Unboxing My Latest Book Haul
Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week
Mid-February feels like the soft middle of a love story, and this week’s book mail arrived like the sweetest surprise. My TBR pile has grown into a cozy, hopeful tower, thanks to a book haul full of new book releases that make winter afternoons feel almost romantic. Each package carried thoughtful book recommendations, like little notes passed across a café table from readers who know exactly what my heart wants next. With so many titles already feeling like contenders for the best books of 2026, it’s impossible not to believe that sometimes, the best kind of love story is the one waiting for you between the pages.
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.
This Week’s Book Mail Includes:
Second Time’s a Charm by Taylor Epperson – A woman returns to her magical hometown to run a chaotic creature sanctuary—only to be forced to team up with the assassin ex who broke her heart.
Initial Condition by Ian Domowitz – Spanning centuries, a hidden history of artificial intelligence converges on one boy who may determine whether creation or creator ultimately survives.
The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang – In haunted 1911 Shanghai, two women at a cursed mansion must confront buried secrets as the past claws its way into the present.
And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison – Rival meteorologists trapped covering a historic snowstorm discover that their professional clashes may be hiding an irresistible, slow-burn romance.
The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer – A woman searching for her endangered mother uncovers a centuries-old mystery tied to a magical bookstore that appears only when it’s needed most.
I’m Not the Only Murderer In My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig – A reformed serial killer must solve a new murder inside her luxury retirement community to prove she’s retired from killing—for real this time.
Hidden River by Sara Lippman – A stalled life and a shocking wedding invitation force a woman to confront the traumatic secret that shaped her adulthood.
If Only Love by Shelley Saywell – A real-life love story traces first love, devastating loss, and a decades-later reunion that proves some connections never truly fade.
Black Public Joy by Jay Pitter – A powerful exploration of how history, culture, and urban design shape who gets to feel joy, safety, and belonging in public spaces.
Bone of My Bone by Johanna Van Veen – Two women fleeing war chase salvation through a cursed holy relic—while dark forces follow, demanding a terrible price.
Death Meets Cute by J. Penner – A would-be villain witch accidentally hires—and falls for—a gentle, baking orc while trying to maintain her wicked reputation.
A Fate Worse Than Drowning by Sarah L. Hawthorn – Bound by a devil’s bargain to wreck ships, a lighthouse keeper must choose between her sister’s safety and her own soul.
She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang – A skeptical couple’s visit to a haunted ancestral home unleashes spirits determined to claim what the family tried to bury.
This Song Is About Me by Melissa De La Cruz – A journalist investigates a vanished global pop icon and uncovers the truth behind fame, love, and disappearance.
A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes and Other Stories by Nancy J. Allen – Surreal and haunting stories reveal the extraordinary lurking beneath everyday life across the American Southwest.
An Impossibility of Crows by Kirsten Kaschock – A grieving scientist’s attempt to engineer freedom for her daughter spirals into obsession, myth, and monstrous consequence.
AlphaPussy by Gina Gershon – The actress shares bold, hilarious, and hard-won stories about surviving Hollywood and claiming personal power on her own terms.
Death of a Groom by M.C. Beaton – When a high-society wedding turns deadly, Hamish Macbeth must untangle a snowy web of secrets in the Scottish Highlands.
In the Shadow of Silence by Rae Dumont – After her husband’s suicide, a psychiatrist must guide her family through grief while rebuilding a life shattered by mental illness.
We Meet Apart by Martha Conway – Two sisters stranded in parallel wartime Irelands fight to stay connected across realities where love and loyalty shift by the hour.
Side Hustle by Wendy Gee – An ambitious reporter chasing a career-making story uncovers a deadly cybercrime conspiracy that hits terrifyingly close to home.
Live to See the Day by Mark Medley – A globe-spanning exploration of people who devote their lives to impossible dreams—and what drives them to keep going.
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison – Three women on a glamorous 1950s California island form an unlikely bond as secrets, marriages, and identities begin to unravel.
The Bourne Revenge by Brian Freeman – Jason Bourne hunts a mysterious spy tied to his lost memories in a high-stakes race through global espionage.
Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams – A claustrophobic cave expedition turns into a nightmare survival story—and reveals shocking truths about friendship and identity.
A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M.K. Oliver – A hyper-competent wife and mother with homicidal instincts tries to maintain her perfect life while hiding a very inconvenient body.
Adrift by Will Dean – A family’s dream of a quiet canal-boat life spirals into isolation, psychological warfare, and devastating consequences.
Construction Site: Firefight! by Sherri Duskey Rinker and AG Ford – Brave construction trucks team up with firefighting heroes to save their worksite in this action-packed, rhyming picture book adventure.
