Saturday, December 31

My Life According to the Books I Read, 2011 edition





~This meme is hosted by Christine from The happily ever after blog. It's sort of like the MadLibs of the book world...
Using only titles of books that you read this year (2011), complete the prompts below. Try not to repeat any book titles. Think creatively and have fun!~


Okay....I told a lie. The last post wasn't the last post of 2011, this one is. I have to work tonight and I'm bored, so I'm doing this meme too. Thanks Blodeudd and Anachronist for introducing me to this cool meme and the fantastic blog that hosts this. The blog and the blogger are pretty cool.  Anyways...shall we begin?




Describe yourself: 
Crazy Snake by Robert J. Conley 



How do you feel: 

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George


Describe where you currently live: 
House Made of Dawn by N.Scott Momaday

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien 

Your favorite form of transportation:
The Tokadio Road by Lucia St. Claire Robson (so I guess I like walking)

Your best friend is:

My Irresistible Earl by Gaelen Foley (yummah)


You and your friends are:
Royal Pains by Leslie Carroll



What's the weather like: 

The Snow Fox by Susan Fromberg Schaffer (that doesn't really make sense...)


What is life to you: 

Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare (this is a metaphor...life is a shrew)

Favorite time of day: 
The Time of the Dragon by Dorothey Eden

Your fear:

Touch of the Wolf by Susan Krindard (being eaten by something is scary.)



What is the best advice you have to give: 

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly


Thought for the day:

A Call to Heroism by Peter Gibbon (my hero name would be Carole Awesome-pants...okay, I still have to work on the name...)

How I would like to die:
by being The Knight of Maison-Rouge by Alexandre Dumas

My soul's present condition: 
Fools Crow by James Welch

Again...happy New Years everyone! 

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<3CaroleRae

Favorites of 2011



Hi everyone! How are you guys? Are you excited for the new year? I am! Whenever a new year approaches, I get really excited to see whats going to happen. It's like a new book...you're not sure what to expect, but you're dying to flip the next page.

Well, I originally planned to have my 'favorites of 2011' to be divided into three separate posts, but time was against me and I had a couple posts I wanted to post beforehand. *sighs* Oh well, I'll just jam pact this post with my three categories of 'favorites'.

Alright, there are three different categories: 1. Music 2. Movies and 3. Books (of course). I nominated about five or so to each 'favorite' and slowly and carefully eliminated one by one until there was a single nominee left. If there was a tie I used Random.org to help me break the tie. ^.^ BY THE WAY, these are of my own personal opinion...shall we begin?

CATEGORY 1: MUSIC

~Favorite Solo Artist of the Year:
Adele


~Favorite Band/group of Artists of the Year:
AZIATIX


~Favorite Song of the Year:
'Party Rockers Anthem' by LMFAO







CATEGORY 2: MOVIES
~Female Movie Character of the Year:
Bulma from Dragonball: Evolution played by Emmy Rossum



~Male Movie Character of the Year:
John Dillinger from Public Enemies played by Johnny Depp


~Movie of the Year:




CATEGORY 3: BOOKS
~Female Book Character of the Year:
Kate Masden from My Dangerous Duke by Gaelen Foley


~Male Book Character of the Year:
Matshuito from The Snow Fox by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer


~Author of the Year:
Gaelen Foley. In 2011, alone, I've read 3 of her books. So far I've kept up and I've read all her books. Right now I'm reading her most recent release My Ruthless Prince.



(Now it's time for the biggie....)
~Book of the Year:
*drumroll*Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn! I even "casted" this book, click here to see who I seen while reading this book... 



Do you guys like my choices? I feel very set in stone on my favorites of the year! I'm dying to see what I'll stumble upon in 2012. ^.^ Leave me your links to your 'favorites' or 'top tens' of 2011! I hope you all have a fun and safe New Years! I'll be stuck at work working a midnight. *thinks* I wonder how they got me to work a midnight -.- Anyways, have fun for me too!

PS-This is the last post of 2011. *sad face* It's so bittersweet...
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<3CaroleRae

Friday, December 30

Movie Review: Gnomeo & Juliet

Length: 84 mins
Released: February 11, 2011 (USA)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Family
Rating: G

Directed By: Kelly Asbury
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Wal-Mart)



Gnomeo and Juliet is another re-make of the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet. However, its about the gnomes in you garden. Okay, maybe not yours forsay. Like the original tale there are two families, Montague (Reds) and Capulet (Blues), who have been feuding since the creation of the garden. Soon, Gnomeo and Juliet came to meet and they quickly fall in love. Will their love conquer all or will they meet the same tragic fate as the original Romeo and Juliet?!


There is a nice voice cast to this film. James McAvoy (Wanted, Narnia, Band of Brothers) - yummah - is the voice of the lovestruck Gnomeo, Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria, The Wolfman) as the rebellious Juliet, Maggie Smith (Harry Potter, David Cooperfield) as Lady Bluebury, Ozzy Osbourne (Little Nicky) as Fawn, and Matt Lucas (Alice in Wonderland, Shaun of the Dead) as Benny. There are plenty more, so click thiiiis to check out the rest of the cast.


I watched this with Sarah, Anee, and baby Isaac on my birthday. We all really enjoyed it! Even Isaac watched a full 30 minutes non-stop. I think it was the colors...it was a really colorful film! If you have a baby or a young kid, they'll enjoy this film. Trust me.


Anyways, I really adored this movie. It was very cute and I was laughing throughout the movie. Okay, for us older people there are a lot of...well...dirty references that made me crack up laughing. Be warned! haha. Not only did I laugh at the dirty jokes, but I laughed at the nice innocent jokes, so it was well balanced. The makers also did a wonderful job at pulling at your heartstrings. I couldn't help but almost tear up when the Featherstone the Flamingo told his story of a lost love. So sad, so sad. 


I thought it was super clever of the makers to have a statue of William Shakespeare come to life and talk to Gnomeo. Even though I loath Romeo and Juliet, I adored this variation. It was very original and I can't think of anything negative to say...weird, eh? It had a wonderful voice cast, great colors, great animation, fantastic dialogue, great plot, an amazing moral lesson (wars are bad, love is good), and etc. Not only is a great film for the kiddos, but its a great movie to watch with your friends. 


Overall, I simply adored this movie! It was so cute, sad, and hilarious! I still can't think of anything negative to say. That's very odd, because I usually come up with at least a tiny little annoyance. Oh well. Out of five stars, I grant this one 5 stars! Huzzah! Yayy! I would recommend this to anyone who loves a cute little film to warm up their cold winter night. I highly recommend this to those with kids and babies...the colors and etc keep them entertained for at the minimum of 30 minutes. 

Would I re-watch?: 
Eh, if it was on TV. 


Favorite Character(s): Benny (thats me, haha), Juliet (kick-ass version of Juliet, not the delicate flower they usually make her out to be), and Gnomeo (if only I was a gnome...) 
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Tybalt (what a poop-stain) and Nanette (bleh)
Favorite Quote(s): "The story you about to see has been told before. A lot." - Little Red Gnome.
 "A weed by any other name is still a weed." - Featherstone.

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<3CR



Thursday, December 29

Book Review: Knight of Fire


Author: Shannon Drake
Title: Knight of Fire
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, adventure, intrigue
Pages: 440
First Published: December, 1993
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Library book sale)



"He conquered her realm...and her heart.

With gentle words and senusous kisses, the steel-eyed Norman invader, Bret D'Anlou, vanquishes beautiful, defiant Princess Allora of the Far Isle. But one love must ultimatley be sacrificed in the treacherous tides of war - either the kingdom noble Allora cherishes...or the magnificent enemy whose touches sets fire her passions aflame."

The moment I opened the book, I was hooked. The story of Allora and Bret was so intriguing and addicting! Their relationship was a love-hate type relationship and I simply adored it! I had no idea on how they would get together in end (well, of course they get together! It's a historical, smutty romance...duh ^.^). They were just both so stubborn and refused to give an inch...especially Bret. He was a pig-headed Norman, who refused to listen.

I felt so bad for Allora, because she kept finding herself in awkward situations that made her look like traitorous wench. Half the time it wasn't her fault and Bret wouldn't listen to the facts. He would just call her liar and slam the door like a five year-old. However, he kept "forgiving" her and that annoyed me more, because he just didn't get it and I wanted to go into the book and kick Bret in the ass and scream at him. Gah. Sorry, but Bret annoyed the heck out of me.

Shannon Drake did a wonderful job developing the characters and the story. I mean, yes, some parts were very cheesy and not realistic, but the majority of the book seemed to come to life. The story flowed very well and I feel that Shannon Drake did an amazing job intertwining facts with the fiction. Even though I found many parts and fights annoying and irritating, I enjoyed every single one.

Besides for my irritation with the male hero, there wasn't much I could complain about. Even the large amount of sexual situations didn't bug me, because it didn't interfere with the story or seem unnecessary. Yes, the "love making" did get a little old at some points, but hey, Shannon Drake would make up for it in the next paragraph or the next chapter and it seemed to always balance itself out.

All-in-all, I really liked this book. It was a fun read and I simply adored Allora's and Bret's story. I even enjoyed the side characters romance. I can't say WHO, because it's suppose to be a big shocker and I don't want to ruin that for those who want to read this. Out of five stars, I grant this one 4 stars. I would recommend this to historical fiction/romance lovers and those who would like a nice and fun read.


Favorite Character(s): David (he was such a good guy) and Allora (I felt so bad for her and I could relate to her in some aspects)
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Bret (gah, a pig-headed Norman) and Robert (-.-)
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<3CaroleRae

Wednesday, December 28

Randomness(3) + Wordless Wednesday + My Bday = Awesome!


Hello everyone! This is a special post, because its a mix of Wordless Wednesday, Randomness Makes the World Go Round, and my birthday! Yes, it's my birthday today...I'm officially 20 years old! Yayy! This post is just going to be random things/pictures I want to share. ^.^




Okay...time to see what happened on my birthday:

~First commercial movie screened, 1895
~American Revolution, British post troops on John's Island, 1781
~Silent-film star and inventor of mechanical turn signal dies, 1938
~American Civil War, Confederate General William Booth Taliaferro is born, 1822
~Earthquake happens in Sicily, 1908
~Calhoun resigns as vice president, 1832
~Denzel Washington is born, 1954
~Argentine novelist Manuel Puig is born, 1932
~Nine people killed in a stampede outside hip-hop celebrity basketball game, 1991 (*gasps* the day and year I was born?)
~Carry Nation attacks a Kansas saloon, 1900
~Central Red Army defeats New York Rangers at MSG, 1975
~Vietnam War, South Vietnamese win costly battle at Binh Gia, 1972
~Woodrow Wilson is born, 1856
~World War II, request made for creation of construction battalions, 1941






I love Angry Birds! Blue Bird is my favorite. ^.^


If only...














Well, thanks for sharing this day with me everyone! I hope your day is fantastic!

PS - My blog is officially, officially it's own website! Huzzah! It was a birthday gift I gave myself and I couldn't be happier. Thank you followers for making this worth it! *hugs*


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<3CaroleRae






Tuesday, December 27

My Dusty Reads (2)


~This is a weekly meme created by Xpressoreads that showcases books that have been sitting on your shelf for a while and is a little dusty...~

Happy Tuesday everyone! How is everyone doing? I'm doing pretty good. I'm super tired, because last night I had to cover a midnight shift *sighs*. My first one in a LONG time. I have two more to cover for this week. Gah! Oh well, its for a good cause, I guess.


Anyways...my dusty book I feel deserves to see the sunlight is A Match for Mary Bennet by Eucharista Ward. I bought this a couple days after Christmas in 2009. So it's been sitting on my shelf for *calculates*...two years now. Wow *blushes*. I don't know why I've neglected this book for so long. Okay...this book WILL be read before 2012 is over! If I don't read it, you guys can throw stones at me. Okay...maybe imaginary stones. Please and thank you. =)


Have any of you read this? Or do any of you need to dust this book off? 
















PS- One more day until my birthday! WOOT WOOT!
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<3CaroleRae

Monday, December 26

Movie of the Week Announcement (Finally)

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been a lazy kid (again). Well, I was a lazy kid with a cause, because I had bought Anee the next movie I was planning on watching and reviewing. I didn't want to announce it, because I was afraid she would find out her gift and I would take it back and get her something else. Better safe then sorry I always say! We were suppose to go see this film in theaters, but the time couldn't be found, so we just decided to wait for it to come on DVD. Wondering what the movie is? It's....Gnomeo and Juliet! *squeals*


Here's a trailer:




I'm really excited to watch this one. =) Have any of you seen this? Did you like it? You can spoil the ending if you like. ^.^

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<3CaroleRae

Music Monday & War Through the Generations Reading Challenge


Happy Monday everyone! How was your holiday weekend? Mine was super busy, but at the same time totally lax. Don't ask me why or how that's possible. Like the title says, this is a 2-in-1 post. ^.^ Not only will I be sharing my favorite videos and songs of the week, but I'll be sharing the first Reading Challenge I'm joining in this year. Woot woot!

"Business, before pleasure" as my mama would say...this year, I'll be joining the War Through the Generations 2012 Reading Challenge. Thank you Blod for sharing this challenge on your blog! Here's the snipbit from the official post:

"War Through the Generation’s 2012 reading challenge will be World War I. The challenge will run from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
Rules:
This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the WWI as the primary or secondary theme.
Books can take place before, during, or after the war, so long as the conflicts that led to the war or the war itself are important to the story. Books from other challenges count so long as they meet the above criteria.
Dip: Read 1-3 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.
Wade: Read 4-10 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.
Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.
Additionally, we’ve decided that since there are so many great movies out there about WWI, you can substitute or add a movie or two to your list this year and have it count toward your totals.
**Note**
*Participants anywhere in the world are eligible for most prizes in the post-challenge drawing!**
*Prize drawings will be for participants finishing the minimum 1-3 books.
*Participants can always read more than their initial goals, and even if you sign up for 11+, but read just 1-3 books, and you’ve officially completed the challenge and are eligible for prizes.
You can decide which books you’d like to read right away, or you can choose them during the course of the challenge. Check out theRecommended Reading: WWI page for suggestions.
***Attention Participants***
We wanted to try something a little different this year, and we thought that it would be fun to do a group review here on War Through the Generations midway through the challenge.
The 2012 book for the read-a-long will be A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway."


I think I'll 'wade'. I'll read 4-10 books (or even watch some movies, since I'm allowed too). Haha. I'm really excited for this reading challenge! I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to read or watch. I'm defiantly going to read All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. It's been sitting on my shelf and TBR for quite some time. Maybe I'll even join in on the read-a-long. Now...time for music!

The first one is another video dedicated to John and Billie from the movie Public Enemies created by the extremely talented tiukudaa. The song is 'Here Without You' by 3 Doors Down. This video made me almost cry. It's just so...sad, but romantic. Enjoy:



Okay...I was a sucker to this song when I first it. I mean...c'mon they have quotes from Blades of Glory in it! Anee and me love blasting this. Haha. Also, I adore Jay-Z. It's 'Ns in Paris' by the wonderful Jay-Z and the infamous Kayne West. ^.^:



Another newish song for all of you! This song is now stuck in my head! It's 'Set Fire to the Rain' by Adele. Sometimes I get goosebumps when I watch this. I feel like this would be Anne Boleyn's theme song. It just fits  her (in my opinion). Enjoy:





Funny video time! Since Christmas was yesterday...here's another funny video making fun of Christmas and Santa. This is 'Santa and I Know It' by Barely Political.




Well, I hope you guys have an amazing week.


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<3CaroleRae


Sunday, December 25

Merry Holidays and Happy Christmas!


I just wanted to take a minute to tell you guys....merry Christmas or merry whatever holiday you believe in! I hope your day is filled with love and jollyness. ^.^ 

This year we are having Christmas at my parents house. I'm so excited! I can't wait for people to open the gifts I got for them! But...I'm super excited to open mine too! Haha. So what are you guys up to today?  


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<3CR

Saturday, December 24

Cast That Book: Touch of the Wolf (3)


~'Cast That Book' is a weekly meme created by moi. This is just something I came up with, to share everyone who I would cast if a certain book became a movie. I got the idea from storycasting.com, so check them out! My secret dream is to be a casting director and this allows me to live it for just an hour or two. Anyone can join! You don't have to pick that book I picked. Any book, any genre! However, I would LOVE to check out who you casted, so share the linkie down below.~

Hello! As you can tell, I finally decided to make 'Cast the Book' into a weekly meme! Woot woot! Anyways, how is everyone doing on this lovely Saturday? Can you believe that Christmas is tomorrow? *gasps* A total shocker! I hope everyone has a careful and jolly weekend!

This week I'm going to be sharing my cast list for Touch of the Wolf. I finally got my cast to how I wanted it. I know it's not a very Christmas-ie type book, but oh well. When do I ever really go with the theme? Not often! However, I hope you enjoy my cast! Maybe my cast will inspire you read the book *winks winks*. Haha:

CAST:
Braden "Lord Greyburn" - Jensen Ackles (yummah. He's my fictional boyfriend) 




Cassidy Holt - Joanna Garcia-Swisher (just dye her hair black)

Miss Isabelle - Drew Barrymore (my twin and role model)
Quentien - Luke Mitchell 

Rowena - Aimee Teegarden

Uncle Matthew/Matthias - Robert Sean Leonard

Who would you cast? 

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<3CaroleRae