Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot

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Agatha Christie, the most widely published author of all time, has written over 60 detective novels, as well as 14 short story collections. Among those many stories is a peculiar Belgian detective by the name of Hercule Poirot. Poirot has appeared in 2 plays, 33 novels, and over 50 of Christie’s short stories. This beloved detective is by far my favorite literary character, and I implore you to use your “little grey cells” to deduce why.

Poirot first appeared in Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920. The detective was described as a short, somewhat pudgy man, with lovable mannerisms, an egg-shaped head, and an immaculate sense of cleanliness. Poirot refers to his brain as “ze leetle grey cells” and values method over all else.

Poirot’s friend and detecting sidekick is known as Captain Hastings. Hastings works with Poirot and narrates many Poirot stories, although according to Poirot, Hastings fails to employ his little grey cells. Despite Poirot’s charming self-absorption and constant rudeness to Hastings, the two remain good friends and have lots of adventures together.

In short, this lovable, egg-shaped detective is so much fun to read about, and I highly recommend any mystery where Poirot is involved.

Books featuring Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot are available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. They can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

San Antonio Spurs’ Dominance Over Two Decades

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The San Antonio Spurs dominated the NBA from 1999 to 2014.  They won five NBA championships during that stretch and made the playoffs all fifteen of those years.  There were many key reasons why they were able to dominate for so long.

The first reason is the greatness of Tim Duncan.  Duncan was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1997 draft, and his impact could be seen in the first game he played.  Scoring fifteen points and grabbing ten rebounds, the Spurs have found their key player for the foreseeable future.  They also hired Greg Popovich at the end of the 1996 season to be their new head coach, and he would become one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time

The Spurs immediately won fifty-six games with a rookie Tim Duncan. A thirty-six game improvement from the previous year which is an NBA record. Then went on to win the championship the following year with Tim Duncan and veteran David Robinson.  

The Spurs drafted Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the 1999 and 2001 NBA draft to add more talent around Duncan after David Robinson had retired.  With the trio of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, the Spurs won three more NBA championships within the next six years in 2003, 2005, and 2007.  

In 2011, The Spurs were looking to add more talent to their roster as the players had gotten older and were no longer at their absolute best, they traded for a rookie Kawhi Leonard.  With another star player added to the team, the Spurs took on the hardest challenge in the NBA Finals that they had faced against Lebron James and the Miami Heat.  After splitting the first two games at home in San Antonio, The Spurs would go on the road and completely dominate the Heat.  They would win games two, three, and four and end the series four games to one. Their new young star, Kawhi Leonard, would win Finals MVP for playing outstanding defense on Lebron James.

The San Antonio Spurs were one of the greatest dynasties over the fifteen years in the history of the NBA.  They were consistent every year and were always among the top few teams that were most likely to win the title.  

Fun Fact: The Spurs were a couple of seconds away from winning another NBA championship in 2013, but the most clutch three that was hit by Ray Allen with five seconds left in game six took it away from them.

Effective Study Methods

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Have you ever spent hours struggling through textbooks, study guides, and notes only to completely forget everything during the exam? Or even worse: you are forced to pull all-nighter, and sleep through your alarm! Even if you personally don’t struggle with these, implementing these 3 study methods can still provide major benefits.

  1. The Feynman Technique

In simple terms, this is just explaining to someone– out loud– your study concept. Don’t use any technical terms. Think of it as explaining it to a fifth grader. This may sound weird, but it works for many reasons. Firstly, explaining a concept helps you understand and memorize it yourself. Speaking out loud is more memorable than just writing it down or reading it. Secondly, it helps you fill any gaps in your knowledge. If you can not explain a concept in simple terms, you do not know it well enough. You can also see what parts you forget to mention. This technique is best used when you have reviewed the concepts at least once.

  1. Blurting

Blurting is when you write down everything you remember onto one space. This can be a few sheets of paper, a whiteboard, or even a mirror! Personally, I do not have access to a large whiteboard– so I like to write on my mirror with dry erase markers. It works just the same. This method helps with memorization, gaps in knowledge, and understanding of the concept. 

  1. Spaced Repetition

This method ensures that you won’t be pulling any all-nighters! First, calculate how many days you have until your exam. Next, write the specific topics you want to review, and how long for. Then, follow these guidelines to space out your studying. 1st session: this day. 2nd session: the next day. 3rd session: a week after, 4th session: a week and ½ after. Continue this– spacing out each study session– until the day of your exam! 

Album Review: Heartbreak Weather by Niall Horan

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Heartbreak Weather is the second album from X-factor contestant and One Direction member turned solo artist Niall Horan. Originally from Ireland, he auditioned for the X-factor at the age of 16. Instead of getting cut as a solo artist, Niall was combined with four other contestants including a teenage Harry Styles. These five boys would go on to be one of the highest-selling boybands of all time, One Direction. After One Direction broke up, the artists started releasing their solo albums. Niall Horan’s first album Flicker was a massive success, creating hit songs like “Slow Hands” and “This Town.” I personally enjoyed the songs and they reminded me of many of the songs from One Direction. However, with his second album, Niall was able to create his own sound. 

Heartbreak Weather is a pop album that incorporates some elements of pop rock and indie. It consists of 14 tracks including 5 singles and the title track. Here are the highlights on the album in my opinion…

Heartbreak Weather:

The title track and single did not disappoint. With an indie pop style production and a unique concept created a phenomenal song. Niall describes his love life as being disastrous like a season of bad weather, or “Heartbreak Weather.” The chorus is catchy and he compares the romance in his life to bad weather that will not get better. The bridge is amazing as he claims his new lover has saved him from “Heartbreak Weather.” The line goes “Now all the clouds have been lifted. Lately, my heart’s been so empty. But it feels different when you’re with me.” Overall the song was one of the best on the album.

Black and White: 

Another single of this tracklist is titled “Black and White.” Niall is convinced his current girlfriend is the one he will end up with. He says in the chorus “Yeah, I see us in black and white. Crystal clear on a starlit night. In all your gorgeous colors. I promise that I’ll love you for the rest of my life.” The production has more of a rock influence with subtle guitar. Later in the song he describes his life with this woman after they got married and got old together. Overall this is a very sweet romantic song about marriage.

Everywhere:

This is my personal favorite song on the album. It is about how he has broken up with his lover and now he sees her everywhere even if she is not. I love the production throughout the entire album as I feel it incorporated the best parts of pop, indie, and rock. But “Everywhere” is my favorite because I find it the catchiest and most typical pop song.

Honorable Mentions

-Still

-New Angel

-No Judgement

While this album charted well in the U.K. it is disappointing to see that it did not really become popular in America. I can confidently say Niall Horan is the most underrated pop artist I listen to and, sadly, he does not get the recognition he deserves. Personally, Heartbreak Weather was one of the best albums in 2020. He is currently on tour for his new album which includes some songs from Heartbreak Weather. I hope this tour can draw attention to his music and I hope you love this album as much as I did.

-Janna G.

The Count of Monte Cristo Book or Movie Review

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The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is a literary masterpiece with numerous movie adaptations. The novel’s essence, with its tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption, remains intact across various film interpretations. However, as with any book-to-movie transition, inherent differences arise due to the nature of these two different mediums.

With hundreds of pages, Dumas’ novel provides an immersive experience, allowing meticulous character development and exploring plot intricacies. The book offers readers a glimpse into the complexity of Edmond Dantes’ mind, unraveling his psychological and emotional evolution with unparalleled depth. The novel also has subplots and details, enriching the narrative with layers that may be challenging to fully capture in a shortened movie format.

On the other hand, constrained by time limits, film adaptations must distill the novel’s essence into a finite duration. This often involves streamlining the narrative, potentially sacrificing some of the novel’s depth for brevity. Characters may be condensed, and certain subplots may be omitted to create a more streamlined and accessible viewing experience. However, this condensation does not necessarily diminish the story’s impact; it offers a different perspective, emphasizing visual storytelling, performances, and cinema to convey emotions and critical moments.

The power of cinema lies in its ability to bring stories to life immediately. The visual spectacle, coupled with a carefully curated musical score, can enhance the emotional resonance of pivotal scenes. The beauty of cinematic landscapes and actors’ charisma breathe life into characters, making them tangible for audiences. Yet, the challenge lies in balancing the need for brevity with the desire to retain the essence of the source material.
The Count of Monte Cristo, in both books and movies, is a captivating exploration of human nature, vengeance, and the indomitable spirit. Each medium, the written word or the silver screen, brings unique strengths to the narrative, offering audiences distinct but complementary experiences of this classical literary. Whether reading the novel or watching a movie adaptation, the tale of Edmond Dantes continues to captivate and resonate across generations.

So which is better? This is a subjective question, depending on the individual and preference. Some readers like me prefer the novel because of the reading experience. I appreciate the depth of the story, the subplots, and the character’s descriptions. Others may like the movie for the immediate emotion and the visual performances. Maybe you want both. Either way, it’s well written, and that’s why the Count of Monte Cristo earned its name in classical literature. What would you choose, a book or a movie?

Happy choices!
Bella H.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby. 

2024 Oso Fit 5k Fun Run & Community Health Fair

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The Oso Fit 5K Fun Run and Community Health Fair is an annual event in Mission Viejo and focuses on promoting health and wellness. This event is hosted by the City of Mission Viejo and the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce. There is a 5K as well as a kids’ quarter and half mile run. If you walk around the free Community Health Fair, there are more than 100 health and wellness organizations offering giveaways, handouts and free health screenings. All of the runs are along the scenic Oso Creek Trail. The fire department had little firefighter hats that they were handing out to the kids. There was music, and different food vendors who had lots to offer as well. I was there hosting a craft table with the Mission Viejo Activities Committee and got to see witness all the joy that was at this event.

Why I loved it, and why you should go next year:

  • There are so many cool vendors that have super fun games, crafts, and more.
  • It is a wonderful all-inclusive experience for the whole family to join in on.
  • This event supports and gives back to local charities (which we all want).
  • The medal has the Oso Fit bear mascot on it.
  • As a Mission Viejo Activities Committee volunteer, this event is great because you get a lot of hours for helping the community with activities and crafts.

You can find pictures of this awesome event on Instagram @mvactivities and at this hashtag: #osofit5k

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

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In my English class, my teacher made us read The Outsiders, which is one of the most famous novels of all time. The Outsiders is about a group of friends with different backgrounds and personalities. The book’s main character, Ponyboy is a member of the Outsiders. At the start of the book, we learn about the rivalry between the Greasers and the Socs. Ponyboy is a Greaser, which are lower-class people, and the Socs are upper-class people. The book at the start leads us in the direction of the Socs being people without any problems, but throughout the book, we learn that the Socs do have problems of their own. While reading The Outsiders, I was very entertained by the story’s conflicts and the bond between the characters.

At the beginning of the book, we get to meet the protagonist, Ponyboy. Soon after, he gets jumped by a group of Socs while on a walk, but luckily gets saved by his friends, Steve, Two-bit, Johnny, Dally, and his two brothers Darry and Sodapop. Later in the book, Ponyboy runs into two female Socs. Through one of the girls, Ponyboy learns that Socs also have problems just like Greasers. Throughout the book, Ponyboy and his friends go through several life-changing events and character development. At the end of the story, Ponyboy learns that the world isn’t as black and white as he thought.

While I read the book, I had an amusing time reading it because of its various conflicts. Learning about each character’s different problems such as their love life and a character’s family problems makes the book a compelling read. Another part of the book I enjoyed was how the author demonstrated the bond between the characters. S.E. Hinton does an extraordinary job of showing how much each character cares about each other by using many events that demonstrate their powerful bond.

Overall, The Outsiders is one of the most captivating books to read. The most outstanding aspect of the book is the relationship between the characters. The author manages to show the bond between the main characters and even the friendship of side characters. Another marvelous part of the book is the different conflicts that each character suffers through. I highly recommend this book to other people of all ages since it can entertain a wide range of people.

-Matthew R.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Film of Character “Flipped” – Community of Character Program!

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On March 17, the Community of Character, an official committee of Mission Viejo, hosted a movie program in the Council of Chambers. The movie shown, “Flipped,” is about two teenagers, Bryce and Juli. In essence, Juli has had a crush on Bryce since he first moved to the neighborhood. However, he never liked her back. After years and years of trying to get over him, the movie shows how Juli and Bryce have “flipped” feelings: Bryce likes her but Juli does not. The main purpose of displaying this movie was to show its moments of integrity. Some examples of integrity in the movie are when Juli defends her beloved sycamore tree, Bryce stands up for her against his friend, and Bryce tries several times to apologize to her for a reason that will not be spoiled in this review!

After the movie was played, the board of the committee held a very valuable discussion about the movie. This discussion lasted about 20 minutes and everyone in the room was very involved. We talked about the moments of integrity and the major scenes that shifted the meaning of the movie. We also had a raffle for people under 18 that included gift cards and prizes!

Overall, going to these movie events is a great way to boost your community involvement and have fun with your friends!

The next movie is on Saturday, April 19 at 1:00 pm, be there!

Valentina N.

Flipped is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Together4Teens on April 13

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Join the library, the City of Mission Viejo, and other local groups for this great event for teens and their parents!

Earn community service credit while attending valuable workshops. There will be a resource fair plus a complimentary lunch. Don’t miss the guest speaker, Larissa May!

For more details, see the program here.

Cold Girls Book Review

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The book Cold Girls by Maxine Rae is about a girl named Rory Quinn-Morelli and her life before and after her best friend Liv’s death. The before story begins when Rory joins choir and she is placed next to Live in the alto section. They slowly start to become friends as Liv starts making small talk to her. The two start hanging out at each other’s houses and sneaking out to parties together. Soon Rory realizes that she is falling for Liv, who has a boyfriend. A few months later Rory is accepted into her chosen college and Liv is not. 

After a few months of being best friends Rory realizes two things 1) Liv knows Rory likes her and 2) Liv might like Rory too. Just as Liv leans in to kiss her, Rory backs away (because she doesn’t want to be the person to hurt Liv like people have before) and suggests that they leave the party. The two have fun and dance the night away. They both get tired and suggest going home. A car that runs a red light hits their car and Liv dies. 

The after story follows Rory after she reconnects with Liv’s parents and old friends. She starts finding peace in life and opening up to her therapist. The story ends with Rory finding letters Liv was going to give to her for her birthday. She lies down and listens to music she and Liv liked. 

One thing I loved about this book is how the author set it up. Maxine Ray created the story so both the before and after story would switch off each chapter. This showed the reader how she was affected by Liv in so many ways. I rate this book a 10/10 because all the emotions were so raw and real (I cried a few times while reading it). 

Cold Girls by Maxine Rae is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.