A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Kaitlyn D.

This book was the most devastating masterpiece I’ve ever read. The story starts off in the POV of one of the main characters, Rune, as a child. He just moved to Georgia from his home town in Norway because of his fathers job. He met Poppy, his next door neighbor. Rune called her Poppymin which meant “My Poppy.” They instantly became best friends creating a bond that could never be broken, or so they thought.

*This review contains spoilers.*

The next chapter was in the POV of Poppy as a child where her Grandma she called Mamaw died. Her dying wish was for Poppy to fill up a jar with pieces of paper in the shape of a heart and on each heart she had to explain every one of her boy kisses. Her Mamaw wanted Poppy to fill the jar with a thousand boy kisses because one of her favorite memories were the kisses that her greatest love gave her. She wanted the same for Poppy so gave her this task as her last adventure.

Years later, Poppy and Rune are together fulfilling Poppy’s Mamaw’s last wish. But an unexpected roadblock got in their way. Rune had to move back to Norway for his father’s job, leaving his greatest love behind. They were of course devastated and a few months later after Rune moved back to Norway, Poppy dropped all communication with him, leaving them broken up for 2 years.

Rune moved back to Georgia 2 years later a different person. Dark, sad, and alone. Little did he know the real reason why Poppy cut off communication with him was because she was trying to save him from the burden of her terminal cancer.

I was crying throughout every chapter in this book, It completely broke me. Poppy and Rune rekindled their relationship even though Poppy had months to live. They stayed together throughout those last few months of her life trying to make those months happy for Poppy.

Towards the end of Poppy’s journey, Rune and her completed her Mamaw’s wish by completing the thousand boy kisses jar. The thousandth kiss was the one Rune gave her as she passes to the other side. Rune filled out the last paper heart for Poppy.

“Kiss 1000. With Poppymin. When she returned home. My heart completely burst.”

This book was the saddest most devastating thing I’ve ever read in my whole life. Poppy and Rune’s connection was so pure and they deserved the world. I loved this book with everything in me. 5/5 stars. Read if you want to cry but also read if you want to read a masterpiece at the same time.

-Kaitlyn D.

have you seen me? by Kate White

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Vaidehi B.

have you seen me? by Kate White is an excellent novel of mystery, suspense, and nail-biting thrills.

The book opens with main character Ally Linden arriving to her workplace an hour earlier than everyone else. However, she soon remembers that she has not worked there in five years- and even more troubling, she doesn’t remember where she has been for the last three days.

Determined to find out what caused her fugue state and what she did, Ally hires two private investigators to retrace her steps for those three days. Quickly, questions begin to pop up- why didn’t her husband report her missing? Where have her purse and phone gone? Do the bloodstained tissues in her pocket mean something? Could the episode be related to a traumatic incident she experienced in her past? Every time we think we’ve figured it out, a new twist reveals that everything is not as it seems.

I really liked this book! The surprise ending left me in complete shock- I’m usually very good at guessing what’ll happen at the end of suspense novels and solving the mystery, but the resolution of this book completely caught me by surprise- it was ingenious. White used diversion and opaque writing masterfully to her advantage, weaving the perfect web of suspense. While the writing was a little too technical in some parts (financial journalism was described in excruciating detail), I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark suspense thriller.

-Vaidehi B.

have you seen me? by Kate White is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Random Facts About Books!

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Saanvi V.

As of 2010, there are 129 million books in existence: Google had released the number of books existing in the world to be exactly 129,864,880. The amount of books now since a decade had passed must be larger. I can’t find a more recent number of books in the world which isn’t surprising since I don’t think anyone wants to count all of the books in the entirety of the world. But you never know how bored people can get 🙂

The most popular book genre at the moment is Romance: Book sales has exposed the fan-favorite of all genres being romance. This could be since there are a lot of subgenres to romance and can be combined with another genre in many other cases. Another one to mention here would be that the most popular romance trope at the moment is enemies-to-lovers. Everyone loves a little bit of tension, especially Booktok based on the books they recommend with their very heart and soul. They have also really turned the tide against friends-against-lovers and honestly, I would like to see them proceed.

Bill Gates bought the most expensive book, sold for 30.8 million dollars: Come on, this is Bill Gates we are talking about. He probably earns that type of money in 10 minutes. But anyway, the book he bought was by Leonardo Da Vinci called Codex Leicester. This book is basically a collection of scientific writings named after Thomas Cooke who became the Earl of Leicester. Bill Gates said he bought it to share the same wonder and curiosity that Leandro Da Vinci had himself. And it was done on the 500th anniversary of his death!

Like the smell of books? Well, there is a word for it now: Those who liked the smell of books are known to be called Bibliosmia. Finally, a word that can finally describe my thought process as I first lay eyes on a book I newly purchased. Hopefully, I am not alone in this. I;m probably not. But you never know.

The longest sentence ever written contained 823 words: Victor Hugo really wants to torture his readers by having them follow along with this long sentence. But nevertheless, this occurs in one of his more famous books Les Miserables. I don’t know in what scene or act (I haven’t read the book) but even if I did, I think I would have skipped that entire sentence.

Authors’ names weren’t written on the book cover at first: This may seem like a normal sentence but the reason behind why may shock some (It shocked me). Back in the days, only the wealthy could read and purchase books because they were educated. And because the book covers could have been made with leather and actual gold so they would be able to afford it. To be honest, if I ever get a golden book, I think I will still find a way to break the spine (I don’t want to, though)

Well, I have exhausted all of crazy book facts I know from my friend’s deep dive into random facts she researched during International Read a Book Day. She got most of them from this website: https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-random-facts-books-weirdly-192533509.html. Let me know in the comments if you guys know any random book facts that I didn’t mention.

-Saanvi V.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Posted on June 2, 2022 by kaiyatadokoro

Cover image for The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe / C.S. Lewis ; illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

A beautifully written novel written by C.S. Lewis has gained popularity over the years. This fantasy fiction is set in the 1940’s during World War II. Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are sent to live in the country with a professor. There, they find a wardrobe filled with mystical creatures and awaiting adventures in a land called Narnia.

C.S. Lewis created this book with many details and lively scenes that keep readers engrossed in the story. I personally love this book and find it to be extremely enjoyable. It has many lessons embedded within it as well. To have courage, having the ability to forgive, and the importance of honesty are just to name a few important messages. I also enjoy the character development of Edmund and Peter. In the story, there are many details that describe their growth as individuals. Readers can see them shift from naive children to mature young adults. The use of sensory imagery is always pleasant to read. Whether it be the descriptions of landscapes or characters, Lewis does an excellent job keeping readers engaged in his novel.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an entertaining book for those who enjoy fantasy and adventure. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes to use their creativity and imagination. C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series is a great read for many and I would definitely recommend it!

Kaiya T.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Recommendation: How to Love your Neighbor

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Danielle B.

This is a book I recently finished by Sophie Sullivan. This book tells the story of two stubborn people who end up living next to each other. Set in Southern California, Grace moves into her family home and begins to work on fixing it up. Her next door neighbor Noah, however, refuses to stop asking for her to sell her home so that he can expand.

The two end up working together on fixing Noah’s house so that he can fix his self image in the eyes of the rich public he must gain the approval of. A beginning designer herself, Grace and Noah are able to work together to create not one, but two houses they both love.

The story tells one of friendship turned into something more, as well as the hard work that goes into making a house truly feel like a home. With a good mix of humor, love, and friendship, this book was a good and a light read. This is for anyone who loves a good HGTV show mixed in with a little bit of romance. Though it is very much a slow burn book, I didn’t find myself bored by it at all. There’s enough going on outside of solely Grace and Noah’s relationship to keep you occupied.

-Danielle B.

The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Coralie D.

I read this book a while ago because my mother gave it to me as a gift. Of course I was going to read it. When I first read it, I thought whatever about it until I re-read it. I mean the girl wakes up from coma at age 17 after her house was attacked and her mother was killed. She was in a coma for 4 years! The crazy thing is that she was the only person that saw the person who killed her mother.

Stacy is now trying to recover memories with the help of new face Jeff. So many twists, lies, and secrets to discover with the mental age of 13, in a 17 year old body. Who can she trust? Who can she not trust? Who should she listen to and so forth?

This was a fun thriller that I took my time with because I could. If you are looking for a suspenseful, thrilling, and eerie book this is definitely the read for you! I highly recommend this book even though it was written quite a while ago.

-Coralie D.

The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon is available to download for free from Libby.

House of Sky and Breath Review

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Gia S.

House of Sky and Breath

Author: Sarah J. Mass

Pages: 805

Published: February 15, 2022

Genre: fantasy, romance, young adult

Synopsis:

This sequel to the House of Blood and Earth continues to follow Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they struggle to lie low in the bustling city of Crescent City. In their world, there are four main classes: humans, Vanir (mythical creatures like Fae or werewolves), Vanir leaders, and the Asteri. The Asteri are the all-powerful leaders of all living beings, fated to have been created from fallen stars. After saving the city from thousands of demons, and killing the Archangel that summoned them, the Asteri have ordered Bryce and Hunt to keep a low profile. But of course, acting normal has never been easy for the legendary Umbra Mortis and the Starborn Fae Princess, especially when a powerful rebel loses her life for her brother and every creature wishes to get their claws on this teenage boy rumored to have powers outranking his sister. The whole gang; two Fae princes, one Fae princess, an infamous angel, a merman, and a werewolf assemble to find this boy and discover the information that got his sister killed.

Review:

This book was as fast-paced as the first in the series. Though it is 800 pages, each one is filled with adventure. As with most Sarah J. Mass books, this book contains more twists and turns than a Hogwart’s staircase. We finally get to see Bryce and Hunt’s love blossom after every thwarted attempt in the first book. I love Bryce’s quick wit and confident personality. This book is also told from each main character’s point of view so readers are finally able to see what goes through the Umbra Motis’s mind. I love this book, it was just as good as the first and it leaves me hungry for the next in the series.

-Gia S.

House of Sky and Breath is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Timeless Qualities The Odyssey Holds

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Abby V.

Taking Inspiration from Past Works

Cover image for The Odyssey / Homer ; translated by Robert Fagles ; introduction and notes by Bernard Knox.

Leaders of the world today face many types of challenges, such as the ability to resist temptations, and should take inspiration from past qualities of leaders displayed in literature. In The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer, Odysseus faces obstacles that test his leadership skills on his journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War. Odysseus develops as a leader by encountering anxiety-filled challenges that exhibit his leadership skills of self-restraint and knowledge of life lessons, many of which can still be applied to readers’ lives today.

Throughout Odysseus’ journey, he faces a variety of different experiences that develop him as a leader. The lessons he learns while at sea will ultimately aid him in killing the suitors and taking control of his home in Ithaca. These lessons act as inspiration for readers’ everyday lives. An important lesson readers take away when reading The Odyssey is that “the gods don’t hand out all their gifts at once, not build and brains and flowing speech to all” (8:193). Odysseus acknowledges this concept when speaking to Broadsea after being accused of not having “skill in any” sports (8:168). Even though Odysseus’ disk ends up flying “away past all the other marks,” (8:223) he reminds readers that nobody is perfect and everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this aspect, readers also learn that some things are unavoidable, no matter how many hardships they have faced. The main takeaway from these obstacles is to learn from past experiences and apply them to real-life situations. For example, at the beginning of the epic poem, readers learn the outcome of Odysseus’ journey. Even though he fought hard and long to return home to the people of Ithaca, “the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all” (1:4-9). Odysseus did all he could to return home and save Ithaca, but the people were already doomed from the start, and he could do nothing to help them. As demonstrated, Odysseus develops as a leader by experiencing a variety of difficult situations while embarking on the hero’s journey. These timeless lessons Odysseus faces apply to social, emotional, and physical problems one might meet today, keeping the continued appeal.

One of Odysseus’ most essential leadership traits is self-restraint, which acted in times of crisis. When talking to Circe about the journey home to Ithaca, Odysseus learns of the Sirens, the “creatures who spellbind any man alive, whoever comes their way” (12:44-47). The Sirens are temptresses, and despite being warned of the deadly consequences, they can still be hard to resist. Even though readers do not necessarily face the same challenges Odysseus did, humans constantly face temptations and have to display self-restraint to resist those and complete the task at hand. Another act of self-restraint demonstrated by Odysseus is when he feels the urge to kill all the suitors at once for being disloyal to Penelope and sleeping with the maids. However, Odysseus resists the urge when “he struck his chest and curbed his fighting heart” (20:20). Seeing Odysseus face and overcome these barriers in his journey inspires readers to face their challenges head-on with self-restraint.

Odysseus and his crew face many challenges beyond their control while voyaging home. He uses his intelligence and leadership to guide his men through tough times and his quality of self-resistance comes in handy when being thrust into temptations. Readers take away powerful lessons and leadership traits that can be applied to certain situations that might be uncomfortable. Although The Odyssey is one of the oldest works of Western literature, it keeps its continued appeal based on timeless qualities, like self-restraint, as it is something all humans strive for.

-Abby V.

The Odyssey by Homer is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Magic Systems and How to Write Them

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Michelle L.

A Guide to Writing Magic Systems | The Fantasy Hive

Writing a fantasy novel is amazing because the possibilities are endless. However, sometimes it’s difficult to get your creative ideas on paper in a way which makes sense. This will go over a few common fantasy themes and give some ideas on how to approach descriptions.

Perhaps the most standout theme in fantasy novels is magic, but this can also be the hardest to explain. First, plan out some ideas of what magic your world will have. Will the magic be elemental, illusions, mind-control, telekinesis, or manifestations? The next thing to consider is how the magic system works. Are there wands involved? Perhaps the character can shoot out the magic through their hands, or maybe, the magic is contained within the character. Furthermore, will every person be able to use magic? Is magic something that can be learned, or is it genetic? Or maybe magic is only reserved for royalty. Adding rules and boundaries to magic will help make the novel more believable.

Once you have created your magic system, the second most important part is putting it into words. A common trope in fantasy novels is that magic is channeled, almost like working out. Characters will get fatigued, especially if the magic is particularly strong. This is a relatively easy way to write magic and can lead up to very suspenseful moments, like if a character is stuck in a dangerous situation and has to strain themselves to create one powerful spell.

Another way to write magic is if it is channeled through an object. This could be a wand, crystals, tarot cards or any other object. In this case, you will want to spend some more time describing said object. One example could be if the object heats up or breaks under lots of stress or use. You could also use a combination of the two ideas. An example would be if a character can use magic without the object, but the potency of the spell is increased with it.

Finally, here are some possible descriptions you can use in your fantasy novel. A boy is filled with rage. He feels as though flames are dancing under his skin, begging to be released. He complies, expelling the liquid flames outwards in a beam. A girl, standing a few feet away from said boy, throws her wand up in response. She clenches her eyes shut as she is hit with a blast of scorching air. But then, as suddenly as it appeared, the heat dissipated. A low hum was now audible in the air around her. She opens her eyes and notices a shimmering blue shield at the end of her wand.

-Michelle L.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Posted on May 28, 2022 by Danielle B.

I recently finished The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood and fell in love. This book brought me out of a reading slump. The story follows Olive who is a Ph.D student. She is trying to convince her best friend that she is over a previous fling. Olive convinces this friend (Ahn) that she is on a date, when in reality she is just working in the lab. When Ahn shows up unexpectedly, Olive kisses the first person she can find in the dark. It happens to be a known professor on campus: Adam.

From there the story takes off and follows Olive and Adam as they begin a fake relationship in order to convince Ahn that Olive is moved on, and Adam’s bosses that he is not a flight risk in order to get funding for his next project. While on this journey, the two begin to bond and grow closer and closer together.

Of course, the journey is not without bumps, as with every romance story, but Hazelwood keeps the readers hooked with a mix of fluff and real world problems as Olive navigates the science world. She is able to explain science to readers simply so that they feel as though they are a Ph.D student with Olive while also focusing on her growing love with Adam.

I would give this book a 5/5. Any book that can take an avid reader out of a slump deserves such a high rating. This book does have a reading age of 14 or above with some content that might not be as acceptable for younger readers. The book is good for anyone who loves a romance, fake dating trope, or even just science. I highly recommend this book!