Album Review: Document by R.E.M.

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The popular music of the 1980s (new wave) is notable for placing a hefty focus on synthesizers. However, many groups wouldn’t follow new wave’s format, choosing to play jangly guitar rock. The most notable of these groups, at least in the United States, was R.E.M. R.E.M. was very mainstream in the 1990s but was primarily relegated to college campuses during the 1980s, at least until they released their breakthrough album Document in 1987.

The album cover of Document

Document is filled with fun and serious jangly alternative rock songs. It’s very guitar heavy and the guitars are heavier than the guitars on R.E.M.’s previous releases. The album also has quite a few hits, such as “The One I Love” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”.

“The One I Love” may seem like a simple love song, but is actually much darker in nature, as seen in the line “A simple prop to occupy my time.” Either way, radio stations helped push this song to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, R.E.M.’s first top ten hit. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” is about just what it sounds like, the end of the world. It’s a great, fast song, one of my favorites from R.E.M. Funnily enough, streams and downloads of the song greatly increased with the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a good thing in light of bad circumstances.

After Document, R.E.M. became massive and would reach an untouchable position in the 1990s, becoming an American institution. We can attribute this to Document’s success. I give it a 9/10 as it’s definitely worth your time. Give it a go when you have the chance. You won’t regret it!

Book vs. Movie: Detailed Differences from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead!

1. First encounter

  • Book: Peter Kavinsky’s first scene was when he rolls up his black Audi the time he saw Lara Jean after her small car accident and asked if she was okay, pulls over his car and climbs out inspecting her car.
  • Movie: Peter’s first scene was when Lara Jean was backing up her car in the school parking lot with her sister Kitty and almost ran over Peter.

2. Lara Jean’s letters

  • Book: Kitty sent the letters because she was mad at Lara Jean for joking about telling Josh that she had a crush on him.
  • Movie: Kitty sent the letters because she thinks that Lara Jean is lonely, so sending the letters would help her sister “find some romance.”

3. Confrontation about the letters

  • Book: Peter asked Lara Jean in the track field about the letter he got. Then the next day, Josh approached her at her locker and asked about the letter he received. She said that she already has a boyfriend so he doesn’t need to worry about what was written there, but then she runs up to Peter when she sees him in the hallway and kisses him.
  • Movie: When Lara Jean saw Josh walking toward the field track while Peter is asking her about the letter he got, she launches herself to Peter and kissed him on the track.

4. Fake relationship

  • Book: Peter suggested the fake relationship inside the room after their Chemistry class and to show that he is over Gen, his ex-girlfriend.
  • Movie: Peter suggested the fake relationship in front of Lara Jean’s house when he brought her home, saying that it will make Gen jealous which will help in getting them back together.

5. Ending

  • Book: It ends with Lara Jean writing a letter but only “Dear Peter” was mentioned, it ends on a cliffhanger which makes the readers unsure of what her decision about her feelings for Peter is.
  • Movie: Lara Jean wrote a letter to Peter saying she likes him and went to their school to personally say it to him as she read the letter out loud.

Lichess

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If you ever run out of things to do, head to Lichess.org to cure your boredom. Lichess.org is an online platform where users can play chess against other players to develop a higher rating or just for fun through the Casual game mode. 

On Lichess, you can create or join a chess match and play a random opponent. You can select which mode of chess you want to play, as Lichess has many different creative chess games, which aren’t all the traditional way of chess. You can play Standard chess, along with Crazyhouse, King of the Hill, Chess960, Three-Check, Racing Kings, Antichess, Atomic, and Horde. 

In all of the different chess game modes that Lichess provides, you start with a rating of 1500 and as you win, it goes up, but when you lose, it decreases. If you beat an opponent of a higher rating, then your rating will increase by more, but if you lose to an opponent with a lower rating, it will also decrease by more. 

In the lobby, you can find chess games that others have created, and it will show the game information. For example, if it says 5+3, that means you start with 5 minutes and after every move, you get 3 extra seconds to your game clock. If one side runs out of time on the clock before the game is decided, the other player is victorious. 

You can also “follow” your friends on Lichess and invite them to matches, making you able to play chess with your friends. 

If you ever don’t know what to do, visit Lichess.org!

Treasure Planet Movie Review

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Disney’s Treasure Planet isn’t the newest movie but it definitely is still super enjoyable. Over holiday break, I decided I wanted to watch Treasure Planet again; besides, I had basically forgotten what it was about. It was a great decision; the characters, the animation, the dialogue, everything I just loved. It truly is an underrated masterpiece.

Treasure Planet, inspired by Treasure Island, came out in 2002. The story is set in space on the planet Montressor, and follows Jim Hawkins, a clever teenage delinquent, eager for an adventure and to be seen by the world. One night, an old pirate gives him a mysterious map that reveals the path to Treasure Planet; the very planet that Jim has read about since he was young. It is said to contain all of Captain Flint’s spoils. With the help of Dr. Doppler, a family friend, Jim sets sail with Captain Amelia and her crew, working in the galley with John Silver, the crew’s cook. Jim not only hopes to go on this adventure but he also hopes to bring money back to help his mom. 

There is a lot to say about this movie, all of which are good things. To start: the characters. Jim had an amazing character arc. He started as naïve, stubborn and a troublemaker, without ever meaning to. He was an adventurous person throughout the whole movie, but he changed himself to make that adventure into something good and not something that could hurt himself and others. Once Jim finally went on his first adventure, it finally broadened his horizons to see what he could look forward to in the future, changing from stubborn to open minded. Going on this adventure helped him face the realities he didn’t see before and disciplined him into a true leader with a new personality. Watching the movie and seeing him change like that was really amazing. Another character I found had a pretty cool character arc was John Silver. Despite him being the cook, he had some other plans which I won’t get super into for spoiler’s sake. But despite having ulterior motives, he grows a bond with Jim like he has never had, softening them both up. Seeing their relationship grow made me think of ‘Found Family’. Silver acted like he could be one of Jim’s parental figures, and he is even compared to Jim’s dad in the film. It was really wholesome to see that relationship and how it played an important part later in the film.  

Some other things I wanted to talk about were the dialogue, animation and plot in general. The plot was great, of course it was based off of one of the greatest adventure stories, Treasure Island. Despite never having read or seen it, this movie makes me want to take a look. The animation was very good. The action scenes were very well done and entrancing. It had tension and was pretty intense at times. The dialogue was very fun, with jokes, lots of emotion, and overall really good. 

One final mention is the music. The music and entire soundtrack for Treasure Planet was spectacular. Whether it was the backing music in particular scenes or Jim’s theme, “I’m Still Here” by John Rzeznik, the music was a pleasure to listen to. 

Treasure Planet was a fantastic movie and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something fun to watch or needing to pass the time, or really any scenario. It is super underrated and more people should at least check it out. One place you should be able to find it is Disney+, so if you get the chance, have the time, Treasure Planet is a great film to watch.

-Nicole R.

Treasure Planet  is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Album Review: young forever by Nessa Barrett

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Nessa Barrett was originally known for being popular on the very popular social media platform, TikTok. She would post videos with other well-known people on the platform, and this is what caused her to “blow up.”

Nessa began her music career in 2020. Back then, I knew about her, but didn’t necessarily listen to her music. To be honest, I only really knew her by her name.

When she released her album young forever in October of 2022, I was instantly captivated from the start. I’m not a huge fan of pop music, but I feel like she really puts her own style into her work.

The opening track, tired of california, is just so relatable to me. The chorus is extremely catchy and I honestly can’t get enough of the song. There is a child choir in the background during the end of the song, and it really pulls it all together.

One of my top 5 tracks on the album, dear god, is so incredible. The vocals are beautiful. There is this sense of calmness in the melody, and I think it is amazing.

Another one of my favorite songs on the album, lovebomb, is so relatable to me. The lyrics are so captivating and I fell in love with the song the very first time I heard it. You can truly hear the emotion in her voice. It is so raw and honest, which I appreciate.

Airpods Incident

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Recently, I lost my airpods at a shopping mall, and it wasn’t like how most people would lose them. Here is what happened: I was in a changing room inside a clothing store about to try on some new pants, and I was planning to keep my airpods and phone in the pocket of the pants I was already wearing for convenience sake. However, when I was putting the pair of pants onto a clothing hook, my airpod case (with the airpods in them) fell out out and dropped on to the floor. Now, this next part is my best guess, because I did not see exactly what happened: The airpod case hit the floor which caused it to open, and the impact from the hit also caused the two airpods inside to scatter out, and into the changing room next to mine. Because the airpods were now in the next room, the person in that room took advantage and stole the airpods.

I still had the case, it was just when i got to the car that i realized my airpods were not there. I even went back into the changing rooms to look for them, but obviously they won’t be there because the person in the other room took them.

This is a lesson I feel like everyone should learn from, because airpods are not cheap. I would recommend getting a cover case for your airpods (the kind that you can strap on to your belt or something), and even better if you get one with a locking mechanism.

If i would change one thing about the airpod’s design, it would be to have a lock built in to the case, rather than just some magnets. This would have 100% prevented me losing my airpods.

-Torres

Book Review: Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore

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At first glance, the bright appearance and comic book format of Watchmen may seem to just be any other superhero comic book, with an ensemble cast of heroes trying to save the world. However, from the opening pages, the uniquely real art and the darker tone establishes that this is anything but a simple superhero story. As the plot advances, Moore further cements this by showing the reader that the heroes in the world of Watchmen are just regular people who happen to be gifted with superpowers. This approach is what I believe inspired shows like the Boys, who take the same cynical approach to writing a superhero story.

The writing and story are very dense, but I think it never gets to be too much for the reader. One of the things I thought Moore does best is his use of flashbacks, both to give you a broader and more in-depth context of events happening in the book while also showing you that the heroes you see in the story have gone almost out of fashion. Another element that elevated Watchmen is the art done by Dave Gibbons and colored by John Higgins, which perfectly matches the tone of the story and sets a thick and developed atmosphere.

The story itself covers an alternate timeline where the US won the Vietnam War, and depicts the political and social atmosphere approaching WWII. The heroes of Watchmen are all very realistic and morally grey, and the plot covers them coming out of retirement to investigate the murder of an old hero and later uncover a plan with global consequences.

I personally really enjoyed Watchmen, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in comic books or superhero stories. However, I encourage people who usually don’t read comic books or are interested in things like superheroes to try Watchmen, as it’s unique approach and mature story appeal to many more people than just comic book fans.

-Orod S.

Watchman by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Pax

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Pax is a children’s novel by Sara Pennypacker. It follows a boy named Peter’s journey to find his pet fox, Pax. He had found the fox all alone years ago, and taken him in. Since then, they had grown a very close bond with each other. 

Until the day that his father took Peter out for a drive.

Peter brought Pax with him, along with his favorite toy to play catch with. When they got out of the car, deep in the woods, Peter threw the toy.

When Pax came back, Peter wasn’t there. 

The rest of the novel follows Peter running away from home in order to find his fox again. It switches between Peter and Pax’s points of view, showing how the fox has become accustomed to his new life, meeting new friends along the way.

Oh yeah, and the whole book takes place during an unidentified war.

Peter is left at his grandfather’s home when his dad is drafted to join the fight as a soldier. Due to this, Peter is feeling more isolated than ever. He doesn’t have a very close relationship with his grandfather. Or his father. The whole family harbors their own anger towards one thing or another. Peter’s anger comes from his mother. Once, when he was young, he had gotten so angry that he broke his mother’s snow globe. As punishment, he had not been allowed to go grocery shopping with her. It was on that day, driving to the grocery store, that his mother had been struck and killed in a fatal car accident. Since that day, Peter had sworn to himself that he would never be angry again. He spent most of his time with Pax. So, when Pax is taken away from him, he makes the promise to find him. 

Pax is a children’s novel by Sara Pennypacker. It follows a boy named Peter’s journey to find his pet fox, Pax. He had found the fox all alone years ago, and taken him in. Since then, they had grown a very close bond with each other. 

Until the day that his father took Peter out for a drive.

Peter brought Pax with him, along with his favorite toy to play catch with. When they got out of the car, deep in the woods, Peter threw the toy.

When Pax came back, Peter wasn’t there. 

The rest of the novel follows Peter running away from home in order to find his fox again. It switches between Peter and Pax’s points of view, showing how the fox has become accustomed to his new life, meeting new friends along the way.

Oh yeah, and the whole book takes place during an unidentified war.

Peter is left at his grandfather’s home when his dad is drafted to join the fight as a soldier. Due to this, Peter is feeling more isolated than ever. He doesn’t have a very close relationship with his grandfather. Or his father. The whole family harbors their own anger towards one thing or another. Peter’s anger comes from his mother. Once, when he was young, he had gotten so angry that he broke his mother’s snow globe. As punishment, he had not been allowed to go grocery shopping with her. It was on that day, driving to the grocery store, that his mother had been struck and killed in a fatal car accident. Since that day, Peter had sworn to himself that he would never be angry again. He spent most of his time with Pax. So, when Pax is taken away from him, he makes the promise to find him. 

Pax by Sara Pennypacker is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

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Right Ho, Jeeves, is the second full-length novel in the Jeeves series of books by P. G. Wodehouse.  This book is narrated by a young gentleman named Bertie Wooster.  The story is set in England during the early 1900s.  Bertie is wealthy, but naive.  Jeeves, of course, is Bertie’s personal valet.  Bertie is met by an old friend named Augustus Fink-Nottle, known by friends as “Gussie.”  Gussie is trying to work up the courage to propose marriage to a young woman.  He wants Jeeves to help, but Bertie insists on helping Gussie himself.  Bertie soon forgets all about it, until he receives a telegram the next day from his Aunt Dahlia.  She needs Bertie to visit her right away, because she needs his help to give away prizes at a school event.  Bertie suddenly remembers about Gussie.  In Bertie’s mind, this could be an opportunity for Gussie to boost his confidence.  This is also a way for Bertie to avoid helping his aunt.  So, he sends Gussie to do the job.

As usual, things do not go according to Bertie’s plan.  Bertie ends up visiting Aunt Dhalia and Gussie anyway, and they encounter all kinds of challenges.  Bertie only makes things worse as he tries to solve problems.  His failed attempts to help other people are entertaining as always.  Bertie has good intentions, but his plans always seem to go awry.

One of my favorite chapters is when Gussie becomes intoxicated just before the time arrives to give away prizes at the school.  He slurs and stumbles as he tries to share advice and anecdotes with the school children.  He gets everything mixed up and begins ranting about supposed cheating at the school.  He makes disparaging remarks about Bertie and others.  This is one of the most entertaining parts of the book.

This novel is absurd in many ways, but extremely humorous.  Wodehouse is an excellent writer, and very witty.  This book is light-hearted but well-written.  I have read it multiple times now because it is so entertaining.  Wodehouse is one of my favorite authors.  I would highly recommend this book, as well as all of the stories about Bertie and Jeeves.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone. 

So opens one of the greatest examples of horror fiction to ever be published: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. This is the story of a cast of four characters from all walks of life who come together in the eponymous House to investigate possible supernatural disturbances. Little do they know, though, that Hill House refuses to be a passive subject in their study, choosing to fight back against what it perceives as an encroachment of its territory.

The narrator of this harrowing tale is Eleanor Vance, a woman who has spent her entire adult life taking care of her invalid mother. When the chance to escape her rootless existence appears, she jumps on it, but she finds that Hill House is perhaps more haunted than she cares to admit. As the novel progresses, the supernatural events begin to center around her, from mysterious writings on the wall to psychic communications. Eleanor, too, finds herself increasingly becoming out of touch with reality, merging with the House in a terrifyingly slippery slope with the consequence of one of the most shocking climax scenes in literary history.

Overall, The Haunting of Hill House is a brilliantly crafted example of horror fiction. While this genre isn’t usually my cup of tea, I appreciated Shirley Jackson’s masterful weaving of the plot and avoidance of the gore usually found in such books. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who needs a new read – so long as you remember to keep the light on.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.