Wednesday, November 30

Wordless Wednesday (9)



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<3CaroleRae

Tuesday, November 29

Music Monday/Tuesday...


Again I'm late in posting this...I apologize. I got out of work late and they had me go pick up some things at the Romeo store that we didn't get on truck today. Of course its super rainy and cold and dark outside. Alas, I made it home, but I'm still colder than a cold thing on cold pills. Brrrrrr....anyways, shall we begin with the music?

This song/anthem has been running through my head while I read The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots. I wonder why...it's Scotland's anthem, 'Flower of Scotland'. I may be an Elizabeth fan, but I also adore Mary of the Scots. If only they could have worked together. ANYWAYS, this video also shows some pictures that give a little taste of Scotland. Enjoy:





Ah, another AZIATIX song. ^.^ I'm really loving this band. They're pretty epic. I like all the guys in the band, but Nicky Lee is by far my beloved. He's my pretend "boyfriend". Hahaha, don't judge me. -.- Well, this one is 'Slippin Away':




AND of course the funny video...here's another 'How It Should Of Ended' video by HISHEdotcom. This one is in honor of Twilight...okay....I'll even show the "bonus" scene. Woot woot!




BONUS SCENE





I hope you enjoyed this weeks selection of videos! I hope the rest of your week is AMAZING!

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<3CaroleRae

Saturday, November 26

Cast That Book: Mistress of Rome



I was just going to have a random post today, but I was playing around with some of my casts at Storycasting and I realized...who really sees my casts? Why not share it with fellow book lovers! Plus it's a dream of mine to become a casting director! I told my friend Steven that if he becomes a famous movie director (which he is aspiring to be) to look me up and I'll give him a heck of a cast. Well...I'm bored and I'm going to showcase one of my casts I made at Storycasting.

This week, I picked Mistress of Rome. I've been reading a lot of reviews on this book and I FINALLY got my list to how I wanted it to be. Huzzah for me! 

CASTS:
Thea - Zoey Deschannel


Arius - the smexy Kevin Durand


Paulinus - Ian Somerhalder (^.^)


Lepida Pollia - Megan Dodds


Emperor Domitian - Jason O'Mara



Vercingetorix - Thomas Sangster


Marcus Norbanus - Hugh Laurie


Lady Julia - Emilie De Ravin



Calpurnia - Sarah Bolger


Justina - Jennifer Morrison


Vibia Sabina - Allison Miller



Who do you see in these roles? If you want to check out my review of this book, click HERE I hoped you enjoyed this post and perhaps I'll share more of my casts in the future!

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<3CR







Friday, November 25

Book Review: Lily of the Nile

Author: Stephanie Dray
Title: Lily of the Nile (Cleopatra's Daughter Series, #1)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance  
Pages: 351
First Published: 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)



"To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?"


Even though I was dying to read this book, I kept putting it off. I'm not sure why, but I regret not reading this right away. I love this book! I loved how Stephanie Dray sucked me into the story and I felt like I was there. I felt like a fly on the wall or a ghost watching Selene's story unfold; I love when authors have that ability!


Too be honest I never knew that the legendary Cleopatra had children. Shows what I know about Egyptian history (which isn't a lot at all). As I later discovered that their isn't much concrete information on the life of Selene and her brothers. However, I believed that Stephanie Dray did a lovely job mixing facts, rumors, myths, and just plain ol' imagination into a great story. It's takes a really good writer to do that.


There are a lot of people who tsk at the magic aspect of this novella. However, I loved it! I felt like it gave the book just that extra zing that made this book sparkle. It's like adding hot sauce to a taco. It made it EVEN better! Sometimes adding magic makes books TOO much, but if added just right it make the book. It's a risky thing to add, but Stephanie Dray did a wonderful job. The magic didn't overtake the story, it just enhanced it, so that makes me happy. 


I also read a few reviews that pooped on the fights about religion. I say this to those who say it isn't "christian" enough....that was how the world use to be. Christianity wasn't a world religion yet. Roman gods, Egyptian gods, and etc were the biggies in that time period, so Stephanie Dray was presenting how the world use to be. Sorry, but that's the facts and I'm glad Stephanie Dray presented that world how it was suppose to be. 


As in life there is negatives...I felt like many spots were dry and action-less. I know not that every page has to filled with drama or action, but I felt some little parts were unnecessary. I also wasn't a huge fan of Selene. I felt her loyalty is fickle. She even began to look down at her parents and her goddess, which I think is very fickle of her. Yes, everyone has spells of doubts about things like that, but....I don't know. Besides for those two things, there was nothing else I didn't like...I adored this book.


Overall, this was an adventure and I regret not reading this sooner. I can't wait to read this next book in the series! Stephanie Dray is an excellent author and I look forward to other adventures she'll put my mind through. I recommend this novel to those who love Historical Fictions and Ancient civilizations. Out of five stars, this will be given 5! Woot woot! ^.^


Favorite Character(s): Julia (I don't know why, but I really liked her), Philadelphus (a little cutey, who is just along for the ride), and Helios (another one I can't explain why)
Not-so favorite Character(s): Selene (okay, it was a love-hate thing with Selene. One moment I really liked her, but she made me not like her a lot, maybe that will change in the next book. I found that she was really fickle in a lot of areas) and Octavian (a pompous ass). 
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Movie Review: Breaking Dawn

Length: 117 mins
Released: November 18, 2011 (USA)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Action, Drama
Rating: PG-13, disturbing images, violence, sexuality/partial nudity, and some "thematic elements"
Directed By: Bill Condon
Where I Got It: Seen it at the movie theaters with Anee.

This is part 1 of the fourth movie. It is based off the fourth book in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. The story follows Bella and Edward as they head to the alter and tie the knot. There is some confrontation when the amazingly hot Jacob pops up and tries to convince Bella to NOT do the mcNasty with Mr. Edward Cullen. The story moves unto the lovers going to this private island for their honeymoon. After a while, Bella realizes that she's is pregnant with a vampire's baby *gasp* and this little "bundle of joy" is causing a lot of grief for not only her and her vampire family, but for the werewolves next door....

There are a lot of familiar faces in this one. Kristen Stewart (Panic Room, Cold Creek Manor) as the annoying Bella Swan/Cullen, Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter, Remember Me, Water For Elephants) as the vampirey Edward, Taylor Lautner (The Adventures of Shark-Boy and Lava Girl, Valentines Day) as the hottttttt werewolf Jacob, Booboo Stewart (The Conrad Boys) as the cute werewolf Seth, Chaske Spencer (Skins, Dreamkeeper) as the leader werewolf Sam. There are so many more that deserve to be noted. Click THIS to be transported to a list of the cast.

I've seen all the Twilight movies in theaters, but I have to wait A WHOLE ANOTHER year to see Part 2 of Breaking Dawn. Gah. I personally believe that they could have put the two together and make a pretty good movie. Oh well.

Anee and I really liked this movie. I felt it was worth the wait, but unlike 'Eclipse' I won't be going to back to the cinema to see it again...and again. I didn't like the book, so I'm not a huge fan of the movie either. I really don't like how Stephanie Meyer ended the series...I felt like she took the easy way out.

ANYWAYS, the layout of the story was well done and I believed that the dialogue was written well. I also loved how they put the story into a more open narrative, so that you can see more than what Bella sees. When Bella is knocked out, I loved how they allowed us to see whats going on and all the action that's taking place. It was like a fresh breath of air. I also LOVED the wedding scene and the reception. It was like the calm before the storm. I wish they would have given more face time to the new vamps that came to the wedding.

Ok...there was a lot I LOVED, but there is also a lot I wasn't too sure about. I thought that the visual effects in some parts were cheesy and quickly done. I liked the scene were the werewolves had that quick meeting, but I thought the voices were kind of funny and we couldn't stop giggling. In general, we were just giggling and   cracking jokes through the whole film...that's just how we are when watching movies. Even though I loved the honeymoon bit, I felt like the PG-13 rating was a little too lenient. I know that if I was 13, my parents WOULD NOT let me have seen this. I felt like they really played up the sexy parts and etc, I enjoyed them, but I don't think younger kids should be allowed to see those bits.

There was also a lack of action and at some bits I was a little bored. However, I couldn't keep my eyes off the screen, so it does catch your attention and holds it even with the boring parts. The thing I HATED the most was the ending. Really? That's what you're going to leave us with while we wait a whole year for the next film? Gah.

Overall, I liked this movie and I can't wait for the next movie, because I know I'll love that film much more than I did this one. I was glad when I found out Stephanie Meyer had more power over this film than the past films. I've been debating with myself with what to grant this movie; in the end, however, I'll stamp this with 4 stars. ^.^ I recommend this film to those who love the Twilight movies and those who love romance movies with action mixed in.  

Would I Watch Again?:
Mmmmmm.....I'm not sure on this one...if someone else wanted to watch it...sure...but on my own? Probably not.

Favorite Character(s): Jacob (MUST I explain?), Seth (a cutey-pie and Anee said that, "Carole, that would be you" thanks), and Emmett (^.^)
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Bella (annoying girl), Sam (I usually love him, but in 'Breaking Dawn' he's a little bit of a butt), and Edward (annoying guy. He and Bella deserve each other)
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<3CaroleRae



Thursday, November 24

Happy Thanksgiving


We just got home from my grandma's house and I'm so full that I have a food baby. Haha. I would have had this posted this morning, but I couldn't wake up until right before we headed out. Last night Elyse and I closed Tim Hortons for Thanksgiving. I didn't get home until 2:30 am, but it was worth it to turn off all the lights and to lock the doors. ^.^

ANYWAYS, how was your Thanksgiving this year? Mine was pretty laid back and solemn, even though the Detroit Lions made us a little angry. Oh well. In honor of this day, I'm going to share a quick list of things I'm thankful for:

~My large and lovable family 
~My beloved friends
~My new car
~Baker College for helping me make something of myself
~My work and work friends.
~This blog and all my lovely followers
~All the good and bad things in my life. Without the bad, I wouldn't appreciate all the good things. 


Again....happy Thanksgiving and I hope you all have a great rest of your day!


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<3CaroleRae

Monday, November 21

Music Monday and Movie of Week Announcement


This is a 2-in-1 post. Not only will I be presenting some music videos, but I'll be sharing the next Movie of the Week. ^.^ Exciting, no? First....the next Movie of the Week is......Breaking Dawn! Surprise, surprise. Out of all the Twilight movies, this is the first one I haven't seen opening night of the next day. Oh well, work gets in the way of a lot of things. Anywho, I'm suppose to go with Anee. I'm super excited! Here's a trailer:




Doesn't that give you goosebumps? Poor Jacob, I'll comfort you. ;-) Anywho...on with the music!

First is 'Without You' by David Guetta ft Usher. I really like this song. For some reason it reminds me of Jacob from the Twilight books/movies. I also imagine Juba from 'Lily of Nile' humming this while in Spain. Don't ask why, haha:





Here's a funny video to brighten up your Mondays. Here's another video from the always funny Dom from theDOMINICshow featuring Ryan from Nigahiga in 'Justin Bieber Haunts My Dreams'. Bahahahaha:




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<3CaroleRae


Sunday, November 20

Sunday Ketchup





~'Sunday Ketchup' was inspired by The Muse in the Fog's 'Suddenly Sunday' postings. However, mine are going to be a little bit different. Also when I went to spell 'Catchup' I accidentally spelled it wrong and put 'Ketchup'. I thought it was cute, so I kept it. Also, I'm addicted to ketchup! I want one of those ketchup shirts that says "I <3 Ketchup". Wouldn't that be cute? Every week, or whenever I remember, I'm going to post events that happened this past week, things coming up next week, updates, and news. You can join in and post your own 'Sunday Ketchup' postings, just make sure to mention me...if you want ^.^ ~


Happy Sunday everyone! 

Ugh, it's been a busy weekend. Work (of course) and I even got to go to a small "social gathering" (code name for party created by Alex at work) Saturday after work! I haven't been to a social gathering in quite some time, so it was good to let loose all the stresses that have been weighing down on me. How was your week/weekend?


Past Week Posts:


What Came in the Mail/Store?:
I actually have some books to share that I got over the last couple of weeks! ^.^ 

'Dracula in Love' by Karen Essex. I won this from Allison's giveaway over at The Musings of a Book Junkie


'Wild Child' by Mary Jo Putney. I bought this at Amazon!



These two, I bought from my local Library (they have a cart of books they are selling). Guess for how much? $1.50 -US money- total, for both! A girl can't pass that up, eh?

'Passing Through Paradise' by Susan Wiggs and 'A Prisoner of Versailles' by Golden Keyes Parsons 


What's Going to Be Posted This Week?: 
Mhhmmmmm. I'm not 100% sure, because IT IS Thanksgiving Week. However, I will announce the next Movie of the Week sometime during the week (if all goes to plans I'll even have the review all set to go this week too). We shall see....

Anything New for the Blog?:
I'm still playing around with ideas....but I might be adding a new section/weekly meme to the cycle of other memes I already do. ^.^ Nothing official yet. Any ideas? 

Tim Horton News:
We are going to be closed for Thanksgiving! Woot woot! I'm soooooooo excited. I even get to help close down the store the night before! Besides for that...we have begun to sell our wintery, Christmasy stuff! I realllllllllllllly adore the Timbit Snowman tree ornament. I told Sarah I wanted it for my birthday/christmas. To see more of the stuff click HeRe


Anything Else Worth Mentioning?:
Well, it is Thanksgiving Week, so I wanted to give my thanks for everyone who stops by my blog - followers or just curious passerbyers - thank you so much! 


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<3CaroleRae 







Thursday, November 17

Book Review: Johnny Got His Gun

Author: Dalton Trumbo
Title: Johnny Got His Gun
Genre: Anti-war, Classic, War, Philosophy  
Pages: 256
First Published: 1939
Where I Got It: Erick, at work, told me to read this and let me borrow his copy



"This was no ordinary war. This was a war to make the world safe for democracy. And if democracy was made safe, then nothing else mattered—not the millions of dead bodies, nor the thousands of ruined lives...This is no ordinary novel. This is a novel that never takes the easy way out: it is shocking, violent, terrifying, horrible, uncompromising, brutal, remorseless and gruesome...but so is war."


I feel like that summary from Goodreads doesn't give a great description of what the book is about. The book is an anti-war novel that focuses on a soldier from WWI, Joe Bonham, who finds himself in a hospital bed. He is deaf, blind, mute, has no legs, no arms, and he pretty much has no face. However, he is still alive and his brain works perfectly well. The story is told by Joe who tends to drift into the past and relive major events. He also does a lot of thinking. Mostly about the war and his family and what everything means. 


If you can't tell this is a very morbid and dark story. This books shows the very evils of war. Yes, we hear about men and women dying, but we really ever hear of those so horribly maimed that they lose themselves. Some are physically maimed, others mentally, and in a lot of cases...both. It really makes you think about what we sacrifice when peace can't be made unless through blood. Politicians send out the cry for the citizens to grab there guns and fight, but how many politicians do you see run onto the field of battle? 


I can't really say I loved this book, but I don't hate it. It's one of those books that bring the truth to the surface. I really liked the meaning behind the book and that it makes you think. You think about past wars and the present wars. How many of them were really worth fighting for? Was it worth all the blood and terror? Could there have been other ways to achieve peace? 


My favorite thing about this novel would have to be the title. I find it morbidly and ironically funny. You know the World War I song Johnny Get Your Gun? It's a play off that song and it fits the book well. Just the title alone made me want to read this. Dalton Trumbo did a wonderful job making the read think. He also used symbolisms and similes to his advantage. My "favorite" one would have to be about the rat eating the dead solider. Here's a little snipbit from Sparknotes, I feel like this would explain the rat symbolism far better than I can (don't worry it doesn't contain any real spoilers):  


"Joe dreams that a rat eats from the open wound in his side. The rat is part of a memory that Joe has from the war, when he and other soldiers found a dead Prussian soldier with a rat eating his face. The men chase the rat and beat it to death and feel silly afterward, but Joe recognizes the rat is the true enemy of all the soldiers. The rat represents the warmongers who stand to profit from war, just as a rat feeds itself off of the decay and injury of wounded or dead soldiers."


Okay. This book was a mood killer. I hate to say that, but it really was. I love my anti-war novels and novels of similar taste, but they usually have some silver-liner or some sort of hope. There is a some taste of "hope" in this novel, but its filled with so much sarcasm I wanted to applaud. It took me a little while to finish, because I found my mood reflecting the book and I just wanted to cry sometimes. It wasn't because it was dark or morbid, but it was my pity for Joe. They wouldn't let him die and they didn't want the public to see him, because they feared people wouldn't want to fight anymore. Poor guy.  


All-in-all, I'm really glad Erick made me read this. I did like it and it really made me reflect on past wars and out present wars. It also fueled my disappoint in Government and politicians worldwide. They create these wars and then sit back and watch the "peasants" fight and die. Those who come back are never the same. 


However, the dark mood, lack of hope, and Joe's situation made me depressed. I recommend that everyone reads this someday. Yes, I believe some wars are necessary, but other options should be considered first before giving the war-cry. I'm part of a military family and I still hate war. Out of five stars, I grant this one 3 stars. I would give it 5 stars, but....I don't know.




Favorite Character(s): Joe (he seemed like such a great guy and you can't help but be emphatic towards him) and New Day Nurse (she is a sweetheart and she really cared for Joe)
Not-so Favorite Character(s): The General/or whatever who came and visited Joe (he and everyone else involved are asses. Gah.)
Quote(s) That Stuck With Me: The General or whatever he was tapped this on Joe's forehead (Morse Code), "WHAT YOU ASK IS AGAINST REGULATION WHO ARE YOU"

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<3CaroleRae

Monday, November 14

Music Monday


I guess its not really "late" this week. It's just a few minutes before midnight *wipes sweat from forehead*. I refuse to use the scheduled posting thingy anymore, because it hates me. It only works when it wants to work. ...oh well. I hope your Monday was fantastic! Mine...well...it was okay. 

Shall we begin? I think we shall!

I have three new songs that are stuck in my head. The first one is You Make Me Feel by Cobra Starship. I love this song a lot:



The second is Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes featuring the amazing HOT Adam Levine. Not only do I love this song, but I feel like Braden (from 'Touch of the Wolf') would secretly love this song and want to sing this for Cassidy:





The third is Go by Aziatix. This is a newish band that three guys made. One of those guys is my beloved Nicky Lee (he sings No More Cryin). I'm really beginning to love this song. ^.^ This is my favorite by them so far. I kept finding myself singing this song at work yesterday. Haha. Enjoy:





Now it's time for a funny video. In honor of Justin Bieber (*gags*) and his little public scandal. Here's 'Leave Bieber Alone!' by the always funny Dom from theDOMINICshow:





I hoped you enjoyed today's selection of videos! Cheers!


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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: Touch of the Wolf

(I actually finished this a couple days ago, but I was having a hard time finding time this weekend to type this up. Well, now that my hectic weekend is over, I have found the time! Woot woot!)


BOOK:
Author: Susan Krinard
Title: Touch of the Wolf (Historical Werewolf #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Romance, Werewolves, Paranormal
Pages: 416
First Published: 1999
Where I Got It: Borrowed it from Library


"Braden Forster, Earl of Greyburn, has devoted his life to restoring the purity of his clan's werewolf blood. He spent years searching in vain for a distant American cousin, a woman whose pure wolf bloodline is a vital link in his family's heritage. Braden had thought Cassidy Holt was lost forever--until she appeared one rainy night on the steps of his London mansion...her raven hair in disarray, her skin scented with sunlight and sagebrush. As Braden whisks young Cassidy to his family's secluded country estate, both can sense their undeniable attraction. 


But Cassidy soon learns that they can never satisfy their mutual passion; Braden has already betrothed her to another. Her only hope of claiming the one man she'll always love is to unravel the dark and lustful secrets of his past--"


Alright. I had a reaaaaaallllly hard time getting through the first few chapters, because 1) I was very confused and 2) it seemed to drag on and on, even though it was quick paced. The reason why I was confused was because I skipped the prologue (which I always do), but then I realized I actually have to read it this time and I did and it cleared EVERYTHING up. Thank goodness. Perhaps I would've been more into the first few chapters if I had read the prologue first. I guess there is a good message for all of us prologue-skippers....


Anyways, once I got past the prologue and the first few chapters, I was sitting pretty. I could hardly put the book down! The characters and the plot were intriguing and interesting. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and what the character's futures were. Each character felt real and had real human/werewolfy flaws. I may not have liked every character, but by the end of the novel I understood why they were the way they were.  I also loved the fact that the author had Braden (the main dude) be blind. I'm not saying that being blind is a good thing, but I do get really tired of perfect characters and having a blind hero is a risky step to take and I applaud Susan Krinard! 


The Cause caused a lot of pain and hurt to all the characters, especially Braden. The Cause was Braden's whole life and he was addicted to being the leader of this movement to preserve the werewolf bloodlines. I loved how Susan Krinard created this "Cause" and intertwined it into the story. It created a lot of hurdles for our two lovebirds and even for the other characters. The Cause, in my mind, was a double-edged sword, because it was saving the werewolf bloodlines, but it was also forcing people into marriages and tearing the Forster family apart. 


Besides for the beginning, there was one more thing I didn't like: Throughout the book I felt....confused and baffled. I can't really say why, because I don't want to spoil the book, but there were many rumors flying around about Braden and his late wife...I know that Susan Krinard wanted the reader to feel unsure of the truth and whether or not Braden was a bad guy or good guy. However, the truth flipped flopped so much that by the end I wasn't even sure if the "final" truth WOULD be the FINAL truth. It's really hard to explain, but I tried.


All-in-all, I really liked this book. It was a fun read and it featured my favorite paranormal being: the werewolf. I guess you can call me a werewolf gal. It is the first of the series and I do plan to read the others sometime in the future. I recommend this to those who love a good Historical Romance and Paranormal mix. Out of five stars, I grant this one 4 stars. In all reality it would be 3.6, but I don't give decimals so I rounded. 


Favorite Character(s): Is it bad that I didn't have any real favorite characters? I mean I didn't hate everyone, but I didn't really LOVE anyone. Huh...I was neutral to many of them.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Rowena, she (along with many of the others) was very selfish. Yes, I know she wanted to be free to make her own decisions and blahblahblah, but really? If she had just stuck it out....*sighs* oh well. 

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<3CaroleRae

Saturday, November 12

Liebster Blog Award

I won something! I was awarded this Liebster Award by Lieder Madchen from Songs and Stories. I was so honored to get this award and I couldn't stop smiling for days. Now it's my turn to give this award out.


Well, this award was created to give a little sunlight to small blogs who have 200 or less followers, but really deserve more. Here are the guidelines:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Share your 5 picks and let them know they won by leaving a comment on their blogs (they need to have 200 followers or less)
3. Copy and paste the award onto your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other blogs (and I have faith in my 5)
5. And most of all - have fun and glory in your award!

Okay. It took me a while to select ONLY five people. It's really hard because there are so many blogs I love and that deserve this award. However, five is the number and I FINALLY narrowed it down.

-Books, Belles, & Beaux. Her blog was one of the first blogs I became a follower for. I really adore her blog. It's so cute and original (especially the name). I always enjoy reading her posts and reading her opinions on books. It's a great blog and if you love a little Historical Romance in your life go there! I also wanted to thank her for being one of my first followers.

-The Musings of a Book Junkie. I feel like her blog really reflects her as a person. It has a lot spunk and is nefty. I really enjoy her reviews and her random posts. I feel like we share a lot of similar tastes in things and I'm so glad our blogs found one another (haha). She was one of my first followers and I must give her my thanks. ^.^

-Books, Memes, and Musings. Her posts maybe limited, but I enjoy each one. I'm slightly a new follower, but I really enjoy her blog. Its simple, but elegant. It's like that little black dress hidden in your closet.

-Historical-Fiction. Okay, she has slightly over 200 followers, but that's okay, right? Well, I really believe that her blog deserves this award. I really adore her blog. Not only is her design pretty, but she has great postings and I really enjoy hearing her opinion on books and etc. It's a great blog, maybe with this award she'll break the 300 mark!

-This Miss Loves to Read. Another great blog that I adore! Her blog design is unique and is pretty to look at. Her posts are informative and I can't wait until her next post! It doesn't matter what it is, because I'll read it. Plus, she's part of the Random Club, so that makes me even more happy.

For those who I didn't give this award too, it doesn't mean I don't love you. *hugs to all*

PS- I want to give some love to all my followers. Thanks so much, you guys rock my socks off.


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<3CaroleRae



Movie Review: Curse of the Golden Flower





Length: 114 mins
Released: 2007 (USA)
Genre: Romance, Action, Drama, Adventure
Rating: R, violence 
Directed By: Yimou Zhang
Where I Got It: Borrowed it from Library

Curse of the Golden Flower is based of the play 'Thunderstorm' created by Cao Yu, which is loosely based of historical fact. I usually give my own little summary of the movie, but I just can't for this one. I tried and tried and it just....didn't sound right, so I'm just going to use the one by Sony Pictures Classic, because their's is SO much better than anything I can come with right now:

"China, Later Tang Dynasty, 10th Century. On the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, golden flowers fill the Imperial Palace. The Emperor returns unexpectedly with his second son, Prince Jai. His pretext is to celebrate the holiday with his family, but given the chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing Empress, this seems disingenuous. For many years, the Empress and Crown Prince Wan, her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped, Prince Wan dreams of escaping the palace with his secret love Chan (Li Man), the Imperial Doctor's daughter. Meanwhile, Prince Jai, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress's health and her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous path? The Emperor harbors equally clandestine plans; the Imperial Doctor (Ni Dahong) is the only one privy to his machinations..."

Well, there were a couple people I recognized. Yun-Fat Chow (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) played the cold Emperor Ping, Gong Li (Miami Vice, 2046) as the lovely but sickly Empress Phoenix, Jay Chou (The Green Hornet) as the yummy Prince Jai, and Ye Liu (City of Life and Death) as the poor Crown Prince Wan.

When this finally came in for me at the Library, I was soooooo excited, but I had so much homework to do before Thursday, so I had to put it away and bid my time. Well, the wait was well worth it. I really enjoyed this movie! My mom even joined me when I told that her what the movie was about. She, like me, enjoys a little bit of intrigue and "family trouble". 

I really loved how Yimou Zhang presented the story. At first you're confused and not sure whats going on, but as the movie goes along more and more is told. I felt like I was a servant catching glimpses on the events going on. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I was DYING to know what was going to happen next.

I was rooting for the Empress and Prince Jai the whole time, because the Emperor was a jerk...to say the least. But I just wanted to bang my head on the coffee table, because there was an easy solution right in front of their faces, but I think the anger and hurt each family member held tore apart the family. Sometimes I wish I could be transported into the story and shake some sense into some characters. 

I loved the dialogue and especially the costumes! They costume designers did a FANTASTIC job, because I kept 'awing' at the gorgeous dresses and hairstyles (which is a different department). I even really liked the men's robes and hairstyles. I also really loved the set and the color choices. I felt that the bright colors really contradicted the dark mood in the plot. I found that very clever of the set designers and etc. Generally movie set designers like to pick colors that follow the mood of the plot, but I enjoyed this little shake-up. 

There are a million things I liked about this film, but there were a few things that...well...I didn't like that much. The biggest thing was some overly dramatic parts. OK, some parts deserved a very strong emotionally outbreak, but sometimes...no. For example, *SPOILER* when Chan found out Prince Wen was her half-brother, she FREAKED OUT! Her and her mother went through all that trouble to get the palace with the Emperor's ninjas after them and then when she freaked out, she went screaming out of the palace and the ninjas were waiting for her. Really? Ok, I grant that I would FREAK out too if I found out I was "sleeping" with my half-brother, but really?*END OF SPOILER* And there were similar scenes that were a "c'mon, really?" moment.

The other thing I didn't like was the ending. I felt like they left a lot on resolved. Maybe they should have given a quick epilogue, like most movies do. When the credits began to roll, I still had a lot of questions that weren't answered! I was pretty upset about that and about *SPOILER* my favorite character dying....AGAIN. Why do I get attached to characters? Oh well*SPOILER ENDED*. 

Besides for the ending and some overly dramatic scenes, I really liked this movie. I personally believe that this movie was pretty epic. The drama, action, romance, and cute princes has something for everyone. ^.^ Well, out of five stars I grant this one......4 stars! In all reality it's 4.4, but I don't give decimals. 

Would I re-watch?: 
More then likely. 


Favorite Character(s): Empress Phoenix (I felt so bad for her and I thought she was pretty nefty) and Prince Jai (he's honorable, loves his Mama, tough, cute, sexy, and all around a good guy)
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Emperor Ping (he's a butt) and Chan (a dummy, simple as that)
Quote(s) That Stuck With Me: Emperor Ping, "What I do not give, you must never take by force."

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<3CaroleRae