Overbooked Reader

Her (2013) is a 126-minute science-fiction-romance film that follows the success of writer-as-protagonist films like Stranger than Fiction (2006) and Ruby Sparks (2012). Written and directed by Spike Jonze ( Being John Malkovich , Adaptation ), the film takes a sincere and serious look at the nature of human relationships in a world set in the near future.  Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly , a professional letter-writer who falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system called Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson ). For Samantha, the feeling is mutual. Theodore thinks he's found the perfect woman. However, he soon realizes that loving an OS can be as challenging as loving a real person. Supporting characters include Theodore's wife Catherine ( Rooney Mara ), who is asking her husband for a divorce; his friend Amy ( Amy Adams ), whose marriage in on the rocks; and a friend of a friend ( Olivia Wilde ) who goes out on a blind date with Theod

Philippine contemporary romance author Mina V. Esguerra and her writer friends launched the first Luna East Arts Academy short story collection titled Kids These Days at Ayala Museum last February 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This event, with more than 90 attendees, also doubled as the first year anniversary of Mina's Romance Class. Luna East front cover Kids These Days is a collection of 14 stories written and self-published by 14 Filipino writers. Together, they created the world of Luna East, a fictional high school where young adult and coming-of-age stories abound.  As stated in the book's back cover, all stories are set in an arts academy because the writers wanted everyone to have a talent, and know why. Because no one is ordinary, if you know them well enough. I love it! The writers of Luna East pose for photographs In addition to Mina, the other 13 writers are: Chrissie Peria, Mina V. Esguerra, Ronald S. Lim, Miles Tan, Athena Claire Dueñas, M. Prota

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring  Place Published: New York Publisher: Ballantine Books Year Published: 1965 No. of Pages: 458 Price: $6.99 Place Bought: n/a (Borrowed) If you asked a month ago what I thought of The Fellowship of the Ring , the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, I would have said it was extremely boring. I’ve tried reading the novel several times, but could never get past the chapters with Tom Bombadil and his poems.   I’ve made reading the LOTR trilogy a book resolution for 2014. After all, it’s widely known as the greatest fantasy epic of our time. So with a little encouragement from a colleague—and with the irrational belief that it would be easier to finish the novel if I read her copy of the book instead of mine—I set out on another journey through Middle-earth. Volume one chronicles the beginning of the War of the Ring. It starts with the hobbit Frodo Baggins coming into p