Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Lucy Maud Montgomery has achieved fame from her wonderful Anne of Green Gables series of books, but she also written many other books that are not as well known.

How many of these books have you read?

Emily of New Moon
Emily Climbs
Emily's Quest
Pat of Silver Bush
Mistress Pat
Kilmeny of the Orchard
Magic for Marigold
The Story Girl
The Golden Road
Chronicles of Avonlea
Further Chronicles of Avonlea
A Tangled Web
The Blue Castle

Jane of Lantern Hill which was our January YA book of the month.

If anyone is interested in reading any of the above books, I will set up a buddy read thread if more members would like to join in.
That way we can set our own pace and take our time reading these wonderful books.

Sadly, I've read 0! I want to read her Anne books. I love the movie with Megan Fellows.

I have only read Anne of Green Gables :(

Lesle wrote: "I have only read Anne of Green Gables :("

Me too, Lesle. :-(

How many of our members have read all the Anne books?

I've read Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon and The Blue Castle.

Here is the list of the Anne books:

Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne's House of Dreams
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside

For me it is more a case of which books I have not read, and I would be interested in ANY buddy read both for L.M. Montgomery's longer works and her short story collections.

I was thinking of reading Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat sometime during the summer, since I associate her books with summer vacation.

Rosemarie wrote: "I was thinking of reading Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat sometime during the summer, since I associate her books with summer vacation."

I have read the first but not the second so yes, that would be lovely.

Great. I will let you know closer to the actual time of reading.

Rosemarie wrote: "Great. I will let you know closer to the actual time of reading."

Sure, thanks. I might also reread the Emily series and the Story Girl series, as my Montgomery books need reviews.

Jane of Lantern Hill is the only book of L M Montgomery that I have read this February but it is a very BEAUTIFUL book.. every girl in her teenage years must read this one once for the subtle messages it has in it which can shape someone's life for the good.

Rosemarie wrote: "I was thinking of reading Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat sometime during the summer, since I associate her books with summer vacation."

Let me know when you plan to read Pat of Silver Bush, Rosemarie. I'd like to join in.

It will probably be some time in June, and I will let the group know so that anyone who wants to read along with us can join in. The more the merrier!

Read most of the books mentioned in message 1. I tend to read an author "to death" then have to take a break, which is where I am now. But would be happy to join in the Pat of Silverbush discussion this summer, if available.

That would be great, Sydney.

Sydney wrote: "Read most of the books mentioned in message 1. I tend to read an author "to death" then have to take a break, which is where I am now. But would be happy to join in the Pat of Silverbush discussion..."

I never get enough of L.M. Montgomery.

Me either. They are what I call "feel good" books. Pretty settings, conflict, resolution, happy ending!

Sydney wrote: "Me either. They are what I call "feel good" books. Pretty settings, conflict, resolution, happy ending!"

Although with The Golden Road, the ending does leave a painful premonition for Cecily King.

The eight Anne books, the three Emily books, The Blue Castle and The Story Girl and some short stories I found on Kindle for free.

Audrey wrote: "The eight Anne books, the three Emily books, The Blue Castle and The Story Girl and some short stories I found on Kindle for free."

You can also get very cheap collections of Montgomery's entire oeuvre.

Manybooks wrote: "Sydney wrote: "Me either. They are what I call "feel good" books. Pretty settings, conflict, resolution, happy ending!"

Although with The Golden Road, the ending does leave a painful..."

Oh, haven't read that one! Look forward to it.

The buddy read for Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat will begin in June and continue through the summer if our members need extra time. The thread will stay open even in the archives if you have a really busy summer. 🌞

Rosemarie wrote: "The buddy read for Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat will begin in June and continue through the summer if our members need extra time. The thread will stay open even in the archives if you have ..."

Thank you for reminding me, I would have forgotten and been very disappointed.

Sydney wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Sydney wrote: "Me either. They are what I call "feel good" books. Pretty settings, conflict, resolution, happy ending!"

Although with The Golden Road, the ending do..."

I like it better than the Story Girl in fact, but there is a bit of sadness included.

Thanks, Manybooks. I haven't read those for a long time so I am looking forward to it as well.

Rosemarie wrote: "Here is the list of the Anne books:
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea."

I grew up unaware of Anne of Green Gables until the 1985 miniseries. After hearing more and more about this children's classic I had missed, I finally decided to get educated and read the first one about 15 years ago. I enjoyed it and read the second.
Based on the years of pictures I had seen, I was expecting Anne to remain a young tween girl through the series and was surprised that she was a teacher by the end of the first book. Only 16, but much more of a young adult than I would have expected from all the Anne pictures I had seen.

I have read the first four books in the Anne of Green Gable series :)

Anyone working on this list that Rosemarie has provided?

Another great series!

I have read all of the Anne books, and the first Emily book.

The first Emily book is also the best Emily book, Kelly.

Rosemarie wrote: "The first Emily book is also the best Emily book, Kelly."

I liked it. But I didn't like it as well as the Anne books.

My favourite is still Jane of Lantern Hill, a stand alone book.

Rosemarie wrote: "My favourite is still Jane of Lantern Hill, a stand alone book."

I will have to look for that one.

Kelly wrote: “Rosemarie wrote: “My favourite is still Jane of Lantern Hill, a stand alone book.”

I will have to look for that one.”

I found it on Kindle. It was either free or a dollar.

I read all of them.

Way to go, Jazzy! Do you have any particular favourites?

Anne of Green Gables of course - all of them :)
Aw, I loved the relationship between her and Gilbert x

Anne is definitely the most famous character. A theater in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, has productions of the Anne of Green Gables musical every summer, alternating with a different play for those who prefer something else. The year we went to P.E.I. it was the Johnny Cash musical. My husband and I saw it there, since I didn't think he would be a fan of Anne.

Rosemarie wrote: "Anne is definitely the most famous character. A theater in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, has productions of the Anne of Green Gables musical every summer, alternating with a different play f..."

They also have a musical about how Anne ends up marrying Gilbert, based on mostly Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island. I have seen both and I definitely have found the books much more relatable.

Thanks for the info, Manybooks.
One of the souvenirs that little girls were wearing as a souvenir from P.E.I. was a straw hat complete with Anne pigtails. To me, they looked more like Pippi Longstocking's.

Rosemarie wrote: "Thanks for the info, Manybooks.
One of the souvenirs that little girls were wearing as a souvenir from P.E.I. was a straw hat complete with Anne pigtails. To me, they looked more like Pippi Longsto..."

Which is interesting as supposedly Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking was also partially based on Anne of Green Gables as the novel in Swedish translation was one of Astrid Lindgren's favourites.

I have always preferred Anne to Pippi.

Rosemarie wrote: "I have always preferred Anne to Pippi."

Me too, Pippi is too over the top and exaggerated and too much like a super hero.

I like Pippi cos she had a horse.

😆

I will say that Pippi Longstocking is actually not one of my favourite Astrid Lindgren characters and she certainly in no way comes even remotely close to Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, the Story Girl and Jane of Lantern Hill for me. Astrid Lindgren's Madicken might perhaps, but certainly not Pippi, who I can appreciate but have never actually totally loved.

With recently rereading the Pat of Silver Bush series and for the first time reading Kilmeny of the Orchard, Magic for Marigold, The Blue Castle and A Tangled Web, I have now read and reviewed ALL of L.M. Montgomery's main novels (and I have also read her one published book of poetry, her short story collections in their entirety, or rather as much of them as have been republished and/or rediscovered to date), I am actually feeling a bit of a sense of loss, as there are really no more new L.M. Montgomery works to explore for me except for her small autobiography The Alpine Path and her non fiction work Courageous Women (which I have started but which has a tone of authorial voice that I find a bit trivialisng).