Unboxing My Latest Book Haul (August 11)
Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week
Receiving a week’s worth of book mail in early August is the perfect way to keep summer reading going strong. With new book releases arriving just as lazy afternoons and warm evenings beckon, this book haul adds fresh excitement to your TBR pile. Each title is a new adventure waiting to be discovered, offering plenty of book recommendations to share or savor quietly on your own. You might even uncover a few gems destined to be among the best books of 2025, making this delivery a true highlight of the season.
Where to Buy These Books:
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.
What I Wore:
In early August, with the promise of long, dreamy afternoons and golden hour light spilling across the floor, pulling on a navy nap dress feels like main character energy embodied. It’s the kind of main character outfit that balances ease and elegance—soft, flowing, and romantic, perfect for living your main character life without even trying. Paired with your go-to gold hoop earrings, your new graduated rope necklace, and your signature herringbone chain, this layered jewelry look adds just the right touch of personal style inspiration and fashion for self-expression. As you settle in to explore a fresh stack of book mail, covers promising character-driven novels, books for self-discovery, and stories that inspire confidence, you’re reminded that style and reading are both ways to curate your own story. This is main character aesthetic books and clothing in perfect harmony: outfit and mood in sync, page after page feeding your main character mindset, proving that sometimes all it takes to feel like the main character is the right dress, the right jewelry, and the promise of getting lost in a really good book.
This Week’s Book Mail Includes:
Darling Beasts by Michelle Gable - Three scandal-prone siblings with secrets (and surprise exotic animals) must survive a political campaign, family drama, and one wildly beastly twist in this witty, offbeat novel from a New York Times bestselling author.
If Not for my Baby by Kate Golden - When a guarded small-town singer joins a rock star's US tour, their onstage chemistry ignites an offstage romance that could change everything—if they're both willing to risk an encore.
The Second Chance Bus Stop by Ally Zetterberg - Three strangers—an aging mother racing memory loss, her devoted but frustrated son, and a determined florist—find unexpected friendship and hope on a heartfelt journey to rediscover love, dreams, and the beauty in life's messy imperfection.
Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder - When a fallen singer-songwriter and a kindhearted handyman are thrown together by a house renovation in a small Colorado town, their simmering attraction threatens to ignite into something neither of them is ready to admit they want.
Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve - In this sizzling enemies-to-lovers romantasy, an unpredictable witch and the dangerously alluring son of her father’s enemy must join forces at a prestigious—and perilous—magic college where ancient grudges, forbidden desire, and dark secrets threaten to consume them both.
Death and other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt - When Death herself takes a much-needed sabbatical in London, she’s forced to play detective in this darkly funny, genre-bending mystery—because who better to solve a string of rogue murders than the Grim Reaper on holiday?
Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley - A criminal lawyer must confront buried secrets and an old flame accused of murder in this twisty, atmospheric debut where every answer leads to darker questions.
Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen - When her marriage ends on the eve of WWII, Ellie sets off for the South of France with friends in tow, discovering resilience, unexpected love, and a whole new life in a sunlit village on the brink of war.
The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau - When a heartbroken woman takes a mysterious gardening job in a secluded French estate, she discovers a lush, magical world full of secrets, enchantments, and the possibility of new love—but also a haunting mystery she can't ignore.
Whispers of the Mind by Carolyn Larkin Taylor - Step into the fascinating, deeply human world of neurology with Whispers of the Mind, where a neurologist shares personal and professional stories that illuminate the mysteries, resilience, and beauty of the human brain.
Tiny Vices by Linda Dahl - When the fractious Talley siblings reunite for what may be their last family vacation, old wounds, buried secrets, and midlife crises collide in a tartly funny, deeply compassionate novel about facing the messiness of love and the possibility of healing.
While the Getting is Good by Matt Riordan - During the brutal final days of Prohibition, one fisherman’s risky turn to rumrunning sets off a chain of betrayal and heartbreak that threatens to tear his family apart in this gritty, haunting tale of survival and regret.
Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke by Debra Meyerson and Steve Zuckerman - Identity Theft, Second Edition is an inspiring and deeply honest guide for stroke survivors and their families, chronicling Stanford professor Debra Meyerson’s journey to rebuild her life and identity after a devastating stroke—while offering hard-won insights, practical advice, and hope for navigating both the physical and emotional challenges of long-term recovery.
The Power of Little Steps by Sheila Vijeyarasa - The Power of Little Steps is an inspiring guide that shows how small, mindful actions can spark profound transformation, helping you heal, manifest your dreams, and live with true authenticity and joy.
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova - In Arcana Academy, a cunning tarot-wielding outlaw must pose as the fiancée of a powerful prince to infiltrate a magical academy—where betrayal, intrigue, and forbidden romance threaten both their hearts and the fate of the realm.
This Here is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry - This Here Is Love is a sweeping, intimate saga of seventeenth-century Virginia where an enslaved girl, a boy born to freedom, and an indentured servant collide, testing the fierce limits of love, freedom, and family in the brutal forging of America.
Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh - A haunted Justice-Psy and a fierce changeling wing leader must join forces to stop a deadly predator in Nalini Singh’s latest Psy-Changeling Trinity novel—a tense, emotional battle for justice, forgiveness, and a love that might not survive their past.
My Father's House by Ulf Kvensler - When Isak travels to a remote island to claim his estranged father’s inheritance, he’s drawn into a chilling psychological game where buried family secrets blur the line between nightmare and reality.
She Didn't See it Coming by Shari Lapena - When a devoted wife vanishes without a trace from her upscale condo, the perfect life she shared with her husband unravels into a chilling mystery where no one—and nowhere—can be trusted.
The World's Greatest Detective and her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully - A sharp-witted Boomer detective and her eager Gen Z assistant must navigate clashing styles—and a tangled family mystery—when they're called to prove a wealthy matriarch's "suicide" was murder.
The Cover Girl by Amy Rossi - When a former teen model is invited to celebrate the agent who discovered her, she must finally confront the haunting memories of fame, exploitation, and lost dreams she’s spent decades trying to outrun.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger - After a devastating crash involving their AI-driven car, a family must confront buried secrets and impossible moral questions about technology, responsibility, and loyalty in this gripping, thought-provoking drama.
Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser - When ten-year-old Mona faces the loss of her sight, she and her grandfather embark on fifty-two magical Wednesdays exploring Paris's greatest artworks, filling her world with beauty and wisdom in this unforgettable, international bestselling debut.
Lime Juice Money by Jo Morey - In this steamy, suspenseful debut set in the lush but dangerous jungles of Belize, a woman fighting to build a new life must confront deadly secrets, a crumbling relationship, and the darkness that threatens to consume her.
Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg - When a killer stages victims as haunting scenes from classic literature, a straitlaced detective and a sharp-witted professor must decode the deadly clues before the next murder is written.
Tiny T. Rex and the First-Day Oopsies by Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck - Join Tiny T. Rex on his first day of school as he learns that even with a giant backpack and big plans, the best way to tackle new adventures is with courage, friendship, and a willingness to try (and fail!) along the way.
