Books Publishing This Week [July 20 - 26]

It’s a warm evening in mid-July, that perfect moment when the sun has begun its slow descent but the heat still lingers like an embrace. The light has gone golden, spilling across the world in soft, forgiving tones. You’re wearing your favorite white linen dress, light and airy, the fabric moving easily in the faintest breeze. It’s the kind of dress that feels made for summer evenings—simple, effortless, cool against your skin.

You find your spot near the river, where the ground is soft with grass and the world feels hushed except for the gentle trickle of water moving over stones. You ease down onto a woven blanket you brought just for this, smoothing it beneath you and letting your bare legs stretch out. Around you, the air is alive with subtle sounds: crickets starting up their nightly chorus, leaves rustling with the breeze, and that ever-present, soothing whisper of the river.

You take a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling the day’s heat slip from your shoulders, replaced by the gentle coolness rising from the water. Fireflies blink here and there along the banks, tiny points of light as the dusk deepens. You lean back on your hands, close your eyes for a moment, and simply listen. The river is constant, calming. It’s a promise of something steady in a world that so often rushes past you.

Beside you, your book waits, its cover catching the last bits of light. You pick it up, running your fingers over the smooth surface before cracking it open. There’s something so satisfying about starting a new book on a summer night—like the world has slowed down just enough to let you give it your full attention. The first lines greet you like a secret invitation, pulling you in gently, with confidence.

You shift, tucking your legs to the side, the linen dress rustling softly. The fabric brushes against your skin, cool and light, and you smile to yourself, perfectly comfortable. Around you, the shadows grow longer, the river a dark ribbon reflecting the deepening sky. The trickle of water seems to weave itself through the words on the page, the story taking on a rhythm that matches the gentle current.

Every so often, you pause to look up from the book. The world around you is changing minute by minute. The sky is lavender now, streaked with fading orange. Trees stand in silhouette, their shapes softened and mysterious. A breeze lifts a strand of hair from your neck, cool against the flush of your sun-warmed skin. You can hear the river’s voice even more clearly now that the world has quieted.

You turn another page. The story deepens, the characters begin to unfurl their secrets, their motivations. You feel yourself leaning in, drawn forward by the promise of what comes next. The light dims further, and you adjust your position, pulling the blanket tighter around your legs even though the night is still warm. The linen dress settles softly around you, cool and gentle in the night air.

You read until the words blur just a little in the dim light, until the fireflies seem to glow brighter than the fading sky. The river keeps talking, quiet and steady. You close the book, marking your place carefully. It’s the beginning of something good, you can tell already. Something you’ll carry with you through the next summer nights, through the next slow, golden evenings.

You sit there for a moment longer, the book resting on your lap, the sound of the river filling the silence between your thoughts. The world feels both smaller and bigger at once. You’re exactly where you want to be: barefoot on a blanket, wearing a white linen dress, the trickle of water in your ears, and the start of a new story in your hands.

Books Publishing July 20 - 26, 2025

Books Publishing This Week

Asshole by Rob Tonkin

The music industry healed him. It also nearly destroyed him.

California in the 70s. Rob Tonkin grew up in an ostensibly normal middle class family, but inside, his narcissistic parents fight bitterly. Driven by his love of music, Rob lands a promising internship at a radio station at age 14. What kickstarts his decades-long career is also the source of lasting trauma for him. Abused by his mentor when he was just a boy, alone and afraid of ruining his chances of success, Rob hides his true feelings and dedicates himself to his work. Throughout his upward rise in LA’s music industry, Rob looks for love, professional recognition, and personal clarity. He makes mistakes. He puts himself first. He might be an asshole. But he’s also first in line in the long journey of reckoning with his past and moving beyond his trauma.

In his often-wild, always-true memoir, "Asshole," Rob Tonkin shares how he buried himself in work and had to dig himself back out, alongside the life-changing steps that facilitated his transformation.

Books Publishing This Week

Between These Broken Hearts by Lexi Ryan

Forbidden romance, mysterious prophecies, and the battle to save the fae realm come to a captivating conclusion in the #1 New York Times bestselling saga begun with Abriella in the These Hollow Vows duology and continued with Jas and Felicity in Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Princess Jasalyn has eleven days to live.

Jasalyn is facing the repercussions of a deadly bargain. Her life, and the future of the shadow court, are forfeit on her birthday unless she can stop the evil fae king Mordeus. She needs to face her greatest fears and find him before she runs out of time, but even after everything, Kendrick won’t let her face this alone.

Shape-shifter Felicity has vanished.

Felicity disappeared from King Misha’s dungeons, and her friends have been searching for her to no avail. But even if she’s found, Felicity will never be able to escape the oracle’s tragic prophecy for her and her family. In her lonely battle with fate, Misha is the last person she can ask to stand by her side, but the first one she’ll need.

Books Publishing This Week

Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher

Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all—wealth, love, and a flourishing career—but knows she’ll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.

After his last book bombed, Huck hasn’t written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he’s found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella’s undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.

After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her—but that’s easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it’s time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance.

Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along.

Books Publishing This Week

The Power of Scars: My Journey from Refugee to CEO by Nizar Ladak

Through this journey, Ladak explores how hardship has shaped his resilience, providing invaluable lessons for both personal and professional growth.

This book offers a unique perspective by intertwining Ladak’s personal narrative with leadership insights and academic research, demonstrating how resilience developed in the face of racial and social challenges can be a powerful tool for success. From the trauma of displacement to the challenges of building a new life in Toronto, and the eventual loss of his job at Health Quality Ontario, Ladak shares his story with vulnerability and wisdom, offering readers practical guidance on overcoming adversity.

In an era where equity, diversity, and inclusion are more crucial than ever, The Power of Scars provides a roadmap for cultivating resilience. While scars may be lasting, they do not have to define one's future.

Books Publishing This Week

Tiny Vices: A Novel by Linda Dahl

Author Interview with Linda Dahl

For fans of Anne Tyler and Jojo Moyes, a tartly compassionate and contemporary tale of sibling love and conflict, marital challenges, and what personal fulfillment looks like—or doesn’t—in middle age.

The Talley siblings are planning a family beach vacation—all four of them together for the first time in years. They suspect it will be their last. And God knows they all need a vacation. But wait, is it really such a good idea? Corina, with her recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s, can hardly manage to get through a day without a debacle. Pete is a just-barely-walking catalog of medical calamities stemming from his longtime addictions. Becca is reeling from her teenage son’s latest misadventure. And then there is Kathy, the eldest. After firmly avoiding going back to Rincón Bay, the beach town just a few hours south of the Arizona–Mexico border that has haunted her since a college spring break trip three decades ago, she’s determined to go back and face her ghosts—though she might be better off facing the fact that her marriage is in serious trouble.

When the Talley siblings and their entourage (two spouses, added on at the last minute, and Corina’s Mexican housekeeper/caregiver) finally land in Rincón Bay, they all encounter unexpected consequences from the wounds inflicted by careless loving—but maybe, too, the seeds of healing and hope.

Books Publishing This Week

The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr

A high-octane, high-concept thriller for fans of Blake Crouch, Harlan Coben, and Gillian Flynn from former Silicon Valley journalist turned bookstore owner Paul Bradley Carr.

Millions of letters arrive in the mail.
Murders are uncovered, affairs revealed, family secrets exposed.
These are the first Confessions.
This is our last chance.

LLIAM is the world’s most powerful supercomputer, built to make the toughest decisions for its users. Where to work, who to marry, and even who should live or die. But when LLIAM suddenly goes offline with no explanation, the world is thrust into chaos, paralyzed by indecision. Stocks plummet, stores are shuttered, planes sit grounded on runways as humanity scrambles to re-adapt to an uncertain, analog world.

Then the first letters arrive…on every continent, in every language, mysterious envelopes arrive in the mail, exposing people’s darkest secrets, and most shocking crimes. All beginning with the same chilling words: “We must confess.”

With millions of people suddenly made to confront their past transgressions, and society fast unraveling, CEO Kaitlan Goss must track down the only person who can help undo the resulting violent chaos: Maud Brookes, an ex-nun who taught LLIAM what it means to be human.

But when Maud receives a letter herself, revealing Kaitlan’s own unforgivable sin, the two women are forced into a deadly game of deceit as the world teeters on the brink

Books Publishing This Week

The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon

Author Interview with Hannah McKinnon

The return of a prodigal daughter to her sleepy Cape Cod town brings the community together in this heartwarming all-new beach read from the acclaimed author of the “absolute treasure of a novel” (Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author) The Darlings.

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her sleepy coastal hometown on Cape Cod. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent historic sea captain’s home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page.

Luke Nicholson, a life-long local and contractor, remembers Leah even if she doesn’t remember him. Intrigued by her return and her project, he agrees to help her bring the old captain’s house back to life. As they work together, The Sandy Page slowly becomes the town’s go-to gathering spot for locals, tourists, and anyone who is feeling adrift during this long, sweet summer. It’s a home for second chances. But will it be enough for Leah and Luke?

Books Publishing This Week

Fix the Fire Damage (The Everyday Pain Guide #2) by Ya-Ling Liou

Living up to its subtitle—Your go-to guide when pain first strikes—the tools in this book will show you what to do right away for relief when you feel immobilized and afraid to move.


Volume 2 of The Everyday Pain Guide is for those moments in the middle of the night, on weekends or holidays, or any time when you can’t get in to see your providers. Perhaps you wake with a stiff neck, throw your back out after a long flight, or maybe freeze up completely after simply reaching for something.

When pain makes it seem impossible to do anything at all, Fix the Fire Damage is the guide that lays out pivotal, gentle, and easy-to-follow Action Plans while walking you through the different stages of healing, starting with the very earliest. That first sign of pain is your best opportunity to swiftly transform the trajectory of each episode and decrease your suffering.

With over 100 photos, illustrations, and diagrams in an easily searchable format, the reader is guided through smart ways to address the three different types of pain triggers: body mechanics, body chemistry, and stress biology.

Books Publishing This Week

Infidelity Rules by Joelle Babula

QUINN DAVIS shatters the norm.

She's successful in the traditionally male-dominated wine world. She'll do anything for a hunk of swoon-worthy cheese. And she only dates married men, a practice designed to evade love and protect her battered heart. But even as a mistress, Quinn has rules. No meddling in happy marriages. No men with young kids. No falling in love. And absolutely, unequivocally, no gigantic panties on a date. She prefers her men the way she likes her food and wine — enticing, intoxicating and utterly delicious.

Enter MARCUS: Hollywood hot, absurdly charming, and determined to rock Quinn's world. He encompasses everything Quinn wants in a fling — simplicity, passion and the mind-blowing infatuation that comes with a new crush. She lusts after him more than she does the most moan-worthy food and wine pairing. When she unexpectedly falls hard for this man with a complicated past, her carefully curated world unravels. Now she must confront her romantic demons, her mistress status, and learn what it means to sacrifice for another. Faced with the punishing choice of relinquishing a love she never dreamed possible or destroying a family, Quinn must decide what's worth keeping and what she must let go. Wine and cheese? Never. A man she loves? Perhaps.