Rilla of Ingleside

From Goodreads:    Anne's children were almost grown up, except for pretty, high-spirited Rilla. No one could resist her bright hazel eyes and dazzling smile. Rilla, almost fifteen, can't think any further ahead than going to her very first dance at the Four Winds lighthouse and getting her first kiss from handsome Kenneth Ford. But undreamed-of challenges await the irrepressible Rilla when the world of Ingleside becomes endangered by a far-off war. Her brothers go off to fight, and Rilla brings home an orphaned newborn in a soup tureen. She is swept into a drama that tests her courage and leaves her changed forever.





My Thoughts:

-    I can't believe Anne's kids are all grown up. This series spans most of Anne's life.

-    Rilla is so endearing. She is my favorite of all of Anne's kids. She reminds me a lot of Anne.

-    Besides the first couple of books, this one is a favorite. The middle books are pretty slow, but this last one is great! It reminds me a lot of Anne of Green Gables. There was a bit a romance, a few shenanigans, and lots of heart.

-    I love their cat, and I love that they call him Dr. Jekyll/Mr Hyde depending on his mood. Ha! 

-    Besides Rilla, Susan really steals the show in this story. Her opinions and events cracked me up.

-    Dog Monday also stole the show. I love stories about devoted dogs. It just tugs at my heartstrings. 

-    I really liked that this story took place during The Great War. It was interesting to read about Rilla and everyone's life during the war. It was so hard on everyone. I can't imagine sending my kids or my brothers off to war.

-    This book was the perfect ending to the series. 

Rainbow Valley

From Goodreads:    Anne Shirley is grown up, has married her beloved  Gilbert and now is the mother of six mischievous  children.

These boys and girls discover a  special place all their own, but they never dream  of what will happen when the strangest family  moves into an old nearby mansion. The Meredith clan is  two boys and two girls, with minister father but  no mother -- and a runaway girl named Mary Vance.  Soon the Meredith kids join Anne's children in  their private hideout to carry out their plans to save  Mary from the orphanage, to help the lonely  minister find happiness, and to keep a pet rooster from  the soup pot. There's always an adventure brewing  in the sun-dappled world of Rainbow Valley.

My Thoughts:

-    The books about Anne's children aren't nearly as satisfying as the books about Anne, but these are still charming.

-    Mary adds a lot of spice to the story. Even though she could be a bit annoying at times, I still liked her. 

-    I wanted to read more about Anne's kids. I liked the minister's children, but I'm more interested in Anne, Gilbert, and their family. I wish Marilla had more of an appearance as well.

-    I loved the few parts that were with Anne. She is a beloved character, and I never get sick of her.

-    The minister's kids were a lot like Anne's kids. They have their fair share of mischief and debacles.

-    The book is very slow, but is full of Montgomery charm. 

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  
  

Anne of Ingleside

Goodreads Synopsis:    Anne is the mother of five, with never a dull moment in her lively home. And now with a new baby on the way and insufferable Aunt Mary visiting - and wearing out her welcome - Anne's life is full to bursting.

Still, Mrs Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside. Until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. How could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable redhead - the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up... She's ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!

My Thoughts:

-    I loved going down memory lane with Anne and Diana. I felt like I was reminiscing with old friends.

-    The way the flowers and trees are described makes me want to go outside and admire all of nature's beauty.

-    Aunt Mary Maria is a pain! They should have made her go sooner!

-    I love how each of Anne's children get their own story and spotlight. I also love how each child has a bit of Anne in them.

-    The story about Jem and the dog was very touching.

-    Anne makes motherhood sound so pleasant and happy all the time. I can only hope to be a mother like Anne.

-    As a doctor, Gilbert has to work a lot, and you never know when he is going to be called on to help someone. That would be so hard. But I love how devoted Anne and Gilbert are to each other. I love their relationship! 

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  
 

Anne's House of Dreams

From Goodreads:    Anne's own true love, Gilbert Blythe, is finally a doctor, and in the sunshine of the old orchard, among their dearest friends, they are about to speak their vows. Soon the happy couple will be bound for a new life together and their own dream house, on the misty purple shores of Four Winds Harbor.

A new life means fresh problems to solve, fresh surprises. Anne and Gilbert will make new friends and meet their neighbors: Captain Jim, the lighthouse attendant, with his sad stories of the sea; Miss Cornelia Bryant, the lady who speaks from the heart -- and speaks her mind; and the tragically beautiful Leslie Moore, into whose dark life Anne shines a brilliant light.

My Thoughts:

-    Anne and Gilbert are FINALLY married!!!! Hooray! They are one of my all time favorite couples in literature.

-    Anne and Gilbert face joys and sorrows in their first few years of marriage. It is a very realistic book.

-    I know how Anne feels about her little house. I live in a little home, and I love it, and I never want to leave, but it isn't realistic. We're going to have to move soon. 

-    I loved the people Anne and Gilbert meet. I love Captain Jim and his stories. I love Leslie, especially her happy ending.

-    Anne is such a matchmaker. She helps couples meet and get married everywhere she goes!

-    These books are so warm and comforting. I just love them! They make me happy. 

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  

Anne of Windy Poplars

Goodreads Says:    Anne Shirley has left Redmond College behind to begin a new job and a new chapter of her life away from Green Gables. Now she faces a new challenge: the Pringles. They're known as the royal family of Summerside - and they quickly let Anne know she is not the person they had wanted as principal of Summerside High School. But as she settles into the cozy tower room at Windy Poplars, Anne finds she has great allies in the widows Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty - and in their irrepressible housekeeper, Rebecca Dew. As Anne learns Summerside's strangest secrets, winning the support of the prickly Pringles becomes only the first of her triumphs.





My Thoughts:

-    Anne looks younger on this cover than she did on the previous two covers. Why did they do that?

-    I don't know if everyone will appreciate the subtle beauty and charm that is Anne's world. The story isn't thrilling or exciting. It is about people and their lives. 

-    I felt like the book is made up of a bunch of different stories because the book is about all the different people Anne meets and influences during her three years in Summerside.

-    I missed Gilbert and Diana a lot. Anne writes Gilbert a lot of letters, and Diana is mentioned, but it just isn't the same.

-    The author skips the parts of Anne's letters that are "love letter" bits. I'm curious about what Anne would say in her love letters, but I'm also grateful they were omitted because I think they'd be boring and full of fluff.

-    Misunderstandings seem to be the theme of this book. 

-    Hazel is one crazy basket case! Good luck Terry!

-    Gerald and Geraldine are horrible awful little children that need some major smack downs!

-    I can't believe Gilbert and Anne were engaged for 3 years! And they spent the majority of the time far away from each other.

-    Elizabeth is probably my favorite story. I love her little personality, and I loved her happy ending.

-    I can't wait to continue Anne's journey in the next books! 

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  

Anne of the Island

Goodreads Says:    New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs  her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for  Redmond College. With old friend Prissy Grant  waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and  frivolous new pal Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks  her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers  life on her own terms, filled with  surprises...including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow  imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a  tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson. But  tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move  into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals  her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome  Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly  Anne must decide if she's ready for love...




My Thoughts:

-    The story picks up right after Anne of Avonlea ends. Anne is off to college!

-    I liked how real Anne's emotions were. I could relate to her. As her friends go off in different directions and get married, Anne longs for the joys of her childhood. She was uncertain of college and leaving home. She was home sick a lot. Anne is so real to me.

-    I love how Anne found a house to rent with her friends. That would have been a lot of fun in college. 

-    Phil was a fickle and silly character. I'm glad Anne found new friends, but this one was a bit annoying.

-    Davy cracks me up!

-    It drove me crazy that Anne wanted to keep Gilbert at arms length! What is wrong with her!? It takes her forever to realize that she loves Gilbert! Thank Goodness she finally does!

-    We need more books set in college!  

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

 

Anne of Avonlea

Goodreads Synopsis:    At sixteen Anne is grown up...almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job a the new schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with teaching the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behaviour of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.




My Thoughts:

-    This book picks up right after Anne of Green Gables ends. I enjoyed continuing the story.

-    You'd think the people of Avonlea would get really fat with all the cakes and puddings they eat. Food is a big part of these books. I feel like Anne is always making a cake for something.

-    Davy is hilarious. His reasoning and shenanigans just crack me up. Of course, Anne got herself into some trouble as well, and that always puts a smile on my face.

-    While reading this, I noticed my surroundings a lot more. I stopped to look at how beautiful the weather was and how lovely the trees are. Books do funny things to me.

-    Oh Anne, when will you realize that Gilbert is the only one for you! How can you be so oblivious?

-    I loved the Echo Lodge people and those parts of the story. 

-    This was a lovely book! I just can't get enough of the people of Avonlea. 

Previous Anne of Green Gables Book

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

Anne of Green Gables

Goodreads Synopsis:    As soon as Anne Shirley arrived at the snug,  white farmhouse called Green Gables, she knew she  wanted to stay forever... but would the Cuthberts send her back to the orphanage? Anne knows she's not  what they expected -- a skinny girl with decidedly  red hair and a temper to match. If only she could  convince them to let her stay, she'd try very hard  not to keep rushing headlong into scrapes or blurt  out the very first thing she had to say. Anne was  not like anybody else, everyone at Green Gables  agreed; she was special -- a girl with an enormous  imagination. This orphan girl dreamed of the day  when she could call herself Anne of Green Gables.





My Thoughts:

-    I haven't read this for a long time. It was like revisiting an old friend.

-    Anne and her imagination are hilarious. This brought back so many memories of laughing with my family at Anne's shenanigans.

-    Matthew will always have a piece of my heart. He is so kind and understanding. 

-    Marilla, though stern, is also very kind. She has a rough exterior, but underneath she is a gentle woman. I love how she secretly laughed at things Anne did or said. 

-    Ah Gilbert. . . sigh.

-    Even after all these years, I still want to crawl into the book and live in Anne's world. Her life was simple, yet full. 

-    This story and these characters never leave you. They become a part of you. 

-    Definitely a story all young girls need to read.