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

I’m an introverted homebody who is desperate for more kindness in the world, and Overdue is my eighth published book.

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

My sixth-grade teacher loved creative writing and made our class do weekly writing assignments. He saw that I enjoyed it and had a knack for it, and he gave me a lot of encouragement. I was a good student, but that was the first time I’d ever really excelled at anything (apart from reading).

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: There would have been others before it, but I remember Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel being a very early book for me.
• The one that made you want to become an author: There isn’t one specifically, but the book that made me recognize the role that an author plays in creating a story was The BFG by Roald Dahl. His voice didn’t sound like anybody else’s.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: This year, it’s Woodworking by Emily St. James. It’s the best novel I’ve read in ages.

Your adult debut novel, Overdue, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Deeply bookish romantic contemporary fiction.

What can readers expect?

It’s a coming-of-age story . . . about somebody who is already technically an adult. The protagonist is a twenty-nine-year-old librarian who takes a break from her longtime boyfriend to explore other romantic options—and discovers that maybe there are other aspects of her life that also require reevaluation. The novel takes place over the course of one year, it’s realistic and comforting and kind, and it heavily features a friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance.

Where did the inspiration for Overdue come from?

I’ve worked as both a librarian and a bookseller, and I had always known that someday I would write about these people and professions. And the setting is a fictionalized version of my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, which I had also been longing to write about.

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

I’m a fairly slow writer, slower than most of my peers. A good writing day for me is five hundred words. So my biggest challenge with any book is not getting discouraged. I have to remind myself that I’ve done it before, so—with time and great effort—eventually I can do it again.

This is your adult debut! Was your approach to working on Overdue different from your other novels?

It might seem odd, but not really. My main goal is to always write a story that feels honest, no matter the genre or age group. And honesty in Overdue was easy to come by since I’ve worked in both of the professions that I wrote about, and it takes place in a setting that’s inspired by hometown. I knew these characters and this setting down to my bones.

What’s next for you?

Something very different!

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

I’ve already mentioned it, but I wish I could physically place a copy of Woodworking by Emily St. James into all of your outstretched hands. It goes down SO easily. It’s intelligent and compassionate and funny and complicated—and laced with emotional daggers. Read it, read it, read it.

This autumn, I’m looking forward to What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, Wreck by Catherine Newman, Joyride by Susan Orlean, The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman, and Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo. And everyone else should be looking forward to Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, which releases next year and is an unbelievable delight. Major Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. I read an advanced copy in one sitting and had a gigantic smile on my face the entire time.

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

The post Q&A: Stephanie Perkins, Author of ‘Overdue’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We’re sure you all know the feeling. You read a book, you love it even, but there is that part of you that wishes that these characters were queer. So, our contributors Mimi and Simone asked their Instagram followers for their favourite straight reads that they wish were a little… not so straight. 

Now, we would like to present to you: “If you liked… then you’ll like… “ QUEER EDITION. 

We have paired each straight book with a queer book we think you will really enjoy if you’ve liked the original. Our picks vary from all-time classics, to sweet teenage romances, and to fabulous fantasy adventures. We are sure that there is one pick for everyone here!

CLASSICS

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen → Gay Pride and Prejudice by Kate Christie

Pride and Prejudice:

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work “her own darling child” and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print.” The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen’s radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

Gay Pride and Prejudice:

Like other variations on Jane Austen’s classic romance novel, Gay Pride & Prejudice poses a question: What if some among Austen’s characters preferred the company of their own sex? In this queer revision of the classic original, Kate Christie offers an alternate version of love, friendship, and marriage for Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and others among their circle of friends. But even as the path to love veers from the straight and narrow, the destination remains much the same.

Dracula by Bram Stoker → The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Dracula:

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries in his client’s castle. Soon afterwards, disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman’s neck; and a lunatic asylum inmate raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘Master’. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing into questions of identity, sanity and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

The Deathless Girls:

They say the thirst of blood is like a madness – they must sate it. Even with their own kin. On the eve of her divining, the day she’ll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community.

Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn’t understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts. They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate… 

ROMANCE

Josh and Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating by Christina Lauren → Tell Me It’s Real by TJ Klune

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating:

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air. Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?

Tell Me It’s Real:

Do you believe in love at first sight? Paul Auster doesn’t. Paul doesn’t believe in much at all. He’s thirty, slightly overweight, and his best features are his acerbic wit and the color commentary he provides as life passes him by. His closest friends are a two-legged dog named Wheels and a quasibipolar drag queen named Helena Handbasket. He works a dead-end job in a soul-sucking cubicle, and if his grandmother’s homophobic parrot insults him one more time, Paul is going to wring its stupid neck.

Enter Vince Taylor. Vince is everything Paul isn’t: Sexy, confident, and dumber than the proverbial box of rocks. And for some reason, Vince pursues Paul relentlessly. Vince must be messing with him, because there is no way Vince could want someone like Paul.

But when Paul hits Vince with his car – in a completely unintentional if-he-died-it’d-only-be-manslaughter kind of way – he’s forced to see Vince in a whole new light. The only thing stopping Paul from believing in Vince is himself – and that is one obstacle Paul can’t quite seem to overcome. But when tragedy strikes Vince’s family, Paul must put aside any notions he has about himself and stand next to the man who thinks he’s perfect the way he is.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane → Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger

Don’t You Forget About Me:

If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else.

Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered – barmaid in a newly opened pub, which just so happens to run by the boy she fell in love with at school: Lucas McCarthy. And whereas Georgina (voted Most Likely to Succeed in her school yearbook) has done nothing but dead-end jobs in the last twelve years, Lucas has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but also has turned into an actual grown-up with a business and a dog along the way.

Meeting Lucas again not only throws Georgina’s rackety present into sharp relief, but also brings a dark secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows the truth about what happened on the last day of school, and why she’s allowed it to chase her all these years… 

Almost Like Being In Love:

A high school jock and nerd fall in love senior year, only to part after an amazing summer of discovery to attend their respective colleges. They keep in touch at first, but then slowly drift apart.

Flash forward twenty years. Travis and Craig both have great lives, careers, and loves. But something is missing …. Travis is the first to figure it out. He’s still in love with Craig, and come what may, he’s going after the boy who captured his heart, even if it means forsaking his job, making a fool of himself, and entering the great unknown.

Told in narrative, letters, checklists, and more, this is the must-read novel for anyone who’s wondered what ever happened to that first great love.

FANTASY

Cinder by Marissa Meyer → Tarnished Are The Stars by Rosiee Thor

Cinder:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Tarnished Are The Stars:

A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher’s chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog — donning the moniker Technician — to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner’s tyrannical laws.

Nathaniel Fremont, the Commissioner’s son, has never had to fear the law. Determined to earn his father’s respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father’s elusive affection is worth chasing at all.

Their game of cat and mouse takes an abrupt turn when Eliza, a skilled assassin and spy, arrives. Her mission is to learn the Commissioner’s secrets at any cost — even if it means betraying her own heart.

When these uneasy allies discover the most dangerous secret of all, they must work together despite their differences and put an end to a deadly epidemic — before the Commissioner ends them first.

Vicious by VE Schwab → The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

Vicious:

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

The Extraordinaries:

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right? After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

YOUNG ADULT

Geekerella by Ashley Poston → Ship It by Britta Lundin

Geekerella:

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

Ship It:

CLAIRE is a sixteen-year-old fangirl obsessed with the show Demon Heart. FOREST is an actor on Demon Heart who dreams of bigger roles. When the two meet at a local Comic-Con panel, it’s a dream come true for Claire. Until the Q&A, that is, when Forest laughs off Claire’s assertion that his character is gay.

Claire is devastated. After all, every last word of her super-popular fanfic revolves around the romance between Forest’s character and his male frenemy. She can’t believe her hero turned out to be a closed-minded jerk. Forest is mostly confused that anyone would think his character is gay. Because he’s not. Definitely not.

Unfortunately for Demon Heart, when the video of the disastrous Q&A goes viral, the producers have a PR nightmare on their hands. In order to help bolster their image within the LGBTQ+ community-as well as with their fans-they hire Claire to join the cast for the rest of their publicity tour. What ensues is a series of colorful Comic-Con clashes between the fans and the show that lead Forest to question his assumptions about sexuality and help Claire come out of her shell. But how far will Claire go to make her ship canon? To what lengths will Forest go to stop her and protect his career? And will Claire ever get the guts to make a move on Tess, the very cute, extremely cool fanartist she keeps running into?

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins → This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender

Lola and the Boy Next Door:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story:

Nathan Bird doesn’t believe in happy endings. Although he’s the ultimate film buff and an aspiring screenwriter, Nate’s seen the demise of too many relationships to believe that happy endings exist in real life.

Playing it safe to avoid a broken heart has been his MO ever since his father died and left his mom to unravel—but this strategy is not without fault. His best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-best-friend-again, Florence, is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. And in a twist that is rom-com-worthy, someone does come along: Oliver James Hernández, his childhood best friend.

After a painful mix-up when they were little, Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings. But can Nate find the courage to pursue his own happily ever after?

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

The post If You Liked, You’ll Like: Queer Edition appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

For me, reading is an escape from reality. Whenever I feel like I need to hit the pause button I pick up a book and listen to music. Even if the story I am reading is telling one that could easily be about me or my friends, it still is a safe haven. But when you read a story and feel understood you shelve them in your heart as special. An author with an enchanted “pen of understanding” and magic wand is the amazing Rainbow Rowell.

Rowell, who lives with her husband and two sons in Nebraska, is an author you cannot put into a box. She writes for young adults, adults, and comic fans, but what they all have in common, they are written by a nerd for nerds.

You’ve read the same books that I’ve read. You love the same stories. Let’s talk about them. Let’s think about them. Let’s take them apart and see what’s inside. – Via an interview with The Guardian

With such a unique name as Rainbow, her books do feel quite magical. She writes from the heart and her characters feel real as they often struggle with the same problems as the people who read about them. You can relate to the woman gossiping with her friend as well as to the girls and boys who do not feel like they fit into society no matter how hard they try.

Nerd, fangirl, fanboy, and so forth are all terms which have been considered offensive at some point to make one feel uncomfortable. Thankfully, times have changed because what would life be without having a smile on your face while talking to others about the latest news about your favourite something or someone? If you want to admit it or not, there is a little nerd in everyone, even in you!

And the thing about nerd culture mainstream culture now means that there’s no place to just be a nerd among other nerds – without being reminded that you’re the nerd. – Kindred Spirits

Adult Novels:

Attachments (2011)

The story follows Lincoln whose job it is to read email correspondence written by the employees of his company, to make sure they are not using them for private conversations. Beth and Jennifer trade gossip over emails and Lincoln is the invisible third wheel.

Landline (2014)

37-year-old Georgie McCool discovers that she is able to call her 22-year-old version of her husband through her landline. The career-driven Georgie has the chance to fix her marriage before it even started to break.

Young Adult Novels:

Eleanor & Park (2013)

The dual narrative book follows the two misfits Eleanor and Park who live in Omaha from 1986 to 1987. Eleanor, a chubby 16-year-old girl with curly red hair, and Park, a half-Korean 16-year-old boy, meet on a school bus on Eleanor’s first day at the school and gradually connect through comic books and mix tapes of ’80s music, sparking a love story.

Fangirl (2013)

The twins Cath and Wren are freshmen at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While Wren has no problem to connect with people, Cath is struggling to fit in due to her social anxiety disorder. So Cath spends her free time mostly writing fan fiction about her favourite book series about the magician called Simon Snow.

Carry On (2015)

The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is the spin-off to Fangirl as Cath loves the protagonist Simon Snow. It follows the final year of Simon Snow, who has to fight a greater evil while also cope with his roommate Baz. It is a standalone novel which is not one of Cath’s fan fictions.

Other Works:

Midnights (2014)

First published in the short story book My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins, Noel and Mags met the first time at a New Year’s Eve party and become friends. They continue spending NYE together and fall in love a bit more each time. Also available in Almost Midnight.

Kindred Spirits (2016) – World Book Day Edition

Elena cannot wait to see the new Star Wars movie and decided to camp for a week before the premiere in front of the cinema, and meets Gabe. Also available in Almost Midnight.

Runaways (2017)

First published in 2003, Rowell and Kris Anka had the honour to new create the team of six teenagers who discovers that their parents are part of an evil crime organisation known as “The Pride”. They run away and make it their goal to stop them.

What’s To Come?

Rowell will publish two books in 2019. Wayward Son is the much-anticipated sequel to Carry On and the graphic novel, Pumpkinheads. The graphic novel follows Deja and Josiah who are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.

“I think young adult books are wonderful for teenagers because they make you feel less alone. When you’re a teenager, you worry that maybe you’re the only person feeling this weird or scary or perverted thing. And YA books tell you, “Nope. Your weird stuff is pretty normal, and you’re not the only one who’s scared.” – via interview with The Guardian

If you happen to read all of Rainbow Rowell’s book and you’re looking to read something else, then maybe the following books could be of interest to you!

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic science-fiction series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and her dad’s old costume, Elle’s determined to win – unless her stepsisters get there first.

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Three friends, two love stories, one convention: this fun, feminist love letter to geek culture is all about fandom, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself.

Anna and The French Kiss Trilogy by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris–until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all…including a serious girlfriend. The exciting thing about this trilogy? Each book is a new story with new characters!

Do you have a favourite book by Rainbow Rowell? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Author Spotlight: Rainbow Rowell appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet. – Jhumpa Lahiri

To travel is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Do you love to explore new places as I do? I love to lose myself in a foreign city and dive into the culture and history of another country, while others like to go to the beach and explore the beauty of the ocean.

You may pick up a travel guide or search online what you can do in the city you are visiting next. I tend to start writing down a list of everything I want to see and mark it on a map and plan routes so that I will not miss anything. Nevertheless, I also like to get inspired by books I read and I start imagine myself being at the same spot where the characters from the books stood and to embrace the feeling the author wanted to transport a reader to in their story.

Over the years, I have come across a couple of books which have shown me around different cultures and cities through Europe and now, I want to share some of them with you which I highly recommend if you plan to visit Europe.

Let us pick up our backpacks, grab our train tickets, and start explore beautiful Europe!

We will start our journey in Vienna, where I was born and partly raised. Shame on me, but I have not really read a book about Vienna or Austria since I was in school. The most internationally well-known story about Austria is The Sound of Music, which tells the story about the Von Trapp family and what happened to them during the Second World War. Somehow, there’s many Austrians that don’t know this movie even exists! Make sure to see Vienna and Salzburg and visit the places where Empress Sissi and Mozart lived.

The journey takes us next to beautiful Greece where we follow the Greek gods around their temples of which we have heard from Circe by Madeline Miller—because Circe is a Titan, she gives a pretty good overview of Greek mythology. Exploring can make you hungry and after a swim in the crystal clear sea, we eat some Gyros and plan our trip to the next country…

In Italy we follow Lina from Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch through Toscana and visit Crema where the movie adaptation of Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman was made. Italy is perfect for love stories and epic adventures. However, there is also a detective story hidden in Venice. Donna Leon is famous for her Brunetti crime series, and a little fun fact about Leon is that she is an American writer who lives in Venice and her books are published all around the world, but not in Italy because she does not want to be recognised while grocery shopping. So as long as we can bear the hot weather, let’s continue with our trip.

Following Monty from The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, we end up in Barcelona, Spain. We for sure will have a fun time cursing with him from Italy to Spain and take a go up a tower of Sagrada Familia to see the city from above. How are you feeling? Do you have enough of the heat? Then let’s continue to our next stop.

France, but more precisely, Paris. I have so many books taking place in Paris and I am not sure I can count them all. Who wants to explore old Paris through Eponine eyes from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo? Or follow Anna from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins to every corner of the city? I for sure would not mind to meet some revenants from Die For Me by Amy Plum or take a trip to the fictional village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes and eat some chocolate with Vianne from Chocolate by Joanne Harris.

If you have successfully convinced me to continue our trip, we will make a quick stop in Idris from The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. Well, we would if we are able to find it. It is rumoured to be found between Germany, France and Switzerland. I guess we will find out if we are descended from Shadowhunter or if we are mundanes…

I could recommend to you a lot of books taking place in Germany, but unfortunately the majority of them haven’t been translated into English so let’s just stick with the classics, The Brother’s Grimm. Their stories will bring us all over the country, but the moment you see a big bad wolf or a woman talking gibberish, we better keep going to our next stop.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green partially takes place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The book alone is sad enough that we can sit by the Amstel and cry for a bit and then be distracted by all the beautiful flowers that are all over the town.

From Amsterdam it is not that far to take a plane to Ireland. We explore the country like the siblings Addie and Ian from Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch. If we are lucky we even can go to the Electric Picnic Music Festival and dance as long our feet will allow it.

Great Britain is the country of magicians, or so I have heard. I am sure we will be able to find a trace of Harry’s magic in those streets as told by J.K. Rowling. Maybe we will be able to make a trip with Kell from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab to another London. As Travars!

Have you had enough of magic? Then maybe a little bit of crime is what you need now. Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson are waiting for us in Sweden. Be warned, what they have to tell us is nothing that you will forget soon and it will haunt you maybe. So only take this trip when you really are up for it.

Either way, we will continue our trip to Russia and meet with Pierre from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I do not know about you, but this is one of my favourite classic stories and its complexity causes you to be immersed in the story a few times and to watch all the different movie adaptions. Moscow or St. Petersburg, I hope we do not keep lost in time and do not forget to continue our journey, because the next one is a special stop for me.

Next up is my second homeland, Poland. There I will tell you the story of Pan Tadeuz by Adam Mickiewicz, which tells the complicated history between Poland and Lithuania. Of course, we have to make a stop in Cracow, my hometown, and take a look at the Church of Our Lady St. Mary were the story of The Trumpeter of Krakow takes place. To say goodbye to Poland is always hard for me, but we are not yet down with our journey.

Want to see Vlad the Impaler’s castle? Well, off to Romania we go. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco will give us a different perspective of it. Okay, I just saw a very big bat flying above us, can we go now? Please?

Maybe the next stop will be not a scary one. And I Darken by Kiersten White takes place in the Ottoman Empire, now known as Turkey, and with Lada on our side nothing bad can happen to us.

Every good thing has to come to an end, even an epic trip through Europe. Our last stop before we will head back home is beautiful Prague, Czech Republic. Karou from Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor is waiting for us and after sight-seeing, we will chill outside with food and drinks and enjoy the cool evening summer breeze while we talk about all the great memories we have gathered.

We hope you enjoyed The Nerd Daily book journey through Europe as much as we did and we hope you will travel with us again!

What other books and characters would we see along the way through Europe? Tell us in the comments below!

The post A Book Journey Through Europe appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

With summer fast approaching (sorry to those in the other half of the world), your mind may already be wandering far, far away to the things you’ll do and places you’ll go! But despite all the sun and brightness, the heat can sometimes be stifling and the day can be too hot. In case you just want to sit with a glass of lemonade and a good book or dream and think of summer activities and warmer weather, we’ve got you covered!

We’ve found 10 summery book covers and stories for you to enjoy this summer or to help you stay warm as you brave the winter weather!

Read on to discover some of our favourite summery reads and tell us in the comments below if there’s any others you would add!

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

This is a modern retelling of The Little Mermaid, which follows Elyse, the youngest of the golden-voiced d’Abreau sisters who was destined for a life of singing and stardom until an accident left her mute. She escaped Trinidad and Tobago and stayed in Atargatis Cove, where she spent the summer spending time preparing for the annual pirate regatta, but this year, the stakes are too high. If you love a small seaside town, summer romance, and a self-discovery story, this one is for you.

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Shy and introverted Emily can’t wait to spend the summer with her best friend, Sloane. Except Sloane disappears without a trace and leaves behind a bucket list that Sloane would never try.  Will Emily be able to fulfil all the bucket list and find Sloane again?

A Thousand Salt Kisses by Josie Demuth
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

This is one of the most summery books I’ve ever read and it tells the story of Crystal who just moved to Starfish Island. When she almost drowns, she was saved by a merman named Llyr. As they get to know each other, a threat looms in the form of environmental destroying power plant. Crystal has to fight against the power plant to save the island, the ocean and of course, the merfolk.

One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton
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Milly’s family always went to Italy for the summer, but after their dad’s death last year, this will be the first time they go without him. While everything still feels the same, it’s just not the same without him and not to mention the fact that their family barely hanging on together. This book can get heavy at times, but it also brings you all the fun and experience of exploring around Rome!

Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Sun + water + fun? Nothing screams summer more than this cover! Grayson, Mike and Ian are best friends since they were kids and always spend the summer together. But this year, they all been through a lot and this summer and this might be the summer their friendship ends. Will they be able to survive this summer as friends or will they became estranged?

Summerlost by Ally Condie
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

While this is darker than the rest of covers on this list, it has that nostalgic quality for biking and playing outside until the sky darkens. Summerlost tells the story of the summer after Cedar’s father and brother were killed in an accident. She returns to Iron Creek for the summer, and soon, she befriends Leo and they spend the summer surrounded by the mysteries in Iron Creek.

Summer Days and Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

This summer anthology is the sibling to My True Love Gave To Me, an anthology of 12 holiday stories. Just like its sibling, Summer Days and Summer Nights are filled with summer stories from renowned authors like Stephanie Perkins, Leigh Bardugo, Cassandra Clare, Nina LaCour, and more.

Wanderlost by Jen Malone
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

By chance, Aubree ended up substituting as her sister in leading senior citizens on a tour throughout Europe. It didn’t take long for trouble to start: she manages to lose the binder full of information needed and her phone. There’s also an unexpected guest in the tour: Sam, the son of the tour owner. This summer is going to be interesting indeed, will Aubree managed to lead the tour and keep her cover?

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

For those of you in the other half of the world, not to worry, we also got you covered! The next two books in our list set during the summer, but with cold mysteries and plot twists perfect for a cold winter. The first one is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This popular thriller is set during the summer in a private island, with four friends whose friendship turned toxic.

With Malice by Eileen Cook
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

With Malice is based on true crime story about Amanda Knox. Jill wakes up in a hospital room with no memories of what happened. All she remembers was she was on a school trip to Italy, and people said she had an accident during the trip. Only, it wasn’t an accident. As she returns to the states, she realizes that her best friend was murdered in the “accident” and she is the prime suspect. As the clock is ticking, Jill has to prove her innocence before everything is too late.

(P.S – The Nerd Daily may receive commissions for the links in this article, however, any earnings made are put right back into funding prizes for our followers!)

Any other summery books you would add? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Summer Lovin’ YA Books To Read appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

With Christmas just around the corner, you can’t help but feel a little carried away with all the festivities going on around you. From decorating the house, to preparing for holiday travels, and that last minute shopping. However, it is also a time to relax, and reading is an excellent way to do so!

We’ve compiled some young adult holiday reads to check out over the break, so either grab a cool drink or some hot chocolate and get reading!

Tell us what your favourite Christmas read is in the comments below!

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Set in New York, Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favourite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Then Dash comes, accepts the dares, and begins their romance by a unique way of trading the book of dares across locations in New York. This is a favourite book in the YA community and it even has a sequel, Twelve Days of Dash and Lily.

Decked With Holly by Marni Bates

Holly is spending Christmas on a cruise with her cousins from hell, when she meets Dominic Wyatt—the drummer of one of the hottest bands in America. Their first meeting is more than awkward, but Holly’s face is already plastered all over the internet and the band wants to save their family-friendly image. So Dominic asks Holly to be his fake girlfriend for 2 weeks and turns her Christmas around. How bad could it be to be “fauxmantically” involved with a cute rock star? She’s about to find out…

What Light by Jay Asher

Sierra has two lives: one in her real home at a Christmas farm in Oregon, and another one in California, where the family always goes near the holiday season to set up their Christmas lot. Leaving one always means missing the other, until this year, when she meets Caleb. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy, but Sierra sees beyond Caleb’s past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption.

My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff

Charlotte Charlie Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. She also has a plan to be Teo’s date to the Christmas ball: to rig the papers Secret Santa so that she can win his heart with five perfect gifts. In order to do that, she needs the help of J.D. Ortiz, Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Let It Snow contains 3 interconnected holiday stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle.

My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins

This novel features is a collection of 12 different holiday stories, whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year, by 12 of New York Times bestselling authors.

The post 6 YA Books To Read Over The Holidays appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover some new releases and tell us in the comments below if you will be checking them out or if you’ve read some!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson | Goodreads

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: immortal creatures crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes for the autumn prince Rook, which causes him to spirit her away to stand trial for her crime. The two must depend on one another to survive and their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. Isobel has a choice to make: become a fair one and sacrifice her craft or go against the fairy courts.

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera | Goodreads

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo | Goodreads

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake | Goodreads

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins | Goodreads

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu | Goodreads

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules. She creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore | Goodreads

Jane was raised by her aunt Magnolia who has made her world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on an expedition. Now, with no direction, she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family’s island mansion called Tu Reviens. What Jane doesn’t know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price.

If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Goodreads

Lena Wise is ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, her upcoming senior year is going to be epic. Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything. With guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends’ entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn’t even guaranteed?

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows | Goodreads

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland. She discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect. Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles before her very world begins to collapse.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust | Goodreads

At sixteen, Mina’s silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all since it was replaced with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart, become queen, and finally know love.

For fifteen-year-old princess Lynet, she looks like her late mother because a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image. But Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina and she gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Freefall by Joshua David Bellin | Goodreads

In the Upperworld, the privileged 1% are getting ready to abandon a devastated planet Earth. After sleeping through a 1,000-year journey, Cam and his friends will have a pristine new planet to colonize. Then Cam sees a banned video feed of protesters in the Lowerworld who also want a chance at a new life. He sees a girl he has to find. Sofie. He joins her cause and falls hard for Sofie. Waking up 1,000 years in the future, Cam discovers that he and his shipmates are far off-course, trapped on an unknown and hostile planet. Who has sabotaged their ship? And does it have anything to do with Sofie, and the choices—and the enemies—he made in the past?

The Grave Keepers by Elizabeth Byrne | Goodreads

Lately, Athena Windham has been spending all her spare time in her grave. Her parents—owners of a cemetery in Upstate New York—are proud of her devoutness, but her younger sister, Laurel, would rather spend her time exploring the forest that surrounds the Windham’s’ property than in her own grave. As the new school year begins, the outside world comes creeping in through encounters with mean girls, a new friend, and a runaway boy hiding out in the cemetery. Meanwhile, a ghost hangs around the Windham property plotting how to keep the sisters close to home and close to her forever.

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