Book Review: Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir From The Child Of A Mail-Order Bride by Katya Suvorova-Memoir

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir From The Child of a Mail-Order Bride by Katya Suvorova.

Title: Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir From The Child Of A Mail-order Bride

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Memoir

Author: Katya Suvorova

Publisher: Alcove Press
Publication Date: September 29, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 Pages

Meet the Author: Katya Suvorova

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this darkly funny and irreverent memoir, the daughter of a mail-order bride unpacks her undocumented childhood in America.

The perfect read for fans of the jaw-dropping twists of 90 Day Fiancé and the emotional gut punch of I'm Glad My Mom Died.

Growing up undocumented in Houston, Texas, Katya Suvorova learned that keeping her family together meant dodging the police, enduring her mother’s many husbands, and babysitting her younger sister instead of finishing the third grade.

Her understanding of her life shifted dramatically at seventeen, when Katya discovered her mother’s advertisement in a forgotten Eastern European mail-order bride catalog from the 1990s. As she grew older, Katya came to better understand what her mother had risked when she smuggled herself and her then three-year-old daughter from Russia into the US.

When your parents sacrifice their lives so yours can be better, who do you owe your future to?

Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter explores difficult questions and stories, both shocking and hilarious, from Katya’s childhood to an adulthood estranged from the woman who sacrificed everything for her. Her sharp, dry wit draws readers into a deeply relatable take on being a child of immigrants and unraveling a landscape of family secrets and lies, sharing her unique story as the undocumented daughter of a mail-order bride.

My Thoughts

One of the best Memoirs I have read this year.

Some TW: sexual abuse of a child, neglect, domestic violence, dysfunctional family relationships, alcohol abuse. 

I felt so much for Katya. There were times I got so angry; I wanted to be there with her to tell her how valuable she is. 

It always blows my mind how vulnerable and brave people are to put their stories out there; I'm not saying this in a bad way, but it makes me wonder if I could ever be brave enough to do the same. I appreciate Katya sharing her story. 

On the other hand, I can see why Katya's mother was, because she wanted to have a better life, and she truly thought the United States was the place to do so; however, the price she paid to have a green card, to be legal in this country, was very high, not only for herself but for her mom, her daughters, and Katya's father. 

I absolutely loved Katya and her grandmother's relationship. Although they could not always be together physically, they were there for each other mentally and spiritually. I am glad Katya had her and also her partner in life, who always tried to really listen to her and to be there for her. I also loved that Katya was able to reconnect with her father, that side of her family, and try to rebuild their relationship.

Thank you, Alcove Press and NetGalley, for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

Book Review: Chancla: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture through Nonviolent Parenting by Leslie Priscilla-Parenting

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of Chancla: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture through Nonviolent Parenting by Leslie Priscilla.

Title: Chancla: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture through Nonviolent Parenting 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non-Fiction-Parenting

Author: Leslie Priscilla

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: August 19, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 304 Pages

Meet the Author: Leslie Priscilla

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A parenting guide that speaks directly to Latinx families with language, history, and lived experience that honors and celebrates our cultura―while helping readers unlearn violence and shame as tools of discipline.

For many in the Latinx community, “la Chancla”―what we learn to see as the warning sign for disciplinary violence―has become a cultural symbol that has spawned relatable memes that many of us laugh about and bond over. But what if it’s also a symbol of something more harmful? 

In Chancla, educator and Latinx Parenting founder Leslie Priscilla invites readers, parents, and the Latinx community on a transformative journey away from cycles of fear, shame, and corporal punishment. With warmth and deep cultural insight, Priscilla explores the historical legacies attached to Chancla while offering a path forward rooted in connection, self-reflection, and ancestral healing. Chancla is the nonviolent parenting practice that celebrates Latinx cultura, while teaching its readers―and their Mamis, Papis, Tias, and Tios―how to heal from generational violence. 

Blending personal storytelling, historical context, and actionable tools, Chancla helps readers not only nurture their children, but their wounded inner child. Readers will see themselves in these pages because Chancla ultimately encourages them to unlearn what they’ve inherited and make space for what they deserve: homes full of love, safety, and respect.

My Thoughts

What an eye-opening book. And to think that for many years, I just thought about the "chancla" as the way my mom wanted to discipline me for my "bad" behavior. I never ever thought about all the implications and the history behind chancla culture, and the deep impact it can have on children and those children transitioning into adult life. 

I appreciate the author's thorough research, examples, and proposed questions in the book and how she mixes her own story with the information meant to be conveyed to readers. 

I loved reading this book; it was very relatable, informative, and well explained. 

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

Wendy

Book Review: The Women In White: A Novel by Sarah Pekkanen-Mystery/Thrillers

Hello, dear Readers,

My book review of: The Women in White: A Novel by Sarah Pekkanen.

Title: The Women in White

Rating:  5/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Author: Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St.Martin's Press

Publication Date: August 04, 2026

Language: English

Hardcover: 288 pages
Meet the Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The next thriller from #1 bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen combines a decades-old mystery with spine-tingling paranormal elements in this twisty novel of the seen and unseen.

Extrasensory perception.

The Gift.

A Sixth Sense.

Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished, and the program was erased from history.

Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era - no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet.

Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines - Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women - old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

My Thoughts

The best thriller I read this summer. And my new Sarah's favorite.

Although there were not a lot of twists, the suspense is rich, and the characters are unique to the story.

Fast-paced, with scientific elements and a dual timeline, this thriller is a very enjoyable read. 

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

Wendy  

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: 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: 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: The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora by Elena Sheppard-Memoir

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora by Elena Sheppard.

Title: The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Memoir

Author: Elena Sheppard

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: September 30, 2025

Language: English

Hardcover: 288 Pages

Meet the Author: Elena Sheppard

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

"Spellbinding." ―Booklist, starred review • "A must-read." ―Library Journal

"Poetic." ―Emma Straub • "This is writing as spell-casting and archival longing." ―Leslie Jamison

A memoir of the Cuban diaspora that follows one family’s exile from the island, through a lyrical exploration of memory, cultural mythology, and the history of Cuban-American relations.

History is undeniably dominated by its men, but the stories Elena Sheppard was brought up on were almost always about Cuba’s women―everyday women, whose names would be forgotten and buried along with their bones unless someone took the effort to remember them.

Cifuentes, Cuba, in the 1950s was nearly idyllic―at least that’s how Elena’s grandparents, Rosita and Gustavo Delgado, remember the Eden they left. When Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, Gustavo was placed on a list of political undesirables, and by the end of 1960, the couple and their two daughters had fled to Florida, with nothing more than five dollars, and a suitcase each. The Delgados were certain they would return to Cifuentes within a few months, after Castro’s reign had run its course. But they never went back, and a piece of each of their identities became frozen in that moment.

In 1987, Elena was the first in Gustavo and Rosita’s family to be born in the United States, but through the memories that lived on in her grandmother’s mind, Cuba became the foundation of her childhood. Elena takes us inside these stories, and as we travel back and forth across the narrow Florida Straits that separate Miami and Havana, we also weave between past and present, to discover family secrets that are on the brink of being lost to time.

In lyrical yet unflinching prose, The Eternal Forest follows one family’s exile from their homeland and in so doing, it tells the larger political story of the Cuban Revolution and its diaspora. Through a spellbinding blend of cultural myth, historical texts, and personal narrative, The Eternal Forest seeks to understand the nature of inheritance, how trauma and memory are passed down through generations, and what it means to yearn for an island you can never fully know.

My Thoughts

Always interesting for me to read anything related to Cuba, especially when it is a memoir.

Reading about people's experiences, from exile, family history, going back to Cuba, the culture, family dynamics, relationships, and life in America, gives you a completely different view and understanding of what you may know or do you think you know about Cubans and Cuba in general.

I appreciate the author's descriptions, showing history and relationships. I appreciate the care and interest in telling the stories the right way. 

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

Wendy

Book Review: Don't Let Him In: A Novel by Lisa Jewell- Suspense Thriller

Hello, dear Readers,

My book review of Don't Let Him In: A Novel by Lisa Jewell.

Title: Don't Let Him In: A Novel

Rating:  4/5 Stars

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Author: Lisa Jewell

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: June 24, 2025

Language: English

Hardcover: 368 pages
Meet the Author: Lisa Jewell
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A MOST ANTICIPATED SUMMER READ from People, USA TODAY, theSkimm, E! News, Forbes, New York Post, CrimeReads, and many more!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell, three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

He’s the perfect man. It’s a perfect lie.

Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

My Thoughts

I love Lisa Jewell and will read everything she writes; however, this book in particular was not as awesome as her other books. 

Mainly, for me, because I felt like a lot of the story was not necessary. It felt never-ending at times. It took me a lot to start getting into the story, but once I did, it got a little better. Slow-paced and different from other stories, the different time lines made it really hard to get through it. Like I said, I love her books and will continue reading, I just didn't love this one that much. 

Thank you, Atria Books and Netgalley, for the Free Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy 

Book Review: A Clean Mess: A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb by Tiffany Jenkins-Memoir

Hello, dear Readers,

Below is my book review of A Clean Mess: A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb by Tiffany Jenkins.

Title: A Clean Mess: A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Memoir

Author: Tiffany Jenkins

Publisher: Rodale Inc./Harmony
Publication Date: June 03, 2025

Language: English

Hardcover: 304 Pages

Meet the Author: Tiffany Jenkins

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The bestselling author of High Achiever chronicles life after addiction—the raw, the dark, and the hilarious—from setting out with nothing but a backpack to discovering her marriage was built on a shakier foundation than she’d ever imagined to staying sober when life fell apart.

“Tiffany Jenkins illustrates that recovery is not just about sobriety, but about learning to live and feel again. Her compelling story is a testament to the power of resilience, humor, and hope.”—Sarah Levy, author of Drinking Games

A Clean Mess opens with the moment that changed everything. Tiffany is about to go on stage when she receives an odd message from her husband: “Hey Babe, some of the guys here are making some stupid decisions. Not me. But I just wanted to let you know in case you heard it from some of the other wives.” By the end of the night, Tiffany knew her life would never be the same.

This wasn’t the first time she had to start over. After the opioid addiction and jail sentence that she chronicled in her bestselling memoir, High Achiever, Tiffany was ready for a fresh start. A chance to try life again, this time without drugs coursing through her veins. In A Clean Mess, she takes us back to those early days of recovery, and the whirlwind that she entered the moment she was out of prison. In just two years, she went from inmate to married and sober mom of three.

Told with humor and honesty, A Clean Mess is Tiffany Jenkins’s story of how she learned to live and feel for the first time without numbing herself with drugs—and how she discovered inner reserves of strength she didn’t know she had. From her tentative first days of sobriety, to seeing two pink lines on a pregnancy test weeks later, to navigating anxiety, a new marriage, and motherhood at the same time, to surviving betrayal and divorce, Jenkins shows how she got through it all when her crutches and Band-Aids were taken away from her. An inspiring memoir that reads like fiction, A Clean Mess is a book that will buoy anyone seeking a life raft in hard times.

My Thoughts

I have relatives who have gone through drug/alcohol abuse. I know from experience, by looking at their situations, that it's never a good place to be. Only the people going through all those issues understand what it is like, and also what it is like to go into recovery. 

This is one reason I loved A Clean Mess. How the author shares her story and that of her loved ones in such an honest, raw, and vulnerable way. Understanding from the people who are experiencing those situations gives us a better picture of what they go through and how it affects them and the people around them. Although I can't relate to these problems, I loved the story and how the author wrote the book and shared her life experiences. 

Thank you, Rodale Inc. /Harmony and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy