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

I live in my hometown, Chapel Hill NC. My parents were both professors, Shakespeare and Classics respectively. My husband is a lizard breeder (yes, really) and I am fully fluent in Real Housewives. If you ask me to a cookout, I will always bring deviled eggs.

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

I have always loved reading. Every weekend as a kid we’d go to the library, where I’d check out as many books as I was allowed. I think writing initially came from not wanting those stories to end. I always wanted to know what happened after the last chapter! It wasn’t until I took a creative writing course in college, though, that I realized writing was what I wanted to do. Better late than never, I guess.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Flubber by Judy Blume. So many details of that book are etched into my brain!
• The one that made you want to become an author: Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. The twist at the end totally blew me away: I never saw it coming. It made me realize how powerful fiction can be.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Right now it’s Severance by Ling Ma. As soon as I finished it I wanted to read it again.

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

The unexpected can be amazing.

What can readers expect?

It’s a story about a girl who thinks she’s plotted out her entire future, only to find the universe has other ideas. Also: summer romance, family drama, breakfast sandwiches and hummingbirds.

Where did the inspiration for Change of Plans come from?

Back in 2019, when my last book came out, I was certain of the path ahead of me. Then there was a pandemic. I parted ways with my publisher, and the YA market really changed. I found myself starting again after a thirty year career. It was really scary! I think I was kind of writing myself out of it. As an author, that’s all you can do.

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

I loved the family dynamic that Finley, my narrator, discovers over the summer. How there are so many stories, but many narrators as well. Our relationships with relatives are so deep and complex. It’s really fun to sink your teeth into as a writer.

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

Writing is always hard for me, even after all these books and years. I’ve come to accept that anxiety about what I’m doing and panic it won’t be good enough is part of my process. I really have to take each day, and each page, at a time and not get hung up worrying about what comes next. I’m still working on that!

What’s next for you?

I’ve got another book out in summer 2027, and then a third in summer 2028. Writing and promoting is a special kind of balance. I’m going to be busy for awhile!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I just finished Kin by Tayari Jones, which was magnificent. I also really loved Emma Straub’s American Fantasy. And I’m really excited about Kayla Rae Whitaker’s Returns and Exchanges. Her first novel, The Animators, was amazing.

Will you be picking up Change of Plans? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Sarah Dessen, Author of ‘Change of Plans’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Releasing on December 1, The Last Caretaker is an empowering and harrowing story about a woman in search of a new beginning who is put to the test in ways she never imagined.

I don’t always have a personal connection to the subject matter of my novels: With a background in magazine journalism, I’m not afraid to tackle research-intensive topics I know little about to start. I’ve written fiction about the fraught search for a kidney donor (A Million Reasons Why), the fascinating role of end-of-life doulas (The Next Thing You Know), and even parental kidnapping (Almost Missed You). But when it comes to domestic violence, I found out the hard way that we’re all just one tragedy away from the worst kind of crash course—into warning signs we must have missed.

My favorite novels that draw awareness to this important—and shockingly common—issue don’t merely use an abusive spouse as an antagonist but give meaningful insight into the slow-burn danger of abuse and what it takes to break the cycle. And they do it by being empowering and engaging rather than heavy-handed or depressing.

Two of my own novels feature women on the run, but from entirely different perspectives: Not That I Could Tell, in which a young mom’s neighbors are baffled by her disappearance after a backyard bonfire, and my latest, The Last Caretaker, in which a woman accepts a job as resident caretaker at a nature reserve only to realize her new home doubles as a safehouse for a secret network that helps women in danger escape. Here’s a shortlist of other such page-turners from authors I admire:

Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

Many readers know Kimberly Belle from her blockbuster The Marriage Lie, but of all her riveting novels, this is my favorite. One woman is finally enacting her carefully laid escape plan, while another has gone missing—and the way their stories twist together is jaw-droppingly clever. The authentic voices of the hunted—and the hunter—will chill you to the bone.

Goodbye Earl by Leesa Cross-Smith

The subtitle, written right on the cover in smashed cherry pie, says it all: This is “A Revenge Novel,” and it’s every bit as irreverent (and dare I say fun) as the “Chicks” song it borrows its title from. Goodbye Earl is a celebration of friendship, tight-knit circles, and how far we’ll go to protect the people we love.

A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne

Motherhood is at the heart of this story, where a woman flees her abusive husband with little but her baby in her arms—and ends up tracing her own mother’s footsteps back into a past she knows little about. Payne builds a community around her characters while keeping us guessing if they’ll ever feel safe.

Hadley and Grace by Suzanne Redfearn

I adore road trip stories, as well as characters who make unlikely, mismatched pairs. Hadley and Grace has both: Two very different women who find themselves on the run from a common enemy, each with her own reasons—and secrets. There’s a Thelma and Louise quality to this story that I bet you’ll love as much as I do.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

This story begins with an irresistible premise: A homeless woman saves a rich attorney’s wife from throwing herself into the ocean to escape the husband she thinks of as her captor. But if you think you know where this story is going, think again: It’s one of the most twisty books I’ve ever read.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

It’s not just a woman who goes missing here, it’s a young couple: But the story immediately raises questions of obsession, control, and the reckless nature of any crime of passion. Lisa Jewell masterfully populates her trail of clues with seemingly unrelated characters who are so authentic, you won’t soon forget them.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

There’s a reason Colleen Hoover is dominating the bestseller lists: Her novels are compulsively readable, and this one makes a tough topic accessible and sympathetic, without simplifying a complicated issue. There’s romance, there’s danger—and there’s strength and determination readers will relate to.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

If you haven’t read the book or seen the HBO adaptation, you’re missing out on one of the best ensemble cast stories of domestic abuse where we least expect it—and the shame that keeps it behind closed doors.

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

For the young adult reader in your life, this book is an important and accessible foray into how it all starts. Dessen is wonderful at writing vulnerable teenage characters who find themselves in over their heads, and breaking down perceptions that abusive relationships only happen to “other people.”

Giving the Devil His Due: A Charity Anthology

I confess I’m not an avid short story reader, but I’m including this anthology because of its mission: Proceeds support The Pixel Project global nonprofit to stop gender-based violence. Stories contributed by sixteen award-winning fantasy, science-fiction and horror writers offer different spins on a theme: predators and abusers who “meet their comeuppance in uncanny ways.”

The post Empowering Page Turners About Women Who’ve Had Enough appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Summertime has always felt like peak reading season for me. Work is slower, the days are longer, and nothing feels better than sitting outside and reading a great book. So I’ve put together a list of books perfect for summer reading. Even if you don’t have a beach near you, you can pick up one of these and head out to the pool and pretend!

Whether you’re in need of a page-turning thriller or an adorable romance, there is something for everyone on this summer reading list!

1. A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell | Goodreads
2. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory | Goodreads
3. The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson | Goodreads
4. Breathe In, Cash Out by Madeleine Henry | Goodreads
5. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim | Goodreads

6. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman | Goodreads
7. Layover by David Bell | Goodreads
8. Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer | Goodreads
9. The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan | Goodreads
10. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo | Goodreads

11. Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food and Love Anthology | Goodreads
12. The Last Guest House by Megan Miranda | Goodreads
13. The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley | Goodreads
14. Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner | Goodreads
15. Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey | Goodreads

16. Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune by Roselle Lim | Goodreads
17. Man of the Year by Caroline Lousie Walker | Goodreads
18. Honestly We Meant Well by Grant Ginder | Goodreads
19. The Perfect Date by Evelyn Lozada & Holly Lorincz | Goodreads
20. Providence by Caroline Kepnes | Goodreads

21. Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein | Goodreads
22. Naturally Tan by Tan France | Goodreads
23. When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri | Goodreads
24. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen | Goodreads
25. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann | Goodreads

26. Mine by Courtney Cole | Goodreads
27. The Royal Secret by Lucinda Riley | Goodreads
28. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren | Goodreads
29. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Goodreads
30. The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey | Goodreads

Will you be adding any of these to your list? Or do you have any others you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 30 Perfect Summer Beach Reads For 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

10 / 10

I’ve been a big fan of Sarah Dessen for years now so I was happy that I got the chance to read The Rest of the Story and it was the perfect summer read. It takes place on a lake in the summer, surrounded by family. It’s a coming-of-age story for Emma Saylor who has always been neurotic and cautions about everything and it seemed to escalate after her mother died. She never knew her mother’s side of the family since she hadn’t seen them since she visited for a week when she was four years old. When Emma’s summer plans fall through, she is whisked back to North Lake. It’s awkward and Emma feels out of place at first since it seems all of them know of her but she knows nothing about them. But slowly as the days turn into weeks, Emma starts to relax. She spends her time at her grandmother’s helping clean the motel rooms, hanging with her cousins, getting to know the guy who was her best friend when she was a kid, Roo, and learning about her mother and the past that’s been closed off to her all these years. Emma came into her own as the story progressed and by the end, she had gotten the rest of the story and had her family back.

Emma Saylor was wonderfully awkward and neurotic. I liked how she’d say what she thought most of the time. Her relationship with her dad, Nana, and Tracy, her stepmother, was good. It was nice that she did not have any problems with her father remarrying. She cared for her family and friends. She was such a strong character that I could relate to. I loved Roo as well. He was sweet, considerate, and funny. I thought he and Emma were perfect together and their chemistry was immediate and I loved seeing those two together. Those scenes were some of my favorite along with Emma and Trinity. Trinity could be harsh and complained so much about being pregnant. You could not say anything around her in the complaint without her bringing up the fact that she was a house or had been pregnant for a million years. She cracked me up and her honesty was refreshing. This book had some strong characters—even the side characters, because there was nothing minor about them—and an amazing plot. Bailey was sometimes hard to like because of her obsession with Lake North, the wealthier half of the community, and the people there. She was willing to give a jerk the time of day just because of where he came from but not someone who was clearly into her. Throughout I wanted her to snap out of it because besides that she was a strong character who became good friends with Emma. I adored Gordon, Mimi, Oxford, Jack, Nana, Tracy, Matthew, Ryan, Bridget, April, Taylor, and Vincent. The characters made this story feel so real and I loved the family dynamic.

I come from a big, close-knit family so it’s always nice to see this dynamic in stories. Dessen did a good job of showing how chaotic being in a big family could be. I loved the morning scenes when everyone was waking up and getting ready for work and the day. I could relate to those scenes perfectly. This story delved into more than just family but the importance of knowing where you came from. Emma grew up not knowing much about North Lake, her mother’s family, or really her mother’s childhood. Once she made it to North Lake, stories started coming out that helped Emma understand her mother and her mother’s addictions more. By knowing her past and getting to know her family better, Emma was able to feel more comfortable in her own skin and her quirks weren’t as pronounced. She felt better about herself and seeing her journey to get the rest of the story was inspiring and I loved that aspect of this story.

The Rest of the Story was an endearing story and the perfect read to kick off summer. It was a powerful story about a girl who needed to learn the rest of her story to find out where she belonged. This was another top read for me this year and really pulls on the heartstrings!

The Rest of the Story is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Have you read The Rest of the Story? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?

The post Review: The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover all of our June picks and tell us in the comments below if you will checking any of them out!

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sharp, mainstream fantasy meets compelling thrills of investigative noir in Magic for Liars, a fantasy debut by rising star Sarah Gailey.

The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Sandie Jones, the author of the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller The Other Woman, comes an addictively readable new domestic suspense about a wife, her husband, and the woman who is supposedly her best friend.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things, a delicious novel of glamour, sex, and adventure, about a young woman discovering that you don’t have to be a good girl to be a good person.

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a big-hearted, sweeping novel about a girl who reconnects with a part of her family she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl—and falls in love, all over the course of a magical summer.

Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the bestselling author of The Marriage Lie and Three Days Missing comes a riveting new novel of suspense about a woman who, in a fight for survival, must decide just how far she’ll go to escape the person she once loved

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare comes an exciting new short story collection that follows Jem Carstairs as he travels through the many Shadow Markets around the world. Ghosts of the Shadow Market is a Shadowhunters novel.

I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Deeply buried secrets make for a disturbing family reunion in bestselling author Catherine McKenzie’s tantalizing novel of psychological suspense, named one of the Hottest Books of Summer by Goodreads.

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lush and visual, chock-full of delicious recipes, Roselle Lim’s magical debut novel is about food, heritage, and finding family in the most unexpected places.

Those People by Louise Candlish
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of the international bestseller Our House, a new novel of twisty domestic suspense asks, “Could you hate your neighbor enough to plot to kill him?”

The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Inspired by fascinating, true, yet little-known events during World War II, The Long Flight Home is a testament to the power of courage in our darkest hours—a moving, masterfully written story of love and sacrifice.

What June 2019 book release are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

The post June 2019 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Check out our June YA picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be reading one of them!

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber | Goodreads
When the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi’s dreams have been vivid. As an online gamer, Sofi helps with Earth’s Fantasy Fighting arena where her brother Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. When a bomb goes off, Sofi believes Shilo survived because she dreams of him and she’s convinced he’s been taken to Delonese. For Miguel, a charming young playboy and Ambassador to the Delonese, the tables have turned. Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab | Goodreads
Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows and lures Kate home, she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali | Goodreads
Janna Yusuf knows a lot of people can’t figure out what to make of her…an Arab Indian-American hijabi teenager who is a Flannery O’Connor obsessed book nerd, aspiring photographer, and sometime graphic novelist is not exactly easy to put into a box. She suddenly finds herself caring what people think, or at least what a certain boy named Jeremy thinks. Janna is trying to decide what kind of person she wants to be, and what it means to be a saint, a misfit, or a monster.

Welcome To The Slipstream by Natalka Burian | Goodreads
With her mother, a brilliant businesswoman with fragile mental health, Van arrives in Las Vegas, where Alex, a college student, is assigned to “babysit” her. Van is used to having to land on her feet, because her mother and her surrogate grandmother move from city to city like corporate gypsies, but Alex introduces Van, a talented musician, to a group where her guitar skills may shine. Just as she’s about to play her first gig, her mother is lured in by a con man promising a “vision quest” in Arizona, and Van must go on the road to find and save her mom.

Obsidian and Stars by Julie Eshbaugh | Goodreads
After surviving the chaotic battle, Mya looks ahead to her future with Kol. Announcing their betrothal, Mya’s brother reveals his plan to marry his youngest sister to his friend Morsk but to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya she should marry him in place of her sister. Refusing to marry anyone other than her beloved, Mya runs away with her sister and soon realizes she’s been followed. Rivals from Mya’s past thirst for revenge so Mya must make a move before the enemies of her past become the undoing of her future.

The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King | Goodreads
Eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. When the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life, within hours she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik. Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death, Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

Haunted by Alexandra Adornetto | Goodreads
Alexander Reade turns up at Sycamore High not remembering how he got there. But worse, he doesn’t remember Chloe Kennedy and believes he has come back to search for his lost love Isobel. Chloe soon realizes that Alex needs her help surviving in the modern world since Alex has been dead for 157 years and when she begins to experiences dreams that take her to a past life, she realizes they are linked to Isobel. When Isobel appears to hunt Chloe, who is just as vengeful as ever, she is out to destroy any bond between Alex and Chloe.

Remind Me of How This Ends by Gabrielle Tozer | Goodreads
It’s the summer after high school ends and everyone is moving on, except Milo Dark. He feels like he’s stuck on pause until Layla Montgomery barrels back into his world after five years. As kids, Milo and Layla shared everything, but they haven’t spoken since her mum’s funeral and pushed away her dad, dropped out of school and recently followed her on-again-off-again boyfriend back to town. What begins as innocent banter soon draws them into a tangled mess with a guarantee that someone will get hurt.

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau | Goodreads
Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure until the king and crown prince are killed by assassins. Now with the line of succession no longer clear, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option: to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom. With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. 

The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee | Goodreads
Henry “Monty” Montague was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions, but as Monty embarks on his yearlong tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of ending. Nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and travelling companion, one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt and calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen | Goodreads
Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants.

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios | Goodreads
Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone. Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it’s too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she’s unable to escape.

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