Tuesday, May 31

The Next Movie of the Week is...

The next movie of the week is....Red Cliff!


Many people haven't heard of this movie before, that includes me. However, when I went to Movie Gallery (a movie place) there was a sale for 3 DVDs for $10.99, which is a steal. I needed one more, so I kept looking until I found this. I picked it up because the cover drew me too. Looking at it I realized it had Shidô Nakamura in it! He played Lieutenant Ito from Letters From Iwo Jima. Tony Leung, Wei Zhao, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Chiling Lin. It's directed by the legendary John Woo. It should be good...

When I went to YouTube to watch some trailers about this movie, I became ecstatic to watch it! Here's a trailer:


I just found out there is a sequel! If this one is any good, I'll have to watch the second one. ^.^

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<3CR

Monday, May 30

Happy Memorial Day! (Music Monday)



First of all: Happy Memorial Day to everyone.
This day is for all the soldiers that never came home. This day is for them. Our family was lucky we've had generations of our boys joining in the wars, but all of them came home. We've been very blessed.

Anyways, since Memorial Day fell on 'Music Monday' I'm going to mix the two together. This post is going to be dedicated to all those soldiers. I even felt the patriotic feel last night when I was working. Last night I had to bake so I decided to try and go all out with my donut decorations! Well, there's only so much I'm allowed to do, but I tried! I was so proud of my accomplishments! Here's the donuts of Memorial Day:

These are Vanilla Cream

These are vanilla dip with the sprinkles I made! Red, white, and blue

These are strawberry vanilla with the red, white, and blue sprinkles



Here's some videos that are in memory of the men and women who never came home:

Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood



In The Arms of An Angel, A Tribute by: Mushafugga


The True Meaning of Memorial Day by hugenuts69:


President Obama Makes a short speech asking Americans to Remember their soldiers:





No matter what country you're from, you should just take about 5 minutes today  to remember those soldiers that died throughout your countries history. Even though Memorial Day is an American holiday, everyone should remember that their soldiers died for them. I can't help but cry any time a folded up flag is handed to a loved one at the funeral. My Grandpa Carol served in WWII. He died a couple years ago from old age. At the funeral, I held up okay, but I really lost it when the army man handed my mom and aunt that folded up flag. It's so sad, because in all reality thats all you have left of that person.

I usually like to end these posts on a happy note, but I won't this time. It may be a holiday, but it's a sad day. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

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<3Carole Rae

Sunday, May 29

New Movie Review: The King's Speech


Length: 118 mins
Released: 2010 (USA)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Rating: R-rating, some language
Directed By: Tom Hooper
Where I Got It: Borrowed it from Library





The King's Speech follows the Duke of York and his wife. It starts out with the Duke being forced to give a little speech at a horse derby. No biggy, right? Wrong. He has a stammer, so he bombs the speech. For a while, his wife has been hiring physicians to try and remove his stammer problem. However, none has been able to help him, so Elizabeth (the wife) finds the man that can: Lionel Logue. As time goes on Lionel and George (the Duke) train. During this time drama is unfolding in Buckingham Palace: the old king dies, Hitler is on the move, and George's oldest brother has denounced the throne for an American who has divorced two or three times. These events pave the way for George to be king.

Colin Firth (Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones Diary) plays the King/Duke George, Helena Bonham, Carter (Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter series) as the Queen/Duchess Elizabeth, Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean series, Shakespeare in Love)  plays the speech therapist Lionel Logue, and Guy Pearce (The Count of Monte Cristo, Flynn) as King Edward. There's many stars in this one.

  There is one word that can sum up this movie: wow. After watching it I was...speechless (don't mind the pun). This movie DID deserve all those Oscars. It's such a touching story. I could really connect with King George, because all my life I've had a lisp and the phenomenon known as tongue-tie. Both of those aren't that noticeable due to the speech classes I had to take in my youth, but it still slips. I've never had to give nationalized speeches to millions of people, but I did/do have to give speeches in front of my peers. All his life he was teased and harassed because of his stammer. Even by his own brother. They use to call him B-B-Bertie. That's awful. Lucky for me I have no siblings.

I was worried I would be bored after a while, but they kept my attention throughout the whole movie. I enjoyed every minute of it! The only thing I can think of that I didn't like was the Archbishop who was played by Derek Jacobi. He was jerk. Also, if I had made the movie I would've showed a flashback of George's childhood when he was talking about it. Perhaps they should have focused a little more on Lionel's life too. Besides that I can't think of anything thing else. This was a great movie.

Out of five stars, I'll have to give it five stars. ^.^ If you have any like of history or a good movie, you should watch this. It's a great inspirational movie that will live on through the decades. I know I'll be re-watching this movie a time or two in the near future.

Would I re-watch?: 
As I said above, I will be re-watching this. ^.^






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<3CaroleRae


Saturday, May 28

Book Review: Emma

Author: Jane Austen
Title: Emma
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Classics
Pages: 396
First Published: 1815
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Barnes&Nobles)


"Charming, willful Emma Woodehouse amuses herself by planning other people's lives. When her interfering backfires, she learns a bitter lesson: well-intentioned busybodies are as resented as those motivated by ill will, and everyone should learn to respect the individuality of others."





The summary doesn't do the novel any justice. There's so much more to Emma then that. It's very complex and confusing at times. It took me a while to finish this one. I've been reading this novel for a month and a half now. Unlike Jane Austen's other novels, I wasn't very interested in the story or the characters. I felt distant from all the characters; I didn't connect with any of them. I usually become attached to at least one character, however it wasn't the case for this one. I hated Emma. She was annoying and very naive. She's a terrible friend to poor Harriet (I felt bad for Harriet the whole time) and she didn't deserve Mr. Knightely at the end. He was such a warm-hearted man. 


This one by Jane Austen is my least favorite out of all her books (I still have Northanger Abbey and her other short stories to read). It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I just can't stand characters like Emma and she was heroine. Even though I didn't like the story or the characters I still liked this book because of HOW Jane Austen wrote it. I love how Jane Austen writes. You can't help but love her writing techniques. I also loved the meaning behind the story: don't be like Emma and you'll be okay and people will actually like you. Well, I don't think that's the EXACT meaning, but that's the jest of it.   
  




I did like Mr. Knightely and Harriet though. They weren't that bad. Also, I enjoyed the fact that none of the characters were perfect little angels. They all had real, human flaws! For example, Emma may have been pretty, but she was a busybody and not the brightest crayon in the Crayola box. She would probably be the black one or the gray one. I appreciate when authors do that and Jane Austen is the queen of making characters seem like real humans, not robots. 


Anyways...it's hard to pick a rating for this. I've been thinking all day about what I should rate this novel. Usually a number just pops into my head when I'm done or when I sit down and turn on my computer on to begin my review-writing, but nothing has popped into my head until now. 


In the end I have to give this book a four...in all reality it would be a 3.6. However, I don't give decimals, so I must round up. ^.^ Anyone who loves Jane Austen and hasn't read this book yet, should. It shows her as the genius she really is! If you love history or you just love that time period you must read it. I also recommend it to people who just love to read books. This IS a classic and everyone should attempt to read it.
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<3Carole Rae

Wednesday, May 25

Wildcard Wednesday:Music/Movie Edition

I feel bad that I skipped last week! However, I couldn't wait to post my review! If you know anything about me, patience is NOT one of my virtues. =) The moment I finish a book or movie, I have to force myself to wait a couple hours before I rush to my computer to begin writing.


Anyways...this week I pulled the Ace of Hearts, which means that I'll post something that deals with music and/movies!


I believe that I was meant to pick this card. Why? I have two good reasons: 1) I was just given a movie I've been dieing to see and 2) Sarah just won a singing contest the other day (I knew she was going to win). I think this card was fate!

Sarah may stab me for sharing this video...but it wasn't me who uploaded it, her aunt did, so I have every right to share this ^.^ This video is of Sarah singing the song that would win her the contest (she's an amazing opera singer), Somewhere from West Side Story:





I would like to also announce the next movie of the week here and now (again no patience and my strong sense of fate is seeping through my will-power). This week the movie is *drums rolls*....'The King's Speech'!! Here's a trailer:



This movie stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. I can't wait to see this movie! Since I seen the first trailer, I've been dieing to watch it. No one wanted to go with me to see it, so I didn't go. My dad gave me this movie, so I can watch it from the comforts of my own home. Thanks Daddy! 

Well, that's that. I hope you enjoyed this edition of Wildcard Wednesday. =)


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<3CR









Tuesday, May 24

Book Review: Wolf Shadow

Author: Madeline Baker
Title: Wolf Shadow
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 345
First Published: 2003
Where I Got It: Library

"Kidnapped by Lakota Indians as a child, Teressa Bryant was raised as a beloved member of their tribe. Ten years have erased the memory of her abduction -- and of her true family. Now called Winter Rain, she is on the verge of accepting the marriage proposal of a warrior -- until a handsome stranger appears, searching for the girl with the deep blue eyes . . . Half Lakota and half white, Chance McCloud is known to his mother's people as Wolf Shadow. Hired by Winter Rain's birth parents to bring her home, Chance soon finds himself torn between his obligation and the enchanting woman who has roused his untamed longing."

This is the second book I've read that Madeline Baker has written. I will admit it now...I had high expectations for this and it was a slight let down. It's never good to go into a book with expectations. However, I loved Lakota Love Song and I was hoping I would adore this one too, but I didn't. It was okay.

At first, I couldn't put down the book! I was highly addicted, but at about chapter 8, I found my mind drifting. There were a few dry spots scattered across the book which made the book a little hard to read. Those undry spots were wonderful! I really did like the story Madeline Baker told, but at those dry spots I would sit the book down and not pick it up for a day and not really care. There was a lot of unnessary parts scattered about. A lot of bits that had nothing really to do with the storyline. Besides that, I enjoyed all the characters and how they had faults. Characters seem more realistic and relateable when they have flaws. Like Winter Rain she was not the brightest bulb in the bunch and a little naive and Wolf Shadow was...selfish and a jerk sometimes.

 All-in-all, I found myself not wanting to read this sometimes when a boring or an unnessary part came up. However, I enjoyed the story and the characters. It's hard to pick rating for this one. There's a lot of negatives, but a large amounts of positives. I think I'll have to give this book 3 stars***. I plan to read more of Madeline Baker novels in the future. =) I do recommend this book to someone who wants a light and predictable read for a lazy summer day.
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<3CR

Music Monday/Tuesday!



Sorry about the delay in posting! I spent the day shopping with Sarah. It was a lot of fun until her boy joined us and was cranky and kept wanting to leave WalMart. Men. Can't live with them, can't shop with them. Once we dropped him off we ate some dinner and watched Last House On the Left (2006), the uncut version. I had seen this one before with Megan. It's a good movie. Very gory and very....graphic. It is defiantly not for the weak-of-heart. We enjoyed it, but by the time it was over it was midnight and dark outside. I walked her to her car and talked to her on the phone until she got home. The movie freaked us out a little bit. It doesn't help that I have the phobia of being kidnapped....


Anyways...that is why my post for Music Monday is late this week. I hope you enjoy this selection of videos/music:

This one reminds me of Winter Rain's (Teresa) love for Wolf Shadow (Chance) in the book I'm currently reading, Wolf Shadow. She's a little obsessed over this guy. His affection and love is her drug. She tends not to think clearly when she's around her. Also, I really do like this song Just to clarify, Chance does not have a beard:

Your Love is My Drug by Kesha

Another song that popped into my head while reading my current book (I love this song and it's my ultimate favorite ever):

Mr. Brightside by The Killers




A funny video for you which also has an important message in it. This is by kevjumba:


One more funny video/song to make your week a little happier. This is by Barelypolitical:




I hoped you enjoyed these videos. ^.^

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<3CR



Sunday, May 22

Movie Review: Letters From Iwo Jima

~Sorry for the delay, this was suppose to be posted Saturday, but the possible end of the world delayed this. Haha ^.^ Lucky for us, the world is still here~



Length: 141 mins
Released: 2006 (USA)
Genre: Drama, War
Rating: R-rating, graphic war scenes
Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Gift from Daddy)





Letters From Iwo Jima was directed by the famous Clint Eastwood and produced by Steven Spielberg, Mr. Eastwood, and Robert Lorenz. Ken Watanabe (Inception, Memoirs of a Geisha) plays the famous General Kuribayashi, Kazunari Ninomiya (Yellow Tears) plays the lovable Saigo, Hiroshi Watanbe (The Last Samurai) plays the loyal Lieutenant Fujita, and Yuki Matsuzaki (Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides) as my favorite character: Nozaki.

The movie starts off in 2005 with a group of Japanese scientists/researchers (whatever they were) looking around in the caves of Iwo Jima. They suddenly find something, but while they dig for it time lapses back into 1944.

The movie focuses on the Japanese viewpoint before and during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Mostly, the movie follows General Kuribayashi and Private Saigo. The movie goes on to show the lives of soldiers stationed on the island that is the last stepping stone to the Japanese mainland. If the US gains control over this island,  the US has a perfect spot to attack the Japanese mainland. These soldiers must defend this island until their last breathe or the war is pretty much over and their loved ones' lives are in jeopardy.

This movie still requires a box of Kleenex, even though I've seen this movie a handful of times now. I really love this movie. Even though I'm an American, I still love this movie more than a lot of my other favorite war movies. It's a different aspect of the war that consumed the entire world. Many people don't understand the Japanese at that time. They see them as evil-doers and savages, however they had been taught the same thing towards America. I really am grateful for Clint Eastwood and his crew for making this movie, even though you have to watch it and read the subtitles; unless you speak Japanese. I would love to learn the language.

This is defiantly the wrong movie to have favorites in, you should try to remain unemotionally attached to all of the characters. It's hard though, because Clint Eastwood forces you to become attached to a lot of the characters. SPOILER: Pretty much all the characters die, thats why. My favorite, Nozaki, even dies. There is only a couple characters that survive at the end. It's really sad, so thats why I say not to become attached to any of the characters. SPOILER ENDED. Even though this movie is a cry-fest I do recommend that everyone watch this movie. It's really hard to judge a movie like this, these characters really existed and the letters they wrote were real.

Out of five stars, I grant this movie 5 stars. I wish I could give this movie more. It had every emotion in it: happy, funny, sad, depressing, hopeful, revenge, anger, and etc. It's like a roller coaster for your emotions. Well, go out there and watch this movie! If you want to. ^.^


Saigo


Nozaki







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<3CaroleRae
    

Wednesday, May 18

Book Review: Letters From Iwo Jima

(This week we're not having a Wildcard Wednesday post, because I feel that book reviews are more important (sorry Wildcard posts). Plus this book/story has a special spot in my heart and I can't wait to post into until tomorrow.)

Author: Kumiko Kakehashi
Title: Letters From Iwo Jima
Genre: NonFiction, History, War
Pages: 248
First Published: 2007
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)


"Letters From Iwo Jima reveals the true story of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the subject of two films directed by Clint Eastwood. Flags of Our Fathers tells the story of US Marines who raised the flag about the island: the iconic image of the war with Japan. Letters From Iwo Jima tells the story from the Japanese point of view. At the heart of this story is the maverick general Tadamichi Kuriyabashi, devoted family man, brilliant leader and the first man on the island to know they were all going to die.

As Clint Eastwood comments, 'General Kuribayashi was a unique guy. He liked America. He thought it was a mistake to go to war. American was too big an industrial complex.' Unlike most Japanese officers, he had traveled abroad, spent time in America, and was under no illusions as to the ultimate end. He fought and died to delay the Americans for as long as he could. He knew that once the island fell, it would be used as an airbase by US bombers to strike Tokyo. His unorthodox methods made this the fiercest battle the US Marines have ever faced, and he sustained resistance far longer than anyone believed possible.

Kumiko Kakehasi's heart-rending account is based on letters written home by the doomed soldiers on the island, mostly family men, conscripted late in the war. She reveals a very different Japanese army from the popular image. It is an incredibly moving portrayal of men determined to resist to the last breath."

Books like these are always hard to comment on. This is a true story based on their very real letters. As I said before, I have a respect for the Japanese. Especially for the Japanese soldiers in WWII. Even though both of my grandfathers fought in WWII, I still can't help but respect and honor these men. I especially have a high respect for every man who fought in the Battle for Iwo Jima. It was one of the bloodiest battles out of the whole war.

The book only made me tear up a couple of times, mostly when she would share a 'final message' letter that the soldiers would write to their families. At a certain point in time they stopped delivering letters from the island, so they were mostly isolated. The only form of communication was to Head Quarters, I guess. I found this terrible. The men knew that they were more than likely never to return home. Which the high majority didn't. Whole units were wiped out. Out of about 23000, only 216 were taken prisoner alive.

I really liked this book. I couldn't put it down. The book is like a car-crash, you can't help but read, even though it's terribly depressing. I loved how the author included bits and pieces of actual letters, not just summarizing what the man said to his family. I loved reading General Kuribayashi's letters to his wife and kids, I'm so glad that his family decided to share these letters.

The only thing I didn't like was how she jumped all over the place! One minute you'd be on the island with Kuribayashi, then the next moment you're in present day at a memorial. I wished she made it more in chronological order. It was just annoying sometimes, but I sort of understand why she did that.

Like earlier stated, it's hard to judge a book like this. All of this is real. Every letter was real. Every soldier was real.

Out of five stars, I'm granting this book 5 stars *****. I do recommend that everyone should read this sometime in their life if they have any interest in WWII or Japanese history. Or if you're just a history buff you should read it.

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<3CaroleRae



Tuesday, May 17

Fun At Work: The Epic Tale of Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons, fun? How is that possible? If you know anything about me, you know that I have a certain hatred towards Tim Hortons, however I do love the people there (99% of them, that is). I love my co-workers.

Well, there is two purposes for this post: 1) I have some Tim Horton News and 2) I want to share a taste of the people I have to deal with.

First, I'll get the news out of the way:

First, Sarah is officially a Timmy Hos worker. She's been worker there for a couple weeks now. I haven't worked with her yet, but I'm sure I will in the upcoming future! Second, Anee just left for maturnity leave. Boo! Well, it's a good thing I guess. She hasn't had her baby yet, but he's going to be here any day! I can't wait! Third, I'll be working more hours because we are extremely short-handed. It's the time of the year when people quit, have babies, and are fired. Ugh. Also, I'll be working more hours once my semester is over (I'm not enrolling in the Summer semester).  That's all the Tim Horton News I have for this time.

Now for the funny/stupidness:

When me and Sarah were hanging out, we decided to give ourselves 'tattoos' that would forever remind us of work....don't worry the permant marker came off after 4 hours. =(











Last week when I walked into work Zach and Jo asked me, "Carole, are you part of the Empire?"
I replied with a roll of the eyes, "Sure." After that it was downhill. I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about. Me, never watching 'Star Wars' or anything like that didn't catch the joke right away. It was hilarious though! They kept me laughing until their shift ended. Zach drew this picture and put it on the bulletinboard over the schedule sheet:

As you can see, I'm now Darth Carole

=) I love Tim Hortons...well maybe I don't love that place, but I love the people I work with. What do you love about your work?

<3CaroleRae aka Darth Carole

Monday, May 16

Music Monday #4

It's Monday again! And you know what that means: MUSIC TIME!

I've spent all weekend determining what I wanted to share this week. I was still unsure, so my post is a little late today. I knew for sure that I wanted to find something that's related to one of my books I'm reading currently. Since one of those books is 'Letters From Iwo Jima' which inspired my next Movie of the Week, I've decided to show you a video or two about the movie. Here's one created by Rommel5055Returns featuring the song So Far Away by Staind:


Here's another one, but it's by spunkyjp11 featuring the song What If I Died Tomorrow:




Oh jeez, those videos are so sad. I'll now present something happier:



I hope you enjoyed my assortment of music/videos today. =)

<3CR

Sunday, May 15

The Next Movie of the Week is...

The Next Movie of the Week is: Letters from Iwo Jima! I have seen this movie a couple times before, but since I'm reading the book that inspired the movie, I have no choice but to watch this movie and give my honest review on it.

I'll have to have a box of Kleenex next to me, because the last time I watched it I was sobbing like a baby. It's a wonderful story, but ultimately it's one of the most sad. This movie gives a different side of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Many people I know refuse to watch this film, because it's the Japanese viewpoint of the battle that changed the war forever. However, I like watching both viewpoints. Here's a trailer:



^.^

<3CaroleRae

Friday, May 13

Movie Review: Kiss the Girls

~Just so you know, this review was suppose to be posted yesterday night, but for some reason Blogger.com wasn't working. I'm glad everything is working again! Enjoy~


Length: 115 mins
Released: 1997 (USA)
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Drama
Rating: R-rated, terror, violence, language
Directed By: Gary Fleder
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Mom and Daddy gave it to me as a gift)


'Kiss the Girls' was based off the novel written by the famous James Patterson. I'll definitely have to check out that book series in the future. The movie follows the forensic psychologist, Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) and intern surgeon/doctor Kate (Ashley Judd). The story takes place in North Carolina (where Megan is going next week for a few days). Alex Cross heads out there after his niece, Naomi, is missing. While he's looking for anything that will help find Naomi, he's dragged into this case of a serial kidnapper and killer, whose been not only taking girls on the east coast but also on the west coast, when they find the body of this girl named Megan (scary). Megan had been a victim of this killer/kidnapper. The man is called Casanova and his next victim will be Kate.

This movie is star-packed. Alex Cross is played by Morgan Freeman (Along Came a Spider, Lean On Me, Bruce Almighty), Kate is played by Ashley Judd (Double Jeopardy, High Crimes), Carey Elwes as Nick (Princess Bride, Twister, Lady Jane), and Bill Nunn (Spiderman movies) as John Sampson.

This movie is a psychological thriller and my expectation of the movie was not a let-down. I loved this movie years ago and I still love it after all this time. I tried to watch it as if I never seen it before, so I watched it was my friend Meganie. It freaked her out a little bit! It also freaked me out too, because not only was one the victims named Megan, but another victim was named Carol(e)! I had forgotten that part.

I loved how well they did this movie. You're on the edge of your seat the whole time. There was a couple dull moments, but even in those dull moments there's important things going on. This is defiantly not one of those movies you can go to the bathroom without pausing. I hate to keep rambling, because I may give up a spoiler or two. I tend to do that, but let me say just one more thing! You will not expect who is Casanova, the great kidnapper/killer. I knew who did it after re-watching, but the first time I watched it I was completely thrown off balance by the discovery of who Casanova was.

This movie is a wonderful movie! It's a great way for people to want to watch a good thriller. It's not gory, just a little blood here and there. Re-watching this, has increased my interest in reading the books. I hope you give this movie a shot. Out of five stars, I grant this 5 stars *****!! Yayy!

Would I re-watch?: 
Yup, can watch this a million times and the mystery always seems new. haha



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.<3CR

Wednesday, May 11

WildCard Wednesday: Random Edition

Yet here we are again. The week is halfway over. *cheers*. Well, for this week I drew the Joker card. This means that I must post something funny, silly, or just something random. I have a few things I could show you or discuss, but since Mother's Day just passed I decided to dedicate this post to my mom. This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my mom. I think the looks on our faces are priceless. I was cute back then, what happened? =D:






My mom has been one of the most influential people in my life. We fight a lot, but that's just how things go sometimes. Perhaps we are both too stubborn. Who knows, but I love my mom. She's really funny. She's such a social butterfly and people tend to draw to her, because of her charms and wits. My mom may not be the most book smart person, but her common sense is sharp and her charisma is even sharper. I sometimes find myself envying her, because it's so easy for her to make friends. Even all my friends love her and call her 'Mom'. My mom is 50 something years old, but people tend to be surprised about that! They always exclaim, "I thought you were in your early forties!" I pray that I'm that lucky. That's another thing I envy about her, she was and is so pretty. All the boys chased after her! I wish I looked more like her, but the older I get the more I look like my father, Greg.

Her life as not been an easy one, but she always looks back at her past and says, "There was a reason that I had to go through that." Things like that make me love her more. I love everything about my mom, no matter how much I may complain about her. I will admit, I don't always show her how much I truely love her. I'm a capricorn, I tend to be a little cold sometimes towards the ones I love. I can't help it. However, I do tell her I love her everytime we get off the phone or one of us leaves the house. Since the time I could write, she tells me I should write about her life. I usually just roll my eyes and laugh, but there are those times I highly consider it. Maybe that could be my first novel! :D Who knows?

Well, there's so much more I could say, but I bet I lost many readers at the first paragraph, so I'll just end this post now. My mom may not be perfect, but I love her all the same. Here's a question: what is one memory of your mom you cherish the most? Also, have you hugged your mother today?
One of my most cherished memories of my mom was when her and my dad, Mark, danced to this song at my Sweet 16th Birthday many years ago. This song is my mom's favorite song of all time (it's okay):





I hope the rest of your week flys by quickly, so you can be a party animal this weekend. =D

<3CaroleRae

Tuesday, May 10

Book Review: Royal Pains

Author: Leslie Carroll
Title: Royal Pains
Genre: NonFiction, Biographies
Pages: 432
First Published: 2011
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

"The bad seeds on the family trees of the most powerful royal houses of Europe often became the rottenest apples. In an effort to stave off wrinkles, sixteenth-century Hungarian countess Erzsebet Bathory bathed in the blood of virgins, and for kicks and giggles devised more ingenious forms of torture than even the uberviolent autocrats Vlad 'the Impaler" Dracula and Ivan the Terrible ever imagined. Lettice Knollys strive to mimic the appearance of her cousin Elizabeth I and even stole her man. The Duke of Cumberland's sex-capades and subsequent clandestine marriage led to a law that still binds England's royal family. And the libidinous Pauline Bonaparte scandalized her imperial brother, Napoleon, by having a golden drinking goblet fashioned in the shape of her breast."

This book follows the lives of many historical royal pains. Every single one of them was horrid and lived extremely crazy lives. From Vlad the Impaler to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. This novel gives great detail about these people; not only what they did, but their childhoods and possible reasons why they did what they did. Many had very abnormal and bad childhoods. Some were just psychotic and had something wrong with their mind. Since I'm taking General Psychology right now, I found this book very helpful and a way to place my knowledge of the mind. I made a game of trying to diagnosis those rotten apples.

I loved how Leslie Carroll told each tale. Yes, she seemed to drift a little bit and talk a little too much about other people. However, I think it was necessary to understand what that royal pain had to deal with. I especially loved Leslie Carroll's writing style. She had lots of puns and plenty of wit in every paragraph. This book is a wonderful book about some of the most shady characters of the past. I enjoyed each tale she brought to the table.

Being an honest person, I must tell what I disliked about the novel. I believe she should've had more order about how she placed each story. If I had written this fantastic book, I would've done a count down. Perhaps save the biggest royal pain for last. Or in chronological order. Something like that. Also, I hated how she tended to focus too much on someone other than what the chapter was about. For example, she would spend too much time writing about Vlad's father. I tended to drift off and not focus on the beginning.

Besides for those two things, I really adored this book! It's hard to write how much I liked it. Yes, it may have been formated as a history book, but it felt like little mini-stories. It's hard to example. If you haven't read this book yet, you should! You'll learn so much about the rotten apples in the past. It really makes you appreciate living in a civilized world where people don't generally do things like that. All-in-all this book has recieved 5 out of 5 stars. ^.^ I plan to read more of Leslie Carroll's books in the future.

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<3Carole Rae

Monday, May 9

Music Monday #3 and Blog News

A third Monday has come and gone in the world of blogging. This is the third 'Music Monday' post for Carole Rae's Random Ramblings. I love posting something that makes me happy before Tuesday, because thats when my week of classes begin. I love college in many ways, but I loath it a lot too. That's life and life isn't easy. 


This is defiantly me. XD




Well, as you may or may not know I've been reading 'Royal Pains' by Leslie Carroll (which I'm loving so far). I'm nearly done, I could possibly be done and have a review by tomorrow. Sometimes when I'm just relaxing and reading I tend to put on my mp3 player. When I got to Lettice Knollys part a song came on that would make me laugh and say "wow, this oddly goes with every historical person in this book." And that song would have to be non-other than "S&M" by Rihanna. I wanted to share that story with you and post that song (if you haven't heard it). Yes, 99% of the people in that book tend to be a little scandalous both in public and in private. This song especially reminds me of Lady Pauline Bonaparte and Lettice Knollys Enjoy:






Also, I want to share with you my new favorite song of the moment...it's already a personal favorite of mine, but I'm addicted to this song for the moment:




One more video before I end this post ^.^. Here's another funny one to brighten your dreary Monday (make sure you watch until the very end...the end is epic):





Well, I hope you enjoyed today's video selections. I can't wait until next Monday! Oh! There are two new things on my blog. One is to let everyone know what my favorite song is, which is labeled as 'Favorite Song(s) of the Moment' and also, I have a quote of the week. If you have an suggestions for songs I might like or if you want to share some quotes with me go ahead and let me know!


<3CR