Sunday, March 31

Happy Easter

Just wanted to say Happy Easter. Hope you all have a great day! Don't eat too much candy!


Thursday, March 28

Don't Quit - Some Motivation Poems


Feeling really down the last couple of days, so I feel like some motivation poems are in order. ^.^ Hope these add a little motivation and perseverance to your footsteps today. Here are a couple that do that for me. Especially the last one...in my room, on my dresser, I have a little "statue" that has the first few lines of the poem on it. My mom gave it to me long ago and whenever life is kicking me around a bit, I reach for that and read the poem out loud. It always helps a little. 



A Stumbling Block Or a Stepping-Stone
by: R. L. Sharpe

Isn't it strange how princes and kings,
and clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
and common people, like you and me,
are builders for eternity?

Each is given a list of rules;
a shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a Stepping-Stone.
              




Don't Quit
by: Unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit




Wednesday, March 27

Who, What, Where

A weekly meme created by Melissa over at My World in Words & Pages. You share just a bit about where you are, who you are with, and what is happening in your current read. Be careful not share any major spoilers. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! How is everyone doing? I'm still "waiting" patiently for spring to finally appear here in Michigan. No such luck. The closet we got was a couple weeks ago two days in a row, then in snowed. *sighs*

Anyways, this week I'm reading My Scandalous Viscount by the always entertaining Gaelen Foley. 


Right now Carissa, the Lady of Information, is recalling The Incident and how her guardians reacted and fought over it when she was a wee thing. We are in 19th century England during the season of course at an Opera House. 



*CaroleRae*



Sunday, March 24

Book Review: A Million Little Pieces

Author: James Frey
Title: A Million Little Pieces 
Genre: Contemporary, Drama
Pages: 432
First Published: April 15th, 2003
Where I Got It: borrowed from Reece (my homie)

"At the age of 23, James Frey woke up on a plane to find his front teeth knocked out and his nose broken. He had no idea where the plane was headed nor any recollection of the past two weeks. An alcoholic for ten years and a crack addict for three, he checked into a treatment facility shortly after landing. There he was told he could either stop using or die before he reached age 24. This is Frey's acclaimed account of his six weeks in rehab."




For this review I am going to divide and conquer:

The Good

  • Loved the voice of the man character. Wonderfully written.
  • Loved the man character, James. Though he was a "criminal and addict" I really liked him. I connected with him a lot of different aspects. 
  • I loved the blend of characters.
  • The details were amazing.
  • The randomness amused me.
  • It took me a while to read it and I thought that was good. There was a lot going on and I enjoyed that I had to take longer with it. I recommend taking your time with this one.
  • The including of Tao Te Ching. Though my knowledge on this book is rather limited I enjoyed how this self-help seemed to really help James instead of the stereotypical "god" and "step" programs that are the usual helpers for addicts. I am tempted to find myself a copy and read it to get a full grasp and formulate my opinion on it better. Mhmmmmm...
    • "There is no good or evil, no Sinner or Saint. There simply is what is and that is it. You can use that to be and that is enough. Don't talk about it or question it. Just let it be. Just be. 
    • "They say in thinking keep to simple, in conflict be fair. They say don't compare or compete simply be yourself. They say fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill, keep sharpening your knife and it will dull. They say chase after money and your heart will never unclench. Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." 
The Bad and the Ugly

  • The grammar....the grammar and lack of ANY basic anything. Gah! I understand that it was meant to be the randoms of an addict in rehab and so it was MEANT to be like that. However, I'm working on a minor for English and it killed me sometimes. Especially at the beginning. It took me a while to overcome and get over it.
  • The ending....I hated the ending. I can say more for fear of ruining it. 
My reaction....


Conclusion
I simply adored this book. It was defiantly something I never would have picked up for myself. Thank you Reece for making me read this and then allowing me to borrow your copy. ^.^ I would recommend this for those of an older age...there is a lot of swearing and adult content (ie. drugs and sex and all that jazz). Also, for those looking for a change in their reading should pick this up. Just keep in mind this is being narrated by an addict, so the writing may seem sporadic and the grammar is lacking majorly. In the end, I grant this 4 stars. I had to take a star away for the ending...I mean I understand why it ended the way it did, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. *sighs*

Favorite Character(s): James, Lilly, Leonard, and James' brother.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Ted, Matty, and James' Mother (>.>)
Favorite Quote(s): "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." pg.  201

*CaroleRae*



Monday, March 18

Music Monday & News


First....I shall start with some lovely and exciting news....my dear pallio's book is released today! I'm soooo excited for Dottie! I'm so in awe of her right now that she has gone the whole nine miles and has written a book and released it and now her name is out there...she is an author. She is a writer. I've adored her writings for a while, so I am so proud of her. Can't wait to read her book myself. 



****Buying links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Also available on iTunes****

Isn't the cover lovely? 

Well, now its time for a little bit of music.

This first song has been stuck in my head for a while. I can't get it out. GAAAH! Plus it slightly reminds me of Lily from A Million Little Pieces.





Here's another song...this one, I believe, would be played in A Million Little Pieces, if it were to be a movie. Plus its a good  song I've always fancied.





This video amazes me and if I wasn't shy I would do this. bahahaha.



That's all I have this week. ^.^ 

*CaroleRae*

Wednesday, March 13

Movie Review: The Raven (2012)


Length: 1 hour & 50 minutes
Released: 2012
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rating:R,
Directed By: James McTeigue
Where I Got It: netflix 


SUMMARY:
The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life - and death - in this stylish, gothic thriller. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe's darkest works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer's mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe's brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe's love becomes the next target. 



TRAILER:



CAST:
Edgar Allan Poe - John Cusack
Detective Emmett Fields - Luke Evans
Emily - Alice Eve
Colonel Hamilton - Brendan Gleeson
Maddux - Kevin McNally
John Cantrell - Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Captain Elderidge - Jimmy Yuill
Ivan - Sam Hazeldine
Mrs. Bradley - Pam Ferris
Percy - Dave Legeno
Griswold - John Warnaby

REVIEW:
I've been meaning to watch this for a while now and I finally had a chance when Boyfriend and I stumbled upon this on Netflix. I was excited for I am a huge fan of Mr. Poe. I simple adore him.

Well...after it was all said and done...I will break this down and divide and conquer.

The Good

-John Cusack is an amazing Edgar Allan Poe; he even looks like him a little bit.
-All the actors were good.
-The dialogue was fantastic
-The story-line certainly had me on the edge of my seat
-The ending surprised me...but yet again it did not.
-The costumes were nice.

The Bad and the Ugly
-The adding of Emily annoyed me
-I wished they had the serial killer use more of Edgar's stories...it seemed there was a lack of references
-Though the ending was good, it annoyed me.
-Some of the scenes were....cheesy? I can't really describe what I mean. You'll have to see it to understand.

Conclusion
It was a decent movie and an interesting take on the last few days of Egdar's life (for no one really knew what he was up too or how he even really died). However, will I watch it again? No. It was entertaining, but once you find out the serial killer the mystery and thriller is gone. It's a one time wonder. I would recommend this to those that like thrillers and for those that have some interest in Poe's tales and poems. I wish they had referenced more of his works, but oh well I suppose. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Edgar (of course), Fields, and I found the serial killer intriguing (I was rather entertained by who he was when he was revealed).
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Emily (she annoyed me, but I do respect her not being a weak damsel waiting to be rescued, she tried to save herself) and Colonel Hamilton (just because he was mean to Edgar). 


*CaroleRae*




Who, What, Where

A weekly meme created by Melissa over at My World in Words & Pages. You share just a bit about where you are, who you are with, and what is happening in your current read. Be careful not share any major spoilers. 

Happy Wednesday everyone. We are halfway to the weekend! ^.^ Though I have to work Saturday, it still makes me happy when the weekend gets here. hehehe. Anyways...this week I'm reading A Million Little Pieces by James Frey.


I am with James while he is dreaming in some Clinic for Addicts in Minnesota (I believe). He is trying to get over his addiction of alcohol and numerous amounts of drugs. Right now I am with him while he has having an addict's dream of doing drugs and all that and in his dream he has found a gun. 

What about you guys? Feel free to share!


*Carole Rae* 













Tuesday, March 12

Top Ten Tuesday: Springs TBR

~The Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.~

Well, nature has tricked me yet again. For like two days we had amazing, spring like weather. Then it rained and now it is....snowing. *sighs* All week is going to be 30s-40s. Maaaaaan, why can't spring JUST be here already? What the heck? It's March for heaven's sake! *sighs* Patience is a virtue.

Anways, for this week I'll be sharing my top ten books that are going to be read this spring. I've been very sporadic with my reading lately and I think its affecting my reading pace. Perhaps this nice solid and concrete list will put me on the right track. 

FYI, there is no order to the list.

~A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (working on that right now)

~My Scandalous Viscount by Gaelen Foley

~The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor

~The rest of the Basilisk mangas (I was just thinking on doing an overall review on all of them, idk)

~A Midnight's Summer Dream by William Shakespeare

~Ashford's Affair by Lauren Willig

~Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

~Cowboy Fever by Joanne Kennedy

~Running Fox by Cassie Edwards

~Daugthers of Rome by Kate Quinn

What do you guys plan on reading this spring?

*CaroleRae*



Friday, March 8

Friday Flash Fiction

Every Monday Dottie over at Tink's Place (or Carole Rae/me) posts a picture and on Friday we share a story to go along with the picture. The story has to be about 350 or so words.

I lied. I said I was going to post this tomorrow and yet...here it is posted today. Oh well. I'm really excited about this story. I tried a new type of story-telling with this one. I was unsure if I was going to be able to make it to 350 words, but you see? I have done it. Huzzah! Hope you like the style I used...I feel it has a certain rhythm to it and when I read it out loud, it sounds like the drops of rain. Make sure to share your links to your FFF, so I can read it too! ^.^


He Couldn't Sleep. He Couldn't Eat: A Tale of Revenge
by: CaroleRae


Revenge.
Revenge ran through his veins. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Kill.
Kill the man that ruined his life. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Avenge.
Avenge his family that was taken from him. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Years.
Years it took to find this man, who killed his joy. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Now.
Now was the time to strike; the man and his troops were right below him. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Rain.
Rain and thunder crashed around him; it fit the mood. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Stalking.
Stalking down the side of the mountain, he never let his prey his escape his sight. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Memories.
Memories ate away at him as he watched his wife and son lay slain. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Henry.
Henry was just a little boy with his Lannie's blonde hair and he always wore a smile. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Lannie.
Lannie loved him and always told him to be good and do the right thing. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Good.
Good he did like Lannie asked, but because of that the man murdered his family. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Rage.
Rage killed all that was good in him and is buried with his family. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Blood.
Blood would be drawn tonight as he pulled the knife from his side. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Closer.
Closer he got to the man who ruined his life. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Silence.
Silence surrounded the campsite; even the thunder held its breathe. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Tears.
Tears blurred his eyes as he allowed himself to see their faces. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Quietly
Quietly he shook the man awake with a hand upon his mouth. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Justice.
“Justice for my family” he whispered. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Shock.
Shock was evident on the man's face. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Red.
Red spilled onto the blanket that the man slept on; for he had slit the throat. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat.
Gone.
Gone went he and he climbed back up to the mountains and lived alone forever more. He now could sleep. He now could eat.

*CR*

Book Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Author: Oscar Wilde
Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Genre:classics, Historical Fiction, Horror, Gothic, Fantasy
Pages: 248
First Published: June 20th, 1890
Where I Got It: my shelf (bought at used book store at Frankenmuth)

"Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to The Picture of Dorian Gray, his dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchanged; petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral; while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying, enchanting, obsessing, even corrupting readers for more than a hundred years.
Taking the reader in and out of London drawing rooms, to the heights of aestheticism, and to the depths of decadence, The Picture of Dorian Grayis not only a melodrama about moral corruption. Laced with bon mots and vivid depictions of upper-class refinement, it is also a fascinating look at the milieu of Wilde’s fin-de-siècle world and a manifesto of the creed “Art for Art’s Sake.”
The ever-quotable Wilde, who once delighted London with his scintillating plays, scandalized readers with this, his only novel. Upon publication, Dorian was condemned as dangerous, poisonous, stupid, vulgar, and immoral, and Wilde as a “driveling pedant.” The novel, in fact, was used against Wilde at his much-publicized trials for “gross indecency,” which led to his imprisonment and exile on the European continent. Even so, The Picture of Dorian Gray firmly established Wilde as one of the great voices of the Aesthetic movement, and endures as a classic that is as timeless as its hero."
Took me a while to finish this, but I am finally done. It took me a while, because it was like a sweet, sweet wine and I would take little sips here and there.
I've been wanting to read this for a long time, but I'm odd because I like owning the classics if I am to read it. For some reason I need to take my time with classics when I read them. The only real exception to this are the classics that are small like Of Mice and Men. Plus I had read that one anyways.
Well, this was rather good. Not excellent, but it was good. Oscar Wilde is a fantastic author and I enjoyed the witty and well played out conversations between the characters. There was a lack of action and 95% of the book was just conversations and the thoughts of Dorian Gray. The rest of the 5% was action and etc. Normally this would annoy me, but Oscar Wilde did a wonderful job keeping the book interesting and making the reader want to know more.
I don't understand how this can even be considered a horror novel. Yes, fantasy, but horror? Not one did goosebumps arise on my arms. Yes, I found it interesting and etc, but I was never scared or horrified or even mystified. I sort of felt bad for Dorian Gray, because he sold his soul in a fit of not wanting to grow old. Though he quickly got over it and apologized for his childish tantrum, the "devil" or whatever still bestowed immortality and not feeling bad for his sins. I mean...how on fair! I also wish I wouldn't grow old and I wish I could live like there was no tomorrow, but does one of my pictures get "enchanted" and I never age? No. Lame. Poor Dorian. However, that is no excuse for Dorian being a, well, asshole. A huge asshole who really needs a punch in the face. God, how I wanted to punch Dorian myself. *grumbles* Womanizing, party, douche, murder *grumbles and looks away*
The ending was decent. I excepted it, but I expected it in another way. Does that make sense? That's as much as I can give out without ruining the end. I've seen the movie 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' and I excepted something like that. *sighs* But I can see the symbolism behind HOW Oscar Wilde ended it. Also, I was secretly hoping one character (who I will not name in the sack of not creating a spoiler) would get his revenge. *sighs* Again...that was far-fetched and I knew it. Oh well.

In the end, this was a good book. I enjoyed it and I think I should check out Oscar Wilde's other writings. He is very good. Though I don't see or feel the "horror" aspect of the book, I still enjoyed the fantasy and gothicness of it. I expected the ending, even though I wanted it to end differently. Oh well. If you like classics and want to venture out of your normal reading pick this up. I shall stamp this with four stars. It seems to be more like 3.5, but I rounded it up since I don't give out decimals.

Favorite Character(s): James Vane and Basil
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Everyone else. >.> ESPECIALLY Dorian Gray. *grumbles*

*CaroleRae*

Tuesday, March 5

Random Time - Today in History

Happy Tuesday everyone. GAH! Just a few more days until Friday, then I get four days off. Huzzah! Worry not everyone...we can do this together to last to the weekend.

found this on B's facebook page. hahaha


But yeah. I feel like being random today, so I'm going to share what happened today in History thanks to The History Channel:

~Hula-Hoop patented, 1963

~American Revolution - Civilians and soldiers clash in the Boston Massacre, 1770

~David Buick dies, 1929

~Civil War - The Confederacy's Breckinridge assumes command in Virgina, 1864

~Cold War - Churchill delivers Iron Curtain speech, 1946

~Jim Morrison is charged with lewd behavior at a Miami concert, 1969

~Jet breaks up near Mt. Fuji, 1966

~Innovator of hypnotism dies, 1815

~ Charlotte Bronte declines marriage, 1839

~Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler hits #1 with "Ballad of the Green Berets", 1966

~Antoino de Ulloa tries to govern Louisiana, 1766

~Dial-a-President radio program airs, 1977

~Miller elected executive director of MLB Players Association, 1966

~Vietnam War - USAF advisory team sent to Laos, 1964

~WWI - Socialist revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg born, 1871

~WW2 - Joseph Stalin dies, 1953

*CaroleRae*

Friday, March 1

Friday Flash Fiction: Oklahoma Wind

Every Monday Dottie over at Tink's Place (or Carole Rae/me) posts a picture and on Friday we share a story to go along with the picture. The story has to be about 350 or so words.

Happy Friday everyone. I was originally going to skip these week because I could think of nothing for this picture, but then it struck me when I was driving home last night from work. The dialogue was the thing that first came to mind. I just imagined a velvety Irish voice whispering "we can't do this anymore" and THAT set off my little story below. What have you guys come up with this week?



Oklahoma Wind
by: CaroleRae


"Oh Elizabeth...we can't do this anyone more." Sighed James in his velvety Irish brogue as he laid his head on her lap and stretched his arms. 

She grabbed his hands and looked down lovingly at him. She also sighed, "Oh I know James. I know my husband would kill me if he found out,but I love you too much let you go."

James looked up at her and smiled, "I love you so much Elizabeth. I wish you would divorce the man and run away with me. We can go to England or to the Continent. We could run to my homeland, Ireland. We can be really happy."

She chuckled, "That is just a dream, my beloved. I can not leave my son. You know Edward...if I attempted to take our son he would hunt us down and take him by force and kill me."

There was a silence for a moment. There was a gust of warm Oklahoma wind. The sun soon was hidden by the clouds. There seemed to be a rain on the way. Both of the lovers shivered, but remained where they were. They did not want this afternoon to every end. The older Elizabeth's son got, the less time they had time to be with one another. The older Elizabeth's son got...the older they got. Time and Edward were the enemy in these lover's eyes.

Sitting up, James looked into Elizabeth's eyes. Pain seemed to be etched into her eyes and James could sense his eyes were etched with the same pain. A couple tears trickled down Elizabeth's cheeks. James tsked and brushed them away with his thumb, "Please don't cry my dear." He hugged her and she buried her head into his chest.

Once her tears were finished, he lightly laid her down and made sweet love to her right there and then. Though Elizabeth didn't know it, James knew that was the last time they would be together. His heart couldn't do it anymore. He loved her too much and it killed him to see her with Edward. He had two tickets on the next train on to Canada. He slipped one in her purse when she was not looking. He knew she would not go with him. 

-----
Elizabeth returned home. Edward was still in St. Louis and wouldn't be back in another couple weeks. She sighed as removed her hat. Though she loved James it killed her each time to be with him, for she knew time was running away. 

Little Edward ran over to her and hugged her. She smiled as he asked for a piece of candy. Being a good mother, she always kept extra in her purse. Rummaging her hand in her purse, she not only found a piece of candy for her baby, but she also found a strange piece of paper. She pulled out the candy first and handed it to her son. Then slowly she pulled out the paper.

It was a ticket.

To Canada.

Her heart swelled and then busted. James wanted her to go to Canada with him. She contemplated the idea for a moment, but then reality struck. She walked out the door and stared out at the Oklahoma landscape. A hawk swooped down and she could hear the distant mooing of one of their cows. With swift movements, she ripped up the ticket and tossed them to the Oklahoma wind. 


~The End~