Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a work of historical fiction. Achebe uses his Nigerian heritage and culture to give a view a dramatically different different view of Africa compared to the single sided narrative composed of stereotypes at the time.
This book was a very easy read, with about 200 pages. The book is broken up into three section and each chapter is very short and digestible. The best part about this book is Achebe’s ability to carry the reader into this completely different culture, showing them the laws, traditions, and religion of the Nigerian people post colonialism. This book is a true tragedy which follows not only the main characters story but those of an entire culture whose lives are flipped upside down with the arrival of the British.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a easy book that they could pick up in their spare time. I would also recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in African society and culture as it really does a great job of immersing the reader into African tribal culture. If you are into happy ending story this book might not be for you but it still is a well written and moving book you should give a try.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
You’ve probably heard of Pokemon cards, and maybe even Magic Cards, but have you heard of sports cards? Sports cards are trading cards that represent the players in major sports leagues, like the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and more. Some card collections also feature players from college.
Since my favorite sports are football and basketball, I enjoy collecting NFL and NBA cards. For about 6-7 years now, I’ve been collecting cards and creating a massive collection.
For the people who are beginners to card collecting, just know that to get valuable cards, you don’t need to purchase really expensive packs. Even a simple $5-7 pack of 15-40 cards can be enough to help you pull a valuable card. Card collecting is pure luck, and you need to be prepared for the outstanding packs with the top players as well as the terrible packs filled with only duplicates of the cards you already have.
For NBA cards, there are a few that come to mind when thinking of my favorite brands. Each card brand has it’s own strengths and a completely different look from other brands. One of my favorite NBA brands is Illusions, which has a really special, interesting look to it. Another card brand I like is called Revolution, but it is harder to find. Those 2 brands feature a lot of nice quality cards, but sometimes don’t offer many cards in packs. If you’re looking for quantity over quality, I suggest buying NBA Hoops cards. NBA Hoops cards have simpler designs, but usually give a good amount of cards for the price you pay. There are many more brands that produce amazing cards that I like, such as Prizm and Optic.
Moving on, there are some NFL card brands that I enjoy opening packs of, too. If I’m opening for the quantity of cards instead of rarity, I would probably choose to get Prestige or Scorecards. Prestige cards have a simple design, but there is a special Heroes Collection that can give you some epic cards if you get lucky. These Heroes cards make the player look like a comic book character, adding some variety to the Prestige packs. Also, Score cards are really good for quantity and they also provide different types of cards. In a pack, the majority of the cards are base cards, but there are also extra collections like Celebration, Potential, Sack Attack, Toe The Line, and Hot Rookies. A few Celebration, Potential, and Sack Attack cards come out of every pack, but Toe The Line and Hot Rookie cards are harder to come by. Also, Select is another card brand, but I suggest buying it if you are looking for quality over quantity since it can be pricier than the other options I listed.
Before you start collecting, there are a few more things I need to tell you. Rookie cards, indicated with an RC symbol on the card, are more valuable because they can only be pulled during the player’s rookie season. These rookie cards tend to be more valuable, especially if they are of a great player. Whenever you get a rookie card, hold on to it (don’t trade it) because you never know what its value will be when the player’s career is over. Some players don’t stand out until their 3rd or 4th season, so you should be careful about your rookie cards. In addition, to check the value of your cards, you can visit the website sportscardspro.com. The website shows the former purchases of cards, so you can see what your card goes for. If your friends also collect cards, you can trade with them to grow your collection.
Finally, I hope this post gave you some more knowledge about sports cards and hopefully you’re ready to start your own collection now! If you start collecting, I suggest purchasing a binder and some card binder sheets to keep your cards in a safe location. This will protect the card from losing value (bent corners, scratches). Happy collecting!
This series is the first fantasy series that I read after I was able to finish my classical reading that was required for high school. I simply just wanted a quick and easy-to-read fantasy book to get back into reading the genre, and I was so glad I picked this series.
Simply put, the series revolves around a paranormal romance between two main characters, Grace and Jaxon which eventually leads them on a mission to save the world pretty much. Yes, it is one of those books that are pretty vanilla, but is still entertaining if you’re look for something to get your hands on really quick.
The first book starts with Grace starting a boarding school at Katmere Academy after her parents died in a car accident about six months ago. Her Uncle Finn is the principal of the school and Macy, her cousin, also attends there as well. Not even after a day at Katmere, strange accidents keep occurring and they are all targeted at her! However, as Jaxon, a boy with a mysterious and aloof aura around him keeps saving her, a romance suddenly sparks.
Later on in the series, she finds out what she truly is and why she is being targeted by all the paranormal creatures. There are also pretty major plot twists that you wouldn’t think are coming and honestly I was even surprised by some of them considering the amount of fantasy books I read!
Honestly, what I liked most about the book is the modernness of it all. It really relates to me because they include many of the famous TV shows, singers, actors that made it quite interesting. Grace is also a funny but brave character and makes many jokes along the way that are pretty amusing. I finished the first book in about two days and the second one in about three. I haven’t finished the third one yet, but there is looking to be a big plot twist up ahead so we’ll see!
This series probably should be for ages 14 and above since there are uses of cuss language and some minimal violence here and there.
– Aleena C.
Crave by Tracy Wolff is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Last year, I asked a friend to give me some music recommendations. One artist he recommended I look into was Thundercat. Thundercat is a bassist, collaborating with many artists from Gorillaz to Kendrick Lamar. I decided to check out his most recent (and popular) album It Is What It Is. It blew my socks off.
The album cover of It Is What It Is
The album consists of 15 songs and lasts for around 37 minutes. The songs themselves are definitely on the shorter side, not that it’s a bad thing. It Is What It Is can be described as jazz meets R&B with a bit of electronica joining the mix. The bass is incredible which it should be, considering Thundercat’s a bassist. My favorite track has to be “Funny Thing”
“Funny Thing” might just clock in at right under 2 minutes but it’s a very cool song. The bass is very playful and so are the lyrics, describing the peak of a party. It is also a very spacey song with it having an ethereal feel to it. Not only is it my favorite Thundercat song but it’s his most popular too, with “Funny Thing” currently having around 138 million streams on Spotify. This album was definitely something I didn’t expect to sound the way it sounded. The jazzy, spacey vibe it gave off was incredible. I give it a 9/10, with It Is What It Is being one of my favorite albums that I’ve recently listened to. Give it a go. It’s 100% worth it.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath revolves around the story of Esther Greenwood, a young college student who dreams of a bright future as a poet. During a summer internship in New York, Esther is held back in pursuing her dreams as she struggles with identity and societal expectations. The reader is give a deep look at her mental processes as she slowly falls into a suicidal state. In other words, Esther is stuck in a “bell jar” of her own thoughts, where she feels as if she is unable to connect with the world around her.
The most impactful aspect of this novel would be the overall message it shares to its audience on the struggles faced by those with clinical depression. Esther’s narration is given through elaborate imagery and effective analogies, causing the audience to both pity and understand the situation she is going through to a much greater extent. Additionally, Plath’s subtle comments on the societal pressure put on women in the 60s further adds to the complexity of the novel.
Overall, I would recommend this book to most people as it is both beautifully written and very eye-opening. However, I would remain cautious of some potentially triggering material such as mentions of suicide.
-Aysha H.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.
This book was also one of my favorite reads this year due to the sheer fact it’s sort of a different genre than what I normally go for. Typically, I’m a romance reader but this book had such high reviews I checked it out and fell in love.
It revolves around Avery Grambs who randomly inherits billions from billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne. She gets found by Tobias’ grandsons who investigate as to why their late grandfather left this mysterious girl his fortune. We get to see the story through Avery’s perspective and how she views all the Hawthorne brothers.
The plot is nothing like I’ve every seen before and had be intrigued on every aspect of the story. I would recommend to quite literally anyone. Good news, the is a trilogy so the story continues on and only gets better from here.
-Madison C.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet were developed by the video game development company called Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. They are reported to have sold more than 10 million copies combined in the first 3 days of sales. These games are completely different from all the previous installments in the series and considered the first role playing games in the 9th generation of Pokémon.
The games have 3 separate story lines, each of which you can explore however you want and in any order you want. These open worlds allow you, the player, to travel wherever you want to, which is a first in a Pokémon game. It seems though that this feature may not have been fully though through, because as soon as you start the game and travel to somewhere far away from where you started, all of the Pokémon are at a higher level and can easily defeat you.
After playing through the game, I realized that there was a designated path that the player should have followed in a certain order. When you do this, in the correct order, then when you get to the higher levels, you are much more able to handle the stronger Pokémon and trainers. A major problem with this new release is the massive amount of performance issues, bugs, and frame rate issues. Many times, textures do not load properly and Pokémon models pop in and out constantly. There are also lighting problems, and crashes happen, more so than normal.
The idea of an open-world Pokémon game is very good in theory. I actually love the idea, but the execution of it did not turn out that well. I really liked everything else that was added into the game. If you look past the technical glitches of the game it is really fun and enjoyable. It’s definitely a different take on past versions of the Pokémon franchise and I do like the direction they are heading with the open world concept. I would recommend this game to anyone who already enjoys the Pokémon games have perhaps played some before and want to move further through the series. However, if you are new to Pokémon games in general, I would recommend that you play some of the other games available in the series prior to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet first, so that you can get a true feel for what the series is really all about and experience the game play that has made Pokémon a worldwide phenomenon.
Millions of people all over the world have been tuning in to watch the 2022 Qatar World Cup, especially the explosive final between France and Argentina. In the end, we saw Lionel Messi and Argentina lift the trophy victoriously, proving to the world that whether you agree that Messi is the greatest of all time or not, he has a highly impressive collection of trophies that make him one of the most decorated professional soccer players in the world.
During his 18-year career, Messi has achieved numerous honors. So, just how many trophies circle in Leo Messi’s orbit, you may ask? Well, here is a list of Messi’s major awards.
With FC Barcelona:
10 La Liga titles (2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19)
7 Copa del Rey titles (2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21)
8 Spanish Super Cup titles (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018)
4 UEFA Champions League titles (2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15)
14 Argentine Footballer of the Year awards (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Clearly, Lionel Messi’s achievements show he is one of the best soccer players, if not the greatest of all time. He is a force to be reckoned with, a living legend whose career will go down in history and live on forever.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka tells the story of travelling salesman Gregor Samsa, when he wakes up from a nightmare one day and discovers he has been transformed into a giant, monstrous insect. The novella examines his life after this realization, his slow alienation and isolation from his parents and his sister (whom he had worked tirelessly to support), and his eventual decline.
I actually really enjoyed this novella, but not in any real ‘enjoyment’ sense- it just sparked a lot of deep thought. Although, throughout the novella, we are supposed to view Gregor as repulsive and be disgusted by him, just as his family is, I couldn’t help but feel pity and empathy for him. Everyone in the novella forgets that somewhere inside his now insectified exterior, he is still a human, with human needs and wants. They treat him as a chore, as an inconvenience, and then finally, as a villain- which I found cold and cruel. Although the overall story is fairly depressing, I feel that it’s an important read and deals with some very real issues and questions of our world today. The ending is really sad, but I won’t spoil it here for you all. You’ll just have to read the novella yourself to find out what happens!
-Vaidehi B.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Once upon a time, Princess Aurora was cursed by an evil sorceress with the only solution being true love’s kiss. Many would imagine the story where Aurora was sent to be raised by three fairies and was awaken from her cursed sleep by Prince Charming. However, in this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, that is not the case.
Alyce is who someone called a “Dark Grace” but that doesn’t quite summarize what she actually is. A Grace is someone who tends to the needs of humans either by healing people through or making them more beautiful through their blood. But Alyce isn’t like the rest of the Graces since she is half-Vila, someone who is demonized by all of society.
Princess Aurora is stuck with a curse in which she would die by the age of 21 if she hasn’t kissed someone who is her true love. No one truly cares if she lives or dies since they have seen the same thing with her sisters and the ancestors that came before her. It seems as though Alyce and Princess Aurora would have no reason for their stories to intertwine but Fate turns the table and have the two unexpectedly fall into love with each other.
I find this fantasy book to be truly amazing. The world-building is spectacular, the characters are seen as genuine and relatable, and the plot is amazing. There are many plot twists that occur in the book and has developed the story into a tale of what love and hate equally could do to a person in desperate times. Many times, I couldn’t stop reading the book even when I needed to do something because it had intrigued me so much. I recommend this book for anyone who loves fantasy and loves the story of Sleeping Beauty.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 