Game reviews by Brandon, Elizabeth, Kristin, and Stacy
Hello everyone! We hope you’ll enjoy these recommendations. These are games we all found soothing for stressful and difficult times. These games cost money and/or require consoles, so they’re for more serious gamers than our last free game review. We hope you enjoy them!
Relaxing games to help you de-stress.
Journey
A $19.99 game on the Playstation Store
Get ready for this one, because this is my favorite piece of media of all time. That includes books, movies, shows, and other games. Some games are made to put us against each other. You must beat your opponent! Long have we been tasked in video games to look out for only ourselves, and to beat our games as fast as possible. What if a company decided to oppose these ideals? How about a game that is created for the sake of helping one another, and to journey together as a team, and not to fight against each other as enemies? Let the game be the journey itself, let the game be the reward, not just the finality of it, and enrich the whole experience. ThatGameCompany reached for the stars with this goal and have succeeded reached true ascension, as players who play the fantastic PSN title “Journey” will discover.
In Journey you awake a stranger, cloaked in red. The Controls are simple, yet somehow refined and feel natural, almost as if they were an extension of your body. You guide the camera with the gyroscope in your controller and you move forward with the left analog stick. The circle button acts a little chirp or call that changes tone depending on how hard and fast you press the button. The use for this is not made immediately known, but it is revealed very soon. You walk up a slight cliff, to see a massive mountain. This mountain is both tremendous in size, and intimidating. “What awaits me up there, and will I like what I discover?” It is shortly after you discover your scarf. Glyphs are scattered around the game and if you find them you will increase the length of your scarf, allowing you to fly for short durations of time with the X button.
These gameplay mechanics, while great on their own, take a backseat to the gorgeous environment of the game. This game’s setting is a character in itself. Waterfalls of golden sand cascade behind you as the game suddenly transitions into 2D seamlessly showing you the warm backdrop of the sun from afar. Did I just name an old dream of yours? That will happen to you, as Journey is a game that you do not stop thinking about when you put the controller down. This is thanks to the multiplayer and the effect it will have on you,
The Multiplayer of Journey is Unique in two amazing and innovative ways. The first being that, the guy on the screen with you, he’s your friend, and by the end of the game, you will do anything possible to make sure they finish their journey with you. I honestly do believe that if more individuals play this game, they will find peace with themselves and perhaps find a deeper appreciation for the loved ones in their lives. Feelings are warm and close, and never rude or obtuse thanks to the second innovative factor of Journey.
You cannot converse with your fellow player in any language you may have learned throughout your life. Yes, the game strips usernames away (until after the credits) and gives you only the option of chirping to communicate with the other player. After playing this game at least over 25 times, it seems that the Journey members are starting to form their own language as I find myself having a easier time understanding my new friends every time I play.
ThatGameCompany have created their masterpiece. They have not created a game, but an experience. Ever since finishing Journey I have found a new appreciation for the ones I hold dear to me in my life, and I think every day about how I want to live my Journey and who I want to accompany me on my Journey. Give this game a shot, as I guarantee you will watch the ending of this game unfold and find yourself feeling something very different from your usual video game; at peace. -Brandon
Fez
A $10 game (give or take) available for purchase on the Playstation Store, Xbox via the Microsoft store, Windows and Mac via Steam.
Fez follows the story of player-character Gomez after he is mysteriously gifted a red fez and watches as his cozy 2D way of life is ripped apart by a tear in the fabric of space and time, revealing to him a previously unknown 3rd dimension. Now you with your mystical red fez must explore this new 3D world with the goal of restoring the universe by collecting shards of cube fragments. Released in 2012 by indie game companies Trapdoor and Polytron Corporation, this is a game that has remained very dear to me for it’s bright and memorable aesthetics, it’s unique gameplay mechanics, and it’s overall unforgettable experience!
A “stop and smell the roses” type of game that is less focused on plot and instead promotes relaxed exploration and puzzle solving. Fez encourages it’s players to explore each world to its fullest by offering a unique rotation mechanic that moves the player’s camera around the seemingly 2D plane, often revealing new pathways and exposing access to previously inaccessible platforms and items. To further promote relaxed exploration, Fez has no enemies, no bosses, or even hard consequences – when the player dies, typically by falling, they are respawned and able to continue the level freely.
I was originally drawn to this game by it’s pixelated game design and chill electronica music, but stayed for it’s compelling world and calming atmosphere! The protagonist is a small marshmallow man with a bright red fez – his minimal design allows for maximum engagement with the worlds which are ultimately the real draw towards a game like Fez. Each world vibes similarly with one another – they are easy on the eyes with soft colors and reflect the same upwards gameplay movement. However, each world is unique both in looks and experience, while following the same foundational structure: ultimately each it’s own large puzzle comprised of four different 2D planes that connect and respond with one another as you travel up through the world!
I highly recommended this game upon it’s release nearly a decade ago and I continue to highly recommend it to this day! It’s such a favorable experience and well executed game, definitely worth the time and commitment. - Stacy
Fe
A $20 game available on Switch, PS4, XBox and PC.
Fe is an exploration-based open world adventure starring a spiky little forest creature who can sing to other forest animals to learn their powers. The world has a dark and blocky aesthetic that works for it, casting things in stark shadow and light and highlighting spaces with splashes of vivid colors. It’s relaxing and not particularly linear, challenging you with some moderate puzzle-solving and lots of climbing and exploring. The sounds are immersive—the music comes and goes for emphasis, similar to Breath of the Wild, but the game is typically filled with deep chimes or strings, animal calls, rushing water, and rustling trees. It’s very soothing to play.
As you progress, you quickly gain new powers that give you an incredible freedom to explore right off the bat. Unlike many platformers, you get a glide ability fairly early and much of the game design is based on using it. There’s no combat in Fe, but there are stealth sections which can be a bit tense. There aren’t heavy penalties for failure, though, and dying merely sets you back to an earlier physical location as a checkpoint. If you ever get stuck, you can call a bird to show you where to go next.
Overall, Fe is a very relaxing and rewarding game to play. The frustrations are minimal, every secret can be discovered without a guide, and it’s hard to ever get completely stuck. It’s a shame that the coolest power is only unlocked after there are no more objectives, but it’s definitely a reward worth earning. Fe also has one section in particular that makes the game worth buying all by itself. I won’t spoil it, but between the visuals, the challenge, and the swelling music, it was full of the same awe-inspiring wonder I experienced playing Shadow of the Colossus for the first time. I definitely recommend it. -Kristin
Everything
Available on PS4, Switch, and Steam for PC and Mac [here]
Sometimes, you just want to do absolutely nothing. A game with goals? Exhausting. TV and a plot? No thanks. Sometimes, you just want to float around in a polygon world while listening to calm music and the drone of a philosophy lecture. Don’t worry! When you really, really need to relax, the game Everything can help.
In the game Everything, you can be, well, everything: a pig, a planet, a twig, a tree, and everything in between. You can talk to everything, too. Try listening to a narcissistic dragonfly or a con artist blade of grass (“come on! I’ll give you 1%! Okay, 2%!”). One pinecone in my game lamented that it couldn’t whistle, while a horse informed me it was mad at the sun and would stay mad until the weather changed.
Mostly, though, you just roll around: getting smaller or bigger, switching between species and things as the mood strikes. Sometimes you sing, and nearby creatures sing with you; sometimes, you join a crowd, or leave a crowd, or dance. I left some raspberries whirling in circles around my screen for a bit, adding a new one every so often until the whole screen was covered in fruit. You can even leave the game on autoplay and come back to wonder why you’re suddenly two rattlesnakes exploring the desert.
There’s an encyclopedia to fill out, but that’s not really the point. I’m not sure what the point is: that philosophy lecture, probably, but I’m tuning that out. I’m too busy dancing. - Elizabeth
What are your comfort food games? Did you buddy up and explore the vast world of Journey or enjoy a few hours being everything and anything in Everything? Let us know in the comments!
Fantastical Reimaginings: Rapunzel
by Nicole S.
Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your golden hair! Do you remember the story of Rapunzel? A beautiful girl trapped in a tower with nothing to do but tame her long, long, LONG golden locks? Some of you may have watched the Disney story of Rapunzel in the movie “Tangled”. Did you know the original tale of Rapunzel was much darker than its Disney counterpart? And there were no frying pans in the original? “Frying pans – who knew right?!?”
History
Like many of the darker fairy tales, the tale of Rapunzel was published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. They adapted the story of Rapunzel from Friedrich Schulz, which he had published in 1790. However, all these versions were inspired and adapted from the 1698 fairy tale “Persinette” by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force.
The Original
The original story of Rapunzel starts with a lonely couple who are desperate for a child of their very own. The couple finally gets their wish and while pregnant, the wife experiences weird cravings and longs for the Rapunzel (type of greens) that grows in their neighbor’s walled garden. She refuses to eat anything else and starts to wither away. The husband finally steals away to the garden and steals the Rapunzel to make a salad for his wife. She eats it but isn’t fully satisfied and asks her husband for more. When the husband attempts to sneak into his neighbor’s garden a second time, his neighbor, who happens to be a sorceress, catches him and accuses him of thievery! The husband begs and pleads with the sorceress who in returns lets him take more of the Rapunzel on one condition: when the baby is born the sorceress gets to claim her. The husband agrees. The wife gives birth to a baby girl who is given to the sorceress and named after the greens, Rapunzel. As Rapunzel and her golden hair grows, she is locked up in a tower with no stairs, no doors and only one window. One day a prince hears her singing and learns how to visit her by using the same chant the sorceress does to have Rapunzel let down her hair to climb. The prince visits Rapunzel many times and they fall in love and he asks her to marry him. As they hatch a plan to escape Rapunzel discovers she is pregnant. The sorceress is furious when she finds out and proceeds to cut Rapunzel’s long hair and banish her into the wilderness. The prince comes back and climbs Rapunzel’s hair only to discover the sorceress has tricked him. After she tells him Rapunzel will never be seen again he leaps/falls from the tower landing in a thorn bush that scratches his eyes and blind him. For many years he wanders the country yearning for his lost love until he eventually finds Rapunzel with twins, a boy and girl. Upon seeing her prince, she cries tears of joy on his face, restoring his vision. He takes Rapunzel and their kids to his kingdom to live happily ever after.
Rapunzel Retellings
So, how much has this classic fairy tale changed over the years? Are the retellings similar or impossibly different? Find out more about similar tales below!
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Disney’s “Tangled”
Available on Hoopla
A more recent retelling of this fairy tale is from Disney in the movie “Tangled”. In this story a queen is pregnant and is starting to die due to sickness. There is a legend of a golden flower somewhere on their kingdom’s island that has said to have healing powers. However, many years before a sorceress discovered the flower first and uses its powers to stay young and beautiful. Eventually the golden flower is discovered by the king’s guards and brought to the queen. She is healed and gives birth to a golden haired baby girl they name Rapunzel. One night the sorceress breaks into the kingdom and steals the baby girl. She hides Rapunzel away in a tower in the middle of the woods and uses the power of the golden flower through Rapunzel’s hair to stay young and beautiful by singing a chant while brushing her hair. As Rapunzel grows up she longs to see the world outside her tower but her mother strictly forbids it. By now, Rapunzel’s hair has grown and grown and her mother uses it to come and go from the tower. One day a thief, Flynn Rider, happens upon the tower while escaping the royal guards for stealing a crown. Rapunzel and Flynn strike a bargain – Flynn will show Rapunzel the world and Rapunzel will give back the crown he stole. Rapunzel explores the kingdom and learns about the traditions of the lanterns the kingdom does in honor of their lost princess. In this version, Rapunzel is a lost princess and her love interest is a thief, not a prince.
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“Cress” by Marissa Meyer
Available on Hoopla as a digital audiobook
This is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Cress has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with net screens as her only company. Thanks to this she has become an amazing hacker and is forced to work for Queen Levana. Her orders though are to track down Cinder and her accomplices. Cress has an opportunity at her freedom but it comes at a high cost. This story is a continuation of Cinder a cyborg mechanic we learn about the first book of the Lunar Chronicles, “Cinder”. Each book focuses on a different fairy tale character with whom Cinder comes into contact.
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“Bitter Greens” by Kate Forsyth
Available on Hoopla as a digital audiobook
French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens. After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition. Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.
Inspired by Charlotte’s writings that first penned Rapunzel, this retelling weaves historical fiction, fairy tales and romance into one story. The story features narratives from each of the three leading females in the story: Charlotte, Margherita and Selena.
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Now that you know the real story check out these and other Rapunzel retellings on Hoopla!
o “The Golden Braid” by Melanie Dickerson
o “My Name is Rapunzel” by K.C. Hilton
o “Reign of Shadows” by Sophie Jordan
o “Towering” by Alex Flinn
o “Golden Curse” by M. Lynn
“Go. Live your dream.”- Tangled
Picture credits: Disney, Trina Schart Hyman, Hoopla
a movie review by Deana
Tim, an orphan in London who is afraid of the dark, has just learned that his star Adhara has disappeared from the night sky. An adventure through the night takes him on a journey of strange happenings that he never knew existed. Tim learns that he has a guardian cat name Tobermory who is up through the night protecting him while he sleeps. Tim knows all about the stars, so why is his star suddenly gone. As he investigate about what happen to his star, he meets strange creatures of the night that helps him find the truth behind his most beloved night star.
Tim is a little shy and awkward around the other children at his orphanage home. They all know that he is afraid of the dark and when they do mean things to him like hide his favorite stuff animal, Tim goes to his secret place where he knows that he is loved. Soon Tim sets off through the night and meets strange creatures like Cat Sheperd, Mr. Pee, Sr. Moka, Pastor de Gatos and so many more. As he travels on an adventure through the night with Cat Shepherd, the North Star and his guardian cat Tobermory to find out who cause his star Adhara to disappear, Tim has to overcome his fears from what is causing the Nocturna creatures and Adhara his star to disappear. With daylight coming too soon, will Tim be able to save the Nocturna creatures and his star - or will they be lost forever?
You might not like this film for some children because the animation characters are a little dark (no pun intended by the title). I would not recommend this film to young children, but every child is different. It is a great film if you have a youth trying to overcome their fear of the dark.
Cat Sheperd played by Robert Paterson
Pastor de Gatos played by Imanol Arias
Moka played by Roger Carel
Sr. Moka played by Carlos Sobera
Tim played by Lloyd F. Booth Shankley
Mr. Pee played by Joshua Zamrycki
Every title I recommend is available for you to watch instantly, for free, using our digital library services.
”Nocturna” can be accessed using Kanopy , with a direct link here: https://aurorapl.kanopy.com/video/nocturna
Don't have a library card? Don't worry! You can sign up for a virtual library card here.
**Video may contain spoilers**
Join APL staff each week for a discussion of some of their current reads! Each week they will discuss a book from a different genre. Join the discussion live on at Facebook.com/AuroraLibrary each Friday at 1 p.m. (MST) and leave your thoughts in the comments below!
The next discussion will be at 1 p.m. on July 10, 2020 on our Facebook page and will feature "Desperadoes" by Ron Hansen (available instantly on hoopladigital.com).
Other upcoming titles, all available instantly from hoopla digital, include:
- July 17, "Commute" by Erin Williams
- July 24, "The Goblin Emperor" by Katherine Addison
- July 31, "FantasticLand" by Mike Bockoven
Rainbow Reads A Librarian Recommends
by Elizabeth
Hi, everyone! Happy Pride! It may not be safe out there to hold a parade, but that doesn’t mean there’s no way to celebrate this month. Whatever your Pride flag or reading preference, the Aurora Public Library has a book recommendation for you! We’ve created several Pinterest boards based around fun themes: the LGBTQ spectrum, yes, but also books with magic, graphic novels, books as sweet as cotton candy, books guaranteed to make you laugh, books that will definitely make you find a tissue box, and more! All of the Pinterest board books are ebooks, at least at this time, so that you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home. However, there are even more books available through our curbside pickup system! Here are five of my personal favorites: some are ebooks, some are curbside, and all of them are incredible. Bonus: they’re all summer reads! (Well, all but the first one. You’ll see.)
"Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir
Category: Epic Fantasy and Sci-fi
Representation: lesbian
Available through: curbside pickup, Overdrive
I can sum up this book in three words: “lesbian space necromancers.” Either that sounds too wild for you or you’re already online ordering a copy from the library. "Gideon the Ninth" is one of those books you’ll either love or hate: I love every award-winning page, from our sword-fighting star Gideon’s ill-fated escape attempt from her dismal home planet to the summons that changes everything. Gideon and royal heir Harrow must go to a distant planet to compete in a deadly puzzle challenge for the emperor. The prize? Immortality. The problem? Gideon and Harrow hate each other, Gideon’s only faking being a bodyguard, and there’s something sketchy about this whole competition that no one’s seen fit to reveal. Everything in this book from the plot to the word choice zings with energy. If you love this book (and I hope you will!), our library has the sequel. (And I know this isn’t technically a summer read, but consider: every season could be summer, if you’re in space.)
"Felix Ever After" by Kacen Callender
Category: High School Struggles
Representation: trans, bisexual
Available through: curbside pickup
Felix Love has never been in love. That’s the problem, he thinks: how can he make good art in his summer school’s art program if he’s never even been in love in the first place? But when an anonymous bully posts pictures of Felix before he transitioned all over school and starts sending transphobic messages, Felix vows revenge: he’s going to catfish the most likely suspect to get some information. Life gets complicated fast: Felix’s sneaky detective Instagram plan soon turns into a complicated love triangle, and Felix begins to question whether he fits as neatly in boxes as he imagined. Kacen Callender’s an incredible author: their book "King and the Dragonflies" is a heart-wrenching read for middle schoolers, and "Felix Ever After" handles its complicated teen protagonist withgrace. If you love this book, you can check out Callender’s other work through the library!
"Lumberjanes" by Shannon Waters, Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis & Brooke Allen
Category: Magic is for Everyone, Graphic Novels, Summer Fun
Representation: trans, lesbian, bisexual
Available through: Hoopla, curbside, Overdrive
Sometimes, you just want a fun graphic novel about a summer camp getting hopelessly disrupted by crazy magical monsters. Lumberjanes, the fabulous comic book series by the author of the recent She-Ra reboot, is there for you. Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley don’t mean to end up fighting supernatural foxes, taking on Greek gods, and helping mermaids start a concert. That’s just how summer camp goes at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. Each of the friends brings something different to the team, whether it’s puzzles, puns, planning, or kittens and cupcakes. Before long, you’ll be wishing you could have had a summer camp experience this unique. If you love this book, you can read more in the series or check out Mooncakes for more magical creatures and shenanigans.
"If It Makes You Happy" by Claire Kann
Category: Summer Fun, Cooking Adventures, Romantic Comedies
Representation: asexual, bisexual, polyamorous
Available through: curbside pickup
Winnie has a busy summer. She’s the Summer Queen, which means public speaking (her greatest nemesis) and flirting with the impossibly cute Dallas. She’s working at her granny’s diner, and she wants to enter a cooking competition, but her grandmother won’t hear of it. She’s trying to work things out with her not-girlfriend, Kara, who doesn’t like this Dallas situation at all. She’s looking out for her little brother, and, oh yeah, she really wishes everyone would stop telling her to lose some weight. "If It Makes You Happy" would be cupcakes, if it had a flavor: sugary and impossibly sweet, colorful and fun to eat. If you love this book, try "You Should See Me in a Crown" for more “prom queen / Summer Queen” fun.
"The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune
Category: Found Families, Magic is for Everyone
Representation: gay
Available through: curbside pickup
Take X-Men and make it twice as adorable, with no comic book battles and a sassy kid Antichrist, and you have The House in the Cerulean Sea, my new comfort book extraordinaire. Linus Baker is a case worker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, and he’ll be the first to tell you he’s boring: he’s read the book of regulations cover to cover, he always follows procedure, and he’s certain that, in his forties, every chance of excitement has passed him by. Enter Arthur Parnassus: master of an orphanage filled with particularly unusual children, like a living garden gnome, a were-dog, and Lucy (short for Lucifer). Linus’s job is to go observe this orphanage and report back, but as he visits this charming place, he realizes that maybe the organization he’s dedicated his life to might be wrong. Can Linus really find family on this too-magical island? If you love this, try "Steven Universe" for another unusual magical family on a beach.
Thanks for tuning in! I hope you enjoy these reads - I know I did.
Please let me know if you have any that you adore, and happy Pride!
Read Black Writers: Juneteenth Edition
by Elizabeth
Happy Juneteenth! Tomorrow is the last day of #BlackoutBestseller week, a challenge to fill the bestseller list with the exceptional work of Black authors. As demonstrators across the nation seek justice for victims like Breonna Taylor and Aurora’s own Elijah McClain, the relevance of Black authors is greater than ever. But maybe, with COVID-19, you’re a little low on spending money and unable to participate in a bestseller buyout. The library can help! Here are some incredible books by Black authors, both fiction and nonfiction, serious and funny and everywhere in between, all available immediately through our library’s Hoopla account.
"The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
“More than 70 million Americans – over 20 percent of the entire U.S population, overwhelmingly poor and disproportionately people of color – now have criminal records that authorize legal discrimination for life.”
For a well-researched look at why our justice system might need reform, check out "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander. If you want research, this book has it. Michelle Alexander is a professor, civil rights lawyer and legal scholar. Our library’s copy of "The New Jim Crow" has a tenth anniversary preface: these facts are still accurate today, which is an indictment of its own.
Read this if: you’re looking for statistics, facts, numbers and other well-researched data to inform your knowledge of the protests
Available through: Hoopla, curbside pickup
If you like this, try: "When They Call You a Terrorist" by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
This memoir by a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement tells the heartbreaking story of her brother, a bipolar young man who ends up in jail instead of in a mental health care facility. His decline and inability to escape from the prison system is a difficult but eye-opening read.
Available on: Hoopla, OverDrive
"Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler
Before "The Hunger Games" and "The Handmaid’s Tale", there was Octavia Butler, the weirdest and coolest sci-fi writer you haven’t read yet. Octavia Butler’s got it all: vampires? Sure. Alien takeover? Absolutely. Time travel? Psychic abilities? Male alien pregnancy? You bet. And more!
Also: MAGA? Octavia Butler wrote a novel about a leader promising to “Make America Great Again” and a society haunted by violence in 1993. Those exact words. And get this: Parable of the Sower and the Earthseed series take place in the 2020s. There are two leaders in Butler’s haunted world, though: the other one is a young woman named Lauren Olamina with a special ability: hyper-empathy. She can feel other people’s pain and she believes that humans can still band together, survive and even make it into space.
Read this if: you like weirdly prophetic science fiction novels or "Star Trek"
Available through: Hoopla
Like this? Try that: "The City We Became" by N. K. Jemisin!
Jemisin is a literary genius and multi-award winner who writes of a New York plagued by alien invasion and saved by five ordinary people “chosen” to represent the city’s interests. Manhattan’s superpower is money; a college student in Queens saves the day using calculus, while a Bronx artist brings her best stomping boots to take out these intruders in her town. My favorite novel this year so far, which is saying something.
Available through: Overdrive, curbside pickup
"You Should See Me in a Crown" by Leah Johnson
Liz Lighty isn’t really into prom. She’s got bigger plans: a fancy college, music in a famous orchestra and then a career as a doctor. Too bad that her financial aid falls through. Liz’s friends and brother come up with a new plan: there’s a scholarship for being prom queen, you see. Liz doesn’t love the spotlight: she’s poor, awkward and single, and really, aren’t prom queens for the popular crowd? But college’s a bigger goal. When Liz meets a cute new girl in the prom queen competition, she has a dilemma: chase her dreams or get the girl? Or – just maybe – both?
Sometimes, you just want a book that’s the equivalent of a sunshine smoothie. Don’t worry. This charming rom-com will fill you from head to toe with warm fuzzies and leave you smiling. Bonus: this is a queer book, so you can read it for Pride, or to support Black authors, or both!
Read this if: you love fluffy, sweet teen romantic comedies and teen coming-of-age stories
Available through: Hoopla, OverDrive
Like this? Read that: "The Field Guide to the North American Teenager" by Ben Philippe!
Norris Kaplan’s new to Texas, and he’s figuring out the playing field: Cheerleaders, Jocks, Loners. He’d rather observe these groups in their native habitats than actually jump in. But, when prom night goes horribly wrong, Norris has to reevaluate his life and choices. Maybe he’s started to make friends despite himself.
Available through: curbside pickup
"Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Love mythology, brave kids and heroic adventures? You’ll love "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia. Tristan’s best friend is dead and he left a glowing notebook behind. When the magical creature Gum Baby breaks into his house and steals the book, Tristan chases her into an adventure filled with mythological creatures. This story has John Henry, Brer Rabbit and Anansi, sure, but also myths you may not have heard of, all wrapped in a delicious world-saving package.
"Tristan Strong" is published by Rick Riordan Presents, a publishing house dedicated to publishing books on every mythology in the world written by people who know that mythology inside and out. Any Rick Riordan fans know exactly what to expect here: heroes and page-turning adventures. I might like these even better than Percy Jackson, though, and I definitely like them more than Harry Potter. Check it out!
Read this if: you’re interested in action, adventure, mythology and heroes
Available through: Hoopla, curbside pickup
Like this? Read that: "The Jumbies" by Tracey Baptiste!
Corinne isn’t afraid of anything: not scorpions, not mean kids and definitely not jumbies. They’re just made up! But, when the jumbies try to take over Corinne’s island, she has to use all of her courage and a little magic to save her home. It’s the start of a series, just like Tristan Strong, so you’ll have plenty to enjoy!
Available through: Hoopla, Overdrive, curbside pickup
"This Book is Anti-Racist" by Tiffany Jewell
What does anti-racist mean? How can one person help in the face of terrible things? This teen-friendly book answers those questions and more. It’s interactive: readers can ask questions of themselves with 20 activities, learn all about the history of racism in multiple countries, and then find hope as they read about how people have resisted racism over the years. If you want to change the world, there are worse places to start!
Read this: if you’re looking for a practical guide on how to deal with racism
Available through: Hoopla, curbside pickup
Like this? Read that: "Antiracist Baby" by Ibram X. Kendi!
Ibram X. Kendi wrote the book on anti-racism, literally: his How to Be an Antiracist book is currently a number one bestseller. But if you’d rather have a friendlier picture book adaptation, accessible for kids and teens, Antiracist Baby is the way to go. This book lists nine easy ways to make a difference – and, most important, the baby on the cover is adorable.
Available through: Overdrive
Pop Culture Den: Coffee Talk
with Stacy & Elizabeth
In today's episode of Pop Culture Den, Aurora Public Library librarians Stacy and Elizabeth discuss the game Coffee Talk. They think it's a "comfort food game," but what are comfort food games? What needs do they address, and, most importantly -- is this one fun? Tune in to find out!
Referenced article: "Slouching toward relevant video games" by Brie Code
Want to check out "Coffee Talk" for yourself? Check it out on Nintendo and Steam!
Aurora Public Library's Pop Culture Den series focuses on all things pop culture. Literacy and stories go beyond books: they're in games, movies, and more! Once a month, we'll analyze our favorite works of media and talk tropes, genres, and the bits and pieces that make stories so successful. Be sure to tune in!
Game Reviews by Brandon, Elizabeth, Kristin & Stacy
Hello everyone! We hope you’ll enjoy these reviews for free games to amuse you during this time. These are a mix of browser and smartphone games - none of them will cost you anything to play.
Relaxing games to help you de-stress.
Alto’s Adventure
A game available on your app store for iPhone, Android and Windows
Plug in your headphones, because this game will deserve all of your attention. For my fellow Coloradans out there, we have been missing our sweet, sweet mountain time. Bring the serenity and beauty of the mountains with you, everywhere you go. Your goal is simple, last as long as you can shredding through the slopes. Pits and rocks are scattered about, but a simple tap or click will result in your character jumping and flipping over any peril that may come their way. Upgrades are unlockable such as a wingsuit and characters with unique skill-sets are available as you progress through the game with no microtransactions required. I would highly recommend the Zen Mode where your progress does not reset after making a mistake. You can endlessly continue on your adventure. It should be noted that you can compare how far you’ve made it with other players on the online leaderboards, but that will not be what brings you back to this game. The captivating visuals and soothing music will put the worries of your world on hold as you fall into the trance that is "Alto’s Adventure". - Brandon
Winter Bells
A browser-based game available here
A soothing game where you play as a bunny who jumps on bells to climb into the sky. You get more points the higher you jump, but with the calming music and the cute design, it's hard to feel punished for falling. Click initially to move, but after that you can control the bunny just based on mouse movements. Pro tip: Birds double your current score, so they're definitely worth going for. - Kristin
Lieve Oma
Available free through itch.io here
It’s mushroom season, and your grandmother has asked you to help her pick penny buns. Except, of course, this isn’t about mushrooms: it’s about walking through the woods in the early autumn with your grandmother, who loves you whether you find one penny bun or a hundred. Unlike the other games in this blog post, Lieve Oma doesn’t have a high score chart or a leaderboard. You don’t have to jump or climb, just walk using the arrow keys or WASD. Soft piano music plays as you trundle along in your grandmother’s footsteps: you’ve been lonely and sad, you see, but she’s here to listen and promise that everything is going to be okay. Nothing bad happens in this game. I walked and found a few mushrooms, and then my character went home to have hot cocoa and mushroom risotto. This game's pure comfort food. - Elizabeth
Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector
A game available on your app store for either iPhone or Android.
A passive game where you collect photos of as many different neighbor cats as you can! It’s simple: you buy new cat toys and food with in-game money given to you by your friendly kitties, place them in your house and/or yard, close the app and when you check in later you’ll find a many variety of kitties enjoying your snacks and toys! With 60+ cats to collect, there are so many different personalities to meet and collect – starting with your first visitor, a cute white cat named Snowball, to my personal favorite, a cardboard train-conducting, hat-wearing, whistle-blowing cat name Conductor Whiskers. - Stacy
What are your comfort food games? Did you net a high score playing Winter Bells or enjoy a few hours of Zen Mode in Alto’s Adventure? Let us know in the comments!
"Animal Crossing: New Horizons" Review
by Justine
Around the beginning of March (and perhaps long before), if you logged in to any of your social media accounts, there is a good chance you saw a meme or article relating to a game called "Animal Crossing". On March 20, 2020, Nintendo welcomed the fifth game in the franchise, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" for the Nintendo Switch, much to the delight of longtime fans who indeed waited a very long time for this installment.
Image from https://ec.nintendo.com/AU/en/titles/70010000027620
"Animal Crossing: New Leaf" for the 3DS family of systems came out a whopping eight years ago and fans of the series like myself have been chomping at the bit ever since, waiting for our next foray into the village. I myself was in college then, playing between studying sessions and essay writing, and as I entered the workforce I kept checking every day to see if a new game was in the works. Would we be getting a new "Animal Crossing" for Nintendo’s new console the Switch? Imagine my excitement when it was finally announced! But the wait... The wait was grueling.
A question I get a lot, and the question on your mind right now, is why this game in particular is so popular. Why was there such anticipation surrounding its release, why is everyone and their mom playing it, and what is the point? Picture this. You’re invited to be a founding member of a brand new (deserted) island. With nothing but the clothes on your back you begin your life anew, no career, no friends or family. You strike out into this new world with a tent gifted to you... by a raccoon. Yes, a raccoon. His name is Tom Nook, thank you for asking. And right now he’s the internet’s favorite mascot and the memes are endless surrounding him and his protégés, Tommy and Timmy, who help you adjust to your new island life.
Along with these three kind raccoons, you also meet and befriend two other animals who come to stay on the island with you. For every player they’re different, but I was lucky enough to have Phoebe the peahen and Kid Cat the kitten join me on my journey to make the island habitable.
You start off owing a large debt to Tom Nook for all the moving fees and the plot of land where you’ll eventually build your house, which probably already sounds boring, but hear me out. For some reason I found it so charming to be thrown into this new world where I had to earn everything myself. I hate paying rent every month in real life, but Tom Nook is the best landlord there is. I was grateful to a virtual raccoon for giving me a chance to meet new animal friends and catch all the butterflies and fish my pockets could carry. Isn’t that the dream? To get back to nature, to nourish the earth with your own two hands, to be responsible for your destiny? "Animal Crossing" lets you do just that. It lets you live your best virtual life the way you want to.
I think one of the main reasons "Animal Crossing" is so appealing is because there’s no one way to play it. You can be an archeologist and spend your time digging up fossils to give to a knowledgeable owl named Blathers to display in the island’s museum. Maybe you love fishing and just want to spend hours on end collecting one of every species. And in case you were worried, yes, you can totally fish for sharks. And when you catch one you can bet everyone will be asking you how, because it takes as much patience as fishing takes in real life. As for me, I personally enjoy gardening in the game (I’m a black thumb in real life; everything I touch dies, even hardy cacti). I plant flowers of all kinds, in specific arrangements, so new ones will blossom in beautiful new colors they don’t normally come in. I was ecstatic when my black roses began to bloom and I told all my friends about it (and my grandpa, but he didn’t seem that impressed). There aren’t many games out there that give you the chance to be whatever you want to be with the lowest stakes possible. Usually you’re a hero trying to save the world, a detective trying to solve crimes, a plumber trying to save Princess Peach for the eightieth time. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with those games, but my point is that Animal Crossing doesn’t have a linear storyline and doesn’t shoehorn you into a specific role like games you may have played before. It is incredibly freeing to play at your own pace with nothing dictating how you play or what you do in the game. Your only limits are those you impose on yourself.
My friends and I usually vary pretty greatly in the types of games we play. Some like fighting and sports games while I’ll sink 90 hours into Japanese RPGs. But I can’t name one friend on my list who hasn’t bought "Animal Crossing". Every single one has it and with the online feature to visit one another’s islands, during this government-mandated quarantine, I’ve been able to play with them. We visit each other’s homes, compliment one another’s gardens, fish together, dig for clams on the beach, and share fruit that the other doesn’t have yet. I’ve finally got all the peaches and oranges I can handle when I started out my game with only pears. I love seeing all my friends living their best island lives, decorating their homes in such creative ways and gushing about how their favorite animal villager (there are over 400 for reference) just agreed to move in. The communal aspect of the game is a huge pull for many gamers, and I think that’s just another reason people from 8 to 80 love it and keep coming back for more 19 years later. The first "Animal Crossing" game was released only in Japan back in 2001, but when it was localized for North America I’m not sure they knew how much it would resonate with fans of all ages, genders, and races not just here, but globally.
This is technically a review, so I’ll get to the point. Why do I love "Animal Crossing: New Horizons"? I think back to one of my favorite poems, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by William Butler Yeats:
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
Now I’m sure you weren’t expecting a poem in the middle of a video game review, but humor me here. I promise its relevance will be made clear hastily. As I said above, getting back to nature is something so many of us desire. It’s in our human nature, almost hardwired in our DNA, to want to connect with the natural world and live a simple life with something we’ve cultivated on our own. In these modern times, and especially with the coronavirus forcing us indoors, this want for the outdoors is stronger than ever. I live in a cramped townhouse in Aurora. I don’t hear Yeats’ lake water lapping or cricket song or honeybees. The fact of the matter is, my life is not a pastoral one, and I’ve been robbed of the opportunity to have that right now. As silly as it might sound, "Animal Crossing" lets me live that life virtually until it’s safe again to go into the mountains and enjoy a day of sunshine and the sound of something other than refrigerator buzzing and traffic noise. I can hear the sound of the ocean in the game and the striking visuals make me feel like I really did catch a sea bass and planted a gorgeous rose or tulip. It might pale in comparison to the real thing, but it feels real enough right now. The game encapsulates everything in Yeats’ poem and what so many of us feel and desire for ourselves.
If you’ve stuck it out this long, I want to sincerely thank you. I know this was a lot just to explain why I love a video game so much, but in these uncertain times, I think finding something that you love and keeps your mind off of the state of the world is a rare and beautiful thing. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is worth every penny and I hope you’ll consider joining me and millions of others if you’re at all curious what the hype is about. I’d sure love to see what you make of your island adventure, and so many other fans would too.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Crossing#Animal_Crossing_(2001)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43281/the-lake-isle-of-innisfree
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/21195022/animal-crossing-switch-sales-japan-famitsu
a movie review by Kristin S.
A programmer wins a mysterious contest and is taken to his eccentric CEO's remote mansion to complete a challenge. The challenge? To prove whether an android is sentient or not, using whatever questions he can devise.
This visually stunning sci-fi piece is both fast-paced and introspective. Like most good science fiction, it centers on the question, "What makes us human?" However, the further down the rabbit hole the movie draws you, the more you aren't sure what to expect from its answer. There's a tension in the dynamics between the three main characters that quickly leads you to wonder if something else is happening behind the scenes.
The cinematography is stunning. Frequent wide shots leave the characters feeling lost in an environment that is both vast and uncertain. The movie makes use of visual language just as often as spoken to tell its story by framing shots on things like the cracked glass in the corner of Ava's room that allude to a darkness beneath the bright facade. The mansion's architecture is a mixture of futuristic and natural, with large slabs of stone and lush trees paired with glass walls and diffuse floor lighting, and this backdrop gives the film a distinct visual flavor. The CGI used to create Ava is both interesting and well executed, but it's used with a subtlety that doesn't overshadow the acting within the scenes.
Overall, this movie does an excellent job of balancing philosophy and suspense, and keeps the viewer guessing throughout. If you're a fan of shows like "Westworld", definitely give this a shot.
This movie can be dark and tense at times, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. It addresses sexuality and adult themes in ways that can be brash or vulgar. There is a creeping feeling of danger and distrust throughout the film. Don't go into this if you need a happy ending.
There's also a painfully awkward dance scene.
Every title I recommend is available for you to watch instantly, for free, using our digital library services. "Ex Machina" can be accessed using our Hoopla service, with a direct link here:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12454577
Don't have a library card? Don't worry! You can sign up for a virtual library card from home by following these instructions.
Let us know what you thought of the movie in the comments below!
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