Releasing on March 26th 2024, Dead Girls Walking is a shocking, spine-chilling YA horror slasher about a girl searching for her dead mother’s body at the summer camp that was once her serial killer father’s home—perfect for fans of Friday the 13th and White Smoke.

Reading Devolution by Max Brooks immediately after reading Near the Bone by Christina Henry entirely by accident, without really knowing what either book was about when I read them, was one of the best weeks I’ve ever had in my life. To everybody who hasn’t lived it, it may seem like it’s an obvious choice–two wintry Big Foot creature features by well-established authors, what’s not to like?

But it goes deeper than that. Two years ago, I was looking for fun time horror specifically. I blasted it out on twitter, and lucky me NYT Bestselling author of Blood Debts Terry J. Benton-Walker recommended I read Devolution by Max Brooks. Personalized recommendation by The Moment?

Me being me, immediately I did not read it (#wastehistime2022andbeyond).

I’ve got this chronic condition where I ask you what book I should read and then I ignore that suggestion for as long as I can.

However, one year later, I had this intense reading streak.

I was reading books left and right! I think that I was finally returning to that monster that I once was, that little girl that pulled into the Bladensburg Library parking lot and had the librarians closing the shutters and hitting the panic button. I ripped through 10 books in two weeks, and couldn’t get enough. And because I’d developed a catastrophic TBR from years of NOT reading, I knew just what to read each time. One of those books was…

Near the Bone by Christina Henry. I really wanted to get into Christina Henry’s recent releases, and I chose a great one to start on. Immediately, this book FUCKS. Intrigue, fear, characters you can get behind and tension that had me at the edge of my seat. It was one of the best reading experiences I’d had so far, and I was on a roll.

Five stars, easy.

I wanted to keep riding that high, and as luck would have it I had been avoiding my recommendation from The Moment. It almost seemed too perfect that Devolution by Max Brooks fit the vibe I was riding, a whole year later. At least by the cover, which had me “hmm”-ing about how it just might be my next read.

It was a coincidence that changed me.

I love novels with letters and excerpts and journal entries, I love a Bad Bitch at the helm, and I was fresh off a book hangover with Near the Bone so it felt like I’d given myself another puff of the stuff. This was life.

I started to wonder what other books would evoke this feeling. An aftershock of story, like if addiction was strictly for absolute dorks. There’s no turning back from that experience.

And now that I’m addicted, I’ve made it my life’s mission to convert others.

So, thank you for accepting my invitation to this introductory dinner. I know we haven’t talked since high school, but I’m different now and I think you can be different, too. Let me take you through the menu of horror double features that pair so well together you’ll add them to your charcuterie board.

Let’s dig in.

NEAR THE BONE BY CHRISTINA HENRY & DEVOLUTION BY MAX BROOKS

NATURE FUCKS BUT GIRLS GET IT DONE

Bigfoot. Women. Snow. That’s what this double feature is made of. While you can see the resemblance just from the pitches (adult horror Bigfoot creature features, duh), there are also thematic consistencies that really make the experience feel full and satisfying when you finish. Compassion between strangers, which you often find in survival stories. Strength in womanhood, not to be confused with Girls Can Do Anything. There’s also one of my favorite themes: these big dumb animals are not fucking around.

The only thing I’m not sure of at this moment is if order matters here – is it better to read the stress of Mattie’s life early in Near the Bone so that you can feel the release of Kate’s growth in Devolution afterward? Or feel the dread of Devolution ratchet up from one book to the next, like a frog in a gumbo pot?

Either way, choose this double feature on a day when you’re stir-crazy from a blizzard and need a thrill to get through the slog.

THE SCOURGE BETWEEN THE STARS BY NESS BROWN & DEAD SILENCE BY S.A. BARNES

YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND NOT IN A MICHAEL JACKSON WAY

This is another pair of books you can see relate in their pitches – two space horrors about something going wrong on an isolated ship. However, once again, it’s the themes that carry throughout that make this much more enjoyable. Leadership and meeting expectations, even when you don’t want to and protagonists that feel fear but tell that fear to kiss their ass.

I would recommend Scourge Between the Stars first. It’s a little bit denser than Dead Silence, much more rooted in Sci-Fi – but it’s shorter. It’s like an umami-bomb appetizer that balances out Dead Silence‘s horror-focused romp.

When you want nothing more than to relax underneath the stars with your definitely-charged Kindle and a campfire, this is the exact perfect pair for you.

BAD WITCH BURNING BY JESSICA LEWIS & DELICIOUS MONSTERS BY LISELLE SAMBURY

BAD BITCHES HAVE BAD DAYS TOO

Peace and love makes the world go round, but summa these bitches out here need to be put in their place. Bad Witch Burning and Delicious Monsters are both about teenaged Black girls with a lot to be mad about. And as the president of A Hateful Bitch fanclub, them my girls and I’mma stick beside them.

Curl up with some fucking revenge after your enemies spark your rage. Sometimes the bad guys are the shit that should get blown up, and these two books are not sorry about it.

I would read Delicious Monsters first with this one, as it’s a very slow start that ramps up to three-hundred whereas Bad Witch Burning slams its foot on the gas and keeps it there like it’s an unofficial sequel to Speed (Speed VI: Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems).

WHEN THE RECKONING COMES BY LATANYA MCQUEEN & RING SHOUT BY P. DJÈLÍ CLARK

BLAXPLOITATION BUT MAKE IT SPLATTERPUNK-LITE

Okay, I don’t like calling these two “splatterpunk-lite” because they’re both metal as fuck gore-fests, but I don’t want any genre purists to hate me for invoking the name of splatterpunk in vain. These two stories are toted around as Southern gothic, Southern horror, Southern etc., and I feel like those descriptors – while accurate – do not even begin to address where the story takes you.

Calling When the Reckoning Comes “Southern Gothic” is like saying Nightmare on Elm Street is Magical Realism.

“…okay,” Nene Leakes says.

Even though When the Reckoning Comes is a novel versus Ring Shout‘s novella, I think it should be read first. It’s just a taste of lore before you truly jump off the cliff into the deep end of Ring Shout. Both books toe the gore line harder than a lot of present-day horror (traditionally published, let’s be clear – indie and self-published horror has never met a disembowelment they didn’t want to include), and are the perfect duo to read for any of my people who were scheduled to work on Juneteenth.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD BY TIFFANY D. JACKSON & THE HONEYS BY RYAN LA SALA

HORROR FOR THE GIRLS THAT AREN’T GIRL’S GIRLS

Horror is no stranger to femme friendships, but rarely does genre fiction deeply engage with it. The idea that saying the wrong or right thing, being the wrong or right person, is a tightrope to walk even in the midst of the unspeakable happening around you. Themes of anger, acceptance are explored from intersectional lens while still delivering on the creepy, gory, and outrageous.

While these two are very alike, and almost obvious, this recommendation is specifically for their audiobooks. Listening to The Weight of Blood‘s full cast first, then ending on the atmospheric sounds of The Honeys is the perfect way to spend a cinematic Saturday – at 3x speed because we’re all gonna die someday. You get to feel the rage of Jackson’s Carrie-toned ending and then dive headfirst into the quiet rage of The Honey‘s opener.

Only the girl’s girls know that girls getting mad is a beautiful thing to witness.

YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT BY KALYNN BAYRON & DEAD GIRLS WALKING BY SAMI ELLIS with THE BLACKENING PLAYING IN THE DISTANCE

HORROR LOVING UNSERIOUSNESS FOR BLACK HORROR LOVERS

I have to end on myself – it’s, like, contractual (editor’s note: it is not). And while it’s hard for me to see myself objectively, I read a LOT of Black horror. There are quite a few of them I thought matched Dead Girls Walking‘s energy – one of glee in the gore and delight in the death.

There’s No Way I’d Die First, for example, is an exhilarating take on a horror lovers’ weekend gone wrong story. The Taking of Jake Livingston may be beautiful (and thus def not like me lmao), but it weaves themes of otherness with horror so intentionally much like Temple’s story in Dead Girls Walking.

If I just chose by theme, I’d never choose right.

So I went with tone.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight is witty, full of banter and teeming with heightened tense scenarios, gleefully horrific set-pieces, and splashy scenes of gore you can FEEL a smile behind. Both YA Horror novels are more than horror stories – they are horror odes, explicitly inspired by pioneers of the genre while also injecting a much needed dose of Black culture, Black conversations, and just plain stannage.

These books are written for a Brenda and a Preacher.

It’s for anyone who remembers the moment Bone Thugs N’ Harmony started playing in Fear Street 1666. For the ones who watched The Blackening and got exactly what they wanted. For any Black readers that finish a scene and go—“That was a good kill.” And I think, when read back-to-back, You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and Dead Girls Walking absolutely serve Mo’ Murder beat drop.

(author’s note: I, Sami Ellis, was in fact the editor that said it was not contractual to end on myself. I am sorry for the deception.)

The post Horror Book Double Features appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Sunny is a fantastic protagonist—she is determined, driven, and feels the weight of protecting her family upon her shoulders. There are these impossible standards she feels she must live up to, put upon her by her mother and by herself. The Behre family is a cutthroat group. In fact they’re very reminiscent of what would happen if the Roys from Succession had a murder to solve and one of their own was accused. Her journey in this book is incredible character development and takes her to some really unexpected places. Liselle Sambury ensures she gets her hands dirty in a book full of grit and gore. Her character also allows for conversations around class, race, and privilege to really come into play and I loved these intersectional themes—particularly with how they impacted the murder mystery overall.

This is a book that thrives on complex personal relationships—making the tangled murder mystery at its heart that much more compelling and knotty to unravel. Every action she does will impact someone she loves, testing her allegiances to breaking point. It also raises the emotional stakes for the reader, as Sunny is someone that just feels like she needs to be loved and validated as worthy of love. Therefore, when she is placed in a consummate pressure cooker, made worse by the death and destruction around her, you cannot help but root for her.

Sambury is a force to be reckoned with and deserves to be recognised as such. Her concepts are fantastically bizarre, drawing on classic tropes but reinventing them in such fresh and exciting ways. Her books also draw deeply on navigations of tough and nuanced issues, particularly the depiction of trauma and abuse. Tender Beasts focuses on the cyclical violence borne from intergenerational trauma, with a fantastical and extremely interesting slant. It is a book that plays on the darkness within and burrows deep into the nature vs nurture debate. It also specifically focuses on this cyclical violence through the lens of communities of colour being criminalised and stereotyped as perpetrators of violence. In particular, it links ideas of masculinity and the criminalisation of young Black men in the media and society. Sambury is not playing around and it shows in every page. This book asks deep and cutting questions that play in your mind long after the final page.

I have rarely been so unnerved by a book like this one. Throughout reading, I had that sense of paranoia—created through an exquisite use of atmosphere and pacing that Sambury pulls off so well. This is such a psychologically fraught book. You are constantly questioning everything and everyone on the page. The family lineage seems to hide so many secrets, as well as the bodies piling up on the page. Everything is just suspicious and every page hums with tension. I also adored how murky Sambury gets—the ethics here are convoluted and firmly within a grey area, making you choose your loyalties just as Sunny does. It gets pretty damn dark though, so check trigger warnings before reading. The twists here are nothing short of magnificent. They are totally unexpected and flip the script every time. Sambury builds and builds to an explosive conclusion, but also one that still revels in the ambiguity of the previous events. Nothing is certain—leaving the reader in the same sense of wrongness that has followed them throughout the book.

Sambury is one of the YA horror/thriller authors for me at this moment. Tender Beasts was fantastic in every conceivable way—pacing, plotting, characterisation, atmosphere, and twists. Do yourself a favour and buy this book.

Tender Beasts is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 27th 2024.

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

Synopsis | Goodreads

After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother’s name in this psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades.

Sunny Behre has four siblings, but only one is a murderer.

With the death of Sunny’s mother, matriarch of the wealthy Behre family, Sunny’s once picture-perfect life is thrown into turmoil. Her mother had groomed her to be the family’s next leader, so Sunny is confused when the only instructions her mother leaves is a mysterious “Take care of Dom.”

The problem is, her youngest brother, Dom, has always been a near-stranger to Sunny…and seemingly a dangerous one, if found guilty of his second-degree murder charge. Still, Sunny is determined to fulfill her mother’s dying wish. But when a classmate is gruesomely murdered, and Sunny finds her brother with blood on his hands, her mother’s simple request becomes a lot more complicated. Dom swears he’s innocent, and although Sunny isn’t sure she believes him, she takes it upon herself to look into the murder—made all the more urgent by the discovery of another body. And another.

As Sunny and Dom work together to track down the culprit, Sunny realizes her other siblings have their own dark secrets. Soon she may have to preserve the family she’s always loved or protect the brother she barely knows—and risk losing everything her mother worked so hard to build.

The post Review: Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Ready to devour a new read this month? February is stacked with fantastic and exciting new releases, so we’ve rounded up just a few to keep an eye out for! This month sees new books from the likes of Kristin Hannah, Ali Hazelwood, Tommy Orange, Kacen Callender, and so many more!

Read on to discover just a few of our picks!

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From master storyteller Kristin Hannah comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s. The Women is that rarest of novels—at once an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics, of a generation both fueled by dreams and lost on the battlefield.

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother’s name in this psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

My Throat An Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

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Labyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.

The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A magically gifted con artist must gather her estranged mother’s old crew for a once-in-a-lifetime heist, from the New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds.

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance duology with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan…

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Extending his constellation of narratives into the past and future, Tommy Orange traces the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School through three generations of a family in a story that is by turns shattering and wondrous.

Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters. This gloriously imaginative debut fantasy, inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, is a novel of magic, rebellion and change.

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

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Infinity Alchemist is a spellbinding fantasy novel about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power.

Redsight by Meredith Mooring

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

An imaginative new space opera for fans of Gideon the Ninth filled with sapphic romance, space pirates, a blind witch and powerful priestesses.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood. 

The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Inheritance Games and One of Us is Lying for middle grade — beloved author Alyson Gerber’s new series is an unforgettable mystery featuring a secret society, a mysterious island, and dangerous family secrets.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

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Chemistry sizzles in this workplace rom-com set in the world of high school basketball as the author of Love & Other Disasters delivers a sapphic romance full of humor and heart.

What February books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Book Releases To Check Out In February 2024 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Well, 2024 is almost here so it’s time to start thinking about all of the books which will be heading your way! In this round up, we take a look at an array of highly anticipated books releasing between the months of January and June! You can expect new releases from the likes of Sarah J. Maas, Jay Kristoff, Ali Hazelwood, Kristin Hannah, Stephen King, Tana French, Sally Hepworth, Leigh Bardugo, and many more, plus some dazzling debuts.

You’ll find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2024 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next couple of weeks! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them… Your poor TBR!

You can find our Swoonworthy Romance Releases here, Anticipated YA Releases here, and our SFF releases here.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’ll be picking up any!

JANUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder ― from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

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In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

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From the celebrated New York Times bestselling author of Such a Fun Age comes a fresh and provocative story about a residential assistant and her messy entanglement with a professor and three unruly students.

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

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From the author of New York Times bestseller House of Hollow comes a darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen

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In this charming rom-com about two star-crossed lovers, a woman whose life is guided by her belief in the red-string of fate finds her perfect match—but his skepticism about true love puts a knot in their chances.

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

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A dazzling magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to save his family, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

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In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery

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For fans of Ariadne, a spellbinding debut fantasy about a human who gets trapped with the god of Autumn, who brings with him life-threatening danger and a forbidden romance.

Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Review
A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed!

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

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Inescapably romantic and brimming with New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

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New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

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When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

FEBRUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

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A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From master storyteller Kristin Hannah comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s. The Women is that rarest of novels—at once an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics, of a generation both fueled by dreams and lost on the battlefield.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

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A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together. 

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is an epic love story one hundred years in the making…

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother’s name in this psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades.

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance duology with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan…

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Set in 19th century Sri Lanka and inspired by local folklore, the daughter of a traditional demon-priest—relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself—tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village.

My Throat An Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Labyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Chemistry sizzles in this workplace rom-com set in the world of high school basketball as the author of Love & Other Disasters delivers a sapphic romance full of humour and heart.

MARCH 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Murder Road by Simone St. James

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A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

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In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family.

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

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For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate…. Now it’s up to her great-niece to catch the killer. 

The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black

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An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

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New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death

The Hunter by Tana French

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From the writer who is “in a class by herself,” (The New York Times), a nuanced, atmospheric tale that explores what we’ll do for our loved ones, what we’ll do for revenge, and what we sacrifice when the two collide.

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison

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Luck is its own kind of magic, in this first book in an electrifying new contemporary fantasy series from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows novels.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

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A humorous and unique rom-com that sees two wedding crashers fall for each other. This intriguing premise delivers on its promise with so much feeling and so much fun.

In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati-Alexander

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The author of Love Buzz follows her acclaimed first novel with a delightful Caribbean-set romp about an ambitious designer of apocalyptic video games with a strategy for (almost) everything who discovers what happens when her best-laid plans go off course . . .

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness, a Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of money and murder in this twisting tale of organized crime, cryptocurrency, and family secrets on the Las Vegas strip.

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales

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A fanfic writer brings her favourite TV character to life in this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers novel full of humour and heart.

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the much-anticipated sequel to the #1 international bestselling sensation Empire of the Vampire.

APRIL 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

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In this magical epic fantasy, a young woman cursed with the power of death must decide if saving her family is worth betraying her country—the first installation of a gripping new series.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

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A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

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A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass

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The Paris Apartment meets The Wrong Family, this thrilling tale of crime, passion and murder is set in a run-down apartment complex packed with shady characters willing to go to deadly lengths to keep their darkest secrets from the stranger in their midst.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

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From the author of the multimillion bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

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An ICU nurse accidentally uncovers a patient’s frightening past in this chilling thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing and Just the Nicest Couple.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

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The author of Kiss Her Once for Me returns with a new queer rom-com following once childhood best friends forced together to drive their former teacher across the country.

Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa

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When a Mariachi star transfers schools, he expects to be handed his new group’s lead vocalist spot—what he gets instead is a tenacious current lead with a very familiar, very kissable face.

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.

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

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A sexy, sapphic, opposites-attract romance with Mazey Eddings’ signature sparkling voice!

Knife by Salman Rushdie

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From internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him

MAY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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Step into a city where monsters feast on human emotions, knights split their souls to make their weapons, and witches always take more than they give.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

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Christina Lauren, the instant New York Times bestselling and “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar), returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants comes the much-anticipated sequel to the Thurber Prize-Winning novel The Guncle, in which Patrick O’Hara is called back to his guncle duties… this time for a big family wedding in Italy.

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

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June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

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Harkening to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension and ingenious thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood

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A romantic historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, set in the American Civil War with vampires and people with demigod-like abilities.

It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass

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The very first thriller from Rick Riordan Presents! Drawing from the darkest corners of Caribbean mythology, acclaimed author Sarah Dass crafts a chilling tale of magic, murder, and how far we’ll go to protect what’s ours—perfect for fans of Angeline Boulley and Tiffany D. Jackson.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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When a family curse threatens David’s life, he will turn to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend, Rhys—which means he will have to open his heart to Moira, Rhys’s wife. Dark academia and urban fantasy combine in this richly imagined novel set in a fictitious, magic-riddled Boston.

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

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The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

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From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of twelve short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER.

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

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An achingly nostalgic love story about two friends-with-benefits who can’t be together but can’t seem to stay apart. This Summer Will Be Different offers an idyllic coastal setting, enticing vacation descriptions, and a story that is equal parts sexy romance and female friendship. It has all the ingredients for another book of the summer!

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

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In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

JUNE 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

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A dazzling new work of literary fiction from the author of The Essex Serpent, a story of love and astronomy told over the course of twenty years through the lives of two improbable best friends.

Daydream by Hannah Grace

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The third in the New York Times bestselling Maple Hills series follows fan-favourite Henry and a bookish fellow student who come up with a plan to help them both overcome their respective challenges in a difficult year.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

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In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighbourhood.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

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New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center’s latest laugh out loud, feel good rom-com about writing your own story, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse

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The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu

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Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Ally Carter, the dazzling sequel to #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu’s Stars and Smoke, is “a brilliant, breathtaking ride” – Tahereh Mafi, #1 internationally bestselling author.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

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In her breathtaking debut – part space odyssey, part Sapphic rom-com – Emily Hamilton weaves a suspenseful, charmingly irreverent, and ultimately joyous tale of galaxy-spanning friendship, improbable love, and found family.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

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The heart-tugging and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, by the bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script.

The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

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For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscape

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

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New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

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A struggling writer is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding with the man who gave her book a very public one-star rating in this fresh romantic comedy from Laura Hankin.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

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Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.

What 2024 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2024 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

While summer is often associated with relaxation, light-hearted books, and beach reads, it is also a great time to dive into the darker side of fiction! If you want to add some thrills to your summer reading list, consider these twelve young adult titles, ranging from summer camp mysteries to this year’s hottest new horror.

All The Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

A summer nannying position goes awry when Marin discovers a dark secret about the family she is working for. Offered the job by her favorite author and her late mother’s childhood friend, Alice Lovelace, Marin is initially excited to work for the family. But as Marin spends more time with them, she starts noticing peculiar behavior and strange occurrences, which leads her to realize that the Lovelaces are not at all what they seem.

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

After the death of her mother, Quinn, and her father relocate to the seemingly normal middle-of-nowhere town of Kettle Springs. What was supposed to be a fresh start turns deadly when a series of murders begin at a party celebrating the town’s founding.

The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

Ava, Imogen, and Goldie have been going to the elite Camp Alpine Lake since they were kids. Now they are back as counselors, ready to take on a new role. This summer is different, though, when a boy is found dead and Goldie knows she saw Ava nearby.

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham

Three years ago, a new sickness known as the Hollowing grew rapidly, causing a portion of the population to have a craving for human flesh. Scientists were able to find a cure—fake human meat—that would cause the world to return to normalcy. To celebrate their high school graduation, Zoey and her four friends attend a music festival, but the fun ends when attendees drop dead and people affected by the Hollowing are unable to control their cannibalistic urges.

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

Told from two perspectives through different timelines, this novel offers a different approach to the haunted house story. Daisy sees ghosts. It’s unavoidable, considering she lives in a city populated by millions of people. When Daisy’s mother calls, informing her that she has inherited a mansion, she gets to start fresh, but things take a turn when Daisy soon discovers that the property is haunted. A decade later, light is brought to the haunted mansion as horror podcaster Brittney decides to investigate cases about missing Black girls overlooked in the media.

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield  

Thinking of going to a carnival this summer? You might want to rethink making plans after reading this murder-filled supernatural debut. Ava is among the ten teens who received an invitation to the abandoned carnival island, Portgrave Pier. Believing she is being blackmailed, she accepts this invitation without hesitation. Little does Ava know, the invitation is just the beginning of a twisted game where each teenager must fight to keep their deepest secrets hidden.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

After the strange death of his twin sister, Mars visits the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy, a place where his sister attended each summer. The camp is known for its strict and traditional ideas, which makes it a toxic environment for Mars, but he is desperate to find the answers surrounding his sister’s death. At the camp, he is introduced to a mysterious group of girls known as The Honeys, and he suspects they have just the answers he is looking for.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Grey, Vivi, and Iris mysteriously vanished when they were children, only to turn up a month later with no memory of what happened. They reappeared with their original hair turned white, their eyes black, and matching scars on their throats. When the oldest sister, Grey, disappears once again, Vivi and Iris are left with a sense of deja vu. The sisters will do anything to get Grey back, even if it means venturing into the depths of their dark and forgotten past.

House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig 

Twelve years have gone by since the events of “House of Salt and Sorrows”, and Verity, the youngest Thaumas sister, has spent her entire life confined within the walls of Highmoor Manor. Verity yearns for a taste of the outside world, so when she receives an invitation to paint a portrait of the Duchess’s son, she happily agrees. Her oldest sister, Camille, on the other hand, is hesitant to let her go and reveals that Verity has been seeing ghosts without her knowledge.

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

Emma Lewis is a sole survivor of an attack by the horrific young serial killer, Simon Gutmunsson. Travis Bell is the son of a murdered police officer. The teenagers both carry personal scars from their encounters with violence and are recruited by the FBI to interview young serial killers and study cold cases. When a killer targeting teens is on the rise, Emma and Travis find themselves caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where their own lives may be at stake.

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt

In this slow-burn romantic horror set to be released on August 29, Wil Green wants nothing to do with her former childhood friend, Elwood. She’s convinced that his family is involved in her mother’s disappearance. When Elwood flees unexpectedly and seeks her help, Wil reluctantly agrees to meet with him. Together, they dig deeper into Elwood’s family’s history, and Wil realizes that there may be more to their strained friendship than meets the eye.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

For horror fanatic Charity Curtis, summertime means working at Camp Mirror Lake, where its visitors pay to get scared. As Charity prepares for the closing nights of the facility, she realizes her coworkers are nowhere in sight. What she doesn’t know, however, is that this summer will be different from any other, as the line between fiction and reality begins to blur and the horrors of Camp Mirror Lake become all too real.

The post Spooky Summer YA Book Recommendations appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Her new release, Delicious Monsters, is out now, which is described as The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie and follows two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

Read on to discover some of the inspiration behind her book!

The Haunting of Hill House (the show and the book)

The Netflix adaptation came out the year before I’d started writing Delicious Monsters and I was completely drawn in by the complicated dynamics of the family at the center of the story. There were so many tense horror moments that were heightened by the equally tense atmosphere between the characters as they uncovered wounds from the past. The novel was something that I read during the process of editing my story and while the original tale doesn’t feature a family, I was so engrossed in the atmosphere of it. And I was especially stricken by its beautifully written and very well-known opening. I felt like both the original story and the new rendering of it were inspiring in their own ways.

The Kenogamissi Scenery

Delicious Monsters takes place in both the city of Timmins and the area around Kenogamissi Lake. We had a family member who was living in a cottage by the lake when I was in the early stages of thinking about the story. We went on this long hike through the property that just seemed to go on and on, filled with these dense foliage areas butted up against this wide field with power lines, wild blueberries, and daisies. I took so many videos and pictures because I knew that was where I was going to set the story.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Growing up, I was obsessed with this TV show of kids who’d gather at midnight in the woods to tell each other scary stories. But what hit me was that often the psychological fear bit that was included in the episodes stuck with me far longer than any of the creepy scenes or scary monsters. It really went for it in terms of getting into your head. That was absolutely something I hoped to recreate in my own stories, a lasting unsettling feeling.

Shrike by Hozier

In the early drafting phase, I was trying to get into the tone and atmosphere of the story and struggling. I decided to make a playlist, hoping music would help, and ended up listening to Hozier’s new album Wasteland, Baby! One of the songs on there was Shrike and having no idea what a “shrike” was, I looked it up and learned about the carnivorous birds. I already had a strong fear of birds—I will even avoid pigeons in the street—and the idea of a meat-eating bird stuck with me. And as I listened to the song and its lyrics, I found a lot of parallels in what I was writing. I found myself listening to the song over and over because it was so helpful in sinking into the mood that I wanted for the novel. Butcherbirds (the other name for Shrike) was even an early title for the book because I was so inspired by the song.

The post The Inspiration Behind Liselle Sambury’s ‘Delicious Monsters’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

2023 is here, so get ready to be amazed by the incredible books heading your way! In this round up, we take a look at an array of highly anticipated books releasing between the months of January and June from authors such as Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Harlan Coben, Emily Henry, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Kalynn Bayron, and many more plus some dazzling debuts.

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2023 lists, including 2023 Romance, 2023 Young Adult, 2023 Middle Grade, and 2023 Queer Books!

Looking for our July to December picks? Check them out here!

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below what books you are looking forward to!

JANUARY

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
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Kate Alice Marshall’s What Lies in the Woods is a thrilling novel about friendship, secrets, betrayal, and lies – and having the courage to face the past.

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
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This sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Helena Hunting.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
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New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
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Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. The Ivy League is going straight to hell in the sequel to the smash New York Times bestseller Ninth House from #1 bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Begin Again by Emma Lord
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Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Emma Lord’s Begin Again is an unforgettable YA novel of love and starting again.

Exes and O’s by Amy Lea
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A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
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Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black. 

Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters
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Fans of Abby Jimenez and Meryl Wilsner will fall in love with this hilarious and refreshingly authentic novel about second chances, pugs, and finding the perfect muse . . .

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
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From the macabre mind of a Bram Stoker Award-nominated author, this heart-pounding novel of horror and psychological suspense takes a ghost hunting reality TV crew into a world they could never have imagined.

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
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The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying in Nick Brooks’s Promise Boys, a trailblazing, blockbuster YA mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names―for fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Karen McManus.

Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
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About a Boy meets What We Do In The Shadows in the next fun genre-mashup from Mike Chen, featuring a punk-rock vampire learning to connect to the world again when her surly teenaged grand-nephew needs her, and her music, to get him through a tough time.

FEBRUARY

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
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Intricate and epic, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree, showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author and TikTok favorite Tessa Bailey comes a steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn…

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood
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Nationally bestselling author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative and female-centered reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, told through the voices of three women who are sidelined in the traditional version—his mother, Danae; his trophy, Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda—but whose viewpoints reveal a man who is not, in fact, a hero at all.

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan
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The House Guest is another diabolical cat-and-mouse thriller from USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan―but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse?

The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
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In the early 1900s, a young woman is caught between two worlds in H. G. Parry’s spellbinding tale of miracles, magic, and the adventure of a lifetime.

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong
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In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is outlawed but four girls with unusual powers have the chance to change it all.

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
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The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
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In the riveting new novel from the author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Great Believers, a woman must reckon with her past when new details surface about a tragedy at her elite New England boarding school.

Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot
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Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb
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Discover what’s lurking in the shadows in this dark fantasy debut with a murder-mystery twist, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
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A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher
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In April Asher’s next Supernatural Singles novel, Not Your Ex’s Hexes, a one-night-stand between a willful witch and a broody half-demon conjures an adventure that wouldn’t be complete without several magical mishaps.

MARCH

The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten
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In this lush, romantic epic fantasy series from a New York Times bestselling author, a young woman’s secret power to raise the dead plunges her into the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court.

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf
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For fans of Ikegna and A Tale Dark and Grimm comes a story of a brave heroine, a beguiling villain, fantastical worlds, magical adventures, and a journey that will remind you that hope, friendship, and love endures all.

The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
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Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Wrong Number.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
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For fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.

Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
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From New York Times bestselling author Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton comes the first book in a ferocious YA fantasy duology featuring ancient magic, warring factions, and a romance between the two people in the world with the most cause to hate one another.

Jane & Edward: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Eyre by Melodie Edwards
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This powerful reimagining of Jane Eyre, set in a modern-day law firm, is full of romance and hope as it follows the echoing heartbeats of the classic story.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
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Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
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A “wildly surprising, entertaining” (Jodi Picoult) novel featuring a college dropout and an eighty-four-year-old woman on the run from the law, full of tremendous heart, wit, and wisdom from the USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island.

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron
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A teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend’s disappearance―and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger―in misty Victorian London, in Kalynn Bayron’s My Dear Henry, a gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, sixth in the Remixed Classics series.

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
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An innocent father serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive, and must break out of prison to find out the truth in #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben’s latest breathtaking thriller.

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
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A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

APRIL

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker
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Terry J. Benton-Walker’s contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, is “an extravaganza from start to finish” (Chloe Gong) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans.

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
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New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Happy Place by Emily Henry
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A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
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From the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and “master of suspense, Megan Miranda”, a thrilling mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

Silver In The Bone by Alexandra Bracken
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly
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Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa
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A forbidden love between a Mexican heiress and a shrewd British politician makes for a tantalizing Victorian season.

The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
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In Lambda Award finalist Chana Porter’s highly anticipated new novel, an aspiring chef, a cyberthief, and a kitchen maid each break free of a society that wants to constrain them.

Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat by Sonya Lalli
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An impulsive decision to join an Alaskan cruise getaway brings the chance for an onboard romance in this new enemies-to-lovers romance from the author of A Holly Jolly Diwali.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
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A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you, Some Desperate Glory is Astounding Award Winner and Crawford Award Finalist Emily Tesh’s highly anticipated debut novel.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
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A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match from “a true talent” (Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
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A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions—a hilarious, observant, and deeply tender novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep.

MAY

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
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Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang’s The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history―or tear it apart.

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
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A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia—where the truth isn’t what it seems.

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
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A small-town sweetheart and an emotionally unavailable bad boy try to find some common ground in this chemistry-filled romance from the author of The Cheat Sheet and When in Rome.

The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman
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Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series that spans gangsters’ dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas from the New York Times bestselling author of the Aurora Cycle and the Illuminae Files.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon
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Utterly original and wildly entertaining, with a protagonist whose life is a total mess, Killing Me is the laugh-out-loud funny thriller that we never knew we needed.

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
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A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and celebrated author of The Guncle.

Of Light and Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena
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Of Light and Shadow is a novel about magic, mayhem, love, and betrayal―the story of a bandit and a prince who change each other in unexpected ways.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop
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Joining a post #MeToo discourse, The Girls of Summer grapples with themes of power, sex, and consent, as it explores the complicated nature of memory and trauma––and what it takes to reframe, and reclaim, your own story.

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore
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Two enemy kingdoms are forced to work together to break a curse in this lush YA fantasy, featuring a transgender prince and a bigender dama/assassin in the lead roles.

Dragonfall by Laura Lam
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Long-banished dragons, revered as gods, return to the mortal realm in the first in this magical new epic fantasy trilogy from a bestselling author

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
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Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners.

JUNE

Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool
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In this romantic, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy/mystery, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with a powerful noble to gain entry into an illustrious―and deadly―society that holds clues to her mother’s disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager
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Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier
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Set in the glamorous, competitive world of showjumping, a novel about the girls who ride, their cutthroat mothers, and a suspicious death at a horse show…from the author of Good Rich People

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with the hilarious follow-up to Secretly Yours, in which a down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand… only to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.

Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine
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For fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Mexican Gothic, a novel set in 18th-century Venice at a prestigious music school, about two girls drawn together by a dangerous wager

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk.

What Remains by Wendy Walker
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Detective Elise Sutton is drawn to cold cases. Each crime is a puzzle to solve, pulled from the past. Steeped in guilt, and on a leave of absence from work, she’s numb, even to her husband and daughters, until she connects with Wade Austin, the tall man whose life she saved. But Elise soon realizes that he isn’t who he says he is. 

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould
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Two sisters travel to an isolated Arizona town to investigate its connection to their mother’s death, but uncover more than they bargained for in this supernatural thriller from the author of The Dead and the Dark.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
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The bestselling author of The Party returns with a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
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At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night? This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson
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If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today? The First Bright Thing is a spellbinding debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
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In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

What 2023 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2023 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
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A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
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Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women–a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic–come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
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Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes the long anticipated romantic comedy that puts a queer spin on Kate & Leopold.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert
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He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell… he was, quite simply, mine. Neon Gods is a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall
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A phantasmagorical indictment of hereditary power, Star Eater takes readers deep into a perilous and uncanny world where even the most powerful women are forced to choose what sacrifices they will make, so that they might have any choice at all. 

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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A wedding harpist disillusioned with love and a hopeless romantic cater-waiter flirt and fight their way through a summer of weddings in this effervescent romantic comedy from the acclaimed author of Today Tonight Tomorrow.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
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The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home…

The 2000s Made Me Gay by Grace Perry
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From The Onion and Reductress contributor, this collection of essays is a hilarious nostalgic trip through beloved 2000s media, interweaving cultural criticism and personal narrative to examine how a very straight decade forged a very queer woman.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
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Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
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A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins
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Every month, a letter. That’s what Lauren decides to leave her husband when she finds out she’s dying. Each month, she gives Josh a letter containing a task to help him face this first year without her, leading him on a heartrending, beautiful, often humorous journey to find happiness again in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins.

What June 2021 releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post June 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Blood Like Magic is a fantasy and sci-fi driven novel focusing on magic and technology and how these two may clash or work together in the future. It also concentrates on family dynamics and the lengths people will go to in order for their loved ones. This is definitely a must read for fantasy lovers looking for something new and binge-worthy, plus fact that this is part of a series makes me only more curious as you can read it as a standalone!

Blood Like Magic follows the story of Voya, who is meant to receive her Calling to become an official witch. Every witch must complete a task given to them from an ancestor and if successful, they’ll receive their gift that will or will not benefit the family. Voya has been dreaming of this moment and is prepared for whatever task will be given to her, that is, until Mama Jova shows up and says she has a month to destroy her first love.

The worldbuilding is fascinating to read and follow throughout the novel. Readers get a sense of the magic system and how gifts are given throughout the family. Gifts benefit the witches not only spiritually, but financially as well, so it’s imperative to receive a useful gift. Everyone is hanging on by a thread, wondering what gift Voya will receive since Mama Jova has drawn her task out so long. It might seem the novel is somewhat dragging given the deadline, but time surely goes fast.

Keis, Voya’s best friend and cousin, has the gift of reading minds but she doesn’t want to rely on it all the time and that’s why she wants to get an internship at NuGene, the biggest tech company citizens rely on nowadays, especially when they release a beta version of matching people up using genetics. Voya is one of the beta testers and is paired with Luc, a sponsored intern.

Voya’s task becomes one step easier as she has found a love interest, but the trouble is falling in love with him and then killing him. Luc isn’t your outgoing, arrogant guy, so it’s up to Voya to break down his walls and get close to him.

Voya is such a caring character who puts her family first. She’s known as the chef in the family and loves to spoil them with treats. It’s very contrasting to see the type of task she receives. According to her Granny, who’s the matriarch of the family, no one has received such a vivid task before. The longer Voya drags out the task, the less hope the rest of the family has in her. They also wonder how she’s actually going to complete the task and get away with murder. The stakes are high because if Voya fails then her baby sister will die and the magic will soon run out in the family.

Ha, no pressure Voya! When she goes to find help from distant relatives, she only finds out more of her family, including how a certain ancestor was wiped from memory and how the family fears the CEO of NuGene. Voya feels the tug at all the connections to her task, but can she achieve everything before time runs out?

This review remains spoiler free, that’s why it isn’t a thorough. Yet I gave enough information to persuade you to add this book to your TBR and read it when it comes out. Hopefully, it will receive the hype it deserves! I enjoyed this book so much. I can picture it as a miniseries or movie franchise one day!

Blood Like Magic is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 15th 2021.

Will you be picking up Blood Like Magic? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.

After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass in order to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.

Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?

With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.

The post Review: Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Liselle Sambury’s debut Blood Like Magic is refreshing with its mix of sci-fi and fantasy themes. Growing up in Toronto, Ontario, Sambury runs a YouTube Channel where she shares tips for aspiring writers and her debut novel Blood Like Magic is the first in the series with the sequel to follow in 2022 and other future works by Sambury. The Nerd Daily had the pleasure of interviewing Sambury about her debut!

Hi, Liselle! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, I’m really excited since I enjoyed the book so much! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear that! I grew up in Toronto, Ontario where Blood Like Magic is set. I am both a plant and dog mom, and I consider my writing brand to be “messy Black girls in fantasy situations.”

Describe Blood Like Magic in five words for people who are interested in reading the book!

Black witches in future Toronto.

Now tell us all about your debut novel Blood Like Magic!

Blood Like Magic is about sixteen-year-old Voya Thomas who after failing a ritual that witches must do to come into their power is given a second chance by her ancestor. Except this time, she’ll have to choose between killing her first love or losing her entire family’s magic forever.

What was the inspiration behind Blood Like Magic?

I was living away from Toronto and just desperately missing my city. I wanted to write something set there and was very invested in that story being about a family of Black witches. I cannot tell you where the idea to set it in the future came from, that was extremely random, but it fit. I loved how the future twist set it apart from other witch books and as a sci-fi fan, it was fun to imagine.

Blood Like Magic includes fantasy and elements of sci-fi while creating a connection to the past. How did you manage to balance all of that? 

It was definitely not easy! I started with some basic rules for both the magic system and the technology in the world—that witches had to use blood to cast or otherwise could use a gift without blood, and gifts would be unique to each person. And for the technology, there would be a system that could manipulate genes in a way that would have expressive results. After I had those, I really had to think about how to connect the two so one wouldn’t exist without the other. I was afraid of getting the suggestion to just take out the sci-fi part, and so I knew that if they weren’t interwoven strongly enough, the book would be vulnerable to that critique. The connection to the past however felt a lot more natural because it meshed really well with the fantasy elements of the book, and later on I figured out a way to connect that to the technology through a subplot. A lot of weaving all these elements together came in stages, and was helped along by betas, CPs, my agent, and my editor asking a lot of questions that I found ways to answer through the worldbuilding.

What was the creative process like, especially with the amount of worldbuilding within the novel?

I didn’t plan my worldbuilding at all before I started writing, which later came back to haunt me. Now when I plan my books, I try and do a lot of that before I get going. But I just started with those basic tenants that I talked about earlier, that magic required blood and if it didn’t, they could use their unique gift, and that technology had advanced such that genes of any kind couls be modified.

From there it was a process of basically coming up with more and more rules as questions were asked about the world and modifying rules that didn’t work. Also, as I learned more, I made adjustments for inclusivity and discussions of how issues of social justice had adapted. A lot of the sci-fi worldbuilding was that—thinking about what would and wouldn’t change in the future, and also how people would be affected by this new technology.

It’s essentially a lot of question asking and layering and figuring out how to answer those questions in a way that fits with the story I’m trying to tell.

Was there a gift that didn’t make the final draft that you wish you added?

Funny you ask! I very much wanting to add a nail growing gift in the book, and I ended up putting it in the sequel which I’m happy about. Also, fun fact, Keisha’s gift actually used to belong to a different character. I hadn’t developed them very well, and there were already a lot of family members, so they were cut, but I loved their gift for sensing discomfort so much that I gave it to Keisha. Her previous gift was “making things a little bit special,” which I ended up finding too vague.

Which character did you have the most fun writing about?

Speaking of Keisha! Of all of Voya’s cousins, I do have the most fun writing Keisha because she very much speaks her mind and is authentically herself, but she also has her own complex struggles, and in the midst of that is trying to care for her family the best way she knows how. Which isn’t always the most tactful, but it is fun to write.

Can you describe the unique relationships Voya has with her cousins?

Voya has three cousins, Keis, Keisha, and Alex. Keis and Keisha are sisters and are the children of Voya’s Aunt, and Alex is the only child of Voya’s Uncle. Keis is Voya’s best friend, Alex is like her big sister, and Keisha falls somewhere between friend, sister, and cousin—but they’re all close. It’s an interesting relationship because until she’s 10, Voya doesn’t have any siblings of her own, but she’s grown up with Keis, Keisha, and Alex, and has known them her entire life because they’re all older than her and live in the same house. I really wanted to show the complexities of how cousin-relationships can be.

There is a unique outlook on what the future will look like, some might even be possible. Which technological advancements from Blood Like Magic do you hope to see in the future?

That’s a hard one! Precisely because a lot of this technology is already on the way there, and I do think realistically could be possible. I would love to have widely available and affordable self-driving cars. We do already have self-driving cars but not to the point where a working-class person would buy and use one the same way they would buy a budget Honda. I enjoy the idea of road trips, but I hate the actual labour of doing the driving, and I like to avoid flying because I’m scared of heights. So being able to hop in my car and let it do all the work while I read a book or write would be fantastic.

What do you hope readers will get out of reading Blood Like Magic?

I hope first and foremost that they’ll have a great time! I wanted this to be overall a fun book where a Black girl could be the hero. It definitely tackles some difficult topics, but I do aspire for it to be the sort of urban fantasy that people just get sucked into and love. I want Black readers and Black girls especially to see another example of them belonging in those sorts of stories. I think of all the fantasy that I read growing up and was absolutely addicted to, and I would love for Blood Like Magic to be that for someone.

Do you have any advice for writers attempting to build their own fictional world?

Don’t be afraid to dive in! I think that fantasy can be daunting sometimes because of the level of worldbuilding that you have to do, and while I plan those things in advance now, I don’t know if back when I decided to write Blood Like Magic, I would have been able to do it if I got super caught up in all that work beforehand. Sometimes, you just need to jump in and start writing the story and worry about fixing it later. I find that especially when you’re a new writer, it can be easy to get so bogged down by the pre-work that you don’t start, and you want to start.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

So many! Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is always at the top of my list of recommendations, it’s Black girl magic meets Arthurian legend and is absolutely amazing. A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth which is also an urban fantasy set in Toronto but with fae and murder. Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour is a beautiful story of a girl finding her place and ghosts. Anything by Angie Thomas or Tiffany D. Jackson. And for high fantasy fans, both Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko and The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna blew me away, they’re such lush page turners and both have girls finding their strength and found families.

Will you be picking up Blood Like Magic? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Liselle Sambury, Author of ‘Blood Like Magic appeared first on The Nerd Daily.