Unboxing My Latest Book Haul (August 18)

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

A week’s worth of book mail in mid-August is the perfect pick-me-up as summer begins to wind down. This book haul filled with new book releases brings a fresh wave of excitement to your TBR pile, just in time for those final sun-soaked days and slow, golden evenings. Each new title offers the promise of escape, inspiration, and stories you’ll want to recommend again and again. Who knows—one of them might just become one of the best books of 2025. It’s a joyful reminder that while the season may be shifting, there’s still plenty of time for a great 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.

What I Wore:

Dress | Jewelry | Makeup

In mid August, when summer starts to shimmer with nostalgia and possibility, slipping into a short sleeveless green knit dress feels like stepping into the role you were born to play. It’s a main character outfit that blends playful charm with effortless polish—soft, breathable, and subtly bold. Paired with your everyday gold hoop earrings, a new graduated rope necklace, and your signature herringbone chain, the layered look brings a touch of main character fashion that’s both timeless and intentional. As you peruse a fresh stack of book mail, each title promising character-driven novels, books for self-discovery, and stories that inspire confidence, you’re reminded that this is your story, and you get to shape it. The outfit, the books, the energy—they all come together in perfect harmony, embodying main character energy and inspiring a main character mindset. This is the kind of day—and look—that makes you feel not just like the reader, but the heroine. Living your main character life never looked (or felt) so good.

This Week’s Book Mail Includes:

• As a Last Resort by Kristin Wollett - She’s back in the hometown she swore she’d never return to—only to clash (and maybe crash) into the one man who might make her stay.

• An Introvert's Guide to Life and Love by Lauren Appelbaum - When a remote worker inherits a seaside cottage—with one very lively grandfather attached—she's forced out of her comfort zone and into a charming small-town life that just might include love.

• The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander - When Jules returns to her seaside hometown to save her great-aunt’s crumbling bookshop, she finds herself in a battle of books—and hearts—with the charming owner of a sleek new rival store run by her family’s longtime enemies.

• Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck - When a floundering twentysomething living at home crosses paths with the hot, steady single dad next door, her messy, paused life starts moving in a whole new—and unexpectedly swoony—direction.

• It's Different This Time by Joss Richard - When estranged ex-roommates inherit their old NYC brownstone, they're forced to live under the same roof for one unforgettable month—rekindling old sparks, confronting past heartbreak, and wondering if this second chance could finally be their right time.

• Kitty St. Clair's Last Dance by Kate Robb - When Jules inherits a crumbling dance hall, dreamlike visits to its glittering past—and the reappearance of a charming developer from her own—help her reimagine her future, her community, and the kind of love worth fighting for.

• The Bridge by Shanna Hatfield - Five strangers. One Christmas Eve. When their lives intersect on a snowy Portland bridge, a series of unexpected events delivers heart-pounding twists, tender connections, and the kind of holiday magic that changes everything.

• I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons - Step into the true story of Cleopatra as you've never seen her before—fierce, brilliant, and determined to reclaim her throne and rewrite her legacy in this powerful new retelling of the legendary Egyptian queen.

• The Sun and the Moon by Rebekah Faubion - When a skeptical park ranger and a globe-trotting pilot team up to sabotage their parents’ whirlwind engagement, they never expect to fall for each other instead—proving that even opposites can be written in the stars.

• The Dramatic Life of Jonah Penrose by Robyn Green - When rival West End actors are pushed into a fake dating stunt for publicity, their on-stage chemistry starts to spill into real life in this swoony, theatrical romance full of heart, humor, and unexpected second acts.

• Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zipps - When a lonely receptionist is mistaken for her unconscious crush’s girlfriend, she doesn’t have the heart to correct his family—especially after falling for his sister in this sapphic, slow-burn homage to While You Were Sleeping.

• Cammy Sitting Shiva by Cary Gitter - When her father dies unexpectedly, aimless and adrift Cammy is forced to return to her New Jersey hometown for shiva—only to uncover buried truths, unresolved grief, and a messy, darkly funny journey toward finding herself.

• What the Dead Can Do by Peter Rosch - In this haunting psychological thriller, a young boy survives a plane crash—but as his deceased mother becomes obsessed with reclaiming him from beyond the grave, only his father’s ghost can stand between their son and a chilling fate.

• I Found A Body by Becky C. Brynolf - When a jaded detective is forced to team up with the influencer who once livestreamed a murder scene, a cold case resurfaces—dragging them both back into a mystery that could make or break their reputations forever.

• Rivals to Lovers by Elise Wayland - Two rival writers compete to adapt their favorite classic novel—but as sparks fly during a high-stakes literary showdown, their story might just turn into a love story of its own.

• The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren - Cursed to die from a fifth heartbreak, a young woman races to unravel her mother’s secrets, defy fate, and resist falling for the seer who just might steal her heart for good in this swoony, celestial romantasy.

• Not Who You Think by Arbor Sloane - When a copycat mimics the crimes that made her famous, a true crime author must race to stop a killer targeting her daughter’s classmate—before her own family becomes the next headline.

• The Guest Children by Patrick Tarr - In this chilling, atmospheric ghost story set in the aftermath of WWII, a haunted investigator follows the trail of two vanished children to a remote Canadian lodge—where the truth may be buried beneath the snow and something sinister waits in the shadows.

• Bless Your Heart by Leigh Dunlap - When a wealthy Little League coach is found murdered, a working-class detective must navigate Atlanta's elite Buckhead moms—each with secrets as designer-deep as their handbags—in this sharp, stylish thriller where motherhood and murder collide.

• She Used to be Nice by Alexia Lafata - In this powerful and provocative debut, a young woman must decide whether to confront the man who assaulted her—now the best man in her best friend's wedding—or continue hiding the truth and risk losing herself completely.

• An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole - In this haunting dark academia fantasy, a determined freshman at an elite university must unravel the truth behind a secret society and a sinister déjà vu—before the school’s magic consumes her forever.

• Maria La Divina by Jerome Charyn - This intimate portrait of legendary opera singer Maria Callas reveals the fierce talent, defiant spirit, and vulnerable heart behind the myth of La Divina.

• The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau - When a heartbroken woman takes a mysterious gardening job at a secluded French estate, she finds healing, magic, and danger blooming behind the ancient stone walls in this enchanting modern-day twist on The Secret Garden.

• If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair - Stuck in a rundown coastal cottage with her grumpy archnemesis—who also happens to be her brother’s best friend—Josie must navigate a summer of forced proximity, physical therapy, and unexpected sparks in this hilarious enemies-to-lovers romance.

• The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron - In post-WWII Paris, a former spy's quiet life begins to unravel when a cooking class with Julia Child stirs up haunting memories, dangerous secrets, and the key to uncovering her missing brother’s fate in this dual-timeline tale of espionage, resilience, and the power of food.

• What's Yours is Mine by Jennifer Jabaley - In this gripping tale of ambition and revenge, two mothers and their daughters are pushed to the brink by fierce rivalries, shattered dreams, and a violent act that threatens to destroy everything they've worked for.

• Falling into Place by Allison Ashley - When a stylist agrees to transform her best friend’s reclusive brother for a magazine makeover, she never expects the real challenge will be resisting the sparks between them in this heartfelt, slow-burn romance.

• North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson - In 1973 Michigan, a shy fourth grader who feels more boy than girl creates a bold alter ego from a Christmas doll—only to realize she must find the courage to be herself without hiding behind a character.

• Cinematic Destinies by Patricia Levy - In this feel-good romance set against a backdrop of old Hollywood glamor and modern love, the children of a legendary silver-screen couple must navigate their own paths to happiness while living in the shadow of their parents’ iconic fairy-tale romance.

• The Roots of the Guava Tree by Sonia Daccarett - In this poignant debut memoir, Sonia Daccarett comes of age in 1980s Colombia, navigating political unrest, cultural silence, and family secrets as she searches for identity between her Jewish and Christian Palestinian roots.

• I Become Her by Joe Hart - When a newlywed’s husband survives a mysterious fall overboard with no memory of the event, her search for the truth uncovers chilling secrets that make her question everything—including his identity and her own safety.

• Knocking on Windows by Jeannine Atkins - In this powerful memoir-in-verse, Jeannine Atkins turns to the voices of literary heroines to reclaim her own after a traumatic assault forces her home from college, igniting a journey of healing, writing, and defiance.

• The Curiosity Chronicles Time Machine Trouble by Chris Ferrie - In this interactive science adventure, you’ll race through time to stop a villainous plot, using your knowledge of physics to make choices that could save the future—or send you spiraling into the past!

• The Space Science Handbook by Cara Florance - Blast off into hands-on learning with this imaginative space science activity book for kids, packed with experiments and projects that explore galaxies, alien life, and the technology of tomorrow!

• The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine - When a rising writer is invited to ghostwrite a notorious celebrity chef’s memoir, she uncovers dark family secrets, deadly disappearances—and a secret ingredient no one dares name.

• We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter - When two teenage girls vanish on fireworks night, a small town erupts with secrets—and one officer must unravel the truth before it's too late.

• The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas - When a demonic force awakens in a remote 18th-century Mexican silver mine, a young woman must fight for her life—and her soul—by joining forces with the one man she was never meant to trust.

• How to Teach a Monster by Sue Fliess and Simona Sanfilippo - What’s a monster to do when he’s tired of being scary? In this delightful, rhyming tale, a furry friend trades frights for frosting as he learns to bake with the help of some kindhearted kids!