Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week

The end of August has that wistful, almost-autumn feeling, when the afternoons are still golden but you can sense a crisp new chapter waiting just around the corner—and this week’s book mail arrived at exactly the right moment. My TBR pile has grown wonderfully unruly, thanks to a book haul filled with new book releases that promise one last taste of summer and plenty of stories for the cozy season ahead. Every package feels like a tiny love letter to reading, filled with potential book recommendations I’m already eager to pass along. And somewhere in this stack, I’m certain, are a few of the best books of 2026—waiting patiently to be opened as summer turns the page toward September.

Where to Buy These Books:

Shop This Stack on Bookshop.org to Support Local Bookstores

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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.

This Week’s Book Mail Includes:

Baby's Guide to the Night Sky — Introduce little stargazers to stars, planets, constellations, galaxies, and meteor showers with this sweet, rhyming board book designed to make astronomy magical and accessible.
The Glam Reaper's Guide to Slaying by Bill Crisafi — With wicked humor, fabulous illustrations, and plenty of sass, the Glam Reaper is here to help you banish negativity, embrace self-love, and slay your inner demons.
The Wellness Retreat by Dawn Kurtagich — Searching for her missing sister at an isolated luxury wellness retreat, a chronically ill woman discovers miraculous treatments—and the horrifying sacrifices required to make them work.
Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman — A man recovering from a near-death experience falls for a mysterious woman who may not be entirely human in this darkly funny horrormance about love, possession, and murder.
The Vision Through My Lens: My Life in Basketball and Beyond by Natasha Howard — Three-time WNBA champion Natasha Howard shares the powerful story of overcoming extraordinary obstacles on her journey from a difficult childhood to becoming one of women’s basketball’s elite athletes.
Before I Disappear by Cate Quinn — A criminologist awakens in a remote motel with a fake identity, missing memories, and no idea whom she can trust in this fast-paced thriller where remembering the truth could get her killed.
The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen — Fifteen years after their friend died in the woods where they once practiced magic, four women return home when the trees begin whispering clues about what really happened.
Monster in the Mirror by Janasha Prabhu — Haunted by her serial-killer uncle’s legacy and suspected of murder herself, a young woman hunts a new killer whose crimes suggest someone knows her darkest secrets.
Boys Adrift: The Six Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men — Drawing on research and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Leonard Sax examines six forces he believes are leaving boys disengaged and offers practical strategies for parents and educators.
Wrecked by Bree L. Mina — Two former soulmates torn apart by circumstance are thrown back together by fate and forced to confront their painful past while relying on each other to survive.
Library of Forbidden Books by Mario Escobar — In 1933 Berlin, a courageous librarian secretly saves books targeted by the Nazi regime in a gripping historical novel inspired by the true stories of those who risked everything to preserve the written word.
Tell Two Friends by Ann Garvin — An ordinary woman discovers the man next door has spent decades planning for her—and proves just how dangerous it can be to underestimate a woman who has finally had enough.
The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen — A mysterious death pulls the retired spies of the Martini Club back into a deadly Cold War conspiracy where old enemies, former lovers, and long-buried betrayals refuse to stay in the past.
Cartography of Loss by Karen Paul — In this tender memoir-in-essays, Karen Paul explores caregiving, widowhood, grief, and the unexpected experience of finding love and a new path forward after devastating loss.
A Thousand Monstrous Forms by Saratoga Schaefer — A newlywed snowed in at her wife’s isolated, art-filled manor begins to suspect the house is haunted—and that the secrets locked in its basement may be even more terrifying.
Happily Ever Afterlife by Emma R. Alban — An aspiring novelist falls hopelessly in love with a beautiful 1960s ghost and must figure out how to give both her unconventional found family and herself the happily-ever-afterlife they deserve.
Table Boss by Jen Agg — Restaurateur Jen Agg brings her signature wit and candor to a memoir about restaurants, ambition, caregiving, marriage, and rebuilding a life when everything that once felt certain suddenly changes.
My Backyard Bird Book by Cheryl Johnson — Budding birdwatchers can discover 23 common North American backyard birds through beautiful photographs, identification tips, fun facts, and ideas for making their own yards more bird-friendly.
Ama's Purse by Charlotte Cheng and Xindi Yan — A little girl discovers that her grandmother’s purse holds far more than everyday objects in this tender celebration of Chinese culture, family, memory, and intergenerational love.
20 Over 60 by Beth Weinhouse and David Galef — Twenty short stories by writers over sixty capture the humor, surprises, complications, and richness of later life while proving there’s no age limit on unforgettable storytelling.
Fortune and Glass by John Mutter — Against the rise of Nazi Germany, a government official secretly aiding the Allies and the Jewish woman he once loved confront impossible choices about loyalty, resistance, survival, and what it means to remain human.
The Truth Chamber by Duncan Ritchie — As political violence threatens to destroy American democracy, an admiral and a Stanford student turn to experimental AI technology in a desperate attempt to expose the truth before an authoritarian candidate reaches the White House.
Weird, Wild, and Rare Extraordinary Animals of the United States — From creepy creatures and masterful camouflage artists to brilliant builders and endangered oddities, this illustrated guide introduces young readers to some of America’s most extraordinary animals.
Fallen for France by Elizabeth Letts — A Moroccan boy, a French woman, an English veterinarian, and a remarkable Arabian mare are brought together by World War I in this sweeping story of courage, connection, and resilience.
Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan — When her sister suddenly disappears, a woman must protect her young niece while unraveling a terrifying family history that suggests everything they believed about their past may be a lie.
I am a Spicy Nugget by Loryn Brantz — One very spicy little girl discovers that even the biggest, hottest, most explosive emotions can be soothed with patience, understanding, and plenty of love.
Our Favorite Day of the Week by Ashley Franklin & Rahele Jomepour Bell — A group of friends shares the traditions and everyday joys that make their favorite days special in this warm celebration of friendship, family, and the beauty of our differences.