Books Publishing This Week
The pale winter sun hangs low in the sky on this mid-January afternoon, casting long, golden shadows across the room. Outside, the world is still wrapped in its seasonal hush—bare trees standing stark against a backdrop of soft gray clouds and patches of snow clinging stubbornly to the ground. The air feels crisp and sharp, but from inside your warm sanctuary, the chill is something you only observe, not endure.
This is the perfect moment to begin a new book. The kind of afternoon that feels like it was made for stories and stillness, where time seems to stretch out, inviting you to get lost in another world. You gather your essentials: a thick blanket draped across your lap, a steaming mug of tea resting on the side table, and the book you’ve been anticipating for days.
The room is softly lit, maybe by a glowing lamp or the muted natural light filtering in through frosted windows. It’s cozy in a way that feels intentional, like you’ve built a cocoon of warmth against winter’s chill. You settle into your favorite spot—perhaps a deep armchair near the window or the corner of the couch piled high with cushions. The afternoon feels yours, undisturbed and open, as if it’s been gifted to you for this very purpose.
The book sits in your hands, its cover smooth beneath your fingers. You take a moment to admire it, running your thumb along the edge of the pages, feeling the slight give of the spine as you open it for the first time. The first page greets you, a pristine canvas filled with words that promise adventure, insight, or escape.
You take a sip of your tea, savoring its warmth, and begin. The first sentences pull you in slowly, their rhythm coaxing you from the quiet of the room into the unfolding story. The afternoon fades away as the book takes over. You become absorbed in the lives of its characters, the texture of its setting, the twists and turns of its plot.
Every now and then, you glance up, your eyes lingering on the view outside. The sky has shifted subtly, the clouds thinning to let a patch of blue break through. Perhaps a bird flits by, its movement catching your attention before you turn back to the page. The contrast between the world of the story and the winter scene outside only deepens your appreciation for this moment of quiet immersion.
The book feels like a companion, its story weaving itself into the rhythm of your afternoon. With each chapter, you find yourself more drawn in, the real world receding until it’s just you and the words on the page. There’s a comfort in this escape, a reminder of how books can transport you, even on the most ordinary of days.
Time moves differently when you’re reading. The minutes pass unnoticed, marked only by the occasional need to adjust your blanket or refill your tea. The soft ticking of a clock or the faint hum of the heater becomes a background melody, a gentle accompaniment to the turning of pages.
As the light begins to fade, you pause, closing the book softly and letting it rest on your lap. You’re not ready to say goodbye to the story, but you know there’s no need to rush. The afternoon has given you something precious—a moment of stillness, a chance to get lost in a new world, a reminder of the magic that lies in words.
You stretch slightly, the weight of the day settling back into your awareness, but there’s a quiet contentment now, a sense that this afternoon was well-spent. The book waits patiently beside you, ready for when you return to it. For now, you take a deep breath and let the peace of the moment linger, carrying its warmth with you as the afternoon fades into evening.
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: January 19 - 27
Let's Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen
Also listed in Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading this Winter
Author Interview with Renee Rosen
She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.
When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.
In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.
As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.
In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions— each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.
She Doesn't Have a Clue: A Novel by Jenny Elder Moke
With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen—from murder to a second chance at love—in Jenny Elder Moke's half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.
A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.
Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift. But when the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.
As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.
Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove
At rock bottom following her daughter’s murder, ex–Chicago detective Carrie Starr has nowhere to go but back to her roots. Starr’s father never talked much about the reservation where he was raised, but the tribe needs a new marshal as much as Starr needs a place to call home.
In the past decade, too many young women have disappeared from the rez. Some have ended up dead, others just…gone. Now local college student Chenoa Cloud is missing, and Starr falls into an investigation that leaves her drowning in memories of her daughter—the girl she failed to save.
Starr feels lost in this place she thought would welcome her. And when she catches a glimpse of a figure from her father’s stories, with the body of a woman and the antlers of a deer, Starr can’t shake the feeling that the fearsome spirit is watching her, following her.
What she doesn’t know is whether Deer Woman is here to guide her or to seek vengeance for the lost daughters that Starr can never bring home.
Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows
A swoony, steamy, STEM romance in which two curators at a science museum—a handsome but grumpy astronomer and an anxious but sunshine-y entomologist—realize they are the perfect match. Equal parts nerdy banter and fiery tension, it’s perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey.
Millie was never one to take the expected path. She's an entomologist who loves her job as a natural science curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It's her dream to take a larger role in the planning of her department, so when a director position opens up, she is determined not to let anything distract her from her goals. Especially her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and nerdy astronomy ties.
. . . Not that she’s spent much time noticing any of those things.
Finn doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can't afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn't need anything more on his plate. Millie literally stumbling into him with her bright smile and sunny optimism, is the last thing he needs.
They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it's one thing when a job is on the line. It's quite another when it's her heart.
The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom
When Reddy had her first child, she found herself suddenly confronted with the ideal of a perfect mother—a woman who was constantly available, endlessly patient, and immediately invested in her child to the exclusion of all else. These ideals of motherhood are inescapable and have leached into our culture, from social media feeds filled with curated content of happy moms with peaceful babies to the image of a “good” mother optimizing every aspect of her kids’ childhood. Reddy had been raised by a single working mother, considered herself a feminist, and was well on her way to a PhD. Why did doing motherhood “right” feel so wrong?
In The Good Mother Myth, Reddy combines memoir, cultural criticism, and the history of science to pull back the curtain on the flawed social science behind our contemporary understanding of what makes a good mother. Using her own experience of early parenthood, Reddy also reassures parents that they are good enough.
Agates are Forever by Logan Terret
Nick Cameron is a PhD geologist of independent means who boxes for fun, packs a Colt Commander, and has a knack for finding bodies—dead and alive.
When an agate heiress arrives in Quartzrock, Arizona, on the eve of a gem show, she asks Nick for help selling some gemstones—and soon becomes a suspect in the bizarre murders of two prominent lapidaries. Stalked by the mysterious killer, she and Nick dodge police while Nick works with his friend Frankie Benally—a Navajo jewelry artist and brilliant armchair detective—to unravel the case. But even Frankie is stumped—until, at an isolated hacienda deep in the Sonoran desert, Nick meets the great-granddaughter of a soldadera who served with Pancho Villa’s División del Norte.
Along the way, Nick gets help from an old-fashioned gentleman sheriff, a crusty army retiree, and a clutch of feisty dames. He navigates plot twists and red herrings that would make Sam Spade reach for the aspirin. And he does it all with deadpan humor that’ll make you spit up your bourbon.
Power of Persuasion by Stacey Abrams writing as Selena Montgomery
Sometimes the power of love . . .
A.J. Grayson has come a long way from adopted orphan to fast-rising executive at a cutting-edge technology firm. Now an anti-terrorist agency wants to use the revolutionary artificial intelligence system she developed to thwart a plot against Jafir's monarchy—and handsome, dynamic Damon Toca, the region's newly crowned king.
. . . can be the most seductive weapon of all.
In six short months, Damon has gone from gallery owner to controversial politician. When his cabinet hires A.J. Grayson—without his consent—he gets ready for a battle. Expecting a computer geek, and skeptical of A.J.'s highly touted secret invention, he is stunned to find a strong-minded beauty who arouses much more than his suspicions. But someone in his inner circle is in league with a treacherous adversary who threatens his throne, his nation's tenuous peace . . . and his future with a woman he'll risk everything to have and to hold.
Artificial Agent by J.W. Jarvis
Loyalty runs through Michael Cooling’s veins. Abandoned by his father and devoted to his mother, the highly decorated Navy SEAL gladly leads a mission to extract two Ukrainian generals held by Russia. But after falling into the hands of a brutal Russian officer and nearly killed, the heroic patriot ends up comatose in a hospital bed…and unknowingly paralyzed.
Determined to escape a wheelchair-bound existence, the wounded warrior undergoes surgery to integrate an untested hi-tech endoskeleton into his ravaged human flesh. And as he trains tirelessly to adapt to his new synthetic body, he develops an unprecedented strength and speed he hopes will help him crush those who would see the USA fall. But when the world is brought to the brink of destruction, will his newfound powers be enough?
Fans of James Bond and James Patterson won’t be able to put down this fast-paced thriller, which ties our current world of AI and technology, envisioning the high-tech future that may be closer than we realize.
Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee
A struggling vineyard owner gets a second taste of her first crush in this romantic comedy that sparkles with humor and heat.
Dancing Woman by Elaine Neil Orr
Elaine Neil Orr, born in Nigeria to expat parents, brings us an indelible portrait of a young female artist, torn between two men and two cultures, struggling to find her passion and her purpose.
It’s 1963 and Isabel Hammond is an expat who has accompanied her agriculture aid worker husband to Nigeria, where she is hoping to find inspiration for her art and for her life. Then she meets charismatic local singer Bobby Tunde, and they share a night of passion that could upend everything. Seeking solace and distraction, she returns to her painting and her home in a rural town where she plants a lemon tree and unearths an ancient statue buried in her garden. She knows that the dancing female figure is not hers to keep, yet she is reluctant to give it up, and soon, she notices other changes that make her wonder what the dancing woman might portend.
Against the backdrop of political unrest in Nigeria, Isabel’s personal situation also becomes precarious. She finds herself in the center of a tide of suspicion, leaving her torn between the confines of her domestic life and the desire to immerse herself in her art and in the culture that surrounds her. The expat society, the ancient Nigerian culture, her beautiful family, and even the statue hidden in a back room—each trouble and beguile Isabel. Amid all of this, can she finally become who she wants to be?
The Queens of Fives by Alex Hay
A con woman tries to pull off her most ambitious plot yet: trap a highly eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in Victorian-era London. She has less than a week. Yet as she gets deeper into this lavish world of big houses and even bigger hats, something else becomes clear. She’s not the only one playing games of high deception.
The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed
From the acclaimed author of The Rosewood Hunt comes a thrilling new mystery about a high-stakes competition packed with shocking twists, second chances, and deadly deceit, where allies—and enemies—are the people you’d least expect.
Chloe Gatti will do whatever it takes to win her elite boarding school’s annual competition, the Wilde Trials. In the two weeks leading up to graduation from Wilde Academy, a dozen seniors are chosen to compete in a series of seven ultimate physical and mental tests, and the winner will take home over half a million dollars—money that Chloe needs to help her sick sister.
But the competition is fierce and includes her brooding ex-boyfriend, Hayes Stratford, whose brother was the only student to die during the trials a few years ago. When someone starts blackmailing Chloe during the competition, she’s forced to strike a deal with Hayes—if he helps her discover who is sabotaging her, she’ll help him solve the mystery his brother left behind.
Following clues from Hayes’s brother, the unlikely allies discover that something isn’t right about the Wilde Trials. With a life-changing prize looming over her head and her buried feelings for Hayes rising to the surface, Chloe will have to decide what’s really worth fighting for, and if the cost of competing outweighs the potential consequences, even if that includes ending up like Hayes’s brother—dead.
Fans of Jessica Goodman and Maureen Johnson will love this dark academia thriller with a romantic twist!
The Wind on her Tongue by Anita Kopacz
In this lyrical and stirring companion to the “spellbinding” (Harper’s Bazaar) Shallow Waters, Oya—the Yoruban deity of the weather—is brought to life during 1870s America. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Sun.
Born in Cuba after her mother Yemaya’s adventures in the New World, Oya has inherited otherworldly powers from her Yoruba Orisha lineage. While Yemaya is known for her healing abilities, Oya’s influence over the storm proves to be destructive, posing a threat to her mother and the island’s safety.
Sent to New Orleans to study under Marie Laveau, the Queen of Voodoo, Oya begins a journey across the still young America, encountering a myriad of historical figures, including Mary Ellen Pleasant, Jesse James, Lew Hing, and more.
As Oya navigates the landscapes of racism, colorism, and classism, she grapples with her own identity and powers, striving to find her place in a fraught and complex society. A moving, vivid exploration of resilience, heritage, and the enduring spirit of a young woman coming into her own, The Wind on Her Tongue transports you to a world where magic and reality intertwine.
Bloodshot by Fred Van Lente
The Bourne Identity meets X-Men in Bloodshot, an all-new origin story and a heart-pounding adventure featuring the popular comic book character from Valiant Entertainment.
He wakes up in the middle of the woods with chalk-white skin, the ability to heal from any injury, and no memory of who or what he is. He is Bloodshot, and now he’s caught between the shadowy defense contractor that wants to capture him, and the underground network of dangerous psychics that want to destroy him.
Now, Kalea, the young woman who found him, has a target on her back just for trying to help. To save himself and his friends, Bloodshot must stay alive long enough to unravel the mystery of his own identity—and deal with the real possibility that his own family are the ones who most want him dead.
Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives
Greco-Roman mythology and the mystery of the vanished Roanoke colony collide in this epic adventure filled with sapphic longing and female rage—a debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, and Natalie Haynes.
Before, Scopuli. It has been centuries since Thelia made the mistake that cost her the woman she loved—Proserpina, the goddess of spring. As the handmaidens charged with protecting Proserpina when she was kidnapped, Thelia and her sisters are banished to the island of Scopuli and cursed to live as sirens—winged half-woman, half-bird creatures. In luring sailors to their deaths with an irresistible song, the sisters hope to gain favor from the gods who could free them. But then ships stop coming, and Thelia fears a fate worse than the Underworld. Just as time begins to run out, a voice emerges, Proserpina’s voice, and what she asks of Thelia will spark a dangerous quest for their freedom.
Now, Roanoke. Thelia can’t bear to reflect on her last moments in Scopuli. After weeks drifting at sea alone, Thelia’s renewed human body—a result of her last devastating sacrifice on Scopuli—is close to death. Luckily, an unfamiliar island appears on the horizon: Roanoke. Posing as a princess arriving on a sailboat filled with riches, Thelia infiltrates the small English colony. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that this place is dangerous, especially for women. As she grows closer to a beautiful settler who mysteriously resembles her former love, Thelia formulates a plan to save her sisters and enact revenge on the violent men she’s come to despise. But is she willing to go back to Scopuli and face the consequences of her past decisions? And will Proserpina forgive her for all that she’s done?
Told in alternating timelines, Those Fatal Flowers is a powerful, passionate, and wildly cathartic love letter to femininity and the monstrous power within us all.
The Sapphire Heiress by Ella Leon
In Victorian England, the Silver Order has kept its supernatural discoveries hidden for centuries. Those who seek its secrets must always pay a price…
Mae Blackthorne, the daughter of an English shipbuilder and a Filipina immigrant, has been taught to ride sidesaddle, embroider pillows, and dance the waltz. So when her brother disappears at sea, she hasn’t a clue what to do when the family’s shipbuilding business falls into bankruptcy.
It isn’t long before Mae is penniless. Or so she believes. Forced to accept a post as governess in the very home she was raised in, Mae takes on the challenge in good spirits. Yet she is restless and yearns for the life of adventure her daredevil father and brother once had. That is, until she meets Ethan Locke, a pirate who offers her an enticing opportunity to recover her secret inheritance.
Unbeknownst to Mae, her family used their shipbuilding business to shroud generations of successful piracy. Locke, who was once partners with her father, has an old score to settle. He claims that her father stole from him an object of great value: a sapphire that can stop its wearer from growing old. As her father’s last surviving heir, Mae is Locke’s only hope of finding this supernatural jewel hidden amidst her family’s secret fortune.
Agreeing to work together and split the fortune amongst themselves, they share an instant spark of attraction. But they’re not alone in their search. The original owners of the sapphire, who operate an elite secret society, are far more powerful than Mae and Locke could have ever imagined. As danger closes in and the supernatural proves real, Mae fears she has much more to lose than just a second chance at a new life.
Summarized best as Pirates of the Caribbean meets Jane Eyre, THE SAPPHIRE HEIRESS is a suspense-filled historical romance perfect for fans of Amanda Quick.
