Hi, Natalie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m one of those nomads who has the rare fortune of actually loving the place they come from. I live in Geneva, Switzerland now, but I grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It wasn’t your typical small southern town. Mountain people are fiercely independent, cantankerous and proud. Throw in a dash of old hippies and academics brought in by the natural beauty and the local university – it was only when I moved away that I realized most typical teenage weekends didn’t usually involve four-wheeling, analysing beat poetry and skinny dipping in waterfalls. That Kind of Girl is set in Asheville, NC, where my heart is.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve always loved stories – not just books, but being told stories, watching movies, plays, commercials… I wasn’t picky! But of course, books were the best. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love flipping pages, especially mysteries. Luckily it was a love encouraged by my family, a few excellent teachers, and some very tolerant librarians. I come by it honestly. I remember my grandmother, a librarian, used to keep a book with her at all times, in case of emergency. She’d read in her car at traffic lights.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Pat the Bunny
• The one that made you want to become an author: Lord of the Flies
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Franny & Zooey

Your latest novel, That Kind of Girl, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Murder, riddles, mean-girls, revenge, lavish

What can readers expect?

A macabre treasure hunt, an Appalachian Veronica Mars, a murder mystery within a murder mystery spanning decades, a dive into the little-known history of how racism created the geography of the city of Asheville, girls not taking any s*it.

Where did the inspiration for That Kind of Girl come from?

I was a little bit obsessed with Nancy Drew as a kid. Was some of it terrible writing? Yes? Was it formulaic? Absolutely. Did I care? Nope. I loved reading about Nancy whipping around in her convertible, chasing scary people into dark basements. What a boss. Her place as the quintessential teen detective has never really been challenged (though I do love Veronica Mars). Writing this book was all about having fun writing a sleuthy character, but with an Appalachain noir twist.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I’m not going to lie, I had a lot of fun writing Inez’s character. She’s a sex worker who’s not apologetic about it, but at the same time who’s constantly examining who she is and how she got there and how she even feels about it. These are the characters that are really interesting to inhabit while you’re writing them – to think, okay, if I was in her shoes what would I be thinking? I love slipping into other people’s skins– it’s one of the best parts of being a writer. It’s liberating, especially when you’re pretending to be one of the darker characters.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I have all the bad habits of most writers when it comes to making myself actually put butt to chair and open my laptop. This book came fairly easily, but getting the book written is only 30% of the work. Then you start editing and you Just. Never. Stop. Editing. People love to ask how long it takes to write a book. It’s not the writing that takes a long time – it’s the fact that of the ten words you write, eight of them have to be rewritten. There is no solution except coffee.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a grown-up book! Even though I don’t feel grown and I seem to understand humans less and less every day. Which I think is a good sign that I’m probably middle aged now. It’s murdery and set in Switzerland. But I’m also toying with a follow up book to That Kind of Girl. (cue gleeful hand rubbing).

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I read The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir basically without getting up to eat or go to the bathroom. And as soon as I finished it I promptly opened it back up to page one and began reading it all over again. All 1400 pages. If you haven’t read it, please stop whatever it is you’re doing and go sort yourself out. It scratched some feminist-queer-loveship-space opera-horror-climate collapse anxiety itch I didn’t even know I had. Tamsyn, I’m begging you: for the love of the Emperor, please finish book 4. Please. I’m also looking forward to having my heart crushed by Sabaa Tahir as only Sabaa Tahir can crush it in Heir.

Will you be picking up That Kind of Girl? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Natalie C. Anderson, Author of ‘That Kind of Girl’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

In the past ten years there’s been immense growth in race representation within mainstream media. While there’s always been a market for books with POC leads, the amount of POC books that can be found in the forefront of book media has grown spectacularly, alongside the growth of diversity as well. With Black History Month still fresh on everyone’s minds, here are some books with POC leads that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America

Black Enough is an anthology that is filled with beautiful short stories about different, and often hidden, experiences of being a black teen in America. The anthology has well crafted stories that resonate deeply with black people around the world who have experienced or heard of similar situations within their lives. Black Enough is a unique book that everyone should invest in reading in order to gain understanding of black experiences and black communities, not only in America, but also worldwide. The anthology contains stories that are strong both by themselves and within the collection as a whole.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti is a sci-fi coming-of-age novella that explores the difficulties of balancing and not losing your heritage while going against traditions in order to fulfil your dreams. The book explores racism and segregation in a straightforward way that isn’t overwhelming for most readers. It’s an easily digestible book and can be read in one sitting, but yet it’s still packed with lessons and informative situations that can teach anyone something about race, gender, and the way different types of communities/tribes work.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

A list about books with people of colour leads wouldn’t be complete without The Hate U Give being mentioned. The award winning young adult book created waves not only in literature, but in the world as well. The book tackles racism, police brutality and activism in a way that correlates closely to what many black people in America face in a daily basis. The Hate U Give was the start of an era of young adult POC literature being in the forefront of media and carving a permanent spot at the media table. The book was revolutionary and will go down in history as one of the biggest diverse books of the time period. One things for certain, the book is definitely worth the hype.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was a teen phenomenon when it was adapted into one of the biggest Netflix movies of 2018. The cute, romantic book had hearts full as we all got drawn in by a story with a POC lead that wasn’t necessarily focused on being a person of colour. The book takes romance and makes it accessible to a younger audience, which made the story huge within pop culture. There’s something refreshing about reading a sweet, and not heavily political book, that still has impact and makes waves in the POC community.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X is one of the best books of the era, period. The book tells a story in such a unique way by using prose. Each page, no matter how minimal, feels like a poem with meaning inside it. The book was highly hyped around its release, and it deserved every bit of hype that it got. The book should be a really should be a staple on everyone’s bookshelf.

And here are a few extra recommendations for those avid readers out there:

Let’s Go Swimming on Doomsday by Natalie C. Anderson

Forced to become a child soldier, a sixteen-year-old Somali refugee must confront his painful past in this haunting, thrilling tale of loss and redemption for fans of A Long Way Gone and What is the What

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

A gritty novel that doesn’t shy away from the darkest corners of ourselves, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali provides a timely and achingly honest portrait of what it’s like to grow up feeling unwelcome in your own culture and proves that love, above all else, has the power to change the world.

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

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

The post Five Books With Wonderful POC Lead Characters appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be reading any!

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Aspiring choreographer Sophie Orenstein would do anything for Peter Rosenthal-Porter, who’s been on the kidney transplant list as long as she’s known him. Peter, a gifted pianist, is everything to Sophie: best friend, musical collaborator, secret crush. When she learns she’s a match, donating a kidney is an easy, obvious choice. She can’t help wondering if after the transplant, he’ll love her back the way she’s always wanted.

Let’s Go Swimming on Doomsday by Natalie C. Anderson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Forced to become a child soldier, a sixteen-year-old Somali refugee must confront his painful past in this haunting, thrilling tale of loss and redemption for fans of A Long Way Gone and What is the What

Just For Clicks by Kara McDowell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom. Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they’re expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as “just Claire”? And what should Claire do about Mom’s old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don’t sound like Mom’s perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . . .

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M. McManus
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery’s never been there, but she’s heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows. The town is picture-perfect, but it’s hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone’s declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A modern retelling of a classic Indian legend of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, 96 Words for Love is a coming-of-age story.

Only A Breath Apart by Katie McGarry
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Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart.

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Mean Girls meets The Tudors in Hannah Capin’s The Dead Queens Club, a clever contemporary YA retelling of Henry VIII and his wives (or, in this case, his high school girlfriends). Told from the perspective of Annie Marck (“Cleves”), a 17-year-old aspiring journalist from Cleveland who meets Henry at summer camp, The Dead Queens Club is a fun, snarky read that provides great historical detail in an accessible way for teens while giving the infamous tale of Henry VIII its own unique spin.

White Stag by Kara Barbieri
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The first book in a brutally stunning series where a young girl finds herself becoming more monster than human and must uncover dangerous truths about who she is and the place that has become her home.

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class.

Famous In Small Town by Emma Mills
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For Sophie, small-town life has never felt small. She has her beloved marching band, the pride and joy of Acadia High (even if the football team disagrees); and her four best friends, loving and infuriating, wonderfully weird and all she could ever ask for. Then August moves in next door. A quiet guy with a magnetic smile, August seems determined to keep everyone at arm’s length. Sophie in particular. Country stars, revenge plots, and a few fake kisses (along with some excellent real ones) await Sophie in this hilarious, heartfelt story.

Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security cameras and armed guards, pulling off high-stakes cat burglaries with a team of flamboyant young men. But then Margo’s personal life takes a sudden, dark turn, and a job to end all jobs lands her crew in deadly peril. Overnight, everything she’s ever counted on is put at risk. But can one rebel heiress and four kickboxing drag queens withstand the slings and arrows of truly outrageous fortune? Or will a mounting sea of troubles end them — for good?

Are there any other YA books that you are excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

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