Unboxing My Latest Book Haul
Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week
The last week of October has that crisp, golden magic that makes the world feel like it’s holding its breath, and this week’s book mail made it utterly enchanting. My TBR pile has grown into a cozy, towering promise of afternoons spent lost in stories, thanks to a book haul brimming with new book releases I can’t wait to dive into. Each package carried thoughtful book recommendations, little nudges from friends and fellow readers toward tales that feel destined to linger in my heart. With so many titles that could easily be the best books of 2025, it feels as though autumn itself conspired to deliver the perfect stack of books, waiting just for me.
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 late October, when the days grow shorter and the light softens to gold, a simple black tee paired with jeans becomes the quintessential main character outfit—effortless, timeless, and quietly powerful. Styled with your everyday gold hoop earrings and your signature herringbone necklace layered with a graduated rope chain, the look radiates main character energy with ease. It’s fashion for self-expression at its purest, proof that confidence often comes from simplicity done well. As you flip through a new stack of book mail—filled with character-driven novels, books about strong characters, and stories for self-discovery—you’re reminded that both fashion and reading are ways to curate your own narrative. This is main character aesthetic books and clothing in perfect sync: books and outfits for main character vibes that encourage reflection, creativity, and living your main character life with intention and style.
This Week’s Book Mail Includes:
Ready to Walk by Lee Wildish — A joyful, hand-held countdown to those wobbly first steps that turn into running toward the world.
Willing Prey by Allie Oleander — Thirty days, $30,000, and a feral game of desire where the hunter and the hunted trade hearts.
Passage to Tokyo by Poppy Kuroki — Lost in time and love, Yui races to find her brother before 1923 Tokyo’s great quake reshapes fate.
Cooking as Therapy by Debra Borden — Chop, stir, knead, and discover yourself with twenty mindful recipes for calm and confidence.
Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker — Two estranged sisters must mend their bond to break a deadly family curse before it consumes their home.
To Kill a Queen by Amie McNee — A queer sleuth stalks an assassin through Elizabethan London’s shadows for one chance at redemption.
The Deadly Book Club by Lyn Liao Butler — When a live video freezes on a scream, four influencers must unmask a killer—or be next.
Long Way Down by Lisa Kusel — A shattered engagement, a fatal crash, and a town’s dark riches unravel into lethal truths.
Clementine Crane Prefers Not To by Kristin Bair — One scorching hot flash sparks a hilarious, furious revolt against the patriarchy.
A Heart so Haunted by Hollie Nelson — In a house that feeds on secrets, a woman falls for the “monster” behind the hidden door.
The Glowing Life of Leeann Wu by Mindy Hung — As her hands begin to shine, a midwife discovers a dangerous family magic only she can wield.
Bottom of the Breath by Jayne Mills — A storm, a broken marriage, and a canyon descent lead one woman toward the answers she fears.
Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller — Framed for murder, a charming escort outruns empires, bounty hunters, and his own heart across the stars.
Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal — A grandmother with a past storms an alien world to rescue her kidnapped grandson before politics turns deadly.
Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible by Ros Ballaster — Step into Regency elegance with Austen’s words, dazzling plates, and expert commentary.
Dear Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende — Love letters—true and imagined—trace grief, grit, and second chances across generations.
The Sister’s Curse by Nicola Solvinic — A detective with a notorious legacy hunts drownings that reek of witchcraft, revenge, and something worse.
Outrage by Ellen Jones — An urgent, galvanizing call to confront the injustices queer people still face—and how to change them.
Overdue by Stephanie Perkins — A monthlong “break” becomes a slow-burn choice between the life she planned and the love she never expected.
Derrick Adams — A vivid celebration of Black joy, style, and everyday life across three decades of visionary art.
A Merry Little Mystery by Sutton Clark — Lift the flaps with Little Sherlock and Watson to sleuth out the magic of Christmas.
Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane — Two rival reporters fake a romance for a scoop—until the cover starts to feel dangerously real.
Pickle Perfect by Ilana Long — A tightly wound single mom meets her bad-boy ex on a Costa Rica picklecation and risks her heart—and her serve.
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah — To save their dog and family, the Lamberts choose the unthinkable—and flee into a nightmare.
The Women of Artemis by Hannah Lynn — Otrera rallies the abused to forge the first Amazons, defying men, gods, and destiny.
In the Light of the Sun by Angela Shupe — Two sisters—one in war-torn Manila, one in resistance-gripped Florence—fight with music as their torch.
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell — Across a century and a snow-crowned hotel, two souls find a doorway back to love.
And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters — In a murder-mad Cotswold village, an amateur sleuth may solve both a killing and her own heart.
The Accidental Rewrite by Milly Johnson — After a concussion resets her life, Polly might become the heroine she only dared to write.
My Year of Really Bad Dates by Rachel J. Lithgow — One woman turns midlife heartbreak into raw, witty dispatches from the front lines of dating.
Living Proof by Tiffany Graham Charkosky — A daughter’s genetic reckoning becomes a luminous memoir of courage, care, and fiercely chosen joy.
The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery — An under-butler and a foul-mouthed matriarch chase a killer inside a comet-sealed manor.
Best Boy by Deborah Goodrich Royce — A chilling letter rips open a star’s buried past, where one forgotten Halloween still screams.
Nocticadia by Keri Lake — At a haunted island university, a driven student and her forbidden professor ignite a deadly, decadent obsession.
Anathema by Keri Lake — Banished beyond the bone-arched woods, a marked woman and a cursed lord battle fate—and each other.
Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise — An artist’s hard-won freedom in Ireland trembles as fame threatens to expose the life she left behind.
Darker Days by Thomas Olde Heuvelt — In a perfect cul-de-sac with a yearly price, this November’s sacrifice refuses to go quietly.
The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch — A vengeful medium enters a haunted-house contest in 1950s Hong Kong to settle an old score.
Just Keep Going by Lynn Smith & Lauren Gallegos — A little mouse learns that bravery isn’t who you are—it’s every small step you choose to take.
