Princes and Princesses

Prince William and Kate Middleton marry on Friday, April 29, 2011. This is a major event. They are celebrities with a little extra: crowns! People across the globe have been watching as the royal wedding plans unfold. There is an official website made just for the event. Speculation is wild over the wedding gown and guest list. Prince William and Kate have opted not to register for gifts. Instead, they have asked that any gifts be made to the donations of their choice; the website can be found here.

Oh, and if your invite got lost in the mail, don’t worry, you can still watch the big event on tv in the wee dark hours of the morning, or at their  YouTube channel.

In the meantime, if you can’t get enough of all things royal, check these books and movies out!

Twilight–(I have not read it)

Have you read Twilight  or am I the only one left on the planet who has not?  I’ve tried–and tried, and tried.  I just cannot force myself  past the first chapter.  I mean no disrespect to the Stephenie Meyer –I’m not doubting she’s a great author.  I wonder: is it just bad timing when I start the book? Is it that all the hype has me expecting WOW on page 1? or is just me? Perhaps I don’t appreciate good literature.   I asked  my daughter, who has read the books and listened to the audio versions so many times she recites quotes randomly.  Her answer:   try reading it again and blog about it as I go.   Stay tuned as I keep you posted on my journey!

What Do You Think?

Greg Mortenson is the author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. His books have spent months on the New York Times Best Seller List. He is also the founder of the charity the Central Asia Institute. The Central Asia Institute’s mission is to provide educational opportunities for Afghani children, particularly girls; hundreds of schools have been built in Afghanistan for this purpose. Mortenson’s charity has raised millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, doubts have arison about the truth behind Three Cups of Tea and the allocation of funds of his charity. Recently, CBS’s 60 Minutes published an exposé of Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute charity. CBS journalist Steve Kroft and best selling author Jon Krakauer allege that some of the key facts behind Mortenson’s experiences in Afghanistan are false or grossly distorted. Even more damaging, they claim that the Central Asia Institute money was misused to pay for personal flights for Mortenson, among other things.

These charges are very serious. The Montana Attorney General has begun looking into the CAI, as has the publisher of Mortenson’s best selling book Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson continues to state that he’s innocent.

Regardless of the outcome of these investigations, there is a bright spot. Mortenson brought attention to the problems of education in an important, but mostly unknown, region of the world. I hope people keep that in mind when considering donating to a good cause. And if you’re worried about the legitimacy of any charity, consider reviewing their status with the Better Business Bureau.

Final Inquiry (2007) (via What to Watch.)

Here is a review on this months film: Final Inquiry.

Rated PG-13 I admired this story but it lack in the storytelling. I was confused about what time and where we were in the story throughout the film. It also lack in the historical accuracy department. This is moreover not, I repeat, Not a biblical story. Its a fictional account of what my have happened after the resurrection of Jesus. As I said, the storyline was wonderful and leans more on the Christian angle of the story. … Read More

via What to Watch. The content and opinions expressed in this review do not necessarily reflect the views of nor are they endorsed by the Rice Lake Public Library.

Easter Films

Easter Parade (1948) Rated NR

Astaire is trying to forget ex-dance partner Miller while rising to stardom with Garland.

First Easter Rabbit (1976) Rated NR

Stuffy the Rabbit is a cuddly toy who magically comes to life and journeys to Easter Valley, an enchanted realm where it’s always springtime, even though it’s not all that far from Santa’s house. From there, the Bunny hopes to bring the first-ever basket of Easter goodies to children. Unfortunately, a cold-hearted ice creature named Zero refuses to allow such happiness. If Zero has his way, he will freeze out Easter celebrations forever.

The Passion of the Christ (2004) Rated R

Concerns the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy and brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, for sentencing. The roaring crowd demands his death, so Pilate orders his crucifixion. Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha, the hill outside Jerusalem, where he is nailed to the cross. With his mother looking on, he dies.

The Prince of Egypt (1999) Rated PG

A tale of two brothers, one born of royal blood, one an orphan with a secret past. Growing up the best of friends, they share a strong bond of free-spirited youth and good-natured rivalry. But the truth will ultimately set them apart, as one becomes the ruler of a powerful empire, the other is the chosen leader of his people.

The Ten Commandments (1956) Rated NR

To escape the edict that condemned all first-born Hebrew males, Egypt’s Pharaoh, Rameses I, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, he is adopted by her and brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti’s favor and the love of the throne princess Nefertiri. He also gains the hatred of Seti’s son, Rameses. When his Hebrew heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt, Moses’s fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses, but someone near to him.

PageTurners Read “The Happiness Project”

The Happiness Project
by Gretchen Rubin

“The Happiness Project, or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun” by Gretchen Rubin is nonfiction. This memoir consists of one year in the life of the author during which time she attempts to improve her state of happiness through the use of self help topics and projects. She uses measurable goals in each area of her life. Her efforts include all aspects of modern life: balancing work with personal relationships with health and finances. Her writing mixes advice and research with personal insights that make this book compulsively readable.

Six people attended the PageTurners Book Club on Thursday, April 7, at 6 pm at the Rice Lake Public Library to discuss The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Opinion was sharply divided over this book. One person gave it a perfect 5 and another gave it a 2.5; the average score was 3.75 / 5. Everyone seemed to feel that Rubin’s advice was helpful, but best used according to an individual’s needs.

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The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. There are over twenty copies of this book in the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

The PageTurners Book Club is sponsored by the Friends of the Rice Lake Public Library. It usually meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6 pm at the Rice Lake Public Library. Discussion lasts an hour; everyone is welcome.

Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet was a director of many famous films most notable was 12 Angry Men. He also wrote a book on movie making. He passed away April 9th  after a battle with lymphoma. Here is some films to check out:

12 Angry Men (1957) Rated NR

Depicts a jury of men who must decide the fate of a teenage boy who has murdered his abusive father. The jurors are from all walks of life, and bring with them their own opinions, prejudices, fears, and personal demons.

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead (2008) Rated R

A stock broker, who is having financial troubles and in need of extra cash, and his younger brother conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. The only problem is that the owners of the jewelry store are their own parents. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Rated R

 The story of a botched bank robbery that occurred August 22, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York and turned into a bizarre hostage situation lasting all day.

Network (1976) Rated R

A television newscaster’s mental breakdown turns him into a celebrity when the network tries to profit from his illness.

Serpico (1973) Rated R

Adaptation of a true story where a young New York police officer refuses to extort money from criminals as the other officers do. His fellow police officers turn against him when he seeks to expose the situation during a grand jury investigation.

His book:

Making Movies

Library Movies

In honor of Library week, here’s some films with librarians.

Librarian: Quest For the Spear (2004) Rated NR

A geeky librarian is hired by the prestigious Metropolitan Library, keeper of such top-secret treasures as Excalibur and Pandora’s Box. When the Serpent Brotherhood, seeking world domination, steals one of three parts of the magical Spear of Destiny from the library, only this librarian, aided by a gorgeous bodyguard, has the know how to thwart their plan. But does he know how to be a hero?

Desk Set (1957) Rated G

Bunny Watson heads up the research department at the Federal Broadcasting Company, a major TV network. And she does her job very well, thank you very much. Assigned by the network president to introduce computers into some of the department’s functions, Richard Sumner arrives at Bunny’s well-run division to observe daily activities. Unfortunately, however, Sumner is ordered to keep his mission secret. As a result, the whole staff believes they are being replaced. To make matters worse, there appears to be more than a little electricity between Bunny and Sumner, which upsets Bunny’s boyfriend Mike.

Good News (1947) Rated NR

A school librarian falls for a star football player in this lighthearted musical set in the gone-but-not-forgotten college days of the 20′s.

Somewhere in Time (1980) Rated PG

A young writer sacrifices his life in the present to find happiness in the past, where true love awaits him.

With Honors (1994) Rated PG-13

When Harvard senior Monty Kessler loses the only copy of his thesis, it is found by the homeless Simon Wilder. He’ll return it for food, a place to stay, and more–one page at a time.

New Books of April

Adult Services Manager Tami Richardson spoke with Sally B. on 1240 AM on Wednesday, April 6. They talked about the following books and the many fun events held during National Library Week from April 10-16, 2011.

The Bone House
By Brian Freeman
This stand-alone thriller focuses on the effects of suspicion on a man and his wife. A female high-school student blogs about having an affair with her teacher, Mark Bradley. The suspicion this arouses is enough to force Bradley out of his job. A year later, Mark’s wife, Hilary, is judging a high-school dance competition in Florida. The girl who destroyed Mark’s life is competing, and her promiscuous sister, Glory, is also there, on the beach in the middle of the night when Mark is taking a walk. Glory is found in the water the next morning, an apparent victim of strangulation. Mark becomes the prime suspect, and Hilary, aided by a local cop, sets out to prove his innocence.

Friendship Bread
By Darien Gee
The magic of Amish friendship bread grips the small Illinois town of Avalon when Julia Evarts, grieving from the loss of her young son, finds friendship bread starter on her front porch. Julia meets Hannah, her soon-to-be best friend, when they both wander into Madeline’s Tea Salon. Julia, who just happens to have a couple of bags of starter with her, gives one each to Madeline and Hannah. The three women all have issues-Madeline would like to reconnect with her stepson, Hannah’s husband has left her, and Julia is estranged from her husband, sister, and parents. Baking allows them to make new connections, through which they find the strength to mend fences and heal old wounds.

On Black Sister’s Street
By Chika Unigwe
Unigwe’s gripping tale chronicles the lives of four African women working as prostitutes in Antwerp’s red-light district. Sisi, Efe, Ama, and Joyce live together, forced to repay their debt to the Lagos man who trafficked them under the pretense of a better life. Much of the action circles around the ambitious Sisi, an educated young woman who arrives in Belgium to escape the poverty of her hometown and seek her fortune in Europe. When Sisi is murdered, her death becomes a catalyst for the others to reveal their harrowing pasts.

Sister
By Rosamund Lupton
Everyone believes that moody artist Tess killed herself-except her sister, Bee, who knew Tess was pleased to be pregnant. Bea is convinced Tess had been murdered. The prime suspect is Emilio Codi, Tess’ art professor, a married man who got her pregnant and who made it clear he wants nothing to do with the child. Other suspects include a prominent doctor involved in this experiment to “cure” Tess’ unborn child of cystic fibrosis, and the head of a biomedical company about to make a killing in the stock market for a cure for CF. But Bee finds deeper mysteries-for example, that Emilio is not a carrier of the CF gene and hence could not be the father of her child. Despite headshaking by family and the police, Bee moves into Tess’s apartment and her life, trying to find the killer she knows is there.

Please Look After Mom
By Kyung-sook Shin
This novel from widely acclaimed Korean author Shin focuses on motherhood and family guilt. Park So-nyo, mother of four now-adult children, has gone missing in a Seoul train station on the way to visit them. The novel is told in four parts, from the perspectives of, first, her daughter, and then, her firstborn son, her husband, and finally, So-nyo herself. So-nyo’s children continually battle with their own guilt for not taking better care of her while reminiscing about the times when they were young, growing up in incredible poverty in the countryside. Secrets are revealed, and the heart of a mother is beautifully exposed.

Japanese Films

Hidden Fortress (1958) Rated UR

A princess must escape across enemy lines with the royal treasure, guarded only by a loyal general and two greedy peasants.

Kwaidan (1965) Rated UR

Consists of four stories of the supernatural based on Japanese folk material. In The black hair, a poor young samurai leaves his first wife to marry a rich woman. When he is unhappy in his second marriage, he returns to his first wife, who at first appears unchanged from when he last saw her. In The woman of the snow, a woodcutter is spared by a mysterious ghost-like woman in the snow, but must promise never to tell anyone what he has seen. In Hoichi, the earless, a blind musician-monk named Hoichi is commanded by a gathering of ghosts to sing the saga of their ancient deeds. The head monk paints Hoichi’s body with prayer verses to protect him, but unfortunately overlooks Hoichi’s ears. In In a cup of tea, a writer wonders what would happen to a person who drinks another’s soul and finds out.

Ran (1985) Rated R

In 16th century Japan, an aging ruler attempts to divide his kingdom among his three sons. They turn against each other and betray their father, triggering events that ultimately shatter the kingdom, destroy the family, and drive their father insane. Based on Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Rashomon (1950) Rated UR

Set in 12th-century Japan, the nature of truth and subjective reality are probed in a series of flashbacks from four viewpoints to present the case history of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife by a bandit.

Seven Samurai (1954) Rated UR

A 16th century Japanese village hires professional warriors to fend off bandits. When the samurai arrive, a spectacular series of battles begins.