A stunning debut memoir about love, loss, and the Vietnamese immigrant experience in the American South.

In 1997, Thao Hà’s first love took the rap for a drive-by shooting and was sentenced to sixty years in the infamous Beto Unit, the most violent maximum-security prison in Texas. His name was Vu, and like Thao, he was a Vietnamese refugee in Houston’s Little Saigon neighborhood. Though steeped in Viet Pride, neither of them remembered the country they’d been evacuated from as infants. What they did know were the Vietnamese street gangs that ran wild in Houston. By her early twenties Thao had been arrested for theft, had transported a fugitive across county lines, and had been shot as a bystander in a pool-hall fracas turned violent.

After Vu’s sentence and her near-death experience, Thao parted ways with both Vu and gang life. She got serious about school and majored in sociology under the mentorship of an inspiring professor. She earned a PhD and secured a tenured professorship at Mira Costa College in Oceanside, California.

But as William Faulkner famously said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

The decades of her professional success brought marriages, divorces, failed relationships, and family trauma. But like an inextinguishable flame in the distance, the memory of Vu always beckoned to her. As she worked with a program that helped formerly incarcerated people gain access to education, she wrestled with whether to reconnect with him. After finding a box of old letters from Vu during a move, she took the plunge and wrote to him. The letters progressed to phone calls and prison visits, and Thao recognized that she was still in love with him.

But three years after they reconnected, their rekindled love story was cut tragically short.

Offering a counter narrative to the typical immigrant’s story, Thao Hà deftly uses her sociology background to explore refugee trauma and prison injustice, demonstrating the impact of unconditional love when navigating the dehumanizing system of mass incarceration. In this stunning debut, she shares her story of reckless youth, love reclaimed and tragically lost, and the power of words to transcend boundaries with unflinching honesty, insight, and conviction.

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

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, to whom do you owe your future?

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

Story Locale: Cedar Rapids, IA; Houston, TX; Crete, Greece; Seattle, WA

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From the author of the acclaimed and “riveting” (HuffPost) memoir Rabbit and star of BET’s The Ms. Pat Show, a heartfelt, raw, and hilarious new memoir about rising from strife to success, tackling obstacles, and celebrating your wins with a laugh.

“America is supposed to be the land of opportunity—where any poor kid can grow up to become a millionaire. That’s the story. But I’ma tell you how it really went down.”

Before she was the star of the Emmy-nominated smash sitcom The Ms. Pat Show, before the Netflix specials, sold-out tours, and her critically acclaimed memoir, Rabbit, Ms. Pat was a fifteen-year-old eighth-grade dropout raising two babies in one of Atlanta’s poorest neighborhoods. With no mentor, no road map, and no safety net, she wasn’t chasing the American Dream. She was told it wasn’t meant for people like her.

If you’d seen her back then, you wouldn’t have bet on a happy ending.

And yet…look at her now.

In Ms. American Dream, Ms. Pat picks up where Rabbit left off—chronicling the hard-fought climb from food stamps and Section 8 housing to television deals, Hollywood writers’ rooms, and a suburban life so comfortable her doghouse has its own built-in washer and dryer.

In a country where the rich get richer and regular folks are told to “work harder,” Ms. Pat learned the rules of a system that wasn’t built for her to win. She outmaneuvered caseworkers, bill collectors, con artists, and hustlers. She found her place in an industry where she was told she didn’t belong.

Raw, fearless, and laugh-out-loud funny, Ms. American Dream is not your average rags-to-riches Hollywood story—it’s a sharp, hilarious look at class, strategy, and reinvention.

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Your prayer was answered. Now what?

The spouse you prayed for is here, but a sadness sets in that you can’t explain. The job you prayed for came through, but now you are overworked and overwhelmed. The baby you prayed for has arrived, but you haven’t slept since. You wonder, Isn’t an answer to prayer supposed to feel better than this?

Melissa Miller knows the feeling. She prayed for a job opportunity across the country and wanted to grow her family through adoption, but she didn’t expect to wake up every morning disoriented and wondering if God had picked the right person. She was tempted to push down her struggles because, after all, this is what she prayed for (and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful). Instead, she dove deep into Scripture, research, and therapy to learn how to keep showing up in a story that was different from what she’d imagined. In But I Prayed for This, Melissa helps you face the hard parts of “good” transitions as you:

• Drop the guilt and recognize that mixed emotions are normal (and not forever)
• Grow in gratitude by reframing your thoughts and reclaiming your peace
• Let go of the lie that you are stuck or that you prayed wrong
• Allow Jesus to shape your story and your heart in new ways

But I Prayed for This provides a pathway to care for your soul, permission to be in process, and reassurance that God’s love is big enough for both your gratitude and your grief.

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The world’s main criticism of Christians: Too judgy.

Judgment. We feel it. Husbands feel judged by their wives. Parents are judged by their kids. Moms judge other moms. And maybe you’re worried that you’re the “judgy” one. Whether you’re conflicted over your son’s lifestyle, your daughter’s messy room, or social media outrage, you’re not alone.

At the same time, we live in a “Who am I to judge?” culture. And since the Bible both supports and warns against judgment . . . to judge or not to judge, that’s one touchy question.

With warmth and wisdom, Shannon invites us to step inside six stories: Noah, Rahab, Jonah, Simon the Pharisee, the Blind Man, and the cross. We’ll find biblical clarity on judgment and mercy and be moved by what matters to God. If you’re exhausted by conflict and judgment, you can trade condemnation for compassion and encounter God’s lavish mercy.

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Resilience isn’t about returning to who you were before; it’s about becoming who you’re meant to be after you’ve been knocked down. Sharing her personal experiences and biblical wisdom, a gifted writer shows how you can lament, learn to stand again, and ultimately rebuild a beautiful life.

A Roadmap for Coming Back Stronger After Life’s Hardest Falls
· How to lament, learn to stand again, and ultimately rebuild a beautiful life
· Helps you understand how you grow and change as a result of life’s challenges and disappointments
· A hopeful, encouraging, and energizing book for the hurting

There’s no such thing as bouncing back. Whether that sentence made you frown in disagreement or sigh with relief that someone finally gets it, this book is for you. There’s a lot of talk about resilience these days, but true resilience isn’t just maintaining a positive attitude in the face of obstacles or returning to where you were before some difficulty or trauma occurred. It’s a lifelong practice of falling, learning, and rising again with each new challenge. It’s about becoming who you’re meant to be.

With deeply personal stories and biblical reflections, Charaia Rush guides you through a process of building resilience through the cycles of failure, faith, and transformation. She shows you how to
· face your fears
· own your story–yes, even the hard parts
· release relationships, roles, or mindsets that no longer serve you
· reclaim your intrinsic worth apart from achievements or approval
· redefine success
· trust the process
· hold on to hope even when the future feels uncertain
· and more

Firmly grounded in God’s promises, this practical and hopeful book offers a road map for rising again after life’s hardest falls–while finding purpose in the process.

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The under-told legacy of indentured servitude runs through the blood of countless descendants in the diaspora. In this deeply felt collection of essays, Andrea Gunraj explores the impact of her family’s history on her sense of self.

Andrea Gunraj delves into the under-told legacy of indentured labour and its lasting impacts on descendants across diasporas, from the Caribbean and Latin America to Canada, the United States, and beyond. She captures the complexities of belonging and the challenges of navigating dichotomies. Through the concept of “go-betweenness,” Gunraj illustrates her path from the intersections of race, class, and identity to a broader understanding of colonial histories.

A gripping read that weaves memoir with history and cultural criticism, Go-Between Girl is both accessible and profound, intimate and political. Gunraj invites readers  to reconsider their narratives about work, love, and heritage. Her essays are a touching testament to the enduring quest for justice, offering a powerful contribution to contemporary conversations on race, feminism, and the unfinished legacies of colonialism.

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Take Notes alongside Scripture with this ESV Journaling Study Bible Featuring 12,000 In-Depth Study Notes.

The  ESV Journaling Study Bible pairs the content of a robust study Bible with extra-large, 2-inch margins that are perfect for writing observations, prayers, and more as you study God’s Word. Featuring more than 12,000 study notes adapted from the ESV Study Bible, this journaling Bible also includes nearly 900 special facts, 120 Bible character profiles, 10 topical articles, a glossary of key terms, more than 80 maps and illustrations, and 80,000 cross-references. These and many other features make it the most comprehensive and content-rich journaling Bible available today.

• Perfect for Journaling: 2-inch ruled margins are ideal for taking notes during a sermon, recording prayers and praises, or illustrating alongside Scripture
• 12,000 Study Notes: Accessible study notes on every page help readers dive deeper into Scripture’s meaning and application
• Robust Bible Resources: Includes 80,000 cross-references, 80+ maps and illustrations, 10 topical articles, 120 Bible character profiles, and more
• Easy-to-read Layout: Double column format with 7.5-point type

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Don’t Try to Pray Like Her will fill you with confidence that God wants to hear your prayers, no matter how you pray.

What if you could actually enjoy praying?

Believers know praying is a commandment and not just a good idea but being told to pray doesn’t automatically birth a love for prayer in anyone.

We know we should pray, but precious few of us enjoy a healthy prayer life. If we manage to squeeze prayer time into our busy lives, we often end up feeling like our efforts are wasted and fruitless because we aren’t doing it right.

Author Shellie Rushing Tomlinson knows how it feels to be stuck in a hit-or-miss prayer life while longing for a deeper connection with God. Shellie helps believers move past this common struggle so they can enjoy the life-transforming gift of prayer.

Don’t Try to Pray Like Her: Fifteen Simple Habits to Enjoy a Realer, Richer Prayer Life is packed with Southern charm, humor, and fifteen prayer habits drawn from Shellie’s own experience. They’re each built around a short story and a practical prayer support that will help you learn to enjoy lingering in God’s presence.

Scripturally anchored and perfect for personal reading or small groups, Don’t Try to Pray Like Her will reshape how you experience God in prayer, one real conversation at a time.

The post Don’t Try to Pray Like Her: Fifteen Simple Habits to Enjoy a Realer, Richer Prayer Life first appeared on Shelves Bookstore.

You might not need a new plan; you need a new perspective.

This book will help you understand how to gain spiritual perspective even in times of chaos and uncertainty.

In Perspective, prophetic leader Chuck D. Pierce shares a powerful invitation: step into heaven’s vantage point and discover how God sees you, your future, and the world around you. Drawing from personal encounters, decades of prophetic ministry, and biblical revelation, Pierce helps you uncover blind spots, break generational iniquities, and gain clarity in times of great shaking.

This book isn’t just about prediction—it’s about preparation. You will learn how to:

• See through the lens of God’s Word and Spirit.
• Discern what’s ahead for America and the global church.
• Hear the Lord’s voice amid conflict as well as dreams and visitations.
• Align your identity, inheritance, and timing with God’s kingdom purposes.
• Move confidently into the next season—beyond 2026.

Whether you’re navigating personal challenges or prophetic timelines, Perspective will empower you to look again—this time with spiritual clarity—and walk forward in faith, wholeness, and victory.

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