Books Publishing This Week
The weekend stretches before you, open and unhurried, exactly the way you hoped it would. It’s mid-April, and outside, the world is shifting—winter’s grip has loosened, and the trees are beginning to wake, their branches dusted with the first true hints of green. The air is warmer now, but still holds a crispness in the mornings and evenings, the perfect kind of weather for staying in and getting lost in a story.
You don’t set an alarm this morning. There’s no rush, no schedule to follow, just the slow unfolding of a day that belongs entirely to you. When you finally rise, the light is already filtering through the window, soft and golden, casting lazy shadows across the floor. It’s the kind of morning that invites slow movements and quiet moments—the kind that makes you reach for something familiar, something comforting.
So you do.
You grab your favorite blanket, the one that’s been draped over the arm of the couch all winter, and curl up in your favorite spot. There’s a book waiting for you, the one you’ve been meaning to start, the one that’s been sitting on the shelf, waiting for the right moment. And this—this feels like the right moment.
You run your fingers over the cover before opening it, letting yourself linger for just a second longer. There’s something special about the first page of a new book, the way it holds all the possibility of the story ahead. You settle in, letting the words pull you in, letting the outside world fade into the background.
The house is quiet, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards as they settle in the warmth of the sun. Outside, the neighborhood is waking up—birds call to one another in the trees, a distant dog barks, someone passes by on a morning walk. But none of it touches you, not really. Your world is here now, within these pages, with these characters.
Time moves strangely when you’re lost in a book. One chapter turns into two, then three, then more. Eventually, you shift positions, stretching out your legs, pulling the blanket tighter around you. You reach for your cup of coffee, only to realize it’s gone cold, abandoned sometime during the last few chapters. But you don’t mind.
The morning slips into afternoon, and the sunlight shifts, filtering in at a different angle. You finally glance at the clock and realize just how long you’ve been reading—but again, you don’t mind. This is what weekends are for.
At some point, you take a break, stepping outside for a moment to breathe in the fresh April air. The breeze is gentle, carrying the scent of damp earth and the faintest hint of flowers beginning to bloom. The trees sway, their branches stretching toward the sky, shaking off the last remnants of winter.
You stay outside for a few minutes, letting the warmth of the sun touch your skin, before heading back in. The book is waiting for you, just as you left it, the story only halfway told. And you’re not ready to leave it yet.
So you settle back in, pulling the blanket around your shoulders, sinking back into the pages. The afternoon drifts by, slow and sweet, the perfect kind of weekend, the kind you wish could last forever.
I want to note that I do not get paid to do these posts, I just love authors and the book industry. However, they do take time and energy to create. If you want to donate a few dollars to my coffee fund, which keeps this blog going, you can do so here: https://venmo.com/AshleyHasty or here: http://paypal.me/hastybooklist.
Books Publishing This Week: April 20 - 26
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.
Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.
When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.
Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.
The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli
Author Interview with Laura Morelli
During World War II, a girl makes an unbreakable connection with a boy sheltering in her family’s Tuscan villa, where the treasures of the Uffizi Galleries are hidden. A moving coming-of-age story about the power of art in wartime, based on true events.
As Allied bombs rain down on Torino in the autumn of 1942, Stella Costa’s mother sends her to safety with distant relatives in a Tuscan villa. There, Stella finds her family tasked with a great responsibility: hiding nearly 300 priceless masterpieces from Florence, including Botticelli’s famous Primavera.
With the arrival of German troops imminent, Stella finds herself a stranger in her family’s villa and she struggles to understand why her aunt doesn’t like her. She knows it has something to do with her parents—and the fact that her father, who is currently fighting at the front, has been largely absent from her life.
When a wave of refugees seeks shelter in the villa, Stella befriends Sandro, an orphaned boy with remarkable artistic talent. Amid the growing threats, Sandro and Stella take refuge in the villa’s “treasure room,” where the paintings are hidden. There, Botticelli’s masterpiece and other works of art become a solace, an inspiration, and the glue that bonds Stella and Sandro as the dangers grow.
A troop of German soldiers requisitions the villa and puts everyone to forced labor. Now, with the villa full of German soldiers, refugees, a secret guest, and hundreds of priceless treasures, no one knows who will emerge unscathed, and whether the paintings will be taken as spoils or become unintended casualties.
Inspired by the incredible true story of a single Tuscan villa used as a hiding place for the treasures of Florentine art during World War II, The Keeper of Lost Art takes readers on a breathtaking journey into one of the darkest chapters of Italy’s history, highlighting the incredible courage of everyday people to protect some of the most important works of art in western civilization.
If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal
Lights. Camera. Love?
Rochelle “the Shell” Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle’s college application is missing that extra special something: a job.
When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances at getting into her dream school. There’s only one problem: Amira works there… and is also her boss.
Rochelle feels that working with Amira is its own kind of horror movie, but as the two begin working closely together, Rochelle starts to see Amira in a new light, one that may have her beginning to actually… like her?
But Horizon’s in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon’s chances of staying open slimmer, it’s up to the employees to solve the mystery before it’s too late, but will love also find its way into the spotlight?
Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrissey
Author Interview with Bridget Morrissey
Tatum Ward and Eleanor Chapman lead totally opposite lives. Tatum’s never left her Midwestern hometown. She resides in a quaint guest cottage on her parents’ property while working part-time as a waitress, where she spends most shifts ignoring her feelings for a beautiful regular named June. Eleanor dedicates every waking hour to her high-profile press career, sacrificing personal relationships for professional success, save for the occasional hookup to fight off her loneliness. When both women’s lives unexpectedly blow up at the exact same time, they each need an escape, and fast.
In Tatum’s hometown, Eleanor expects a quiet hideaway where she can recharge. Instead she gets wrapped up in the family drama that Tatum left town to avoid, pulled in by Tatum’s charismatic older sibling, Carson, who charms Eleanor at every turn. Tatum ends up in Eleanor’s New York high-rise apartment with June. One week together in the big city might make it impossible for Tatum to avoid not just her true feelings for June, but her real dreams for her life.
Amid a friendship with a reclusive Hollywood actress and a complicated family reunion, Tatum and Eleanor each discover much more than they bargained for away from home. Their house swap won’t last forever, but it might be just long enough for both women to surrender their defenses and finally fight for the life—and love—they deserve.
Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town
Ana Hebra Flaster’s Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town is a captivating memoir that chronicles the extraordinary journey of a Cuban refugee family from post-revolutionary Cuba to a snowy New Hampshire mill town in 1967. Through vivid storytelling and loving vignettes (some of which have been prominently featured on NPR and PBS), Flaster brings to life her childhood in a vibrant Cuban-American household, complete with an abuela, tia, cousins, and canaries. She reveals how the strong-willed women in her family wove stories of their scrappy Havana barrio and Cuba into daily life, creating a new origin story of triumph over communism and corruption, even as they struggled to assimilate to life in a new country.
At heart, all of the intimate stories in Flaster’s memoir highlight the indomitable spirit of immigrants, as she recounts learning English by watching Gilligan’s Island and deciphering American culture through the lyrics of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Throughout the chaos, her family’s quirky wisdom and her mother’s battle cry of “ponte guapa” (make yourself brave) provide strength when it is needed most, showing how fierce love, stubborn will, and the sheer strength of family can put nine new Americans back on their feet – even when they’ve lost nearly everything in the process.
As Flaster recounts her unlikely journey from refugee child to successful American professional, she eventually uncovers the hidden costs of her family’s displacement. When her own daughter turns five, the age at which Flaster fled Cuba, long-buried memories resurface, demanding an adult’s reckoning with the psychological trauma of the past – a powerful testament to the enduring impact of the refugee experience, even generations later. Property of the Revolution celebrates the resilience of the immigrant spirit as a whole, while honestly portraying the enormous challenges and complexities of cultural assimilation and identity formation, as well as illustrating how the journey of refugee-dom never truly ends.
Perfect for readers of memoirs, immigrant stories, and family histories, Property of the Revolution offers a unique window into a pivotal moment in Cuban-American history while speaking to the universal themes of loss, reinvention, and the unbreakable bonds that define family.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
"This is a novel about ambitious women and the mentors that inspired them to excellence . . . Bostwick carves an unforgettable path for her characters."--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club . . . or a feminist revolution in her buttoned-up suburb.
By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia--one of Northern Virginia's most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman's Place--a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough?
Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women--Bitsy and Viv--to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine--and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments--and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a humorous, thought provoking, and nostalgic romp through one pivotal and tumultuous American year--as well as an ode to self-discovery, persistence, and the power of sisterhood.
So-Hee and Lowy by Anna Kang
Author Interview with Anna Kang
From the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel winner You Are (Not) Small and Christopher Award winner Eraser comes a heartfelt story about the power of friendship.
So-Hee is lonely. She doesn’t have a brother or sister, nor does she have many friends. More than anything, she longs for a pet she can hold and love. The trouble is, she’s allergic to just about everything. When So-Hee meets a snake named Lowy, all at once, her life starts to change in unexpected ways.
Shakespeare's Greatest Love by David Medina
Relying on historical and literary evidence hidden in plain sight, Shakespeare’s Greatest Love tells the true, uncensored love story of William Shakespeare and Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton.
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.
As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, Jess slowly comes to a horrifying understanding of the butchery that follows them―the boy can turn his every fear into reality.
And when the wolf finally comes home, no one will be spared.
The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter
Maggie Reynolds is finally ready for love again—until the past shows up in the form of someone who may or may not be the late husband she thought she'd lost.
Five years after her husband's death, Maggie is finally ready to let go of him and the dreams she had for their future. A summer at Seabrook, where she and Ethan first became childhood sweethearts, seems the perfect time and place to find closure. Plus, she gets to spend time with his family, the Reynoldses, whom she loves like her own.
Unbeknownst to Maggie, her brother-in-law, Josh Reynolds, has been in love with her since they first met all those years ago. But his brother ultimately won Maggie's heart, and Josh's unrequited love has ruined all his relationships. If Maggie is ready to move on, then Josh is ready to lay it all on the line and come clean about his true feelings for her.
But his plans soon get put on hold when, shortly after Maggie returns to Seabrook, she runs into a man who could pass for Ethan's twin. But he disappears into the amusement park crowd before she can confront him.
The event rattles Maggie, stirs up impossible questions, and sends Josh and her on a quest to discover the man's true identity. But their search ends up raising more questions than answers—and soon Maggie isn't sure she wants those answers after all.
Mothers of Fate by Lynne Hugo
Author Interview with Lynne Hugo
From award-winning novelist Lynne Hugo, Mothers of Fate, a masterful story of three women and a young man navigating the complexities of adoption and its aftermath that raises a question for every reader. Does fate direct our lives- or do our own choices? This Spring, Hugo delivers her most gripping novel yet. What do a married lesbian couple with an adopted baby, a disabled woman seeking to heal from a tragic past, and a troubled Iraq war veteran have in common? The answers lie in Hugo’s life-affirming new novel Mothers of Fate (On Sale: April 22, 2025; Amphorae Publishing Group; paperback original; 978-1943075911), wherein she reveals how fate–or choices made–may connect total strangers in mysterious and often invisible ways.
An enthralling narrative and a masterclass in interweaving narratives that explore themes of sexual power dynamics, family, responsibility, and the sacrifices that come with love, Mothers of Fate doesn’t shy away from difficult topics; rather, it expertly leans into them. Readers are sure to be hooked by this searing look at modern families and relationships, and will be left asking, “Is there really such a thing as destiny or do we entirely shape our own fate, little by little, by our choices?” Prepare to be stunned by Hugo’s powerful, insightful prose in this timely tale of resilience, reconciliation, and, ultimately, hope.
If You Must Go, I Wish You Triplets by Virginia Deluca
Sometimes, we know the least about those we love the most.
When Virginia DeLuca's sixty-year-old husband walked out saying he wanted babies, everyone had a theory. He already knocked someone up. Nervous breakdown. Brain tumor.
DeLuca, a psychotherapist, spent decades helping clients cope with sudden losses and dramatic changes-and now it's happened to her. She was left with the mystery of the ending and the need to forge an unfamiliar path.
If You Must Go, I Wish You Triplets is an unflinching exploration of love and relationships from a woman who ultimately found that life can expand in unanticipated ways.
In the Beautiful Dark by Melissa Payne
A woman investigates a friend’s long-ago murder in a haunting and hopeful novel about the weight of secrets and regrets by the bestselling author of The Wild Road Home and A Light in the Forest.
At Sunny Pines Retirement Community, where the “Sixty-Two and Better!” share their golden years, secrets abound. Some scandalous, some haunting, and some dangerous. For Birdie Allen, a retired business owner and grandmother, her secret is the only thing she’s got left. Getting old isn’t the hardest part about life. It’s the memories from more than fifty years ago of the death of her unrequited love. And Birdie’s abandoned quest to root out the killer.
With retirement comes a lot of time to revisit old ghosts, so when Birdie ties together a string of recent murders, and a woman disappears, she’s drawn into the same chase she gave up decades earlier. But this time she has the help of an eccentric community of eager new friends. And they’re not alone. Restless souls are watching, including Birdie’s lost love, and they sense the danger that lies ahead. They’re not leaving Birdie’s side until she finishes what she set out to do. But will Birdie’s pursuit of a killer finally free her of regrets and allow her to embrace the beauty of the life she’s created?
Summer Light on Nantucket by Nancy Thayer
New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer returns with Summer Light on Nantucket (On Sale: 4/22) a heartfelt and captivating novel about love, family, and second chances. Thayer once again transports readers to the sun-drenched shores of Nantucket, weaving a story that perfectly captures the magic of summer and the bonds that shape our lives.
At the heart of Summer Light on Nantucket is Blythe Benedict, a devoted mother whose annual family retreat to Nantucket is the highlight of her year. But this summer, amidst teenage turmoil, an ailing ex-mother-in-law, and a long-buried secret about her ex-husband, Blythe’s cherished getaway takes unexpected turns. When she rekindles a romance with her high school sweetheart and finds herself drawn to another intriguing man, Blythe must navigate new feelings and old wounds while discovering that life’s greatest surprises come when you least expect them.
With Thayer’s signature blend of love, friendship, and family, Summer Light on Nantucket is a heartfelt exploration of life’s second chances and the bonds that hold us together.
The Last Secret Kept by Elaine Stock
Author Interview with Elaine Stock
If love is the only true gift everyone can give and receive, why doesn’t everyone grab hold of it and never let it go?
Fanny may be a small-town defense attorney in upstate New York alongside Lake Ontario, but it’s 1961 with growing opportunities for women. She’s not about to listen to naysayers who encourage her to marry and to stay at home and raise a family. Fanny meets Gina, whose husband Kenny is pinned by society as a lesser man because of his limited intelligence. When Kenny is accused of murder, Fanny takes on the case. Gina hopes for her grandmother’s support, but a hidden act of betrayal during the WWII years when Gina and her grandmother lived in Berlin, Germany, threatens to unsettle Gina and destabilize the case Fanny is building on behalf of Kenny.
Set against the backdrop of the construction of the Berlin Wall, The Last Secret Kept explores the beauty of individualism while demolishing the invisible walls built between ourselves and our loved ones.
