Hi, Jodi! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m actually two tortoiseshell cats in a trench coat.

Seriously, though, when I’m not reading or writing, I’m playing with yarn. I’ve been crocheting, knitting, and spinning for a significant portion of my life, and recently I decided to learn how to weave. My cats are enormous fans of this entire endeavor.

And my house is full of drifting fluffs. Could be wool. Could be cat hair. Could be my hair. Hard to say.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve always loved telling stories, though I didn’t realize that writing was a job a person could have until much later. But as kids, my sister and I would make up stories for our Barbies to act out, tell those stories again and again with slight revisions to make them better (good practice for real life as an author!). We had so many cool ideas!

But even when I figured out that I loved reading, I didn’t realize that writing was a legitimate career path. I had this idea that books just appeared in the school library, like magic. At some point in 7th grade, though, an English teacher was reading a book with the class . . .and she must have asked about a choice the author made for the book. That was my lightbulb moment — that people had to write books.

And I could do it, too.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: I’m told the book I loved reading as a kid was called Season of Ponies, though I don’t remember reading that one. The next one I do remember enjoying was a book about a kid investigating a ghostly wail coming from inside a cave. I was enthralled! But it wasn’t a real ghost (just the wind). And I don’t remember what the book was called.

• The one that made you want to become an author: WAIT TILL HELEN COMES by Mary Downing Hahn.

• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Right now? Oh, uh… Usually that’s just whatever book I’m working on. It’s a cheaty answer, I know, but if I could stop thinking about it, I wouldn’t be writing it.

Dawnbreaker is the second installment in your Salvation Cycle series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Magical climate crisis gets worse.

What can readers expect from the sequel?

Deepening romance, anguish, inappropriate cow jokes, and impossible choices. Everything that built up in the first book is coming to a climax here.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

I really liked putting a wedge into Hanne and Nadine’s friendship and testing that. And there was a moment with Hanne later in the book, a flashback, I loved writing. It felt so real and vivid to me.

I also really enjoyed building up a new friendship for Rune, the growing ease of banter between him and Nightrender, and of course the [spoiler] bit at the end that made me cry every single time I worked on it.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing Dawnbreaker?

The second book of a duology is hard. Just all the way around, it’s difficult.

I moved the start point around a bunch, rewrote the third quarter several times, and left huge [bracket notes] for action sequences I didn’t want to write while I was trying to wrangle the story structure into shape, which left me a lot to fill in later!

But it did all come together in the end, and I’m really proud of how the book has turned out. While it was a challenge the whole way through, DAWNBREAKER taught me a lot about story, structure, and writing a satisfying conclusion.

What’s next for you?

Obviously, I’ll be talking about NIGHTRENDER and DAWNBREAKER for a long time, but next summer I have MY SALTY MARY (with cowriters) coming out, and next fall, I have . . . something I’m not sure I’m allowed to tell you about just yet. But it’s coming!

Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases you’re looking forward to reading?

Ahh there are so many wonderful books coming next year! I’m excited for more books from Brigid Kemmerer, Nicki Pau Preto, Susan Dennard, Amie Kaufman, Lisa Maxwell, and so many more. Between you and me (and everyone reading this), I haven’t been the best at keeping track of what books are coming out when, so I’m not being vague just to annoy you. It’s just that I’m not looking up release dates right now.

And my cats, if you were curious, are looking forward to whatever books are the best to sit on.

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

The post Q&A: Jodi Meadows, Author of ‘Dawnbreaker’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Releasing on January 4th 2022 from Holiday House, kingdoms will fall, gods will die, and hearts will be broken in this sprawling new fantasy.

Are you intrigued? Nightrender is available to pre-order and to add to your Goodreads! Read on to discover the cover and synopsis, but first, Jodi has a few words to say!

“An ancient evil rising. Three kingdoms locked in endless war. A champion sworn to defend the people who betrayed her. This is NIGHTRENDER, a story I have wanted to tell for more than a decade. It felt like a tall order to ask someone to create a cover around a legend, a weapon, a hero eternal, but YONSON and the team at Holiday House delivered. The mood. The colors. The wings. I am so pleased to be able to share the incredible art for NIGHTRENDER’s cover. And, soon, the book itself.”

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOTHINGNESS IS THE ISLAND OF SALVATION.

Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.

But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world’s weakest seams. Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria, which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has perceived the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind’s only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.

There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice . . . or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?

Cover art by YONSON (IAmYonson.com), cover design by Kerry Martin.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jodi Meadows is the author of the Incarnate and Fallen Isles trilogies and is a coauthor of New York Times bestsellers My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane. You can visit her website at JodiMeadows.com. She lives in rural Virginia.

You can find Jodi on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The post Exclusive Cover Reveal: Nightrender by Jodi Meadows appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Being a huge fan of the Lady Janies’ particular brand of historical fiction, I was quite excited about My Contrary Mary, especially since this one brings us back to the world of E∂ians (humans who have the power to shift into an animal) from My Lady Jane, which  was the very first Jane book and happens to be one of my all-time favourites. My Contrary Mary was every bit as humorous as I’d expected, and I had an absolute blast reading it.

My Contrary Mary takes place in Renaissance France, and tells the story of a seventeen year old Mary, Queen of Scots, who despises doing as she’s told. As Mary gets married to her betrothed, the French dauphin Francis, back in Scotland John Knox is publishing pamphlets condemning all Verities (normal humans who don’t have E∂ian powers) and leading a revolution against Mary, who is presumed to be a Verity. Meanwhile, in a France where E∂ians are despised and oppressed, only Mary’s ladies-in-waiting and Francis know the truth about her— that Mary is actually an E∂ian and can turn into a mouse at will.

When King Henry mysteriously dies in a jousting accident, Francis and Mary suddenly find themselves in charge of France. Along with the seer Nostradamus’ daughter Ari, Francis and Mary now have to make their way through mousetraps, conspiracies, and treason to seize their thrones, and maybe fall in love along the way. 

My Contrary Mary is quick-paced and hilarious; the voices of the three authors merge together seamlessly and their writing flows, with a well-built plot and flawed yet strong characters. There’s also some political intrigue involved, as is to be expected from the time period the book is set in. However, the religious conflicts this time aren’t between the Catholics and the Protestants; instead they are between the Verities and the E∂ians. 

Coming to the characters, I really liked how the main characters all behaved like actual teenagers. There was Mary, headstrong and queenly and still so naïve, and Francis, a loveable dork who’s too in love to see sense. However, Aristotle or Ari, the third point-of-view character, struck me as the most interesting one. Ari’s prophecies tend to go sideways always, and they rather resemble scenes from popular movies of our time, which I found to be a quite witty and amusing way to sprinkle in pop-culture references.

As for the romance, friends-to-lovers being possibly my favourite trope, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Francis and Mary’s relationship. There was also a sapphic romance that, despite being on the sidelines, was also quite well-written. We also got to meet some beloved old characters from My Lady Jane near the end of the book, which was one of my absolute favourite scenes. 

In conclusion, My Contrary Mary is a funny and sweet story that I thoroughly adored, and I can’t wait for the next books in the Mary series! If you like fantasy, books about royalty, friends-to-lovers romances, and historical fiction, or if you are simply looking for some light reading material, this is a book you should definitely check out!

My Contrary Mary is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up My Contrary Mary? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀
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Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.⠀
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Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

The post Review: My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Everyone always needs a light, fluffy, funny, and enjoyable book every now and then, so we have compiled a list of some incredibly heartwarming, funny, and feel good books. Let’s start off with some feel good fantasy books!

Fantasy

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson will make you laugh out loud. Percy is a demigod, has no idea what he is doing, and he attends Camp Half Blood where he meets teens just like him. Percy is sassy, sarcastic, and awkward, plus this one is getting a Disney+ adaptation so you have that to look forward to after finishing the book!

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Who doesn’t want to read a retelling of history? This book is based on the real monarch Lady Jean Grey, but takes some artistic liberties to give you a hilarious historical retelling. With characters turning into animals and witty banter, this book will have you giggling the entire way through.

Doon by Lorie Langdon & Carey Corp
This book is about two teen girls who take a vacation in Scotland and then travel to a small, magical village. The story is based on the musical Brigadoon, but it will make you want to travel to Scotland and find Doon. It has very relatable and funny characters and romances to swoon over. This book is great for people who loved Royals by Rachel Hawkins and/or Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
This is a story that is filled with such magic and warmth. In case you somehow don’t know what this one is about, it follows Harry Potter who learns he is a wizard and goes to a magical boarding school. This book is all about friendship and will fill your heart with love and you will want to pack your bags and attend Hogwarts once you’re done.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
If you’re looking for a fun vampire series, this is for you! This book is filled with badass characters, a great storyline, and characters to root for. Vampire Academy has plenty of sass and moments that will make you laugh out loud. This book is about Rose who is the protector of her best friend, who just happens to be a vampire, and we follow these two at a boarding school and what happens when romance comes into play.

Contemporaries

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Simon is so fluffy and sweet! Simon Spier (the protagonist) is a very relatable nerdy character and this book is all about him coming out and how he connects with someone over email. The catch is he doesn’t know who he’s emailing and when will all these secrets become too much?

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
This is a graphic novel and a very short read, but this one will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. The story is all about two boys in England and how their friendship grows into something more. Charlie and Nick are both precious and you will want to wrap them both up in bubble wrap after reading this one and you will also want to curl up and watch movies with all of these characters.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Although this is a children’s book, it is a great book! Wonder follows August who has a facial difference and when he starts school, he has to deal with how people react. It will have you smiling through happy tears and you will be reminded about the innocence and purity of children. You will also see that humanity is not doomed and that children love so fiercely and will protect each other. 

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a fluffy YA romance story, but it’s filled with romantic letters, great siblings, and just all around cuteness. This book follows Lara Jean and what ensues when all her love letters are sent out to their recipients. What follows is a fake relationship that could turn into more and lots and lots of drama. Once you’re done, you can also watch the Netflix film and it’s sequel!

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This is an adult contemporary and will have you awwing out loud. Henry (the Prince of England) and Alex (America’s first son) have a long held rivalry, but what happens when their dislike grows into something else? This book is filled with great political discussions and a romance to scream about.

My Faire Lady by Laura Wetterstern
This book follows Rowena and how her summer job at the Renaissance fair is filled with romance and lots of medieval drama. This is an easy and cheesy contemporary, but it’s filled with some great romance and funny moments.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
This book is filled with a sweet romance, a Twitter war, and lots of baking. Pepper and Jack are rivals and start a heated Twitter war, but they also start falling for each other over an anonymous app. This book will make you laugh out loud and you will squeal at all the pop culture references. 

Classics & Poetry

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables is a classic, which follows orphan Anne and her life on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Anne has a big imagination and a heart overflowing with love. This book has gorgeous nature descriptions and characters to fill your heart.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
This is a really sweet book with beautiful illustrations, which follows a little boy who travels around the universe and learns about adults and the world. It’s a really short read but will fill your heart with some warmth and love.

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill
This poetry collection is filled with inspiring retellings of fairy tales. If you ever need a pep talk, this book will make you want to kick some butt and change the world.

The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace
This is another great feminist read which will make you pump your fist in the air and grin from ear to ear!

Hopefully one of these books will put a smile on your face. All of these books are magical in their own way.

What are some of your favourite feel good books? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 16 Feel Good Fictional Books To Read appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

This list brings you 10 historical fiction novels that will make you feel a range of emotions and also tie in with other genres such as fantasy and young adult. Who knows, even people who are not big fans might just fall in love with the genre along the way!

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An exhilarating plot, characters you will fall head over heels in love with, bickering siblings, wicked nobles, highway robbery, mad scientists, scandals, daring escapades, impossible quests, grave mysteries, and of course, a gorgeous and epic love story. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue has it all! It also tackles issues like racism, sexism, homophobia, disability, and physical abuse with great care, but in a way that never gets preachy. Monty’s witty, wry, and unapologetically bi voice is an added bonus.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With beautiful prose and well fleshed out characters, All the Lights We Cannot See is bittersweet and heartbreaking in the best possible way. However, going into this book, don’t expect a typical wartime love story. It is very different, in a much more haunting way.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Along with being historical fiction, this is also a portal fantasy book! Harrow’s writing is magical and lovely, and almost tricks you into believing in Doors that will take you to worlds unseen before. Be prepared for the disappointment you are bound to feel when you come out of the book and back to reality, though.

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fantasy and magic seamlessly merge with history, making the story of two people who have never known freedom before into a grand tale of epic adventure. An enchanting novel full of heart and raw emotions, The Bird King is going to stay with you for a long time.

Ziggy Stardust and Me by James Brandon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This book is honest, blunt, heart-wrenching, and incredibly important. The writing style is very unique, although sometimes it might seem a little disjointed too, but that fits Jonathan, a boy who is losing his identity and being shattered into a million pieces every day as he goes through “therapy” that would “fix” him. Ziggy, Stardust and Me possesses the unique power to put the reader in its main character’s shoes, to render the reader as vulnerable as Jonathan feels and takes the reader through the horrors he faces. Brace yourselves, this is going to hurt.

Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ah, a Shakespearean retelling set in the glorious Jazz Age sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? George has created such loveable, delightful characters; sometimes you want to shake them until their teeth rattle because they would die before admitting their feelings out loud, but that’s just part of their charm. There’s lots of drama and lots of romance and amidst it all, the plot is carried out satisfactorily too. If all that isn’t enough to convince you, Beatrice and Benedick are basically the enemies-to-lovers trope personified!

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sepetys portrays a brutal time in history with compassion, but also in a way that hits hard. If you enjoy well researched and informative historical fiction, this book is definitely for you. Make sure you check out Sepetys’s other works too, all of them are similarly brilliant and immersive.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Pulley recreates Victorian London and Japan during the civil war with loving precision, and blends historical events with elements of fantasy deftly, making this into an atmospheric read not just read but thoroughly savoured.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Told from Ari’s point of view, the story is lyrical and gentle, and takes the reader smoothly through the pages. You’ll find yourself relating to at least one of the characters, at least a little.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

You know those books you just can’t stop hugging? My Lady Jane has the potential to become one of those for you. Brimming with humour, romance, adventure, and pop culture references, MLJ is a charming historical retelling that everyone should give a try, especially if you are not a fan of the genre. And then try the other books in the Lady Janies series. You won’t regret it.

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

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When you think of Victorian England, you probably think of Queen Victoria first. Then you might think of extravagant dresses and fancy suits, of a time long past that has nothing at all to do with you living in the 21^st century. Maybe you will even think about the industrial revolution that made most of the iconic fashion styles happen, as well as inventions such as steam engines and railways.

And when you think of literature during this time, the Brontё sisters, Charles Dickens, and Mary Shelley are bound to be some of the first names to pop up. Nevertheless, just like the fashion going out of style, the language in which books like Oliver Twist, Wuthering Heights, and Frankenstein have been originally written in, has become old-fashioned.  

In an attempt to make these classics accessible for a young and modern audience, writers and especially YA writers, have been adapting Victorian classics. This can be achieved by simply putting the characters into a modern setting, by making one of the background characters from the original work the protagonist, to change the gender, age, or sexuality of a character or, to change the course of the story completely!

Nowadays, there are so many amazing retellings of Victorian novels that it can be difficult to decide where to start. If you’re one of the intimidated readers, don’t fret because here are five great young adult adaptions of Victorian novels to start your Victorian reading binge with (which, incidentally, mostly focus on girl power!)

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand (A retelling of Charlotte Brontё’s Jane Eyre)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

While this is the second book in the The Lady Janies series, this is a stand-alone novel and is only connected to its forerunner because both feature a protagonist named ‘Jane’ and both are retellings of older tales.

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!) Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon (A retelling of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.

Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.

Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (an expansion of the Sherlock Holmes Universe by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White (a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Elizabeth Lavenza hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her “caregiver,” and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee (another retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead. His sweetheart, Mary—gone. His chance to break free of Geneva—lost. Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay…

I hope you love these picks as much as we do, because even if you adore the original classics, indulging in retellings is a lot of fun. You get to go on new adventures with some of your favourite characters, an author might explore a scenario of “what if” a tiny detail would be different or the retold plot focuses on friendship instead of romance! There are honestly no bounds when it comes to reimaginings. On the other hand, if Jane Eyre’s story has always appealed to you but the language has put you off or the pace, this is an ideal way to enjoy the story the way you will enjoy it most! 

Do you read retellings? Which ones are your favourites? Let us know in the comments!

The post 5 YA Victorian Retellings You Will Love appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Alloy of Law (Mistborn Era Two #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Set 300 years after the events of the wildly fantastic Mistborn series, The Alloy of Law introduces us to a new group of uniquely magical characters and their fight to fix their corrupt world. Narrated by Michael Kramer, a god among audiobook narrators, The Alloy of Law and the whole Era 2 series is brought to life through his vast collection of accents. This is particularly perfect considering Wayne, arguably the best comedic sidekick in any fantasy book, adopts and dismisses numerous accents through the course of the story. If anyone knows the power of a proper accent, it’s Wayne and Michael Kramer.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Kady Grant and Ezra Mason have just broken up, had their home attacked by a rival corporation, and are now trapped on separate ships while fleeing from the battlecruiser bent on their annihilation. Things can’t get any worse, right? Narrated by a full cast and enhanced by background sound effects, the audiobook version of Illuminae brings to life all the ways things get so much worse for Kady and Ezra. Author’s personal opinion: Illuminae is the best audiobook of all time.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

The first book in the epic series of Celaena Sardothian, the young assassin who was betrayed and thrown in a labour mine, released a year later to compete in a tournament to become the King’s Champion, and starts a chain of events that will reshape the land of Adarlan. There is not a narrator out there whose voice so exquisitely embodies the character as Elizabeth Evans does for Celaena. From haughtiness to rage to devastation, Evans hits every tone and emotion with perfection and brings the story of Celaena to life in a way that only an audiobook can.

Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel

Told entirely through interview and video transcripts, Sleeping Giants is the story of Rose Franklin and how her discovery of a giant robot hand hidden in rural South Dakota irrecoverably changes her life and the course of Earth’s history. Read by a full cast, the narration gives you the sense that you are sitting in a windowless room with the nameless interrogator who has collected these files just for your listening.

My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton

A satirical retelling of Jane Eyre featuring Charlotte Brontë and a group of slightly inept ghost hunters, My Plain Jane is a hilarious tale of friends, ghosts, and love. While the story is rife with biting satire and hilariously ridiculous moments, much of the humour falls flat on the page. However, when narrated by Fiona Hardingham, the jokes land spectacularly and you will find yourself laughing through your read.

Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown

The first book in the epic sci-fi saga of a lowly miner who rises far above his station and takes on the tyrannical government who killed his wife and subjects his people to life underground on Mars. Brown’s writing is fantastic on its own accord, but narrator Timothy Gerard Reynolds brings such depth to the story with his voice. At times gravely and broken or affluent and fierce, the narration draws the reader into the dark depths of emotion throughout this brutally masterful series.

The Last Namsara (Iskari #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

Asha is the fiercest dragon slayer in the kingdom of Firgaard and when given the chance to escape a terrible arranged marriage by killing the most powerful dragon, she is confident she will be victorious. But long hidden truths come to light that threaten to destroy her world and she must figure out who to trust before she loses the one thing she never thought she’d have: love. Narrated by Doctor Who’s Pearl Mackie, The Last Namsara benefits greatly from her smooth, hypnotic voice. The novel has dragon myths scattered throughout and Mackie’s natural storytelling voice adds a fantastic layer to the experience of reading this book.

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

The post 7 Audiobooks That You Must Listen To appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

How do you read a book series, back-to-back or as they’re released? I love reading a series as it is released because I can participate in all of the hype and don’t have to worry about spoilers however, there is also a part of me that enjoys a good binge read. 

Reading a series back-to-back has its perks. You can get fully immersed in a world, no worrying about cliff-hangers, and you never forget the little details from one book to the next. If you are looking for your next series to binge read, I’ve compiled a list of YA five series that are wrapping up in 2019!

Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns series) by Kendare Blake
Goodreads

If you love dark fantasy, Five Dark Fates, the final book in the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake, releases September 3rd. There is plenty of time to read the first three books and be ready to jump right into the end. Also, don’t forget, there are three prequel novellas in this series as well, giving you lots to explore.

A Question of Holmes (Charlotte Holmes series) by Brittany Cavallaro
Goodreads

If fantasy is not your thing, the Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro might be more your speed. It follows the great-great-great grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson as they attend a boarding school and solve mysteries. There are four books to binge, and they are all published, so there is no waiting to jump in!

The Shadow Glass (The Bone Witch trilogy) by Rin Chupeco
Goodreads

There is more dark fantasy to be read with The Bone Witch trilogy by Rin Chupeco. It has necromancy, familiars, and lots of magic. The final book, The Shadow Glass was released in March of this year, so grab all three books and get ready to be fully immersed in a beautifully dark world.

Capturing The Devil (Stalking Jack The Ripper series) by Kerri Maniscalco
Goodreads

If you want a bit of historical fiction with your darkness, the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco could be the one for you. The fourth book, Capturing the Devil, will be released in September, giving you time to read the first three books as well as the novella between books 3 & 4.

When She Reigns (Fallen Isles trilogy) by Jodi Meadows
Goodreads

If you’re like me and have a slight obsession with dragons, you’ll want to read the Fallen Isles trilogy by Jodi Meadows, and now is the perfect time. Book 3, When She Reigns, will be published in September leaving plenty of time to dive into this world of dragons.

Are there other YA book series we should have on our radar? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Friday Five: 5 YA Series Wrapping Up in 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

You know what we bookish people love apart from reading about great characters and intricate stories? Amazingly designed covers!

Cover-buys are totally a thing and in the last few years, we have seen young adult designers upping their game and that is directly reflecting on our TBR stacks. This year is no exception and, as a result, it was really hard to narrow down this list!

10. Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is the sequel to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns in the Rise of the Empress series, which went through a major cover change. Sometimes cover changes don’t really work and just make us angry, but this time we don’t mind! The new covers are so pretty that it’s difficult to stop staring at them. The flowery patterns and the bold red background make this book stand out on the bookshelves.

The series is an East Asian reimagining of the Evil Queen legend and revolves around the character of Xifeng, a girl who has to use her dark powers in order to fulfil her destiny and become the Empress.

9. The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Let’s say you’re looking for a good young adult thriller. Everyone knows it’s not a good idea to read the synopsis (or at least the entirety of it) to have the best shocking reading experience. In this scenario, wouldn’t this cover make you immediately and unbiasedly want to buy The Truth Lies Here without having heard anything about it?

The smart use of the shadow created by the body of the girl to make the title suggests that the main character could have something to hide. The maroon shades of the woods also contribute to the atmosphere and the beauty of the cover.

No spoilers, of course, but this book revolves around Penny, an aspiring journalist who decides to work with two boys of completely different backgrounds in order to find her father and the truth behind multiple murders.

8. Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

After debuting with Starfish, Akemi Dawn Bowman released a new contemporary this year, and the cover looks as stunning as the previous one. The colours and the background wave immediately give a fresh summer-y vibe that are totally on brand given that this book takes place in Hawaii and features a surfer.

Rumi, the main character of this story, has to deal with the grief that comes with the loss of her sister, and she seems to be metaphorically represented by the bird taking flight.

7. My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

My Plain Jane is the second book in the hilarious Lady Janies series which retells the stories of different historical Janes in a fantastical and funny way. This cover totally represents the story and makes us laugh without even opening the book thanks to the little scribbled comments. However, the most amazing characteristic of this cover is the colour contrast. Who knew light blue and fluorescent yellow could work so well together? Let’s hope we get another outstanding colour combination on the cover for the next book!

6. Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sara Barnard’s covers are always shiny and spectacularly artistic and Goodbye, Perfect is no exception. Every detail was perfectly taken care of: the gold foil sunflower, the typography and the colours all contribute to make this book stand out between all others on a bookshelf.

Goodbye, Perfect is about two best friends and the problems that arise when a big secret is revealed.

5. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This sci-fi with contemporary vibes was first published last year in the UK, but this year it was finally released in the United States as well with a different and amazing new cover.

The title and the illustration perfectly match in their message; the simplicity of it all is what makes the reader understand that the book is totally centred on the girl in the middle. Romy Silvers is in fact the main character and in the story she’s the only survivor on a spaceship directed to a new human colony which is… years and years apart.

4. Sadie by Courtney Summers
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sadie is Courtney Summers’ first book published by the new Macmillan YA and adult coming-of-age imprint Wednesday Books, and we can see that in the style change of the author’s book covers. While her previous covers relied more on photography, Sadie’s cover is striking in its own way with a lot of white space that gives the beautiful central illustration of the main character, her red hoodie, the title and the author’s name the importance they deserve. The illustration is perfect to represent the vibe of the story: that is only the last detail that makes this cover one of the best of 2018.

This dark contemporary standalone talks about two sisters—one murdered, one in search of revenge—in an original podcast format.

3. Fierce Like a Firestorm by Lana Popović
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

As its predecessor Wicked Like a Wildfire, Fierce Like a Firestorm has a lovely flowery cover and a solid background. The inside of the book is also as beautifully written as the outside suggests. This fantasy with poetic imagery revolves around two sisters dealing with their magical powers and a curse that haunts their family line.

2. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

What If It’s Us is the collaboration everyone was waiting for: what is better than Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera working together on a LGBT contemporary, merging their cute and heartbreaking styles? What we weren’t expecting was that the book would have such a great cover. The pastel colour scheme works wonderfully to attract our attention but the best part is the detailed illustration of the main characters. Sometimes having characters on book covers stops us readers from imagining our own version of the characters, but this time the illustration is so fitting that we can only admire it and wish we could get more collaborations between these authors (and of course similar covers) in the future.

The book is about two boys who meet-cute at a post office and slowly fall in love with each other.

1. Blood of a Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This cover couldn’t have not been the number one of this list. The sci-fi sequel and conclusion to Empress of a Thousand Skies has such a gorgeous cover that it outshines all others, including the cover of the first book. The galaxy plus the profile of the Asian model inside the pink nebula (we love inclusive covers!) make this cover an instant favourite and might encourage some readers to buy this book without even reading the synopsis. This duology follows two unlikely allies as they try to save the galaxy from a conspiracy.

Are there any other great YA book covers that you would add? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 Amazing YA Book Covers From 2018 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.

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