Day 7 – Most underrated book

This is the 7th post for the 30-Day Book Meme.

Day 7 – Most underrated book

How do I know if a book is underrated? Are they the ones that don't get the attention that I think it deserves? I think it will be easier for me to answer the most overrated book(s), but that will be in Day 8. :)

For this question, I'll just pick The True Story of Lilli Stubeck by James Aldridge. I wonder how many people have read it before. Click on the link to check out my book review on my other blog.

I read this book twice. The last time I read it was way back in 2006, I think. I remember reading about the main character, Lilli Stubeck, who has been under the guidance of Miss Dalgleish, who grooms Lilli to become a well-groomed and educated young woman. I'd read about Lilli reading and reading and it sort of motivated me to get some reading done as well! It was also good motivation for me to study. That's one reason why I like the book.

My review of this book that was written in 2006 is not comprehensive enough to describe why I liked the book. Perhaps I'll write another review when I read the book again. :)

How about you? What is your choice for most underrated book?

Winner of 'The Day the World Ends'

A hearty congratulations to:

lylaROCKprincess

who won a copy of The Day the World Ends by Ethan Coen. The winner was chosen via the number generator on Random.org.

I'll be contacting you soon for your mailing address so that the book's publicist can send you a copy.

Also, a big thank you to everyone who entered the book giveaway. I hope to organise more in the future! :)

Booking Through Thursday: Pet Peeve

Pic from here

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

What are your literary 'pet peeves'?

My answer:

A bad ending to a book.
Too many characters that I'm not able to remember who is who.
Irritating or stupid characters.
Too much description of a boring scene.
Unnecessary description of anything in the story.
Sappy conversations meant to melt the heart but unfortunately, only makes me cringe uncomfortably.

Well, what are your literary 'pet peeves'?

P.S. I spend about 10 minutes writing about bookish 'pet peeves' before realizing that the question meant literary 'pet peeves'!

The Sunday Salon: My Hunger Games marathon

Wow, it's been awhile since I wrote a post for The Sunday Salon. Guess I'll go back on track with it now.

So I've been sort of on a Hunger Games marathon. I watched the movie twice in the cinemas, once with my friend and the second time with my mom. The second time watching the movie wasn't planned. I had free tickets, which couldn't be used to watch Mirror, Mirror. I wanted to go for The Vow but only front row seats were left. So The Hunger Games it was for me again. At least my mom appreciated the movie's ending.

Effie Trinket (left) and Katniss Everdeen (See how scared and worried Katniss looks just after volunteering to be a tribute to replace her younger sister!)

I have to say that the movie is one of the best movies I've watched this year. For me, it is also one of the best film adaptations from a book. No exaggeration. Good story, good actors and really colourful setting for The Capitol!




As most of you know, the Hunger Games story is a trilogy made up of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I've finished the first two books and am now reading the third one. (Click on the links to read my reviews of the first two books)

The story sure is interesting and gripping (yup, cliche words I know but they describe the books!). I liked reading about the tributes from the other districts, the conversations between Peeta and Katniss and also the scenes with Effie and Haymitch! The latter two characters really stood out in the movie and I was eager to read more of them in the books. Gale, I'm sorry to say, is pretty dull.

I received my copy of The Hunger Games about two years ago as a gift through the Book Blogger Holiday Swap. I only read the first page. Though I found it good, I never reached page 2. It was probably due to lack of interest and lack of the mood for YA science fiction.

Anyway, I'm glad to be reading Mockingjay now and looking forward to see how Katniss fares in District 13. Same goes for Peeta! He's my favourite character in the first two books but I've read in online reviews that his character changes in Book 3. So we'll see how it goes. Just on Chapter 3 right now. :)

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This is not book-related but I have to write about this! The Big Bang Theory has become my new favourite TV series.

From left: Howard, Leonard, Penny, Sheldon and Raj

I watched Season 1 Episode 1 around last year I think. It was so funny but somehow I never continued to watch the episodes that follow. Well, I caught up with the series last week when I was sick. I hope all the laughing during the show helped me get better.

My favourite character is definitely Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons). Straight to the point and extremely logical. It seems that it's because of him that has propelled the show to such popularity.

Looking forward to watching the rest of the seaons! 

How fast do you read?

I read 296 words in 40 seconds.
I read 449 words per minute.
That makes me 80% faster than the national average.

If I maintained this reading speed, I could read:

1. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy in 21 hours and 48 minutes
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling in 2 hours and 51 minutes 
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien in 17 hours and 46 minutes 
4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller in 6 hours and 28 minutes 
5. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell in 3 hours and 18 minutes (I wish! I finished this book after two weeks!)
6. The Fountainhead by Ayn Randin 11 hours and 34 minutes 
7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck in 6 hours and 17 minutes 
8. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens in 5 hours and 2 minutes 
9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in 4 hours 
10. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee in 3 hours and 41 minutes 
11. The Color Purple by Alice Walkerin 2 hours and 28 minutes 

How many books* could I read on each eReader before recharging?
*Assuming an average book length of 136,604 words
Three books on the Kindle.

Source: Staples eReader Department

To try the test, just click on the picture of the e-reader on the top. And let me know how you scored! :)

Win a copy of 'The Day the World Ends' by Ethan Coen

Here is your chance to win 'A New Book of Poetry from One of Hollywood’s Most Acclaimed Filmmakers':

The Day the World Ends by Ethan Coen

Ethan Coen’s screenplays have surprised and delighted international audiences with their hilarious vision and bizarrely profound understanding of human nature. With his brother, Joel, Coen has written, directed, and produced some of the most original and beloved movies in the history of cinema, including Raising Arizona; Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; Fargo; The Big Lebowski; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Intolerable Cruelty; an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men; Burn After Reading; and—most recently—True Grit, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards.

Coen has also written collections of critically acclaimed plays (Almost an Evening), short stories (Gates of Eden), and poetry (The Drunken Driver Has the Right of Way), all presented in his distinctly humorous and oddly brilliant literary voice.

Coen’s eccentric genius is revealed again in The Day the World Ends (Broadway Paperbacks Original, on sale April 3, 2012), a collection of poems that offers humor and provides insight into an artist who has always pushed the boundaries of his craft. The Day the World Ends is a remarkable range of poems that are as funny, ribald, provocative, raw, and often touching as the brilliant films that have made the Coen brothers cult legends.

Short, accessible, and nearly the same price as a movie ticket, this new poetry collection is a perfect treat for Coen’s legions of fans.

About the author: When not writing plays, poetry, or short stories, Ethan Coen makes movies with his brother, Joel Coen. After thirteen films, the Coen brothers have one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed bodies of work in the history of cinema.

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THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS by Ethan Coen
Broadway Paperbacks • April 3, 2012 • Price: $13.00, paperback • 128 pages 
ISBN 978-0-307-95630-9
www.crownpublishing.com

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To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post, including your name and e-mail address. There will be one winner. It is open worldwide. Contest ends April 17, 2012.

Good luck!