Unboxing My Latest Book Haul (July 14, 2025)
Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week
Receiving a week’s worth of book mail in mid-July is like hitting the summer reading jackpot. With new book releases arriving just in time for the season’s sunniest days, this book haul adds a fresh burst of excitement to your TBR pile. Whether you’re lounging poolside, escaping to a cabin, or enjoying slow mornings at home, each book offers the potential to become one of your favorite book recommendations or even a contender for the best books of 2025. It’s a joyful reminder that the best kind of summer adventure can begin with the turn of a page.
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:
In mid July, when the days stretch long and golden, slipping into a new blue, green, and white striped midi dress feels like stepping into the sun-soaked pages of your own summer novel. Paired with your go-to gold hoop earrings, herringbone necklace, and a newly layered graduated rope necklace, this look radiates main character energy—chic, confident, and completely you. It’s the kind of main character outfit that feels both breezy and intentional, the kind of fashion for self-expression that tells the world you’re living your main character life. As you peruse your latest stack of book mail—packed with books about strong characters, character-driven novels, and book aesthetic covers that practically beg to be read—you feel yourself slipping into a main character mindset. This is main character fashion meeting books for inspiration, and in this quiet, joy-filled moment, you’re not just curating your TBR—you’re styling your story, one beautiful page and perfect outfit at a time.
This Week’s Book Mail Includes:
Went to London, Took the Dog by Nina Stibbe - At sixty, Nina Stibbe embarks on a year-long sabbatical in London, leaving behind her married life in Cornwall, only to find herself questioning if freedom and starting over are truly what she expected.
The Game is Afoot by Elise Bryant - After quitting her job and diving into the chaos of Supermom life, Mavis takes on the unexpected role of amateur detective when a soccer coach is found dead, all while grappling with personal challenges and the uncertainty of her own identity.
Mess by Michael Chessler - In Mess, a professional organizer to Hollywood's elite grapples with her own need for order while learning to embrace life's messiness, leading to personal growth and the possibility of love.
Lucky Break by Jaclyn Westlake - After a series of setbacks shatters her carefully planned life, Eliza moves to a charming Midwestern lake town, where she uncovers unexpected truths and finds a new sense of purpose and love.
The Good Boy by Stella Hayward - On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Genie makes a wish that turns her golden retriever into a human, and with the help of her childhood friend, she must navigate the consequences of her wish while confronting unresolved feelings and discovering love.
Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier - In a desperate bid to break her dangerous curse, Saoirse teams up with a rogue pirate to find a mythical isle that could save her world, all while navigating treacherous forces and a forced marriage.
Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi - In this paranormal romance, a successful horror author clashes with the actor cast as the male lead in her book's film adaptation, all while navigating ghostly antics in a cozy English manor and their undeniable chemistry.
The Dirty Version by Turner Gable Kahn - In this steamy debut romance, a feminist author and an intimacy coordinator are forced to work together on rewriting steamy scenes for a TV series adaptation of her novel, leading to sparks flying both on and off the page.
What We Leave Behind by Sue Halpern - In What We Leave Behind, two women—one a high school senior grappling with her adoptive and birth identities, the other a successful woman confronting her emotional past—must confront the legacies passed down by their families and the secrets that shape who they are.
Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood - In Under Your Spell, Cynthie Taylor is pulled back into a fake PR romance with her former costar Jack Turner-Jones for a movie sequel, leading to a complicated mix of old rivalries, new chemistry, and blurred lines between fiction and reality.
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey - The List of Suspicious Things is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about two friends who, while attempting to solve the mystery of the Yorkshire Ripper, discover that the most meaningful connections often arise from unexpected places.
The Pants Project by Cat Clarke - ThePants Project is a heartfelt and humorous middle-grade novel about an eleven-year-old transgender boy named Liv, who takes matters into his own hands to challenge his school's dress code and change his life.
Thus With a Kiss I Die by Christina Dodd - In this entertaining historical mystery, Rosie Montague, the daughter of Romeo and Juliet, is tasked by the ghost of Prince Escalus the Elder to solve his murder, all while navigating love, danger, and a brewing revolution in Verona.
And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters - In this 1930s-set historical romance, amateur detective Georgiana Radcliffe investigates the suspicious death of a village council chairman, only to find herself entangled in both a murder mystery and a growing attraction to a posh, charming detective's secretary.
Wes and Addie had Their Chance by Bethany Turner - Two decades after Wesley left Addie at the altar, she returns to her small hometown to rebuild her life, only to find herself entangled with him once more when he reappears as a powerful senator with secrets of his own.
About Bliss by Cristina Olivetti - In this heartfelt exploration, Cristina reflects on supporting her transgender son through gender-affirming care while advocating for his future fertility, offering insights, practical advice, and a powerful narrative on the intersection of transition, reproductive rights, and hope for the trans community.
You Watched in Silence by H. Lee Justine - In this eerie blend of queer psychological thriller and horror, Caitlyn takes a job as a nanny for a troubled family vlogger, only to find herself caught in a web of dark forces, unexplainable happenings, and a haunting past she cannot escape.
How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron - In How to Survive a Bear Attack, Claire Cameron intertwines her personal battle with cancer and her obsession with a rare predatory bear attack, blending nature writing, true crime investigation, and a powerful exploration of survival and grief.
The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle - In this engaging historical romance, Stella Sedgwick, a sharp-tongued Black woman in 1860s London, must navigate high society, her inheritance, and a rekindled romance with her childhood friend while striving to maintain her independence and pursue a writing career.
What We Left Unsaid by Winnie M Li - In this moving novel, three estranged Asian American siblings embark on a road trip to the Grand Canyon at their mother's request, uncovering family secrets and confronting issues of identity, race, and their shared past in a post-COVID world.
Come Knocking by Mike Bockoven - In Come Knocking, an interactive theater production spirals into chaos, leading to a deadly massacre, and investigative reporter Adam Jakes uncovers the horrifying truth behind the event, raising unsettling questions about the blurred lines between performance and reality.
The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr - In this high-stakes thriller, the world’s most powerful supercomputer, LLIAM, goes offline, plunging society into chaos and sparking a global reckoning as mysterious letters exposing dark secrets and crimes begin to surface, leading a CEO and an ex-nun into a deadly game of deceit.
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs - Wayward Girls is a powerful, gut-wrenching novel set during the Vietnam era, following six young women unjustly confined to a Catholic reform school, exploring themes of survival, friendship, and justice as they navigate abuse, betrayal, and their fight for redemption.
LGBTQ+ Heroes by L. V. Heston - LGBTQ+ Heroes is a collection of 51 inspiring biographies for kids ages 8 to 12, showcasing the lives and accomplishments of LGBTQ+ trailblazers from various fields, highlighting their impact on the community and the world.
The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson - Pride Parade is a heartwarming picture book about a family's first Pride parade, celebrating the joy of self-expression and reminding readers that pride takes practice and there’s no "one way" to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Alien Encounters Coloring Book by Andy Price - The Alien Encounters Coloring Book features 30 illustrations of famous alien sightings, allowing true believers and curious minds to color iconic events like the Battle of Los Angeles and Roswell, while learning about the stories behind each encounter.
You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers and Ashley Evans - You Are Not Alone is an inspiring and inclusive picture book that encourages kids to love themselves, support others, and stand up for what’s right, while reinforcing the message that together, we can create a world where everyone belongs.
Love is Love by Michael Genhart and Ken Min - Love Makes a Family is a heartwarming story that opens a dialogue about love, acceptance, and diversity, showing children that all families, whether gay, straight, or anything in between, are real when built on love.
