Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion

This is one that I could never get into when I was a child, but according to Allison, they are fantastic, so I would be willing to give them another shot.

Please discuss!

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU STARTED THIS THREAD BEFORE ME! What was I thinking?

Anne of Green Gables was my first book love, I ADORE this series and everyone needs to at least give them a shot! So so so good.

<---- will love Fiona forever once she starts.

I just read it this month! It was fabulous!!

I read the first one, but haven't read any of the others - but I want to!

Anne was my first book of 2009!

I've read up to Anne's House of Dreams. I really love L.M. Montgomery's writing style, I feel her humour is fairly subtle. Her books make me feel like maybe flowers are interesting, but then I stop reading to go do something and begin to not care about flowers...

Yeah, it was so upbeat, even with some not-so-pleasant events - that's what I liked about it. A good series for a rainy day, or a blah mood.

I have never read this book, but I loved the movies. I think I am going to try to read it this month.

Hi Everyone (I'm new to Good Read)!!!
I first read this series when I was in 2nd grade. My older sister gave it to me for my birthday/Christmas. And they got lost in a move when I was in high school. So I bought them and I'm re-reading them! Right now, I'm on the 6th book and its great. As I read them I get a feeling that Gilbert was an influence for Stephenie Meyer when she wrote Edward's character for Twilight.

ick! Not me at all...Gilbert is so lovely and patient and kind...

Edward is so obsessive and overbearing :S

but welcome to GR, and the group, Jennifer! haha.

well thank goodness you're about to rectify that gross oversight :)

Thanks for joining us, Jennifer, so glad you appreciate the Anne series. It's nice to have a series like this that really celebrates the up-side of life, positive things and positive people! I was surprised by the first book, as I expected kind of a hokey classic, and I found it instead to be a real page-turner. I'd really like to read the whole series - how many books total Allison? Have you read the whole series?

of course I've read them! There are 8.

Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables No. 6)
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables No. 8)

YAY, thanks for posting the list for us....you sweet little puppy....

*pets*

:D

I loved the first two movies. I think the 3rd one would have been better if they hadn't waiting 10 years (or however long) to make it!

I still haven't read Anne of Green Gables. It has been on my TBR list forever though. Maybe next month...

Sara TX wrote: "I loved the first two movies. I think the 3rd one would have been better if they hadn't waiting 10 years (or however long) to make it!"

I wasn't fond of #3 at all, but I could watch the first two over and over again... as a matter of fact, maybe I will go to Blockbuster tonight and rent them.

Kathryn wrote: "Sara TX wrote: "I loved the first two movies. I think the 3rd one would have been better if they hadn't waiting 10 years (or however long) to make it!"

I wasn't fond of #3 at all, but I could w..."

yeah the third one was....*ahem* awful.

I have the first two on VHS :( wish they were DVD.

Allison wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Sara TX wrote: "I loved the first two movies. I think the 3rd one would have been better if they hadn't waiting 10 years (or however long) to make it!"

I wasn't fond of #3 at al..."

That is the problem with changing technology... you get all of your favorites on vhs or whatever, and then they come out with DVDs... I am convinced that the next will be movies on USB drives... I am skipping blu-ray.

Hi all, I'm new to the group but I LOVE children's lit and want to get a master's in it! Anne of Green Gables is one of my all-time favorite books. I bought it at one of those Scholastic book fairs when I was in I think 3rd grade, then I didn't feel like reading it because it was so thick. I picked up a children's version of it (very abridged) a year or so later and loved it so much that I dug through my closet to read the unabridged one I bought haha. I specifically remember thinking "I don't want Anne's adventures to end!" as hokey as that sounds. I read it so long ago though... and I only got partway through Anne of Ingleside, then stopped. I think I might have to go through them all again.

Thanks Fiona!

Everyone is right about how positive Anne's world is. I love how she looks at the world and the beauty of everything. Even in the later series with her own children. Every book leaves you with a great warm fuzzy feeling.

me too :) its so unfortunate she keeps putting it off. *glare*

Fiona wrote: "I... got... ANNE! Yes, it is beside me!"

HOLY COW!! What do you think? How does it look/smell/feel/taste??

...k maybe not taste, although maybe as its you....

Heather wrote: "Just as there are comfort foods, there are comfort books. Anne of Green Gables is probably my all time favorite comfort book. I felt so happy and warm and fuzzy inside when I read it. Don't you just love books that can make you feel that way?"

You said it perfectly, Heather.

The first time I tried to read Anne, I was probably about 10 and I thought it was boring. I tried again a couple of years later--thanks to the movie--and loved it. I love all of L.M. Montgomery's books. I think at this point I own all of them, and I've probably read all of them at least twice. I couldn't tell you how many times I've read AoGG though.

If you love Cassandra Mortmain, Fiona Tweety, you'll love Anne Shirley. I can't wait to see what you think!

Is it okay to post a link to a group for fans of L.M. Montgomery's work here?

Thanks, Fiona. Kindred Spirits is a group here on GR for fans of L.M. Montgomery's work. We do a monthly group read, so if you've never read any of her other books, this might be fun for you to join in on.

Heather, are you asking about the Emily books? There are three of those. Anne is by far my favorite character, but Emily's nice too. From what I remember, she's a little more serious, especially about her writing. The first one, Emily of New Moon is actually our group read for May in the Kindred Spirits group. Feel free to join in if you have the time!

I own Jane of Lantern Hill as well as Chronicles of Avonlea but I never got around to them.

I would say my favorite Anne book is Anne of the Island, there's so much intrigue and romance and lurvee.

I love the whole Kindred Spirits thing as well as from Anne's House of Dreams when they refer to kindred spirits as those descended from The Race That Knows Joesph.

Weird question, but do these books make you want to drink tea? They definately make me want to sit in a quiet corner with a porcelin tea-cup...

I love how positive, dreamy, and romantic Anne's character is considering her hard upbringing before Marilla and Matthew. I love people that see the good in everything and every opportunity.

Reading through the reviews here on GR when I added the book to my shelf, it struck me the number of people who talked about Anne of Green Gables really being Marilla's story instead of Anne's.

In my last re-read I could really see where they were coming from and wonder what you all think.

hmm...I think its definitely Anne's story, but its so neat to see how she makes everyone around her open up and change. Marilla was pretty darn stuffy and rigid at the beginning of the story...but by the end Anne has caused her to loosen up and allow happiness into her life, you know? So I do agree that the book chronicles the growth of Marilla's character more so then anyone except Anne.

I dont remember that from when I originally read it but, then again, it was a long time ago. I am half way through it now but I could see where people would have that opinion. She has evolved already and I have a long way to go still. I'll have to think about that as I finish it up this evening.... lofty goal but whatever! I can do it! Plus I think I am getting either the strep or the bronchitis that my kids just got over.... and that means more reading time! A fever is worth it! :)

Heather, I'm super excited for you to read the series! You will LOVE it.

Heather wrote: "I think I will too! I know you've told me this before, Allison, but which book in the series was your favorite? I can't remember..."

1st, 3rd, and 8th (which is last). hehe.

uh huh :)

Allison wrote: "Reading through the reviews here on GR when I added the book to my shelf, it struck me the number of people who talked about Anne of Green Gables really being Marilla's story instead of Anne's.

In my last re-read I could really see where they were coming from and wonder what you all think. "
I really saw that when I read the books. After all, Anne may mature and not talk as much as she gets older, but she doesn't REALLY change. She's not supposed to. It's Marilla who progresses and changes as a character. She learns to love and laugh and just appreciate life more, I think, the more time she spends with Anne.

I just finished the book. I am beginning to think I didn't read it as a child but I could've sworn I did!! Maybe I just watched the movie several times. ??
I can see where one would think it was Marilla's story but I didn't get that sense. To me, it was Anne's upbringing and childhood. I loved that Marilla changed from stern and cold to warm and loving but I still think it's Anne's story.
I hope my daughters find the same love I have for Anne. It's a timeless story.

I've actually never read the books, but I bought all 8 in boxset from amazon not to long ago. I bought the books because I love the Anne Of Green Gables movies and I figured I would like the books just as much.

I am planning on reading the books as soon as I finsh some other books I'm reading.

I'm reading this for about the hundredth time. It's one of my comfort books and I carry it around on my pda as well as having hard copies at home. This time I've been thinking about the idea of it being Marilla's story. I'd never noticed before how many of the scenes are actually Anne and Marilla, with a lot of the stories told by Anne to Marilla rather than by the author telling them directly. Nor had I realised that we see directly inside Marilla's head more often than we do Anne's. We know Anne's feelings through her words and actions.

Heather wrote: "I first became acquainted with Anne through the movies when I was a teenager (LONG time ago). I finally read the book last year and one of the things I loved the most about it was getting to "see" ..."

I too fell in love with Gilbert : )

I just finished reading this story for the first time. It is heartrending and enthralling. It was a page-turner for me. Having just finished it, it is pretty fresh in my mind. I would have to say that most of the story really WAS Anne telling the story to Marilla. Marilla's reactions changed greatly from beginning to end. Alice grew up, but Marilla is the one who changed her whole attitude toward Anne. Anne never really changed her attitude toward Marilla. I think it was about Marilla through the telling of Anne. The scenes that are not the two of them are actually quite short.

I read the first 3 Anne books when younger, and recently I re-read the whole series. Except for Anne of Windy Poplars, I adored them. I think it interesting (particularly given the premise of this group) that L.M. Montgomery did not write the Anne books to be young adult, and at the time they weren't marketed as such. I think that the book has become seen as YA because it shows young Anne coming of age and has nothing a parent would want to censor their daughters (or sons) from. The series reflects an vision of a simpler, kinder time and society, where the worst characteristic of a person was a proclivity towards gossip or incurable nosiness.

well put Lindsey

I just finished and I'm really surprised I never read these books as a child. I loved the Little House books, but never gave Anne a chance for some reason. I think I saw her as a Pollyanna character (another book I've yet to read), and although I liked that movie, I thought it would just be the same thing. I'm glad I've finally become acquainted with Anne, though - she's such a lovable character! I didn't expect the books to be so funny either. I can't wait to read the next one!

I, too, never read any of the Anne of Green Gables books as a child. I just finished with book 1, and I fell in love with Anne! I'm reserving the rest of the series from the library. Great recommendation!!