About When Dealing With Dragons: Bonding with dragons gave humans magic to craft metal—now, two school rivals have to work together to protect a priceless secret, all while fighting their growing attraction to each other, from Dana Swift, author of Cast in Firelight. Releases June 30th 2026.

Want to know a universal truth? Before every writer is a writer, we are readers. For me in particular, I’ve went from reader to bookseller to book buyer and event planner, writing along the way. So, I’ve recommended a book or two in my time (maybe even a few hundred).

Nerd Daily is one of my absolute favorite book outlets so when they asked for a list of my reader recommendations for this summer, I happily put my bookseller cap back on. Because what’s easier than talking about my own book, WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS, hitting shelves June 30^th from Wednesday Books? Talking about other books, of course!

Three Young Adult 2026 SUMMER releases I’ve read and adored:

CURSED EVER AFTER by Andy C. Naranjo

Okay, I’m biased with this first one, like really biased. But that doesn’t stop CURSED EVER AFTER being one of my favorite stories.

For a time, it felt like fantasy wasn’t allowed to be funny anymore and Andy said hold my witch’s hat and let me break that curse upon young adult literature with this one! This book is funny, heartfelt, diverse, and seeped in fairytale whimsy.

Even better on June 30^th Andy C. Naranjo and I will be hosting our joint launch event at BookPeople at 6:30pm CT. So, if you’re in or near Austin, Texas come see two friends who just so happened to luck out that our books come out the same day!

ROLLS AND RIVALRY by Kristy Boyce

I’m a huge Kristy Boyce fan and have been since we debuted together in 2021. I especially love her Gaming and Romance series! When I learned her new one starred a color guard captain I was sold because well, I was a color guard captain in high school.

This third installment in the series might even be my new favorite of Kristy’s because all the band references, the childhood friends turned rivals, and her sparkling dialogue? Nothing is more perfect for summer! I read it in one day!

OF FLAME AND FURY and OF VENOM AND VENGEANCE by Mikayla Bridge

The moment I read OF FLAME AND FURY last summer I was hooked! Phoenix racing, fake-dating, and a critique on capitalism wrapped up in one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen!

Therefore, you can imagine my excitement for the companion novel, OF VENOM AND VENGEANCE. Set in the same world this book follows two new protagonists, who you can expect to give you the most delicious romance.

Three Young Adult 2026 releases I haven’t read yet, but can’t wait for:

FIRE TO THE STARS by Morgan J. Watchorn

If you’re into dragons, then may I suggest dragon shifters? Because I can’t wait for this YA debut from Morgan J. Watchorn.

Written in dual points of view (my favorite) this is a story about two teens from opposing worlds forced to form an alliance. The cover is stunning too!

IMMORTAL GAME by Allison Saft

Do I know how to play chess? No. Will that stop me from reading the next Allison Saft release? Never! Add in Fae and deals and the lyrical whimsy I know this will have and I’m beyond sold.

This book is the next one on TBR because I’ve somehow been chosen for the honor to be Allison’s conversation partner for her Austin, Texas tour stop.

Link here to RSVP now if you would like to watch and join me fangirling over Allison Saft.

ALL WE HUNGER FOR by Anna Mercier

A magical baking competition with a side of brewing rebellion? Excuse me, Anna! What a concept!

It reminds me a little of WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS in that it’s a cozy premise bundled with high stakes and guarded secrets. I’m all for books with that combination. So excited for this debut that is out now!!!

Looking for something like WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS in a different age category?

Middle Grade: KINDRED DRAGONS by Sarah Mensinga

Sarah has crafted the perfect pitch for a book, as if it was written for me––Anne of Green Gables meets Dragons.

I don’t know if I need to say more than that, but this graphic novel is beautifully illustrated (also done by Sarah because she is amazing and talented and wonderful) and the story is heartfelt, with a magic system anchored in the bonds between people and dragons like WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS!

Also, I gave this graphic novel to my cousin’s seven-year-old daughter and have heard back that she loved it and thus I have received the brownie points for years to come because it’s the first in a series!

Adult: STRANGE FAMILIARS by Keshe Chow

If you want more magical veterinarian and rivals-to-lovers content, but for the adult audience, look no further than STRANGE FAMILIARS.

It’s set at a magical college with cute animal familiars. Nothing can be more perfect, except oh, it also has a delicious spicy romance too! Perfection!

Because it is always easier to talk, sell, and promote other books I deeply appreciate everyone, especially, Nerd Daily, for promoting WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS! I wrote this book for dragon lovers and kids who want to see protagonists who win through kindness. A few elements in the book I incorporated because of my bookselling background include:

• It can be read as a standalone. Though a companion novel is coming in summer 2027 for those who fall in love with the world.
• It fits firmly in the young adult category, with some reviewers even saying they see it as a bridge book between middle grade and young adult.
• It’s warm and heartfelt but doesn’t avoid high stakes and hard topics that make people think long after the last page.

I really hope you enjoy the story! Thank you!

The post Six Young Adult Books Perfect for Summer 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow, which is out now.

All Gwendolynne Chan needs is to get through final year at Seamere College, where she is on track to graduate as number one —as long as the pretentious prat Harrisford Briggs doesn’t beat her to it.

Harrisford Briggs’s father, the chief financial officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the class. Harrisford, though, can’t help but notice that his father has been acting odd. And there are strange whisperings, too, of uncontrollable surges of excess magic.

When these magical surges begin to rock London, causing chaos and explosions and animal familiars going feral, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves reluctantly involved, putting both of their veterinary careers at risk.

Along with Gwen’s snarky cat familiar, Gwen and Harrisford must team up to diagnose the problem. But as the two academic rivals fight their burgeoning feelings, they quickly realize that magic is not the only thing surging.

EXCERPT

1
Gwendolynne

The cat reclines on the cold steel table, his skin fizzing slightly, sparks flying off him like a shower of falling stars.

“Exactly how long has he been like this, Mrs. . . . er . . .” I glance down at my chart, my cheeks heating. “Mason?”

Damn it! I should’ve checked her name before entering the room. Now that we’re almost fully qualified, we’re not just assessed academically. We’re evaluated on our client communication skills, too. Tonight, when Mrs. Mason leaves, she’ll be asked to give her feedback.

Will I be marked down for forgetting something so, well . . . basic?

The urge to check the strap on my wrist rises, and I fight it down with difficulty. It’s an action that’s become so reflexive I often do it without thinking. But I shouldn’t. Not in front of a client. If I annoy her, it’ll make it even more likely she’ll give me a poor review.

Later. I’ll check my marks later. Right now, I need to focus on the current problem: the once-fluffy black cat who, quite obviously, is brimming with too much magic.

The client, Mrs. Mason, shifts in her hard plastic chair and waves a hand sporting five manicured fingernails. “Oh, maybe one or two days.” As she speaks, she flips open the top of her burgundy leather handbag and digs through it, producing a small silver compact mirror, which she uses to check her perfectly coiffed blond hairdo.

I’m suddenly self-conscious about my own appearance. My hair, which is black and frizzy, is scraped into a messy bun, tendrils of it stuck to my sweaty forehead. My nails are chewed. My robes are rumpled. Mrs. Mason, on the other hand, is the epitome of understated luxury: from the soft cream jumper casually knotted around her shoulders, to the pink-tipped toes peeking from her sandals, to the expensive designer handbag she has perched upon her lap. The bag’s flap is still open and I squint at the small logo printed on the inside. De-something? DeCar-something? I can’t read it; it’s upside down.

With some effort, I tear my gaze from Mrs. Mason’s handbag and eye the cat dubiously. Percy, the name on the chart says. That detail I did check. I never forget to check the animals’ names. Memorize their signalments. My attention always zeroes in on what I’m most interested in . . . the patient.

It’s only ever the humans whose names I forget; who I tend to see as an unfortunate, unavoidable side effect of a career working with animals.

He’s fourteen years old, according to the notes, but to be honest he looks much older. His hair has fallen out in patchy clumps. His tail has a kink in it from a poorly healed break. And he’s missing one eye, the sunken divot in his skull covered with fuzzy black fur. I know from reading his history that he hasn’t visited a hospital since he was a kitten-when all witches’ familiars receive their inoculations against magical diseases-but even without reading his chart I can trace the resonant echoes of previous injuries. The lingering aura of magic, so dulled with age it tells me he was forced to heal over a very long period of time.

What happened to him? Had he been kicked by a horse? Hit by a car? Stomped by a dragon as it landed from flight? With my magical senses, I can see the ghostly outline of an eyeball popped out of its socket, the optic nerve stretched, frayed, blood collecting in the anterior chamber and obscuring the yellow iris. The eye itself would’ve been unsalvageable. It probably died, withered, and dropped off instead of being properly enucleated in hospital, under anesthesia . . .

Bile churns in my belly. This poor cat suffered injuries that would’ve caused him unimaginable pain and yet . . . his family just left him?

Swallowing down my revulsion, I raise an eyebrow. “One or two days, you say?”

She narrows her heavily mascaraed eyes at me. “That’s right,” she confirms, though we both know she’s lying. Even without the extensive hair loss, the sheer amount of excess magic coming from this cat indicates that he’s been sick for weeks, at least. This level of magic would need to gradually accrue, the animal’s body acclimatizing to it in slowly increasing increments. If he’d had a sudden spike over just a few days, it would be incompatible with life. If that had happened, he’d have come into the hospital dead, and I wouldn’t be locked in this room trying to decipher the upside-down brand name on Mrs. Mason’s bag.

I lean over the cat, but he swipes at me with one bedraggled paw, then jumps off the table. He approaches his owner, who by now is absorbed reading something on her strap, but she just frowns and pushes him away with her foot. Instead, he leaps onto one of the other chairs and turns to stare at me, his back arched, his ears flattened, the hairs on his tail puffed up.

“It’s okay, Percy,” I murmur, drawing closer and slowing my movements until they’re barely detectable. “I’m Gwen. Your doctor. I’m here to help.” People sometimes look at me strangely for talking to my patients like they’re human. But whatever. They’re magical. They’re familiars. Clearly, they understand more than they let on.

He gives a soft hiss but allows me to put my hands on him-gently, so gently-as I begin to catalog his vital signs and carefully palpate his abdomen.

The excess magic feels like tiny electric shocks every time I touch him, but I grit my teeth and continue. I don’t just want to do a good job. I have to do a good job. We’re nearing graduation, which is when we receive our final marks, and I really need to beat Harrisford-fucking-Briggs.

My mind whirs as I poke and prod, tracing the source of Percy’s magic. The low pulse of it thrums through my body. Vital signs normal, I think. Evidence of old healed injuries. Patchy alopecia, but no skin excoriations or obvious inflammation.

While I’m examining, I try to remember if I’ve read anything relevant in one of the textbooks I pore over on a nightly-and daily-basis. For some students, magical medicine is an art form, like listening to a piece of music and then knowing instantly how to play it. But for me? For me it involves grueling study. Hours spent shackled to my desk, memorizing complex passages of text and drinking obscene amounts of tea. For me, medicine is like building the entire orchestra, one painstaking instrument at a time, only able to construct music from it once I’ve figured out all the parts.

I’ve read through hundreds, possibly thousands of textbooks by now. Was there ever anything about magiphilia, the term for when one is suffering from elevated levels of magic? This, here, is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And granted, I’m just a student in her final year of training . . . But after seven years at vet school, four of them spent in and out of Saint Gertrude’s Hospital for Magical Familiars, I’ve seen enough to know that magiphilia is extremely rare. And magiphilia to this degree? Even rarer.

“Can you hurry up?” Mrs. Mason’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “I have a dinner reservation in fifteen minutes.”

Pressing my lips together, I do my best to speed up. I really don’t like to be rushed during consultations, especially ones this complex, but I’m well aware that the hospital has already closed for the night.

The cat gives me a halfhearted swipe when I’m finished, the movement so apathetic it could almost be a friendly gesture. Still, I straighten and step away, since the tiny burns from embers of his wayward magic are starting to sting a little.

“Mrs. Mason-” I start.

“Mrs. Mason-Price,” she says, smug, and it hits me: I’ve seen this woman before. She’s the wife of Nathaniel Price, head honcho at Magecorp, and a committed socialite. I’ve seen her on my tiny strap screen-that’s how I watch all my news, since I can’t afford my own television-standing next to her CEO husband as he delivers speeches, flashing her dazzlingly white teeth at the many cameras pointed in her direction.

I don’t really have time to process this information, since I still have to outline my findings, explain my recommendations, perform diagnostic tests, send them to the laboratory, record everything in the magical database, and then type up a report. But it’s a relief to know that she’s well-heeled enough to be able to afford this. If there’s one part of magical vetting that I absolutely loathe (apart from my nemesis, Harrisford Briggs), it’s this: talking about money. It always feels vaguely distasteful, like biting into a peanut cluster but finding it full of cockroach bits. I have to tell myself I’m not selling things, I’m recommending things, and always in the animal’s best interest, and always always because I care. I hate the moment the owner’s face falls, when they’ve heard how many magecredits the treatments will cost and they realize they can’t afford it; they can’t afford the best option for their beloved familiar, their closest friend.

But the Prices have money, so at least this time that won’t happen.

“Mrs. Mason-Price,” I say, correcting my error. “Percy here seems to be suffering from magiphilia-that’s too much magic. It’s quite an unusual presentation and I’m going to have to run some tests-”

“No.”

I pull up short and gape at her for a moment. “N . . . No?” I hadn’t expected her to be so abrupt.

She stares at me, her eyes hard. “Just, no. No tests.”

Excerpted from Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow Copyright © 2026 by Keshe Chow. Excerpted by permission of Ace. All rights reserved. 

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This was so hard. I can go on and on with the number of upcoming diverse reads I’m excited about, but here are eight books by authors I admire that I think you should put on your radar:

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow

I love a good slow burn, and I’ve heard that Keshe will deliver one in this romantasy. Make it happen at a magical college for aspiring veterinarians, and I’m already hooked. Add in academic rivals with animal familiars and a unique magic system to give the plot even more appeal. I can’t wait to read Strange Familiars. Out 5/19/26

By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin

A cowboy romance? Say less. Alexa Martin writes her heartfelt books with lots of humor, and I’ve heard this one is no exception. By the Bootstraps is set in a small town with Friday Night Lights as a comp and home renovations gone wrong. Which means it sounds like it was made for me. And perhaps for you too? Don’t even get me started on its stunning cover. Out 5/26/26

The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest

I haven’t read this one yet, but I already know I’m going to love it because, in my opinion, Kristina never misses. Her writing is sweet and fun, with a world and characters that feel so relatable and lived in. The Summer Girlfriend features a dual point of view for the lovers and fake dating where he falls first. I think this is going to be the perfect book to bring to the beach and its cover is sure to catch eyes while you’re there. Out 6/9/26

Die For Me by Shirlene Obuobi

If you haven’t yet heard of Die For Me, I am happy to be the one to tell you about it. Though, I refuse to spoil anything because the mystery is my favorite part of this book. At its base level, Die For Me is a paranormal romance but it also bends genre in the best ways. It’s sensual, thrilling, compulsive, and a little twisted. Featuring an intelligent interventional cardiologist and the sexy younger man she can’t seem to figure out. You might find yourself wondering just how gray you are on the moral scale while you’re reading this one. I devoured it. Out 7/14

Just a Highland Fling by Naina Kumar

I adore Naina’s romance books for their emotional richness. Even with familiar themes and comps, they feel very specific to her experiences. Just a Highland Fling features a main character who travels to her estranged father’s wedding and goes on a road trip through the Scottish Highlands to track down his runaway bride. What’s more fun? She goes on this adventure with her one-night stand. Out 7/21/26

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

This book is addicting. Rioghnach is such a clever storyteller. Every single line matters. A true enemies-to-lovers, this contemporary romance book comes with teeth and tension. I was biting my nails as I flew through pages, only to force myself to slow down and savor the words. These characters are realistically imperfect, they are messy, which made watching them realize they want each other that much more delicious. There’s no purity policing in this book. It’s not careful, in the best way. And that includes all the important commentary on the publishing industry. Out 10/6/26

Sunflower Season by Danica Nava

I had the honor of reading Sunflower Season in its early stages and it’s such a heartfelt, sweet second chance romance, set in a charming town with a callback to late 90’s-early 2000’s romcoms like Sweet Home Alabama and Hope Floats. Danica is witty on and off the page, so expect to laugh while you swoon over these characters finding their way back to each other. I adore them! Out 10/20

Two Can Play That Game by Zakiya N. Jamal

This book doesn’t come out for a bit, but I’m anxious for it. That cover? Sexy. Fake Dating? I love. Basketball? Yes, please. Sex positive sapphic romance? Take my money. Imagine sitting courtside and almost taking a basketball to the face before having the meet-cute of your life with a charming WNBA star? I already know I’ll be giggling and kicking my feet. Out 11/17/26.

Happy Reading!
Xx
Riss

The post Upcoming Diverse Reads To Add To Your TBR appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

About Love Letters For Other People (released 9 December): An emotionally gripping page-turner about heartbreak, old secrets, and second chances—with an unexpected Cyrano twist. For fans of Lucy Score and Mia Sheridan.

We all have those reading experiences that knock the wind out of us—the books that blindside us with so many gut-wrenching emotions that we end up staining the pages with our tears. Yet somehow, those same stories always stitch us back together again. They leave us raw and aching and grateful for the experience.

As both a reader and an author, these deeply emotional romances are my favorite. To me, that’s the point of the genre: we read romance to feel. To be moved. To walk away changed, even if it costs us a few tears along the way.

If you, too, are craving a cathartic tearjerker this season—one that still delivers the kind of happily-ever-after that makes romance so satisfying—here’s a list of books that had me reaching for the Kleenex:

Love Letters for Other People by Shaylin Gandhi

Okay—admittedly, I wrote this one myself. But I did cry while doing it, and lots of my readers have had late-night sob sessions themselves. In Love Letters for Other People, a disgraced mathematician moves back to her rural hometown and falls for a man who gives her beautiful love letters. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s paying her high-school ex-boyfriend (who’s still hopeless for her) to write them. Love Letters for Other People earned a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and was named an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Romance.

Until I Die by Deidra Duncan

This one destroyed me, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s a dark, hauntingly beautiful dystopian romance set amid the ashes of a fallen United States, in which the New American Order has seized power by silencing dissent and enslaving the vulnerable. To stop the spread of their evil, Sophia Reeves has given everything to the Defiance, but now, her general has a new command: become a contact for an enemy officer-turned-spy. For a woman, association with a Blood Colonel is a death sentence. But Lucas Scott may not be the monster Sophia believes…

When We Had Forever by Shaylin Gandhi

OK, full disclosure: I wrote this book, too. Did I cry? You betcha. And the messages in my inbox suggest a lot of other people did, too. When We Had Forever is an angsty, emotional romance about a young widow who discovers her husband was keeping secrets throughout the marriage. In the process of unraveling them, she sparks a forbidden romance with his identical twin brother. But he may be keeping secrets of his own…

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow

You wouldn’t think a book about a magical veterinary school would tear a hole through your chest, but this book is ready to prove your assumptions wrong. In Strange Familiars, two scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their loathing to save the world.

I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with both of these characters HARD. And that ending? I’m still trying to recover. First in a duology.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

I read this book years ago and still think about it on a weekly basis. Not only because it gripped me, but because I still can’t figure out why this book works so well. You have to read it to see what I mean—it’s part historical, part time-travel-romance, part fever-dream fantasy that’s so brilliantly constructed the words sing from the page. I wept. I fell in love with the characters and never fell back out. And when it was over, I stared at the wall for approximately 5 business days. The Kingdoms is a time-twisting alternative history in which Joe Tournier, absent any memories, goes in search of his identity. His only clue to his own past? A century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse. Joe’s search drives him from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire’s Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history…and himself.

Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor

Not to be cliché, but this book quite literally had me in a chokehold. I couldn’t breathe during the entire ending sequence. Tears were streaming down my face, I was glued to the page, and I don’t think I took another full breath until it was over. This is an achingly beautiful timeslip romance in which a twist of fate connects a young woman in modern-day England with a British soldier fighting in the First World War in 1916.

The post Six Emotional Romance Books That Should Come With Their Own Box of Tissues appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

About For No Mortal Creature: In this romantic, lush fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights, a girl with the power to move between life and death must travel into the afterlife to save her grandmother. But to survive she’ll have to rely on her mortal enemy, as well as the ghost of the boy who once betrayed her. OUT NOW.

Love it or loathe it, the recent trailer for Emerald Fennel’s upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation definitely set tongues wagging. The film itself, which features Australian stars Margot Robbie as Cathy Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as the infamous Heathcliff, is described on IMDb as an exploration of the “intense and destructive relationship” between the two. Certainly the sneak peek seems to channel the wild, chaotic sensuality that churns unsettlingly beneath the surface of the original Brontë novel. However, critics of the casting have pointed out that choosing 35-year-old blonde Robbie to play what is canonically a dark-haired teenager, and Elordi to play what many scholars believe is a person of colour, is problematic. Regardless of personal opinion, the film, which is set to release in February 2026, will almost certainly be a loose and fast interpretation of the source material.

Wuthering Heights has long served as inspiration for other art forms, and books are no exception. For me, personally, the novel has shaped my own relationship with gothic and classic fiction over my lifetime. Its rawness, brutality, depictions of classism and racism, and portrayals of intergenerational trauma, left a deep impression on me as a teenager reading it for the very first time. And upon each re-read (and there have been many!) this work sinks its hooks into me even deeper – much like the lifelong obsession Heathcliff has for Cathy.

This is why, when it came to write my upcoming gothic Young Adult novel For No Mortal Creature, I used Wuthering Heights as one of my key inspirations.

If you’re like me, and you’re a little bit Wuthering Heights obsessed too, then here are some books to feed your addiction…

What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri

This 2022 Young Adult retelling of Wuthering Heights is part of the Remixed Classics series, where authors from marginalised backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lenses to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male conventions of classic literature. In this retelling, Tasha Suri, an award-winning fantasy author, casts Heathcliff as the abandoned son of a lascar – an Indian sailor, which ironically is closer to canon than Jacob Elordi is. Catherine herself is reimagined as a British Indian teenager who is struggling with her own relationship between love and duty.

Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney

In this dark, spicy retelling of Wuthering Heights, Cathy and Heathcliff find each other in a small cult community. In this book, Cathy Earnshaw has a secret: she can sense death. And Heathcliff, who was stolen as a child and raised by necromancers, has secrets of his own. As the two embark on a romance at once violent and tender, they are forced to reckon with a community – and a world – that’s determined to keep them apart. Described as a Southern Gothic retelling with a magical, fantastical twist, this book is the third book in the Gilded Monsters series of interconnected standalones and sits firmly within the New Adult age category.

For No Mortal Creature by Keshe Chow

My own book, a gothic Young Adult novel that released on the 7^th of October, is set in a world where ghosts can die and become ghosts of ghosts – and no one knows how deep the afterlife truly goes. Jia Yi must delve through the many layers of the death realm in order to save her grandmother. In order to survive, she must rely on her two mortal (and immortal enemies): the ghost of Lin, the boy who once betrayed her; and the cold, aloof Essien Lancaster, prince of a rival kingdom. Brimming with romance, atmosphere, and Chinese superstitions, it’s like Inception crossed with Wuthering Heights, but with ghosts.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

From the moors of Northern England to the ice rinks, this contemporary retelling of Wuthering Heights was released in January 2025 and immediately took the world by storm. This novel follows Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha as they navigate, as teens, the cutthroat world of competitive ice dancing, until a shocking incident at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games brings their partnership to an abrupt end. Set ten years after the fact, alternating between narrative text and clips from a fictional 2024 documentary, The Favorites transplants the savage, toxic love between Cathy and Heathcliff into a thoroughly modern setting.

Heathcliff by Karina Halle

While there aren’t many details about book, since it’s not due to come out until next year, it’s described as being a Gothic vampire romantasy retelling of Wuthering Heights; Halle suggests that Heathcliff himself will be portrayed in “all his broody glory”.

The post Five Wuthering Heights-Inspired Novels To Add To Your TBR appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Dragons have been everywhere in the bookish world recently, from Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series to Sarah A. Parker’s When the Moon Hatched, and even Taran Matharu’s Dragon Rider. Even in the wider world dragons are dominating: HBO’s House of the Dragon series is currently commandeering the small screen.

But when we think of dragons, what do we picture? Probably the enormous fire-breathing, winged creatures of olde: Smaug-type monsters that horde treasure in caves; Targaryen dragons that incinerate whole armies with just one flame-licked breath; huge creatures unfurling their leathery wings like those in Fourth Wing. The thing is, though, dragon lore goes way beyond these archetypes. The Girl With No Reflection, my upcoming debut YA fantasy novel, features Chinese dragons which are quite different—and a lot less familiar to mainstream audiences—than Western dragons.

How are they different? Well, for one, Chinese dragons typically don’t have wings. Instead, they are serpentine creatures with horns, manes and claws, and their ability to fly is magical rather than mechanically powered. And, instead of breathing fire, Chinese dragons tend to control the elements, especially water and wind. In traditional Chinese folklore, dragons impact the weather. It was a commonly-held belief that a displeased dragon god could bring about phenomena such as droughts, tidal waves, or floods.

Unlike in Western mythology, Eastern dragons are also depicted less as monstrous beasts, and more as god-like beings that represent prosperity and good fortune. While they can be mercurial, they are also wise and benevolent, living peacefully alongside humans and even helping us.

Throughout history, dragons were a symbol of Imperial power, and were closely linked to Chinese royalty. Since dragons were thought to represent ‘Yang’ (male energy), emperors were associated with dragons, and throughout many periods of Chinese history only royalty—and sometimes officials—were permitted to wear clothing decorated with dragon motifs. In Chinese culture, dragons are celebrated during events such as Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat festival.

In the Chinese Zodiac, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, so it’s the perfect time to read books about dragons! If you want to know more about books that do dragons a little differently, then read on…

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan (adult fantasy)

25-year-old Sai lives a quiet life running his family’s teahouse and caring for his ailing mother. When he’s given dragon scales—a cure for his mother’s illness—he is thrust into a search for the world’s last dragon, which has long been thought of as extinct. If he succeeds in finding the creature, he might just save his own life, as well as that of his mother’s.

Inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and the red threads of fate, Katrina Kwan’s dazzling fantasy debut is a propulsive adventure perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Hannah Whitten.

The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow (young adult fantasy)

In my own upcoming debut, The Girl With No Reflection, a princess is pulled into a dark mirror world populated by reflections cursed to mimic us. Although they look identical to us, the reflections are actually sentient beings with their own thoughts, motivations, and agendas. And there are other creatures hidden beyond the mirrors, too—creatures that can curse and kill.

Ying must close the mirror barrier before the reflections swarm from the mirrors to attack, slaughter, and replace us. The problem? She’s fallen in love… and he’s from the wrong side of the mirrors.

Inspired by several Chinese myths including the Moon Goddess and the Archer; the Carp and the Dragon Gate; as well as dragons, phoenixes, and other lesser known creatures, The Girl With No Reflection is full of the magical, the monstrous, and the macabre.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (young adult fantasy)

On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Princess Shiori’anma—who harbors forbidden magic—is rescued from drowning in a lake by a shapeshifter dragon. However, the princess’s actions capture the attention of her stepmother, Raikama, who banishes Shiori and turns her brothers into cranes.

Shiori must embark on an epic adventure alongside a magical paper bird, the boy she was betrothed to marry, and the dragon who once saved her life, if she has any hope of saving the kingdom and restoring her six cursed brothers.

Whimsical and romantic, Six Crimson Cranes weaves together elements of The Wild Swans, Cinderella, the legend of Chang’e, and the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao (young adult fantasy)

Lan spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city colonized by Elantian conquerers. She has a hidden secret, though—a strange mark inexplicably burned into her arm by her mother just before she died.

When Zen, a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom—encounters Lan, he recognizes the mark as a sign of deep and powerful magic. Together, they must journey to discover the key to saving both their kingdom and themselves.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night takes inspiration from Xianxia and ancient Chinese folklore. The dragons come into it late in the piece, drawing parallels with the Four Guardians of Chinese mythology: the dragon, the tiger, the tortoise, and the bird.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (adult fantasy)

Xingyin lives an isolated life on the moon, along with her mother, Chang’e. But little does she know, her mother was exiled for stealing the Celestial Emperor’s elixir of immortality. Chang’e has managed to keep Xingyin hidden—until now. When Xingyin’s existence is discovered she must go on the run, leaving her mother behind.

In order to save her mother, Xingyin must come face-to-face with the Celestial Emperor, battling armies and immortals and getting help from unlikely places—including dragons.

Inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic.

The post Not Like Other Dragons: Five Books That Do Dragons A Little Bit Differently appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

As we approach the halfway mark of 2024, it’s time to start looking ahead to the phenomenal new books that will be hitting shelves over the rest of the year!

We’ve put together a small sample of anticipated releases that you should keep an eye out for with new books from the likes of Rainbow Rowell, Stephen Graham Jones, Casey McQuiston, Ransom Riggs, Jodi Picoult, Sally Rooney, Richard Osman, Sabaa Tahir, Courtney Gould, Darby Kane, and so many more, plus even some debuts you should definitely have on your radar!

Read on to discover just a few of our picks and keep an eye out for when we round up further upcoming releases for the YA, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Romance, Fiction, and Middle Grade genres.

Let us know in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any of them or if you have other recommendations!

JULY 2024

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Get ready for a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series (over 3 million copies sold!), set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Attachments comes Slow Dance—a bright, beaming power ballad of a novel about a love so true it refuses to be forgotten.

It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant

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A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids’ schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.

The Haters by Robyn Harding

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The bestselling author of The Party and The Drowning Woman returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

The Blackbird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

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Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself—and her family history—in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling All Souls series.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez

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Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith

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A teen girl’s attempt to make amends with her former friend group takes a sinister turn during a weekend getaway at an ancestral Irish estate in this atmospheric, literary horror from the author of Those We Drown.

The Night Ends With Fire by K. X. Song

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Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.

The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb

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Offered a dream job in Hollywood with a famous director and his actress wife, an insecure woman becomes their personal assistant where their secrets and lies place her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

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From New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones comes a classic slasher story with a twist—perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix.

AUGUST 2024

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

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In #1 New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston’s latest romantic comedy, two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other—except they’re definitely not.

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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When cracks start forming in an influencer’s curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

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From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer

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White Lotus meets Kevin Wilson in this whip-smart social satire about a man who finds himself trapped on an island resort after the sun literally explodes, and suddenly must choose whether to save himself from the chaos, or help fellow guests make it off the island alive…

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer

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A tender, laugh-out-loud debut romance about a woman who ends up in over her head after a little white lie . . .

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

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When a young woman is found dead on her college campus, her sister doesn’t believe it was an accident—and her search for answers leads her closer to home than she ever would have imagined in this thrilling debut novel from an exciting new talent.

The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow

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A young woman chosen as the crown prince’s bride must travel to the royal palace to meet her new husband—but her world is shaken when she discovers the dark truth the royal family has been hiding for centuries—in this lush fantasy debut perfect for fans of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and Violet Made of Thorns.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

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Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleanora Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….

The Volcano Daughters by Gina María Balibrera

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A saucy, searingly original debut about two sisters raised in the shadow of El Salvador’s brutal dictator, El Gran Pendejo, and their flight from genocide, which takes them from Hollywood to Paris to cannery row, each followed by a chorus of furies, the ghosts of their murdered friends, who aren’t yet done telling their stories.

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

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Visionary storyteller Ransom Riggs weaves the familiar with the peculiar in a stunning loss, triumph, friendship and magic, reminding readers everywhere that true heroes are made, not born—and that when you’re never the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself. 

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

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From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

SEPTEMBER 2024

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

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A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude―a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

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A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore

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With a blend of humour, magic, and love, Rachel Moore crafts another stand-alone adventure rom-com full of double- and triple-crosses, hilarious shenanigans, and frustration-fuelled banter, where the best treasure is true love.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

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Combining the heart and humour of The Thursday Murder Club with a puzzling international mystery, welcome to the blockbusting new series from the biggest new fiction author of the decade, Richard Osman.

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

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A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel from the international bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold.

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

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The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister.

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

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A candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from Broadway to Hollywood with A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.

The Lovers by Rebekah Faubion

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A second chance at love is in the cards for two women working a stylish California wedding in this charming debut romance.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune

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Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

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Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

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The unbreakable bonds of family and love are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy’s Girl.

OCTOBER 2024

The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni

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Two sisters. A lost imperial treasure. The world’s greatest puzzle master has twenty-four hours to solve the most dangerous mystery of his life . . . or die trying.

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen

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In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth. They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

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Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

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Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

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The cozy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance where, yes, the swords do cross.

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco

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Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.

Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

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As alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews’ debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper into the woods.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

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From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution by S. K. Ali

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The first book in a gripping duology from acclaimed author S.K. Ali introduces a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war.

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney

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A warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.

I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

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From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood…

The Book of Witching by CJ Cooke

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A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

NOVEMBER 2024

The Author’s Guide To Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White

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Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

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Where the Library Hides is Isabel Ibañez’s stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!

Games Untold By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series.

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens

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From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year, a hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch

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In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humour, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he’s ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn’t commit.

The Estate by Sarah Jost

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For fans of The Cloisters and The Cartographers comes a gripping speculative suspense that follows one woman with the ability to enter the dimension of art, who finds herself trapped in a French estate as the pawn in a rich man’s game…

The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea

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Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel in this dazzling new adventure rom-com by Kerry Rea, author of Lucy on the Wild Side.

I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea

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Jamison Shea’s sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the “relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific” (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me.

The Empty Place by Olivia A Cole

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A powerful and imaginative story about a girl fighting to find her way back home from a mind-bending land of the lost.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson

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From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

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New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin

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A new standalone legal thriller from the international bestselling author of GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

DECEMBER 2024

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane

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Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with another twisty domestic thriller about a wife wondering who tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding… because that was supposed to be her job. 

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

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Zetian must balance dangerous politics with a new quest for vengeance in the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Iron Widow, a blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

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Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

Alter Ego by Alex Segura

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Alex Segura, LA Times Book Prize–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist mystery set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?>

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon

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Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

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It’s the gig of a lifetime for this ghostwriter, except there’s a the client, a closeted A-list actor finally ready to come out in his memoir, is an actual ghost.

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn

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A brilliant queer dystopian novel from the author of Yours for the Taking, following a cast of characters on the margins of a strange and exclusive new society.

The Close-up by Pip Drysdale

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A struggling author discovers the dark side of fame when a stalker begins reenacting violent events from her thriller in this electrifying and twisty new novel.

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

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A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment—to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

The Party by Natasha Preston

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Set against the backdrop of a sprawling English estate, Natasha Preston’s latest thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the party’s over…

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen

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A young woman channels the magic of the lush, fantastical plants that adorn her crumbling estate in The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt, a darkly enchanting novel for fans of The Magician’s Daughter and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. ​

What books are you looking forward to releasing in the second half of 2024? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2024 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Instead of braving the winter weather that awaits you outdoors, we highly recommended pressing play on The Tortured Poets Department and indulging in some cosy reading time with an escapist YA novel. Grab your fluffiest blanket, light a candle and put the kettle on. Reading time is about to begin.

But wait – there’s one thing you need to sort out first. The book, of course. If you’re not sure what to read, fear not. We’ve compiled this handy list matching YA new releases to Taylor Swift songs, to guarantee you end up with a book you love.

What To Read Based On Your Favourite Taylor Swift Song

‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me’

If you love ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me’ from The Tortured Poets Department, then you should 100% read Of Jade and Dragons (out 18 June in the US and 25 June in Australia) by Amber Chen. The book follows the protagonist Aihui Ying, whose world is torn apart after her father is killed by a masked assassin.

Her father had been a member of the prestigious Engineers Guild, a group she dreams of joining. Unfortunately for Ying, though, women aren’t allowed (what are those engineers afraid of?).

Thoroughly tired of being overlooked, Ying disguises herself as a boy to infiltrate the Engineer’s Guild, where she can get revenge for her father’s death.

‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me’ is a song about sending a message – and about the fear of power that someone might hold. The song is a commentary on the treatment of women in society, which also appears in the book, in the Guild’s fear of allowing women to join. (Really, why would they be afraid of Ying?)

The investigation of her father’s death even falls on Ying because no one believes her when she insists something more – and far darker – is going on. It all sounds suspicious, right? And, yes, there is obviously something more to his death than a mere ‘accident’. It’s fast-paced, fun and features a protagonist as strong as Taylor Swift herself.

‘Don’t Blame Me’

Love ‘Don’t Blame Me’ from reputation? If so, your next read should be The Girl with No Reflection (Out 6 August) by Keshe Chow.

Like Of Jade and Dragons, this book also coincidentally follows a protagonist named Ying.

In The Girl with No Reflection, Ying Yue is selected to be the crown prince’s bride. A believer in true love, she hopes that her future with the prince will be one of romance and passion. Yet upon her arrival at the palace, she quickly realises that her husband is cold and mean.

Left alone in her room, Ying soon discovers a secret, parallel world, accessible through the palace mirrors. In the mirror universe, everything is better. It becomes a place to escape to, and soon she falls in love with the Mirror Prince (this world’s version of her husband-to-be). But not everything is as it seems . . . darkness lurks in this world too. Ying was chosen as the prince’s bride for a reason, but it’s not the reason she thinks.

Eerily wicked, horror-like and delightfully twisty – these words perfectly summarise the book, but also explain ‘Don’t Blame Me’, which literally includes the lyrics, ‘Love made me crazy’. Falling in love with the Mirror Prince will be the downfall of Ying’s world, but she can’t help it!  

‘Cold as You’

If you have a soft spot for Taylor’s first, self-titled album, Taylor Swift, then your next read should be The Bad Ones (out 2 July) by Melissa Albert. The song comparison for this one is ‘Cold as You’, which is an anthem for everyone who has ever felt left out before.

In The Bad Ones, the book’s protagonist, Nora, constantly feels left out, in the dark and downright sad as she tries to piece together what has happened to her missing best friend.

One night, four people go missing – and Nora’s bestie, Becca, is one of them. As Nora starts to learn about what’s happened, she discovers dark events in her high school’s history. With a string of coded messages that Becca left for her, Nora uncovers the story of another missing girl thirty years previously.

The clues also bring light to a sinister urban legend: a goddess figure, who played an eerie role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games.  

‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’

There’s no denying that ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ has heartbreaking lyrics. If that kind of sadness speaks to you artistically, odds are you’ll enjoy reading Everything We Never Said (out 11 June) by Sloan Harlow.

Greif and guilt – a powerful combo! This book is chock-full of both, as readers follow Ella, whose best friend Hayley died in a car crash that Ella herself was responsible for. Of course, Ella feels awful about the role she played in her friend’s death. Seeking comfort, she turns to Hayley’s boyfriend Sawyer (bad news!), and Hayley’s journal.

Reading through the journal, Ella discovers that she knows nothing about who Hayley and Sawyer really are. BETRAYAL!

‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ is a painful song about betrayal and dying from small, repeated wounds. In the book, Ella ends up confused about what happened in the car and how Sawyer might have been involved in Hayley’s death – talk about a nightmare! It really would feel like a slow death to realise that everything you thought you knew about your best friend turned out to be a lie.

‘no body, no crime’

If ‘no body, no crime’ is your Swiftie tune of choice, then don’t go past Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret (out 2 July). Following the events of the previous book in this series, Eleanor Jones is back with another murder mystery to solve.

Only, there are a few problems. The mystery is forty years old, and the only person with details is Eleanor’s elderly buddy, Nance. Unfortunately for everyone, though, Nance has severe dementia and is unable to provide any further details about the murder she witnessed.

It’s truly a ‘no body, no crime’ experience as Eleanor tries to prove that a murder did occur, but current forces want to keep things buried . . . buried! Soon enough, Eleanor finds herself in grave danger. Yikes!

‘Better Than Revenge’

Calling all Speak Now fans, if ‘Better Than Revenge’ is your song of choice, you should add Two Sides to Every Murder (out 9 July) to your TBR.

A birth immortalised in a police report, a woman on the run . . . you can just tell that this story involves revenge in some way.

Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake Murders, in which three people were killed by a masked, bow-wielding assassin. But when she starts questioning the events surrounding her birth, things don’t add up.

Soon she meets Reagan, whose fugitive mother was convicted of the murders. Tired of a life spent running, Reagan revisits the camp to clear her name. But someone wants the past to remain buried and will kill again to stop the truth from surfacing.

‘Better Than Revenge’ really aligns with the motives of the killer, but also speaks to Reagan’s desire to get revenge on the people who allowed her mum to take the fall for something she didn’t do.

‘I Knew You Were Trouble.’

‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ when you read Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou (out 18 June). Following the events of Threads That Bind, the book is a dark, edgy romantasy inspired by Greek mythology.

Io is a descendant of the Fates, giving her the power to read the lines of prophecy and fate. Soon, she finds herself on an investigation with a mystery to solve. Not to mention, she can feel a pull towards someone she is fated to be with. But that ‘someone’ is kind of bad news.

The connection between the book’s plot and this song is self-explanatory: ‘I Knew You Were Trouble.’!

‘mad woman’

The End Crowns All (out 23 July) by Bea Fitzgerald is highly recommended for anyone who likes the song ‘mad woman’ from the folklore album.

The book tells the story of Princess Cassandra of Troy, who is granted the power of prophecy by Apollo. But when she fails to uphold her end of the agreement, he curses her. Now, nobody believes her visions. Worse yet, they think she has gone mad.

Cassandra knows that a war is coming that will destroy Troy, and she knows that Helen of Sparta will cause it . . . but will anyone believe her?

‘mad woman’ is all about the public discourse that arises when someone is deemed ‘mad’. ‘No one likes a mad woman, what a shame she went mad . . . you made her life that.’ Poor Cassandra tries to make people believe her, but it only makes things worse!

‘Vigilante Shit’

‘Don’t get sad, get even.’: It’s not only a lyric from Taylor Swift’s song, ‘Vigilante Shit’ from the album Midnights, but it’s also a theme in Such Charming Liars (out 30 July) by Karen M. McManus.

The book is a heist mystery that brings together two characters on a collision course to disaster. All Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother – except for the two days twelve years ago when her mum was married, and Kat had a stepbrother named Liam.

After a swift divorce, Kat and Liam never spoke again. Before giving up crime for good, Kat’s mum has one last job at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s 80th birthday party. As luck would have it, Liam and his scammer father are at the celebration too, with their own motives.

‘Vigilante Shit’ is a cool, heist-vibed song, which talks about the power of banding together with an unlikely ally. Kat and Liam are in their own kind of vigilante mode – and though they’re both incredible liars, survival might mean telling the truth and trusting each other once and for all.

‘Bad Blood’

If ‘Bad Blood’ from 1989 is the first Taylor Swift song that comes to mind for you, then you absolutely must read The Grandest Game (out 6 August).

The first book in a new spin-off series of The Inheritance Games, the book follows seven contestants who have entered an annual competition hosted by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers.

The competition promises fame and fortune for the winner, but every player has their reason for entering. Some want power, some want money and all have secrets.

Just like Avery had to overcome bad blood with the Hawthorne brothers, the competition promises even more bad blood that will need to be settled by the players – physically, mentally and emotionally.

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

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