7 Period Dramas that have those Spring-vibes

Hello hello hello hello. It's a beautiful, sunny spring Sunday morning. Hello.

I love Spring. Everything bursts into fresh colour, new tints, happy life. Little flowers peep their heads into the sunlight, giving the garden patches of pink and white and yellow. The streets are crowned with pink candy-floss blossom and the mornings actually involve sunlight. It's too hot for winter coats, too cold for short sleeves, it's a time of nature being happy, and us humans being happy alongside it. As much as I love my winter with the cosy stormy days, spring makes me freaking happy. I love the boost it gives. The odd sense of excitement.

SO HELLO THERE SPRING, OL CHAP.

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7 Movies that have those Spring-vibes

(in no particular order)

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1. Emma 2009

Emma has its winter scenes (yes, I am thinking about the adorable one where Mr Knightley teases Emma about her pickety etiquette ideas at the Christmas party) but the whole movie reminds me of sunlight and summer bonnets and dresses with little flowery prints and painting in the garden so BAM SPRING.

2. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

I'll admit, just because of the 'Spring Spring Spring' song. Ha. So original, right, Naomi? Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has quite a lot of snow scenes (*swings axe to the ground*) but you know, it ends with everyone singing about spring and it has those bright dresses and an outside dance so watch this to celebrate spring, okay? Good.

3. Heidi 1993

This movie screams SPRING IS HERE. I have so so many memories of this film. It was one of the only movies I saw as a young girl and aside from being unhealthily petrified of the grandfather and that midnight scene in Frankfurt where Heidi's sleepwalking, I loved it to death. The mountains and the Swiss summer frocks; the goats and the flowers and the birds... Spring heaven.

4. Pride and Prejudice 1995

Let's be real, I'd add this to any list of Period Dramas haha, but no really, this brilliant mini-series is filled with wood walks, pastel regency frocks, chilly weather + sunlight, and Bennet sisters picking flowers while talking about young men they either hate or love. Still the best film ever. I stand firm.

5. Bright Star

Terrible movie in my opinion (no really, I didn't even finish this. The costumes are nauseating and the characters complete weirdos and the couple isn't even cute together despite their extreme sappiness) but I've got to mention it because it's filled with bluebells and butterflies and spring being in the air. So thus the mention. But don't watch it. :-P

6. Cinderella 2015

This is spring in a fairy-tale. Beauty and the Beast is going to be wintery, but Cinderella was spring. The light colours, the horse-back scenes, the yellow curls, the flowers in the garden, the exciting midnight clock in the warm night... it's a springtime fairy-tale and I'll always love it.

7. Anne of Green Gables.

Think about the White way of Delight, the garden party where Anne and Diana saw Josie fall in the pond from their little boat, Anne putting pink flowers on her hat before Church, Gilbert coming to rescue when Anne was 'fishing for lake trout'... both the book and the movie have such spring vibes. I love how Anne loves spring and how she's so in love with the blossom tree in front of her window. Marilla is like, 'blossom fiddlesticks.'

You know, it's been too long since I talked about Period Dramas on this blog. I'm still quite as in love with them as I was when I started blogging, don't you worry. Mama and I are currently watching Season 6 of Call the Midwife and yes Tom and Barbara are engaged yes yes yes they're cute yes yep. Okay, I'll stop saying yes. But yes about Tom and Barbara. They're the CUTEST YES.

Happy spring, everyone.

Not that I'll have time to watch any of these movies or any of your recommendations, but for conversations sake and the to-watch lists' sake:

what are your favourite spring movies?

Fictional Characters

I'd like to be riding a bicycle, doing something important with an undercover spy name, riding through German fields, the long grass whipping my bare legs; bits of past pitter-pattering through my memory as the mauve evening clouds whizz behind me. (Violins of Autumn)

I'd like to be a beautiful city girl, hair blonde, like a doll in a shop, embarking on a forced adventure of horseback rides, squirrel meat, dark mines and little dark bedrooms filled with lotions and herbs hanging down in bunches from the ceiling. I'd like to be in the middle of a dazzling plot; to be the one who knows all the secrets and who has to keep quiet because someone's life depends on it. (Wonderland Creek.)

I'd like to have a long-legged man as a pen-friend, and write down witty, warm words to him after a day of school, random happenings, and a little bit of extravagant shopping. I would sketch some silly things in the letter margins, just for fun and sign off in French to show him how smart I'm becoming. (Daddy Long Legs.)

I'd like to be a poor, grey-eyed orphan with an imagination as brilliant as a thousand rainbows, a tongue with a gracious voice, and a vocabulary to dazzle even Shakespeare. I'd like to be adopted into a red-and-green island, with beaches and birches and ponds and orchards as friends, and enough blossom to fuel the imagination to the next level of brilliance. (Anne of Green Gables.)

I'd like to be the only long-haired girl in a town of fashionably-bobbed girls, and to stand out because of other reasons too; bold faith, bubbly smile; odd potato-sack dresses. I'd like to be someone's best friend, her little rock in her rocky time of life; I'd like to give her comfort and show her hope through God, good people, beautiful photos and melancholy, soul-dripping poems in a queer little book. (The Sweetest Thing.)

I'd like to have a charmingly croaky husband with a mysteriously locked writing room, a small house on an island surrounded by nature-book-worthy scenery, and an old, vulgar car with a Ladies name which, of course, I happily share with the mysteriously lovable husband. (The Blue Castle.)

I'd like to be in a story narrated by an abstract feature of life, a story of books, accordion playing, lists of words, and friends like the schoolmate with the hair the colour of lemons and the friend who painted over hitler to make a book for me; that secret dark-eyed friend in the cold basement. (The Book Thief.)

... This is why I love reading. I can be all these people just by burying myself into the pages and the words and the beautifully woven stories. Magic right there, readers.

If Period Drama Characters had Internet Bios #3

(Back with this again. ;-))

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

@Cordelia_Shirley My life long sorrows include my red hair and people spelling 'Anne' without its last letter. I love long words and I relish in nature, kindred spirits and beautiful bedrooms.
@GilbertBlythe if I tease you, don't take it badly I was just playing around cuz you're awesome. // Major in English
@MatthewCuthbert Anne, what should I write here?
@Marilla Stop whining, be useful. Life is short, there is no time for useless furbelows.
@That_Rachel Yes, I'm the lady who knows. #secondjeeves Love knitting and chatting. Neighbours are my friends.
@Diana_Barry Raven black hair // Actually, it's slightly less black than the colour of ravens.
@Fredwright Hi.
@JOSIEPYE heyyyyy there i'm an aspiring actress and i have the best beau okay so i'm pretty much wonderful. follow
@Jane_Andrews_1999 Avonlea high school.
@RubyGillis5 Lyfe is short so be nice to everyone and have loads of beaux because duh!
@MoodySpurgeon i'm that kid with the mouse who laughed funny and with ginger hair. that's bout it.
@Charlie_Sloan @Cordelia_Shirely welcome to Avonlea! lol #crush
@PrissyAndrews I LOVE school. I'm really bad though and I kneed loads of help. But its ok!
@MrPhilips Ys I was that tachr and thn I lft. (Fill in the e's.)
@Miss_Stacy Honoured to teach in Avonlea. I love my children. Also, tea!
@MrandMrsAllan Working in the ministry. Whatever you do, do it well.
@Josephine_thegreataunt I live in the great city. I pay NICE girls for their music lessons. Nice girls do not jump on beds.
@Mrs_Barry Children must be not seen + not heard. Besides, the outside air is good for them.
@MinnieMay account run by my mother.

NORTH AND SOUTH

@Margaret_Hale Helstone girl stuck in the busy life of Milton. Be kind to ALL people, no matter how different they are from you.
@JohnThornton Mill owner. Stick to the rules or the whole system collapses.
@Mr_Hale Theology and language. Do you want to come to my class? Starts at 8:00 PM tonight, do join!
@MrsHale Life is hard, why did we leave Helstone?
@Thorntons_Mama My boy John is my ROCK and he does everything so well! #sticktotherules
@FANNY_thornton i can't live without a piano. i hate stickinthemuds. i am rich. am i?
@Nicholas_Higgins WE MUST MAKE OUR VOICES KNOWN. #NOGOINGBACK #STRIKE #NOGIVINGUP
@Bessy_Higgins Well, I suppose you can go through this thing called life with a laugh.
@Boucher I must give in bc i need to help my family. i have six kids; help plz!!!!!!!!
@Dixon12 I've got @MrsHale's back and I wish her the best. But I do need some help with the ironing.
@Fred_Hale Spain . Dolores . British boy . Innocent . Ssh .
@MrBell The godfather who had a more important role than people realise. I'm where the money is.
@HenryLennox London and @Margaret_Hale and that's it I think.
@CousinEdith Send letters to your loved ones! // Happy wife // Just became a mother!

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

@MrIngalls_Charles Everything's gonna be just fine. My beautiful wife and daughters make me the luckiest man alive.
@Caroline_Ingalls Selling eggs for my living // Homestead Mama and Wife // Used to teach // John1:1
@MaryIngalls The saying blondes have more fun isn't exactly true when one has younger sisters.
@the.Laura.Ingalls If I had a remembrance book I would write about Jack, Pa, my own window, and the beautiful prairies.
@CARRIE_ifell running in prairies is harder than it looks. also, being the youngest is unfair!
@Albert_Ingalls Adopted son number one. Coincidentally, I look like @MrIngalls_Charles! Also, Laura and I have the best adventures.
@MrEdwards ol' dan tucker was a fine ol' man / tobacco + Santa and I are best buds!
@MissBeadle I love my pupils and I love a good doze of lemon verbina. It's the little things!
@HARRIET_OLESON I run the Oleson's Mercantile; without a doubt the best store anyplace near Walnut Grove. My children are DARLINGS and I love them.
@NelsOleson2 I run the Oleson's Mercantile with my wife. Father of two. Candy is bad for your teeth.
@THE.NELLIE.OLESON Town-girl through and through. Got a real doll for my birthday. It's like, the 20th doll I own. I have a remembrance book. #blondesDOhavemorefuninmycase
@WillieOleson55 pa, ma said i could be online so there! and candy is good. who cares about teeth!
@MrHanson I run the mill // Swedish //
@Reverend_Aldan I sometimes use metaphors in my sermons. Onwards Christian soldiers!
@Doctor_Baker I'm a dentist, an optician, a herbal adviser, a physician, a vet, you name it. (But not a farmer)
@Manly_Wilder dude, it's cool! I love horses and food and girls who call me Manly! (The name Almanzo sucks.)

New upcoming Period Dramas I'm excited (or not excited) to see

Okay. First and foremost, I must squeal about THE CROWN. It's the kind of title that screams capital letters and majesticality and royalty and just shivers because it looks so epic. If you haven't heard about the Crown yet, well GET EXCITED. If you have heard about it (which probably you have because it is news of phenomenal dimension and the whole world is excited!) then get even MORE excited because this is going to be the most amazing miniseries ever.

Claire Foy as Elisabeth, QUEEN Elisabeth of The United Kingdom?! Yes yes yes. 1940's and 1950's costumes and Prince Philip and Royal family insights and Princess Margaret's hats and just... I AM SO EXCITED. Even people who aren't much into the royal families of Britain (such as my American truck-lovin' bean) are bound to get excited about this because the story and the movie quality just looks unbeatable. The costumes are to DIE for and the endless familiar faces (Bertie from Downton Abbey! Fanny from S&S! On and on goes the list) are just... gah, it's going to be SUPER good.

AND THE TRAILER. I DARE YOU NOT TO GET CHILLS:

SECONDLY GUESS WHAT.

THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE A MOVIE OF THE GUERNSEY LITERARY POTATOE PEEL PIE SOCIETY.

I will calm down. I will come down. I will explain the reason behind this wacky future-movie title. You see, people who have not had the fortune of reading 'The Guernsey Literary Potatoe Peel Pie Society' (The abbreviation I use is The Guernsey Book), 'The Guernsey Literary Potatoe Peel Pie Society' is one of my favouritest books. (Yes, I copied and pasted the long title.) It's filled with bookish people with quirky traits and adorable ideas and it just PLAIN good I LOVE the book so much. And then I heard there'll be a movie!!!! LILY JAMES WILL PLAY THE MAIN CHARACTER. I have high hopes!

There are no trailers or anything (they haven't even started to film so it'll be bound to take a while) but I am not making a joke, how dare you suggest I'd possess such wickedness to do such a thing! Here is the article.

And because there aren't any pictures of that yet, and loads of absolutely ridiculously gorgeous ones of The Crown, here's another picture or two (or three) (because... excitement reasons) of The Crown. You are welcome.

... okay, I'll stop. ;-P You get the point. I am excited about this miniseries. I will bear the sad fact of not being able to see it as soon as possible (the 4th of November) because we do not have a Netflix account running and living in this house. I will be patient. Ish. BUT I WILL SEE IT. And hopefully SOON, because I CAN'T WAIT.

Waiting for movies is a trial.

Here are two more films I'm really excited about (especially the first one):

(Honestly, I get so so many chills every time I watch this trailer. Goosebumps everywhere. I need to see this. Where can I find a dvd.) (Alicia Vinkader and Michael Fassbender and the ocean and babies? YES PLEASE. I'm in the audience.)

(This movie will make me cry.) (Also, it's a true story.) (Also, Rosamund Pike + 50's fashion = YES.)

Now you may be wondering. Why the 'not excited' bit between brackets in the title?! All the movies you've mentioned in this post are ones you seem to be hopping to see. True, but I ain't done yet. BECAUSE OH WOE, THEY ARE MAKING ANOTHER ANNE OF GREEN GABLES MOVIE. I'm not talking about the new one they made. YET ANOTHER one. What's so wrong with the good old original Megan Fellowes Anne movie, guys?! That's the best we can get and no new AoGG movie will beat it. FOCUS ON A RILLA MOVIE.

First we had the good Anne movie. Megan Fellowes. Jonathan Crombie. We all know it. We've (hopefully) all seen it. We have good opinions on it and some of us love it to bits, even more than the books.

Then this thing came, and it was sorta fun and sorta cool. I was excited at first. Then I watched the trailer and decided it was a bit of a joke. Sorry. I'm not doing the nine-year-old Gilbert. And seriously, no AoGG movie will shine with the 'real' version already there.

But no... Netflix was like, 'WE need our own, proper Anne of Green Gables, so therefore we will make one. It'll be easy. We take some things from that one they just made and we'll add some aspects of the original AoGG movie and bam we'll have one. And we'll make our Anne skinny.'

There ya go. I'm so excited. That was sarcastic.

(Back to 'The Crown' and 'The Guernsey' film and 'The Light Between Oceans' though. ARE YOU AS EXCITED AS I AM?!?! Are you not dyiiiing to see Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth?!?)

Anne of Green Gables Week / Tag!

What-ho, all. Today I wrote a stupid poem titled 'the imagination of Period Drama lovers' (if you are convincing enough I might yet embarrass myself by posting it online) and today I am wearing my new plaid shirt, because it's autumn and autumn means plaid shirts, right? October is a beautiful month - filled with boot-buyers, crumpled-up dead leaves, people disrespectfully playing with leaf corpses, dark evenings, shivery mornings and the cosy, delicious, indescribable scent of October. As Anne Shirley said, I'm so glad I live in a world with Octobers.

Hey, what do you know, speaking of Anne Shirley - Evie is hosting an Anne of Green Gables themed week at her blog!!! (Check it out, yo.) She posted a list of questions for all the Anne of Green Gables fans to answer, so obviously (um, duh) here I am with mine.

1. How did you get introduced to Anne of Green Gables?

My mother. I always knew I liked her. My mother got introduced to it by a friend of hers. And so on till way back when Lucy Maud Montgomery introduced it to the first other person who read it. So yeah, Lucy Maud Montgomery herself introduced me to Anne of Green Gables.

2. Are you more like Anne or Diana? Why?

Anne. Definitely. As much as I love Diana, I have the imagination of a Shirley and the whimsy of an Anne. (I do not chatter half as much (or as well) as Anne does, neither do I have red-hair genes. But I have green eyes! I have green eyes!)

3. If Rachel Lydne called your hair as red as carrots how would you react? 

I would ask her to reconsider the fact that carrots are red. They are not red. They are orange.

4. Gilbert or Morgan Harris? 

Who even is Morgan Harris?

;-)

5. Honest opinion on the third Anne film. 

I haven't seen it, and of course it would annoy me because it is in zero ways like any of the Anne sequels, I believe. But I'm sure it's a good movie as a separate story - if the characters would have other names and so on. But it's not about Anne and Gilbert. :-P

6. Have you seen the New Anne film? 

Do you mean the one with the tiny Gilbert and the brunette-Diana and the weird Anne? This one? No, I haven't. I've laughed over the trailer with Emma and my sister (many many times), and I kind of want to see it just to bash it. (You are right when you think I think it looks terrible. Ha.)

Anne of Green Gables already has a movie... no-one needs to redo it. :-)

7. What in your own words is a Kindred Spirit?

Someone who gives you icecream, of course.

(Okay, sorry. ;-) I know I should answer questions seriously, even though I sometimes am tempted not to because it's fun not to. Kindred Spirits are loyal, kind people who never fail to put you in a good mood.)

8.  Movie Gilbert or Green Gables Fables Gilbert?

I really love Green Gables Fables - and the Gilbert in it is awesome. BUT MOVIE GILBERT WINS, okay?!! The curls and the sparkly eyes and the grin and the Edwardian look... it wins. I love Gilbert.

9.  Does anyone know where we can watch Road to Avonlea online?

I've been scouring the interwebs for this answer as well. The first episode is on Youtube, but otherwise the search is useless. I want to watch Road to Avonlea SO BADLY though!!! Did you know Gilbert himself is in one of the episodes? That idea alone makes my fangirl heart so happy.

10. Favourite book cover?

This one. I'm in lurve.

11. The Films or The Books? 

The books will always be my original, real, Anne-places. They are filled with the real stories that Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote down, filled with lush detail and beautiful behind-the-scenes tidbits of characters that we don't get to see that well in the movies, I think. The books are beautiful and I love them way to much for my health.

Go and answer the questions yourself now. Here is Evie's post. Click on the 'here.' ;-)

Ugly Period Drama Dresses

My reaction to most of these:

Yes, there are some ugly Period Drama dresses, despite the fact that I seem to insist that 'every dress in this movie is AMAZING', and that, 'Gah I love her wardrobe.' I thought it would be fun to devote an entire post towards the bashing of those ugly dresses that either didn't flatter the character, looked completely comical rather than completely smashing, or just were downright ugly. Let's start - this ought to be fun. :-)

"What an ugly bonnet, Lydia. What possessed you to buy it?"

UGHHH, Cora's wardrobe isn't bad in general, but this dress is extremely unflattering, in my opinion. It highlights her figure in all the bad ways and the colours clash in all the bad ways as well. And then the gold? With the red? I don't like it. (Seriously, O'Brien is the better dressed one in this picture. When in doubt, stick to black - that's solid fashion advice.)

Suit yourself Anne, suit yourself, but I haven't the foggiest idea what you're so enraptured about. In the book, where you got an adorable double-puffed brown gloria dress, I can imagine it - fully imagine it. But in the Period Drama??? With the oversized collar, the Henry-the-Eighth-sleeves, and the unflattering milky blue - you look quite bad. (Please don't smash me over the head with th-- )

Ha. Ha. We alllll know what a fan I am of P&P05, right? (Sarcasm.) One of the reasons why I hate it is Caroline Bingley's Netherfield Ball "GOWN." I like to say that she forgot to put on her dress and that she's dancing around in her underwear because THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. Look - spaghetti straps. She's got spaghetti straps. (I'm going. Bye. Bye guys.)

Yes, this is probably the prettiest dress in this post, but it isn't pretty. Edith's wardrobe in the later series is AMAZINGNESS (Edith looks stellar in 20's clothes), but some of her outfits - mainly this one - have disappointed me. It looks especially vile when she actually stands up in it and walks. It's like someone added some sickly orange old drapes over a clashing blue blouse. I'm not loving it.

Molly, I love you, I love you --- buuuut really? You in a watermelon-sleeved dress and slithery, slinky feathers in your hair? Stick to adorable attires, they flatter you so much more. Yes, you look elegant, but you also look a bit ridiculous. The sleeves. I mean - I know - it's the fashion. Buuuut - it's ugly.

I know these dresses are made to look the sisters ridiculous, but I couldn't not mention one of their absurd matching ensembles in this post! Their clothes are actually hilarious - always over-the-top, always matching, always interesting, always ridiculous. They do prove with their outfits that they're good at sewing though, which is the point, because they own a dress-shop.

HAHAHA. LET US ALL LAUGH. Seriously, Bright Star made me rather queasy because of the moany main character, the odd mushy romance and... YUCK THE COSTUMES. The girl (Abbie, I think?) is supposed to be a seamstress with a sense of creativity, but I think she's a seamstress with a sense of clownish-creation-ridiculous-laughing-stock-creativity. (Or whatever.) Basically, I think her entire wardrobe is dreadful. I mean... just LOOK AT THE COLLAR. (And look at this vile dress.) (AND THIS ONE.) (And this hat!) (I know, ewww.)

And last and probably also least - we have Scarlett's red 'dress.' With tule around the elbows, ostrich feathers tumbling dramatically from the shoulders and a Marylin Monroe-dress bodice. Yes. Haha. You'd find someone wearing this after the Civil War, wouldn't you? ;-P I LOVE most of Scarlett's dresses, even the ones that aren't historically accurate, but OH THIS ONE. It's dreadful! I do not like it, not one little bit. :-P

The best series in the world.

I read all the Anne books these last two weeks. I started with Anne of Green Gables, and now I've just finished Rilla of Ingleside and my eyes are still wet with tears. GAH. I never realised how much I loved the Anne books. Some of them are less good than others, but... in the whole... they're GOLD. They really are! I'm convinced they are the best series in the world. Ever.

I've survived SO many feels these past two weeks. I'm exhausted from shipping Anne and Gilbert (it's tough, let me tell ya) and I'm torn and heart-broken about my darling love Walter and that kiss he gave Una on the station. (Just no and yes and no. I can't even.)

Here are all my reviews of them. (If you follow me on Goodreads, you might have read them already.)

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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THIS BOOK IS DIVINELY ROYALLY STUNNING AND GORGEOUS. (There. I daresay Ann Anne would approve of that.)

I have such good, good memories of this book. I remember my mum reading it to me when I was about eleven, in the evenings, and being completely enTRANCED at it. I loved it all, even the description of Rachel Lynde's garden flowers and Anne's yellow ugly orphan dress. I didn't want her to stop reading it, and my heart tore a little when it was time to go to bed. Then I remember recieving a copy with Megan Fellows on the cover for Christmas and being thrilled to the bone about it. I've read this book so many times- my copy is all bent and crumpled and old (and I've also read it several times on my kindle.)

Anyway, this book is beyond description to me. I love it so much. (Although I love 'Rilla of Ingleside' and 'The Blue Castle' even MORE. Is that possible.)

List of Random Things I Loved:
1. There aren't many books that start with a minor character. Anne of Green Gables (which starts with the delightfully blunt Rachel Lynde) taught me that this is such a clever idea, for a writer. It gives us immediate insight on the main characters from another person's view. (If that makes sense.)
2. Prince Edwards Island. One day I will visit you.
3. ANNE SHIRLEY. OMG. OMG. I love her so much. I do understand why she annoys some people, actually, because she does kind of talk a LOT (let's not even try to deny that.) But she's so DEAR and darling, and she means so well, and oh... I want to be her so badly sometimes.
4. Marilla. I used to find her REALLY annoying, but now I really love her. Oh, I cried when she cried in the end, when Anne went off. And Oh, how I laughed when she stopped one of Anne's endless monologues, with a, "For heaven's sake, hold your tongue." She can get away with that.
5. Matthew. THE DEAR MAN I NEED TO HUG HIM. I cried when he died, peoples - I can't help it, I'm just so emotionally invested in these characters. Matthew is the most adorable little peach of an old man ever and I understand why Lucy Maud Montgomery regretted killing him off so soon.
6. Diana is a really good bestie. Although she lacks imagination.
7. All the funny bits. Can I even start?!!! I mean, there's the raspberry cordial incident, the brooch affair, the haunted woods calamity, the jumping-on-a-great-aunt-story, the desperately hilarious apologies, the mouse in the cake, the slate-over-a-head epicness... and oh, ENDLESS. I love them all. Goodness, I want to have loads of kids just so I'll be able to read Anne to them.
8. Anne's puffed sleeved dress! Brown gloria (not light-blue, movie people. Hello.)
9. The elegant concerts, Mrs Spencer, all the school-mate gossip.
10. GIL. I mean, Gilbert Blythe. HE REALLY IS A NICE KIND OF BOY. I mean, if you get what I mean. I mean, he's not bad. You know. I wouldn't mind reading a little more about him. You know, if you forced me. I wouldn't say no.
11. I love everything Anne says. Her past and her stories and her romantic ideas thrill me to the very soul. (Look how she's intoxicated me.)
12. Her story about Geraldine and Cordelia though. I LOVE IT. :-D (Cordelia drowns with her lover who 'forgot he couldn't swim' and Geraldine ends in a lunatic asylum. Yes. I love that. :-))

13. I LOVE IT ALLL. This list is not complete.

What I don't like as much:
1. The last chapters. It's all a bit melancholy and Anne grows up and I HATE IT. *sulks*
2. Wait, is there a number two?

So yes. One of the best books ever.

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(View all my reviews) Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm torn between rating this four or five stars. On one hand, I loved it much better than I remembered, but on the other hand, I still don't adore it like some of Lucy Maud Montgomery's other books. So four stars it is. I'm going to be awful pessimistic today and start with 'what I didn't like's first. ( Don't ask me why. )

What I did not like:
1. Anne, I still love her ... but she's just not the SAME and it always breaks my heart a little. Of course, she's still ANNE - she does talk to herself and think up whimsical things. (She changes even MORE in the later books - she's still pretty Anne-ish in this one.) But still. She's sixteen in this book! Like, she's changed so much since when she was 14!
2. Diana's plumpness is mentioned too often. Like hello. I KNOW IT BY NOW.
3. The secondary characters don't have the same place in my heart like the secondary characters in Anne of Green Gables. I love Matthew far better than Mr Harrison, and Mrs Stacy or Mrs Allen far better than Mrs Lavendar or Charlotte the Fourth.
4. Not enough Gilbert. I mean it.

Now! What I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK. Because I DO looove this book. It's a darling and filled with sunbeams of delight.

1. Anne still has her whimsical fancies, thank GOODNESS. She still is pretty Anneish. As I said, I do love her a lot. And goodness, I relate to her soooo much in this book. She's sixteen-going-on-seventeen (mah age) and the things she does are just SOOO me.
2. THE COW INCIDENT. Nope. I'm not laughing.
3. GILBERT BLYTHE. Um hello excuse me while I go and swoon and scream over how badly I ship the two of them.
4. THAT SHIRBERT SCENE. WHERE ANNE BLUSHES FOR A MINI-SECOND AND GIL SEES IT. Um, excuse me while I ship these two for 3 hours.
5. Davy Keith is indescribably naughty (I would hate him in real life - he's worse than my brothers, gosh (view spoiler)[ I do love my brothers though. They're precious human beings who just do weird things. Haha this is not a spoiler. Gotcha. (hide spoiler)]) but Davy is still kind of an adorable peach. And he's HILARIOUS.
6. Davy: "Preserves is a holy way to say jam." Anne, trying not to laugh: "I have to quickly drink some water."
7. Paul. Pauuuuuuuuul. I adore and love this little boy. The WAY Montgomery described him - gawsh, it's really the prettiest description of a person ever in literature. "He had the most beautiful little face she had ever seen in a child . . . features of exquisite delicacy and refinement, framed in a halo of chestnut curls. His mouth was delicious, being full without pouting, the crimson lips just softly touching and curving into finely finished little corners that narrowly escaped being dimpled." Excuse me, but that's an impeccable description. So yes, I love Paul. Everything he says and does, even if it's super sentimental, I don't care. (Of course, boys like that don't exist. They just don't. But for once I don't care about that; I love Paul.)
8. All the letters from the pupils. #bestever.
9. Goodness, can you imagine being a teacher at the age of SIXTEEN?!!!! I can. Sounds pretty daunting to me. (I want to be a teacher though, so I love Anne for being one. Told you me and Anne are kindred spirits.)

I LOVE THIS BOOK. :-)

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(View all my reviews) Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

How did I ever rate this book less than five stars???!!!!! It was brilliant. No, more than that. It was captivating, thrilling, and so emotional. I don't know why I got so emotional while reading this. I almost yelled out loud, and I cried about five times. GAH. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. Where has my love for it been all my life?!!! Why have I not read this 20 times yet?!!!! I loved it to bits. Definitely a new all-time-favourite.

I loved it, okay?!!!!

What made me cry:
1. When Ruby Gillis died. No seriously. I was a wreck. I mean.... her and Anne's last conversation... it broke my heart . Ruby... oh Ruby. OH RUBY. And her unfinished embroidery work. AND HOW MONTGOMERY REVEALED HER ILLNESS TO ME. I cried so much. And I don't even love Ruby that especially much.
2. Okay... when was the second time I cried? Oh yes, Gilbert's first proposal. BECAUSE. BECAUSE. SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID YES SO BADLY. Gahh. *shakes fist at Ann.* (I wrote her name without an E deliberately. To tease her.)
3. Then I cried when Anne read her parent's letters. (Chances are high that I was crying at the song I was listening to at the moment. Carrie Underwood's 'Temporary Home' makes me cry.)
4. AND THEN THE END. I BAWLED.

Now. Zee list of things I LOVED:

1. Phill!!!! Phillipa Gordon was awesome. She's funny + honest + sweet + admits her faults. Reminds me of Anne; but then without all the whimsies and romantical thinking.
2. Anne is amazing too though. I love her completely, despite the fact that she's not thinking properly about Gilbert, and despite the fact that... no, she is still the old Anne. I love her sooo much. I love her nose; her everything. :-)
3. Davy is hilarious. I hate and love him at the same time.
4. The Alec and Alonzo thing is hilarious too. JUST SNORT.
5. GILBERT BLYTHE. I actually never fell in love with Gilbert Blythe - I liked him and all that, but I never had super big feelings for him. BUT THIS TIME. It changed, let me tell ya. I loved Gilbert sooooo much! HIS EYES. AND HOW HE LOOKS AT ANNE. AND HOW HE VISITS HER EVERY EVENING. AND HOW HE SENDS HER FLOWERS AND GETS THE INSIDE JOKES GOING. I fangirled ridiculously hard.
6. I shipped Gil and Anne SO hard. I'm exhausted. I seriously talked in fury against my kindle. "GET MARRIED. JUST GET MARRIED. ANNE STOP ANNNNNNNNNNE." I'm not kidding. I really did.
7. I was cheering at Miss Lavendar (aloud) when she said this:
"Because you were made and meant for each other, Anne—that is why. You needn't toss that young head of yours. It's a fact."
YEAH. SAY THAT MISS LAVENDAR.
8. THE ENDING.
I.... I... I just can't. It was beautiful. And I cried. The end.

List of things I didn't like:

1. Priscilla and Phillipa's names... I ALWAYS get them mixed up!!!! Annoys meh.
2. Nothing else, I believe. Some bits were a teeeeeeny bit boring; but all in all I loved this a ridiculous amount.

On the proposals:

I didn't necessarily NOT like this - I just thought it was slightly over-the-top. Anne got *counts* five proposals!!!! But since thinking about it properly, I think it's okay, actually. Lucy Maud Montgomery got six proposals, so I suppose she considered having loads of proposals dead normal. Also, weren't proposals in that time a bit like 'do-you-want-to-go-on-a-date-with-me's now? I don't know.
Anyway... her proposals:
1. Jane's brother. That was a boring proposal. "Oh it's okay. He likes Nellie too." HAHA.
2. Gilbert's first proposal. IT BROKE MY HEART. SERIOUSLY. How could she say NOOOOOOOOO?!!! 
3. The worker-dude. "Can I hav yer?" *Lydia-snort*
4. Mr Harrison. I think he's creepy.
5. GIL AGAIN. AND YAYYY. NOW I CAN CRY HAPPY TEARS.[ Anyway... her proposals:
1. Jane's brother. That was a boring proposal. "Oh it's okay. He likes Nellie too." HAHA.
2. Gilbert's first proposal. IT BROKE MY HEART. SERIOUSLY. How could she say NOOOOOOOOO?!!!
3. The worker-dude. "Can I hav yer?" *Lydia-snort*
4. Mr Harrison. I think he's creepy.
5. GIL AGAIN. AND YAYYY. NOW I CAN CRY HAPPY TEARS. (hide spoiler)]

It was absurdly good. Read it.

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(View all my reviews) Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So far, 'Anne of Windy Poplars' has to be my least favourite Anne book. This might change, because I did like it. Some bits I really liked. Some bits I found so boring I found myself taking a nap.

What I liked:
1. Windy Poplars. It sounds like such a beautiful place to live!!! Little hidey-holes and secret reading places?!!!! Yes Please. I'd love to live in Windy Poplars. (And the name is scrumptious.) (Did you know that it was originally called 'Anne of Windy WILLOWS?' They asked Montgomery to change it because it sounded too much like 'the wind in the willows.' Whatever.)
2. The little love lines were adorable. "I'm afraid I'm scandalously in love with you, Gilbert."
3. I love how this book was like a scrapbook. Bits of letters here and there; bits of third-person stories.
4. I still love Anne. Although she's not the old one anymore, and she's far too perfect, she still gets delighted about romantic stuff and she still has those Anne-ish whimsies.

What I didn't like:
1. I didn't do much fangirling. I would have loved more Shirbert.
2. I would have also LOVED to read Gilbert's letters.
3. Some bits were SO boring. I napped sometimes.
4. Anne is far too perfect. It annoys me.

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(View all my reviews) Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm sitting here, wondering about the rating of this book. It's not a five-star read for me, definitely not. I thought it was too 'quiet' for an Anne book, and it bored me sometimes, not gonna lie. But I really loved the setting, and some of the new characters, and the darling twinkles of Anne and Gilbert's newly married life. Plus, I almost cried. So it's not a three-star read either. So a four-star read it is then. :-)

What I liked:
1. THE WEDDING PREPARATIONS. I am one of those girls who loves weddings and wedding Pinterest boards and all that kind of stuff. So obviously I loved reading all about my dear Anne 's wedding.
2. Gilbert's gaze when Anne walks down the aisle. Gahhhh. They're so cute and Gilbert is so good and patient and I love him. The love he has for her is dear and darling. I love them.
3. When he calls her 'my wife.' IT'S ADORABLE.
4. Like Anne, the 'beautiful blonde girl' fascinated me. Leslie. I like Leslie. She's like a quiet star in moonlight - fascinating and gorgeous and kind of sad. (Gosh, don't I sound poetical. Hush, I'm reading Montgomery.)
5. Miss Cornelia is a hoot.
6. I love that Diana calls her daughter Anne Cordelia. WE FANS KNOW WHY.
7. Sniff. T'was so sad when Joyce died, and so happy when Jem was born. I love Jem so much already.
8. "We haven't quarrelled yet," Gilbert teased. (LOVE it when he teases her.)

What I didn't like:
1. Quite a few bits were boring to me, and I don't really love Captain Jims, or whatever his name even was. Sorry. The bits with him were boring to me.
2. Like Anne (not Anne Shirley, haha) said in her review I think it's weird (plus so unromantic - I'm disappointed) that Anne and Gilbert have neighbours over on their very FIRST day/evening/night together in their house as a married couple. Come on.

I really liked it, but it wasn't my favourite.

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(View all my reviews) Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I actually liked this much better than I thought I would. I thought I would snooze 90% of the time, and roll my eyes at the 'perfect-family' that the Blythe family is. And... well. I did snooze sometimes. I'd say I snoozed 30% of the time; which isn't that much, y'know. And yes, I also rolled my eyes sometimes.

But! I just love these kids (I have a kind fascination + emotional, personal attachment to them) and it was actually pretty darn adorable. I really liked it.

What I liked:
1. All the kids, and their adventures. I am the biggest "Rilla of Ingleside" fan, ever, so reading about all my beloved characters in my favourite book ever as kids... it was just precious.
2. I loved all the little respective adventures the children had.
3. Walter's story about going to that horrible family and walking home in the night, thinking he mother had died... well, I felt so sorry for him, and almost cried. (Sorry, it's Walter. I love that boy to death and I cannot stand it when he's upset. IT'S UNFAIR.) It was beautifully written.
4. I loved Di's stories, about all her friendships going into shatters. Am I the only one who has to grin at the name "Diana Blythe." Because it makes me think What if Diana Barry married Gilbert. *shudder*
5. Nan is so gorgeous.
6. AND THEN WE HAVE LITTLE RILLA. She's so cute.
7. The first three chapters of the book were so adorable and OHMYGOODNESS Davy has a girl. He's grown so fast!

What I didn't like:
1. Anne is just WAY to perfect. Like, mothers like that do not exist. Sorry. Where is my whimsical Anne who always ends up in awkward situations?!!!
2. Some bits were dead boring.

All in all, I found this adorable. I wouldn't have liked it if I didn't love "Rilla of Ingleside" so much, though. I think only the real, big, Anne-fans can appreciate this book. :-)

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(View all my reviews) Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well that was stinking adorable. I loved it.

What I like:
1. All the Blythe children, but especially WALTER. I just love Walter to bunches and bits. I love when he fights despite not wanting to. And how he always dreams and thinks up whimsical things. He makes whimsies manly, Walter does. He's so sweet and I love him.
2. Una. SHE'S SO SWEET. The end.
3. Jem. Jem is a teenager now and he's so handsome and tall. Gah, these children.
4. I loved the beginning of this book, and just GAH. It's Montgomery. All her words and stories and chapters are jewels.

What I didn't really like:
1. I personally thought there was a leetle too much about about the Merediths (I do love them) and not enough about the Blythes.
2. Mary Vance annoys me.

I know this review is super short. But I'll just say that I really like this book, and that these children... GAH. I love them. Forever.

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(View all my reviews) Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book. THIS BOOK. Seriously, I have no words. I can only sit here and cry and sob like a baby. It was that good. Every reread makes me quiet in stunned awe; ever reread makes me tremble in the emotion, the beauty, the amazingness. This book is out-of-this-world amazing. I've decided it's my favourite novel.

(Um, this review contains a spoiler of a certain death. But you may want to be prepared for the death, so carry on reading.)

Soooooo.
1. I cried more than ten times. I'm sure of it.
2. I laughed (really laughed - not just the tsk-laugh) three times.
3. I REALLY cried. Like, tears dripped on my pyjama top. :,-(
4. AZRIOFZQEOZGUHUJFHUJIHDSUIDSGHUHUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right, so judged from those four points, I obviously OBVIOUSLY think this book is AMAZING AND UTTERLY COMPLETELY EMOTIONAL AND AMAZING AND HEART-MOVING.

Oh, this booooook. It's DEFINITELY one of my favouritest-of-favouritest books ever. It's definitely the book that gives me the most feels, it's MOST DEFINITELY the book that makes me cry the most. Goodness, I don't know WHAT this book DOES to me - but I just can.not. stop crying! Maybe it's because it's a re-read - I know what's going to happen to a certain favourite character of mine, and therefore in every paragraph where he's in I automatically start crying because I know that he's going to die. (I JUST LOVE HIM TOO MUCH I CAN'T BEAR IT.)

THIS BOOK. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

But let me make a list or two. :-) Sort out my many thoughts and feels in a more organised manner, you know. It must be done, even when in utter tears and states such as mine currently.

What I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
1. I own it. Hahahahahahahaha.
2. The fact that it gives me SO. MUCH. SORROW. That means it's amazing; right? That means it's written in the most amazing way ever, right? UGH. THIS BOOK MAKES ME CRY. I tell you again, TISSUES ARE NEEDED. (Seriously, the Amazon guys should add a tissue or two whenever they ship a copy of 'Rilla of Ingleside' somewhere. I might write a letter and tell them.)
3. Kenneth. He's so HAAAAAANDSOME. Plus, he's also pretty cool. AND I LOVE HIS SCAR IN THE END. I'm just in love with his scar. :-) And ohhh, it's so MEAN of Montgomery to stop the book so soon, just when Ken and Rilla are FINALLY reunited. I NEED ONE MORE CHAPTER. Please. I want to see them married. Ugh, Kenneth, you're adorable.
4. WALTER. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER CRIED MORE FOR A FICTIONAL CHARACTER. I'M MADLY IN LOVE WITH HIM. SERIOUSLY. I WISH I WASN'T SERIOUS. (Also, he's the fictional character I've devoted the most capital letters to, I think. Hah.) He's probably my favourite fictional character of all time and he's a hero and I love him to bits.
5. Una. I basically AM Una. We're in the same Walter-position, anyway. I feel SO sorry for her, because she has a sad and lonely ending. Oh, and her lovely whistful dark blue eyes! AND WHEN WALTER GIVES HER A 'COMRADE-Y KISS' AT THE RAILWAY. I bawwwled. (surprise, surprise.)
6. Jem and Faith. Basically love them.
7. The DANCE. And the mooonlight scenes.
8. AND AND AND KEN AND RILLA'S KISS. I've gotta admit I've reread that bit a shamefull amount of times. It's funny how Montgomery makes something SO romantic and adorable and swoony from such an unromantic setting. (Susan was standing in the same room, for Pete's sake. Haha.)
9. Susan was funny - I have to admit she's not my favourite character, though. But she's fun and the book wouldn't be the same without her.
10. The BABY. OH I LOVE JIMS. Enough said, maybe.
11. WALTERS LETTER. (Be warned. Capital letters. (I really am unashamed of using Caps Lock in my Goodreads reviews, aren't I?)) OH MY GOODNESS EOQfjzQGINDIFH¨DH. WALTERS LETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's the part where I cry the most. Just saying. Especially when Rilla then gives it to Una. (I can't tell you how much a cry at this point.) OH UNA. I WISH YOU AND WALTER COULD MARRY.
12. EVERYTHING.
13. Rilla. GAWSH. She annoys me a little in the beginning, but as the book progesses.... What a great girl. I can relate to her so much it kind of hurts. I love how she has flaws, and never is "perfect."
14. WALTER.
15. Jeeeeeem.
16. Dog Monday. DOG MONDAY. I am literally the least-doggiest person in the WORLD. But my goodness. My eyes are waterworks when Dog Monday and Jem are finally reunited. WATERWORKS. I tell ya.
17. SHIRLEY. I love that boy.
18. WALTER IS MY FAVOURITE THOUGH AND OF COURSE HE DIES.

*cries for three hours*

What I didn't like:
1. Rilla annoys me in the beginning of the book. Also, it makes me angry how unlovable she is towards dear little Jim in the beginning.
2. I find the first chapter, about the cats, dead boring. Soary.
3. Also the bits about politics and what-happens-in-the-war are boring. Really.
4. THERE IS NO MOVIE. (I might write a script and send it to BBC or something. No really. I am considering this very seriously. A Christmas holiday project?)

BUT PLEASE.

READ THIS BOOK.

IT'S AMAZING. And that's honestly, sincerely not an exaggeration. I cannot even tell you - this review does not do justice at all. (And it's kind of ruined my Christmas. I'm going to cry all week.)

View all my reviews

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There you go.