Pride, Prejudice, Obsession (aka "Why We Are OBSESSED With Lizzie Bennet Diaries")

In this post we will ponder why we love the web series, "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries." *pondering, pondering*

Well, it's certainly not for the super annoying theme opening which will grate on your every nerve if you decide to watch this series in one fell swoop (yes, all 98+ episodes -- good luck with that, ok?).  And honestly, how many times can we remake Jane Austen's masterpiece? My answer? As many times as you damn well please (with or without zombies) because honestly, there is no better story than this classic. I don't think there's an adaptation I haven't liked (yes, even Bridget Jones, except T, T doesn't like Bridget Jones).

So why, pray tell, has it taken us 98 episodes to finally let you know about THIS? Because Lizzie Bennet Diaries (or LBD as we so lovingly refer to it) is something really and truly special. Something you love so much you want to keep it to yourself for just a little bit longer. But keep to ourselves no more! Everyone should be just as obsessed as we are by this internet gem! The characters are so easy to love and laugh at, so endearing and in some cases, so heartbreaking. *sigh* The story is not new, you even KNOW what's going to happen but it's the wait for the next episode to see your favorite part interpreted by a blogger's point of view that keeps us tuning in. Is this the episode where we meet Mr. Bing Lee? Will Mr. Collins really be as ridiculous a character as we all hope? And probably the most agonizing wait of all is going 55+ episodes before William Darcy makes his first appearance. But, oh, is it worth the wait!

LBD follows our heroine, Miss Lizzie Bennet, as the middle daughter of a family of three daughters (adapted from the original story so Kitty is literally the family cat and Mary is a close cousin) setting up a video blog as part of her Master degree project. Her two sisters Jane and Lydia and her best friend, Charlotte Lu are frequent guests on her vlog and are just as beloved as Lizzie herself. The whole cast of characters make an eventual appearance including Bing Lee, George Wickham, Caroline Lee, Gigi Darcy, Mr. Collins, and even mentions of Lady Catherine De Burgh.

We really and truly love this series and hope you take some time out to enjoy it as well, you won't regret it! (Episode 98 is especially good!) The link below is the entire playlist, it starts with episode 1 and will play each episode through. Each episode averages between 3 and 4 minutes long. There are also side vlogs that are offshoots of this one and they are not required watching, although the Pemberley Digital ones are pretty great, just don't watch them until you get to episode 90.

A day in Paris (aka T in Anna Oliphants footsteps)

Both Jeannie and I are massive Stephanie Perkins fans. We love the swoony-ness of her books and can't wait to *flail* over Isla and the Happily Ever After once it is out next year. Back in March we even managed to visit some of the places in San Francisco that are mentioned in Lola and the Boy Next Door.

So when I made plans to go on a daytrip to Paris (it's only 3hrs by train - Europe is awesome) for the Marc Jacobs Exhibit I was also thinking of visiting some of the places from Anna and the French Kiss.

Below the cut you'll find a massive picture spam from my time in Paris. If you have NOT read AatFK yet, be warned, you might get spoilt. Enjoy!

Review: Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy (aka: Watch me use the word "AWESOME" as many times as I can!)

First of all, Tanja will wake up to see that there's a blog post on the site. Surprise! Secondly, I LOVE JEREMY RENNER. You know me, you know my love for Jeremy Renner is limitless. How can you not love this man? Seriously?

When I first heard they were continuing the Bourne series, I was ECSTATIC! Then I heard Matt Damon would not reprise his role as Jason Bourne, I was like:

Who else would be able to surpass Matt Damon as the quintessential amnesiac secret CIA operative? WHO?! No one, that's who. Then I saw Damon in the previews for "I Bought a Zoo:"

Uhhh, ok, I get it now. Matt Damon no longer fit the profile for a secret agent and has since moved on to movies about...well, buying a zoo. Da fuq? So that left to question who or what the next Bourne movie was about. Imagine my utter delight to find out this hotness was filling in the vacated shoes of Damon:

Yes, please.

The premise for the movie at first almost seemed like a reboot of the first movie, The Bourne Identity, establishing Renner as Aaron Cross, a CIA operative from an uber secret organization sanctioned by our United States government to genetically alter humans to become super awesome. And by super awesome I definitely mean to be ass-kickingly hot and able to handle weapons with killer broodiness and unexpected compassion and vulnerability which was viewed as a "flaw" in their programming. Not much is known about Aaron Cross other than his greatest desire which is to not "revert" back to his original programming before the CIA and their program, Outcome (if you are a fan of the original three Bourne movies, Outcome is a branch of Treadstone and Blackbriar) found him as a young army survivor in Iran after an IED bombing. Yes, they were able to rebuild him. Literally.

Unlike the first set of operatives from Treadstone (not much is known about Blackbriar), the Outcome agents seem to have more advance cognitive skills and enhanced physical abilities that were programmed into their DNA by a purposefully introduced viral infection. To maintain these newly acquired attributes, operatives must dose themselves with pills that basically keep the virus working to continue enhancing them. These pills, or chems, as they call them, must be taken daily to avoid retrograde of the virus. Aaron Cross most certainly does not want to miss a dose.

In fact, he's so addicted to being awesome (and lets face it, you would be too if you looked like Renner) when Treadstone starts to go toe up during the whole Bourne Ultimatum debacle (remember when that reporter was threatening to go take a Treadstone expose public, Pam Landy was testifying during a Senate Committee hearing and Julia Stiles went rogue and cut her hair?)when he'd been out doing training exercises, the CIA decides to 86 the program his first priority is to find the drugs. And by 86 I mean to switch their pills from green and blue to the big bad triangle yellow ones. And by that I mean, they were offing the agents one by one. And by that I mean they were being killed by their creators.

And if you were in the theater with me and my friend Georgette at the 9:25pm showing Thursday night at Saratoga 14 you would have heard her say, "Oh No! What a WASTE! He was HOTTTT!!!" Yes Georgette, movies do not discriminate. Even the hot ones die. It's a tragedy, I know.

So without giving away the whole movie, Aaron meets up with, er, I mean he tracks down Dr. Marta Shearing, who was one of the doctors that engineered the viral compound to build the awesome operatives. This man needs the pills, lady. Long story short, he and Dr. Marta head to the Philippines because, quite honestly, what's a Bourne movie without international travel that brings on that tense scene of trying to get through airport security with your fake I.D.? And just like the first movie where you couldn't really understand why Jason and Marie would even like each other much less fall in love in the end, you really understand the potential liability and risk an operative like Aaron would encounter when he lets someone into his heart. (cue the awwws, now).

Don't get me wrong, there is no sappy love story here. What it is though, is a fundamental understanding of how we as humans need to behave. We are not meant to be lone wolves in life. Even wolves cannot survive on their own. We are made to be pack animals, we are stronger, faster, smarter and more awesome in groupings and pairs and this movie fully illustrates that point. There is an interesting parallel in the movie between Aaron and Marta running for their lives, each one only as strong as the weaker one and going up against another operative, you can guess who won that fight. What it shows is vulnerability and compassion do not make for a weaker human, because what's stronger than the desire of the human heart? Nothing, my friend, the answer is nothing.

In summary, I really think this movie held up to the high expectations the original Bourne movies set up. It's near perfect in my estimation, but there's hardly a thing Renner can do that I won't love, so take my comments with a grain of sea salt. I will say however, that I am not a fan of Rachael Weisz but after this movie, I may be convinced that Mrs. James Bond is herself, pretty awesome too.

Fans of the original Bourne movies: Go see this movie, you won't be disappointed.
Fans of Jeremy Renner: It would be considered criminal to NOT see this movie.
Never seen a Bourne movie before: Start with Bourne Identity, not this movie but then work your way to this movie.
Fans of awesome: Watching this movie will make you more awesome. Trust.

Daily "Squeeee!"

Sometimes, we are so excited about certain books that we end up preordering them months in advance before we even know what they are about (see, for example, The Fault in our Stars).


This time it was Chris Colfers first novel called The Land of Stories.


There has been so much talk about this in advance that I COULD.NOT.WAIT. to have this book. I kept checking Amazon over and over the last few days after it has been released waiting (im)patiently for it being finally shipped.  


And here it is!!!

mah face

Sadly, Jeannie's copy has still not been shipped so I will start reading and try not to spoil too much for her and you guys will get a thorough review once we both are finished.

Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (aka How T and I Learned About Jase and All His Swoony Goodness First)

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (aka: Girls Like Superhero Movies Too)

Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (aka: How This Movie Made Me a Fan of Sam Claflin)

In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.