Friday, August 30

Book Review: Song of the River by Sue Harrison

Author: Sue Harrison 
Title: Song of the River (Storyteller Trilogy #1) 
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Adventure
Pages: ebook
First Published: 1997
Where I Got It: On my shelf. Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion

"Eighty centuries ago, in the frozen land that is now Alaska, a clubfooted male child had been left to die, when a woman named K’os rescued him. Twenty years later and no longer a child, Chakliux occupies the revered role as his tribe’s storyteller. In the neighboring village of the Near River people, where Chakliux will attempt to make peace by wedding the shaman’s daughter, a double murder occurs that sends him on a harsh, enthralling journey in search of the truth about the tragic losses his people have suffered, and into the arms of a woman he was never meant to love."

Like earlier stated, I read this for the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion. 

This is the first in another series by Sue Harrison. It follows another character entirely and I was rather upset. Hahaha, I really wanted to continue with the next book of the last series I read by Harrison, but oh well.

I'll be honest...I didn't connect with the main character as much as the last one from her other book 'Mother Earth, Father Sky', but I did like him. He was brave and everything, but I just couldn't connect with him. I doubt it has to do with the fact he was a male, because I've connected with many male characters in books in the past. Meh. Oh well. I don't why. :/ Oh well, yet again. Too be honest I had a hard time connecting with anyone in this one. 

This was a little slow moving at times, but it still captured my attention. I think that has more to do with the author's voice and her writing style. I'll admit...I skimmed a wee bit here and there. It was just sooooooooooooooooooooo slow moving at times, I just wanted to move along. *hides under rock*

The research and knowledge base behind this story amazed me yet again. Sue Harrison sure did her homework before writing this! I could feel myself being sucked into time with every page and wish I was there (minus all the violence and lack of technology). Not an easy life, but a simple life it was. 

All-in-all, this was pretty good. Yes, some parts were slow and some parts I skimmed on, but I did really enjoy the ride. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sue Harrison's voice. I will defiantly be reading more of her books in the future! I can't get enough of the worlds she makes us visit. She knows what she is talking about. I wish I could have loved this as much as her other one, but you can't win them all, eh? Out of five stars I grant this one 3 stars.

Favorite Character(s): Chakliux (even though I didn't emotionally connect with him, I thought he was a cool guy) & mama K'os (I don't really get why a lot of people didn't like her)
Not-so Favorite Character(s): None I really think off...*thinks* 



Monday, August 26

Book Review: Life After Death

Author: Lillie J. Roberts 
Title: Life After Death 
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery
Pages: ebook
First Published: March 18th 2013
Where I Got It: On my shelf. Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion


"Chelsea Karmikel has led a pretty uneventful life…until she finds herself electrocuted. Now, she’s discovered her family’s secret heritage. She’s a seer of the dead, lending her sight to help those in need. Ghosts are her new reality.

Her mission is to encourage those who have lost their way to follow the Watchman, the crazed guide for the Inbetween…a way station where souls move from one existence to the next. But, there’s something deeper and darker than the ghosts who come to her for help. If Chelsea’s not careful, those eager to swallow her soul’s light may devour her alive… if she allows herself be drawn into the Nevernever.

When Brad Rearden, a darkly handsome, insufferable private detective and walks into her life, he touches off a wild-fire of desire that entraps them both, scorching them with need.
Together, they work to solve the mystery of his Aunt Deloris’s death, because Chelsea’s next on the murderer’s list. But who will catch whom—the murderer or Chelsea?"



Like earlier stated I was given this by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion. I will admit...I know the author and am pals with her, but I shall be completely honest and unbiased! 

Poor Chelsea...all she wanted was a simple life with a simple job. However, she is a klutz and due to this she accidentally electrocuted herself and it awoken a gene in her body that allows her to communicate with ghosts. Not only can she talk to them, but she can see them and feel them when they touch her. It is now her job as a "seer" to help the ghosts find peace. Poor chit...not an easy gig and I do not envy her. Then things get EXTRA complicated when a P.I comes into play. The daft man...I don't like Brad. Okay...its not that I dislike him, but I don't get how Chelsea forgave him so quickly. I would have been a bitter woman for a while. Gah. I guess love conquers all. Meh.

Events happened really quickly in this, but I contribute that its a novella in a way. There are only like 130 pages, so I think it falls under that category. So far warning...things happen pretty quickly, but things have to, so the story can move on. Like Chelsea and Brad falling deeply and madly in love and lust. I still don't like how quickly she forgave him for the huge insult and misunderstanding he had not only against Chelsea, but also against her Grandma. 

The book was a fun read, I enjoyed it immensely. It was short and quick, but never boring or cheesy. The voice and tone of the writer was very good and it kept me hooked and I read this in no time. I wish, though, she had made this bigger. Haha. I also wish that she went more in depth on Chelsea's power. 

In the end, I liked this book. It was a nice and quick read. I just wish it was longer and explained more about  her power as a seer. I feel as if we just scratched the surface. Perhaps a sequel is in our mists? ^.^ I would recommend this to those that love a paranormal blended with romance and mystery. This book shall be stamped with 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Chelsea, Grandma, and Aunt Deloris.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Sam & Brad (I had a love-hate thing with him)

*CaroleRae*

Thursday, August 22

Book Review: Big Bad Ass Book of the Zodiac

Author: The Diagram Group and James Napoli
Title: Big Bad Ass Book of the Zodiac
Genre: Religion & Spirituality
Pages: 420
First Published: August 3rd, 2010
Where I Got It: On my shelf (Amazon)


"Oozing with sarcasm and bursting with real-world advice, Big Bad Ass Book of the Zodiac provides the lowdown on your personality, career, friendships, and love life. Separate chapters for each astrological symbol (including those of the Chinese zodiac) make it easy to find the facts…even if you can't handle the truth! From why Aries often "fake it” to what leisure activities a Taurus enjoys (spoiler: saving money), this guide is a slap in the face that's good for you"


I will admit...normally I NEVER go cover to back of a zodiac/astrology book. Never, ever. I am very selfish when (like normal people) it comes to books like these. I read mine and then I will read out loud (or let others read) other people's section. However, after I read mine...I wanted to read more. I actually did read each page and each section. EVEN the Chinese zodiac part at the back. Kuddos to me. 

The writers where so funny and sarcastic...I loved it! However, as funny as they were this book was so scary true. There were only a couple people that didn't match theirs, but everyone else I know they seemed to have come to life from the page. Scary, but cool. My mom matched everything, but the "appearance" part of hers. They say Sagittarius women are suppose to be tall and slim, but my mom is short and very curved. However, all the other Sagittarius women I've met fit that build very well. 

This was such a fun book and I really want to read more from the author and from this group of people. They have a whole collection of "Big Bad Ass" books. I'll have to check them out more.

In the end, this was a fun book. It was filled with not only humor and sarcastic anecdotes, but it was filled with great advice and personality qualities of each zodiac that is scarily true for 90% of the people in my life. I would recommend this to those that LOVE this type of stuff or for those curious to learn more. It's a good stepping stone in learning more about not only the A-typical zodiac stuff, but for the Chinese Zodiacs as well. I shall stamp this with 5 stars. ^.^

*CaroleRae*



Tuesday, August 20

Movie Review: A Royal Affair

Length: 2 hrs & 17 mins
Released: November 9th, 2012
Genre: Drama, Historical, Historical Romance
Rating: R
Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel

Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
A ROYAL AFFAIR is the true story of an ordinary man who wins the queen's heart and starts a revolution. Centering on the intriguing love triangle between the ever more insane Danish King Christian VII, the royal physician who is a man of enlightenment and idealism Struensee and the young but strong Queen Caroline Mathilda, A ROYAL AFFAIR is the gripping tale of brave idealists who risk everything in their pursuit of freedom for their people




CAST:
Johann Friedrich Struensee - Mads Mikkelsen
Queen Caroline - Alicia Vikander
King Christian VII - Mikkel Boe Følsgaard
Juliane Marie - Trine Dyrholm
Guldberg - David Denick


TRAILER:

REVIEW:
This was meant to be posted yesterday, but I dropped the ball. >.< Oh well.

Such a good movie. I have no idea even where to begin, so I think I shall divide and conquer this review:

The Good
-I loved how they kept it in the language that would have been used.
-They also all had the accents of the area and of each characters accent (ie, Johann had a German one, while Caroline had an English one) made it seem more realistic.
-The acting was pretty good. Especially Queen Caroline and that crazy husband of hers, Christian. That guy was good!
-The story had me glued and I couldn't look away. I had no idea what to expect (because I never heard of Queen Caroline's story) 
-The costumes were fabulous! *applauds*





The Bad and the Ugly
-It seemed a little choppy.
-I didn't like how they started out...I wish they kept the mystery of what was going to happen. Meh. >.>
-I did not like the guy who played Johann. He seemed really old (not to judge old people) for the part he was suppose to be playing. Plus, he had one emotion; his face lacked emotion. Gah. It was like watching Kristen Stewart all over again! 
-The ending made me cry!

Conclusion
Great movie. I simply was glued to the screen and I felt so connected to Caroline and I felt so bad for her. Yes, she cheated on her husband...but so did he! I don't get why it's a crime for women and it's perfectly alright for the man. Makes no sense to me. *sighs* Oh well...

But yes...I adored this movie. The acting was good (besides for unemotional Mr. Johann) and the screenwriting was great. The costumes made me drool and reminded me on how much a ADORE that time period. I wish we could wear stuff like that again. A dream that will never be. It did seem choppy at a couple points and I hated how they laid out the movie. It ruined the ending for me, but still made me curious to see how it all went down. Like normal, I did my research after the movie and I'm ashamed I never heard of this story before. And I call myself a historian.....*facepalm*. In the end, I would recommend this to those that love dramas and historical movies. It was a lot of fun and I highly adored it. I shall stamp this with 4 stars. 

Would I re-watch?: Yes I would. 

Favorite Character(s): Queen Caroline
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Juliane (grrr) & Brandt (he annoyed me)


*CaroleRae*





  





Sunday, August 18

Book Review: Mother Earth Father Sky by Sue Harrison

Author: Sue Harrison
Title: Mother Earth Father Sky (#1 in The Ivory Carver Trilogy)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama, YA
Pages: ebook
First Published: Jan. 1st, 1985
Where I Got It: One my shelf (given to by publisher/author to give my honest and unbiased opinion)


"A young woman fights for survival amid the brutality of the last Ice Age 


It’s 7056 BC, a time before history. On the first day that Chagak’s womanhood is acknowledged within her Aleut tribe, she unexpectedly finds herself betrothed to Seal Stalker, the most promising young hunter in the village. A bright future lies ahead of Chagak—but in one violent moment, she loses her entire way of life. Left with her infant brother, Pup, and only a birdskin parka for warmth, Chagak sets out across the icy waters on a quest for survival and revenge."


Like earlier stated, I was given this book to read and give my unbiased and honest opinion.

This is the first book of the Ivory Carver Trilogy and I am drooling to read the next two! Eeeek! I'm not really sure what the next two books are about (be it Chagak or other characters). I would really like to learn more about Blue Shell. I want her to have her happily ever after and we all know she deserves better then stupid the stupid and cowardly husband she has now. He is not only weak and cowardly, but he is mean and hurts her. I really liked Blue Shell and I hope in the next two books she gets her HEA. 

Some people label this as a "YA" novel. I don't see it at all...its rather graphic at some points and I don't think I would let a child under 14 read this...so I guess 14+ are Young Adults. IDK.  It did win an award for Best Book for YA in 1991. Soooo I guess parents don't mind, but there are a few scenes are rather graphic....but oh well...what do I know....

Anyways....

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so hard to put it down, but I had no choice due to me being so busy the last week and change. It was SUCH a good read. At some points I was so into the text I thought I was watching a movie and I would give commentary and Boyfriend would look at me strange, so I would have to inform him what happened and give him the back-story. Sue Harrison just sucked me up into this world from page one. Yes, there was a LOT of details, but it was necessary to understand the world and get a good grasp on the ancient society. I especially am grateful for the wonderful details included, because my knowledge on the Aleut tribes is limited. I know a lot about many tribes, but my knowledge base in pretty much nonexist. However, due to Sue Harrison not only did I learn a lot, but I have done my own research after the book was done. It's so great when an author makes you want to learn more.

The characters were well written. Chagak was a strong woman and I applaud her. She went through some emotional stuff for being a young adult herself. She had just became a woman and she lost EVERYTHING. So sad. So, so sad. I felt really connected with Chagak (and Blue Shell for some reason). Which is odd that I emotionally connected with more then one character. 

In the end, I adored this book. This book is defiantly up for "Top Book of the Year" for me.  Haha. Can't wait to read more in the trilogy and in this time period. It was wonderfully written and I can't really think of anything negative at this point in time. I do, however, disagree that this is shoved in with the YA genre as well as the HF due to the few scenes that are pretty graphic. Oh well. I do recommend this to those that love Historical Fiction, Native History, history (in general), and for those looking to shake up their reading shelves. I shall stamp this with 5 stars. Woot! Woot!

Favorite Character(s): Chagak, Blue Shell, Crooked Nose, Seal Stalker, and Many Whales
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Blue Shell's husband & Man-who-Kills (I wonder why....)


*CaroleRae*

Saturday, August 17

I Find No Peace & All My War is Done


Happy Saturday everyone. Things are slowing done around here. There was a change in plans and now I am moved in with Boyfriend. Strange and odd. hahaha. Oh well. All my things (except for one box that we forgot) are now here. I just have to unpack, which I started a little yesterday. Yayy!

In my old room I had a few poems written up and displayed on my wall. To be kind I took only one poem and will display it at his apartment (for now). I picked this one. My ultimate favorite of Sir Thomas Wyatt. 




I Find No Peace
by: Sir Thomas Wyatt


I FIND no peace, and all my war is done ;
I fear and hope, I burn, and freeze like
      ice ;
I fly aloft, yet can I not arise ;
And nought I have, and all the world I seize on,
That locks nor loseth, holdeth me in prison,
And holds me not, yet can I scape no wise :
Nor lets me live, nor die, at my devise,
And yet of death it giveth me occasion.
Without eye I see ; without tongue I plain :
I wish to perish, yet I ask for health ;
I love another, and thus I hate myself ;
I feed me in sorrow, and laugh in all my pain.
    Lo, thus displeaseth me both death and life,
    And my delight is causer of this strife.

Monday, August 12

Apologies

Sorry the blog has been so bare the last few days....I really haven't forgotten about you all! However, life has been getting in the way - again - work is drowning me, because we are so short staffed. Also, I have news...I'm moving!!!!! The official date is the September 6th, but I'm going through my stuff and deciding what to keep or get rid of or keep at the parents abode. Yup. I'm a big girl! I'm rooming up with my pal, Reece. So it's a little hectic. I'm still reading. Things will calm down in a couple days after my day 8 workfeast ends.

I'll try to post tomorrow my movie review or book review!

Monday, August 5

Book Review: The Age of Desire

Author: Jennie Fields
Title: The Age of Desire
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama
Pages: 384
First Published: August 1st, 2012
Where I Got It: One my shelf (given to by publisher/author to give my honest and unbiased opinion)


"For fans of The Paris Wife, a sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship They say that behind every great man is a great woman. Behind Edith Wharton, there was Anna Bahlmann—her governess turned literary secretary and confidante. At the age of forty-five, despite her growing fame, Edith remains unfulfilled in a lonely, sexless marriage. Against all the rules of Gilded Age society, she falls in love with Morton Fullerton, a dashing young journalist. But their scandalous affair threatens everything in Edith’s life—especially her abiding ties to Anna. At a moment of regained popularity for Wharton, Jennie Fields brilliantly interweaves Wharton’s real letters and diary entries with her fascinating, untold love story. Told through the points of view of both Edith and Anna, The Age of Desire transports readers to the golden days of Wharton’s turn-of-the century world and—like the recent bestseller The Chaperone—effortlessly re-creates the life of an unforgettable woman."

Like earlier stated, I read this for the publisher/author to give my unbiased and honest opinion.

I'm going to be honest...I have no idea who Edith Wharton is and I never read her books. I feel that I missing a lot while reading. There was no emotional connection that I held for Edith Wharton. At times it was hard to read, because I didn't really care what was happening to her. For some reason, I just couldn't connect. :/ 

However, I did connect with Anna, so the book was not a loss for me. I really liked Anna and found some similar qualities in her that I find in myself. Edith was kind of a jerk to Anna. Perhaps that had a hand in why I had issues with Edith. Meh. But yeah, Anna was neat and her POV was a million times better.

Oh. I also had issues with Edith, because of how she treated her husband Mr. Wharton. Poor guy...I get that he was a jerk sometimes and he didn't shower Edith with the love and attention she wanted. Plus, he liked to drink...a lot. However, he had issues. If he was living in modern times, he would have been diagnosed with severe depression...he was manic depressive. He had serious mental things going on. Edith knew that, but yet, she was horrid to him at points. Another wall that blocked me from connecting with her.

Overall, this was a pretty good read. I went through it pretty quickly and I highly enjoyed Jennie Fields writing style. She's really good. Even though I didn't like Edith and her POV, I really did enjoy Anna's, so it made the book bearable. I'm not sure if I would ever pick up Edith's works, but it was interesting learning about a famous woman writer in a time of major change in the world. I would recommend this to those that like Historical Fiction with some romance weaved in. Out of five stars, I shall stamp this with 3 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Anna
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Edith & Morton (he was an ass and annoyed me)


*CaroleRae*




Friday, August 2

Movie Review: District 9

Length: 1 hr & 52 mins
Released: August 14, 2009
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action, Drama
Rating: R
Directed By: Neill Blomkamp

Where I Got It: borrowed from library

SUMMARY:
"It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but there was never any attack from the skies, nor any profound technological revelation capable of advancing our society. Instead, the aliens were treated as refugees. They were the last of their kind, and in order to accommodate them, the government of South Africa set up a makeshift home in District 9 as politicians and world leaders debated how to handle the situation. As the humans begin to grow wary of the unwelcome intruders, a private company called Multi-National United (MNU) is assigned the task of controlling the aliens. But MNU is less interested in the aliens' welfare than attempting to understand how their weaponry works. Should they manage to make that breakthrough, they will receive tremendous profits to fund their research. Unfortunately, the highly advanced weaponry requires alien DNA in order to be activated. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe is exposed to biotechnology that causes his DNA to mutate, the tensions between the aliens and the humans intensifies. Wikus is the key to unlocking the alien's technology, and he quickly becomes the most wanted man on the planet. Ostracized and isolated, Wikus retreats to District 9 in a desperate bid to shake his dogged pursuers."

CAST:
Wikus van der Merwe - Sharlto Copley
Christopher Johnson, Grey Bradnam - Jason Cope
Koobus Venter - David James
Tania Van de Merwe - Vanessa Haywood
Fundiswa Mhlanga - Mandla Gaduka
Thomas - Kenneth Nkosi
Obesandjo - Eugene Khubanyiwa
Piet Smit - Louis Minnaar
Dirk Michaels - William Allen Young

TRAILER:

REVIEW:
People have been ranting raving about this movie for a while now; even my Dad was drooling all over this when it came out. *sighs* However, I wasn't too keen for it. I'm not HUGE into alien movies. Never have been. Meh. Boyfriend really wanted to watch this, so I succumbed and I watched it with him. 

I'll be honest...it wasn't too bad. I would even go against my pride and say I enjoyed it. However...for this review, I will divide and conquer:

The Good
-The effects were amazing! I was utterly blown away...it all looked legit real.
-The acting and casting was lovely.
-I loved how they made this like a documentary. It was interesting (by no means original, but it made the story better).
-I felt like this was dead-on. If aliens needed our help and we "came to the rescue" and they became refugees...I feel like this would happen. They would stay for a long time and people would resent them and treat them like garbage. One, they are refugees and two, they are unknown to us. Humans are scared of the unknown, so people would resent them. Sad, but true. 
-I liked the ending...but then I hated it. (a love/hate thing is going on here)

The Bad & The Ugly
-Wikus annoyed me to no ends.
-Wikus' voice gave me a headache
- I don't understand why the aliens ALWAYS have to look so UGLY in these movies...why do they look like monsters? They are super smart...why can't they look not so scary and ugly? Is this a poke at the stereotype, "You can't be smart and pretty." Gah. 
- I was confused...so there were no female aliens? How did they create the eggs to reproduce? Me=confused on the functions of these creatures.
-I couldn't keep the names of the characters straight and who was who sometimes.
-The ending made me mad...it was a HUGE cliffhanger and I don't think they'll ever make a sequel (doesn't seem to be). Annoyed.

Conclusion
I don't really care for alien movies...but this wasn't too bad. There was a lot I liked and a lot I didn't like. I wish they would create a sequel for my sanity though! GAH! Don't get me wrong though, the ending was fantastic and was appropriate, however, I wish that they didn't leave such a cliffhanger. I would recommend this to those that adore alien and Sci-fi movies. (*NOTE* I'm adding a new feature to my movie review - yes I will go back and add it to the old ones-*END OF NOTE*) I shall stamp this movie with 3 stars...it's a little shy of 3.5, so I rounded.

Would I re-watch?: 
Nope. 

Favorite Character(s): no one I can really think off...I did feel bad for the aliens though. Humans are cruel.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Pretty much all the human...humans are bastards.

                               

*CaroleRae*


Thursday, August 1

Thursday Book Teaser: The Age of Desire


Happy Thursday everyone! I can't believe it is already August! Where the Hell is my summer going? Holy crap! Hahaha. I can't believe Fall semester will be starting next month. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww. Well, I hope you all are having an excellent summer out there!

Well, today I shall shall a little snipbit from 'The Age of Desire' by Jennie Fields. This book is about Edith Wharton.


Page Number: 175
Location on Page: Second paragraph

"'Well,' he says.

Edith is mortified. She stands, her knees quaking. 'Not here. That's all I'm saying...'

'Sometimes you are an awful lot of effort.'

'I'm sorry.' She closes her eyes, remorseful. 'I didn't mean to hurt you. Did I hurt you?'

He glares at her, not answering. 'HR is coming soon. You understand?' He says.

Her lips quiver.
'Then we'll have no time alone together....even if he does approve of our enchevetrement romantique.'

'Just not here. Not here at Harry's.'

'And then you sail. 'Not here'. It's an excuse, you know. It's an excuse because you have no heart.'

'I do have a heart...' In fact, she feels it sinking, clanking away from her like a rock down a well. She must know him better, feel closer to him before she can feel close in that other way." 

A little trouble in paradise I feel is ahead of me in my reading. Ooooooooooh. 

*CaroleRae*