The Help

If you are looking for a good book,(and you still check this blog) read The Help. A friend told me about it and then I saw a movie is coming out in August so I finally got it from the library. Good stuff. :)

A Must Read

If anyone is in the market for an awesome and easy read try this one!!!

The Message by Lance Richardson

I would love to hear your thoughts about this one. All I can saw is WOW!! It's hard to put my thoughts into words!! Awesome Book!

So...what's the plan?

It's a new year ladies. Holidays are over. Life has resumed to normal(let's hope) and it's time to start reading again! What's the plan?

Suggestion~ Among the Hidden

Hey all! Long time so post! Ha ha!

If you're looking for an easy read here is a suggestion.

My 12 yr old has a hard time with reading comprehension and his teacher suggested this book to us because she said " it will keep his attention and it's just a good read". She thought it would be something that he would like enough to be able to understand

I just read 16 chapters in the past hour and I'm really liking it so far.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

November

So I just barely finished Three Cups of Tea. I hope to actually be able to respond to Tiff's questions eventually. But...we never discussed The Hunger Games in October. Did anyone read it? I also realized that November was my month to pick a book. Are we on track to keep reading? It seems we have lost a few readers right now. What's the status with everyone?

Three Cups of Tea

Hopefully everyone got a chance to read the book. I really enjoyed it. One of my favorite things about reading is learning about something new or different and I definitely think this book did that for me. I didn't love the writing style but I loved learning a little bit more about a different culture and country.

I think this book would be great to discuss in person. There is a lot to think about and therefore talk about. There were a lot of really good discussion questions to choose from, so I'm just going to post a handful of the ones I like to get the thoughts flowing. So you can answer them or just expound on anything you thought/liked/disliked.


1. There are several times in the book when things seem to serendipitously come together for Mortenson -- like stumbling upon Korphe when he was lost and receiving a $20,000 donation from an audience of two. Do you believe these are the result of divine intervention or just fortunate coincidence?

2. Mortenson hits many bumps in the road—he’s broke, his girlfriend dumps him, he is forced to build a bridge before he can build the school, his health suffers, and he drives his family crazy. Discuss his repeated brushes with failure and how they influenced your opinion of Mortenson and his efforts.

3. Why do you think the villagers in Korphe were so excited about getting their own school? What is unique about having a school, as opposed to other things Mortenson could have built, like a hospital or community center?

4. What did you learn about the culture in Northern Pakistan? Did anything surprise you?

5. The authors write that “the Balti held the key to a kind of uncomplicated happiness that was disappearing in the developing world.” This peaceful simplicity of life seems to be part of what attracts Mortenson to the villagers. Discuss the pros and cons of bringing “civilization” to the mountain community.

6. Mortenson claims that building schools in this region is a more practical response to terrorism than war. Do you think the book makes a solid case for that claim, and why or why not?

7. Did the book change your views toward Islam or Muslims? Consider the cleric Syed Abbas, and also the cleric who called a fatwa on Mortenson. Syed Abbas implores Americans to “look into our hearts and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people.” Discuss this statement. Has the book inspired you to learn more about the region?

8. Comment on Mortenson's decision that CAI schools should emphasize increasing girls' enrollment. "Once you educate the boys, they tend to leave the villages and go search for work in the cities. But girls stay home, become leaders in the community, and pass on what they've learned. If you really want to change a culture, to empower women, improve basic hygiene and health care, and fight high rates of infant mortality, the answer is to educate girls."

Status: Three Cups of Tea

Is anyone reading Three Cups of Tea? Just thought I'd check. I'm half way through and really enjoying it.

The Sugar Queen

Here's just a couple questions. I will post more!

1. What has Josey hungered for throughout her life? What transformed her from a difficult child into a woman who hides her cravings?

2. Why does Margaret want to prevent the arrival of unexpected visitors? What fears are captured in her peppermint-oil ritual?

August Book

I'm leaning toward Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. My other choice would be Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner.

Has anyone read either of these books? Any thoughts or preferences?

Septembers book

I know September is still a ways off, but I wanted to choose a book that might have a long wait for you at the library. There are over 700 people waiting for it here. In fact, I would love to choose the first two books of the trilogy. The third and last installment is coming out in August. They are quick reads. Let me know what you think.
I don't mind just reading the first one, but I think you'll want to know what happens next....

Hunger Games
Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins.