Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“This is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But a feminist. It’s not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that’s always finding ways to tell them they’re not.”

Vivian Carter is fed up – from living in a small town where everyone thinks the football team is untouchable to the sexist dress codes and harassment in the hallways that no one seems to be able to change. When she is once again chastised for breaking the anti-feminist rules of her school, Viv decides to fight back. Taking a page from her mother’s past, Viv creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. What starts out as a way to blow off steam turns into fast friendships as girls all over the school band together to fight for their rights, solidifying the fact that there is nothing more powerful than girls supporting girls.

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“I get why he’s lashing out. As a privileged white dude, he’s used to being able to buy whatever he wants. He lives in a country where even the presidency can be bought.
But he can’t buy my love. And that frustrates the hell out of him.”

Faced with a sex scandal of epic proportions, Izzy O’Neill becomes fed up with the double standards that exist for girls and boys – whereas she is publicly shamed and called out for being promiscuous, the guy she slept with is the hero who can do no wrong, receives high fives at every turn and is the conqueror of the whole school. Not to mention she’s dealing with her best friend who keeps begging her to let him out of the friendzone. Izzy decides enough is enough and together with her friends, fights back against the people who decide what a girl should be and how she should behave.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”

From a young age, Starr Carter has been instructed on the double standards that exist for black people. Be silent, be docile, don’t do anything rash. Keep your head down and don’t make a fuss. When Starr witnesses her friend getting shot by a police officer for no reason, Starr is inconsolable. But above all, she is angry. Angry at the injustice, angry that Khalil had to die for no reason, angry that the police officer is facing no charges. Starr has to ask herself – what good does it do to keep quiet when she could actually change things for the better?

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“I wondered, for the very first time, if maybe I was doing this whole thing wrong. If maybe I’d allowed myself to be blinded by my own anger to the exclusion of all else. If maybe, just maybe, I’d been so determined not to be stereotyped that I’d begun to stereotype everyone around me.”

One year after 9/11, sixteen-year-old Shirin is tired of being stereotyped because she is a Muslim girl. Never surprised by the rude and demeaning attitude of others, Shirin has learned to shut out everyone and everything that might make her feel bad for her religion or wearing her hijab. Until Ocean James shows up and wants to get to know her – who sees the girl who break-dances and loves music and maybe, just maybe, the one who will get behind the protective walls she has built up. Brick by brick, Shirin realizes that not feeding into stereotypes is a tough choice – but changing who you are, how you act just to not be labeled by others is something no one should ever have to do. And finding yourself underneath what others tell you you are might be her toughest challenge yet.

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“Sweet sixteen is when the claws come out.”

After a birthday that should have been sweet but ended up being the worst night of her life, Jade decides to get revenge on the golden boys of St. Andrew’s Prep that tried to crush her and failed. Together with her fearless friends and the perfect disguise, Jade infiltrates the untouchable circle of the golden boys and takes back the power on a journey of revenge that will leave no survivors. Fed up with the injustice, Jade becomes larger than life and vows: something wicked this way comes.

What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“Doing something when you’re scared is braver than doing something when you’re not.”

When Mike Parker’s girlfriend shows up with a bruise at school, everyone at North Bay Academy is taking sides. After all, what kind of girl would go to the principal instead of the police? And what girl would stay with her abusive boyfriend instead of leaving him? Divided by the issue of how much abuse society inflicts upon women and how much more they endure even when coming forward, there needs to be a reckoning: why ask what kind of girl stays instead of what kind of guy hurts her?

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

The post Destroy The Patriarchy: 6 YA Books That Will Empower You appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

February is already upon us and with that comes the constant stream of Valentine’s Day advertisements. But there is another day (in my humble opinion vastly more important day) in February that should be celebrated just as widely. I am of course talking about Galentine’s Day, a day to celebrate your BFFs, your gals that have your back and lift you up on a daily!

For those of you who don’t know what Galentine’s Day is, it is a holiday, created by Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope, that occurs every year on February 13th. So the day before Valentine’s is all about your friends!

Leslie described it perfectly in the show (this is part of episode 16 of season 2) “Ladies celebrating ladies”! Galentine’s Day is all about showering your girlfriends with love and having the best time together, whether outside cruising the restaurants and bars or inside marathoning those fluffy rom-coms and treating yourself to a relaxing spa day.

Now I’m not gonna lie, I am more of a “stay-inside-and-watch-five-movies-in-a-row” kinda gal myself and a student at that so I’m gonna share some epic Galentine’s Day ideas with you – but on a budget! Because we can still treat ourselves without spending copious amounts of money!

So without further ado, here are three steps you should follow for a fun and nerdy Galentine’s Day with your girlfriends!

1. FOOD

We are on a budget here, so this means no fancy restaurants. Instead we’ll be cooking this delicious Galentine’s Day meal ourselves – or well, preparing it with more cooking-savvy friends in my case as my skills in the kitchen are rusty (read: non-existent). And since this should be a fun and quick affair, here are some easy dishes you can whip up in basically no time AND have the best time preparing them with your BFFs!

• Waffles: This is a Galentine’s Day staple in honour of Leslie Knope. Leslie is known for her love of breakfast foods so here we are, eating waffles loaded with chocolate/maple syrup/berries and spilling – I mean, drinking some tea with our friends!
• Avocado Toast: There is no right or wrong way when it comes to preparing this Millennial favourite! This brunch dish only requires some toast, avocado and whatever you like best with that (I swear on mustard – don’t roll your eyes at me, just try it!)
• Cute little canapés! Fancy and quick!
• Home-made pizza! Now this is slightly more complex, but if you decide to do it with your friends it can also turn into a nice hour of bonding over cooking!

2. GIFT IDEAS – A.K.A BOOKS

Okay so in the spirit of not spending too much, we can go through some on a budget gift ideas! The first one is naturally books. Some might argue that books are not exactly cheap BUT it’s books, okay, Karen? We can all splurge a bit on books and treat our lovely girlfriends to some fluff! I put together a list of cute reads of different genres that are perfect for Galentine’s Day (aka have epic friendships AND OTPs to die for!)

• The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee: This historical fiction novel will win over your hearts instantly with its witty characters, familial ties and TOO PRECIOUS love story! Plus you can make a drinking game out of how many times Monty says something inappropriate.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: A truly amazing classic about the power of sisterly love and all the adventures of the March sisters that will also inspire you to pull out a billowy white shirt and maybe even journal! 
• Poetry collections by Amanda Lovelace for your poetry-loving friends (or tbh all your friends cause these poems are powerful)! Lovelace published some truly amazing collections all focusing on women and their strength! My personal favourite is The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One!
• Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu: You need this book in your arsenal due to its feminist manifesto, great female friendships and basically a girl revolution! (And we’re getting an adaptation directed by none other than Amy Poehler! No time like the present to read this gem!)
• Mixing this list up a bit and ending it with some lightning quick YA fantasy/sci-fi recs with super important female friendships: Six of Crows, Vampire Academy, The Lunar Chronicles, and The Gilded Wolves! Get lost in these epic adventure books that will make you want to join a ragtag team in a blink!

But in case books are not your go-to gifts, you can never really go wrong with some chocolates, a face mask or simply a cute card with a heartfelt message!

3. MOVIE MARATHONS OR “NETFLIX AND FANGIRL-OVER-NOAH-CENTINEO”

You had to know that this would make the list. First of all, Netflix basically owns us all at this point and if we go for Netflix OGs, To All the Boys I’ve Loved before is a perfect way to start your movie marathon! Swoon-worthy love stories, the power of sisterly love and some much needed drama! And since the second movie, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is out just before Galentine’s Day, you can do a double feature! All the Noah Centineo, Lana Condor and Jordan Fisher you could ask for! The only downside of this epic movie marathon could be a possible rift between your friends – team Peter or team John Ambrose?!

Here are some other movie suggestions for a great day:

• Mean Girls: I don’t really have to explain this one, do I?
• Little Women: You can gift the book AND then have a movie marathon with this beauty! Plus you have a few adaptations to pick from – my personal favourite would have to be the latest one!
• Pitch Perfect: We have amazing friendships AND musical numbers! It’s a win-win situation plus you can make it into a real marathon and watch all three movies!
• The Princess Diaries: Another classic that takes you back in time! Many of us probably went through that “Maybe I’m a princess of a small and obscure country too” phase.
• Ocean’s Eight: I am sorry, but this movie is perfection filled with badassery, heists and all the Slytherin vibes!

And if you are into more extreme binging like myself (a season or nothing!), pick one TV show and binge! Some of the recent binge-worthy ones that are most fun to watch with friends are:

• The Bold Type: Okay so this is the obvious choice for a tv show to watch with your BFFs. A story of three badass gals living in NYC and slaying in the media world? Hells yes!
• You: Look, it’s creepy so you need a group of friends to watch it with. And to wonder aloud how no one sees Joe when he has his hat on. Is it an invisibility hat?!
• Spinning Out: The *drama*, you guys! Plus the mental health representation is on point which is always a good addition!
• Friends: This is honestly a very obvious choice. And really, is it ever a bad day to rewatch Friends? (The answer is: No.)
• Parks and Recreation: Get inspired by the hard-working and kickass lead ladies of this truly iconic sitcom!

And here we have all three steps you should follow for a fun Galentine’s Day that will save you a few bucks but still guarantee an amazing day with your BFFs!

And in the true Parks and Recreation I leave you with this wise words from Donna and Tom: “Treat yo self!”

Do you have any suggestions for a fun Galentine’s Day? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Get Nerdy This Galentine’s Day appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover some new releases and tell us in the comments below if you will be checking them out or if you’ve read some!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson | Goodreads

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: immortal creatures crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes for the autumn prince Rook, which causes him to spirit her away to stand trial for her crime. The two must depend on one another to survive and their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. Isobel has a choice to make: become a fair one and sacrifice her craft or go against the fairy courts.

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera | Goodreads

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo | Goodreads

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake | Goodreads

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins | Goodreads

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu | Goodreads

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules. She creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore | Goodreads

Jane was raised by her aunt Magnolia who has made her world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on an expedition. Now, with no direction, she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family’s island mansion called Tu Reviens. What Jane doesn’t know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price.

If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Goodreads

Lena Wise is ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, her upcoming senior year is going to be epic. Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything. With guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends’ entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn’t even guaranteed?

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows | Goodreads

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland. She discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect. Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles before her very world begins to collapse.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust | Goodreads

At sixteen, Mina’s silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all since it was replaced with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart, become queen, and finally know love.

For fifteen-year-old princess Lynet, she looks like her late mother because a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image. But Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina and she gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Freefall by Joshua David Bellin | Goodreads

In the Upperworld, the privileged 1% are getting ready to abandon a devastated planet Earth. After sleeping through a 1,000-year journey, Cam and his friends will have a pristine new planet to colonize. Then Cam sees a banned video feed of protesters in the Lowerworld who also want a chance at a new life. He sees a girl he has to find. Sofie. He joins her cause and falls hard for Sofie. Waking up 1,000 years in the future, Cam discovers that he and his shipmates are far off-course, trapped on an unknown and hostile planet. Who has sabotaged their ship? And does it have anything to do with Sofie, and the choices—and the enemies—he made in the past?

The Grave Keepers by Elizabeth Byrne | Goodreads

Lately, Athena Windham has been spending all her spare time in her grave. Her parents—owners of a cemetery in Upstate New York—are proud of her devoutness, but her younger sister, Laurel, would rather spend her time exploring the forest that surrounds the Windham’s’ property than in her own grave. As the new school year begins, the outside world comes creeping in through encounters with mean girls, a new friend, and a runaway boy hiding out in the cemetery. Meanwhile, a ghost hangs around the Windham property plotting how to keep the sisters close to home and close to her forever.

The post September Book Releases: Young Adult appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

From the master himself, Stephen King will be releasing a new novel co-written with his son, Owen, about a world with no women. Then there’s the latest release from the talented Australian writer, Jay Kristoff, as well as highly anticipated works from young adult authors, Sarah J Maas and Marie Lu.

Looking for something a little magical? Brad Abraham’s Magicians Impossible is sure to be right up your alley. Or perhaps you’re after something different from a change? If so, Salman Rushdie’s latest novel might be a good book to pick up from your local bookstore, or The Space Between Words, which follows a young woman affected by the attacks in Paris.

Read on to discover some of our picks and tell us in the comments if there is a book coming out this month that you’re excited for!

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King | Goodreads

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place. The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devices. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease. Is Evie a medical anomaly to be studied, or is she a demon who must be slain?

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas | Goodreads

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken. His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent’s mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu | Goodreads

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules. She creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Magicians Impossible by Brad Abraham | Goodreads

Jason Bishop’s world is shattered when his estranged father Daniel seemingly commits suicide, but the greater shock comes when he learns his father was a secret agent in the employ of the Invisible Hand; an ancient society of spies wielding magic in a centuries-spanning war. Now the Golden Dawn; the shadowy cabal of witches and warlocks responsible for Daniel Bishop’s murder, and the death of Jason’s mother years before, have Jason in their sights. His survival will depend on mastering his own dormant magic abilities; provided he makes it through the training.

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff | Goodreads

Assassin Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry think she’s far from earned it, and after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia begins to suspect the motives of the Red Church itself. When it’s announced that Scaeva and Duomo will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end them. Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between loyalty and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.

The Age of Perpetual Light by Josh Weil | Goodreads

Beginning at the dawn of the past century, in the early days of electrification, and moving into an imagined future in which the world is lit day and night, The Age of Perpetual Light follows deeply-felt characters through different eras in American history: from a Jewish dry goods peddler who falls in love with an Amish woman while showing her the wonders of an Edison Lamp, to a 1940 farmers’ uprising against the unfair practices of a power company; a Serbian immigrant teenage boy in 1990’s Vermont desperate to catch a glimpse of an experimental satellite, to a back-to-the-land couple forced to grapple with their daughter’s autism during winter’s longest night.

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera | Goodreads

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

Invictus by Ryan Graudin | Goodreads

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far’s birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he’s ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far’s very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

The Golden House by Salman Rushdie | Goodreads

When powerful real-estate tycoon Nero Golden immigrates to the States under mysterious circumstances, he and his three adult children assume new identities, taking ‘Roman’ names, and move into a grand mansion in downtown Manhattan. Arriving shortly after the inauguration of Barack Obama, he and his sons, each extraordinary in his own right, quickly establish themselves at the apex of New York society.

Warcross by Marie Lu | Goodreads

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

The Space Between Words by Michèle Phoenix | Goodreads

When Jessica regains consciousness in a French hospital on the day after the Paris attacks, all she can think of is fleeing the site of the horror she survived. But Patrick, the steadfast friend who hasn’t left her side, urges her to reconsider her decision. Worn down by his insistence, she reluctantly agrees to follow through with the trip they’d planned before the tragedy. During a stop at a country flea market, Jessica finds a faded document concealed in an antique. As new friends help her to translate the archaic French, they uncover the story of Adeline Baillard, a young woman who lived centuries before–her faith condemned, her life endangered, her community decimated by the Huguenot persecution.

Autonomous by Annalee Newitz | Goodreads

A rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack traverses the world in her own submarine. A notorious anti-patent scientist who has styled herself as a Robin Hood heroine fighting to bring cheap drugs to the poor, Jack’s latest drug is leaving a trail of lethal overdoses across what used to be North America—a drug that compels people to become addicted to their work. On Jack’s trail are an unlikely pair: an emotionally shut-down military agent and his partner, Paladin, a young military robot, who fall in love against all expectations.

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