Ever thought about setting your books free? There are some people who do just that, and they are members of a large online community, called “bookcrossing.” Members let their books free to travel and touch other people’s lives.

Bookcrossing.com started in 2001 and it was the idea of Ron Hornbaker (screen name “Reno”), who co-founded the site. Ever since, it has been growing. “The big bang occurred during the second year because of the media coverage, and since then the growth rate has not decreased,” said Reno in an article for the Greek magazine Epsilon a few weeks ago.

In August 2004, the word bookcrossing has been added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as: “the practice of leaving a… Continue reading →

Hotel Rwanda tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a hotel manager who in the midst of the civil conflict between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994 saved about a thousand Tutsi refugees. Since his wife (Sophie Okonedo) is a Tutsi, Rusesabagina found himself trying to save his family from the Hutus while trying to protect the Tutsi refugees by housing them in the hotel, like an African Oskar Schindler.

The film is a decent drama that touches on an important moment in African history. The Oscar nominations of Don Cheadle for best actor and Sophie Okonedo for best supporting actress were justified by their performances. Nevertheless, some of the scenes between the couple are overly melodramatic.

Nick… Continue reading →