Author Archives: Moer K.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a fantastic read that has blown up on TikTok as one of the prized #BookTok books. That is where I first discovered the book before heading out to buy it at my nearest Barnes and Noble.

The story starts with one of our main characters, Monique Grant who works as a journalist at a magazine called Vivant. She is the storyteller that Evelyn Hugo, one of the most renowned actresses personally invited to tell her life story. Not some baloney that would sell copies, but the hard, cold, and raw truth. Monique is a regular, even a rookie journalist, not some big shot everyone knows. Why would Evelyn Hugo, someone who is known for not exposing her personal life into the public choose her to make her debut? That is a startling question with a soul crushing answer.

The layout of the story is very, very interesting and different. You would jump from Evelyn’s story to suddenly, it became the interview between Monique and Evelyn ending. As well as different gossip and rumour newspapers cutting between chapters. I really liked it as it dives into the story before abruptly cutting off at the suspense and making you never want to put it down.

This was a book that I could not put down. The mysterious and glamourous Evelyn Hugo has captivated me with her emotional take on Hollywood and how much many actresses had to sacrifice behind the scenes. The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo is a book that mainly will enjoy. If you like romance or psychological fiction, this is a must read.

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Strawberry Jam Recipe

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Time to make: 15 minutes

This is a very easy recipe for anyone looking to fulfill their sweet tooth! With only three ingredients, it takes 15 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

  • A box of fresh, ripe strawberries
  • A cup or more of sugar
  • Lemon or lime juice
  • Optional: Strawberry Gelatin and Lychee jelly

First you need to wash your strawberries under warm water and soak them in salt water for 3 minutes. After rinsing them off, dry them and begin cutting off the stems. Dice up the strawberries into inch wide cubes before putting them in a bowl and to the side. Heat up your sugar and lemon juice in a small pot. Slowly as they begin mixing, mix in an equal amount of water to your sugar and slowly have it boil on low heat. As it begins to bubble, dump in your strawberries and stir and keep it on heat until everything is nicely blended and thick.

Dump out your strawberry jam into an air tight container and top it with a thin layer of sugar. Overnight, chill it in your fridge. As you stir the remaining sugar in, dissolve a packet of strawberry gelatin in warm water and pour half of it in. If needed, add some lychee jelly. Enjoy!

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

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Mab Churt, Osla Kendall, and Beth Finch are an unlikely trio. All from very different backgrounds, connected by one mysterious letter, calling them to action.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn captivated me in its pages. This historical fiction novel shines in how Quinn wove her meticulous research into the plot. This book is perfect for anyone looking for a book that you can’t put down.

The story takes place at the start of World War II where women are called to action to help with the war. Not in the field, but as spies. Spies behind a desk, cracking codes. As I read further down the chapters, the rich history of Bletchley Park was connected with both stories of love and grief.

Mab Churt continues to wow me in everything she accomplishes despite being from the lower east end. Her heartbreaking secret will leave you in tears by the end of the novel. She certainly will jump off the page and you can easily envision her as a strong female heroine.

Osla Kendall, a cunning and smart debutante shows off her skill at espionage and shines in every situation she is in. Her relationship with a certain prince of Greece ends in tragedy but also hope. Read the Rose Code and dive into her secret relationship with the future king of England.

Beth Finch is a girl who has been lead in her abusive household to be homely and slow all her life. She has been stuck with her overly religious mother and push over father for too long. When the letter than Bletchley Park comes, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Beth slowly climbs up the ranks at the Park and becomes one of the greatest codebreakers.

This story is interesting as it has two different timelines. Alternating between 1940 and 1947, it shows a completely different story and the end of Bletchley Park. One of the girl’s story ends in confusion, one ends in a mental asylum, and one in a never ending road of grief. The trio of never ending female solidarity shatters into pieces as a traitor rips into the Park. Will they ever find who it is and rescue their friend from the sanitarium? Will they ever forgive and move on from the momentous secret that was exposed? Read the Rose Code by Kate Quinn to find out.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice

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Estimated Baking Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

This is a spicy and savory dish ready for anyone to make!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of sushi rice
  • Tuna (make sure it is sushi grade)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Sriracha
  • Vegetable or Canola oil
  • One avocado
  • Scallions (optional)
  • Seaweed
  • Sesame seeds (optional)

Sushi Rice:

To make sushi rice, you first need 2 cups of sushi rice, 2 tablespoons of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and a third cup of rice vinegar. Regular vinegar won’t work for this recipe.

Rinse the rice with cold water until the water is clear, then pour it into a pot with 2 cups of lukewarm water. Let it sit there for 30-45 minutes. Cook it in a rice cooker on the sushi mode for 10-15 minutes. After it is done, let it sit for 15 minutes. In a pot, combine the sugar, rice vinegar and salt. pour it over the sushi rice and combine. Let it rest until needed.

Spicy Mayonnaise:

Combine 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise to 3 tablespoons of sriracha. Then add one teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of soy sauce. This is option but finely chopped scallions can be added in as well.

Spicy Tuna:

Finely chop or mince the tuna into an almost paste like form. Combine the spicy mayo with the tuna. Mix thoroughly. Add a bit of sugar and salt until its to your liking.

Crispy Rice:

Now shape the now chilled sushi rice into squares before transferring them into a pan with canola oil. Fry each side until golden brown. Transfer them onto a plate after finishing.

Now slice up your avocado and put thin slices on the rice. Pieces of shredded seaweed can be tossed onto there as well. Put a spoonful of spicy tuna onto the mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. And you are done! Enjoy!

Long Way Down

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Long Way Down written by Jason Reynolds is a phenomenal book that captures readers with both its round characters and twisting plot. Long Way Down is written in a different format than traditional novels.

The short poem format can either draw or push readers out. I found this format to be confusing but engaging. The concept of a character going down in an elevator and the chapters counting from six to one adds interest. While approaching sensitive issues like gun violence, Reynolds still manages to make a provocative story with a thrilling storyline. The main character, William goes through a series of “hallucinations” or conversations with people who have passed already in his life. Reynolds touches on the subject of The Rules, which is a set of rules that the characters follow. By mentioning this set of rules over and over again, it shows symbolism and gives the book a feeling of togetherness.

The poems in the story hold cryptic messages that leave the readers thinking. They occur a lot in the chapters and readers will have to spend time to really find clues in them.

However, what I like to look for in a book is an exciting ending that gives me a sense of closure. Long Way Down ends on a cliffhanger that leaves the ending up for debate. It’s an interesting way to end the book after all of the ups and downs that the plot has gone through.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Home Ec: Coffee Cake!

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Estimated Baking Time: 35 minutes

An easy yet delicious cake recipe fit for beginners and intermediate bakers to use!

Ingredients:

  • 5 eggs
  • 40 grams of brown butter (directions below)
  • 145 grams of sugar
  • 3 grams of salt
  • 20 grams of milk or buttermilk
  • 70 grams of coffee (black coffee is preferred)
  • 135 grams of flour (all purpose flour or cake flour)
  • 5 grams of vanilla extract

Directions for brown butter:

Brown butter is one of my favorite and most crucial ingredients to making a great cake. Heat up your 40 grams of butter in a small saucepan. Don’t be nervous when your butter begins to turn brown. Around 3-4 minutes later, your butter should be a golden brown color and smelling very nutty. From that point on, take it off of the heat and drop in a small icecube. Stir vigorously and after the icecube is incorporated, leave it to cool before using!

Directions for whipped cream and vanilla milk: 

Use heavy whipping cream and mix with your electric mixer or hand whisk. Mix and add in sugar and salt until its to your desired consistency and taste. Vanilla milk is just milk with a teaspoon of vanilla! Add in sugar until your desired taste is reached. 

Directions for Coffee Cake:

  1. Separate your five eggs into yolks and egg whites. Be careful not to break the yolks and put them into separate bowls. 
  2. With your electric mixer or hand whisk, whisk the egg whites until you reach stiff peaks. While mixing, incorporate 80 grams of sugar a bit at a time.
  3. Moving onto the egg yolks, incorporate the rest of the sugar slowly. Add in the vanilla extract and salt while mixing vigorously. Slowly add in 30 grams of the coffee and your milk into the mixture as well. Mix well. (Save the remaining coffee for later)
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit for 25 minutes 
  5. Using a spatula, fold in your egg yolk mixture VERY VERY carefully into your egg whites. Make sure NOT to stir but instead fold the mixture or draw a S over and over until thoroughly incorporated. Stirring will dissolve or pop all of the air bubbles that were created resulting in a denser cake.
  6. Slowly add in your flour a bit at a time, be careful to make you sure FOLD and NOT STIR the mixture. 
  7. Grease your cake mold with butter or line with parchment paper.
  8. After mixing well, pour the cake batter slowly and carefully into a cake mold. Tap out air bubbles by dropping the mold on a steady counter 3 times. 
  9. Place into the oven and wait until fully cooked. Use a toothpick to test if the cake is completely cooked. If there is still wet batter stuck on the toothpick, put it back in for 5 more minutes.
  10. Carefully remove the cake and as soon as it is out, poke a bunch of holes in the cake. Now with the remaining coffee, mix it with sugar and a bit of milk. Brush this onto the cake, making sure it absorbs.
  11. Let it chill before slicing and topping with whipped cream with a side of milk. Enjoy!

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season One

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The Summer I Turned Pretty: Season One, which was released on Amazon Prime was an instant hit. The trilogy shattered many reader’s hearts but the show ultimately uplifted the audience’s hope for a different ending.

There are two main love interests which are brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly is the main character of the show and she has this transformation that she went through in which she becomes prettier.

In the first scene of the show, we see past photos of her and then it transitions to Belly as of right now, where she looks like a completely different person. Her hair is flowy and long, her braces are gone as well as her glasses.

She goes to Cousin’s Beach every summer and spends time with her other “family,” brothers Conrad and Jeremiah, along with their mother, Susannah, who is best friends with Belly’s mom. They spend every summer in the dream beach house that Susannah owns.

The drive down to Cousin’s Beach is idyllic and beautiful. Every year leads up to the feeling of summer where Belly is able to let go and be herself. This summer feels different, however. Tense feelings replace feelings of excitement and problems arise. Conrad has withdrawn into himself and Belly is having more trouble fitting in as she’s going out more. A love triangle springs up between Conrad, Jeremiah, and Belly.

As summer comes to an end, we watch shocking and deeply saddening events unfold. The Summer I Turned Pretty is an uplifting and heartfelt show that will tug at your heartstrings while drawing you in. It is a must watch as the awaited season two has come out. Both seasons are available on Amazon Prime. 

Climate Change

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Cracked and crumbling, the earth once full of life and water lays barren and dry. Dust bunnies blow across the land without a single living thing in sight. Blue skies turn gray and smoky. Trees that once seemed to hold up the sky with their strong arms are now reduced to stumps. That is the future that lays ahead. 

Climate change has always been a big problem. Politicians ignore it as if they weren’t the ones who created it. Advocates protest, and we turn a blind eye. Brushing it off like it’s nothing, a mere annoyance. No one expects the earth to crumble away in their lifetime. We flourish in our big cities focusing only on what’s ahead of us, but not what’s above or below us. We move too fast to acknowledge problems that seem to loom ahead. Problems that are screaming to be solved. Problems that are bolded and put in italics for us to see. Problems that are shoved in our faces but we choose to ignore.

So what if the earth is dying? Why should I care? It won’t happen in my life so there’s no reason for me to do anything. These are all excuses. Excuses not to care nor act. Excuses to not do anything. We waste our lives away waiting for someone else to do it for us. We wait and wait and never yet to consider that everyone else may be waiting too. 

There must be something done soon, or there wouldn’t be an earth to worry about.

Books about climate change are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Analysis: The Fountains of Silence by Reta Sepetys

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A fascinating historical novel written by Reta Sepetys takes place in Madrid, Spain in the 1950s. The Fountains of Silence is a novel that delves deep into the strict regime of General Francisco Franco and his iron-tight rule. Our narrators are Daniel Matherson and Ana Torres Moreno. They both come from very different backgrounds, giving us an in-depth perspective on both sides.

Daniel Matherson is an American tourist who is the son of a big oil executive. His father is trying to secure a big deal in Madrid. Living in Texas for all of his life, he is a Texan through and through. From his strong Texan accent to the cowboy boots and jeans, it’s a sharp contrast to locals milling around the setting. His mother grew up in Madrid and immerses him in Spanish culture. Shortly after graduating high school, they decided to take a family trip to Madrid fulfilling both his mother’s dreams of returning and his father’s need to guarantee a drilling deal in Spain. This also was a trip that his father hoped would convince Daniel not to pursue his dreams of photography and instead join him in the oil business. Another factor is money. Daniel simply doesn’t have enough funds to support himself through journalism school. By going to Madrid, Daniel has the opportunity to take unique photos to showcase in a competition to win a scholarship. During the entire plot of the story, he remains stagnant as a character, and his defining characteristics stay as those of a naïve tourist.

Ana Torres Moreno is a maid who works at the Hilton Hotel that Daniel and his family are staying at. She is one of the characters who has a deep backstory that readers unveil over the course of the story. The hotel she works at one of the biggest parts of the story. Characters that are entangled in the intricate hotel network develop the story as we learn what happens behind the scenes. She slowly evolves as a character as she gets closer to Daniel. Daniel introduces her to many American things which is against the hotel policy for maids or any workers to get closer to their clients.

The Church is a big part of the story as well, a lot of the characters in this story go there to repent of their sins in the confession booth. The confession booth may be where we learn one of the most crucial pieces of information ever. Here we learn more about Ana, her brother, and Daniel himself.

To conclude, this book is one of the most influential books about the history of General Franco’s rule. It dives deep into the horrific backstory and how the Church may have been involved in serious problems that were popping up. Definitely a great read!

The Fountains of Silence  by Ruta Sepetys is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.