Reviewed by Frank Mutuma for Readers' Favorite

Katya Dunko was born in Ukraine. Her parents were very young and often fought. Her mother was an alcoholic and soon separated from Katya’s father. Her mother met another man through a dating site, and they moved to Alaska in the USA. This marriage also didn’t last. Her mother introduced Katya to opioids at a very, very young age, which had a huge effect on her life. When Katya moves to Reno, she meets Lucas, who causes her to break up with her high school boyfriend. They travel the world together for a long time, but their relationship problems cause Katya to travel to Egypt to work on herself. In Egypt, she has to work for her livelihood and fight various prejudices against women. In I Drank From the Nile, Katya tries to find herself amongst her traumas and opioid addiction.

I Drank From the Nile: An Unbreakable Memoir of Resilience by Katya Dunko is a memorable book, and once you start reading it, there is no putting it down. In this memoir, she shows how upbringing can cause trauma that affects future relationships. The vivid descriptions of her experiences, especially in Egypt, made the memoir interesting, and got me thinking about women's rights and abuse in Egypt, a country which is often portrayed as a tourist haven in many advertisements. The themes of courage and the indomitable will to work on oneself will also resonate with many readers. The easy-to-understand language used makes the work accessible to many audiences. This was an amazing book, and I look forward to reading something else by Katya Dunko.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines by Adrienne Caldwell is a deeply moving, horrific memoir of one woman’s dysfunctional childhood marred by neglect, physical, mental, and sexual abuse by the very people who were supposed to care for her. After constant abuse her entire life, the author decided for one last time to commit suicide. Like her previous attempts, it failed. As she reflects on her terrible childhood, she comes to the inescapable conclusion that God or the Universe does not want her gone just yet, and that she still has some purpose left on this earth. This is finally the point at which she decides she must not only go on, but have a successful, meaningful life, and make a difference in the world. Raw, powerful, and real, this memoir will awaken readers to the idea that the human spirit is indeed indomitable and that even after a childhood of abuse and neglect, we can remain unbroken; we can still carry on.

Unbroken is one of the most moving and yet deeply satisfying memoirs I have read in a long time. Adrienne Caldwell has the courage and clarity to be open, honest, and brutally real about what she has survived and come through unbroken. Her prose is tough, hard, and uncompromising; she certainly does not pull any punches, and readers, especially those easily triggered, should bear that in mind. I appreciated that although she was often treated by others as a quiet, simple girl, her intellect and ability to rationalize behaviors and actions were well developed. Her relationship as a teenager with a much older man was a classic case of grooming, but for a young girl seeking someone to love her, it was a predictable course. What I truly loved was her ability to understand that although she didn’t always deserve the extreme physical abuse inflicted by her mother, she frequently played a role in provoking that abuse, and realized her mother’s deteriorating mental health was a major factor in the abuse. What one will take away from this tale is that even when the abuse is constant, systematic, and incredibly painful, there is hope, a light at the end of the tunnel, and the possibility of remaining unbroken. For anyone who feels lost, alone, and in need of comfort, this raw and powerful story will give hope and possibility. This is a superb read, and although tough going at times, it is well worth the journey. I highly recommend this extremely thought-provoking memoir.

Reviewed by Luwi Nyakansaila for Readers' Favorite

Maybe a Note Would Help: Transforming Your Life with a Few Kind Words by Kristen Tremonti Reiter is a helpful guide that highlights the power of thoughtful words in our lives and those with whom we share them. During a time of limbo in her life, Kristen decided to challenge herself to write a note every day. She wrote notes to everyone—family, friends, strangers, even her dog, and to her favorite city. What began as a small experiment quickly grew into something bigger. Gratitude took root. Hope, joy, and positivity started showing up in her life in ways she did not expect. She found herself sticking with it, becoming more committed, disciplined, and intentional every day. In this book, she opens up about the notes she sent and the touching responses that came back. She walks you through her process of what it felt like to sit down and write. Finally, she encourages people to join in the handwritten-note revolution and grow a culture of sharing positivity and keeping the art of writing alive.

Maybe a Note Would Help is a wonderful book that reminds us to stay connected and build authentic relationships with others through a simple task like sharing a note. Kristen Tremonti Reiter shares her personal experiences during the challenge. She talks about how writing every day helped her through painful losses, developed her creativity, made her more compassionate, and helped her build healthy relationships with people that she initially did not like. I love that she gives tips on how to write notes and the emotional benefits that come with this activity. She also wrote notes to herself, and they contributed to her growth, self-love, and care. She faced past traumas that she was avoiding and got closure in the best way. This aspect of the book made me realize that taking this journey will be unique for everyone and will unveil issues that are specific to your life. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their relationships and discover the healing power of words.

Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

In Losing It All: Houseless, with Love, Dogs and Sausages by Alexandra Lynn, readers meet a couple whose lives are turned upside down. They were living a comfortable, stable lifestyle with steady work, a nice home, great friends, and three dogs they loved like children. They had a sense of security. All of that changed in 2009 when a recession occurred. Both were affected—he lost his business, and since she worked there without separate pay, she effectively lost her job too. As their situation worsens, the couple loses their home and doesn’t know what to do. They ask a friend, Sandy, if they can stay with her. The pair begins helping out with the development of her smokehouse business, pitching in wherever they can as the sausage business slowly takes shape. They are simultaneously searching for employment and a place to live.

Reading Losing It All by Alexandra Lynn really made me appreciate everything I have. The writing is honest and unfiltered. It almost seemed like a friend was sharing their past with me over coffee. I liked how nothing sounded perfect or polished. For instance, she describes going to a pawn shop with her pearl jewelry to get money for the set, with the option to buy it back later. The way she talked about her relationship with her husband and their dogs added warmth to the memoir. At times, there was a heaviness, but given what the pair was going through, that is expected. There were also moments of humor that balanced out the more serious ones. Overall, this is a meaningful and memorable read. The ‘About the Author’ section mentioned how she’s writing another installment to the couple’s story, and I would definitely read that one, too. Readers who enjoy memoirs about resilience and real-life struggles will likely be drawn to this book. After all, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

In her memoir Piece by Piece, Sheryl Hauk tells the story of how she survived an abusive childhood and built a life centered on music, teaching, family, and creativity. Even though her father no longer has control over her, the effects of the abuse continue to shape her daily experiences. Hauk shares memories of growing up in Hawaiʻi, her decades as a music educator, and the challenges of raising a family. She reveals how those moments eventually led her to write about what she had kept silent on for so many years. What does it really take to put a life back together, one piece at a time?

I’m glad I read Piece by Piece by Sheryl Hauk. I appreciated that Hauk didn't rely on graphic descriptions of her abuse. She actually focused more on how it continued to influence her. Her openness about the hypervigilance she has as a result of her experiences gave a clearer picture of her adult life. As a teacher, I found parts of her educational journey especially frustrating. There is one line I haven’t stopped thinking about. It’s when she said, "I'm not everyone's cup of tea, more like espresso with a side of cayenne." It helped me understand her better. It also left me a little sad because it reflected how she sees herself after everything she's lived through. Her memoir brought to mind Kelly Clarkson's song, "Piece by Piece.” The stories are not the same, but both center on rebuilding a life after deep hurt. Hauk writes with humor, honesty, and enough self-awareness to balance difficult moments with lighter ones. The mention of WAACS caught my attention because I'd only recently learned about the organization through another book. I loved the picture of Sheryl playing the piano as a two-year-old. Anyone looking for a thoughtful memoir about resilience, trauma recovery, and healing will want to pick up a copy.

Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers' Favorite

Making My Way by Damaris Melo-Gyasi is an inspiring story that follows the journey of a Brazilian girl with a dream of becoming an architect. After seeing an architect discussing a plan for her family’s future home with her parents, Damaris decided she was going to be an architect. She set her sights on the University of São Paulo (USP), which had a school of architecture and a scholarship program. Unfortunately, the odds were against her because only students from upper-class schools with special preparatory classes were accepted. Damaris worked hard, and after failing the USP entrance exam twice, she finally succeeded on her third attempt. Even though Damaris brought pride to her family—who had always been mocked for her big dreams—her journey was just getting started. She still had so much to fight through. Money was always tight. She did not speak English at first, barely knew how to navigate the world beyond her small town, and her church and family’s strict religious rules did not exactly make things easier. But she just would not quit. She made it all the way to America, learned the ropes in a tough environment, and landed a job where people doubted her and jealousy ran high.

Making My Way is a deeply moving memoir that reminded me of the importance of not giving up even when faced with failure or rejection. Damaris Melo-Gyasi dealt with pushback from those closest to her, but she never let it make her bitter. Instead, she shows appreciation for the values they taught her. Her drive, her faith, and her passion for learning — all of that came straight from them. Reading about her home, her family, and the sacrifices they made for her really stuck with me and made me tear up. The story is a reminder that hard work and being ready for anything matter so much when it comes to success. You can see Damaris’s courage and stubbornness in the way she told her story. She is such an inspiration, and I hope that many girls who wish to pursue fields they have been told they cannot succeed in will find the courage to do so despite societal limitations. The story had a good flow, and it was engaging to read. I did not want to put it down because of the unexpected twists and turns that Damaris’s life took. Overall, Making My Way is a must-read for anyone interested in stories about perseverance, being ambitious, and overcoming barriers to achieve one's dreams.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Property of the Revolution by Ana Hebra Flaster is a memoir of Flaster's family life in Cuba before, during, and after the Cuban Revolution. Growing up in Havana, she recalls the vibrant community that was torn apart by politicking. Her family, especially her mother, faced growing disillusionment with the revolution, while her aunt remained a steadfast supporter. In 1967, Flaster’s family was forced to leave Cuba, enduring interrogations and hardships as they resettled in Miami. They later moved to New York, where Flaster’s father worked tirelessly to support them despite issues with other Cuban exiles. Flaster’s mother worked factory jobs, and their cultural adjustments were marked by difficult financial struggles. The family eventually settled in New Hampshire, where strain, poverty, and harsh winters followed. The memoir intertwines personal experiences with reflections on the impact of exile, generational trauma, and the immigrant journey in America.

Ana Hebra Flaster’s Property of the Revolution is a beautifully intimate and raw portrayal of a family’s survival under Cuba’s oppressive regime. Through clear and straightforward storytelling, Flaster captures the harsh realities of rationing, the black market, and the emotional toll of exile, as well as the problems that often accompany immigrant experiences. As a person who moved from a non-English speaking third-world country myself, I connected with Flaster in a way that I didn't expect. Her literary portrait of culture shock, especially between her Cuban roots and her American life, is so on point that it came across as not just relatable, but personal. It does end well, although I won't give away how, but readers are so fortunate to have such a strong voice on the Cuban-American experience. This memoir is bigger than a historical account; it is a deeply emotional journey of self-discovery and healing. Very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

The Quantum Prayer: An Inspiring Guide to Love, Healing, and Creating the Best Life Possible by Dr. Joshua Kai is an uplifting and insightful guide through which the author shares how to unlock the keys of self-transformation within each one of us. The techniques and suggestions in the book help readers to explore in an easily understandable way the power of positive prayer, healing vibrations, and quantum energy. The author’s personal story provides perspective on how to utilize quantum prayer in our lives to manifest, create, heal, prosper, and discover everybody’s life’s purpose. Creation always happens with quantum prayer and that helps to create, arrange, and rearrange elements to give the intended result.

The book is all about faith, self-discovery, healing, love, and empowerment. Humanity and the planet are evolving and progressing at a very fast pace and quantum prayer helps us to become more consciously aware and to utilize the higher dimensional frequencies for creating. I like the way the author speaks about the topic and takes readers to new dimensions of consciousness. The power of positive thoughts is reiterated so that readers will choose to always think positively and place their intentions in whatever they wish to create, whether it is healing, abundance, love, or joy. All the suggestions are easy to understand and practice, and can be used in the evolutionary process. This book will help readers look at life with a different perspective. In an era of transition, this book is definitely a must-read as readers will be able to experience and witness a considerable change in their lives with the help of quantum prayer.

Reviewed by Golder Hazelton for Readers' Favorite

Brenda Coffee’s Maya Blue is a memoir of unusual strength, resilience, resonance, and purpose. Her story reads like a mainstream thriller but her voice is so candid and conversational that readers will invest unconditional trust in even the most alarmingly shocking sections of her narrative. Coffee’s hard-won status as a perpetual survivor on multiple fronts infuses Maya Blue with a tenacity and determination that colors each chapter with the precise cliffhanger energy most often displayed in works of popular fiction. At times, astonished readers will do well to stop reading for a moment and remind themselves that the experiences of this remarkable woman and brilliant storyteller are distilled from real life rather than the sweeping imagination of a titan of fiction.

Maya Blue, a seemingly eternal pigment favored by the ancient Mayans to represent their spiritual center, is the perfect metaphor for Coffee’s extraordinary courage and tenacity. The events and scenery of Maya Blue are truly breathtaking, but perhaps even more so is Coffee’s emotional and psychological journey. She goes from being a capable and highly intelligent young woman through a period of virtual invisibility as the abused wife of an equally remarkable older man who begins as an ideal spouse and gradually becomes lost in the wasteland of addiction. Next comes a potentially soul-restoring journey to the land of the Maya that becomes a literal visit to hell, and an eventual final chapter of true happiness that all too quickly ends in grief. Coffee has lived several lifetimes in the span of one human experience, and those with courage enough to embrace her odyssey in Maya Blue on its physical and spiritual planes are assured of a transformative experience of their own.

Reviewed by Eric Ferrar for Readers' Favorite

The Success Guidebook by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is a self-help guide created to assist readers in simplifying their life goals and achieving success in the areas that matter the most to them. This thought-provoking book reminds us that even though the definition of success may vary from person to person, we should all make an effort to prioritize our mental, physical, and social well-being. Hamilton-Guarino explores ten factors of success—such as imagining, believing, planning, and networking—that are crucial in accomplishing one's goals. Anecdotes provided by her clients serve as inspirational guidelines for goal achievement. Readers will learn how to conquer the challenges they encounter daily and progress throughout life with enthusiasm, coherence, and determination. This manual will equip readers with all the resources they need to stay optimistic and steadfast while achieving their dreams.

Overall, this is an informative must-read that doubles as a transformative guide designed to help readers reevaluate what success means to them personally. I appreciate that Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino skillfully reminds her readers that personal success is not achieved by fulfilling society's mandate of what 'success' is but by aligning their values with their life pursuits. Her book is well-structured and offers in-depth strategies to motivate readers to balance their interpersonal relationships, career goals, and health. Hamilton-Guarino uses authentic examples to guide readers on a quest for self-discovery while providing beneficial and implementable exercises to get there. The success stories added throughout the book are inspiring and will help each reader discover the importance of taking control of their life and steering it on the path to success. The Success Guidebook is a groundbreaking innovation for readers in search of a more stable and satisfying life. You'll be happy you read it!