Anne of Green Gables

A few weeks ago, I was checking the collection of teen audiobooks at my work looking for something to listen to, and I saw that we had Anne of Green Gables. I knew the basics of the story, because I have seen bits and pieces of the movie, but I have never read the book.

Well, I absolutely loved it!! L.M. Montgomery's writing was very clever and entertaining, and Anne was such a hoot. I love that a book with such a strong and smart female character was published in 1908. I loved Anne's imagination as well as her competition with Gilbert Blythe. :) Here is a NPR piece on the 100 year anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables that is quite interesting.

I talked with a librarian about how much I enjoyed reading a book that had such a strong female role model, and she recommended some other books, which I then read. These included The True Confessions of Charlotte Dolye by Avi and two books by Karen Cushman- The Midwife's Apprentice and Catherine, Called Birdy. I enjoyed Avi's novel and plan to read more of his work. Karen Cushman's work is enjoyable as well. Both books were pretty short, so they are fast reads.

I also got two other books read before the semester started today- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan. The Handmaid's Tale was somewhat disturbing because it was a story taking place in a future society that has stripped away almost all of womens' rights.

Sarah, Plain and Tall is really short. In school, you were always given a few options for books to read, and I like to go back and read the ones I never got to, like Sarah, Plain and Tall or Anne of Green Gables. I always look at the summer reading display at Barnes and Noble and think I should eventually read all of those books. I'm sure I never will, but I would like to continue trying.