Out of Character by Annabeth Albert
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Red, White & Royal Blue meets Fangirl in this heartwarming romcom where two former friends strike an unlikely bargain that could lead to more than either expected.

Flash Fire by TJ Klune
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In the second installment in this hilarious contemporary fantasy trilogy, Nick has landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams but with new heroes arriving in Nova City it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is a friend or a foe.

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson
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From the author of You Should See Me in a Crown comes another stunning novel about being brave enough to be true to yourself, and learning to find joy even when times are unimaginably dark. Packed with irresistible romance, Rise to the Sun is a cinematic story about grief, love and the remarkable power of music to heal and connect us all.

What We Devour by Linsey Miller
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Beauty and the Beast meets Wicked Saints in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of Mask of Shadows duology and Belle Révolte.

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, illustrated by Val Wise
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Annie, a smart anti-social lesbian involuntarily joins the cheerleader squad to make friends and reconnects with her former friend BeeBee, a trans girl who must keep her parents happy to keep their support of her transition. Sparks fly when the two rekindle their friendship and realize just how much they’ve been missing each other.

Fresh by Margot Wood
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Some students enter their freshman college year knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Elliot McHugh is not one of those people. Fresh is all about Elliot’s hilarious yet flawed experiences during freshman year.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
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A YA supernatural thriller about two girls who fall in love when they team up to stop an evil presence terrorizing a smalltown – a story about the things that lurk in the dark, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden and about finding home in places – and people – you didn’t expect.

Anything but Fine by Tobias Madden
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Anything but Fine is about a teenage ballet dancer who breaks his foot and begins to question everything he once took for granted, including his relationship with the dreamy, perfect-in-every-way, and seemingly straight captain of the rowing team.

The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski
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Intrigue, romance and magic abound in this heart-stopping conclusion to Marie Rutkoski’s Forgotten Gods duology.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
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n this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
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David Levithan meets Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All in this haunting standalone historical fantasy that follows a young, queer Jewish immigrant who is possessed by the evil spirit of his murdered best friend and is catapulted into a deadly hunt for a serial killer terrorizing Chicago during the World’s Fair of 1893.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
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 A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in this delightful new queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told Klune’s signature warmth, humor and extraordinary empathy.

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
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The highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an achingly romantic, tender tale sure to captivate fans of Adam Silvera and Mary H.K. Choi. 

The Insiders by Mark Oshiro
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Award-winning YA author Mark Oshiro makes their middle grade debut in this queer coming-of-age story about three kids who don’t belong, a room that shouldn’t exist, and the year that will change everything.

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
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In this YA sci-fi, an heiress flees her controlling father to prevent her test-subject sister’s mind from being reprogrammed—but must ally with a smuggler to outwit a monstrous AI, gravity-shifting gladiatorial pits, and bloodthirsty criminal matriarchs to save her sister and their city.

Tink and Wendy by Kelly Ann Jacobson
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What happens when Tinker Bell is in love with both Peter Pan and Wendy? In this sparkling re-imagining of Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy’s granddaughter Hope Darling finds the reclusive Tinker Bell squatting at the Darling mansion in order to care for the graves of her two lost friends after a love triangle gone awry. 

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes
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A sharp, funny YA debut that’s Back to the Future with a twist, as a gay teen travels back in time to save a closeted classmate’s life.

Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells
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Cursed to kill all those she touches, Lena endures an isolated life on the run from her fellow humans. But when an enigmatic stranger offers to help her break the curse in exchange for her aid in waking a princess hidden in an enchanted forest, Lena embarks on a quest to win her freedom, no matter the cost.

Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl
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The Descendants meets Pretty Little Liars. Four troubled friends, One murdered girl… and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.

The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath
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A genre-defying debut, this queer historical YA centers a wild and reckless trio who fly in the face of small town tradition—full of compassion, love, and determination to live the lives of their choosing.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich
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For fans of What If It’s Us: two boys in America’s biggest boy band fall for each other while on their first sold-out European tour, and are forced to keep their relationship a secret.

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
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The Wicked Deep meets House of Salt and Sorrows in this new standalone YA fantasy set in a snow-cloaked kingdom where witches are burned, and two enchantresses secretly compete for the heart of a prince, only to discover that they might be falling for each other.

Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera reunite to continue the story of Arthur and Ben, the boys readers first fell for in the New York Times bestselling rom-com What If It’s Us.

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling
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Elise, a mortal girl who feels the death of anyone she touches, and Claire, the vampire assigned to recruit her for the Order, as they team up to stop a paranormal killer and realize they might be falling in love.

What queer books have you picked up in the second half of the year or are looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post You Need These New 2021 Queer Book Releases To End The Year appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover some of our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any of them!

Fresh by Margot Wood
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experiences––and missteps––of a girl’s freshman year of college.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
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Best-selling author Julie Murphy’s reimagining of a beloved fairy tale is an enchanting story of self-love and believing in the happy ending each and every one of us deserves.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir” about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
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From the award-winning author of The Serpent King comes a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
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The Pariah begins a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
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No one knew they’d moved in together. Now one of them is dead. Could this be the perfect murder? Will they be able to determine what really happened, or has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime?

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
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June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
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Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places―and people―you didn’t expect.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
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A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author Helen Hoang.

The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
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A brand-new epic fantasy adventure set in the beloved world of the Demon Cycle, following a new generation of heroes, from New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett.

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
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For fans of Wilder Girls and Ninth House comes a dark, twisty, atmospheric thriller about a boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past.

Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko
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Perfect for fans of Small Spaces and Nightbooks, Ally Malinenko’s middle-grade debut is an empowering and triumphant ghost story—with spooky twists sure to give readers a few good goosebumps!

What August 2021 books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

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

Hi, Margot! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! What is one book you wish you’d written yourself, one book you always recommend and one book that you think could make anyone fall in love with the written word?

The book I wish I’d written myself is Just Kids by Patti Smith because then that would mean I’d had lived the life Patti did and that would be so rad (plus it’s just an incredible book I read every year). One book I always recommend is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. It is the funniest book I have ever read and it was the first book I truly fell in love with! A recent book that made me re-fall in love with the written word was Luster by Raven Leilani. It was one of those books where every sentence was carefully crafted and it was just absolutely wonderful to read.

Now onto Fresh! What can readers expect from Elliot’s story?

Readers can expect chaotic queer joy! Though it will probably get the romcom label, I’d argue Fresh is more of a comedy than a romance, but there is romance too! It’s intentionally messy and chaotic and all over the place. I wanted to write something that would be easy to read, a one-sitting book that (sorry for the pun) refreshes your reading palate and gets people back into reading. Most of all I just want people to have fun while reading this book!

I couldn’t put Fresh down! Elliot is such a refreshing character and her voice really bled through the story. What was the writing experience like for you?

Thank you so much! Elliot has been living rent free in my head since 2014 and it’s really exciting that other people are finally getting to meet her! The writing experience was pure joy for me. This was my first attempt at writing a novel so I wasn’t sure if I would like the writing process or not but it turns out, I LOVED IT. I had so much fun writing this book!

There are so many memorable scenes and expressions (“tender chicken” – enough said) that had me in stitches. Without spoiling too much, did you have a favorite scene or gimmick while writing Elliot’s story?

My favorite gimmick by far are the footnotes. I had SOOOOOOO much fun writing those and I wish I could have included so many more but a lot were cut to trim things down. I also really loved being able to use design elements to enhance the story like bulleted lists, script format, font changes, etc. It’s too hard for me to pick one scene I liked the most so I’ll just list some, vaguely so I don’t spoil things: all the laundry room scenes, the dating auction, the fire alarm and all the montages!

There are some epic friend, foe and other relationship dynamics in Fresh and they’re driven by very distinct characters. If you had to encapsulate Elliot, Rose and Lucy’s vibe with one meme each, which ones would you choose?

I’ll stick to TikTok memes for this one! Elliot would be the “Oh no no no” meme, Rose would be the “Touch It” fit montage (or any outfit change trend), and Lucy would probably be really into posting “Day in My Life” videos accompanied with beautiful lofi music.

You tackle a lot of important topics in Fresh and the setting of freshman year in college definitely contribute to the depth of your exploration of responsibility, making mistakes, slut-shaming and so many more topics. What do you want readers to take away from Fresh?

I want readers to know it’s okay if they don’t have it all figured out. It’s okay to go down the wrong path and start over. It’s okay to screw up. It’s okay to be messy.

Fresh is your debut novel. What were challenges you faced when sitting down to write this book? What were some highlights looking back?

I started to write Fresh with no plan in mind. I had a cast of characters, a setting and a few scenes but I had no connecting thread to tie it all together. In the writing world, I’d be what you call a “pantser.” And because I didn’t plan things out in advance, it set me back and took me longer to figure out what I wanted to do with the story. Once I knew where it was going, it was really quick from there, but getting to that point took a long time.

The moment everything clicked and I knew what I wanted to do with this story was the highlight of my writing experience. I was in my kitchen when it hit me and it was like the clouds parted and sky became clear. I furiously wrote down the plot on a yellow legal pad and my hand couldn’t write fast enough. I took a selfie in the moment because I knew it was (as Elliot would say) a Pivotal Life Moment and I wanted to capture it.

If Fresh were to be adapted for the big screen, what three songs would have to be on the soundtrack and during which scenes from the book would you want them to play?

• thank u, next by Ariana Grande would play during Project Tender Chicken.
• brutal by Olivia Rodrigo would play in the middle, right around the intermission.
• Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles would play at the end major moment (you know the one).

With Fresh releasing soon, are you working on another novel already? If so, can you share a tidbit about it with us?

I tend to be the type of writer that doesn’t write every day but rather goes into Extreme Writing Mode does nothing for 3 months but write furiously and crank out a full draft in that time. So, I’m waiting for Fresh to publish before I’m ready to move on to the next thing. . . but I do have some ideas! I think I’ll always stick with comedy as that tends to be my default writing style but what it will be about….we shall see!

Last but not least, share some books that surprised you in 2021 with us!

• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
• Cheer Up by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise
• Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
• Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

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

The post Q&A: Margot Wood, Author of ‘Fresh’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Some stories get you hooked by the end of the first paragraph and Fresh certainly is one of them. In this book, we follow Elliot McHugh, a spunky, provocative, bisexual, and messy AF protagonist during her freshman year at college.

Have you ever heard someone say “I couldn’t quite pin down the voice of the character”? Yeah, reading Fresh was the exact opposite of that experience. Elliot has such a strong voice throughout this narrative (including in footnotes that make for hilarious reading moments) that at times, I could anticipate how she would react to situations and I don’t know if that’s something that floats your boat, but I love that—when you know a character so well that you feel like you’re really in their head, that’s when you know it’s great writing.

What I enjoyed most about this story was how authentic it was. I’m so glad we’re getting more traditionally published books about people in their first college year because it’s an incredibly difficult era of your life. For most, it’s being away from home for the first time, overwhelmed with all the new freedoms and possibilities that come with living on campus, and being responsible for yourself in a way you never were before. Wood delivers a refreshingly stimulating narrative here, from mundane tips like not eating junk food all day every day (advice every college freshman ignores initially, trust me) to the harsher truths that just because you have free rein doesn’t mean you don’t have to take responsibility for the shit you mess up—there are a lot of life and college lessons to be found for readers.

Elliot is by no means a perfect character. She’s flawed, she makes mistakes and most of the time, she’s still trying to figure herself out—from her undeclared major to her difficulty with intimacy, Elliot has a lot on her plate. But instead of shying away from that, Wood buckles down and offers up a character that’s genuine and that you feel for, even when she’s being immature or downright reckless (we’ve all been there) and you can’t help but root for Elliot to find her way through it all.

On top of great characters, you also have a sex-positive story that tackles misogyny, friendship and first heartbreaks, as well as a seamlessly interwoven enemies-to-lovers romance that doesn’t take centre stage but makes you bite your knuckles to the very end as you wait to see whether they will find their way to each other or not. Overall, though, this is a story about figuring yourself out in your first year of college and I recommend this to everyone who’s nervous to start that experience.

A laugh-out-loud and vulnerable coming-of-age story detailing the messy life of a college freshman, Fresh is perfect for fans of The Exact Opposite of Okay and Sex Education!

Fresh is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 19th 2021.

Will you be picking up Fresh? Tellus in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experiences––and missteps––of a girl’s freshman year of college

Some students enter their freshman year of college knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Elliot McHugh is not one of those people. But picking a major is the last thing on Elliot’s mind when she’s too busy experiencing all that college has to offer—from dancing all night at off-campus parties, to testing her RA Rose’s patience, to making new friends, to having the best sex one can have on a twin-sized dorm room bed. But she may not be ready for the fallout when reality hits. When the sex she’s having isn’t that great. When finals creep up and smack her right in the face. Or when her roommate’s boyfriend turns out to be the biggest a-hole. Elliot may make epic mistakes, but if she’s honest with herself (and with you, dear reader), she may just find the person she wants to be. And maybe even fall in love in the process . . . Well, maybe.

The post #ReadWithPride: Fresh by Margot Wood appeared first on The Nerd Daily.