Monthly Archives: October 2022

Book Review: These Rebel Waves

Posted on by
Reply

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch is a two book long series including the sequel These Divided Shores.

These Rebel Waves is a fantasy book that revolves around the magical land of Grace Loray, and the religious kingdom of Argrid.

Adeluna (or Lu for short) is a soldier who helped free the magic rich country of Grace Loray from its Argridian oppressors. Devereux is a stream raider who steals the magic plants of Grace Loray to sell on the black market. Ben is the heretic prince of Argrid, who finds himself secretly interested in Grace Loray’s forbidden magic.

Adeluna grew up during the rebellion and knew nothing but how to be a soldier. Now that she helped Grace Loray overthrow Argrid she found herself lost on what to do with her life. She doesn’t need to find out because there’s trouble in the council as one of the Argridian delegates goes missing. Devereux is a raider with no alliances, one of the most notorious outlaws to walk Grace Loray, but he soon finds himself launched straight into the political mess of Grace Loray, and as he finds out that the raiders are being blamed for the disappearance of the delegate Ibarra, he agrees to help Adeluna find the missing delegate to prevent the upcoming war. Ben has only known to fear the magic of Grace Loray after his dear uncle and cousin were burned for researching magic. But when his father asked him something unbelievable, he now must find out if he is being set up to die, or can he really change the minds of Argrid.

I found this book interesting because of the endless plot twist, the frequent cliffhangers between chapters, and how you can really see what each and every character is feeling, and every character is going through in the story. I would recommend this book to age’s 13 and up.

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Great Gatsby book review

Posted on by
Reply

Written in the year 1925, The Great Gatsby is one of the most complex and analytical books I have ever read. In just 218 pages F. Scott Fitzgerald has taken The American Dream and the enigma of hope-two of the world’s most complicated ideas and molded them into a work of fiction so powerful it helped shape both literature and our very perspectives.

So what makes The Great Gatsby so great? In my reading experience, I have seen two types of books; those which are driven by external conflict (what happens to the characters) and those that are driven by internal conflict (what happens because of the characters). It’s easy to see that the Great Gatsby is extremely character-driven, and thus the problems that they face are also internally driven. Their futures are devised by the choices they made in the past, both good and bad. This makes the external conflict matter more to the reader, giving the book that much more meaning.

But besides the unique characters and carefully crafted plot, the subtle symbolism and heavy themes in The Great Gatsby took my breath away. Themes like how, much like Gatsby, we all have that one almost unattainable goal that always seems just out of reach. And although Daisy Buchanan isn’t the most likable character, Fitzgerald used even her character to show the themes of the book. Themes of regret, the dangers of power, the contrast of what we think the world should be, opposed to what it is, and most importantly…hope.

“Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…. And one fine morning– So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Posted on by
1
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (English) Paperback Book Free S 9780008329662 ...

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie is a beautiful and heartrending novel, following the lives of several different Nigeria in the 1960s- during a short but tumultuous existence of the independent South Nigerian republic, Biafra.

The novel follows the lives of Ugwu, a young Igbo houseboy to an upper-middle-class Nigerian university professor named Odenigbo, as well as that of Odenigbo’s beautiful fiancée, Olanna, her headstrong twin sister, Kainene, and Kainene’s own fiancé, a shy young British writer named Richard, as they try to survive the political, social, and cultural upheaval that comes with the new republic. At first filled with revolutionary zeal, their lives quickly turn into a struggle for survival in the new country.

I loved this book. It is a heavy read, but Adichie’s writing is beautiful and poignant. I’d never really read an African historical novel before, so this was my first experience. It was reminiscent for some of my own family experiences and stories too- a lot of my family suffered during the Indo-Pakistani partition, and I found many parallels to that experience here. This is a novel that will make you re-examine everything you think you know about war.

This book contains graphic descriptions of mature themes that are not suitable for all audiences.

-Vaidehi B.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Esperanza renace escrito por Pam Muñoz Ryan

Posted on by
Reply

Sabes cuándo un libro está escrito originalmente en español, y “Esperanza renace” es uno de los mejores. “Esperanza renace” fue escrito por Pam Muñoz Ryan y está en clases de inmersión de quinto grado alrededor del mundo. “Esperanza renace” se enfoca sobre una niña de 13 años y su viaje a los Estados Unidos y a una nueva vida. En el comienzo del cuento, Esperanza vive con su mamá, su papá y su abuelita en El Rancho de las Rosas. Tiene sirvientes magníficos y campesinos lindos, incluyendo sus amigos Hortensia, Alfonso y Miguel. Su vida es perfecta. Desafortunadamente, todas las cosas buenas van a llegar a su fin. Como un tiburón, bandidos mataron a su papá y su vida quebró.

Sus tíos tienen derechos a su propiedad y cuando su mamá dice que no se va a casar con su tío Luis, él quema su casa y las mujeres no tienen un hogar. Con la ayuda de Miguel, Hortensia y Alfonso, Esperanza y su mamá viajan a California para trabajar. “Esperanza renace” es un libro escrito con amor y belleza, quisiera nunca parar de leerlo. Este libro es perfecto como una rosa, brillante, muy bonito y con mucho amor.

Esperanza renace (Esperanza Rising) by Pam Muñoz Ryan is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby. English versions are available from the Mission Viejo Library or Libby.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Posted on by
Reply

*this blog may contain spoilers*

Set in the small town of Sunshine Falls, bustling agent Nora Stephens from New York takes a getaway trip with her sister Libby. Here they decide to make an “epic” summer bucket list of things to accomplish before the trip ends.

Nora continually finds herself meeting Charlie Lastra, an editor from back home who she sees as a rival more than a friend. They begin to grow a loving relationship with one another with ups and downs that is perfectly shown throughout the book.

I’ve read past works of Emily Henry and this new book had me in awe with how well written it was and the banter between the two characters. I also see it to be a pretty reasonable summer read simply on the fact it’s a vacation to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Recommending this book to anyone who enjoys a enemies to lovers trope.

-Madison C.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Posted on by
Reply

With society threatened to be overrun with Hunduns, it is necessary for humans to utilize Chrysalises in order to fight against these mechanical creatures. But in order to function these machines needed to defeat these invaders in their surroundings, a boy must be a pilot while a girl acts as his concubine. It is common for the girl to die when in the Chrysalis for an unexplained reason, however, it is seen as the one of the most honorable things a girl could do in this sexist society.

When Zetian’s older sister is killed in this process by a famous pilot, she has made it her goal to avenge said sister through murder. So she signed up to be a concubine for that pilot herself and kills him swiftly. But this accomplishment only creates hysteria surrounding Zetian, earning her the name “Iron Widow” who killed off boys in the Chrysalis instead of the other way around.

In a way to control her extraordinary mental strength, they pair her off with another pilot, Li Shimin, who has been notorious for killing off every girl he is paired with as well as other actions he has done in the past. Whilst attempting to survive every battle with Shimin, she also wishes to avenge more than her sister and all of the girls killed in battle with the pilots everyone praises. Do girls die just because that is their fat in the Chrysalis or are there other factors at play hidden in the darkness of secrets?

Though this is Xiran’s first novel, it is one that I will never forget and admire so much. I was reading this book in the New York train for 2 hours and when I reached my final destination, I wish I could stay and read more. Do you know the feeling when you wish to read through a book fast so you know what happens next but also wish to read it slow since you don’t want to finish it too fast and feel sad? That is exactly what conflict I had when reading this book. It has wonderful representation of strong female characters, queer romance, and asian culture I was glad to learn about. If I must recommend a young adult fantasy book to someone, this would be the book I would tell them to read. I rate this book a 10/10 stars and wish for anyone and everyone to read this spectacular book. I cannot recommend enough!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is available to download for free from Libby.

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Posted on by
1

This book is possible my favorite summer read so far due to the incredible organization of the book. Carley Fortune is easily able to move between the present and the past to help tell her story and fill readers in on missing details.

It follows the journey of Persephone Fraser otherwise known as Percy and her life in her new cottage house in Barry’s Bay. Next door lives Sam Florek who quickly warms up to Percy and spend every minute of their summers together. The book follows Sam and Percy growing up in age and the relationship they begin to form over the years.

I will forever be in awe by how many plot twists there were that changed my perspectives on the characters within the book. If you are looking for an underrated summer read I recommend reading Every Summer After. In addition, this is Carley Fortune’s debut novel which she did a FANTASTIC job writing. Always appreciate the new authors that join the community!!! ❤

-Madison C.

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Authors We Love: J. D. Salinger

Posted on by
Reply

J. D. Salinger, or Jerome David Salinger, was a famous American writer whos works are most notably known in the hit novel Catcher in the Rye and “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.”

Similar to Holden Caufield, Salinger was also raised in New York, attending New York and Columbia University. Salinger shortly after chose to stick with writing, and began having his work published in news articles and magazines in the 1940s.

In 1942, Salinger was drafted into the U.S. army. He was an interrogator, and questioned prisoners of war on the Italian and French side. Salinger was also deployed on D-Day, and continued to fight in the Battle of the Bulge.

Throughout this tough time in his life, Salinger was known to even keep his writings with him while in battle. He witnessed German concentration camps firsthand, and saw the many horrors of WWll with his own eyes. Salinger was shortly after hospitalized for post-traumatic stress.

After his return from the Army, Salinger continued to focus on his writing. His first book that gained a substantial amount of traction was “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” The book includes a character named Seymour Glass, who spends an afternoon on the beach with a little girl he meets, before taking his own life soon after.

His work had even grown so popular, Salinger’s story of “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was made into a movie titled “My Foolish Heart.” The movie had been adapted so poorly that Salinger refused to ever sell the rights of his story to a production studio again. Even the record breaking novel ‘Catcher in the Rye’ has yet to be adapted into film because of Salinger’s disappointment.

Salinger’s first and only full-length novel was published as of July 16 1951. Catcher in the Rye took the world by storm when released, and is still seen being taught in the high school curriculum. The novel starring Holden Caufield was a Fiction Finalist for the National Book Award, but has surprisingly never received an official award.

Salinger was known to live in solitude, settling in a 90-acre chunk of land in Cornish, New Hampshire. Salinger stated that this secluded life was to not be interrupted during his important working years.

Salinger published his last works in 1963, having the collection take up almost the entire magazine. After this, his life was primarily filled with love affairs and family complications, never able to return to writing. Salinger had made it clear that he still continued to write, but that none of his works would be published until after his death.

Up until the day he died, Salinger continued to live in Cornish. His work is still unpublished as of writing this blog, and fans of Salinger’s work have been speculating the reason for this since his death in 2010. Salinger’s son had stated that the family is doing everything they can to get the posthumous book published as soon as possible.

Salinger set the stage for many upcoming writers to have confidence in their work, and was an example that many looked up to. His work continues to inspire readers like me to this day, and will be an unforgettable figure in novels.

-Harrison S

Several titles by J. D. Salinger are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. Some titles are also available to download for free from Libby.

A Trip Around Lake Erie

Posted on by
1

Summer has just begun and now that Covid is clearing up many people are taking their long-due vacations. For vacation this summer, my family and I decided to go for a trip around Lake Erie which is one of the 5 great lakes in the northeastern part of the United States. During our time there we drove through 4 different states and a different country.

We decided to start by taking a four hour flight over to Cleveland, Ohio and from there we took a short drive to Cedar Point. Cedar Point is an amusement park in Ohio that my dad has been wanting to go to for years. We spent a couple days there, then went on a ferry to a little island called Put-in-Bay. Put-in-Bay is a village on South Bass Island in the middle of Lake Erie about a mile from Sandusky, Ohio. We spent a day there driving around in a golf cart and exploring the island. While the island is very small, it houses a US National Park called Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial which is a memorial to those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.  After we got back to the mainland, we went to another amusement park called Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, and we spent another 2 days there.

After fully exploring these fun places in Ohio, we packed up and took about an 8 hour car ride towards Toronto, Canada. At the US/Canadian border we were stopped by border agents who asked us many questions about where we had come from and where we were going. They also made sure we had properly completed the ArriveCan app information which is an app required to enter Canada now due to COVID. We stayed in a small suburb of Toronto called Vaughan where Canada’ Wonderland is located.

All 3 of these amusement parks are owned by the same company that owns Knott’s Berry Farm here in Orange County. While the idea is the same, ride rides and eat lots of food, the environments and the experiences at each park were quite different. I enjoyed them all in different ways. When we were done with our amusement park thrills we headed over to Niagara Falls where we went on the Maid of the Mist which is a boat that takes you right up to the bottom of the falls. While they do provide you with ponchos our entire family still ended up getting soaked.  After Niagara Falls, we drove all the way back to the Cleveland airport through Pennsylvania and back to Ohio, then flew all the way back to California. It was a great adventure with a lot of new experiences including the theme parks and multiple thunderstorms unlike anything we have in California. While I enjoyed it greatly, it’s nice to be home.

Soundtrack for Summer: Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga

Posted on by
1

Oddly enough, I never really paid much attention to Lady Gaga until the recent Top Gun sequel came out. I did hear her songs on the radio in the past and knew that she had some popular songs in the past, but from a few years up to now I never really liked many of her songs or had any interest in them. However, when I heard this song to close Top Gun: Maverick, I just had to know who made this masterpiece. I was shocked to find that it was actually made by Lady Gaga.

This song really hit me deep, as it actively emphasizes a person’s duty to be there for the people they care about, whether they accept it or try to refuse any help. It can be applied to many situations in real life, but I saw the connection between the movie and the track and I really had no choice but to give this song – as well as Lady Gaga – the credit they deserve for this track. Throughout the movie, the main character, Maverick, struggles with life and the pressure of making people close to him proud – Iceman, Rooster, Penny, his dead friend Goose – and the fact that all of his struggles resulted in a stable relationship and a close bond with Rooster made this song perfect for the movie. Even though I mainly interest myself in the plot of many TV shows and movies, I also find the soundtracks interesting, and the discovery and hearing of this song made me happy that I took the time to watch this new movie.

Adding onto my point about connections to the song, I believe that this song also connects to many people in their lives. For example, this song is perfect for someone trying to be there for a loved one in time of grief or sorrow caused by a death in the family or threats of losing everything in their life. Often times people under grief try to reject help and tell themselves that everything is okay, but end up worsening their mental state and the pressure in their minds grow. With this song, it actively emphasizes the love and care that the people we care about – close friends, family, loved ones – and a masterpiece for many to listen to.

Personally, after hearing the song, it really made me think of all the people in my life who had been there for me in times of hardship. I thought of my family first, and how they have been patient and tried to be there for me despite struggles over work and personal lives and wanted the best for me at all times. I also thought of all the friends I had over the years – how some faded and some still last to this day – and made me remember and appreciate all the memories and great times from the day I was born to today. Even though life does move fast and time seems like it moves faster than we want it to, what we can learn from this song and from our own experiences is that we need to appreciate and be there for the people we care about while they are still here.

Overall, this was a really great song and I’m glad to have added it to my summer playlist. I believe anyone who either has or hasn’t seen Top Gun: Maverick have one thing in common: they will enjoy this song.