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Books Publishing This Week

Books Publishing This Week

Books Publishing This Week: August 25 - 31

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.

There’s something about a late August evening that feels almost magical. The air is still warm, but there’s a slight edge to it now, a whisper of the change in seasons that’s just around the corner. You find yourself on the beach, toes buried in the cool, soft sand, the rhythmic sound of waves lapping against the shore creating a soothing backdrop. Above you, the sky is beginning its slow transition from day to night, painted in hues of orange, pink, and deepening blue. The sun, a glowing orb on the horizon, is inching lower, casting long shadows and filling the world with a golden light that seems to shimmer with promise.

In your hands, you hold a book you’ve been eager to start. The cover is crisp and new, the pages yet untouched. It’s the kind of book that promises an escape, a journey into another world, another life. You open it, letting the pages fan out slightly, taking in that familiar scent of fresh paper and ink. There’s a certain thrill in this moment, the anticipation of diving into a new story, of discovering what lies within.

You take a deep breath, feeling the salt-tinged breeze brush against your skin, and settle back into your beach chair. The sand shifts slightly beneath you, accommodating your weight, and you adjust your position to get comfortable. The world around you fades as you focus on the first page, the first few words that will soon carry you away.

As you begin to read, the story starts to unfold, and with it, your surroundings seem to merge with the world within the pages. The sound of the ocean becomes the sound of waves crashing in the distance in your story’s setting. The warmth of the sun on your skin mirrors the warmth of a sunlit day described within the text. Even the occasional cry of a seabird blends seamlessly with the imagery in your mind, as if the beach itself is collaborating with the story, helping to create a seamless experience.

You find yourself absorbed, each word pulling you deeper into the narrative. The characters come alive, their voices clear in your mind, their emotions almost tangible. You can feel their struggles, their joys, and their fears as if they were your own. The world around you fades further, leaving you alone with the story, wrapped in its embrace.

Every now and then, you look up from the book, glancing at the horizon where the sun is now a brilliant orange-red, hovering just above the water. It’s the kind of sunset that seems to stretch on forever, each moment more beautiful than the last. The sky is a canvas of colors, shifting and blending in ways that take your breath away. But even as you admire the beauty before you, your mind is still half in the story, the words lingering in your thoughts, urging you to return to them.

As the sun finally dips below the horizon, leaving behind a trail of soft pinks and purples in the sky, you reach a turning point in the book. It’s the kind of moment that makes you pause, the kind that you know will stick with you long after you’ve closed the book. You feel a connection to the characters, a kinship that goes beyond the pages, as if they’ve become a part of you, if only for a little while.

The light is fading now, and you know that soon it will be too dark to continue reading. But you’re not ready to stop just yet. You linger over the last few pages, savoring each word, letting the story wash over you one last time before you have to leave it behind.

Finally, you close the book, holding it against your chest for a moment as you gaze out at the now-dark horizon. The waves continue to lap at the shore, the stars beginning to twinkle in the night sky above. You feel a sense of contentment, of peace, knowing that you’ve had a perfect evening, lost in a book on the beach, as the world around you slowly transitioned from day to night. And as you stand up to leave, you carry the story with you, tucked away in your mind, a new part of your life’s journey.

Scroll down to find out what book you might be reading…

The Science of Human Possibilities book by renowned mathematician and Vedanta scholar, Vijaya Kumar Murty

“The Science of Human Possibilities” delves into the realm of human potential and how to attain it. Murty’s book is a transformative journey that unveils the inherent talents and divinity within each of us. It transcends boundaries, exploring the art of learning, navigating uncertainty, fostering discipline, shaping identity, honoring tradition, and embracing enlightenment. Murty’s reflections as a mathematics professor are intertwined with Vedanta teachings, guiding readers to realize the infinite potential inherent in the human experience. This empowers individuals from all walks of life to evolve and flourish.

“The Science of Human Possibilities” addresses human evolution and manifesting the possibilities within us. While it may sound magical, it is accessible to all, and the author clearly lays it out in his book. The book suggests that an attitude of appreciation of people and things around us will make it easier to discover our own talents. We tend to see outside what we have within. If we see positivity outside, we become aware of the positive within ourselves. Dr. Murty emphasizes that with an “infinite possibilities” mindset, we can better reflect on what matters most to us, what we really want, and what we are capable of.

This path requires specific reflection and study, an art that must be learned through practice. Despite all our analyses, learning remains mysterious. Dr. Murty’s “The Science of Human Possibilities” takes readers on a journey to unlock some of this mystery. At a time when humanity faces significant global challenges, “The Science of Human Possibilities” offers a way forward, helping us realize our own potential and the potential of others, making it easier to work together in solving the challenges we face. “The Science of Human Possibilities” is a must-read for empowering yourself.

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” — Mahatma Gandhi

The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything by Nadia Ahmed

Finn, a spooky little ghostie, is too afraid to leave the comfort of his attic to enjoy trick-or-treating with his family. He's afraid of everything--the color orange, trees, people, even flying! But then he realizes that if he wants his favorite Halloween candy, he'll need to overcome his fears. Through incremental exposures to the things he's afraid of, Finn finds courage to do things he enjoys with the people he loves.

Perfect for spooky season, this debut picture book from artist Nadia Ahmed is sure to inspire readers to find the courage to overcome their own fears.

The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and How to Stop Time, a charming novel by TikTok sensation Alex Howard that follows a cat through his nine lives in Edinburgh, moving through the ever-changing city and its inhabitants over centuries

Early morning, 1902. In a gloomy Edinburgh tenement, Eilidh the charlady tips coal into a fire grate and sets it alight. Overhearing, a cat ambles over to curl up against the welcome heat.

This is to be the cat's last day on earth. But he is going to return... as The Ghost Cat, a spirit-feline destined to live out his ghostly existence according to the medieval proverb of "The Cat with Nine Lives" - For Three He Plays, For Three He Strays, For Three He Stays.

Follow The Ghost Cat as he witnesses the changes of the next two centuries as he purrs, shuffles and sniffs his way through the fashion, politics and technological advances of the modern era alongside the ever-changing inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement.

As we follow our new spirit-feline friend, this unique story unearths some startling revelations about the mystery of existence and the human condition and provides a feel-good read full of charm for any fan of history, humour and fur-ridden fun.

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton

Detective Elise King’s investigation into a woman’s murder is getting derailed by a reporter who insists on doing her own investigation in this nail-biting mystery from the author of Local Gone Missing.

When Karen Simmons is murdered on Valentine’s Day, Detective Elise King wonders if she was killed by a man she met online. Karen was all over the dating apps, leading some townspeople to blame her for her own death, while others band together to protest society’s violence against women. Into the divide comes Kiki Nunn, whose aggressive newsgathering once again antagonizes Elise.

A single mother of a young daughter, Kiki is struggling to make a living in the diminished news landscape. Getting a scoop in the Simmons murder would do a lot for her career, and she’s willing to go up against not just Elise but the killer himself to do it.

An Honorable Assassin by Steve Hamilton

He was released from federal prison to a second life as an unwilling assassin, serving a major Chicago crime lord until the day he finally won his freedom.

But that freedom was a lie.

Now Mason finds himself on a plane to Jakarta, promoted to lead assassin for a vast shadow organization that reaches every corner of the globe. This time, there’s only one name on his list: Hashim Baya—otherwise known as the Crocodile—international fugitive and #1 most wanted on Interpol’s “Red Notice” list. Baya is the most dangerous and elusive criminal Mason has ever faced.

And for the first time in his career … Mason fails his mission. Baya gets away alive.

There’s only one thing he can do now: to save himself, his ex-wife, and his daughter, he must make this mission his life, hunting down the target on his own. But Mason isn’t alone in his search, because for Interpol agent Martin Sauvage, apprehending Baya has become a personal vendetta. Sauvage is a man just as haunted as Mason. And just as determined.

Never have the stakes been so high, the forces surrounding him so great. Sauvage wants Baya in prison. Mason needs him in a body bag. Assassin and cop are on a five-thousand-mile collision course, leading to a brutal final showdown—and the one man in the world who can finally show Nick Mason the way to freedom.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer

Is he the real deal…or did she truly summon a golem?

Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.

Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone.

That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?

When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…

But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.

2033: The Year Things Fell Apart by Rebecca Doll and James Gordon

The year is 2033. A powerful neo-fascist demagogue is disputing the results of the most recent presidential election. In lieu of a peaceful transfer of power, he has retreated to his home state of Kentucky and, with the support of an influential television network, is mustering the backing he needs to take power by any means necessary. This is the premise behind Rebecca Doll and James Gordon’s latest collaboration, 2033: The Year Things Fell Apart, a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that takes readers into a world that might be just around the corner.

Em Chapman and her partner, Ava, have just moved to Louisville with Ava’s daughter Sophia. As an LGBTQ family coming from Washington, DC, they’re understandably on edge, but the salary of Em’s new job could change their lives, so they decide to risk it. Em argues that there are enough pockets of like-minded people to make their lives bearable, while Ava struggles to adjust to a life that’s so different from the one they had in the city, and each day brings more news of violence against the queer community, making their family a target. When it turns out that Em’s government contract IT job puts her in direct contact with the personalities at The Nation (TN for short), a large media organization with an agenda to make sure that the demagogue gets what he wants. As the country inches closer and closer to its second Civil War, Em faces a stark choice: help bring down the powerful forces propping up the new regime or protect her family.

Cross My Heart by Roxy Sloane

Welcome to the blazing hot dark academia romance trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Roxy Sloane—perfect for fans of Ana Huang. Emily McIntire, and Lauren Asher!

"Oxford, England. The city of dreaming spires, dark secrets... And desire."

Anthony St. Clair. The future Duke of Ashford. A reckless enigma… and my greatest temptation.

I've come here, to Oxford University, on a mission—to uncover the truth about what happened to my sister—no matter the cost. Until I meet him...

Saint is my passport to a sensual world of wealth and privilege, but something wicked is lurking behind these ivy covered walls. Secrets these people will kill to protect.

Loyalty is everything to them… but will it be my ruin?

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