Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Katrina Leno’s Persephone’s Curse, which releases on December 2nd 2025.

Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told them: that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she’s right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their New York City brownstone ―a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see.

When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it’s up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other.

Every family has their myths, their stories passed down from generation to gen­eration, a game of telephone that subtly shifts from one mouth to another, from one mother to her daughter, until the message has changed almost entirely. It is hard to tell the truth of something, hard to tell what your aunt means when she whispers a favorite bedtime story into your ear: the Farthing girls are descended from Persephone, are the children of the in-between, one foot in this world and one foot in another…

It is hard to tell the truth of something and yet...it feels real, doesn’t it?

My mother has only seen the ghost once.

And that was fourteen years ago.

If we asked her about it now, she’d dis­ miss it as a labor-induced hallucination, the result of immense pain and no drugs, a home birth she’d decided to have for her fourth and final daughter, since she’d done the hospital three times be­ fore, considered herself something of a pro, wanted to try some­ thing different.

But we knew the truth.

Of course she’d seen the ghost. We all had.

***

The night our youngest sister was born, we waited on the third floor with Aunt Bea. There were three of us then-Bernadette, six; Evelyn, four; me, two. Clara would make four. Four Farthing sisters, each two years apart.

The labor was happening on the fourth floor, which had once been the attic in our family’s Upper West Side brownstone but had been converted by our parents into two rather cramped bedrooms with a larger playroom attached. The birthing pool was set up in the playroom, and every now and then we heard a low, mournful wail drift down the stairs.

The fourth floor was where the ghost lived, in the smaller bed­ room, which was now empty but, with the arrival of the baby, would soon be Evelyn’s room. She didn’t mind sharing a bedroom with a ghost. He’d always been nice to her, to all of us. He wasn’t a scary ghost at all. He was a largely shy, mostly quiet, very gentle ghost. If he thought he had spooked us accidentally, turning a corner in the middle of the night as we made our way to the bathroom or down to the kitchen for a glass of water, he grew agitated and insisted-oh, I didn’t do it on purpose! And we knew that. Of course we knew that.

***

While my mother gave birth to Clara upstairs, the three of us already-born Farthing sisters and Aunt Bea camped out in what was now Evelyn’s room but would soon be the new nursery. We all loved whenever Aunt Bea came to visit because she told the best stories and she always smelled like mint and vanilla and you could often find strange and wonderful things in the pockets of her linen skirts (a partial catalogue: matchbox cars, tiny note­ books, propelling pencils that opened with a tug, satchels of tea, pages torn from her favorite books, hard caramel candies, soft caramel candies).

“Did you girls know” she’d begin, and we’d snuggle into her sides, all of us piled on the twin bed, running our hands through her hair, down her arms, pinching her knees and her elbows, squeez­ing as close to her as possible, “that us Farthing girls are descended from Persephone?”

Our mother hadn’t taken our father’s last name, so we were all Farthing girls, and so was she, and so was Aunt Bea, and so was little Esme, the sister they’d had who died when she was just a child.

“Is that true, Auntie?” Bernadette prompted, and the three of us held our breaths, desperate for her to continue.

“Yes,” she said, pausing to bop each of us gently on our perpetu­ ally sticky noses.” You girls are the great-great-great-great-great-great­ grandchildren of Persephone. The children of the in-between, just like she was. Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, wife of Hades, mother of Melinoe and Zagreus.”

Melinoe, Persephone’s daughter, would always be our favorite.

She was the goddess of nightmares and madness, and in a houseful of women, there was plenty of that to go around.

***

Were we really descended from Persephone?

Did we believe it then, snuggled up together, the lilt of Aunt Bea’s voice putting us half to sleep, the lollipops our father had given us sticking to the sheets as we let them fall from our hands, distracted?

All I will say is this:

We believed everything Aunt Bea told us. Without reservation, without hesitation, without verification.

So, yes.

Even that, we believed.

***

“How do you feel?” Bernadette asked our mother, when we were allowed to see her. She held a naked, pink baby to her chest-the stranger Clara, who none of us really loved yet but would, quickly, because she was a bubbly, sweet baby with an easy laugh, unlike me, who, at two years old, still cried an awful lot.

“I feel wonderful,” my mother said. “Did it hurt?” Evelyn asked.

“A bit.”

Who that?” I asked, and pointed at the baby. Everyone laughed. (Of course, in practicality, I don’t remember saying this, I don’t remember anything about the night Clara was born; I was too young, everything I know came from Bernadette, a collective memory of sisters now.)

“This is your sister. Clara.”

“Clara.” We all practiced saying her name.

Then my mom took Bernadette by the hand. She rubbed her knuckles and pulled her in a bit closer. My mother whispered, so no one else would hear, “Have you ever met Henry?”

And Bernadette’s eyes grew wide, wide, wide. And she nodded.

Of course she’d met Henry. We’d all met Henry.

Henry was our ghost.

***

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Persephone’s Curse’ by Katrina Leno appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

It’s Only A Game is a twisty, fast-paced YA thriller, a dangerous game becomes all too real when Marina and her friends are framed for murder.

When I first set out to write the idea that would eventually become my debut novel, It’s Only a Game, I picked up every young adult thriller I could get my hands on. I was initially reading to understand the genre and to find comparable titles for pitching, but that quickly turned to reading for enjoyment. There’s something so inherently accessible about thrillers—between fast pacing, high tension, and the promise of answers to be revealed, they’re easy to pick up and hard to set down. I love that rush of trying to guess along the way and the satisfaction of turning the last page after the mystery has been solved.

I’ve read so many amazing YA thrillers that there’s no way I can include them all in one article, but I’m excited to share a few recent reads (and one beloved reread!) that I absolutely adored. I hope you’ll consider picking them up! And if you’re up for a YA thriller featuring a group of gamers who are blackmailed into playing a dangerous video game with real life consequences, my book, It’s Only a Game, will be out on July 9 this year!

Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell

Mara Racette, a relative newcomer to the Blackfeet Reservation, hasn’t had the warmest welcome. But she’s hopeful when a local girl invites her to a traditional Blackfeet giveaway to honor her missing sister—until a girl from the giveaway is found murdered.

Told through the perspective of four Blackfeet teens as well as snippets from a true crime podcast, Looking for Smoke is a deeply moving novel that brings attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Cobell crafts a compelling, masterful story full of complex characters you’ll find yourself rooting for and twists that will keep you guessing!

Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R.X. He

Ella Moore is the queen bee of Sierton High. When she’s murdered at her own party, the prime suspect is Dawn Foster, the new girl at school and the last person to hand Ella a drink before she died. As Dawn investigates Ella’s past in an attempt to clear her own name, she discovers just how many people hated Ella—some of whom have no qualms about letting Dawn take the fall for Ella’s death.

Told through dual perspectives, Perfect Little Monsters is a clever, page-turning book that reminded me of Mean Girls (one of my favorite movies) in the best way. He’s writing sucked me in immediately and kept me riveted through the ending, which was a stunner—especially when paired with the author’s note.

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

A teen wakes up bruised and shivering on the side of a dirt road with no memory of what happened to her—or even of her own name. After being picked up by a local officer, she’s brought home by a man who’s been searching frantically for her—a man who claims her name is Mary and he’s her father. In another town, Drew searches for his girlfriend, Lola, who’s been missing for weeks—and whom everyone in town thinks he murdered.

Told through Mary’s and Drew’s perspectives, That’s Not My Name is tense, impossible to put down (I read it in one day), and hard-hitting. I was completely blown away by Megan Lally’s mastery of plots, reveals and twists—and that ending will stick with me for a long, long time.

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

Once-popular Jo-Lynn Kirby is now an outcast at school—so, when her ex-best friend Maddie comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo figures it’s another cruel prank…until Maddie goes missing. Jo agrees to fake-date her ex-crush, Hudson Harper-Moore, as a way into her old clique to investigate Maddie’s disappearance—but being back on the inside means confronting the secrets and betrayal that ruined Jo’s reputation and broke her friendship with Maddie.

I fell hard for Jo—she’s a force of personality with a voice that absolutely leaps from the page. She feels real, complicated, and relatable. I loved every moment of her journey, from her initial, prickly determination not to rely on anyone to her slow discovery of the joy in connection and reconnection—both with herself and others—as she’s forced to work through past traumas. Not Like Other Girls brought tears to my eyes—emotions that only intensified with the deeply personal author’s note. A masterfully written mystery!

The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy

When Lauren O’Brian moves to a new town, she’s relieved to leave her past behind—painful memories that her summer hookup, Robbie Crestmont, helps her forget. Then she learns that Robbie’s ex-girlfriend mysteriously drowned at his lake house over a year earlier. Lauren knows what it’s like when everyone assumes the worst of you…but when she finds shocking evidence that might implicate Robbie, she must decide who to trust—the boy she’s growing closer with or the town that’s convinced he’s a murderer.

The One That Got Away with Murder is as clever as the title suggests. Lundy keeps readers guessing throughout—and wondering, alongside Lauren, just how far we can trust the Crestmonts. With complex characters, precisely timed backstory reveals, and a satisfying ending, this book was a stunning read!

Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz

Izzy Morales and five friends join Izzy’s best friend, Kassidy, in a 1920s-themed getaway at a glamorous historic mansion. There, they party in vintage dresses and expensive jewelry—until Kassidy’s boyfriend turns up murdered. Investigators consider everyone a suspect—and no one can leave the estate until they find the killer.

With comps like One of Us is Lying and Knives Out, this book has a lot to live up to—and Muñoz delivers! The atmosphere is stellar and there are plenty of suspicious motives to go around. Suddenly a Murder is a fun and compelling locked room mystery that nods to classics like Agatha Christie while weaving in hard-hitting modern issues.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Daunis Fontaine—biracial, an unenrolled tribal member, and product of a scandal—has never quite fit in either her hometown or the nearby Ojibwe Reservation. When someone she loves is murdered in a drug-related incident, Daunis agrees to work as an undercover informant to help find the source of the meth addiction ravaging her community—a choice that will uncover more deceit and corruption than Daunis could’ve imagined and put her at increasing risk.

Firekeeper’s Daughter is one of those deeply moving, once-in-a-generation books that deserves every bit of acclaim it has received and more. Boulley expertly balances every aspect of this incredible book that is so powerful that I started crying upon starting the reread—and finished rereading anyway, tears and all.

Girls Who Burn by M.K. Pagano (Out July 16)

Addie Blackwood’s sister, Fiona, died a year ago. Since then, Addie has suspected Thatcher Montgomery, the rich boy down the street, of killing Fiona…until Thatcher’s found dead too. Addie tentatively agrees to team up with the only person she can trust, Seth Montgomery—the boy she was with during both deaths. But the more Seth and Addie learn, the more it seems their families’ pasts are tied up in what happened to Fiona, and the less Addie knows who to trust.

Girls Who Burn perfectly entwines the danger and suspense of a thriller with the emotional, wonderfully angsty tension of an enemies-to-lovers romance. With beautiful prose and fast pacing, Pagano tackles themes of loss, guilt, and class differences in this twisty, thoroughly enjoyable mystery that will leave readers breathless to the very last page.

Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Out August 13)

While on a class trip to Paris, Ruby’s best friend follows a local guy down to explore the Catacombs one night—and Ruby, Ruby’s ex-best friend, and another classmate end up along for the ride. They get lost underground—a nightmare that only grows worse when they realize someone is hunting them through the tunnels. Meanwhile, Sean, the boy who loves Ruby, races to find her from aboveground, helping the police and pushing awareness for the plight of the missing teens—before it’s too late for them all.

This heart-pounding book is a mix of survival thriller, tense teen drama, and twisty mystery, with an overarching romantic theme. I’m in awe of Urban’s skill in crafting a suspenseful, incredibly creepy and emotional story that does not let up until the very end. Five heartfelt shivers for this amazing book!

More YA Thrillers to Pick Up

• For fans of historical thrillers—The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
• For fans of The Picture of Dorian Gray—She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
• For fans of dark academia—How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
• For fans of Carrie—The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
• For fans of survival thrillers—Stay Dead by April Henry
• For fans of Rebecca—I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
• For fans of psychological thrillers—The Half-Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno
• For fans of Get Out—Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
• For fans of Scrabble—Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
• For fans of Angie Thomas—When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris

The post Kelsea Yu’s YA Thriller Recommendations appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt for Katrina Leno’s Sometime In Summer, which is out June 28th 2022.

Anna Lucia Bell believes in luck: bad luck. Bad luck made her best friend stop talking to her. Bad luck caused her parents’ divorce. Bad luck is forcing her mother, Miriam, to sell the family’s beloved bookstore. And it is definitely bad luck that Anna seems to be the only person in the world Miriam is unable to recommend a life-changing book.

When Anna finds out that she and her mom are spending two months in a New England seaside town called Rockport, she expects a summer plagued with bad luck too. But Rockport has surprises in store for Anna, including a comet making its first appearance in over twenty years and two new—but familiar—friends.

In what will prove to be the most important summer of her life so far, Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.

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The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Sometime in Summer’ by Katrina Leno appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Katrina Leno’s Horrid is a great young adult horror/mystery novel that makes for a perfect fall read and draws the reader in from the adapted nursery rhyme at the beginning and keeps them engaged until the climactic end. Seventeen-year-old Jane and her mother Ruth have left California after the death of Jane’s father and Ruth’s husband, Greer. The two are headed to Bells Hallow, Maine where Ruth grew up and left abruptly when she was younger; not ever wanting to return. When Jane and Ruth end up back in Ruth’s childhood home, North Manor, strange things begin happening around the house and Jane sets out on a mission to find out what secrets have been kept in this family home for decades.

Leno has given such a unique voice to Jane who is a lover of books, especially Agatha Christie novels, and suffers from a terrible anger that seems to only be eased when she eats paper from books (which is known as pica). What is so fascinating about Jane is that she is so level-headed and strong yet she still is shown to have these flaws, something that a lot of authors seem to forget about when creating characters. Jane and her mother both seem to deal with the same anger issues, something that Jane has had trouble controlling her entire life. As the story progresses, Jane often has flashbacks to when she was younger and unable to control her anger.

Leno touches on some different themes throughout Horrid including loss, grief, mental illness, the mother/daughter relationship, intergenerational trauma, and paranormal activity. All of these themes impact one another and intertwine effortlessly with each other. As the reader makes their way through Horrid they will notice how the paranormal things that happen in North Manor start out slowly and then build up to the end, this same thing happens with the other themes in the story, they all increase together creating a climactic end that you won’t see coming.

The writing in Horrid is incredibly fluid and Leno has created an entertaining novel that is very easy to read. I personally devoured Horrid in a day and was engaged the entire time. The story is well thought out and everything had its place and purpose. Something that I personally loved about this book was the inclusion of the adapted nursery rhyme at the beginning of Horrid and then used each line of the poem as the start of a new chapter rather than numbering them. Katrina Leno has written a brilliant novel that is bound to capture reader’s attention from the very beginning. Horrid is dark, clever, engaging, and spine-tingling.

Horrid is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 15th.

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

Synopsis | Goodreads

From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.

Following her father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone…and more tormented.

As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears….

Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?

The post Review: Horrid by Katrina Leno appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In vein of Daisy Jones & The Six and Everything I Never Told You, this debut novel probes the dark side of fame after a former pop star ends her own life.

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is a brand new epic novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eragon, Christopher Paolini.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove comes a poignant, charming novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Horrid by Katrina Leno
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.

Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Awash in the rhythms of folklore and storytelling and rich with Hairston’s characteristic lush prose, Master of Poisons is epic fantasy that will leave you aching for the world it burns into being.

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Stephen Graham Jones returns with Night of the Mannequins, a contemporary horror story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose: is there a supernatural cause, a psychopath on the loose, or both?

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When people go missing in the sleepy town of Smith’s Hollow, the only clue to their fate comes when a teenager starts having terrifying visions, in a chilling horror novel from national bestselling author Christina Henry.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A girl’s quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of teen fantasy, Garth Nix.

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Secret History meets Call Me by Your Name in Micah Nemerever’s compulsively readable debut novel—a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence.

What September 2020 book release are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

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

If you read My Lady Jane last year, chances are you will enjoy the newest book from the trio of writers including Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows. If you haven’t checked it out, it’s all good because they are standalone books with this one focusing on Jane Eyre, while the previous focused on King Edward’s cousin Jane.

There’s also plenty of contemporaries for you to read with Morgan Matson’s Save The Date and Tamara Island Stone’s Little Do We Know.

Plus there’s a few debut authors on our list including Australian author C.G Drews, Michael Belanger, and Adrienne Kisner.

Read on to discover our June YA picks and tell us if there’s any other ones you’re excited for in the comments below!

A Reaper At The Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

In the third instalment of the An Ember In The Ashes series, The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher.

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

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.

The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Mattie is hiding her obsession with Harry Houdini and Dorothy Dietrich from everyone. She seeks out Miyu, the reclusive daughter of a world-renowned escape artist whose life and career were snuffed out by a tragic plane crash. With Miyu’s help, Mattie secretly transforms herself into a burgeoning escapologist and performance artist. Away from the curious eyes of her peers, she thrives in her new world of lock picking, straitjackets, and aquarium escapes. But when Will, a popular varsity athlete from her high school, discovers her act at an underground venue, she fears that her double life is about to be exposed.

Save The Date by Morgan Matson
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realise that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Next-door neighbours and ex-best friends Hannah and Emory haven’t spoken in months. Now, Emory is trying to make the most of the months she has left with her boyfriend, Luke, before they head off to separate colleges. Meanwhile, Hannah’s strong faith is shaken when her family’s financial problems come to light, and she finds herself turning to unexpected places. Their paths cross unexpectedly when, one night, Hannah finds Luke doubled over in his car outside her house. In the aftermath of the accident, all three struggle to understand what happened in their own ways. But when a devastating secret about Hannah and Emory’s argument ultimately comes to light, they must all reexamine the things they hold true.

Smoke In The Sun by Renee Ahdieh
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

The highly anticipated sequel to Flame in the Mist—an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn.

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music – because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence. When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?

Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Brynn Haper’s life has one steadying force–Rachel Maddow. She watches her daily, and after writing to Rachel for a school project–and actually getting a response–Brynn starts drafting e-mails to Rachel but never sending them. Then Brynn is confronted with a moral dilemma. One student representative will be allowed to have a voice among the administration in the selection of a new school superintendent. Brynn’s archnemesis, Adam, and ex-girlfriend, Sarah, believe only Honors students are worthy of the selection committee seat. Brynn feels all students deserve a voice. When she runs for the position, the knives are out. So she begins to ask herself: What Would Rachel Maddow Do?

The Bird and The Blade by Megan Bannen
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

As a slave in the Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom… until she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father as they flee from their enemies across the vast Mongol Empire. On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into a hopeless love.

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

A magic passed down through generations… Georgina Fernweh waits with growing impatience for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has been passed down through every woman in her family. Her twin sister, Mary, already shows an ability to defy gravity. But with their eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come. When tragedy strikes, what made the Fernweh women special suddenly casts them in suspicion. Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, of love, of salt—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.

The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

History buff Ray knows everything about the peculiar legends and lore of his rural Connecticut hometown. Burgerville’s past is riddled with green cow sightings and human groundhogs, but the most interesting thing about the present is the new girl–we’ll call her Jane Doe. Inscrutable, cool, and above all mysterious, Jane seems as determined to hide her past as Ray is to uncover it. As fascination turns to friendship and then to something more, Ray is certain he knows Jane’s darkest, most painful secrets and Jane herself–from past to present. But when the unthinkable happens, Ray is forced to acknowledge that perhaps history can only tell us so much.

Soulstruck by Natasha Sinel
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Set in a small Cape Cod beach town, seventeen-year-old Rachel Ferguson is trying to get struck by lightning. Hopefully it will lead to finding her soul mate, like it did for her mother. And then maybe her mom will be as devoted to her as she is to her lightning strike survivors group. When Rachel discovers a journal written by her mother’s soul mate – the man she thought was her father – she begins to question everything she’s always believed, including soul mates, fate, and even her mother. No longer sure of its power, she decides to quit chasing lightning.

Check out what other books are coming out this month on our Goodreads list!

What book are you most excited to read? Tell us in the comments below!

(P.S – The Nerd Daily occasionally receives commissions for the links included in this article, but all earnings go back into us hosting giveaways!)

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