Unboxing My Latest Book Haul (September 1)
Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week
There’s something magical about a week filled with book mail, especially when it’s the first week of September and the autumn chill is just beginning to sneak in. My TBR pile is now overflowing, thanks to a delightful book haul of new book releases—each one more enticing than the last. A handful of book recommendations have already caught my eye, and I'm eagerly anticipating diving into the best books of 2025. It’s the perfect reminder of why I’ll never tire of receiving parcels wrapped in that familiar brown paper—every book feels like a promise of new adventures waiting to unfold.
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:
Top | Shorts | Jewelry | Makeup
In early September, when summer’s warmth lingers but autumn whispers at the edges, slipping into a black and white striped 3/4 sleeve top and khaki shorts feels effortlessly classic—a main character outfit that balances laid-back ease with timeless style. Paired with your everyday gold hoop earrings and a new graduated rope necklace, it’s main character fashion that proves aesthetic clothing can be simple yet powerful. As you browse through a fresh stack of book mail, discovering character-driven novels, books for self-discovery, and stories that inspire confidence, you feel your main character mindset taking root. This is main character energy books and fashion in perfect harmony: style for confidence paired with reading for inspiration. In this moment, you’re living your main character life—the heroine of your own story, dressed in a look that feels just as intentional as the next chapter you’re about to read.
This Week’s Book Mail Includes:
Bebe Ama Abuelita Baby Loves Grandma by De la Vega Martinez - Celebrate the joy and love between grandmothers and grandchildren in Bebé Ama a Abuelita / Baby Loves Grandma, a bilingual Spanish/English board book filled with sweet moments, diverse abuelas, and tender everyday adventures.
Welcome Little One by Sanda Magsamen - Celebrate the moment your baby was welcomed with love at first sight in this sweet, rhyming USA Today bestselling board book by Sandra Magsamen—perfect for baby showers, new parents, and little ones everywhere.
Lots of Love Little One by Sanda Magsamen - From USA Today bestselling author Sandra Magsamen comes a heartwarming board book that reminds little ones they are loved today, tomorrow, and always—perfect for cuddles, sweet rhymes, and bedtime snuggles.
Sweet Dreams Little One by Sanda Magsamen - From USA Today bestselling author Sandra Magsamen comes a tender bedtime board book filled with sweet rhymes, cozy illustrations, and the reassuring message of endless love—perfect for sending your little one off to dreamland.
We'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida - In this heartwarming sequel to We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, the mysterious Kokoro Clinic for the Soul returns with a new cast of lovable feline “prescriptions” who bring comfort, healing, and unexpected joy to the humans who need them most.
The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin - In The Secret Book Society, three women in Victorian London find friendship, courage, and danger in a forbidden book club where breaking the rules could cost them everything.
Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe - In Love at First Sighting, a UFO encounter sparks an out-of-this-world romance between a savvy influencer and a by-the-book agent whose mission might just lead them to each other.
Parents Have Feelings, Too by Hilary Jacobs Hendel and Juli Fraga -Parents Have Feelings, Too is a compassionate, practical guide that helps moms and dads understand and work through their own emotions so they can raise a generation of emotionally healthy, resilient kids.
Merry by Susan Breen - Merry is a warm and witty holiday tale about a determined mother’s chaotic quest to rekindle her family’s Christmas spirit—complicated by squabbles, mishaps, and the infuriated ghost of Charles Dickens himself.
Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley - In Song of the Hell Witch, a fugitive duchess with dangerous magic and the thief who once loved her must outrun a deadly patriarchy to save his ailing daughter—and perhaps reignite the love they thought was lost forever.
Spider to the Fly by J. H. Markert - In Spider to the Fly, a true crime author obsessed with a killer who could have claimed her life is pulled into a dangerous hunt for the elusive “Spider” before his web of victims grows even larger.
The Return of Moriarty by Jack Anderson - In Song of the Hell Witch, James Moriarty—disguised as a wealthy inventor after surviving Reichenbach Falls—must solve a deadly locked-room mystery in a crumbling Bavarian manor while keeping his true identity hidden.
The Lost Hours by Lynn Tavernier - In The Lost Hours, Detective Andrea Stuart’s seaside getaway turns into a dangerous investigation when the suspicious death of a wealthy socialite exposes a powerful family’s dark secrets and puts her own past in the crosshairs.
Last One Seen by Rebecca Kanner - In Last One Seen, a woman fleeing a murder scene must untangle the truth from the chaos of her own fractured memory to find out if the killer she’s hunting… is herself.
Scar the Sky by J. Todd Scott - In Scar the Sky, a lightning strike survivor who’s built a fragile life off the grid must face a relentless killer targeting others like her before the storm closes in.
Bless Your Heart by Leigh Dunlap - In Bless Your Heart, a sharp-tongued Atlanta detective from the wrong side of town dives into the cutthroat world of Buckhead’s elite moms to catch a killer hiding behind diamonds and designer handbags.
What the Dead Can Do by Peter Rosch - In What the Dead Can Do, the sole survivor of a plane crash becomes the center of a chilling battle between his dead parents—one determined to protect him, the other willing to kill to be with him again.
Body of Water by Adam Godfrey - In Body of Water, an estranged father and daughter’s road trip turns into a fight for survival when they’re trapped in a diner by a terrifying, nature-defying “living water” that will consume everything in its path.
The Mad Wife by Meagan Church - In The Mad Wife, a 1950s housewife’s perfectly polished life begins to crack after childbirth, pulling her into a dangerous obsession with her new neighbor and forcing her to question her sanity—and the dark truths hiding behind closed doors.
The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi - In The Shattering Peace, John Scalzi returns to the Old Man’s War universe with a high-stakes interstellar thriller where a fragile decade-long peace teeters on the brink as a Consu civil war threatens to drag humanity and its allies into a galaxy-defining conflict.
A Judge's Tale by Janet Kintner - In A Judge’s Tale, Janet Kintner shares her inspiring true story of breaking barriers in the male-dominated legal world of the ’60s and ’70s, fighting to keep her judgeship against two male challengers in a brutal election—while pregnant with her second child.
She Journeys by Sarah May - In She Journeys, Sarah May shares her raw and inspiring memoir of heartbreak, betrayal, and the cross-country odyssey that transformed her pain into healing and self-discovery.
Woven From Clay by Jenny Birch - In Woven From Clay, a teen discovers she’s a golem bound by forbidden magic and must master her powers—while teaming up with the bounty hunter sent to destroy her—to save herself and the others like her.
The Feeding by Anthony Ryan - In The Feeding, a fearless young scavenger braves a feeder-infested wasteland to save her father, risking everything in a deadly game of predator and prey.
Some Recollections of St. Ives by David Mamet - In Some Recollections of St. Ives, David Mamet crafts a razor-sharp, fictional memoir of a man’s forty years at an elite American school, blending wit, wisdom, and a piercing meditation on tradition, legacy, and the insular worlds we build.
Summer Skate by Sean Avery and Leslie Cohen - In Summer Skate, a blocked novelist’s steamy entanglement with the hockey player next door turns one Hamptons summer into a high-stakes game of temptation, ambition, and dangerous desire.
Fairydale by Veronica Lancet - In Fairydale, an orphaned teacher’s trip to claim her inheritance in a remote coastal town entangles her in a dangerous love triangle—one man alive, one from the past—amid supernatural secrets, forbidden desire, and an ancient evil that could consume them all.
Before They Were Men by Jacob Tobia - In Before They Were Men, Jacob Tobia delivers a bold, compassionate reimagining of masculinity, challenging the notion of men as patriarchal victors and instead revealing them as co-survivors in urgent need of empathy, healing, and a new path forward.
Stage of Fools by Sean Pauzauskie - In Stage of Fools, a comatose billionaire relives the jealousies, vanities, and reckless choices that shattered his family, racing against time to awaken redeemed in this modern, neurotech-infused reimagining of King Lear.
The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien - In The Room of Lost Steps, an idealistic American is swept into the chaos, love, and betrayals of the Spanish Civil War, where one final choice in war-torn Barcelona will shape his destiny forever.
Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman - In Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library, a sharp-witted book conservator and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie—on holiday from the Great Beyond—team up to solve a murder in this clever, twist-filled mystery.
The Deepest Cut by P. J. Tracy - In The Deepest Cut, the Monkeewrench crew and Minneapolis detectives race against time to stop a sadistic escaped killer bent on vengeance in this pulse-pounding thriller from P. J. Tracy.
