Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In this novel, Anne becomes the principal of a high school far from her beloved Avonlea. She holds this post for 3 years while Gilber is finishing medical school. A majority of this book are excerpts of letters that she has written to Gilbert describing her time at Windy Poplars. She has several adventures and makes lots of new friends. She is somewhat of an advisor to those young and old that she becomes acquainted with. She also has to defend herself against the royal family of Summerside, "The Pringles".

I found this book easy to read but at time's a little to slow for my taste. I still gave it 5 stars for the reason that I love the stories of Anne of Green Gables.

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Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think this is my favorite so far in the series. I loved how the love between Gilbert and Anne grew. The way that Montgomery wrote this novel was beautiful. Anne was determined not to fall in love with Gilbert and not be with him because he wasn't what she dreamed of. It was written so perfectly that not even the movie could have portrayed it better. I enjoyed reading about all the new character's and how Anne was loved by just about everyone she came across. I think my favorite part was when she went to college and she and some girlfriends rented a quiet little home together. It was like their own little sorority off campus. This was so vividly written that it made the reader use their imagination.

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Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so glad that I have decided to start this series. I read Anne of Green Gables long ago, but never wanted to read the others because they were so different from the movie.

Anne of Avonlea show's Anne growing up, but she still has her queer ways. She is still getting into trouble. Selling a neighbor's cow in haste, convincing Marilla to adopt twins, and so forth. I love watching the love between Anne and Gilbert blossom even more. Nothing is said in words, but you can read it. I love Montgomery's
description's of the happenings in Avonlea as well as her use of so many adjective's. It just brings the story to life.

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Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book. It was so fun to read and had me laughing out loud It also had moments where it touched my heart. Kinsella has a way of taking a story and making it into a fun ride.

Lara goes to her great-aunt's funeral to find that great-aunt Sadie has started haunting her because of a special necklace that has been lost. Thye fun starts from there. Sadie is so convincing, that she has Lara dressing in vintage 1920's clothing, asking a random stranger out on a date, breaking and entering, as well as beeing conniving. All for a dragonfly necklace. However, along this road, Lara find's out who she really is and what she is capable of doing and how strong she is as an individual. She come's to quite enjoy having Sadie around.

Kinsella also did very well describing the 1920's clothing as well as the look and era. I enjoyed allowing my imagination to run wild with this novel.

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Shanghai Girls: A Novel by Lisa See


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It has been a while since I have been able to give a book 5 stars, but I felt this book really deserved it.

Shanghai Girls is the story of two sisters in pre WWII Shanghai, or the Paris of Asia. Their family is well off, they're beautiful girls free to do as they please. They are modern and fashionable and happy. However, in one swoop, their lives change. They are set up in arranged marriage's and are to move to America. See tells the struggles of these two girls, Pearl and May, trying to leave Shanghai and run from their future, but eventually they arrive in a country where they are not wanted except by their husband's and family.

See write's of them americanizing themselve's in Los Angeles, their wait on Angel Island, and the sacrifice's they make to belong in America. Until Communism takes over China and every chinese immigrant is a suspect of communism and has the threat of being deported.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found myslef engrossed in the story of these sister's as well as reading the real hardships of chinese immigrants wanting to live in America to make a better life for themselve's. It sadden's me though at how much they were discriminated against except even though Chinatown became quite the tourist attraction.

My favorite quote from this whole book was, "Parents die, daughters grow up and marry out, but sisters are for life."

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