Unboxing My Latest Book Haul
Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week
The first week of January feels like opening a brand-new notebook, and this week’s book mail arrived with that same thrilling sense of possibility. My TBR pile has officially entered its optimistic era, thanks to a fresh book haul filled with new book releases that promise reinvention, romance, and a little bit of magic. Each package carried thoughtful book recommendations, quiet nudges saying, this is how the year should begin. With so many titles already whispering their way onto lists of the best books of 2026, it feels like the most perfect way to step into a new year—hopeful, cozy, and happily surrounded by stories waiting to be read.
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:
Ship of Dreams by Donna Jones Alward – Set aboard the Titanic, two women carrying dangerous secrets must choose which dreams are worth saving when love, friendship, and survival collide in history’s most fateful hours.
The Tale of a Wall by Nasser Abu Srour – A profoundly moving prison memoir that transforms confinement into art, as one man turns a cell wall into a lifeline through love, memory, and resistance.
Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai – A fast-paced, laugh-out-loud rom-com where a con woman and a rule-following hero embark on a sizzling cross-country caper that turns enemies into unlikely soulmates.
It's All in your Head by Sabina Nordqvist – A tender, sexy fake-dating romance that explores disability, healing, and being truly seen when two guarded hearts stop pretending.
When there are No More Stars left to Count by Maria Martinez – A lush, emotional romance about loss and rebirth as a broken ballerina finds love, family, and herself on the sunlit streets of Sorrento.
Caste in the Stars by Leylah Attar – A sweeping, star-crossed love story where caste, fame, and fate collide, forcing a woman to choose between the life she inherited and the one she dares to want.
Your Last First Date by Jaydi Samuels Kuba – A smart, heartfelt nonfiction look inside elite matchmaking, blending real-life love stories with practical wisdom for finding your own Hollywood ending.
Bluebird Gold by Devney Perry – A romantic mystery set in 1980s Montana, where a woman’s search for truth—and lost gold—entangles her heart with the town’s sheriff and a deadly secret.
Learning to Whistle by Tess Perko – A beautifully rendered coming-of-age novel about grief, travel, and self-discovery as a young woman learns to live—and love—after devastating loss.
Soul-Happy by Anette Nilsson – A brave, lyrical memoir about breaking free from toxic love, chronic illness, and buried trauma to reclaim joy, truth, and self-worth.
A Satchel of Richards by Lee Taylor – A witty, steamy rom-com about a struggling novelist, a swoony romance model, and the unexpected love story that rewrites her life.
Dollartorium by Ron Pullins – A sharp, darkly funny novel about hustle culture and economic desperation, where one corndog maker chases riches only to rediscover what truly matters.
Persephone's Curse by Katrina Leno – A magical, atmospheric tale of sisters, ghosts, and inherited power, where family bonds may be the only thing strong enough to break an ancient curse.
The Gratitude Express by Walter Green and Joseph Quaderer – A gentle, fable-like journey through memory and kindness that reminds us not to wait to say the words that matter most.
Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu – A chilling, razor-sharp novel about ambition and obsession, exposing how far one woman will go to claim the success she believes she deserves.
The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore – A mesmerizing historical fantasy set in 1920s Paris, where a young fortune teller must unravel dark family secrets before they destroy everything she loves.
Desert Heist by Alex Dekker – An adrenaline-fueled thriller where archaeology meets covert ops as a former Green Beret ventures into forbidden sands chasing both ancient truth and personal redemption.
Innamorata by Ava Reid – A lush, gothic romantasy where vengeance, necromancy, and forbidden desire intertwine, threatening to fracture both a realm and its most guarded heart.
The Right to Remain by James Grippando – A gripping legal thriller in which a brilliant defense attorney must uncover why his silent client is risking everything to protect a dangerous secret.
The Six Queens of Henry VIII by Honor Cargill-Martin and Jaimee Andrews – A bold, entertaining celebration of the powerful women history reduced to footnotes, reclaiming the drama, brilliance, and ambition of Henry VIII’s queens.
