Welcome to the Retro Next podcast. I'm so excited to have Julia back, or Julia, how I call her 'cause I'm sure from Puerto Rico. To talk about Bridgeton. We're gonna talk about what to expect to send for, but she also has some book recommendations because you know it's called, and you might as well just borrow some books, your little library. 'cause these books are likely to be available in your library. And you can just read them and just enjoy that while you wait for part two of Bridgeton. So Julio, tell us where you've been up to.

Yeah. So, Bridger 10, season two is what literally introduced me into the romance genre and it to the historical romance genre, and has made me like. A passionate fan, like obsessed with historical tune. Like I will go from reading five hockey romances in a row and then I read five historicals. That's pretty much how I do. I'm still not into the fantasy. I'll get there eventually, but Okay. Fair.

I decided not to remain to see, not to do fantasy, not to do any of that stuff. I need to be a contemporary or historical world. I cannot do world building. I cannot make learn magic systems. I don't wanna go back to school. So, yeah.

that's so fair. Okay. That makes me feel better. 'cause I'm like, ugh.

I, what I've been doing is mysteries, some mysteries, cozy mysteries, puzzle mysteries, they're perfect for do I want to fall in love with the husband or do I want the husband did it? Do I really want to have a cute cl cool people? I trying amateur, trying to figure out puzzles. And as I'm an investigator, so it definitely feels like a little bit of my job situation of trying to figure out the situation. So,

well my favorite mystery like romance series is A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Mayhem. Collins like, I will eat up those books. And I recommend 'em all the time.

There's so many good historical mysteries out there. Jennifer Ashley has some good mysteries. Sherry Thomas does have the lead She series. I know we want her to do historical rules. I know we fill the paint. I asked her, I have an interview with her, but she's just doing historical mysteries and you know what? They're delightful. There's there's a Jane Austen ones. There are quite a few I love. There's a Julia Styles a Julia. So Julia Childs mystery that it's all about setting post-war friends and you're like solving the history

Sorry. I was like looking at my shelf and I thought, were you talking about Julius Sles? The one who

no. I confused her with our 2000 era saved Less than Julie Styles,

Oh,

but no, it's Julie Childs, our cook extraordinaire. The og. Yes. Ji. So there's actually cozy mysteries, Colleen Cambridge, where they're as, Julia is the side kick of the her best friend solving mysteries in post-war, France

Oh, that so much

Yeah. So yes, but no I confused her. Where Julia Styles or saved the Last Dance Girl who made it to Julia with hip hop dancing

Oh yes. I love that movie.

It's so good. They don't make movies like that anymore.

I just watched Cutting Edge for the first time, the cutting

Oh my gosh.

like yes, last night. And I told all my millennial friends and they're like, oh my God, Julie, how have you been?

That's like a eighties movie. It's not even, it's not even a movie that we grew up with. It's like a movie that we watched, like where we're like children. Cutting edge is like any

it 92.

I did. I thought it was like, that's crazy.

It has very eighties vibes, like her outfits, very eighties. Like she has quite a few like things where I'm like, you can tell that this

I was 11 and I'm an older millennial, so most millennials are born in the eighties and stuff, so they're probably like their children when they watch this movie. Our greatest millennial entry was 1999 with election never been kissed. So many good movies. There's actually a book about best Movie Year ever, which is all the books in 1999. Virgin Suicide is another one. Office Phase is another one. And there's so many, the Matrix, the Mummy all came in 1999. It was such a great year. Like we don't have that anymore. Like we, I don't care about the Oscars in 20 years,

it's gonna be on Netflix this year, I think

no. It's gonna be an A, B, CI think, or maybe it's a Netflix. I It's gonna, it's gonna be YouTube in 2029.

oh, that's what it was.

Yes.

I will say personally, I do love YouTube. Like I'm obsessed with YouTube. I'm on it all the time. Thank you. Because I'm, I work with a lot of millennials and they're always like, Julia, the most Gen Z thing about you is how much you love YouTube. And I'm

love YouTube.

you told this for all

Okay. I wanna check, because I had to explain my millennial friend. I was like, oh, I got YouTube premium. I don't have to see the ads

I have YouTube

Yes, it's the only way to watch YouTube is to get YouTube premium content creators do get money from the YouTube premium money, so it doesn't really matter, but I have YouTube premium. This is like the only way you can approach this is just watching YouTube premium. And YouTube premium is not the same as YouTube tv. YouTube TV is cable. TV is not the same as YouTube.

I actually do have YouTube TV on one TV in my apartment. 'cause it works 'cause it somehow thinks I'm still in DC so I will watch. Like I was just watching the a FC championships and I was watching in my bedroom. 'cause my bedroom TV thinks it's in dc.

Well, we like that. We like that.

Really love it. And they also, my bedroom. My bedroom like TV also plays Netflix and the one out here kicks me out.

Yes.

Cute TV though. I barely watch TV because my mom wanted a big TV for herself when she comes to visit.

so it's perfect.

Okay, we should get back

Season four. It's Cinderella. It technically it's book three of the series. They did a switch role because Colin and Penelope was a much more interesting dynamic and people were shipping them. So we got them on season three, and then we got season four. So we now get into Cinderella.

Yeah. No, and I think it's not even just that they're like more interesting, it's just that they, we couldn't do a whole other season of them longing for each other and doing all.

That's what we have three or four books to

I think I would've gotten a little sick of Colin. I was already kind of done with Colin in general. I'm not the biggest Colin fan. Colin in the books is so cute and so sweet and so funny. Colin, in the show, like he's kind of brooding and it doesn't work as well. I think the actor is talented and I liked the season as a whole, but the romance wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be because of him, like Nicole Cochlan, no notes. She's fantastic. She's so good. But anyways, that's part of the reason why I'm super excited for season four. It's the return to form of what I consider Bridgeton, which is one person is a fish out of water and then the other person is a bridgeton. And I think that has just been the central force for all the really good seasons. 'cause like even with Simon, like he's a character who had been gone away and then he came back to town and there's like a whole hullabaloo about that. And then, with Kate Sharma, obviously, like they came from India, like they weren't like used to the stuff. But this season is gonna be the most interesting because it also explores class divide and trauma it should be really interesting because Colin isn't as fun in the show as he's in the books. Benedict's kind of the opposite in the books. He kind of sucks. And then the show is amazing. Like I adore him, like he is peak comedy. So great. Like truly what a great actor. But basically I think these aspects of like class divide of the fact that, Sophie is working as a maid because even though she is like the illegitimate daughter of, at least in the books, they might change it in the book. She's the illegitimate daughter of a Duke and she grows up with. Like the Duke's other children and everything's fine until he dies. And then, the evil stepmother comes in. So it's like literally Cinderella. Like it's, that's the plot. So she subsequently, after her father dies, serves as the maid to her stepmother and her stepsisters who she grew up with as sisters. So there's just a lot of that character's just going through a lot mentally. So it will be interesting to see how that plays out. And with that in mind, I think class divide and class differences like the above the house and below the house vibe. Or like what I would recommend people read if they're like yearning for that at the moment. So the biggest ones I could think of are a bookshop, Cinderella, which I adored by like Laura Lee Gurkhie I believe how you pronounce it. And then the other one is, it's a very classic one and this one is less Cinderella, but it's still has the class divide aspect of it. And that's the Duchess deal by Tessa Dare. Which is like truly one of the best historical romances of all time. If I can commend you read one book, it would be that one. Like it is truly so good. So yeah, no, I'm just really excited to see what happens and see how they adapt this. But yeah, it should be interesting. I don't know. I'm excited.

I am excited for this season. I haven't watched Bridgeton the past couple seasons. Like it just hasn't been that interesting. But I'm like, just sound I don't know. I need UTV, I need like different Romans and Spoony things and I was Plus and partita robbery and I'm still obsessed with them. And so I think it's like in some ways, like I need this. More romance in my tv. I am eagerly AWAI for off-campus series. That's the one that I'm waiting for. So this is tide me over until I get

Yeah,

tv.

Totally fair. I just also like one thing I always. Say about Bridgeton is, even if you aren't obsessed with the love stories, it is truly a feast for the eyes. There's that costumes are beautiful, like the setting is beautiful. Like even if you didn't care about the characters, I recommend anyone watch it just for the scope and size of it. I just think it's so cool that they're investing all this money in something that is. A romance and not like Game of Thrones or whatever, like they're investing an insane amount of money in getting all these diamonds for these various dresses, and I think that's awesome.

Yeah. And also the music. I was talking to my yoga instructor, she's touring a Bridgestone class, she was like, are you watching? I was like, no. But I love the music for reading because it's like pop songs and classical music, so it's like perfect, soothing music that you can just have in your background. I need, it's hard for me to have silence, so I need to have something to do when I'm reading. So bad music is my go-to it keeps me focused. It just gets me the sense of like I'm listening to a pop song, but it's not really a pop song kind of deal. You get the

My favorite one from season three was Cheap thrills. So good. That is like truly, I think, the best instrumentation that they've done. Like I, I love it so much. Give me everything tonight. Just makes me laugh because I think about Colin in that carriage with his fingers surf finger, fingering tin. Do you know what I'm talking

No, do not watch.

Oh my God, I forgot you haven't seen season three.

Oh, but it's okay.

Okay. Boilers for season three, part one. The last scene in season three, part one is the carriage scene, which is big in the books. And suddenly Colin and Penelope are in this carriage and out of nowhere they just start making out and then give me everything. Tonight my pit bull starts playing. Oh five. And, as a Cuban American, I had to like I was like, yeah, but I just couldn't take it seriously because it's give me everything. And they're just like making out. And then he takes her, his finger and goes like this. And then they arrive at Bridger house and he like, makes her look right or whatever. And he'd like, everyone made fun of the fact that he basically keeps his two fingers out like this and adjusts her dress. So people started calling him Lord fingering.

My God.

See, this is what you're missing from not watching Bridgeton.

I know I need to watch tv. It's my YouTube time. I need to move my YouTube time to actually watch tv.

I have a hard time too. Like I love watching YouTube so much. It's truly such a problem and everyone's like, why haven't you seen that? And I'm like, oh, well I just spend that time watching YouTube or reading. But I think it's worth it just for the cultural relevance of it, I think. It's gonna be fun. I almost wish this was like heated rivalry where we got an episode a week, because I honestly think that would be

I think that's the model that they need to move. We're watching

Yeah, there's more like four episodes and then a break,

I don't wanna binge episodes. I just wanna take, say we're one week and talk to my friends at Naum about it and have a conversation. And then just that I understood why they were doing binge model in the back, in the day in the pandemic, but we're not in the pandemic. We have life to do things to do, and I'm like, one episode a week gives me enough time to have a cultural discourse to go and talk to my friends,, to get my memes. To get my little threats

I think either do us all of it or do the one week, one a week model. 'cause they're just trying to make sure that you pay for two months of Netflix

I hate to say this, but I cancel my Netflix. It's ending next weekend, so I'm gonna watch part four, and then if it worth it, maybe I'll wait till other shows come in and then I'll just binge the rest of it, but yes, if you had it one a week, you'll have the same model of people coming in and they actually will be able to bill it. It's so stupid. It's so dumb. Just, again, a weekly

I'm just excited 'cause the actress who's playing, Sophie seems so talented and her and Benedict seem to have a ton of chemistry. I'm excited and Sophie is such a strong character and a great example of someone who has been through a lot and like fights through it and she doesn't put up with Benedict shit in the books and. I doubt she will in the show too. And Benedict's a little in his head about I wanna be an artist.

He's such a rake. He's like sleeping around here on London.

He's such a fuck boy, and he's such a, like a ugh. It's so hard to be me being the second born of a very wealthy family. So I really need Sophie to clock him on his shit 'cause that's what I wanted more of in season three. I wanted Penelope to make Colin yearn more because he needed to be on his knees begging with his ratchet ass behavior.

Yes.

Yeah, so those are my thoughts. I'm sure I'll have more thoughts before part two, after I've seen the first few

We'll revisit We can actually come back and talk about it. So listeners, we'll follow through. We'll have her come back and have Julia give us a rundown of what her thoughts are of season two,

by then, I'll probably watched it multiple times.

Yes, and if I watch it, I'll let you know. Right now I'm in Stephen de Marco world of tell me lies, which is my millennial heart is like it's going. I did not go to school at that time. I was a little bit older than they were, but the music the fashion is just so millennial and obviously a toxic boyfriend. So bad, God bless a sociopath as a main character energy.

Truly fun.

Yes.

but yeah. It should be interesting and I highly recommend people check out bookshop, Cinderella, and the Duchess Deal I also have a list of a couple others. Oh, a kiss at midnight by Eloisa James. I haven't read this one yet, but it is Cinderella to the tea, like there's a masquerade ball and an evil stepmother. So I feel like that's a great one. And then there's also Marry me at Midnight, which I haven't read, but I've heard it's really good. And it also is a gender swap. So like the man is like the poor one, which, love that equality.

Yes.

but yeah, so those are like the five. And then the first one I'd recommend is to read an offer from a gentleman

Yes, I would say I've read Louisa's other books and I love her writing, so if you haven't read it, I would just try it. Her writing is great.

Yeah. Also Kiss at Midnight is the first one of a series too, so that you get

get into it.

get into it,

yes.

I'm reading Christie Caldwell right now and I forgot how good she is. Like she's really good. Have you read her?

Yeah,

No, she's great. She had I don't know. Another one that I thought of too is desperately seeking a Duchess. That could be one. Or any Duchess will do that one's also, that one is almost like a of my fair lady comp because it's like she unsophisticated and let's make her fancy. But some people would argue that falls into the Cinderella trope too. It's kind of, she does get her makeover, she gets her like, yeah, but I think there's something about like she has been, she was born to be in one sort of life and then was like quote unquote demoted

Yeah.

because of the circumstances surrounding her.

Yeah.

Yeah. Well, I actually would like to see, read a book where, I mean, that's one thing I like about the Duchess deal is that. This lady, like she wasn't born with a title. She was born as the daughter of a vicar and was like cast over by her father. So that one, she wasn't like set in life to marry a Duke, but like she still had that classroom and she still was abandoned by a parental figure.

I love the Duchess Seal. That is such a good one. Anything Casa Dare. Right? So you're just like, just read it.

One dance with the Duke is pretty good too. It has one of the iest like home, like honeymoon vibes before they seal the deal. That's it's truly like spectacular. He loses his shit and I love it.

I love this. All right, Julia, tell us we're gonna find me online.

You can find me online at Chick Lit is the shit. And you can check out some nonfiction books that I work on at Harmony Rodale Convergent. One that's coming up very soon that I think your audience might be interested in is Mundane Magic, A Lazy Witches Guide to Hacking Your Life. And it is a book written by a witch about like executive fun functioning. 'cause she has a DHD. And the idea is to basically use rituals and fun things to get to get yourself willing to do things that you don't want, don't wanna do otherwise. So it's putting magic in the mundane.

I love this. Awesome. So readers, you have plenty of books to pick up while you're watching Bridgeton season four, part one, Julia, we'll be coming back. We just promise you because we'll be coming back and talking more. So we may talk about Bridgeton, we talk about something else 'cause we're friends. So, thank you Julia for being on the show

Of course, anytime.

Thanks for listening to the What three next. For more book lists, cozy reads and library tips, visit the what three Next block.com. Your next great read might be waiting there.