The Other Bennett Sister

 I am a Jane Austen fan. I still remember the day I saw the 1990s BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for the first time at the age of 7. It's a fond memory. I also remember the day I borrowed Pride and Prejudice from the library. The day I bought my own copy was one where I bounced around the house in glee. I got my hands on way too many retellings, variations, and fan fiction. I keep telling myself I won't fall for another rendition. Hi, me who failed.

One of my favorite fashion historians on YouTube, Abby Cox, loved this show so much she did a slightly unhinged review. Check that out as it is *chef's kiss*. I have the novel this mini series was based off of in my ever growing TBR pile.

Mary is the often overlooked and forgotten Bennett sister. The show speed runs through the events of Pride and Prejudice in the first two episodes as it shows you things from Mary's perspective. After that, all the focus is on how Mary slowly steps out of the shadows of her sisters and into her own light. And in the process finds a place to belong and love.

Sidenote: I think the Gardiners are the healthiest example of family in the show. Also I have always like them. They always seemed to me like people one would like to know. This show just reinforced that thought. Also my mom and I had a bet going and I lost. The actress who played Mrs.Gardiner was not in Bridgerton. My bad. Let's blame it on my undiagnosed partial face blindness. That's better than saying I am bad at remembering faces, right? Right??

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

The Overdue Review: Doors Without End by Richard A Bamberg

 I read this book a long time ago. I was enamored then. I reread it recently and I found my re-enamored. If any of you out there are a fan of Marvel, Sci-fi, or simply questioning "What If", this novel is something that would be up your alley. Blurb from Goodreads.

When Robert Randall encounters a teenager during a blizzard, he quickly learns that her strangeness is only a foreshadowing of her impact on his life. Within minutes of meeting Kira, Robert is forced to kill, something he had sworn to never do again.

With her pursuers hounding their every move, Robert must escort Kira through the endless doors that connect the universes. All the while trying to get back to Kira’s dimension and rescue her mother from her captors.

Honestly, their blurb doesn't do the book justice. Here's my take:

Widower Robert Randall has been having a rough time. Aside from losing his beloved wife and their unborn child, his in-laws hate him, he's got the world's worst case of writers block and he can't stop talking to his dead comrade at arms. Just when he's about to drunkenly put a hole in his brain, Robert is stopped by thirteen year old Kira. She's on the run, being chased by strange gunman. Robert is quick to come to her rescue. Little does he expect his decision to change his life.

Richard A Bamberg's Doors Without End is a book you should read at least once. Robert is a beautifully broken and flawed character that you still find yourself rooting for, probably because he is so broken. This story is a fun journey I hope you all try.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Top Ten Worst Places and Time periods to accidentally time travel

 One of the things my siblings and I like to do is imagine we had a time machine. Sometimes we talk about what we wish we could see or experience. Or if we changed something in history, what the consequences would be (great cause and effect class, btw). Recently, I asked what would be the worst times and/or places to accidentally land yourself in and get stuck as I would probably get myself killed. The Sibs are still forming their list. This was my top ten and the reasons why.

1. Pompeii

Firstly, Vesuvius. I don't think I would ever feel comfortable being near a volcano even if it was dormant. So being near a violently active one is a pure nightmare. Secondly, the lifestyle difference is way too sharp.

2. French Revolution

I like paranoia in movies or books. Not every day life. Also super fond of my neck. I'm very connected to it. Madam Guillotine and I wouldn't be friends.

3. Lusitania

First, I can't swim. Second, this ship sank so fast I question whether I would've even been fast enough getting my life jacket on. Third, I don't like large bodies of water soooooo...........

4. Galveston Hurricane

Can't Swim. Even if I could, the flooding could've still drowned me or the debris could've taken me out.

5. Salem Witch Hunt

If my time machine was ever so rude as to yeet me as is during this time period, I am probably going to die. My clothes and speech are way to modern, I'm going to be a glaring red flag.

6. 1666 London Fire

Um,fire. I don't do fire unless it's in a grill. This fire ate a nice chunk of London and killed a goodly portion of people. So, nope.

7. San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

Same as above, also I don't want to experience an earthquake. I like not experiencing that. Again.

8. Chicago/ Peshtigo Fire

Still same as above. The Peshtigo Fire was America's deadliest fire and many people still know little about it. It would be incredibly easy to get lost in the chaos. So, Double Nope.

9. The Children's Blizzard,1888

Blizzards are great when in a cup from Dairy Queen, with modern conveniences, all the supplies one could need, and heat. Lacking all these, I refuse to leave. I will help fix the time machine.

10. Any time or place with the Black Plague

Yeah, that will always be a hard pass from me. I will pick up a plague suit on my way out. I'm staying in the machine until you all get it going again. I am not doing it.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

K-Dramas I watched recently

 I thought I would let you all know a little about what I watched recently. No, I did not binge watch in one sitting. That would make me some type of zombie. <insert shudder>.  Synopsis are from Asian Wiki.

The Legend of the Kitchen Solider

Kang Seong-Jae is a soldier and gets transferred to the Ganglim Post, where First Sergeant Park Jae-Young, First Lieutenant Choo Ye-Rin and Military Cook Yoon Dong-Hyun are stationed. Kang Seong-Jae was the best trainee at the training center, but due to his poor family background & being raised by his single poor father, he is classified as a soldier under special observation. With his experience helping his father's food truck, he is assigned to be Yoon Dong-Hyun's assistant in the cafeteria kitchen. At that time, a game-like hologram "Cook's path" appears in front of him. As he completes the quests given by the game-like hologram, his cooking skills improve. He becomes recognized for his skill and supported by the people.

Absurd comedy meets edge of your seat drama. This show is one I watched as it aired and strangely wasn't filled with crazy anxiety over. Honestly, this show is a masterpiece of how to blend together a bunch of things you never expected to work. Also this show is straight up food 🌽. IYKYK. Watch while eating or if you have done so already. You're welcome.

Filing for Love

Joo In-A works as the head of an audit department at Haemu Group. She is a perfectionist, who never allows compromise when it comes to work. If somebody gets marked by her, that person gets ruthlessly crushed by her. She is professional enough to earn the title of the youngest female executive at Haemu Group. She gets entangled with Noh Ki-Jun, who she has appointed to deal with internal scandals, and encounters chaos at work. Noh Ki-Jun is smart and good looking. His life goes by smoothly, but Joo In-A's appearance suddenly puts a brake on his smooth life. He is demoted from the elite audit team 1 to the problematic audit team 3. His job is to deal with internal scandals.

Meanwhile, Jeon Jae-Yeol is a third generation heir from a chaebol family that runs Haemu Group. He seems like a perfect guy, but he hides a void behind his elegant appearance. He opts for reality over love to win a precarious race for succession in the Haemu Group. Park A-Jeong  works as Jeon Jae-Yeol's secretary. She realized that her beautiful appearance can make her life more difficult, so she has kept her guard up. Yet, she begins to have a severe crush for the first time in her life.

If you are looking for an enemies to lovers workplace rom-com that will make you laugh until you pee a little, look no further. I know that is a tiny bit of an over share but that is the best way to describe it. We got an alpha shell, beta core male lead and a tiger female lead. The second male and female leads' storyline is also incredibly compelling.

Sold Out on You

Matthew Lee is young farmer nicknamed Quail. He speaks with a gruff tone, but he has a warm heart. He cultivates white-flowered nuri mushroom with great care. One day, Dam Ye-Jin shows up during his tranquil routine. She is the top host for home shopping network Hit and she is personally obsessed with white-flowered nuri mushroom. She is here to renew their contract for the white-flowered nuri mushroom. No matter how many times he refuses, she persistently pursues him. Their relationship soon blossoms into romance.

The journey from "meet-hate" to "I love you" is hilarious and fun. Sweet, cute, and fun. Tsundere male lead who can't turn away from someone in need of help and a female lead who puts a good front on in front of everyone but is silently breaking inside. Rom-Com with healing.

The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call

Baek Kang-Hyuk  is a genius trauma surgeon who has performed surgeries in conflict zones around the world. He is confident in his abilities and has a bulldozer like personality when he thinks he is doing the right thing. He begins to work at a university hospital and leads the severe trauma team there. The severe trauma team is a double edged sword for the university hospital. This is because as the severe trauma team saves more patients, the hospital goes further in in the red financially. Besides Baek Kang-Hyuk, the severe trauma team consists of Yang Jae-Won, Nurse Cheon Jang-Mi and anesthesiologist resident Park Gyeong-Won. Yang Jae-Won belonged to the proctological surgery department that is led by Professor Han Yu-Rim, but Yang Jae-Won was scouted by Baek Kang-Hyuk and joined his team. Yang Jae-Won becomes Baek Kang-Hyuk’s first pupil. Baek Kang-Hyuk turns the severe trauma team from a nominal existence to a team that actually goes out into the field and saves lives.

Do you like medical dramas? If you are fond of arrogant doctors, spunky nurses, gory cases and hospital politics, this show may be for you. It took me way longer than I expected to get through this 8 episode series. I did procrastinate....

My Royal Nemesis

Kang Dan-Sim is known as Joseon's most villainous femme fatale and she is given poison by law. When she awakens, she finds herself in the year 2026 and in the body of Shin Seo-Ri, who works as an unknown actress.

Cha Se-Gye is the only heir to Chail Group, which is one of the leading companies in South Korea. He is notorious for his arrogant and rude behavior. One day, he is confronted by Shin Seo-Ri. She dressed like a shaman and acts like she is from the Joseon era.

Time travel, Palace intrigue, and Chaebol drama all with a dose a refreshing humor. I literally had a spit take moment with this show. I like that the show didn't take itself super seriously. If you're a K-Period Drama newbie or just someone who only indulges occasionally, this is something you will like. It blends the past and present spectacularly.

Hope you all found something you would like to watch yourself. As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Stress, Man, Stress

 At the time I am writing this (August), our refrigerator has decided to quit working. It was old and what on earth were we to expect after that big power surge? Surely not that it would keep going like it was straight out the factory? Oh no. How very unrealistic. So here we are, food in coolers and our neighbor's freezer, waiting for a new one.

If this has ever happened to you, you know how inconvenient it is. If not, let me give you a comparison. It's like being all soapy from head to toe when your water heater dies in the middle of the worst winter to date. Need another one? How about running out of gas on the middle of the world's longest bridge during the nastiest storm you've ever seen. In short, inconvenient and the timing could've been better. I know you can't time things like this but if I could, I would.

By the time you read this. we will either have our fridge fixed or have a new one. That doesn't mean this stress wasn't real or bothersome. It just means we survived it.

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

The Post 400

 It is just a little amazing to me that I managed to make it to this milestone. I never imagined that I'd write for so long and have so many posts.

I have always loved writing. My fondest childhood memories almost always included either reading or writing. In school, words always made sense to me in a way numbers never really did. Don't get me wrong, I passed math. I just felt more comfortable working with reading and writing.

In short, it's both surprising and not surprising that I managed to get this far. This blog was a slow start but I like how far I've managed to come. So, here's to another 400! 🎉

As always, feel free to leave me a message below.

Robin Hood Retelling that won't make you cringe

 As a kid loved watching the Robin Hood episodes of Wishbone (Yes, I know I am dating myself with that comment). So, in honor of childhood memories, here are a few of my favorite retellings of Robin Hood.

Sherwood - Meagan Spooner

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them?

Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood.

Robin of Locksley is dead. He died in the Holy Land protecting King Richard the Lionheart. Now Marian, grief-ridden, finds herself looking for something, anything to keep herself busy. She may have, sort of, found being a vigilante (in the guise of her dead fiance) as her new calling in life. It really does hit you in the feels right from the start. Just a heads up for all those who ship Guy of Gisborne and Maid Marian, this is for you😘. He will not be our villain here. He shall be the Love Interest.

Hood - Jenny Elder Moke

Isabelle of Kirklees has only ever known a quiet life inside the sheltered walls of the convent, where she lives with her mother, Marien. But after she is arrested by royal soldiers for defending innocent villagers, Isabelle becomes the target of the Wolf, King John's ruthless right hand. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Marien helps Isabelle escape and sends her on a mission to find the one person who can help: Isabelle's father, Robin Hood. As Isabelle races to stay out of the Wolf's clutches and find the father she's never known, she is thrust into a world of thieves and mercenaries, handsome young outlaws, new enemies with old grudges, and a king who wants her entire family dead. As she joins forces with Robin and his Merry Men in a final battle against the Wolf, will Isabelle find the strength to defy the crown and save the lives of everyone she holds dear? In Hood, author Jenny Elder Moke reimagines the world of Robin Hood in lush, historical detail and imbues her story with more breathless action than has ever come out of Sherwood Forest before.

Imagine if Robin Hood and Maid Marion had a daughter. She'd have her mother's bravery and her father's cunning mind. Her high jinks will leave you in stitches and at the edge of your seat. I dare you not to enjoy this one.

A Daring Sacrifice - Jody Hedlund

A reverse twist on the Robin Hood story filled with romance, adventure, twists, and turns, a treat for all fans of historical fiction and medieval stories, featuring a strong female character who can kick butt in a cloak.

For three years, the Cloaked Bandit has terrorized Wessex, robbing the nobility by knifepoint and a well-placed arrow. But little does anyone know, this bandit is in fact Juliana Wessex, the rightful ruler of the land, and a girl her tyrannical uncle—the current Lord Wessex—believes was killed along with father.

Juliana has become skilled at hiding from Lord Wessex in the forest, using her stolen goods to provide food and shelter to the peasants her uncle has taxed into poverty. But when she robs Collin Goodrich, her red hair betrays her true identity. Lord Collin remembers Juliana from their childhood—and challenges her to stay on his estate for a week in hopes she will leave her thieving ways and become a proper lady once more. Juliana is intrigued by Collin and his charms, but only time will tell if he can overcome her distaste of the nobility—as well as win her heart.

A rightful heiress doing her utmost to take care of her people who are suffering under a usurper's cruel reign. A Knight curious about the woman who had the audacity to steal from him. A deal between the two of them. An Enemies(?) to Lovers tale that is filled with those trademark Hedlund toe curling moments along with words of faith.

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest - Melanie Dickerson

In the Robin Hood reimagining, a beautiful maiden poaches to feed the poor, while a handsome forester is on a mission to catch her.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?

A blend of Swan Lake and Robin Hood set in 1300s Germany. We have a beautiful Poacher who gives her kills to the poor and a handsome Forester who fall in love with her. He doesn't know that she's the one he's searching for. She is praying desperately that he won't find out. Oh, the tension!

I hope I inspired you to find a fun new read, not vigilantism. I do not advocate that by the way. As always, feel free to leave me a message below.