Books Publishing This Week
The mid-February morning greets you with a quiet stillness, the kind that makes you want to linger a little longer in the soft glow of a new day. Outside, the remnants of winter still cling to the landscape. Frost glistens on rooftops and bare tree branches, and patches of snow lie stubbornly in the shadows. But there’s a hint of something else in the air—a subtle promise of spring, still distant but beginning to whisper its way into the season.
You’ve set aside this morning for yourself, a small indulgence in the middle of a busy month. The world feels slower today, less insistent, and you decide to embrace the quiet with a new book. It sits on the table beside you, waiting patiently, its cover catching the soft morning light filtering in through the windows. You’ve been looking forward to this, imagining the moment when you could finally open it and let its story draw you in.
A warm mug of coffee or tea rests in your hands, the steam curling upward and carrying a familiar, comforting aroma. You take a sip, the heat spreading through you, a perfect contrast to the cold outside. A cozy sweater wraps around you, its soft knit a small shield against the lingering chill in the air. You adjust the throw blanket across your lap, tucking it just right, creating a cocoon of warmth as you settle into your favorite chair.
The house is still, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards or the soft hum of the heater kicking on. This is your time, a moment carved out just for you before the day truly begins. You run your fingers over the cover of the book, tracing its edges, feeling the weight of it in your hands. There’s something magical about this part—the moment before the story begins, when anything feels possible.
With a deep breath, you open to the first page. The sound of the paper turning is crisp and satisfying, the kind of sound that feels right on a February morning. The words greet you immediately, drawing you into a world that is not your own but is about to become a part of you. There’s a rhythm to the sentences, a cadence that feels both new and familiar, and you find yourself sinking into it without hesitation.
The minutes slip by unnoticed as the story takes hold. Outside, the frost begins to melt, droplets of water sliding down windowpanes as the sun rises higher in the sky. But you don’t notice; your world has shifted to the one on the pages before you. Characters take shape, their voices and movements vivid in your mind. The setting unfolds in rich detail, each description painting a picture more vibrant than the winter morning outside.
You pause occasionally, your fingers resting lightly on the edge of the page as you take a sip from your mug. The warmth of the drink lingers, grounding you even as your thoughts are far away. You glance outside once, noticing the way the sunlight catches on the frosted grass, but it feels distant now, a background to the story unfurling in your hands.
There’s something special about starting a new book in February. The year still feels fresh, full of potential, and the quiet of winter offers the perfect backdrop for diving into another world. You think about how this book might accompany you through the rest of the month—how its characters might stay with you, how its plot might weave itself into your thoughts. It feels like a small gift you’ve given yourself, this chance to slow down and connect with a story.
Eventually, you glance at the clock, realizing more time has passed than you intended. You smile to yourself, closing the book gently but leaving a finger tucked inside to mark your place. The rest of the day can wait a little longer. For now, you savor the moment—the quiet of a mid-February morning, the warmth of your blanket and mug, and the joy of a new book just beginning to unfold.
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.
Books Publishing This Week: February 16 - 22
To Sicily with Love by Jennifer Probst
Author Interview with Jennifer Probst
When she learns she has a big Italian family she never knew about, a lonely woman travels to Sicily for a life-changing summer in the new romance from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst
Aurora York had it all together: loving parents, a steady relationship, and a promising career. But after she loses both parents unexpectedly, she can’t seem to stay on track any longer. Lonely and lost after a public meltdown that threatens her professional credibility, she’s shocked when DNA test results show a blood relative in Sicily. When her cousin reaches out online and begs her to come to Italy to meet everyone in person, Aurora makes the leap.
Aurora arrives in Sicily for a month, and there she meets a colorful, dynamic family steeped in tradition. The younger generation is fascinated by her social media fame in America, and even though her grandparents have more traditional viewpoints, Aurora begins to heal from her grief…and enjoys the attention of a kind and handsome Italian man.
But when the summer ends, a new opportunity calls her back to the States and her old habits threaten to reemerge. Will Aurora leave everything in Sicily she loves behind, or take the chance on a whole new future?
My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle by Rebe Huntman
Author Interview with Rebe Huntman
Writing with a physicality of language that moves like the body in dance, Rebe Huntman, a poet, choreographer, and dancer, embarks on a pilgrimage into the mysteries of the gods and saints of Cuba and their larger spiritual view of the Mother. Huntman offers a window into the extraordinary world of Afro-Cuban gods and ghosts and the dances and rituals that call them forth. As she explores the memory of her own mother, interlacing it with her search for the sacred feminine, Huntman leads us into a world of séance and sacrifice, pilgrimage and sacred dance, which resurrect her mother and bring Huntman face to face with a larger version of herself.
A Tiny Piece of Blue: A Novel by Charlotte Whitney
Author Interview with Charlotte Whitney
For fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds and Lisa Wingate’s Shelterwood comes a heartwarming historical novel following a homeless young girl as she struggles to survive during the Great Depression.
Rural Michigan, 1934. During the throes of the Great Depression, thirteen-year-old Silstice Trayson finds herself homeless, abandoned by her parents after a devastating house fire. Nearby, aging midwestern farmers Edna and Vernon Goetz are pillars of the community, but when do-gooder Edna takes up Silstice’s cause, Vernon digs in his heels, displaying his true nature as an ornery curmudgeon.
Theirs is a quiet-seeming community, but danger lurks beneath the bucolic façade. With so many youngsters leaving home to make it on their own, child trafficking has grown rampant, and Silstice and her two spirited young brothers soon find themselves in the sights of a ring of kidnappers that’s exploiting local children into forced labor—and worse. Meanwhile Vernon finds himself at risk of losing everything.
Narrated by Silstice, Vernon, and Edna, A Tiny Piece of Blue sets the customs and traditions of rural Michigan against a backdrop of thievery, bribery, and child-trafficking—weaving a suspenseful yet tender tale that ultimately winds its way to a heartwarming conclusion.
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.
Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs?
Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio....
As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.
Hiding in Plain View by Marcel Clarke
Hiding in Plain View is a compelling narrative by Marcel Clarke, an entrepreneur, community advocate, and YouTube host. Marcel vividly recounts the twists and turns of his life, revealing how he became the man he is today. His story begins in the streets of Philadelphia where he discovered his fearlessness, resourcefulness, and decision-making abilities, attributes that would later lead him towards entrepreneurship and leadership.
The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Marcel is thrust into a life of poverty due to his father's poor choices. Anger, resentment, and fear creep into his life for the first time. A chance encounter changes his life trajectory, as he moves from a comfortable suburban life to become a drug kingpin, leading to a constant struggle between his precarious environment and the pursuit of a better future.
His past, however, does not define him. Marcel decides to use the strength of his experiences to carve a new path. His journey of redemption and success is a testament to the power of discernment and an inspiration for readers to identify their passions, ignore distractions, and relentlessly pursue what truly matters.
Marcel's story culminates in his commitment to faith, guided by an unwavering devotion to God and his family. His narrative extends beyond personal triumphs and trials, offering assurance that with alignment, financial success will follow. His story serves as a beacon of hope, inspiring readers to take control of their destiny and shape their future for the better.
Hiding in Plain View is a powerful story of resilience, transformation, and the unwavering belief in one's abilities. It is a reminder that regardless of the obstacles one faces, the power to change lies within ourselves. It's a compelling read that will resonate with those looking to rise above adversity and achieve success against all odds.
The Shape of What Remains by Lisa C. Taylor
Like all trauma, healing happens on its own timetable, often in surprising ways. Paralyzed by grief ten years after witnessing the violent death of her six-year-old daughter, Teresa Calvano turns to Chaucer, Janis Joplin, and a monthly book group to cope.
What did six-year-old Serena Calvano see that caused her to run in the road on a clear November morning while waiting for the school bus with her mother? Teresa Calvano has spent a decade blaming herself for Serena's violent death and wishing it was her husband, Luke who was with Serena that day so the guilt didn't fall so heavily on her shoulders. When her husband and friends lose patience with her failure to get back to life, Teresa turns to books, therapy, and Janis Joplin to address her continued unraveling. Is there a cure for grief? In Teresa's world, her research and life as a successful English professor fail to offer the one thing she most wants: another day with her six-year-old daughter.
