Reading from Noah’s point of view is a completely different experience than when we were reading from Mara’s perspective. Something about Michelle Hodkin’s writing always manages to keep me immersed even if there isn’t anything happening yet.

The second book in The Shaw Confessions Trilogy picks up after The Becoming of Noah Shaw and we follow the adventures of Noah and Goose. Now, as much as I adore the characters I couldn’t help but be a bit confused with where the story was going. I felt like I didn’t get enough time to process what happened before the next event took place and revealed something new. It was nice to get a bit more information than what we previously had. Though it made room for a million new questions. It also left a few still unanswered and I think that’s what might confuse most of us. My head was buzzing with questions that I was hoping this book would reveal. It answered a few and added a bit more to the list.

Noah and Goose end up travelling around quite a lot. Noah also ends up discovering and remembering a few things he didn’t pay attention to before. The events that took place helped in understanding what was going on in the previous book, as well as in The Mara Dyer trilogy. We dove into Noah’s past and that included some of his ancestors. Despite the book lacking Mara, we did unravel a few events from her side of the family, including her grandmother.

As much as I loved the previous books, this one just didn’t make it up there for me. Even after all that I definitely still have hope for the last instalment of this trilogy. Michelle Hodkin has the ability to write the most shocking and intense books and for now I’m just going to look forward to the conclusion of the trilogy.

The Reckoning of Noah Shaw is now available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Have you read The Reckoning of Noah Shaw? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Noah Shaw confesses all in this second novel of a chilling new companion series to Michelle Hodkin’s New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy!

Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance.
He does.

Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions.
There is.

Noah is convinced that he still knows the real Mara Dyer.
He does not.

Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred.

The post Review: The Reckoning of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below which ones you will be checking out!

The Dark Days Deceit by Alison Goodman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The thrilling, genre-bending conclusion to Lady Helen’s demon-hunting adventures, set in the glittering Regency world. In the final book of the trilogy that began with THE DARK DAYS CLUB and continued with THE DARK DAYS PACT, the intrepid Lady Helen’s story hurtles to a shocking conclusion full of action, heartbreak, and betrayal.

This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

It doesn’t matter what the prize for the Sun City Originals contest is this year. Dia knows that without a band, she hasn’t got a shot at winning. Ever since Hanna’s drinking took over her life and left. It used to be the three of them, Dia, Jules, and Hanna, messing around and making music and planning for the future. But now there’s a baby, a failed relationship, a stint in rehab, all kinds of off beats that have interrupted the rhythm of their friendship. No contest can change that. Right?

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Renegades Trilogy continues, in this fiercely awaited second installment after the New York Times-bestselling Renegades by Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles.

Pulp by Robin Talley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this novel told in dual narratives, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley weaves together the lives of two young women connected across generations through the power of words. A stunning story of bravery, love, how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go.

This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lindley Hamilton has been the leader of the space station Lusca since every first-generation crew member on board, including her mother, the commander, were killed by a deadly virus. Lindley always assumed she’d captain the Lusca one day, but she never thought that day would come so soon. When a member of the surviving second generation dies from symptoms that look just like the deadly virus, though, Lindley feels her world shrinking even smaller. The disease was supposed to be over; the second generation was supposed to be immune. But as more people die, Lindley must face the terrifying reality that either the virus has mutated or something worse is happening: one of their own is a killer.

The Reckoning of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Noah Shaw confesses all in this second novel of a chilling new companion series to Michelle Hodkin’s New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy!

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in the world of debutante balls, grand estates and rolling green hills, Little White Lies combines a charming setting, a classic fish-out-of-water story, and the sort of layered mystery only author Jennifer Lynn Barnes can pull off.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. She needs to keep herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardise the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions. The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals. What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

Any Second by Kevin Emerson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Five years after being kidnapped, Elian’s captor sends him into the mall–with a bomb strapped to his chest. Across the mall is Maya, a girl whose crippling anxiety holds her prisoner in its own way. Whether it’s chance or fate, Maya keeps Eli from ending them all. And now nothing is the same. Drawn together by their dark pasts, Maya and Eli know it takes only seconds for their entire worlds to change. But time will tell if meeting each other will change them for better or worse.

Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The summer before her junior year, paleontology geek Natalie Page lands a coveted internship at an Ice Age dig site near Austin. Natalie, who’s also a plus-size fashion blogger, depends on the retro style she developed to shield herself from her former bullies, but vintage dresses and perfect lipstick aren’t compatible with prospecting for fossils in the Texas heat. But nothing is going to dampen Natalie’s spirit — she’s exactly where she wants to be, and she gets to work with her hero, a rock-star paleontologist who hosts the most popular paleo podcast in the world. And then there’s Chase the intern, who’s seriously cute, and Cody, a local boy who’d be even cuter if he were less of a grouch.

The Incredible True Story of the Making of the Eve of Destruction by Amy Brashear
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Arkansas, 1984: The town of Griffin Flat is known for almost nothing other than its nuclear missile silos. Now, film moguls have picked Griffin Flat as the location for a new nuclear holocaust movie, aptly titled The Eve of Destruction. When sixteen-year-old Laura Ratliff wins a walk-on role (with a plus-one!) thanks to a radio call-in contest, she is more relieved than excited. While on set after the scripted nuclear explosion, nobody seems to know if a real nuclear bomb has detonated or not.

The Resolutions by Mia Garcia
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New Years are for fresh starts, but Jess just wants everything to go back to the way it was. From hiking trips, to four-person birthday parties, to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable—and unstoppable. But now, with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been splintering off and growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan. She adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them for each other—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you. But not even the best laid plans can take into account the uncertainties of life.

What YA book are you most excited for this month? Tell us in the comments below!

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

Many of us look forward to picking up books with people of colour characters, especially, when those characters provide greater representation and diversity. This is particularly important within the YA genre with these titles being read by individuals anywhere from the ages of 11 and up. We’ve compiled a list of a few books within the young adult genre with either main or side people of colour characters.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Hate U Give is a shocking and heartbreaking story and one that has touched so many readers, which is why it has recently been adapted into a feature film starring The Hunger Games Amandla Stenberg. The story features Star, an African-American main character, along with other African-American side characters.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Renee Ahdieh’s best-selling The Wrath and The Dawn is a take of One Thousand and One Nights tale, which means it features characters with Arab ethnicity causing myself to desperately read this when I found that out!

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Everything Everything follows a teenage girl with a rare disease which causes her to stay inside 24/7 until she meets the boy-next-door who happens to change everything. Our main character is half Japanese, half African-American, and it has also been adapted into a film with Amandla Stenberg also starring.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Six outcasts with different abilities, and one incredibly dangerous heist, what more could you want? Six of Crows is one of my favourite reads of the year with two of the main characters are mentioned to have dark skin and super killer skills.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A paranormal fantasy (and a personal favourite) where a girl forgets what happened the night her friends died. The problem is she was with them, and managed to escape unharmed. The main character and her siblings are a quarter Indian, plus she also has a friend who is African-American.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Marissa Meyer’s novel Cinder quickly became a best-seller with it following Cinder, a girl who happens to be a skilled mechanic and also a cyborg. The novel is a twist on the Cinderella tale with the main character portrayed as Asian.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lara Jean has written five letters that she keeps in a box. Love letters that she’s written to five different boys that she doesn’t plan on sending, until all five of them receive her letter causing a whole lot of romantic interests and trouble. Lara Jean is half Korean and half Caucasian, and it has recently been released on Netflix with Lana Condor and Noah Centineo starring.

Warcross by Marie Lu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Emika Chen is a teenage hacker who hacks The International Warcross Championship, but that incident doesn’t end the way she’s expecting it to. Our main character has a Chinese background, and you’ll be pleased to know the sequel, Wildcard, has recently been released!

Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ah, Rick Riordan, master of using Greek mythology to create a long running series and world! In this particular series, it features a Hijabi side character, and once you get your hands on one of his books, you’ll soon find you will want all of them.

Are there any other great YA books you would add? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 9 YA Books With POC Characters appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Now that it’s officially fall for half of the world and the weather has turned cold and crisp for half of the world, it means it’s also time to welcome the Halloween season! It’s that time of the year to get spooky, to spend your nights watching and reading horror until Halloween ends, and of course, to put up crazy decorations and wear costumes! To help you spice up your Halloween reads, we are here to suggest a few books and themes that would be perfect for a Halloween binge!

Read A Classic

There are many options you can choose for this prompt, including Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and Inferno by Dante.

Read A Book About Witches

What’s Halloween without a few witches? The obvious choice for this prompt would be Harry Potter, but if you want something different, you can read Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, How to Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather, and Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. Or you know, you can always read the book adaptation of Hocus Pocus!

Read A Book About Curses

Any kind of curse will do! You can read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Compulsion by Martina Boone, The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw, and Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton.

Read A Book About Foreign Myth/Folk Stories

For this prompt, you can read The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and obviously Rick Riordan’s books. If you want something new, you can read an East Asian stories anthology, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings.

Read A Book About Grim Reapers/Death

I really love reading death as a personification, as death/grim reapers always have such a unique voice. They can be really had to find as there are rarely books about them, but you can read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Scythe by Neal Shusterman, A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, and Death or Ice Cream by Gareth P. Jones

Read A Book With An Unreliable Narrator

Unreliable narrators is defined as a narrator whose credibility has been compromised, either because they are the culprit, didn’t remember what happened, or something else. Some of the books with unreliable narrators are The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins, and The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich.

Read A Book With A Creepy Cover

I think we can agree the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series have creepy covers! Other options include Daughters unto Devil by Amy Luckavics, Say Her Name by James Dawson, and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

Happy October! Let us know if you plan on reading any along with the books you will be reading this Halloween in the comments below!

The post Read Some Spooky Books This Halloween appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you have read or will be reading one!

The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin | Goodreads

In the first book of the Shaw Confessions, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, old skeletons are laid bare and new promises prove deadly. This is what happens after happily ever after. Everyone thinks seventeen-year-old Noah Shaw has the world on a string. They’re wrong. Mara Dyer is the only one he trusts with his secrets and his future. He shouldn’t. And both are scared that uncovering the truth about themselves will force them apart. They’re right.

The Temptation of Adam by Dave Connis | Goodreads

Adam Hawthorne is fine even though his mother and older sister left while Adam now spends his nights watching self-curated porn video playlists. When a family friend discovers Adam’s porn addiction, he’s forced to join an addiction support group: the self-proclaimed Knights of Vice. The honesty of the Knights starts to slip past his defenses and combine that with his sister’s out-of-the-blue return, the attention of a girl he meets in an AA meeting, and all the work Adam has put into being fine begins to unravel. Now Adam has to face the causes and effects of his addiction, before he loses his new friends, his prodigal sister, and his almost semi-sort-of girlfriend.

Runebinder by Alex R. Kahler | Goodreads

When magic returned, but greed and thirst for power caused mankind’s downfall instead. Now once-human monsters called Howls prowl abandoned streets, their hunger guided by corrupt necromancers and the all-powerful Kin. Only Hunters have the power to fight back in the unending war, using the same magic that ended civilisation in the first place. Tenn is a Hunter and he becomes singled out by a seductive Kin named Tomás and the enigmatic Hunter Jarrett, Tenn realises he’s become a pawn in a bigger game. One that could turn the tides of war. But if his mutinous magic and wayward heart get in the way, his power might not be used in favour of mankind.

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi | Goodreads

A new adventure about a girl who is fated to wash the bodies of the dead in this companion to Furthermore. Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way). Before she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days washing the bodies of the dead and preparing their souls for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore the way her hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair, and her own ever-increasing loneliness and fear. (NOTE: More so middle grade, but still a great read!)

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody | Goodreads

Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death. When Ryn and a boy named Xander accidentally swap phones, they are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer | Goodreads

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they are a symbol of hope and courage…except to the villains they once overthrew. Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. Closing in on her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga | Goodreads

Taliah Abdallat never thought she’d ever really meet Julian Oliver, but one day the famed rock star shows up on her doorstep because Julian Oliver is Taliah’s father, even though her mother would never admit it to her. He asks her to come with him to Oak Falls Indiana to meet her grandfather who is dying and she’s torn between betraying her mother’s trust and meeting the family she has never known, goes. With her best friend by her side, she embarks on a three-day journey, but Julian isn’t the father Taliah always hoped for.

Blood Oath by Raye Wagner and Kelly St. Clare | Goodreads

More than anything, I crave adventure. But in the disease ridden land of Verald, life is mapped out much like the well-established rings of our kingdom. At the very heart reigns our vicious king and Lord Irrik, an invincible dragon shifter, at his side. Their power poisons the land and the people, leading to a steadily mounting number of enemies. But change is coming. When the rebellion surges, the king strikes back. Captured by Lord Irrik, I’m suddenly embroiled in a deadly game. One where I’m desperate to understand the rules. Because I’m not only fighting for my life…but also a love that could be the very key to my freedom.

Fence by C.S. Pacat | Goodreads

Fence follows the rise of 16-year-old outsider Nicholas in the world of competitive fencing at an elite boys school. “It’s all about the world of fencing,” said Pacat. “The elegance, the danger, the high stakes of what’s essentially a combat sport.”

The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen | Goodreads

It’s time to go back to—and beyond—the treasured tales you thought you knew: The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and many more. A girl blown away from Kansas returns as a sophisticate with unusual gymnastic abilities. A talented apprentice, forging her first sword, is suddenly left to the mercies of Merlin. Alice’s infamous nemesis has jaws and claws, but also lacks the essential: a sense of humour.

Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell | Goodreads

Midnights is the story of Noel and Mags, who meet at the same New Year’s Eve party every year and fall a little more in love each time… Kindred Spirits is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and meets Gabe, a fellow fan. Midnight was previously published as part of the My True Love Gave to Me anthology, edited by Stephanie Perkins and Kindred Spirits was previously published as a World Book Day title.

Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne | Goodreads

When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she’s destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill. Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he’ll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.

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We’ve mentioned before that books and TV shows go hand-in-hand and when noses aren’t buried in books, you’ll find people such as myself often binge watching TV shows! Just like how books are told in chapters, television shows are told in episodes and the wait for the next season? It’s just as excruciating as the wait for the next book in a series! But quite often TV is useful for getting out of a reading slump and some say, a season a day keeps the slump away!

In case you don’t feel like reading, or want more of a certain book, we’ve paired some books with television shows for you to binge!

Check out pairings below and tell us if you will be giving any of the shows or books a go!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake >>> Supernatural

Saving people, hunting things, the family business? Both the show and the book contain these elements! Anna Dressed in Blood is about Cas Lowood, a hunter that kills ghost with his father’s antique knife and travels the country with his mother and cat on a mission to avenge his father’s death. Supernatural is one of my all-time favourite shows and follows two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who are looking for their father during the first season while also hunting things that go bump in the night. As the show progressed (they are currently in season 12), what started as simple mission turned into a saving-the-world mission. As you can see, the book and earlier seasons of Supernatural have similar themes, and even when I first read the book you fall in love immediately because of the familiarity of the story. But that doesn’t mean they are exactly the same because the execution and how the stories progress are very different and that’s what makes them so interesting to read and watch.

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate >> Sungkyukwan Scandal

Despite this being a K-drama and many of you may not watch them because of how cliché they are, but this one is definitely worth giving it a go! Noteworthy is the story of Jordan Sun, a girl who cross-dresses to infiltrate an all-boy a cappella group to reach her dreams of performing. Although cross-dressing is not a central theme in most western television shows, it is quite often featured in Korean dramas as a central plot. One of them is Sungkyukwan Scandal also sees a girl infiltrate a prestigious male scholar academy in the Joseon era.

Heist Society by Ally Carter >>> White Collar

Do you enjoy stories about con artist, heist, and thievery in general? Then you’ll enjoy Heist Society and White Collar! Heist Society follows Katerina Bishop who is tired of her involvement in her family business of stealing and makes the decision to live a normal life by enrolling in a prestigious boarding school. But when five paintings are stolen and her father is the prime suspect, she is forced back into the business to help clear her father’s name. White Collar sees Neal Caffrey (played by Matt Bomer), a renowned con artist, forger and thief, captured by the FBI. As part of his work-release program, he aids the FBI by helping catch dangerous white-collar criminals. Both of these main characters are facing the struggle to clear their names and gain back their freedom in an unconventional way with some unusual allies.

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston >>> Riverdale

Rich boys!! Small town!! Murder!! These are three main elements that will make people who enjoyed Riverdale also enjoy This is Our Story. Riverdale needs little explanation as it is one of the most hyped-up television shows of 2017 and sees the Archie comics come to life. Just like how Archie and his group of friends get mixed up in a murder, This is Our Story sees a popular boy from a powerful family murdered with a girl getting mixed up in the drama that unfolds after his death.

A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller >>> Downton Abbey

Set in the Edwardian era, both incorporate the issues of social hierarchy, etiquette, woman fighting for their dreams, and of course, romance. A Mad Wicked Folly focuses more on its main character, Victoria Darling, which gives it more of an up-close and personal feeling.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin >>> Legion

Legion is not as dark as Mara Dyer trilogy, but they definitely have their similarities. The main character can be classed as an “unreliable narrator” since they don’t really know whether things are real or not. In both the book and the show, the characters also have super powers, and at some point, they live together in a kind of rehab situation. Both are totally fun and interesting to follow, especially the Mara Dyer trilogy since it is an intriguing mystery and the plot really messes with your head!

The post If You Like, You’ll Like: Books to TV appeared first on The Nerd Daily.