Book Review: I Belong to Me: A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma by Tia Levings-Self-Help

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of I Belong to Me: A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma by Tia Levings.

Title: I Belong to Me: A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non-Fiction/ Self-Help

Author: Tia Levings

Publisher: St. Martin's Essentials
Publication Date: May 05, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 400 Pages

Meet the Author: Tia Levings

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

What does it mean to heal from trauma caused by the people, beliefs, and practices of your faith? And to rebuild a sense of self, when high-control religion said you shouldn’t have one?

Indoctrinated from early childhood to obey, conform, and want what others wanted for her, Tia Levings learned love and acceptance meant being someone other than herself.

After years of abuse in a violent marriage and high-control religion, Tia Levings escaped with her children (a story told in her memoir, A Well-Trained Wife) and thought the hardest was behind her.

But leaving was just the beginning.

With an audacious persistence to reclaim her life, Tia set off on a 15-year quest to psychological peace. The result is an emotionally regulated, actualized, self-aware woman who is able to tell her harrowing story without retraumatizing herself ―a woman who can reach back to help others claim what’s theirs. If trauma took your past, it shouldn't get your present and future, too.

Through a series of personal stories, therapeutic stages, and resources, Tia Levings guides readers through the journey that helped her leave abuse, rediscover selfhood, and heal her mind, soul, and body after religious trauma ―so that you can too.

My Thoughts

I will say this over and over. I am so glad I found Tia Levings's work. I read her first book and now this, her second book, and she will definitely be an Auto Buy author for me forever.

More than a self-help book or a step-by-step instruction book, I Belong To Me is what these types of books should be. An honest, raw, and hopeful guide based on personal stories, journeys, backed up by research, and, more importantly, from real-life situations. 

In her first book, we learned how Tia escaped from a high-control religion and how she took herself and her children out of a horrible living situation. Now, in I Belong to Me, we learn how Tia was able to rebuild her life and heal from that high-control religion, her controlling husband, and a life of not being able to be her true self. 

It will always amaze me how, through other people's lives, we can learn so much about many other things that happen in the world. I will always be grateful to Tia because, thanks to her work, not only her books but also her social media platforms, newsletter, etc, I have been able to educate myself and better understand a lot of what is going on in the world now. From politics to religion to subjects that specifically concern women. 

I highly recommend this book. You don't necessarily have to be a religious trauma survivor to read this book. I believe what Tia shares with us in this book can also be applied to many other situations, including traumas or difficult situations we have experienced in the past or may be experiencing now. 

Thank you, St. Martin's Essentials and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

Book Review: Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can't Forget by Reyna Grande-Essays

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can't Forget by Reyna Grande.

Title: Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can't Forget

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non-Fiction/Essays

Author: Reyna Grande

Publisher: Atria/ Primero Sueno Press
Publication Date: May 12, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 256 Pages

Meet the Author: Reyna Grande

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

An ambitious memoir in essays by beloved bestselling author Reyna Grande that illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival.

What is the true power of stories? Can they heal the jagged edges of a traumatic childhood? Is the cost of telling the story worth the price of the cure?

Reyna Grande has spent her career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. In this intricate and deeply intimate memoir-in-essays, the author of the landmark memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home again turns her gaze inward to explore the scars left by migration and the ongoing work of stitching herself back together.

With her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty, Grande interrogates how living between two nations, two languages, and two identities has shaped the woman, mother, and writer she has become. Moving from the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala, Mexico, to a bittersweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished past with her children’s world of abundance, she uncovers startling truths about the nature of survival.

Whether being racially profiled in the Arizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her garden, Grande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we were and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory threatens to define us, how can we use story to heal while still honoring our boundaries?

Migrant Heart is a powerful testament to Grande’s role as a storyteller and cultural witness. It expands our understanding of life in the United States and the complex people who cross its borders and live within it. It is an essential read for the seekers, the dreamers, and anyone who believes in the enduring, transformative power of finding one’s voice.

My Thoughts

First of all, some trigger warnings: Illness, fear of aging, sex life, alcoholism, death, grief, sexual assault, dysfunctional family dynamics, parenting, and immigration.

I have read all of Reyna’s previous work, and I love every single book. I find Reyna Grande to be an author who always tries to write in the best, most honest way possible, no matter how raw or hard the subject matter is.

While her previous work focuses on her journey coming to the USA, crossing the border, the impact of immigrating and growing up between two cultures, and her relationship with her mom and dad and her family in general, however, in Migrant Heart, written in Essays, I love how we get to know more about Reyna, the human being, the woman, the wife, the mom, the daughter, the sister, the writer, the friend, the advocate, and all the challenges she went through growing up as an immigrant, from the language barrier, to the psychological impact of living and developing between two cultures, from the place she was born and grew up to the place she immigrated to and became a teenager, and adult to the challenges of becoming a wife, a mom, a writer and navigate the world of writing books and advocating and educating on immigration matters.

I found this part of the book interesting and compelling: how, through her books, her writing, and by going back to her family in Mexico, to the place she was born, she always tries to help, educate, and advocate, no matter how much risk it might entail.

It was also fascinating to learn more about Reyna, the woman, the wife, the mom. How she handles and faces situations that are very common to women out there, such as parenting, sex life, illness, fear of aging, and family relationships. I loved how we learned a little bit more about Reyna’s husband and children in this book.

As you can tell, I loved Migrant Heart because, even though it felt more personal, it didn't leave out Reyna’s ongoing work on awareness, education, and advocacy around immigration through her personal experiences and journey.

Thank you to the Author and the Publisher for the free ARC physical copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

Book Review: One Moment: Poems by Luis Muñoz-Poetry

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of One Moment: Poems by Luis Muñoz-Poetry.

Title: One Moment: Poems

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Poetry

Author: Luis Muñoz

Publisher: Washington Square Press
Publication Date: May 12, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 160 Pages

Meet the Author: Luis Munoz

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

“It’s thrilling to encounter poetry this fresh, this undeniable.” —Kaveh Akbar, New York Times bestselling author

From “one of the most brilliant poets of his generation” (El País, Madrid), Spanish poet Luis Muñoz’s debut North American collection, translated by Idra Novey and Garth Greenwell.

Sweet, surreal, and haunting, these poems examine both the frictions and elusiveness that can occur between self and others. The slowing down of time, the gentle observation of sunlight like “golden cookies on the bedspread” as you lie next to a lover. The feeling of solitude renders you as small and still as a garbanzo bean, yearning as much for water and light as for continuing to be left alone.

Luis Muñoz is a beloved and critically acclaimed Spanish poet, and One Moment marks his American debut. The poems within are presented in their original Spanish and in English, translated by acclaimed writers and translators Idra Novey and Garth Greenwell.

Formally inventive, at turns playful and strange, One Moment moves a kaleidoscopic eye from friends to lovers, from one place to another, from one moment to the next, from the finite to the infinite. These are poems that delight in all the senses, and in the movement of the world around us.

My Thoughts

I truly appreciate the translation, Spanish-English. I found that both complement each other well.

As with any other poetry collection, some poems are more complex than others, which doesn’t mean they are not good; they all serve their purpose; however, some just hit differently.

What made this collection of poetry very unique for me was the writing, the use of imagery, and descriptions.

A lot of the poems resonated with me just because of their simplicity and straightforward meaning, and others, the weirdness and wording of them were what made them so special and a pleasant reading experience.

I loved and appreciated all the poems; however, my favorites are M.C. and Padre, and I loved Trasteando/Rummaging for its weirdness and deep meaning.

I love reading and writing poetry and I feel so honored I had the opportunity to read this collection in advance. Thank you, Washington Square Press, for the free ARC.

Wendy

Book Review: True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color--from Azure to Zinc Pink by Kory Stamper-Non-Fiction

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of True Color by Kory Stamper.

Title: True Color

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Non-Fiction

Author: Kory Stamper

Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: March 31, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 320 Pages

Meet the Author: Kory Stamper

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues—and the story of the obsessive genius behind the definitions of colors we use today, from the beloved author of Word by Word

"Wildly entertaining and bountifully informative; I couldn't have enjoyed myself more." —Benjamin Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer's English

begonia (n.): 3 -s : a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see coral 3b), bluer than fiesta, and bluer and stronger than sweet william — called also gaiety

What could "bluer than fiesta" possibly mean? While editing dictionaries for Merriam-Webster, Kory Stamper found herself drawn again and again to the whimsical color definitions in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary—especially when compared to the dry and impersonal entries that filled the rest of the volume. Stamper couldn’t help but wonder: Who was the voice behind these peculiar definitions?

Meet I. H. Godlove, an erratic but brilliant up-and-coming scientist who was one of the experts Merriam-Webster hired in 1930 to help revise the dictionary to reflect a rapidly modernizing world. His fascinating life mirrors the wild and winding journey that color science, color psychology, and color production took through the twentieth century. Stamper tracks these industries as they move into the atomic age and intertwine in strange and surprising ways, spanning two world wars and involving chemical explosions, an unexpected suicide, dramatic office politics, and an extraordinary love story.

Filled with captivating facts about color words and colors themselves—did you know that the word “puke” used to refer to a fashionable shade of reddish-brown before it was associated with vomit?—and fueled by Stamper’s inexhaustible curiosity, True Color will transform the way you see the world, from black-and-white to Technicolor.

My Thoughts

Speaking of interesting books, True Color is one of a kind.

The science behind color, lexicology and a long time of researching and trying to understand all behind color. This was truly an interesting and unique read .

Thank you, Knopf and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

Book Review: Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth by Daisy Hernandez-Immigration Studies

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth by Daisy Hernandez.

Title: Citizenship

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non-Fiction

Author: Daisy Hernandez

Publisher: Hogarth
Publication Date: February 17, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 304 Pages

Meet the Author: Daisy Hernandez

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A provocative, personal, blazingly intelligent examination of one of the most vexing questions facing the United States today: Who is, and should be, a citizen?

“[A] fascinating, urgently needed new book.”—Chicago Tribune

“How did ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ turn upside down to where we are today? Everyone needs to read this book, citizens and non-citizens alike. Brilliant!”—Sandra Cisneros

“The most comprehensive book on citizenship/immigration I’ve ever read. A must-read!”—Javier Zamora

“The book I have always wanted to read.”—Jose Antonio Vargas

“Personal, profound, engaging, and comprehensive . . . this is an essential book for these contentious times.”—Booklist (starred review)

In this one-of-a-kind book, Daisy Hernández fiercely interrogates one of the most complicated subjects of contemporary life and politics: citizenship. Braiding memoir, history, and cultural criticism, she exposes the truths and lies of how we define ourselves as a country and a people. Turning to her own family’s stories—her mother arrived from Colombia, while her father was a political refugee from Castro’s Cuba—Hernández shows how the very idea of citizenship is a myth, one of the stories we tell ourselves about the American soul and psyche.

Reframing our understanding of what it means to be an American, Citizenship is an urgent and necessary account of the laws, customs, and language we use to include and exclude, especially those who come from Latin America. With her scholar’s mind and memoirist’s gift for narrative, Hernández weaves a story both personal and national, while reckoning with our country’s ongoing debate about who belongs and providing fresh ways of thinking about citizenship. At once bracing, fearless, and tender, Citizenship is a powerful portrait of one family’s experiences in the borderlands of citizenship and an honest illumination of the country we live in.

My Thoughts

If you are lucky enough, you come across books like Citizenship, and I feel so fortunate right now.

I didn't want it to end. I was so immersed in the story, and I also felt validated about many things I had been thinking about regarding immigration and citizenship in general. Sometimes we question ourselves, and what we believe or how we see the things going on around us, and when you have is a book like Citizenship, when another person puts into words a well-researched, well-told story, it can be a pretty powerful tool for the rest of us who are trying to educate ourselves and understand. I loved how the author goes into the story putting her personal touch in a memoir sense, but also adding all the references, facts, and dates, without making it too technical, boring, or difficult to understand.

Thank you, Hogarth and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

Book Review: When I Kill You: A Novel by B.A. Paris- Domestic Thriller

Hello, dear Readers,

My book review of: When I Kill You: A Novel by B.A. Paris.

Title: When I Kill You: A Novel

Rating:  4/5 Stars

Genre: Domestic Thriller

Author: B.A. Paris

Publisher: St.Martin's Press

Publication Date: February 17, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 304 pages
Meet the Author: B.A. Paris
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The multimillion-copy and New York Times bestseller B. A. Paris returns with a triumphant, unsettling next suspense novel, When I Kill You.

Who is watching Nell Masters?

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was, and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

My Thoughts

Every time B.A. Paris comes up with a new book I get so excited. She is one of my favorite authors ever, and once again, she didn't disappoint. 

When I kill you was such a roller coaster, suspenseful pack, and the ending was completely unexpected but very satisfying. I always appreciate her stories just because they have all the elements of a great thriller, and also characters that bring everything to the story. 

Thank you, St. Martin's and Netgalley, for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy  

Book Review: Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block-Memoir

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block.

Title: Homeschooled

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Memoir

Author: Stefan Merrill Block

Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: January 06, 2026

Language: English

Paperback: 288 Pages

Meet the Author: Stefan Merrill Block

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A heartbreaking, empowering, and often hilarious debut memoir about a mother’s all-consuming love, a son’s perilous quest to discover the world beyond the front door, and the unregulated homeschool system that impacts millions like him.

Stefan Merrill Block was nine when his mother pulled him from school, certain that his teachers were “stifling his creativity.” Hungry for more time with her boy, who was growing up too quickly, she began to instruct Stefan in the family’s living room. Beyond his formal lessons in math, however, Stefan was largely left to his own devices and his mother’s erratic whims, such as her project to recapture her twelve-year-old son's early years by bleaching his hair and putting him on a crawling regimen.

Years before homeschooling would become a massive nationwide movement, at a time when it had just become legal in his home state of Texas, Stefan vanished into that unseen space and into his mother’s increasingly eccentric theories and projects. But when, after five years away from the outside world, Stefan reentered the public school system in Plano as a freshman, he was in for a jarring awakening.

At once a novelistic portrait of mother and son, and an illuminating window into an overlooked corner of the American education system, Homeschooled is a moving, funny, and ultimately inspiring story of a son’s battle for a life of his own choosing, and the wages of a mother’s insatiable love.

My Thoughts

Every now and then, I come across a memoir that, more than the story itself, what fascinates me is the writing, the way the story is written. It is like this unique voice that makes you feel different while reading, in a good way. That was the case for me with Homeschooled.

Don't get me wrong, the story is very important and relevant, an important subject to be talked about, specially when you can hear from someone who actually went through Homeschooling, in this case, Stefan, sharing his story, his experiences, which for someone like me, who was never homeschooled, can be a very eye-opening account on the realities for kids who go through it and the long lasting consequences and impact. of it. 

I truly appreciate Stefan for sharing his story. 

Thank you, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

Book Review: The Fair Weather Friend: A Novel by Jessie Garcia- Suspense Thriller

Hello, dear Readers,

My book review of: The Fair Weather Friend: A Novel by Jessie Garcia.

Title: The Fair Weather Friend: A Novel

Rating:  4/5 Stars

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Author: Jessie Garcia

Publisher: St.Martin's Press

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 320 pages
Meet the Author: Jessie Garcia
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The next gripping domestic suspense novel from Jessie Garcia.

It's always sunny in Detroit for Faith Richards. The popular TV meteorologist, endearingly referred to as "The Fair Weather Friend" by her viewers, has the world by the tail. But one night, Faith leaves work on a dinner break and never returns. Her body is found the next morning.

The town is reeling, suspects emerge, and long-buried secrets are uncovered. While her allies rally, her list of adversaries also grows. Little does anyone know that only the deepest secrets will expose the truth.

In this riveting thriller from the author of THE BUSINESS TRIP, Jessie Garcia's signature multi-POV, rapid-fire style will propel you into the heart of a mystery no one could have forecasted.

My Thoughts

I read The Business Trip last year and loved it. And The Fair Weather Friend didn't disappoint.

Fast-paced, well-written, with suspense and characters. Kept me engaged, hard to put down. 

Thank you, St. Martin's and Netgalley, for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy  

Book Review: The Storm: A Novel by Rachel Hawkins- Psychological Thriller

Hello, dear Readers,

My book review of: The Storm: A Novel by Rachel Hawkins.

Title: The Storm: A Novel

Rating:  5/5 Stars

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St.Martin's Press

Publication Date: January 06, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 288 pages
Meet the Author: Rachel Hawkins
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins is back with a thrilling new gothic suspense set in a Gulf Coast beach motel where hurricane season can be murder.

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful actual crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive―and as deadly―as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

My Thoughts

My new favorite of Rachel Hawkins. It was so engaging and hard to put down. Unlike many thrillers I have read, I liked all the characters and thought they served the story well. 

I also loved the setting and, honestly, kept wanting to go to St. Medard's Bay; everything revolving around past and current storms was fascinating. 

I recommend The Storm 100%.

Thank you, St. Martin's and Netgalley, for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy  

Book Review: The Correspondent: A Novel by Virginia Evans-Women's Fiction

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of The Correspondent: A Novel by Virginia Evans.

Title: The Correspondent: A Novel

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Women's Fiction

Author: Virginia Evans

Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: April 29, 2025

Language: English

Hardcover: 304 Pages

Meet the Author: Virginia Evans

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as “A cause for celebration”—an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love.

“The Correspondent is this year’s breakout novel no one saw coming.”—The Wall Street Journal

“I cried more than once as I witnessed this brilliant woman come to understand herself more deeply.”—Florence Knapp, author of The Names

LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE AND THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, She Reads

“Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.

Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

Sybil Van Antwerp’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.

My Thoughts

Definitely, one of the best books I've read this year. LOVED IT.

I almost didn't read it. First, I usually don't read fiction, unless it's a thriller, and second, I tend to stay away from books that become very overhyped or popular on social media; however, the reviews I saw of these books were coming from very professional and trusted book reviewers, so I decided to give it a try, and I am glad I did. Very similar to last year, when I decided to give The Women by Kristin Hannah a chance. 

I loved The Correspondent. I loved Sybil Van Antwerp. I loved the writing and, of course, the letter format. It kept me hooked from beginning to end, and I really appreciated the honesty, the realness, and the transparency of each character in the story. 

I 100% recommend this book and will definitely be in my mind for a long time.

Wendy