Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: September 15 - 21
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As the mid-September evening settles in, you find yourself craving a blend of comfort and quietude that only a good book and a warm bath can provide. The day’s hustle has left you yearning for a pause—a moment where you can shed the demands of daily life and indulge in a simple pleasure. You’ve decided that tonight, it’s time to create your own little haven of relaxation, starting with a luxurious bath.
The sun has dipped below the horizon, casting a soft, velvety twilight over the world outside. You can feel the crispness of the autumn air beginning to whisper through your open window. You turn on the faucet, letting the water flow as you prepare your bath. As the tub fills, you add your favorite bath salts or bubbles, the scent of lavender or vanilla mingling with the steam that rises from the warm water. You can already sense the stress of the day melting away.
Once the bath is ready, you step in, letting the water envelop you in its soothing embrace. The warmth seeps into your muscles, loosening the tension that has accumulated over the weeks. You lean back, feeling the gentle support of the tub against your back, and let your mind drift. The bath is not just a physical comfort but a ritual that helps you transition from the day's chaos to a serene, contemplative state.
With your body relaxed and your mind at ease, you reach for the book you’ve been meaning to start. It rests on a nearby shelf, its cover promising an adventure, a mystery, or perhaps a journey into another world. You’ve chosen it carefully, knowing that this evening is not just about unwinding but also about diving into a story that will captivate your imagination.
You open the book to the first page, the crisp, fresh pages crackling softly as you do. The words begin to unfurl before you, each sentence drawing you further into the narrative. You can feel the weight of the book in your hands, a tangible connection to the world created by the author. The gentle glow of a nearby lamp or candle provides just enough light, casting a warm, inviting glow on the pages.
As you read, you lose yourself in the story, the bathwater’s warmth enhancing the feeling of escapism. The book’s world becomes your own, and you are transported to places and times that are different from your own. The troubles and responsibilities of your day fade into the background as you become engrossed in the characters and their journeys.
The bath is a sanctuary, and the book is a portal to a different realm. Each chapter you turn seems to stretch the evening’s tranquility just a little bit longer. You may occasionally glance at the clock, surprised by how quickly time seems to pass when you’re so absorbed in your reading. It’s as though the book has a magical power to stretch the evening and make it feel like a personal retreat.
The combination of the warm bath and the engaging book creates a perfect harmony. The bath soothes your body, while the book nourishes your soul. You’re in a cocoon of comfort, where the outside world feels distant and irrelevant. The rich narrative and the sensory pleasure of the bath merge seamlessly, creating a holistic experience that rejuvenates you both physically and mentally.
As the evening progresses, you may find that the book’s story continues to resonate with you even as you reluctantly step out of the bath. The warmth lingers on your skin, and the book’s magic stays with you, promising that tomorrow’s moments of escape will be just as fulfilling. With a final, contented sigh, you wrap yourself in a soft towel or robe and prepare to continue your reading, whether it’s nestled in bed or in a favorite reading chair.
Tonight, you’ve created a perfect evening of relaxation and enjoyment. The ritual of a warm bath combined with the start of a new book has given you a sense of peace and pleasure that will linger well beyond this September night.
Sailing for Grace by Joseph Bauer
"Sailing for Grace" follows Will Goodbow, a wealthy businessman who makes a promise to his late wife, Grace, to help reunite migrant children separated from their parents at the border. Despite his lack of expertise in immigration matters, Will feels compelled to fulfill his promise to Grace, leading him to El Paso where he seeks to understand the situation at the US-Mexico border.
Through encounters with aid workers, border patrol officers, and migrants themselves, Will navigates the complexities of the immigration system and grapples with the moral dilemmas surrounding family separation and asylum. As he delves deeper into the issue, Will confronts the harsh realities faced by migrants and the challenges of implementing meaningful change in a broken system, while also grieving the death of his wife. Dive into the depths of human resilience and sacrifice with “Sailing for Grace”, a powerful story of love, loyalty, and the unwavering pursuit of justice in the face of adversity.
The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean by Ann Rose
It’s her wedding day, the happiest day of her life…isn’t it?
Amanda Dean would say she's an okay artist and a loyal friend, but what she’s best at is falling in love. A self-proclaimed bi disaster who has had her heart broken more times than she cares to count, Amanda can’t help opening herself up. As she gets ready on the day she's waited a lifetime for, memories of her past loves run through her mind, with one glaring red sign blinking above them—is this “the one”?
Will it be:
the fit water polo player,
the fashionista,
the dependable hedge fund manager,
or the one where the timing was never quite right.
Now, on the day of her wedding—a day where everything already seems to be going wrong—Mandy must decide if she’s willing to risk it all one last time or if she’ll escape while her whole heart is still intact.
Equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean expertly weaves the wonder and terror of falling in love into a beautifully crafted story about the joy that can be found when you’re willing to dust yourself off and try again.
Elephant Touch: A Novel by Susan R. Greenway
Since the sudden loss of her mother, Quinn has been inconsolable. Her aunt brings her to volunteer at a Thai elephant sanctuary, hoping it will be a healing experience—but when Quinn learns about the previous abuse of the elephants she’s there to help, she’s overcome with even more grief.
While crying alone by the river one day, Quinn has a magical encounter with an adult elephant. She marvels at the elephant’s show of compassion, and they develop a strong connection. But when an orphaned baby elephant, also grieving her mother’s death, arrives at the sanctuary in fragile health, Quinn is afraid to get involved. To help save the baby elephant’s life, she must be courageous and use her newfound ability to connect with the elephants—not to mention accept the support of her new human friends. If she can channel her grief into action, she just might find the community and support she’s been missing. But can she find the courage to do it?
I'll Get Back to You by Becca Grischow
Murphy was supposed to be settling into her junior year at the University of Illinois with her best friend, Kat. Instead, she’s stuck in a hellish suburban holding pattern: living with her parents, failing the same class that kept her from graduating the first time around, and making minimum wage at the same coffee shop she’s worked at since she was sixteen. It doesn't help that the dating pool for a twenty-one-year-old lesbian in the tiny town of Geneva, Illinois, is anemic at best.
When her and Kat’s long-awaited reunion is plagued by stuttering conversation and uninvited guests, Murphy’s resentment threatens to boil over. That is, until a miracle appears in the form of Ellie Meyers, a former classmate who is way cuter and not nearly as straight as Murphy remembers. Their heavy flirting holds the promise of something more… until Murphy learns that Ellie’s mom is the very professor preparing to flunk Murphy for a second semester in a row. Talk about killing the vibe.
Romance might be off the table, but Ellie could be Murphy’s key to getting into Professor Meyers’ good graces and finally getting out of Geneva. And Murphy—well-versed in defying parental expectations—might be Ellie’s chance to get her mother onboard with her own dreams. Together, they hatch a plot: fake a relationship for a holiday weekend at the Meyers’ house. If everything goes according to plan, Ellie will be living her dream halfway across the country, and Murphy will finally be able to graduate community college and start her life in earnest. So, the fact that Murphy can’t stop thinking about Ellie’s lips on hers isn't relevant. It’s just a part played well.
Right?
A story about opening your heart to possibility, I'll Get Back To You is a giddy love letter to anyone in need of a bit of bravery to step up to the plate—and to the unending process of finding yourself.
My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
Nothing sucks more than falling in love with a vampire, in the next romance from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.
Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she's tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding comes in the mail, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone—anyone—to pose as her date. If he's annoying, or embarrassing, so much the better.
Coincidentally, Reginald Cleaves has centuries of experience at being rude, infuriatingly arrogant, and a fashion eyesore. Amelia keeps running into this peculiar man by accident, and it takes less than five minutes for her to realize he’s perfect for her purposes. Because as handsome as Reggie is, no one could possibly want to marry him . . . right?
As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, and more of Reggie's centuries-old secrets come to light, Amelia is surprised to find her first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being single seems less than fang-tastic.
Gaslight by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Sara Shepard
From Sundance Award–winning filmmaker and podcast creator Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard, Gaslight is a tense thriller that dredges the inner workings of cults, the susceptibility of young minds, and the fragility of both friendship and marriage.
Rebecca is living a peaceful life in Nevada with her husband, Tom, and their two young children. Her past is in the past and she does a good job of keeping it there, until her old friend, Danny, shows up on the doorstep one morning, throwing her sweet family life into turmoil. Danny is nothing but a reminder of what Rebecca fled all those years ago, and all the secrets she’s keeping from Tom. She tries her hardest to manage the situation and figure out what Danny wants, but all Rebecca seems to find are layers upon layers of deception.
That deception has a lot to do with ISB, the cult Danny has been part of for ten years; a group of spiritual seekers living deep in the woods, cut off from their families and friends, led by a charismatic leader who’s a master at manipulation and mind control. Is Danny here because she’s trying to break free from the cult? Or is she on a recruiting mission? It’s hard for Rebecca to know when Danny’s telling the truth and when she’s lying, but one thing’s for sure: her presence might just blow up Rebecca’s life. As she scrambles to figure out Danny’s intentions, Rebecca begins to lose sight of the people she loves most—and the danger closing in on them all.
Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling
An exiled princess teams up with the last man she thought she could trust in the start of a dazzling and unforgettable epic fantasy romance series.
As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.
Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.
As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.
An immersive fantasy filled with a sizzling reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, a world to get lost in, dangerous quests, dragon bonds, and an entertaining band of characters to root for, Fear the Flames marks the stunning debut of Olivia Rose Darling.
A Bit Much: Poems by Lyndsay Rush
The debut poetry collection from Lyndsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) is a humorous and joyful celebration of big feelings, tender truths, and hard-won wisdom, for fans of Maggie Smith, Kate Baer, and Kate Kennedy.
At long last, a book of poetry for people who didn’t even know they liked poetry. And they’re in good company: author Lyndsay Rush didn’t know she liked it either. That is, until she embarked on an internet experiment under the Instagram username @MaryOliversDrunkCousin that turned into a body of work that struck a chord with women across the country; thanks to her signature wordplay, witticisms, and―against all odds―wisdom.
With titles like "Shedonism", "Someone to Eat Chips With", "It’s Called Maximalism, Babe", and "Breaking News: Local Woman Gets Out of Bed", Rush’s debut collection of poetry uses humor to grapple with the female experience―from questioning whether or not to have children, to roasting the patriarchy, to challenging what it means to "age gracefully"―and each piece delivers gut-punching truths alongside gratifying punchlines. Readers walk away from Lyndsay’s work feeling seen, celebrated, and wholly convinced that joy is an urgent, worthwhile pursuit.
With over 140 convention-bending poems―most of which are never-before-seen―this book is quite literally A Bit Much.
The Usual Silence by Jenny Milchman
A psychologist haunted by childhood trauma must unearth all that is buried in her past in this twisting, lyrical novel of suspense by Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author Jenny Milchman.
Psychologist Arles Shepherd treats troubled children, struggling with each case to recover from her own traumatic past, much of which she’s lost to the shadows of memory. Having just set up a new kind of treatment center in the remote Adirondack wilderness, Arles longs to heal one patient in particular: a ten-year-old boy who has never spoken a word—or so his mother, Louise, believes.
Hundreds of miles away, Cass Monroe is living a parent’s worst nightmare. His twelve-year-old daughter has vanished on her way home from school. With no clues, no witnesses, and no trail, the police are at a dead end. Fighting a heart that was already ailing, and struggling to keep both his marriage and himself alive, Cass turns to a pair of true-crime podcasters for help.
Arles, Louise, and Cass will soon find their lives entangled in ways none of them could have anticipated. And when the collision occurs, a quarter-century-old secret will be forced out of hiding. Because nothing screams louder than silence.
Snake Oil by Kelsey Rae Dimberg
A razor-sharp literary thriller about three women vying for power at a wellness startup, where the cost of ambition might be deadly.
Cancer Moon by Jenna Tico
Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, way too close to the Hollywood dream machine, Jenna Tico’s self-esteem wanes to invisibility when her identity becomes enmeshed with validation from celebrities and spiritual F-boys . . . until she claws her way back to empowerment. Here, Tico shares vulnerable personal essays, stories, and poetry—all grouped following the cycles of the moon—chronicling her journey from late bloomer to full grownup. Observing the world of twenty-something relationships from perspectives as diverse as a bachelorette houseboat, a music festival afterparty, and the airplane ride to a death bed, she validates the experiences of women who feel like they have been abandoned by the generation that came before them. Her self-reflective stories encourage healthy life choices for young women without telling them where, what, or how to live their lives—and always with a healthy dash of humor on the side.
The Hidden Girl by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker
Sweeping across two generations, from the ghettos of Europe during the Second World War to the enclaves of New York's Fifth Avenue, The Hidden Girl traces the life of Leah Thompson, who rises from humble beginnings in rural Yorkshire to take the modelling world by storm. But her fateful association with the Delancey family dominates her life. The secrets they hide from one another start to explode into nightmares of thwarted ambition, forbidden love, revenge and murder . . . culminating in a fatal, forgotten prophecy from the past.
True Confessions of an Ambivalent Caregiver: A Memoir in Essays by Cindy Eastman
Written for caregivers of parents and spouses, this funny but brutally honest collection of essays from award-winning author Eastman challenges the romanticized notion of caregiving, portraying it as an elegant conflict that reshapes family dynamics.
At first grateful to be able remodel the dining room of her family’s modest home in Connecticut to accommodate her eighty-six-year-old father for what everyone felt would be a short duration of care, Cindy Eastman ultimately experienced a whole gamut of feelings over the course of what turned out to be four years of caring for her dying dad. Caregiving impacts everyone, and this account—told in essays recorded before, during, and after the time Eastman’s father was with her—details that impact, not just on the primary caregiver but also the rest of the family.
One of the reasons Eastman committed to writing down her experiences was because she predicted that once her dad died, there would be a tendency to soften or even deny any of the negative and challenging times—and there were many. As of 2020, more than 53 million adults provide homecare in this country, and the reality of that arrangement is different for every family. It is not, as some might suggest, a “noble gesture” but rather an elegant conflict—an intricate reassembling of the family dynamic that many people don’t ever see coming. In these candid, often poignant essays, Cindy Eastman brings all the emotions of taking on the challenging responsibility of caregiving a parent at the end of their life to the surface.
Rabbit Moon by Jan D. Payne
They say you can't go back home, but Marin Sinclair, end-of-life doula, doesn't expect her life to be in danger when she answers a mysterious plea for help from a long-ago friend and returns to Dinetah, the Navajo Nation. Her past there holds memories she is reluctant to confront, but what about her life then would make someone want to kill her?
Navajo Nation Police Sergeant Justin Blue Eyes shares a connection with Marin from the past, and he has a few questions of his own when Marin disappears―such as why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has agents investigating the abandoned uranium mines on the reservation and how Marin is connected.
Marin needs to survive to find any answers, and to do so she is forced to run, going off the grid on her own in the Lukachukai mountains with unknown killers close behind.
