Zoolander 2

Coming to a theater near you, eventually.  Via an always reliable source, Perez Hilton:

"Ben Stiller wants you to know that the Zoolander sequel IS happening.

When?

He's not sure, but he does have some deets to share.

Stiller reveals he has been working on the script and knows generally where he wants to go with it. It would be set 10 years in the future from the first and Zoolander is dealing with no longer being apart of the model world. Instead, he will engross himself in running a modeling school and raising his now 10 year old son."

We'll have to get together to see as a (now defunct) book club.

Meredith

Books into Movies

What do you think of books that are turned into movies? I'm reading the first Twilight book now after seeing the movie and I find it hard to put out the images of the movie in my head as I visualize the story. (i.e. Edward looks like Robert Pattison in my mind, but suprising Bella doesn't look like Kristin Stewart)

Usually I read a book first before seeing the movie, like Marley & Me (still haven't seent the movie, but will soon).  Do you have the same issue as I do? I also feel like the movie will never live up to the book itself? Perhaps that's the point, and I need to suspend my disbelief, and enjoy the movie as a movie.

Just a little non-book we're reading thought.  Speaking of, anyone have a book in mind they want to read next? Seems Keiser and I are both into the Dark side at the moment.

Mere

No Joke

This isn't an April Fool's Joke, I haven't read the book :-( I have fallen into the dark hands of the Twilight series and I can't get out of it. I'm addicted to vampires and werewolves apparently. But let me know what the next book is, maybe I can crawl out of the Stephenie Meyer hole by the next go around.

Footnotes

What do you think of all the footnotes in this book? Do you find them helpful --- as I recall footnotes are supposed to be?  I find them distracting and too long.  Librarian Amy, are these used correctly?

Also, do you find this story very stream of consciousness in its writing style? Just wondering, it seems to go back and forth and I have a hard time following.

From an online book club..

SPOILER ALERT:

Interview with the author about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao..



There are several video clips from this online book club. Click here for more video clips.

I'm old, therefore I don't blog well

Hey Ladies!

So I finished the first book over New Year's, and have started the second, but it's taken me this long to figure out how to post.  My first issue was making a password I couldn't remember, but that was "very strong" according to google. I have then made a simple one, but couldn't figure out how to get from the blog to posting, or from google to blog. Aha, today I figured it out. I guess the moral of my tale is, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again". 

But, my reason for logging on today is, do we have a book for March? Or are we sticking with Springer's since, we haven't gotten into discussing it yet?

Lastly, I really liked the first book. But, I admit everytime I read the cover I think of Betsy's two girls one cup. :)  I also noticed a Target over the weekend, there is another new version of the book out, this time cover features two girls reading up close, dressed in very colorful clothes, with intricate headresses on. It's much more vibrant than the verison I have (and I know Keiser has) which is mostly white, with three girls in white headresses on it.  

Speaking of photo's, did your version of the book have pictures in the middle? I really liked this addition.  First, because it was easy to know how far along I was (since they were in the middle). Second, because it helped me to visualize the area and the people. I know Greg Mortenson is a real man, but he is so odd an unique, I kept thinking of him as a character in a novel, but the photos brought back reality, that this was indeed a true story.

My only gripe with the book was the conclusion. There was something unsettling or unfinished about it.  That he somehow discounted his earlier achievments as only bringing him to where he was about to begin his true calling.  I had more clear thoughts about it all, but those were months ago. 

Lastly, as a fundraiser I appreciate the need for funds, but I also felt uncomfortable about the direct ask and not of other people/groups who had given to his charity in the back of the book.  As a professional looking in, I'd have to say that charity doens't appear to be well run, or truly mission based.  It really is one man. I hope they branch out in the future, and that with the success of this book, it's easier for them to do so.

Sorry for the delay.  I'll improve, I promise. Mere

Sorry for the delay...

I'm sorry it took me so long to post anything. I finished the book forever ago I have just been procrastinating a bit...so unlike me, I know. :)

Anyway, I want to start by saying I really liked this book. Greg Mortenson is amazing and it puts such a positive light on Pakistan and Muslim communities, which is something America could definitely use more of.

One thing I loved about the book was how Mortenson really submerged himself in the culture and became a member of the community in each village he went to. I think that is awesome. It would have been very easy to go to these places and see simple people and think that you need to completely run the show and he didn't. Instead he really worked with them and in the end takes just as much out of each place as he put into it.

I also like that the book addresses the fact that people aren't born terrorists but are taught to be so. Amy, I'm with you...this book was the first I read about the madrassas and the type of education they are providing. It's a scary thought knowing that those groups are herding young, impressionable kids into schools like that.

Also Amy, laughed SO hard at "Where's Osama." Seriously??? Just like that?? Like Mortenson was hiding him in one of the schools. WTF?

Amanda, I like the question about the title. It's really interesting. I definitely liked the revised version better. I agree that the rise in sales probably came from the following the book was getting but also think that you are right about the new title promoting hope instead of violence. Positive title would totally sell better than a negative one, especially as people grow more tired of the war.

Well, I hope everyone else enjoyed the book!

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Is anyone reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao?

It's 2 a.m and I just finished!

So I'm working the overnight shift at the hospital and I finally finished this book after 90 days or so. Not that this book wasn't interesting, it definitely was, just didn't capture my attention like Harry Potter does...oh how I love Harry Potter.

I don't know that I have much to say this early in the a.m but I can say that I admire and respect Greg Mortenson for the work he did in Pakistan. If only there were more people like him.

Okay, I better get back to my patients, Greg Mortenson would want me to ;-)

fun fact of the day...

what's in title?

the first edition of this book had the subtitle "One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism One School at a Time" and sold 20,000 copies. when the next edition came out, mortenson made the publisher change the subtitle to "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time" and it became a best seller.

mortenson said the following: "If you just fight terrorism, it's based in fear. If you promote peace, it's based in hope."

how much do you think the change in the subtitle effected how his book sold?

slow poke

so i'm one of the above that checked that i'm still reading, don't spoil!

being a procrastinator, i'm aiming to finish this weekend. i'm only at the part where he has finally gotten all of his supplies to the location for the school. i've liked it thus far, but i'm assuming it gets a bit more exciting at this point. am i right? as fun as it is to hear about him bartering for nails and plywood - i'm glad that stage of the book is over.

when i'm done i'll check back in here for some insight.

Key moments for me in Three Cups of Tea...

I dogeared some pages in Three Cups of Tea, and I wanted to share them.

I loved on page 257 (paperback 2006 edition) when Syed Abbas shared his reactions to 9/11 in a school inauguration. He said, "We share in the sorrow as people weep and suffer in America today as we inaugurate this school. Those who have committed this evil act against the innocent, the women and children, to create thousands of widows and orphans do not do so in the name of Islam. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, may justice be served upon them.. I request America to look into our hearts and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people."

I love that he spoke about Islam, and it sickens me to think of the hatered that many Americans had/have for Muslims (post 9/11). It was so easy for many Americans to direct their anger at an entire religion or geographic region, when certainly all Muslims cannot be pooled into one category of "Taliban," "Al qaeda," "Muslim extremists," etc.

One part of the book made me burst out laughing. It was on page 272 when American Intelligence officers were interviewing Mortenson right after 9/11. I'll bold the part that made me burst out laughing.

The intelligence officers: "You know what will happen to you if you don't tell me the truth?"

Mortenson: "I know what will happen."

The intelligence officers: "Okay. Are any of the parents of your students terrorists?"

Mortenson: "There's no way I could know that.. I have thousands of students."

The intelligence officers: "Where's Osama?"

Also, I feel embarrassed, but I learned a lot from this book about fatwas and madrassas. I didn't realize that madrassas were where many of the Taliban were schooled. It shows the importance of non-religious/extremist based education in the region.

References

Mortenson, G., & Relin, D. O. (2007). Three cups of tea: One man's mission to promote peace -- one school at a time. New York: Penguin Books.

Three Cups of Tea

Our first book is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

Helpful resources:
1. Three Cups of Tea website
2. Central Asia Institute
3. Pennies For Peace

More information on the education of girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan:
1. Afghan Girls, Scarred by Acid, Defy Terror, Embracing School
2. Afghan Girls Missing Out on Education
3. Attacks on Schools Imperil Afghan Girls' Education
4. Afghan school empty after acid attack on girls

Related articles:
1. Parade Magazine (mentioned at end of book)