Friendships in School

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From my personal experiences, friendships often come and go quicker than we realize. Sometimes our friendships end in a bad way, whether it be via arguments or other problems in life. Sometimes friendships end for the better, when two friends admit that the friendship they share is unhealthy and mutually decide to end it, solidifying the respect that they have for each other, and wish each other well. Sometimes it doesn’t end, and lasts forever since the day that both friends meet. Even though it doesn’t always work out, there are always new moments and memories that can be created from the people you meet and talk with everyday.

In my experience, I have had my own fair share of friendships. Like I said before, some have ended in a bad way, some have ended in a good way, and some still last to this day. As I have gotten older, I have learned to appreciate all the friends who are still in my life to this day and move forward from the friends with whom our friendships didn’t work out in the end. Throughout the years, I’ve learned plenty from my experiences with the people around me at school, and had interesting experiences overall.

This past junior year was definitely an interesting year for me overall. Despite some struggles, I ended up meeting new people, whether it was from my sports team or people in my class, and created some great memories and friendships along the way. Every time spent was either catching up on what happened over the weekend, our own sports or school experiences, or interests that any one of us have. Surprisingly, I have actually learned about new songs and developed new interests from some of my friends this year, some of which I was never sure I would ever be interested in.

Even though I have created plenty of memories with many friends over the years, what stood out most to me was one of my friends being there for me during AP Tests/Prom week this past junior year. During that week, I was dealing with numerous amounts of stress and I was in a bad shape mentally, as I dealt with 4 AP Tests – 3 of which were on that week – as well as some personal hardships in my life. All of this nearly made me skip my junior prom, however one of my friends with whom I have gotten close with this year helped me get through the week and convinced me to at least get my ticket and experience it for the first time ever. Even though I was skeptical at first, I decided to get it last minute and the dance turned out to be one of the best nights of my life. Knowing I would have missed out on it if I skipped on prom like I planned, I thanked my friend that night and enjoyed every moment we spent, knowing that he was a really good friend overall.

Even though friendships coming and going is hard at many points in life, I advise everyone to give people they meet an open mind. You never know who you will meet in life, but what truly matters is the type of person you are and the change you could make in someone’s life.

The Warlords of Nin by Stephen R. Lawhead

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The Warlords of Nin is the second book of The Dragon King Trilogy, by Stephen R. Lawhead.  The main character of this series is a young man named Quentin.  Peace has been returned to the kingdom for several years, following Quentin’s perilous adventures in the first book.  However, trouble is lurking from a distant land.  A group of warlords is led by a deified leader known as Nin the Destroyer.  This evil threat is on a rampage of destruction and conquest.  Quentin is once again destined to restore peace to the kingdom.

Most of the characters are interesting, and their personalities are unique.  However, this book does not provide much of a backstory for the antagonists.  The warlords seem to be nothing more than stock characters.  They are supposed to be villains, but their personalities lack depth.  As a result, the conflict in the story seems inadequate.  However, the development of some of the other characters improved as the story progressed.  The story was gripping enough to keep me engaged through the end of the book, even though the warlords themselves were not very interesting.

Overall, I would say that this book is enjoyable.  I do not consider this to be the best fantasy book that I have come across, but I still consider it worthwhile to read.  If nothing else, this provides a good transition to the third and final book in the series.  I would recommend this book, but not as a stand-alone novel.  I would recommend reading this along with the other books in the trilogy.

The Warlords of Nin by Stephen R. Lawhead is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix TV Show)

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One thing that most of us have in common is that we absolutely love watching Netflix. Whether it’s the newest sitcom TV Show or that adventure movie that you’ve already watched 5 times but can’t get enough of, Netflix has an almost unlimited array of options. Even though its known for its TV Shows and movies, the popular streaming service does not disappoint when it comes to documentaries and docuseries. 

An interesting docuseries that I recently discovered and quickly finished is Last Chance U: Basketball. While you may have heard about Last Chance U: Football, which has 5 different parts, Last Chance U: Basketball is a new docu-series that came out in 2021. It takes the viewers through the journey of the East LA Junior College basketball team’s path to the playoffs. Winning the championship would do wonders for the players who have gone through so much and ended up here. These players who are worthy of playing Divison 1 Basketball if not for the experiences they have had. These players who have lost so much and are trying to earn it back. 

Firstly, East LA’s basketball coach is a religious man, who wants the best for the players and understands them the best. John Mosley is his name, and he is like a father figure for these kids, who almost have nothing else. The players love him, but are also annoyed by his strategies. However, he always makes them earn it by teaching them about hard work and taking no days off. 

Deshaun Highler, the starting shooting guard of the team, lost his mom to cancer before the documentary. In this docuseries, he talks about how he has tried coping with the pain his mom’s death has brought him. Deshaun experiences ups and downs throughout East LA’s 2019-2020 season, but he and Coach Mosley find ways for him to fight past the struggles. 

Joe Hampton, the reserve center of East LA throughout the 2019-2020 season, could’ve been in a much better place at the time of the docuseries, except for his trouble controlling his feelings, typically of anger. As said by many during this show, Joe is incredibly talented, but his injuries when playing for Penn State, a D1 school, forced him to have to transfer to a junior college. After experiencing such lows in life, he often feels fed up and needs to calm himself down, in his own ways. 

Last Chance U: Basketball is one of my favorite docuseries I have watched on Netflix, and I definitely recommend it to anyone. You don’t need to be obsessed with basketball to enjoy this show because this isn’t only a show about basketball, but also about life.

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold

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Onion John is a Newberry award-winning book by Joseph Krumgold.  The main character of the story is a boy named Andy Rusch, who lives in Serenity, New Jersey.  Andy feels that his father is too controlling of his life.  A strange man named Onion John becomes Andy’s friend.  Onion John is very unusual.  He eats onions as if they were apples, and his language is difficult to understand.  He also has strange beliefs and lives in an old-fashioned hut.  Andy’s father becomes worried about Onion John’s influence on Andy.  Because of these concerns, Andy’s father tries to control Onion John’s life, but things do not go according to plan.

Andy’s father seems extremely sensible and practical.  This might seem like a negative thing at first.  Andy does not always get along with his father, but as the story progresses, Andy begins to understand his father better.  I think Andy’s father might actually be my favorite character in the book.  One of my favorite parts of the book is near the end of the story, when Andy and his father spend time alone together during a fishing trip.  They have time to talk with each other to better understand their different points of view.  I especially liked this part because it teaches valuable lessons about fatherhood.

This is very good book about the challenges of relationships between parents and their children.  I was sometimes confused about Onion John and his strange behavior.  For example, he talks about fumigating the town of Serenity with smoke from an oak tree’s fire that will rid the people of their “evil spirits.”  In a way, Onion John seemed kind of creepy to me.  However, by the end of the story, Onion John indirectly helps Andy and his father to understand each other better.  Even though Onion John is not my favorite character, and this is not my favorite book in the world, I can see why this book won the Newberry Medal.  It teaches some important lessons about parenthood and relationships, in an unusual way.

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

One of Us is Lying: WHO Done it?

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Hi, today I will be talking about the book, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. This mystery novel is about five students, Simon, the outcast, Addy, the popular girl, Cooper, the baseball star, Bronwyn, the brain, and Nate, the drug dealer, enter detention for reasons they don’t quite understand. After a little while, Simon decides to stand up and get a drink of water from the tap. But about 1 minute later, Simon is doubling over and choking. His lips are turning blue and his eyes have rolled into the back of his head. Simon doesn’t make it out. He is dead before the end of detention, for unknown reasons. The police performed an investigation and soon figured out that somebody had laced peanut oil, one of Simon’s major allergies, into the cup when he was drinking water out of the faucet. The detectives have now zoomed in on their 4 prime suspects: Nate, Addy, Cooper, and Bronwyn. Could it be Nate? Maybe Simon owes him money? Could it be Addy? Maybe she wants revenge on Simon for posting false information about her online? Could it be Cooper, the new boy that nobody knows about? Or is it Bronwyn, the nerd? Maybe she planned the perfect murder. Who could it be? You will just have to keep reading to find out.

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

Teen Crochet 101 at the Library

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Last Saturday the Library hosted its first Teen Crochet 101 class. This free new program is for teens ages 15-19 and was created and led by Aspen, one of our Teen Advisory Board members. Teen Library Intern Alyssa assisted with the class.

Teen Crochet 101 classes are designed for beginners and limited to teens ages 15-19. No experience is necessary and all materials are provided. The first class covered materials and basic stitches. The next class will cover patterns, color switching and more. A beginner project will be introduced in the third session.

On the day of the event, we were surprised by a large donation of yarn from a community member, so all attendees were able to choose several colors and sizes to take home and practice.

Join us for the next two classes!

Session 2 Sat. Oct. 22, 2:30-4:30 pm

Session 3 Sat. Nov. 5, 2:30-4:30 pm

For more information or to register, please email LibraryProgams@cityofmissionviejo.org

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think Book Review

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101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, written by Brianna Wiest, is a very eye-opening read. There are a range of topics covered in Wiest’s book, but they all tie down to changing the reader’s perspective.  She talks about daily aspects, goals, view imposed on by society and broadens the readers view on such topics. A lot of the essays written in the book change the way one views themselves. I would like to think that reading this book has made me see who I am as a person, my actions, and life in general in a different way.  One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Your habits create your mood, and your mood is a filter through which you experience your life”. There are many wise words like this, that really make you stop and rethink about your actions and use of your time. 

I would definitely recommend this book as it is one of my favorites, however since it is not your typical fiction book, not everyone might enjoy it as I did I would specifically recommend this book to people that enjoy reading books or quotes that will change your perspective on life. Since there are many essays in this book, rather than typical chapters, it doesn’t have to be read quickly. Each essay doesn’t specifically relate to the next, so if you’re worried about not having enough time to read a book, that shouldn’t be a worry. It is difficult to specifically explain the book, because there is no storyline or plot, however it is definitely worth the try!

  • Kaitlyn Y.

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest is available to download as an audiobook for free from Libby

Book Review: These Rebel Waves

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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

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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

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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.