Books Publishing This Week
The late February day is caught between two seasons, a soft tug-of-war between winter’s lingering grip and the first quiet whispers of spring. The air outside has that particular crispness, not as biting as it was a few weeks ago but still cool enough to make you instinctively wrap a scarf around your neck if you venture out. Patches of snow, stubborn in the shade, are slowly giving way to damp earth, and the bare trees cast long, skeletal shadows in the pale afternoon light.
But you’re not thinking much about the outdoors today. Inside, the world feels warmer, calmer—a perfect haven for starting a new book. The afternoon stretches before you, wide open and unhurried, a rare gift at the end of a short month that always feels longer than it is. The book has been sitting on your shelf for weeks, waiting for just the right moment, and now, as the day ambles along, you decide that moment has arrived.
You gather your essentials: a soft throw blanket in a neutral shade, warm and inviting, to drape over your legs as you settle in. Your favorite mug is filled with tea, its steam curling upward in lazy swirls, carrying a soothing scent that fills the room. You find your favorite chair, the one by the window that lets in just enough natural light, and settle into its familiar embrace.
The book feels solid in your hands, its weight both comforting and full of promise. You run your fingers over the cover, admiring the texture, the colors, the way the title seems to glow faintly in the light. There’s always a small thrill in this moment—this pause before you open the first page, when the story is still a mystery and the possibilities feel endless.
The house is quiet except for the soft creak of the floorboards as you shift in your seat. You pull the blanket closer around you, its folds pooling in your lap, and let out a contented sigh. With one last glance at the afternoon light filtering through the window, you open the book.
The first sentence hooks you immediately, and just like that, the world around you fades. It doesn’t matter that the neighbor’s dog barks faintly in the distance or that you can hear the faint hum of the furnace as it kicks on. All that exists now are the words in front of you, the cadence of the story pulling you in deeper with every page.
The book’s world begins to unfold. Characters take shape in your mind, vivid and distinct, their voices and emotions leaping off the page. The setting draws you in, detailed and immersive, so much so that you can almost feel the air of the fictional world brushing against your skin. You find yourself smiling at clever lines of dialogue, pausing to savor particularly beautiful sentences, and leaning forward slightly as the plot begins to deepen.
You glance at the window, briefly pulled back into the real world, and notice how the light has shifted. The sun, lower in the sky now, bathes the room in a golden glow, its warmth filtering through the glass and pooling at your feet. You stretch for a moment, taking a sip of your tea, which has cooled just enough to drink comfortably. The warmth spreads through you as you look back at the page, eager to see what happens next.
There’s something special about reading on a late February day, when the world outside is just beginning to stir with the faintest hints of spring. It’s a reminder that transition is natural, that seasons shift, and that stories—whether in books or in life—have a way of carrying you through those in-between moments.
The hours pass in quiet contentment as you lose yourself in the story. When you finally close the book, marking your place with a ribbon tucked carefully between the pages, you feel a sense of satisfaction. The day has unfolded exactly as it should—slow, peaceful, and full of the simple joy of getting lost in a new book. As the sun sets, casting long shadows across the room, you smile to yourself, already anticipating the next chapter.
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: February 23 - March 1
A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher
A witch generationally cursed to never find true love sets out to break the spell cast on her family, and must team up with the last person who wants to help her – the witch who set the curse in the first place.
Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken heart - if she can’t break the centuries old curse placed on her family.
Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and its future generations to never find love. But it wasn’t without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches, trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.
But Doreen isn’t like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the most powerful witches in centuries… and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own motive: vengeance. He plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.
Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice.
Paige Crutcher's A Circle of Uncommon Witches is a story of adventure, romance, and destiny, that asks: is true love worth the cost?
Portrait of a Feminist: A Memoir in Essays by Marianna Marlowe
Through braided memories that flash against the present day, Portrait of a Feminist depicts the evolution of Marianna Marlowe’s identity as a biracial and multicultural woman—from her childhood in California, Peru, and Ecuador to her adulthood as an academic, a wife, and a mother.
How does the inner life of a feminist develop? How does a writer observe the world around her and kindle, from her earliest memories, a flame attuned to the unjust?
With writing that is simultaneously wise and shimmering, nuanced and direct, Marlowe explores her own experiences with the hallmarks of patriarchy. Interweaving stories of life as the child of a Catholic Peruvian mother and an atheist American father in a family that lived many years abroad, she explores realities familiar to so many of us—unequal marriages, class structures, misogynist literature, and patriarchal religion. Portrait of a Feminist confronts the two most essential questions of feminism today: What does it look like to live a life in defense of feminism? And how should feminism be evolving today?
Kinda Korean by Joan Sung
In this courageous memoir of parental love, intergenerational trauma, and perseverance, Joan Sung breaks the generational silence that curses her family. By intentionally overcoming the stereotype that all Asians are quiet, Sung tells her stories of coming-of-age with a Tiger Mom who did not understand American society.
Torn between her two identities as a Korean woman and a first generation American, Sung bares her struggles in an honest and bare confessional. Sifting through her experiences with microaggressions to the over fetishization of Asian women, Sung connects the COVID pandemic with the decades of violence and racism experienced by Asian American communities.
Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Also by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Devoted fangirl meets hesitant fanboy in this swoony contemporary love letter to readers who adore fantasy worlds, from the beloved authors of The Breakup Tour.
Jennifer Worth lives to escape into the world of her favorite romantasy series Elytheum Courts, where the romance is sweeping and the men are brave, chivalrous . . . and winged. Newly single and craving connection, she travels to an immersive fan experience celebrating all things Elytheum, only to see the last face she expected—Scott Daniels, her work nemesis, whose disinterest in Jennifer’s favorite series and standoffishness have made their publishing jobs feel like a feuding fae court.
Except the Scott she encounters there, in his secondhand cosplay outfit, is . . . different. Swaggering, flirtatious, confident. Unlucky in romance himself and inspired by Jennifer’s love for the swoonworthy men of Elytheum, Scott is determined to remake himself into the perfect book boyfriend.
Jennifer has no interest in helping the man who vexes her every workday and dismisses her fictional fantasies, but as the immersive convention activities force them together, they’re surprised to discover magic like none Jennifer has ever read about. But is enemies-to-lovers romance only for books, or can Jennifer and Scott bring the trope to life?
Moral Treatment by Stephanie Carpenter
In 1889, seventeen-year-old Amy Underwood is committed to a psychiatric hospital in northern Michigan. Feeling abandoned by her loved ones, she finds solace in her friendship with a spirited fellow patient, Letitia. Yet as Amy becomes more comfortable at the hospital, she faces a troubling reality: not everyone will leave this place.
The hospital’s aging superintendent, the doctor, believes in the principles of the moral treatment: that an orderly environment, healthy diet, exercise, and uplifting activities will restore mental health. But as the hospital’s population swells, the doctor’s control slips—and those closest to him clamor for change. In this dual coming-of-age story, as Amy grows in self-awareness, the doctor is forced to reexamine his long-standing professional and personal practices.
Inaugural winner of the Summit Series Prize from Central Michigan University Press, MORAL TREATMENT is literary historical fiction at its finest: elegantly written, moving, relevant, and unforgettable.
I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower
When a blaze takes both a neighbor’s home and his life, Emily Dickinson and her maid Willa have a burning desire to crack the case in this new historical mystery from Agatha Award–winning author Amanda Flower.
Amherst, 1857. The Dickinson family braves one of the worst winters in New England’s history. Trains are snowbound and boats are frozen in the harbor. Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble, have never witnessed anything like it. As Amherst families attempt to keep their homes warm, fears of fire abound.
These worries prove not to be unfounded as a blaze breaks out just down the street from the Dickinson in Kelley Square, the Irish community in Amherst, and a young couple is killed, leaving behind their young child. Their deaths appear to be a tragic accident, but Emily finds herself harboring suspicions there may be more to the fire than meets the eye. Emily and Willa must withstand the frigid temperatures and discover a killer lurking among the deadly frost.
Unlock the Dark by Sasa Hawk
Perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Lexi Ryan, this debut romantasy stand-alone novel blends an immersive world, unique magic system, and swoon-worthy romance to create an unputdownable read that explores the great and terrible lengths to which love compels us to go.
Elia Tallis’s key conjuring abilities, when used with her father’s magic, allow her to open a path to any location. But Papa is dying, and Elia has been forced to painfully tether him to life so she can siphon his magic to provide for her siblings. The god of death, angry to be denied his due, punishes her by claiming her youngest brother as a servant.
Desperate to save her brother, Elia accepts a potentially deadly commission from Trys, a kindhearted prince with his nose stuck in a book. Trys wants Elia to help him find a legendary scroll. In exchange, he’ll give her his hand in marriage, securing her and her siblings’ futures and allowing her to release Papa to the afterlife.
Despite the danger of their quest, Elia and Trys find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. But when Trys finally reads the scroll, it transforms him into a monster beyond comprehension. Elia will have to wield her power in ways she never thought possible, braving a world of endless darkness and the nightmares dwelling within it to bring home the prince she’s growing to love.
The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall
An astonishing historical novel of one woman's dangerous journey through World War II Germany and her life-changing friendship with a young woman decades later—from the #1 international bestselling author of Looking for Jane.
Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own…
Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.
Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.
The Café with No Name by Robert Seethaler
From one of Austria’s most beloved and best-selling authors, comes this vibrant tale of love, companionship, and renewal set against the transformations of 1960s Vienna.
Summer 1966. Robert Simon is in his early thirties and has a dream: to open a café that welcomes all kinds of customers. Raised in a home for war orphans, Robert has miraculously grown into a warm-hearted, hard-working, and determined man. When the corner café in the Carmelite market square closes, Robert realizes that his chance has come.
We Are Made of Stars by Rochelle B. Weinstein
Author Interview with Rochelle B. Weinstein
Secrets, lies, and second chances are served up beneath the stars at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family by the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.
At the Vis Ta Vie inn, Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue face the daunting decision to close their beloved home for good.
They’re not the only ones going through a season of change, though. Their guests include three couples in crisis: Hollywood celebs Leo and Penny are spending their silver anniversary together while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical-minded therapist, and Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are struggling to find common ground. And former lawyer and current stay-at-home mom Sienna and charismatic sports agent Adam look perfect but are hiding rifts of their own. Thrown into the mix are self-absorbed single mother Cassidy and her sullen fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosalie.
The stage is set for a week of betrayals, regrets, and shocking truths that can rend the heart or heal it. Vis Ta Vie—live your life—captures what it means to love through the darkness, and to find the light even after the magic fades.
The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
The third in the steamy, hilarious Campus Diaries series by New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy, set in the same world as Off Campus and Briar U.
College senior Charlotte Kingston is living two lives―and she's nailing both of them. By day, she's the perfect sorority girl, a STEM student in biomedical engineering, and the adopted daughter of an overachiever family. At night, she's Charlie: a risk-taking daredevil looking for fun who finds herself chatting on a dating app with two anonymous hotties.
Will Larsen may seem like the breezy boy next door, but his congressman father is a constant thorn in his side. After a scandal hits another Division 1 hockey program, Will's dad is determined to distance his son from it, hiring a journalist to prove how squeaky-clean Will and his team are. Which means the last thing Will wants is for anyone to find out he and his best friend Beckett Dunne―a laidback Aussie shielding secret heartache―sometimes share girls in the bedroom.
When Charlie finally meets them in person and realizes she's been chatting with two gorgeous Briar U hockey players, things get steamy―fast. But all their messy secrets are piling up, and real life soon threatens to shatter the fantasy. With Charlie, Will, and Beckett all coming to terms with what they want and what others want for them, difficult decisions will need to be made.
Especially when lust starts to look a lot like love.
Heart of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes
Oncoming darkness threatens to engulf a noble king and his powerful queen in this breathtaking, epic conclusion to the Bride of the Shadow King series.
After nearly losing each other in a savage attack on the city, Vor and Faraine return to Mythanar fully committed to their marriage. But the situation in the Under Realm remains dire. With the world poised on the brink of collapse, Vor struggles to protect his kingdom. And though Faraine longs to support him as queen, she fights her body at every turn.
When war drags them apart, Vor and Faraine face the consequences of their choices. Torn between honor and desire, Vor must decide where his heart truly lies: with his kingdom or his queen.
Meanwhile, as Faraine explores the strange changes warping her gods-gift, she starts to believe the coming cataclysm may be prevented. But in doing so, she might unleash a darkness in herself far more disastrous…and lose Vor forever.
Grit & Grace: The Transformation of a Ship & a Soul by Deborah Rudell
Deborah Rudell’s world unravels when the leaders of her spiritual commune are exposed, arrested, and imprisoned for bioterrorism and attempted murder. Crushed and adrift, she moves her family off the commune to create a sense of normalcy. But when her husband seeks an opportunity to dismantle and rebuild a derelict fifty-foot schooner, Deborah uproots their children once again and joins him in Kauai. For the next five years, she dedicates her life to restoring a boat.
Pouring herself into the work at hand can only distract her so much as disillusionment about the cult’s lies and manipulation slowly rises to the surface. While she grapples with emotional turmoil and contemplates a new life path, Deborah sets out to accomplish something she never thought possible: sailing across the Pacific to the Olympic Peninsula. Will the dangers that come with navigating the ocean be too much to bear, or will she find resolution and fortitude in the turbulent adventure?
Grit & Grace: The Transformation of a Ship & a Soul is one woman’s account of conquering overwhelming challenges with tenacity and ingenuity and ultimately discovering her inner strength.
Something Like Fate by Amy Lea
For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One―the great loves of their lives―before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.
Until now.
When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.
Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.
