar.

Hagstone by Sinéad Gleeson

Part horror, part magic realism, Enriquez’s epic novel takes on the legacy of the Argentinian dictatorship through the story of a family entangled in a darkness-worshipping cult. Weaving back and forth through forty years, tOn a wind-battered island off the coast of Ireland, artist Nell ekes out a living, maintaining her freedom at the price of a deep loneliness. When she is offered a commission to create an artwork for the Iníons, an all-female group who live in an abandoned convent on the cliff, she is curious enough to accept. Working on her piece, Nell becomes enmeshed in the lives of the group and their leader, the mysterious Maman, whose motives she can’t quite figure out.

A masterpiece of sustained mood and gradually building tension, Hagstone eschews the obvious: there is no shocking revelation about the cult’s true nature, no climactic bloodbath. There is just the quiet unease of distance: between people, between events and their explanations, between the island and the rest of the world. An immersive, rewarding read for those who like their Gothics atmospheric and open-ended.

Bunny by Mona Awad

Part horror, part magic realism, Enriquez’s epic novel takes on the legacy Like Catherine House, Bunny takes an elite college as its setting. But the focus here, as in Bunny’s Gothic predecessor Frankenstein, is on the perilous allure of creation. When misfit MFA student Samantha discovers that the other women in her cohort, the creepily identical Bunnies, are transforming rabbits into uncanny simulacra of men, she gets sucked into their world and into their hive-mind. As Samantha gradually loses her identity, the Bunnies cannibalize her creativity, rooted in hardship, to lend some grit to their insipid creations.

Bunny is both an allegory about privilege and authenticity, and a very funny satire of critique workshop culture. It’s also extremely Gothic, from the aching isolation that pushes Samantha toward the Bunnies, to the eldritch, horrifying version of Providence, RI that she scurries through ‘like prey from some unknown but imminent beast’. Like a classical Gothic heroine reclaiming her agency, Samantha can only escape from the Bunnies’ control once she discovers the extent of her own creative power.

You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

Crane, a young trans man, flees his home after a suicide attempt and takes refuge with the Hive, a cult living under the sway of sentient parasitic insects. When cult member Levi gets Crane pregnant, the Hive demands that Crane carry the baby to term.

White’s novel is a harrowing, visceral read, at times darkly comic, at times intensely claustrophobic: Crane is trapped in his own changing body as much as he’s imprisoned by the Hive. The book is also Gothic to its core. Beneath the hallmarks of the genre – doppelgangers, possession, not trusting your own mind – lies the dysphoric meta-horror of Crane being forced into the narrative role of the Gothic heroine: a role he is determined to reject at all costs, even if it means committing monstrous acts. Like all the books on this list, You Weren’t Meant to Be Human uses the cult not just as a horror trope, but as an allegory for the way real-world structures seek to limit, control, and define us.

The post Five Gothic Novels About Cults appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

The Thaumas girls are cursed, or so everyone believes after four of the sisters die terrible, gruesome deaths. Annaleigh, plagued by tragedy and the loss of her sisters, begins to have visions of ghosts haunting Highmoor. At first, it feels like her grief is altering her view of reality. But what if the ghosts are real and the deaths weren’t accidental at all?

A retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses like you’ve never seen before filled with intrigue, horror, and more than enough spook to last you a lifetime.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-García

This book has been on everyone’s radar and within good reason. Noemí Taboada’s recently married cousin has sent some worrying letters, which means Noemí is tasked with visiting High Place and finding out exactly what is going on. The Doyles surely are an odd mix- mysterious, strict and highly secretive. Her cousin’s husband, even with all his good looks and charm, seems like the worst of them all. But Noemí doesn’t give up easily.

An unlikely heroine pushed forward by sheer stubbornness, will Noemí survive everything thrown her way? Grab a handful of mini candy bars, a cosy blanket, and pick this up to find out.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Motels tend to be excellent settings for creepy stories, just ask Norman Bates. The Sun Down Motel proves exactly how chilling this type of setting can be. In 1982, Viv Delaney disappears from Fell, New York without leaving a single trace. No one knows what happened to her, and those who might have a clue aren’t very willing to talk. Decades later, Carly, Viv’s niece, arrives in Fell and takes a job at The Sun Down Motel in hopes of finding both closure and clues about what happened to her aunt.

Both entertaining and completely chilling, this is the type of book that made me weary of closing my eyes at night out of fear that a ghost would try to pull my legs from under the covers.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

A school hidden deep in the woods, completely isolated from the outside world. What could go wrong? Well, everything of course! Those students lucky enough to be admitted to Catherine House will get an education like no other. They promise power and prestige while completely taking care of tuition and boarding. Their students will want for nothing. The catch?  Complete and utter isolation from the outside world for the next three years – no contacting family or friends, no television and no music. Ines finds herself becoming accustomed to these rules, yet she soon finds out that Catherine House is hiding some ominous secrets.

This book is perfect for fans of dark academia and contemporary gothic! 

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier

Most know about Daphne Du Maurier thanks to her incredible novel, Rebecca, but what about the equally suspenseful My Cousin Rachel? Phillip Ashley, an orphan, lives an idyllic life in his cousin Ambrose’s estate. These men share a close bond, and Phillip is even named heir of his cousin’s fortune. But when Ambrose leaves on a trip to Florence, everything changes. He falls in love, he marries and, ultimately, he dies. Phillip is heartbroken, already starting to hate his cousin’s widow with every fibre of his being, and yet ends up being drawn to the mysterious Rachel.

With its eerie atmosphere, unreliable characters, and questionable morals, this book will surely entrance any lover of gothic fiction.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

After moving to a new house, Coraline decides to go exploring. There’s a certain door in the house, however, with only a brick wall behind it. It’s not long before that door shows an alternate version of Coraline’s life. The Other Mother is caring and attentive, the food is fantastic and there are enough toys to fill a store. But the Other Mother wants Coraline to stay forever, to sew buttons into her eyes to seal deal. Soon, Coraline discovers that this alternate reality isn’t as perfect as she initially thought, and the lost spirits of other children beg her to rescue them.

 A modern classic that will both spook and capture the hearts of children and adults.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Sydney Green, a Brooklyn native, realises her neighbourhood is changing fast. Her neighbours are disappearing, their homes are going up for sale at an alarming rate and realtors constantly harass her to give up her home. In hopes of keeping the spirit of her community alive, Sydney embarks on creating a walking tour exposing the real history of each building and the streets surrounding them. The more she researches, however, the more she realises how deeply troubled things are becoming in Brooklyn.

A thriller centred around gentrification and the history of Black people, Alyssa Cole has crafted an absolute masterpiece that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  

Crimson Peak: The Official Novelisation by Nancy Holder

There’s a chance you’ve watched this movie already and dreamt about waltzing with Tom Hiddleston, or maybe exploring the rooms of Allerdale Hall with Edith Cushing. The book takes a deeper look into the lives of Edith, Alan, Thomas, and Lucille. Edith, an American heiress, becomes romantically interested in Thomas, although her father highly disapproves. After Edith’s father dies of unexpected circumstances, she decided to marry Thomas and move to his estate in England, locally known as Crimson Peak due to the fact that it’s currently sinking into red clay. Once there, Edith realises that married life isn’t as idyllic as she would have hoped. Both Thomas and Lucille are hiding terrible secrets, and there seems to be ghosts roaming around Allerdale Hall warning her of terrible dangers.

This novelisation is an excellent companion to the movie, and it’s also a perfect treat for those who haven’t watched Crimson Peak.

Category Five by Ann Dávila Cardinal

After the events of Hurricane María, Puerto Rico goes through a drastic change. The island of Vieques is trying to recover from the disaster while developers are taking advantage of the opportunity to buy their land for less than its worth. Just when it couldn’t get worse, a string of murders start to occur while the threats of supernatural attacks are hanging over everyone’s heads. Luper, Javier and Marisol, characters featured in Dávila’s previous novel Five Midnights, take matters into their own hands when it comes to investigating these strange happenings.

Not a lot of books take into the consideration the consequences of Hurricane María, so Category Five is both an educational read and an incredible take on the paranormal.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

It’s not spooky season without zombies, and Justina Ireland definitely delivers. Dread Nation follows the story of Jane McKeene. She’s sent to study in Miss Preston’s School of Combat, due to the fact that Black and Native people are tasked with bringing down the dead and protecting the wealthy. This isn’t the type of life Jane wants, but when people start to disappear in Baltimore she’s caught in a conspiracy like no other.

Set after the events of the Civil War, this book not only an action-packed zombie adventure, but also reveals the harsh truths about racism and white supremacists.

Do you have any other spooky recommendations? Let us know in the comments below!

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Read on to learn more about how Thomas’s personal experiences influenced the development of the story and setting, her work as an archivist at the Museum of Modern Art, what song makes her “snap to attention” every time she hears the opening guitar, and much more!

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for The Nerd Daily! To start, tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your debut novel, Catherine House.

It’s my pleasure! My name is Elisabeth, or Lissie for short (the S’s are pronounced like Z’s). I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where I still live and very happily so. Catherine House is a gothic literary suspense novel about a young woman who goes to a mysterious cult-like college, where she finds dark secrets lurking beneath the school’s promise of prestige. I wrote the first draft soon after graduating college myself. Now, all these years later, it’s so thrilling to welcome readers into my world.

Catherine House was partially inspired by your time studying at Yale University. I understand that both your father and grandfather attended Yale as well, however they had much different experiences than you. Could you talk a bit about these experiences and how they influenced your novel?

My grandfather graduated from Yale back in the 1950s, when he was one of three black men in his class. His experience there was difficult, to say the least. His son—my dad—ended up going to Yale too, and had a similarly poisonous experience; he ended up taking a mental health leave and then dropping out. When it was my turn to apply to college, my dad said, “You can go anywhere you like, as long as it’s not Yale.” I like to say that going to Yale was my big teenage rebellion, but mostly it happened to be a practical choice. So I went. And I was excited to get a good education, but I certainly felt no tenderness for “Good Old Yale” the way many of my classmates did. I thought of it as an old, racist, antiquated institution that had hurt my family. I just wanted to get my degree and get out.

But I ended up having a great time at Yale. How could I not? The campus was gorgeous; the classes were challenging and thrilling; there were thirteen different dining halls serving feasts of grass-fed burgers and wood-fired pizzas. And my friends were always so close, hanging out in the dorm down the hall or studying in the library carrel next to mine. I realized that since my dad and grandpa’s days, expensive private colleges like Yale really have to sell themselves on happiness, on quality of life—and they’re good at it. I still feel no affection for Yale as an institution, but I will happily sing the fight song at a football game. I find that cognitive dissonance so interesting, and I wanted to explore it through this story.

There are many elements woven together in Catherine House — a Gothic feel in a non-traditional private school setting, plenty of suspense, and the conundrum that is coming-of-age, just to name a few. Aside from your experience at Yale as discussed above, what other influences led to the idea for this novel?

Growing up, I liked classic Gothic novels like Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and Frankenstein, and fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast and Bluebeard. With Catherine House, I wanted to play with some of the tropes from those stories—the haunted houses and damsels in distress, the strange labs with dangerous secrets—but create something that felt contemporary, lively, and realistic in its own twisted way.

As indicated toward the beginning of the book this story is set in 1996, which is a choice I absolutely love. Why did you choose the mid-’90s as the right time period to set this story down in?

That was a tricky decision. I wanted the story to feel modern but somewhat outside of time, both for readers and the characters, the students at the school. But in a logistical sense, it couldn’t have been contemporary. Students who go to Catherine House are asked to give up all connection to the outside world, and I don’t think kids these days would go three years without an iPhone, no matter how good the school. That’s just too far-fetched. So already I was thinking it had to be set some time before your average teenager had a laptop and cellphone. And then to keep it feeling timeless, I didn’t want the turn of the millennium to happen while they were at school, or September 11^th. So there I had it! The story is set from fall 1996 to summer 1999.

Catherine House has a much more diverse cast of characters than the reader may expect based upon traditional novels with a Gothic feel or those set in a “private school” setting. What do you hope the reader will take away from this diversity?

There was no doubt in my mind that I would cast Catherine House with a diverse set of characters. First of all, my family, friends, and communities are so diverse in so many ways—race, gender, sexuality, class—and I will always write stories that ring true to my experience of the world. That said, I also wanted to play with the idea of creating a fictional environment that’s diverse but surreally frictionless in its diversity. At Catherine, students of all different races sit together at the same table in the cafeteria. I don’t think that’s realistic, or at least that hasn’t necessarily been my experience in life. But that’s part of the Catherine dream world.

Your novel is as much, if not more, about Catherine House itself as it is about those who inhabit the house. Without giving any spoilers, can you talk a bit about how you use the house as a character, a tool, in the story?

From the beginning, I wanted this novel to tell the story of a girl who falls in love with a house. In romances, tales of great love—both real and fictional—love is pleasurable but dangerous, and perhaps pleasurable because it is dangerous. Catherine House has those pleasures and dangers, but Ines, our main character, is not falling in love with a person, but a house as a time and place in her life that is so vivid and poignant.

The themes of identity, feeling lost, and trying to find one’s place in the world are explored throughout your novel. There is also a unique desperation to many of the students who attend Catherine House. They often have nowhere else to go; they feel enamoured by their unique situation, yet also feel tethered to it or restrained within the confines of the house. Why was it important to you to explore these themes?

I think I’m attracted to these themes because they’re so universal. Everyone goes through periods of feeling lost, of not knowing who we are, where to go, or what to do next. But even though we all have those moments, we feel so lonely when they’re happening. And they make us so vulnerable. When we’re desperate for any sense of belonging, any sense of a sure way forward—sometimes we ignore warning bells that we really shouldn’t.

Talking about the past is not allowed at Catherine House. The school seems to acknowledge how the past influences who the students have become, but focuses on moving them away from these experiences and memories. Could you talk a bit about this choice and how it fits into your overarching goals with the novel?

In designing Catherine House, the school, I did some research into the workings of cults and similar social groups. I learned that many of these groups promise that once you’ve joined, you’re a new person. You let go your dysfunctions, your traumas, your memories, maybe even your name, and become someone completely new. For some people, that can be a very attractive promise.

At Yale you studied art history and you now work as an archivist for The Museum of Modern Art. The narrator in Catherine House, Ines, also chooses to study art. Could you talk a bit about the connection between your love of art and your writing interests, how these things worked together for you?

I grew up surrounded by art; my mom is an artist, a painter and collagist. But I never wanted to be a visual artist, and appreciating art never came as naturally to me as loving books. I think that’s why I studied art history in college; it’s something I admired but didn’t quite understand, at least not in the way I understand writing. I did end up falling in love with art history, as a field, and now love my job. But in terms of my writing career, I think the best thing about it is that it’s a perfect nine to five. I love the museum, love my coworkers, and love my work, and at the end of the day I love that I have time and energy to go home and write.

I’m curious about your process of writing this debut novel. How long did it take to complete? Are there certain techniques or processes you used to create the unique setting and atmosphere of this tale?

It took me about four years from the earliest draft to signing the deal with my publisher. It feels both longer than shorter than that! In terms of creating the Catherine House setting, a lot of it came very naturally to me. The house is in rural Pennsylvania, a place I spent a lot of time in as a child, and I could draw on my own college experience for the school atmosphere. For Catherine’s architecture, I pieced together some research into glamorous estates like the Biltmore and Whitehall. But after a certain point—it was pure imagination! And that was very, very fun.

Let’s Get Nerdy: Behind the Writer with 9 Quick Questions

• First book that made you fall in love with reading: Probably the Boxcar Children books, the Baby-Sitters Club books, Little House on the Prairie… anything I could buy at the Scholastic Book Fair.
• 3 books you would take on a desert island: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, to remind me of home.
• Movie that you know by heart: The Last Unicorn. I watched it at least once a day as a kid.
• Song that makes you want to get up and dance: Honestly, I love dancing, so it doesn’t take much! But I’ll say Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” That opening guitar always makes me snap to attention.
• Place that everyone should see in their lifetime: The ocean.
• Introvert or extrovert: An introvert, absolutely.
• Coffee, tea, or neither: Tea! A mug of PJ Tips with sugar and a splash of half-and-half, every single morning.
• First job: Babysitting, I suppose.
• Person you admire most and why: My grandparents, for more reasons than I can say.

Will you be picking up Catherine House? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Elisabeth Thomas, Author of ‘Catherine House’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Ines is a likeable protagonist, burdened as she may be with a past she would like to forget. She stumbles through her days in an all-to-often alcohol-fuelled haze, as she attempts to bury her pain. This isn’t unheard of at Catherine House, however, as speaking of the past is not permitted. Students are given quite a bit of freedom to balance out the school’s unrealistically high expectations. They are also urged to focus on the present and the bright new future Catherine House will help them create. And if they are unable to assimilate with the university’s expectations, they will be assisted in doing so … via a stay at the enigmatic “Restoration Center.”

The novel’s plot is a bit predictable, however this does not detract from the desire Thomas creates in the reader to learn more about Catherine House and its inhabitants. The author shines most brightly in her development of a setting which is simultaneously intriguing and off-putting to the reader, an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue that is strong enough to keep the reader wanting more. Readers may also find it interesting to note that Thomas draws on her own experiences as a Yale graduate (where, yes, she was a member of a fabled secret society!) in creating this tale.

Thomas also adds a new twist to an old genre by incorporating a cast of diverse characters unlike those typically seen in novels described as “gothic.” This is a subject of particular importance to her as she grew up attending a private school herself. One of only a few black students attending this school, what Thomas saw in the class composition did not reflect what she saw in the world around her. Some interesting parallels may be drawn between the residents of Catherine House — largely young people with nowhere else to go, no other options, and therefore considered “outsiders” in a sense — and the way that individuals have historically been treated in the real world around us when considered to be “other” for reasons such as race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Catherine House is a good read for fans of a slow-burn, or a more character-driven novel. And here the most important, the most intriguing, character is the house itself!

Catherine House is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of May 12th 2020. Many thanks to Custom House Books for gifting me this galley! All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Will you be picking up Catherine House? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A seductive, gothic-infused tale of literary suspense — the debut of a spectacular new voice — about a dangerously curious young undergraduate whose rebelliousness leads her to discover a shocking secret involving an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her school’s promise of prestige.

You are in the house and the house is in the woods.
You are in the house and the house is in you . . .

Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the world’s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three years—summers included—completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises its graduates a future of sublime power and prestige, and that they can become anything or anyone they desire.

Among this year’s incoming class is Ines, who expects to trade blurry nights of parties, pills, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual discipline—only to discover an environment of sanctioned revelry. The school’s enigmatic director, Viktória, encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find themselves and their place within the formidable black iron gates of Catherine.

For Ines, Catherine is the closest thing to a home she’s ever had, and her serious, timid roommate, Baby, soon becomes an unlikely friend. Yet the House’s strange protocols make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when Baby’s obsessive desire for acceptance ends in tragedy, Ines begins to suspect that the school—in all its shabby splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled decadence—might be hiding a dangerous agenda that is connected to a secretive, tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and mysterious curriculum.

Combining the haunting sophistication and dusky, atmospheric style of Sarah Waters with the unsettling isolation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Catherine House is a devious, deliciously steamy, and suspenseful page-turner with shocking twists and sharp edges that is sure to leave readers breathless.

The post Review: Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

This month contains a prequel novel to The Hunger Games, some fun romance and historical reads, and also wonderful debut novels!

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A powerful and moving novel that explores the tragedies and triumphs of life, both large and small, and the universal humanity in us all, Natalie Jenner’s The Jane Austen Society is destined to resonate with readers for years to come.

Beach Read by Emily Henry
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A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A seductive, gothic-infused tale of literary suspense. The debut of a spectacular new voice about a dangerously curious young undergraduate whose rebelliousness leads her to discover a shocking secret involving an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her schools promise of prestige.

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors comes another , clever, deeply layered, and heartwarming romantic comedy that follows in the Jane Austen tradition this time, with a twist on Persuasion.

The Paris Hours by Alex George
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Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.

Camp by L.C. Rosen
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From the author of the acclaimed Jack of Hearts (and other parts) comes a sweet and sharp screwball comedy that critiques the culture of toxic masculinity within the queer community.

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series comes The Betrothed, a glittering royal romance sure to captivate her legion of loyal readers and lovers of courtly intrigue alike.

The Trouble With Hating You by Sajni Patel
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A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy debut about first impressions, second chances, and finding the love of your life in the most unexpected way.

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
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A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance.

Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices, edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed
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Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid!

Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin
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A dark, witty page-turner set around a group of wealthy mothers and the young musician who takes a job singing to their babies and finds herself pulled into their glamorous lives and dangerous secrets.

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

The post May 2020 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.