While best known for her YA fantasy, Stiefvater’s adult debut reveals her same knack for intricate mythology, only this time it is grounded in folklore and historical fiction.

Synopsis

June Hudson is no stranger to the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains. Her accent and strong sense of self have earned her the trust of her employees, her wealthy employers, and the high-profile guests of the Avallon Hotel. Trained by the now-deceased Mr. Gilfoyle, June must now navigate the pressures of wartime management, balancing political tensions and the ever-present pull of the sweetwater—the enchanted spring running beneath the hotel.

Tucker Minnick, the FBI agent assigned to oversee the foreign detainees, has secrets of his own, starting with a coal tattoo that marks him as someone with a long-buried connection to these hills. Though his assignment is to uncover a spy among the guests, his presence quickly stirs up memories, emotions, and old wounds.

As tensions mount among the Avallon’s strange and increasingly uneasy residents, the sweetwater beneath the hotel begins to stir. June must walk a delicate line, managing her staff, the foreign guests, the federal agents, and the force that flows just beneath her feet. And when hidden truths come to light, she must decide what price she—and the Avallon—are willing to pay to preserve the hotel’s reputation and her own sense of duty and responsibility.

Characterisation

June and Tucker are compelling protagonists whose strengths lie in their quiet resilience. June’s ability to truly listen to the people and the land around her gives the novel its heart. Tucker, meanwhile, embodies the tension between service and self-erasure, caught between duty to country and the impact of memory. Their slow-building connection feels earned and emotionally grounded, shaped as much by what’s unsaid as what is spoken aloud.

Themes

The Listeners explores the intertwined themes of magic, class, love, and duty. June, Tucker, and the hotel’s staff and guests each navigate these forces in their own way. The sweetwater that flows beneath the Avallon affects everyone who encounters it—but just as it shapes them, they in turn shape it. This mutual influence mirrors the dynamic between the staff and the elite guests: a subtle, often tense exchange of power, service, and expectation. And as June and Tucker discover their true feelings, they also struggle to better understand what it truly means to do one’s duty.

Final Thoughts

Stiefvater’s tone is restrained and unhurried, building a slow-burning tension from the novel’s earliest pages. The pacing is deliberate, steeped in atmosphere and rich sensory detail. The magical elements, while understated, feel grounded and essential. Though a few of the novel’s reveals may be predictable for attentive readers, others land with quiet devastation. Even when the plot leans into the expected, the emotional resonance remains fresh and affecting.

The Listeners is a slow burn in the best sense. It is atmospheric, unsettling, and deeply rooted in both land and lore. Whether you’re here for historical fiction with a twist, subtle magic, or complex relationships forged under pressure, this novel delivers. You’ll finish it with the feeling that something just slipped past you in the dark, and that’s exactly the point.

The Listeners is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

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

Synopsis | Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society’s troubles.

Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.

Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel’s walls, listening for the diplomats’ secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June’s balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.

June has never met a guest she couldn’t delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon’s polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.

The post Review: The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Get ready to look forward to some great fiction book releases in 2025! We’ve rounded up just a few fiction books releasing between January and June from thrillers and historical fiction, to stories of friendship and family, and more. With releases from Megan Collins, Scott Turow, Kate Alice Marshall, Jojo Moyes, Elle Cosimano, Stephen Graham Jones, Alex North, Fredrik Backman, Maggie Stiefvater, and many more, plus those making their debut.

Read on to discover new books hitting shelves in the first half of the year and be sure to check out our other 2025 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, Fantasy & Sci-Fi and Young Adult lists.

JANUARY 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Old Soul by Susan Barker

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The Historian meets Under the Skin in this searingly provocative literary horror novel about one woman’s determination to stay alive at any terrifying cost.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard in this “wildly original, razor-sharp thriller” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark).

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys?

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A billionaire is primed to announce the succession plan for his company to his family at a lavish reunion, but at least one person won’t make it through the week alive. . . Most family reunions end in tears. This one will end in murder. 

Head Cases by John McMahon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying―and commercial―series debut.

We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Weaving the women’s stories across multiple timelines, We Rip the World Apart reveals the ways that simple choices, made in the heat of the moment and with the best of intentions, can have deep and lasting repercussions―especially when people stay silent.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
She has his wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature “taut, emotionally charged, and propulsive” (Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author) prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
New from the author of Presumed Innocent, the #1 bestseller that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+’s most-watched drama series ever.

The Crash by Freida McFadden

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.

FEBRUARY 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret―and that she’s been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods.

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.

Maya & Natasha by Elyse Durham

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
This stunning debut novel set in the fascinating world of Cold War Soviet ballet follows the fates of twin sisters whose bond is competitive, complicated, but never broken.

The Garden by Nick Newman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An eerie, hypnotic, darkly beautiful novel about two elderly sisters living alone at the edge of the world and how their lives unravel when their sanctum is breached, for fans of Piranesi and The Testaments.

The Lamb by Lucy Rose

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From an incendiary new talent, a contemporary queer folktale about a mother and daughter living in the woods, for fans of Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and Julia Armfield.

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family.

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
She found the literary voices that would inspire the world…. The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An exclusive thriller writer’s retreat hosted on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An immersive historical drama about a young mother who starts a new life with her son in New York after faking their deaths on the Titanic—the U.S. debut of acclaimed British novelist Frances Quinn.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter’s wedding.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this breathtaking saga, an epic story of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam

MARCH 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one’s duty in this rich story of an honorable man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.

Broken Country by Clare Hall

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the national bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave―the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A read-in-one-night suspense thriller narrated by a compulsive liar whose little white lies allow her to enter into the life and comfort of a wealthy married couple who are harboring much darker secrets themselves. For the millions of us still chasing those gone girls, this is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, and Laura Dave.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

Retreat by Krysten Ritter

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A beautiful con artist insinuates herself into a wealthy socialite’s life . . . with deadly consequences, in this serpentine thriller about identity and obsession, from actress, director and bestselling author Krysten Ritter.

Dissolution by Nicholas Binge

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A woman dives into her husband’s memories to uncover a decades-old feud threatening reality itself in this staggering technothriller from the bestselling author of Ascension.

Early Thirties by Josh Duboff

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hilarious and painfully relatable debut novel about two thirtysomething best friends’ messy search for connection and love in New York, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle, Gabrielle Zevin, and Dolly Alderton.

APRIL 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The Paris Apartment meets A Simple Favor in an unputdownable thriller about a honeymoon gone horribly wrong.

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Sharp Objects meets I Have Some Questions for You in this haunting novel—inspired by a true story—about a crime writer who risks everything as she investigates the mystery of two deaths, decades apart, at a crumbling Vermont orphanage.

Passion Project by London Sperry

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A compassionate and hopeful romantic comedy, Passion Project is a reminder that love is waiting for us to let it in.

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A woman learns the astonishing truth of her family’s ties to a vanished American Kingdom in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling, NAACP Image Award-winning author of Take My Hand.

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Armed with a terminal diagnosis, a grudge, and a rental car, Hester sets out to fulfill her lifelong dream of killing her father in this brilliantly subversive and bleakly funny debut novel.

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
For readers of J. Ryan Stradal and The Music of Bees (with a dash of FX’s The Bear) comes a quirky and refreshing epistolary novel about family of culture-shocked Brooklynites transplanted to Goodnight, Kansas and their fight for their unexpected lifeline: the legendary May Day Diner.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A sharply funny and moving debut in which a young woman accepts a job that takes her though the Italian Dolomites and into an international mystery far greater—and more personal—than she could have ever expected.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this spellbinding and provocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Miracles, a young mother is struck by sudden and puzzling psychological symptoms that illuminate the mysterious dimensions of the human mind—and of love.

The Murder Show by Matt Goldman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The Murder Show is a pulse-racing novel about secrets, old friends, and how the past never leaves us by New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award winning author Matt Goldman.

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse…

MAY 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Austen At Sea by Natalie Jenner

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From New York Times bestselling author Domenica Ruta comes a heartfelt, hilarious novel about a single mom reimagining what the perfect family can look like.

Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Three middle-aged best friends turn to murder in order to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies…but are unaware that their husbands have a devious plan of their own, in this darkly funny debut—perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of Sweetbitter, Aftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two women haunted by their sisters’ unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Good People Here and host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie.

Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the author of Natural Beauty, set in the fiercely competitive art world, a novel about an obsessive friendship upended by a cutting-edge technology purported to enhance empathy and connection

My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

Slaying You by Michelle Gagnon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A wildly funny thriller about reluctant partners who hit the danger jackpot when they discover that a serial killer is on their heels . . . again.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The next gripping, atmospheric horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden, set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, TX.

JUNE 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From #1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Jewell, an author “at the very top of her game” (Lucy Foley)—three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A beautifully inventive, tender novel—the author’s first to be published in the U.S.—following two lives as they almost intersect over three heartbreaking yet euphoric decades

The Accidental Favorite by Fran Littlewood

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams comes a wryly resonant and deeply moving family dramedy investigating the question so many of us have asked ourselves: do my parents have a favorite?

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author who “is the best there is at sweeping historical drama” (Kelly Harms, author of The Seven Day Switch), returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960’s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
This is a story of the rich and the very poor. This is a story of an illegal auction with dire consequences. This is a story of murders past and present. This is a story of intertwined relationships and the silent ripples they leave behind, where love becomes a guiding force, revealing the lengths one will go to protect those they cherish.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A blistering literary suspense novel about a ghostwriter who is hired to write the last book for her estranged father and finds herself investigating the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975.

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hilarious and heartfelt novel about how loves and lives are never truly lost, for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
#1 NYT-bestselling YA author Renee Ahdieh’s adult debut novel, about a young lawyer who gets pulled in to manage a crisis with her firm’s biggest client, a family whose Korean beauty brand is worth a billion dollars, pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession.

What releases are you looking forward to? Any other recommendations for us? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fiction Book Releases To Check Out In 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

2025?! How!? Nevertheless, the upside of a new year is all of the new books that will be hitting shelves! We’ve rounded up some highly anticipated  books from a range of genres releasing between the months of January and June 2025.

You can expect new releases from the likes of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emily Henry, Samantha Shannon, Richard Swan, Kate Alice Marshall, Tessa Bailey, Suzanne Collins, Chuck Wendig, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Christopher Golden, Becky Albertalli, Rebecca Yarros, VE Schwab, Maggie Stiefvater, Fredrik Backman, and so many more, plus many making their 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 2025 lists, which we’ll be releasing over the next month! This article will also get updated with those links so you can easily find them… We apologise in advance to your TBR pile and wallet!

• 2025 Romance Book Releases
• 2025 YA Book Releases
• 2025 Fiction Book Releases
• 2025 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases

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

JANUARY 2025 BOOK RELEASES

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
With his funny, big-hearted adult rom com debut, bestselling, award-winning YA author Julian Winters shows sometimes fake dating your ex can turn into a second chance.

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A young warrior dreams of proving his worth in the elite Guardian Tournament, fighting not only for himself but the fate of everything he loves.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
She has his dead wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An Into the Woods-inspired fairy tale retelling where Cinderella never went to the ball and must lie to get her prince.

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In an alternate London in 1923, one girl accidentally breaks the tenuous truce between dragons and humans in this sweeping debut and epic retelling of Bletchley Park steeped in language, class, and forbidden romance. Perfect for teen fans of Fourth Wing and Babel.

Unromance by Erin Connor

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A recently dumped TV heartthrob enlists a jaded romance novelist to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet again . . .

The Rival by Emma Lord

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A group of young women in a home for unwed mothers in 1970s Florida who find a book to witchcraft—a guide which may just be the key to regaining their power or the source of their worst nightmares.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this new rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A twisty domestic thriller about an author who travels to a remote Scottish island to write his next book…only to run into a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. 

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this captivating atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow, a woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death while confronting the ghosts of her own haunted past.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

FEBRUARY 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Set against the violent wilderness of the moors and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution, Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula: a captivating story of appetite and desire.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The highly anticipated fifth novel in the New York Times bestselling Bone Season series-an epic and spellbinding fantasy from the author of The Priory of the Orange Tree.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret―and that she’s been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
An addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

Grave Empire by Richard Swan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed – and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget about takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique returns with another glittering dark fantasy about a deadly mystery that spans worlds and a teenage girl who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

Wooing The Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality.

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From New York Times-bestselling author Libba Bray comes an evocative and groundbreaking young adult historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.

MARCH 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series. Sunrise on the Reaping revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the acclaimed author of Chef’s Kiss, a groundbreaking trans Regency romance that’s both delightfully witty and refreshingly iconoclastic.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave―the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the national bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the author of White Horse comes a terrifying and resonant novel about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth about her sister’s death.

The Hymn to Dionysus Natasha Pulley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A timely reimagining of the story of Dionysus-Greek god of ecstasy, revelry, and ruin-and a captivating queer love story for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The author of the New York Times bestselling horror phenomenon She Is a Haunting is back with a novel about the monsters that swim beneath us . . . and live within us.

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Hilarious and twisted, propulsive and furious, All the Other Mothers Hate Me is a mix of Catastrophe and Fleabag with a dash of Nancy Drew.

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

APRIL 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to ask: do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Bestselling Rebel of the Sands author Alwyn Hamilton is back with a glittering fantasy thriller about a glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and Hereditary.

City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A vibrant and emotional science fantasy about cousins trapped in mirrored worlds – the resplendent and verdant summer city and the ice-carved wastes of the winter city. For fans of Every Heart a Doorway and This is How You Lose the Time War.

Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the National Book Award finalist and author of Pet comes a novel set in a magical West African world, about a teen girl who must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers.

The Staircase In The Woods by Chuck Wendig

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Don’t Sleep With The Dead by Nghi Vo

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From award-winning author Nghi Vo comes Don’t Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

Senseless by Ronald Malfi

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A page-turning, supernaturally-tinged LA puzzle-box thriller – Zodiac with teeth, from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated and bestselling author of Come with Me. Perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Lauren Beukes.

Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mercy Street, a tense, propulsive family drama set in Shanghai, where a fractured American family faces its complicated past

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Knives Out meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy stand-alone romantasy set in the same world as USA Today bestselling author Kaylie Smith’s BookTok sensation Phantasma! The print edition includes custom silver foiling on the cover.

MAY 2025 BOOK RELEASES

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ―along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In the first book of a searing new dystopian trilogy, a young woman must conceal her psychic powers—and her attraction to her handsome, infuriating commanding officer—as she works undercover to take down a brutal government from within.

My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.

Overgrowth by Mira Grant

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series meets Plain Bad Heroines in this sapphic dark academia fantasy by instant national and international bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In this opposites attract romance for fans of Begin Again and Better Than the Movies, a fresh start doesn’t have to mean changing yourself.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The next gripping, atmospheric horror novel from NYT bestselling author Christopher Golden, set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, TX.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A twisty thrill-ride of unforgettable drama and suspense that “encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescents playing adult games” (Ali Hazelwood) from USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto, The Thrashers will keep you up at night desperate to read just one more page.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From NYT bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy sensation, a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one infuriating knight whose future is beyond her sight. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Leigh Bardugo.

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
In Regency England, the eccentric Colebrook sisters are amateur detectives who use their wits and invisibility as “old maids” to fight injustice in this delightful and fiercely feminist novel of mystery and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

JUNE 2025 BOOK RELEASES

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program and the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by Victoria E. Schwab

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From V. E. Schwab, the No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying, unforgettable novel to sink your teeth into.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
The beautiful and heartwarming new romance from Becky Albertalli, best-selling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
#1 NYT-bestselling YA author Renee Ahdieh’s adult debut novel, about a young lawyer who gets pulled in to manage a crisis with her firm’s biggest client, a family whose Korean beauty brand is worth a billion dollars, pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.

He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive in this sparkling romantic murder mystery: it’s murder cute in the first degree when a detective finds himself falling for the lead suspect in a career-making case.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A blistering literary suspense novel about a ghostwriter who is hired to write the last book for her estranged father and finds herself investigating the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975.

The Beautiful Maddening by Shea Ernshaw

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw comes a haunting romantic contemporary fantasy about a teen navigating her family’s love curse that blooms with their enchanted tulips every year.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

What books are you looking forward to picking up in the first half of the year? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Anticipated Book Releases Hitting Shelves In 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Welcome to 2022, but more importantly, welcome to a whole lot of new book releases to look forward to over the next year!

In this round up, we take a look at an array of highly anticipated books releasing between the months of January and June. From new releases from favourite authors such as Rachel Lynn Solomon, Sarah J. Maas, Tahereh Mafi, Marlon James, Emily St. John Mandel, Holly Black, Christina Lauren, Ryan Sager, and many more, to absolutely dazzling debuts, you’re sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list!

Stay tuned as we’ll be releasing more 2022 lists for several genres!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite January to June 2022 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! 

JANUARY

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A destitute woman deceives her way into the guesthouse of a Hollywood Hills mansion and inadvertently becomes a target in the twisted game of the wealthy family upstairs in the next intoxicating novel from Eliza Jane Brazier.

Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Anything But Fine is a hilarious coming of age story about a gay ballerina who loses his dancing dreams, but finds his true self and his first love. 

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Three years ago, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were the brightest literary stars on the horizon, their cowritten books topping bestseller lists. But on the heels of their greatest success, they ended their partnership on bad terms, for reasons neither would divulge to the public. They haven’t spoken since, and never planned to, except they have one final book due on contract.

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In his adult novel debut, Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and NAACP Image Award finalist and ALA Alex and New England Book Award winner Tochi Onyebuchi delivers a sweeping science fiction epic in the vein of Samuel R. Delany and Station Eleven.

Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series comes the first book in a brand-new duology about forbidden magic and dangerous secrets, for readers of Victoria Aveyard and Margaret Rogerson.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

A Thousand Steps by T. Jefferson Parker
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A Thousand Steps is a beguiling thriller, an incisive coming-of-age story, and a vivid portrait of a turbulent time and place by three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker.

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut “that is both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable.” (Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate).

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this epic YA fantasy debut, magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology that’s perfect for fans of There Will Come a Darkness, The Gilded Wolves, and We Hunt the Flame.

FEBRUARY

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide… 

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—bestselling author Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From debut author Kit Mayquist, a propulsive and atmospheric modern Gothic with all the splendor of The Great Gatsby . . . and all the secrets, lies, and darkness that opulence can hide.

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Three generations of abused women must navigate their chilling new reality as a mysterious epidemic of violence sweeps the nation in this compelling novel of self-discovery, legacy, and hope.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Both a brilliant narrative device—seeing the story told in Black Leopard, Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman—as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire, Moon Witch, Spider King delves into Sogolon’s world as she fights to tell her own story. Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, it is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The debut adult novel by the bestselling and award-winning YA author Nina LaCour, following two women on a star-crossed journey toward each other. (Edit: Yerba Buena will now publish on May 31st 2022)

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Axie Oh’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong,” perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s SpiritedAway.

Lease On Love by Falon Ballard
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Beach Read meets The Flatshare in this warmly funny and delightfully sharp debut rom-com about a down-on-her-luck young woman who turns an innocent mix-up between a dating app and a roommate app into a new chance at love.

The Verifiers by Jane Pek
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Introducing a sharp-witted heroine for the 21st century: a new amateur sleuth exploring the landscape—both physical and virtual—of New York in a debut novel about love, technology, and murder.

MARCH

Sundial by Catriona Ward
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sundial is a new, twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, internationally bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street.

Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The much-acclaimed viral sensation from Olivie Blake, The Atlas Six—now newly revised and edited with additional content, is a dark academic debut fantasy with an established cult following that reads like The Secret History meets The Umbrella Academy.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of the breakout thriller Every Last Fear, comes Alex Finlay’s electrifying next novel The Night Shift, about a pair of small-town murders fifteen years apart―and the ties that bind them.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.

Lakelore by Anna Marie McLemore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake – but can they keep their worlds above water intact?

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Golden Couple is the next electrifying novel from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo behind You Are Not Alone, An Anonymous Girl, and The Wife Between Us.

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Nisha Sharma’s hilarious new romantic comedy inspired by The Taming of the Shrew features a love-phobic TV doctor who must convince a love-obsessed homebody they are destined to be together.

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A mythic love story set in Trinidad and Tobago, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s radiant debut introduces two unforgettable outsiders brought together by their connection with the dead.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A wry and bold debut novel, which is at once an irresistible catastrophe waiting to happen and an unflinching exploration of how we narrate the stories of our lives, as an aspiring novelist finds herself stalking—and writing about—her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.

The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed―perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

APRIL

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After.

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.

Reputation by Lex Croucher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl with a dash of Jane Austen, in Reputation, a Regency-era historical romantic comedy with a deliciously feminist twist, from a hilarious new British voice, Lex Croucher.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.

I Am the Ghost in Your House by Maria Romasco Moore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of Some Kind of Animal comes a wildly unique story about an invisible girl struggling to see herself in a world obsessed with appearances.

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Meet the women of Buckhead — a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships. Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead — and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This seething, gut-punch of a thriller can only have sprung from the fiendish brain of Tarryn Fisher, one of the most cunning writers of our time.

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter’s discovery that she has the power to change her family’s legacy.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A searing and compassionate new novel about a young Black nurse’s shocking discovery and burning quest for justice in post-segregation Alabama, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with a hilarious rom-com about two strangers who get trapped in a lie and have to fake date their way out of it…

The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Thirty, flirty, and asexual Joy is secretly in love with her best friend Malcolm, but she’s never been brave enough to say so. When he unexpectedly announces that he’s met the love of his life—and no, it’s not Joy—she’s heartbroken. Malcolm invites her on a weekend getaway, and Joy decides it’s her last chance to show him exactly what he’s overlooking. But maybe Joy is the one missing something…or someone…and his name is Fox.

MAY

Book of Night by Holly Black
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus.

Hide by Kiersten White
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar) and New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners present a charming and laugh-out-loud funny novel filled with adventure, treasure, and, of course, love.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need…

Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer expands the Cursebreaker world in an electrifying new series.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.

City of Orange by David Yoon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This imaginative and affecting new novel is beloved, bestselling, and award-winning author David Yoon at his finest: thought-provoking and heart-piercing, by turns funny and challenging, and at all times deeply human. 

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches…

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder, from the acclaimed author of The Hunting Wives.

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Merida goes on an all-new, life-changing adventure in this original YA novel set several years after the close of Brave!

Boys, Beasts & Men by Sam J. Miller
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In Nebula Award-winning author Sam J. Miller’s devastating debut short-fiction collection, featuring an introduction by Amal El-Mohtar, queer infatuation, inevitable heartbreak, and brutal revenge seamlessly intertwine. Whether innocent, guilty, or not even human, the boys, beasts, and men roaming through Miller’s gorgeously crafted worlds can destroy readers, yet leave them wanting more.

JUNE

Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of the critically-acclaimed Blackwing trilogy comes Ed McDonald’s Daughter of Redwinter, the first of a brilliant fantasy series about how one choice can change a universe.

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this dangerously sexy rom-com that evokes the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, a prince who wants to live out of the spotlight falls for a daring American rapper who turns his life, and the palace, upside down.

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A dazzling epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award Finalist Sabrina & Corina.

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

How much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?Bestselling author Kalynn Bayron continues the story of Briseis and her family’s deadly magic in the sequel to This Poison Heart.

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A people-pleasing bridesmaid-for-hire falls for the crushable new lesbian in town. Will she finally find her happily ever after—and her own voice? 

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense and gasp-worthy twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake will shock readers until the very last page.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A Discovery of Witches meets The Craft in this the first installment of this epic fantasy trilogy about a group of childhood friends who are also witches.

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the first book of a visionary African and Arabian-inspired fantasy trilogy, three women band together against a cruel Empire that divides people by blood.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Evvie Drake Starts Over meets Beach Read in this heartwarming and hilarious novel about a divorced romance channel screenwriter whose script about her marriage’s collapse just might help her reclaim her life and find love.

We All Fall Down by Rose Szabo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The first book in a dark fantasy YA duology by the author of What Big Teeth, about the power and danger of stories and the untold costs of keeping magic alive, perfect for fans of Aiden Thomas and Marie Rutkoski.

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

She was the face that launched a thousand ships, The fierce beauty at the heart of Olympus, And she was never ours to claim. A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

What 2022 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2022 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if any catch your eye!

Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A dark, queer YA fantasy that’s perfect for fans of the Three Dark Crowns series and Wicked Saints. After Emanuela Ragno kills the one person in Occhia who can create water, she must find a way to save her city from dying of thirst. 

This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set over the course of one day, Aminah Mae Safi’s This Is All Your Fault is a smart and voice-driven YA novel that follows three young women determined to save their indie bookstore.

Come On In by Adi Alsaid
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This exceptional and powerful anthology explores the joys, heartbreaks and triumphs of immigration, with stories by bestselling and beloved YA authors who are themselves immigrants and the children of immigrants.

Hush by Dylan Farrow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Graceling meets Red Queen in this exciting debut novel by an electrifying new voice.

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ashley Poston, acclaimed author of Heart of Iron, returns with a dark, lush fairy tale–inspired fantasy for fans of Sara Raasch and Susan Dennard.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater and Morgan Beem
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

#1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater (the Raven Cycle series) and artist Morgan Beem unearth the primal power of memory and how it twists the bond between two brothers.

The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice by Lisa DeSelm
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Pinocchio meets Frankenstein in this dark fairy tale retelling where a young girl is commissioned to build an assassin for a dark-hearted tyrant.

Something Happened To Ali Greenleaf by Hayley Krischer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of Rory Power and Laurie Halse Anderson, this sharp, emotional debut follows two girls as they navigate tumultuous relationships, the effects of trauma, and what empowerment means to them.

Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the award-winning author of The Truth of Right Now comes a stunning, grounded fantasy in the vein of Dread Nation that follows a black teen as she finds her place among a family of women gifted with magical abilities.

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Jennifer Donnelly, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Stepsister, comes a fairytale retelling that’ll forever change the way you think about strength, power, and the real meaning of “happily ever after.”

Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A teenage girl wonders if she’s inherited more than just a heart from her donor in this compulsively readable debut. 

You Know I’m No Good by Jessie Ann Foley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This razor-sharp novel from Printz Honor winner and Morris Award finalist Jessie Ann Foley will appeal to fans of Rory Power and Mindy McGinnis.

What October YA releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post October 2020 Book Releases: YA appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi Maggie! Thanks for being here! To start off, how would you describe your particular writing style to someone who might not have come across any of your work before

Dreamy! Complicated! Moody! Recursive! No one really knows what their hair looks like from the back, and no one really knows what their writing feels like to others. But those are some of the words people have told me about my own work. I can only tell you what’s important to me as a writer and reader: mood. I very much want to take the reader to one specific feeling and lead them around there in ever tighter circles.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is out on October 13th! What can readers expect?

An origin story about feeling intensely out of place in your own skin.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is the very first graphic novel for you! How is writing a graphic novel different from writing a prose novel? What sort of new challenges did you have to face?

I love whimsical language, and it felt daunting to have that tool taken away from me. But ultimately it was both a satisfying storytelling challenge and also a kind of gift. At the time I wrote Swamp Thing, I was quite ill and getting more so each day, dogged by what I now know was a pituitary tumor wreaking havoc. All I knew at that time, though, was that my body was a wreck, and my mind was too. Short term memory had disappeared, and language was slipping. Holding an entire story in my mind often felt like an impossible task. This was terrifying, of course, but it was also crushing on an identity level. I feel like I was made to write stories, and for the first time in my life, I was struggling to do that.

Because a graphic novel script is all story and no prose, however, I got to create a story even when story telling was very hard for me. I’m so grateful for that.

What intrigued you about Alec Holland/Swamp Thing’s story, and what inspired you to portray him as a normal teenager instead of the monstrous plant elemental he has been made out to be?

I think a lot of people might say there isn’t a lot of difference between a monstrous plant elemental and a normal teenager. And heck, maybe that’s actually what the book is about. It’s about not being able to understand each other, about not being able to understand yourself. That’s a very teen experience. I don’t recommend all teens turn into organic plant monsters, but I do think that if everyone can learn a lot by asking “is there a better way to communicate with this foreign-seeming entity I’m faced with?” We’re all aliens to each other, all monstrous to each other, and only finding out how to speak in common languages bridges that gap. It might seem like a less remarkable magic trick than it really is because it happens every day thousands of time other, but what an amazing thing that one entity can ever understand what another entity is feeling.

Without spoiling anything, can you tell us about a particular scene you enjoyed writing the most?

There’s a scene that I think is pretty 2020 that involves a bird and a box of purple ooze.

The second book in the Dreamer Trilogy is among the most anticipated releases of 2021! And so, I have to ask, can you give us a little teaser as to what’s in store for us?

Crime. Kissing. Art. Dreams. Cats with hands.

What’s next for you, aside from books two and three of the Dreamer Trilogy? Any more graphic novels on the horizon?

No, it is secrets, everything is secrets, I could tell you, but then I’d have to turn you into a plant elemental.

With the current state of the world being as it is, how are you putting up with all the new changes we’ve been having to make in our daily lives?

Like many other people in the world, I’ve coped by making myself a better schedule and also arranging for my car to have a bigger turbo. I also got two cats, one of whom set herself on fire last week (she’s fine)(the fire went out as she threw herself through the air at me)(I only bled a little).

Are you going to be doing online launch events for Swamp Thing: Twin Branches? What is the best way for readers to support your book?

You can find out all event info by following me on Twitter at mstiefvater or on Instagram Maggie_stiefvater. And you can get signed copies of it and all my other books at the indie store One More Page, who ships everywhere.

And finally, do you have any book recommendations for us?

I’m currently reading Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande, which is about complex problem-solving as seen through the lens of medicine, and just finished reading Blood Child, by Octavia Butler, which was a splendidly uncomfortable collection of short stories.

Will you be picking up Swamp Thing: Twin Branches? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Maggie Stiefvater, Author of ‘Swamp Thing: Twin Branches’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Now, I’m not someone who’s very familiar with the DC Universe, and I’ll admit I only heard about Swamp Thing for the first time when this book was announced. What initially drew me to this book was the fact that it’s written by Maggie Stiefvater, one of my insta-buy authors; but the first look at the interior artwork immediately made Swamp Thing: Twin Branches one of my most anticipated books for 2020, because holy wow, would you look at that gorgeous art style?

Before I get into the review, here’s something I think you should know before picking this up, especially if you’re unfamiliar with Swamp Thing like I had been: this book is seriously creepy. Illustrator Morgan Beem does a crazy good job of capturing the animal/human to plant transformations, and those illustrations really are the stuff of nightmares. So, if you think seeing deformed animals/humans might be triggering for you, you probably want to avoid this book.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is the story of Alec and Walker, twin brothers who are the polar opposites of each other. Alec is the quiet and shy botany nerd, while Walker is the extrovert. The summer before the two begin college, they get sent to live with their cousins in the country. Walker just wants to spend the whole summer partying hard, but Alec would like nothing but to hide away at the summer school laboratory and conduct his experiment on accessing the memory of plants and making it possible for humans to understand their language. Little do they know that Alec’s project does it work a little too well, and their summer is about to get a whole lot weirder and spookier than any of them could possibly have imagined…

I’m very much in awe of the way both creators have managed to pack so much detailed characterisation within only a couple hundred pages. Alec is a character I think most readers would relate to. For those of you who know DC’s Swamp Thing aka Alec Holland as the monstrous, grotesque, supernatural being, this book should come as a surprise to you, because the Alec we see here is just a teenage boy, who prefers the company of plants over humans and is always doing his absolute best to avoid any form of socialisation (which, in all honesty, is #relatable). He has always lived in his charming and charismatic brother’s shadow, desperate to escape people’s judgement, and his constant struggle to fit in deeply resonated with me.

As for Walker, I came to adore him so much more than I had expected to! I loved how supportive he was of Alec even when he couldn’t understand what was going on with his brother, and I do wish we had gotten to see a little more of him. At the heart of the story is, of course, the heartwarming relationship the twins share; I definitely cried a little every time I found them showing up and being there for each other despite having their differences and each of them carrying heavy emotional baggage of his own. There’s also a romance in this book that, while being only a subplot, worked out surprisingly well.

Maggie’s storytelling is, as always, mystical, beautiful, and just a little on the bizarre side. Morgan Beem’s art is alluring and atmospheric, and I loved the colour palettes that went with the story so well; you wouldn’t be able to stop turning the pages. When it comes to the pacing of the story, Swamp Thing: Twin Branches isn’t as swift as most graphic novels; instead it allows you time to soak in the words and savour the illustrations thoroughly, and the relatively slow pace was something that I felt suited Alec’s story perfectly, who himself says at one point: “The world goes too fast. I want time to watch and think about what everything means,…”

With all of that said, I did have one issue with Swamp Thing: Twin Branches: the ending seemed very abrupt; it’s bound to leave you dissatisfied and wanting more.  I was wrapped up in the story enough for the ending to seem jarring, and I felt incredibly betrayed when I found out that the book does not, in fact, go on forever. So rude.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is a very bittersweet story; it’s dark and heavy and sad, but it’s also hopeful in a really sweet manner. If you are a fan of superhero stories, I’m pretty sure it’s already on your TBR, and if you are someone who loves graphic novels and fantasy stories in general, I’d urge you to pick this up too; because I can assure you the book is wild, arresting and unpredictable in ways you’d never see coming.

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 13th 2020.

Will you be picking up Swamp Thing: Twin Branches? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Twins Alec and Walker Holland have a reputation around town. One is quiet and the other is the life of any party, but they are inseparable. For their last summer before college, the two leave the city to live with their rural cousins, where they find that the swamp holds far darker depths than they could have imagined.

While Walker carves their names into the new social scene, Alec recedes into a summer school laboratory, because he brought something from home on their trip—it’s an experiment that will soon consume him. This season, both brothers must confront truths, ancient and familial, and as their lives diverge, tensions increase and dormant memories claw to the surface.

The post Review: Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The world of YA literature has been getting progressively more and more diverse (*takes out a celebratory horn and blows on it excitedly*) – starting off with more gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters. But new releases over the last couple of years are also filled with better representation of other sexual identities and orientations, including trans , ace, and demi characters, to enby love stories! We still have a long way to go, but even these slight changes in representation in YA lit gives me hope!

And that’s why I decided to put together a short list of YA characters of different sexual orientations and identities and the books they come from, plus it’s a fantastic time to discover them with Pride Month!

Gay Characters

Jack from Jack of Hearts by L.C. Rosen

Jack is an out and proud gay guy who is through worrying about stereotypes! So what if he fits into one! He likes makeup, fancy clothes, and sex and is proud of that! Jack is a very iconic gay character because he is so unapologetic about being himself and he writes a very educational column about sex for his school. Jack of Hearts is not a coming out story – this is the story of everything that comes after that. If you are looking for a fresh and unique read with chilling twists, this one might be just perfect for you!

Ronan from Call Down the Hawk ­by Maggie Stiefvater

Now Ronan is a character you probably already heard about if you love YA as he is one of the most beloved characters in the subgenre of magical realism and his love story with a certain someone is one for the ages! There are many sides to Ronan, but one of the things I find most inspiring about his story is how he reconciles his faith with his sexuality. Pick this book up if you love lyrical writing, mind-blowing plot twists, and beautiful relationships. And a quick tip – read The Raven Cycle before jumping into Call Down the Hawk!

Griffin from History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Silvera is well known for his heart-wrenching stories and this one is no exception! But while Griffin has to battle grief at losing his first love, we also get a front-row seat at him confronting both his past and present in order to move on with his life. Despite it being a sorrowful story of loss and pain that comes with it, History Is All You Left Me is also filled with hope and all the best things of being young and in love for the first time.

Lesbian Characters

Aline Penhallow from Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare is well known for diversity in her books, but one of her latest series, The Eldest Curses, follows a M/M and a F/F couple making it her first with LGBTQ+ main protagonists! And one of the girls in the book, Aline Penhallow, is a true firecracker and an epic heroine! We met her for the first time back in The Mortal Instruments, but this book really makes her shine!

Cameron Post from The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Cameron’s story is basically a classic lesbian coming-of-age story at this point. When Cameron is shipped to a conversion therapy after being found with a girl, her life is turned upside down and she starts to dig deeper and question the expectations of life. This is not only a story of the damaging reality that is conversion therapy, but also an exploration of female sexuality and a hot-take on sex and sexuality in general.

Lei from Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

This series was one of the most hyped ones back in 2018 and rightfully so! Lei is a strong female protagonist that has to fight against injustice and tyranny of her world, but there is also a sweet component of forbidden love woven into this rather hard-hitting story. As you follow Lei on her journey and see as she slowly realises she has feelings for her fellow king’s consort, you won’t be able to not fall in love with their powerful love story!

Bisexual Characters

Levi from Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Ace of Shades is a perfect read for any fans of epic plot twists and swoon-worthy characters! Levi is a leader of a notorious gang and the type of character you can’t help but adore! I sometimes jokingly say that he is basically Kaz Brekker and Jesper Fahey (both characters from Six of Crows) combined – witty, hella charming, but also cunning and ambitious. He is a joy to read about and he is a main, bisexual Black character.

Jesper Fahey and Nina Zenik from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This duology is super diverse in different ways and basically anyone is able to find themselves in one of the characters! Two of the most beloved ones are naturally the bisexual legends Nina and Jesper, who slay not only with their weapons of choice but also with their charm and flirtatious ways! One of the other characters pointed this out even in the book: “…he sometimes suspected they could forgo all of Kaz’s planning and simply let Jesper and Nina flirt the entirety of Ketterdam into submission.” – Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo

Noam from The Fever King by Victoria Lee

This epic dystopian duology follows a story of a techopath Noam as he tries to navigate the treacherous ways of his corrupt government and save his people. But of course there is also a beautiful queer love story in the heart of The Fever King – a love between two boys who learn to trust and love each other despite the horrid world they grew up in.

Leah from Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Did someone say an epic and fluffy book about two epic bisexual queens?! If that’s what you are looking for, search no more! This beautiful Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda spin-off concentrates on Leah, Simon’s best friend, that is trying to come out to her friends and go after the girl she loves. Leah on the Offbeat is filled with cuteness interwoven with more serious topics, a mix we’ve come to expect and love from Albertalli! A perfect summer read if there ever was one!

Asexual and Demisexual Characters

Rick from Rick by Alex Gino

While not technically YA (it’s a middle grade story), Rick is the kind of story that will leave you full of hope for the better tomorrow! This middle grade book about a young boy who already knows that he is just not interested in people in that way is a wonderful and poignant story about sexuality and how there is no ‘right’ age to figure out who you are (or are not) attracted to. And how you and your feelings are valid no matter what others say.

Alice from Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Alice is prepping for a perfect summer when her girlfriend dumps her after finding out Alice is asexual. No more romantic star-gazing or bingeing favourite TV shows together, but then Takumi comes along and Alice realises she might not be as done with dating as she anticipated. There is beautiful intersectionality in this book as Alice is asexual, biromantic, and Black! Prepare to swoon with this cute YA rom-com that explains it is perfectly okay to want love but not sex. 

Felicity Montague from The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

Felicity fights for and then owns her sexuality (and her desire to become a doctor) in times when women were expected to marry young and stay quiet about it. As we follow Felicity on an adventure of her lifetime (Pirates! Dragons! Dogs!), we learn about the lives of women in the 1700s in a realistic yet hopeful manner. This is a feminist book your heart longs for with great representation as Felicity is on the asexual/aromantic spectrum!

Aled from Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Hands down one of the sweetest characters in modern YA lit is Aled Last, the secondary main characters of Radio Silence and the creator of the famous podcast Universe City. He explains in the book that he is demisexual and that that also makes sense in terms of his relationship. The author also said before that she believes that sometime in the future Aled will come to identify as non-binary.

Non-Binary, Trans, and Gender Fluid Characters

Ben from I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

Ben is a 17-year-old that gets thrown out of their house on Christmas day after they come out to their parents as non-binary. Ben is forced to move in with their estranged sister and finish their senior year at a new school, but everything is not as bleak as it seems. The main protagonists of I Wish You All the Best defy all the norms society forces on us, discovering a lot about themselves on the way, and coming out victorious! It is a realistic story of finding your voice and accepting it – sometimes sorrowful but with infinite possibilities for happiness and love.

Melissa from George by Alex Gino

Okay so I am cheating yet again by adding another gorgeous middle-grade book by Gino, but these stories of Rick and Melissa are too beautiful to pass up and perfect reads for anyone craving good asexual and trans rep! Melissa is a girl and she knows that despite what everyone else keeps telling her. And she will make other see her for who she really is… Melissa and not George! George is a truly stunning story that teaches about the power of friendship and acceptance that make even the hardest of situations bearable – especially when there are zoo and theatre and skirts involved!

Zee from The Disasters by M.K. England

The Disasters is a perfect read for all the fans of The Illumiane Files, a fast-paced space adventure with an amazing and diverse cast of characters (Bi rep! Trans rep! PoC characters! Muslim characters! Mental health rep!). I could go on and on about what a fun and adventurous book this is, but I’ll dedicate this time to screaming about the amazing trans girl medic called Zee. Her eyeliner is on point and she will kick you if you cross her. Hard.

Riley Cavanaugh from Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

This beautiful story of coming to terms with yourself will introduce you to a snarky and rebellious teen you will inevitably fall for – without worrying about their gender! Riley is a gender fluid teen in a conservative town, finding their solace in an anonymous blog. But when the blog goes viral and Riley’s anonymity is compromised, Riley will have to decide between standing their ground or running away from everything they built with it.

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

The post 18 YA Books With Queer Characters appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

For more than a decade, Taylor Swift has been blessing us with catchy songs and lyrics to-die-for! She went from cutesy country songs to badass pop singles, and gorgeous love ballads. As much as we adore all her albums, I am sure that we all have slight preferences – be it her sweet debut album Taylor Swift or the snarky Reputation one! And since this quarantine is the perfect time to add some new books to your TBR, I made a list of YA books you should read based on your favourite T-Swift album! Without further ado, here are some epic YA recs that you can read while blasting Taylor at full volume!

TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor’s self-titled debut album is an almost all-country album that is sweet and fluffy, while talking about high school life, heartbreak, and longing. There are a few songs, like Picture to Burn, that show the sass and confidence we get to expect from the singer in her later albums, but mostly this album is all sugar. So the books selected reflect that sweet quality of the album with occasional bursts of passion and anger! 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
The To All the Boys trilogy is one of the most beloved YA contemporary series in the book community, best known for its fluff, plenty of baking sequences, and mostly for its ability to divide fans into teams. We follow Lara Jean, a sweet and shy 16-year old who comes face to face with all her past crushes, when her well-hidden love letters to them come out. Drama ensues. 

Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Geekerella might be an adorbs retelling, but with its endless fandom references, an actual actor-geek romance blooming, and a convention in the making it is also a beautiful love letter to fandoms and all their magic. Elle is a huge fan of a classic sci-fi show Starfield and Darien, a famous heartthrob and a secret geek, snatched the role of the main character, Prince Carmindor, in the Starfield reboot. As their paths cross, they learn a lot about themselves and also about the fandom they (in many ways) dedicated their lives to.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
This beautiful graphic novel is simply the cutest story of first love and self-discovery you will ever stumble upon! Nick and Charlie are high school students in an all-boys school. They are desk mates in class and when their unlikely friendships starts blooming into something more in time, we get a chance to witness a truly inspiring and queer love story that will give solace to the generations to come. 

FEARLESS

Her second album, Fearless, is a country pop album where Taylor delves deeper into her romantic relationships and her perception of them. One of the most prominent underlying themes of this album is unrequited love and yearning that comes with it, making the songs on this album an audio equivalent of seating on your bed, gazing out the window at the falling rain, and daydreaming about the person that puts your heart on fire. To honour Fearless, I picked three books that talk of growing up, growing into yourself, of unrequited love, and longing.

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
This is another one of those stories where the characters just suck you in and make you root for them no matter what! When eighteen-year-old Ever is forced to spend her summer in far away Taiwan to improve her Mandarin, she is convinced that her perfect summer of dancing is over. She soon realises that the strict program is actually dubbed ‘Loveboat’ by students and might actually present a chance to be as free as she wants to be and dance her heart out. This is a story of finding yourself, a story of first loves, and giving your dreams everything you’ve got. 

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
When Jamie, an awkward geeky guy who likes to stay behind the scenes on political campaigns, and Maya, a girl with a heap of problems who is having the worst Ramadan ever, are forced to work together on political canvassing, it seems like the end of a perfectly good summer. But as they get more and more invested in the cause they are canvassing for, they also start falling for each other. Yes No Maybe So is both a love story and an ode to activism, finding your cause, and fighting for what you believe in.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Fake dating trope, cynical view of love, and the improbable odds that change that? Sign me right up! This cute contemporary follows a girl named Becca who gave up on love when her dad walked out on her and her mother, and a boy named Brett who jumps in to help her with a fake boyfriend ruse to get people off his back about not dating in high school will steal your heart! It’s a sweet and fluffy read but with underlying themes of heartbreak, letting go of the past, and believing in love.

SPEAK NOW

Speak Now was the first album written solely by Taylor. This album took her a bit closer to the pop genre with a sprinkle of country here and there, and Swift also expanded on her themes. She still sings about love and heartbreak, but there are also themes of regret, betrayal, and falling for someone you maybe shouldn’t fall for. So my picks are a hearty mix of said themes! 

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
This lovely contemporary with a magical twist will both break and mend your heart! When Jack meets Kate at a party and they bond almost instantly, he is convinced that she is the one! But then Kate dies unexpectedly – and what should be the end of their story actually marks a beginning of a devastating tale. Jack is sent back to the beginning, to the day he first met Kate, and gets a chance to do it all over again and maybe save Kate in the process. But things are more complicated than they seem and Jack will have to figure out what and who he is willing to sacrifice in order to finally save Kate in one of his many time travels!

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
This is one of the books that will make you think of the ‘what ifs’. As Natasha and Daniel’s paths cross, them falling in love seems impossible. Natasha is twelve hours away from being deported and doesn’t believe in love. Daniel always worked hard to live up to his parent’s expectations, but his heart is that of a poet. Which one of them has it right? Can they beat the odds and actually fall in love or does the universe have different plans for them? The Sun Is Also a Star will make your heart sing with joy, but also face the harsh realities of our world. 

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Now this fantasy book filled with rich imagery and deeper themes might be a more political book, but I believe it might intrigue the fans of Speak Now because of that! When Lei is chosen to be one of the nine king’s consorts picked from the lowest Paper cast, her life is turned upside down. But with the honourable job that threatens to break Lei apart also comes a chance to find out what happened to her mother and fight for her people – and the woman she loves. Will she be able to persist and rebel against the tyrannical king? 

RED

Taylor’s fourth album, Red, was released in October 2012 and it reflects her growth as both a woman and an artist. The title of this album was inspired by the intense emotions she felt during one of the relationships she was in while writing it – and you can feel these emotions throughout the whole album. From burning love and confusion, to jealousy and frustration, the songs dig deeper into one’s psyche and present a more mature angle. Another important theme Taylor touches on is also fame and what it means for her life to be constantly under scrutiny.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
The first book in The Dark Artifices trilogy is just the type of book that will make you feel as if your heart was put through a ringer. We follow parabatai Emma and Julian as they try to navigate the looming threats to the LA Institute, raising Julian’s younger siblings, and most perilous of them all – their feelings for one another. But parabatai are forbidden to fall in love, this can only bring heartbreak and devastation. Can they find a way to be together in secret while keeping the rest of their family and the world safe from ruin? Basically, Lady Midnight deals with a lot of heart-wrenching drama, unresolved issues, and emotions so deep you will need a whole box of tissues to get through the book. 

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Some might argue that every Silvera book is filled with the deepest emotions, the ones that are difficult to face. But this heart-wrenching story of first love and what follows when you lose it in the most permanent of ways packs an especially big punch. As Griffin is trying to deal with the death of his first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, we journey through the past to piece together their story but also to find out what went wrong. The only thing Griffin can do is confront both his past and his present to be able to move on with his life. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Did someone say heartbreak of epic proportions? In this lyrical rendering of the sung-about Trojan War, we see a different side of the story. Not the tale of war and battles, but the tale of fateful love and how it can colour every aspect of your life. As we follow Patroclus and Achilles, epic heroes of the Trojan War, from their childhood all the way to the war we get to know their story of blossoming friendship and later on legendary love.

1989

1989 was Taylor’s first official all-pop album, and the songs are bolder, full of potential, and infinite possibilities. Taylor mentioned that she was inspired by the late 80s pop songs – she still sings about love, but this theme takes a step back to let the themes of self-discovery, leaving idealism behind, and saying goodbye shine.

The books I picked had to be bolder, full of deeper love, and finding yourself in the process, books that aren’t afraid to shine the light on the ugly, call it out, and transform it into something lovelier.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Taylor’s fifth album is full of self-discovery and shows us a different take on love. Nothing sounds more in tune with that than Maggie’s magical book about five characters who work together in order to find a long dead Welsh king and uncover a legend, while also falling in love – but not in the most traditional sense. Love is a very present theme throughout this whole series but it is not limited to the romantic love. In the centre of this magical realism story is the love you feel for your friends and family and how limitless it can make you feel. Let me blast I Wish You Would and cry over all these beautiful character who are all in love with one another. Maybe in different ways, but it is love nonetheless.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
This queer Grease retelling will make you go ‘awww’ on more than one occasion! But the beauty of it is not only in its cute love story (though that is a very important part of it as well), but in the journey these characters go through in the book. Every one of them is facing different inner demons and they find their strength in fighting them but also in realising that they are all dealing with things as best as they know how and need to accept and understand that. 

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
For some reason, 1989 really fits well with magical realism books for me! A dark story of a small town, its founding families, and five teenagers who have to work together in order to save it from a dangerous monster praying on its locals. This might be a book about monsters and mysterious powers, but in its centre it is also a beautiful story of friendship, forbidden love, beating the odds, and standing up for yourself and what you believe in! Did someone say Bad Blood and This Love?

REPUTATION

Taylor’s most badass album to date dropped heavy and unexpected, rocking the music industry, and bringing Taylor heaps of new fans with its confident and edgy songs! Whether this one is your favourite album or not, you can’t deny that Taylor reached new depths with it. From afar, this is an album about bad blood, enemies, and tarnished reputations, but at a closer look, we can see tendrils of love and romance that survive despite all the ugliness and cruelty.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Now, nothing says cunning and badass as much as cruel faeries that are ready to trick you and get you on your knees in no time. In The Cruel Prince, we follow a story of Jude Duarte, a mortal living in the High Court of Faerie. She is often ridiculed and frowned upon for her mortality, but as Jude gets tangled into a dangerous scheme, she realises she possesses all the thirst for blood and cunning she will need to defy the odds and come out on top!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Epic heists, mastermind plans, and beating the odds – Six of Crows has it all, and more! There will never be a duology about heists more perfect than this one, but it’s more than that! It is a story of surviving, of finding your crew even when the world all but abandoned you, of finding love in face of all the pain, and scars you were dealt. As we follow along with a criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker and his epic crew as they try to sneak into the Ice Court and free the most valuable and dangerous prisoner, we learn that this heist is about so much more than the money the crew was promised! No mourners, no funerals.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
This dark academia masterpiece with a gruesome murder in its centre and a group of friends ready to do anything to hide the truth will make you gasp both in horror and twisted delight. The story jumps back and forth – on one hand we follow Oliver Marks as he is released from prison after serving ten years for a murder he might’ve committed, and on the other we delve into the past as we try to piece together what actually happened on that fateful night when one of the seven students, seven Thespians, lost their life. Its many twists and turns are perfect for the fans of a darker and more powerful Reputation. (I might be cheating slightly since this is not technically YA, but it fits Reputation too well to not scream about it!)

LOVER

And last, but never least, Taylor’s most recent album, Lover, which was released in the summer of 2019 and shaked the music industry yet again! Lover is a beautifully romantic album, where Taylor uncovered her personal journey and dared to be vulnerable. The romance is not evident just in the way Taylor sings about her lover, but in the way she sings about everything, as if one puts on the romantic googles. Lover is the album of positivity, vulnerability, and hope, where the main themes are being happy and feeling good.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
This YA classic of a coming out story will warm your heart and make you believe in love again! Simon Spier is an awkward sixteen-year-old with a pen pal who knows Simon’s secret – he’s gay – and who Simon might be in love with. But when someone discovers their emails and starts blackmailing Simon, his life is turned upside down. Will Simon be able to fight off the blackmailer and finally figure out who his mysterious Blue really is? Pick up this cuteness of a book, press play on Lover and buckle up for a geeky ride!

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Nothing says Lover quite like deep yet forbidden love! In Bloodlines, an urban fantasy series that will steal your heart, we follow Sydney Sage who is an Alchemist, a part of a secret society that is tasked with keeping vampires a secret from the rest of mankind. When Sydney is sent on a top-secret mission to keep the Moroi princess safe, she starts questioning her loyalties – especially when said assignment brings an artsy, charming, and sassy Moroi into her life. Do love and loyalty really run deeper than blood? Bloodlines is a beautiful series that next to epic love also tackles some important issues such as mental health and what it really means to defy prejudices you were raised with.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
And we are back at gorgeous retellings that will make you clutch your heart in awe again! When Cinder, ostracised as a cyborg, is forced to volunteer her body for plague research after her stepsister is infected with a plague, her life is turned upside down. Her body carries secrets – secrets not even Cinder knows about. When Prince Kai also steps into the picture and starts falling for Cinder, she must decide between telling the truth and fighting for the future of her world or running away and saving her own life! Cinder (and all the other books in The Lunar Chronicles series) is perfect for fans of Lover – filled with beautiful love stories, badass heroines, and saving the world!

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

The post YA Books Based On Your Favourite Taylor Swift Album appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

When we think of Spotify, we tend to think about the latest albums from Halsey, Harry Styles, and other popular singers and bands, or we think about the hottest hits that are currently taking over the world. Little did most of us know, but there are also audiobooks on Spotify! Specifically, YA science fiction & fantasy novels!

Each audiobook is presented as a playlist and contains 100+ 3-4 minute tracks to make up the whole novel. They’re absolutely free and they are yours for the taking. So if you’re an avid fan of audiobooks, a beginner (just like me), or someone who wants to try audiobooks for the first time, this is your chance! Here are some of the YA SFF Audiobooks you can listen to on Spotify!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

16-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in the place of her sister to fight against 23 other tributes in an arena designed to kill them. Best thing is, the whole trilogy is available to listen to! (Clearly, this is the perfect chance to reread the trilogy before the release of its prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in May.)

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, a princess thrust into power tries to find her father’s killer, but not without facing a world filled with deception.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

What if you knew that you would cause your true love to die? Blue does and she never thought it would be a problem. But that was before she got caught in the strange world of the Raven Boys. (Just like The Hunger Games, the whole series is available on Spotify!)

Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where life continues underwater, Leyla McQueen tries to do everything she can to rescue her father. But with the threat of unfathomable waters, a corrupt government, and a secretive and hotheaded companion, the mission will be a lot harder.

Nameless by Rebecca McLaughlin

In this first instalment of this electrifying fantasy series, Zo must figure out a way to keep her sister safe when she followed Zo into a suicide mission thought to enable her to seek revenge for the death of her parents.

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Sal, a gender fluid thief, joins an audition to become a member of the Queen’s personal assassins to get revenge on the court. But as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of a member of the court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future. Its sequel Ruin of Stars is also available on Spotify.)

Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

When a stranger gives Analiese Jordan a list before he dies, it leads to her learning the truth about her godly ancestors and the deadly power she wields. Now, she finds herself in the middle of a war between gods who want to raise an army of the dead.

Smoke & Key by Kelsey Sutton

In this mysterious, dark world, people receive their names from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Key is determined to discover the truth of her past, but she’s running out of time as someone starts burning others and they all stay dead.

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl

This high-stakes survival story revolves around eight teenagers who outlived an alien attack, only they seem to be more interested in hiding than fighting back. Its conclusion, The Last 7, is also available on Spotify!

Exo by Fonda Lee

Donovan Reyes, son of a Prime Liaison in an Earth ruled by aliens, gets abducted by a human revolutionary group determined to end alien control. But his dad never negotiates with the terrorists and he’s left alone with them. Even worse, if they kill Donovan, it could spark another intergalactic war Earth won’t survive…again.

That’s 10 YA science fiction & fantasy books in the palm of your hands! Try listening to them today (or for the rest of time while you’re stuck at home *wink*)!

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

The post 10 YA SFF Audiobooks You Can Listen To On Spotify appeared first on The Nerd Daily.