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New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend 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 whether she’s ready for love.
I started Anne of Green Gables and loved it and just had to continue with the series!
The Quotes
“All life lessons are not learned at college,’ she thought. ‘Life teaches them everywhere.”
“I’ve loved you ever since that day you broke your slate over my head in school.”
“I do know my own mind,’ protested Anne. ‘The trouble is, my mind changes and then I have to get acquainted with it all over again.”
“When you’ve learned to laugh at the things that should be laughed at, and not to laugh at those that shouldn’t, you’ve got wisdom and understanding.”
The Narrator(s)
Beth Kesler. Loving the narration!
My Thoughts
I’m still loving the series! We meet Phil in this book, and Patty’s Place, and Gog and Magog! I love them all! Somehow Anne living her everyday life is just so much fun to read about. The people she meets, the things she does, all the joy she takes in the world. She’s starting to grow up, but she’s still as dreamy and whimsical as ever, and I love that!
We see a lot more of Anne and Gilbert’s romance here, which I am so here for! The journey can be heartbreaking at times, but as long as we get our Happy Ever After, I can weather the storms with a brave face. There are some other sad parts as well, but I think that’s part of the beauty of these books; we grow up with Anne, and we come across difficult things in life as we grow. That doesn’t mean we give into sadness, but only that we continue to find joy despite the sad things. Onwards to the next books!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. Unless…
In 2011, Jake Epping, an English teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine, sets out on an insane — and insanely possible — mission to prevent the Kennedy assassination.
Leaving behind a world of computers and mobile phones, he goes back to a time of big American cars and diners, of Lindy Hopping, the sound of Elvis, and the taste of root beer.
In this haunting world, Jake falls in love with Sadie, a beautiful high school librarian. And, as the ominous date of 11/22/63 approaches, he encounters a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald…
This book is a reread. I read it a while ago and remember loving it but not much else. I watched the film adaptation a couple of years ago and wanted to reread then but didn’t, and then I found it as a buddy read recently, so I thought why not.
The Quotes
“When all else fails, give up and go to the library.”
“I’m one of those people who doesn’t really know what he thinks until he writes it down.”
“If you’ve ever been homesick, or felt exiled from all the things and people that once defined you, you’ll know how important welcoming words and friendly smiles can be.”
“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.”
The Narrator(s)
Craig Wasson. Okay, I don’t know if it’s a narrator issue or a sound engineer issue, but the volume inconsistencies were painful, literally, to my ears. The narration and the different character voices were great, in themselves, but there were parts where the characters shouted, or spoke harshly, and they were loud and painful! If I turned down the volume, I couldn’t hear the quiet parts well. If I turned up the volume, I had to brace for pain. It was not fun.
My Thoughts
The audiobook wasn’t fun because of the volume issues, but the story itself was amazing, and I think I love it more the second time around! Partly because it was a buddy read; reading with others and having discussions about the book help me notice details I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed, and make me think about things more.
Also, funny enough, while I’m still unhappy about the volume issues with the audiobook, I feel like listening to it this time around actually helped me notice some things I didn’t before, especially with some of the theme and repetitions in the story. It’s interesting because I usually notice things more on print and miss a lot of details when I’m listening to a book, but I think when things get repeated so many times, and if the narrator emphasizes those parts, I definitely take notice.
This audiobook was a 30-hour chonker but it was such an incredible journey. I got so much more out of it this time, and I’m definitely thinking of rereading it again eventually because I believe there’s still more to get out of it!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
When twelve-year-old Anne Shirley came to Avonlea, she quickly won everyone’s heart. Now, she’s five years older, almost a woman, and about to embark on a new adventure: becoming the teacher in her old Avonlea school. It’s an exciting year as Anne struggles to win over all her students, welcomes two new members to her family, and feels the first stirrings of love.
I started Anne of Green Gables and loved it and just had to continue with the series!
The Quotes
“Well, we all make mistakes, dear, so just put it behind you. We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”
“One can’t get over the habit of being a little girl all at once.”
“The future is yet an untrodden path full of wonderful possibilities.”
“Of course, I knew there are no fairies; but that needn’t prevent my thinking there is.”
The Narrator(s)
Beth Kesler. It was a bit of an adjustment coming from Rachel McAdams in the first book to a different narrator, but I ended up really loving Beth Kesler’s voices for the characters and the narration.
My Thoughts
What I love about this book is the children; Paul, Davy, and Dora are all wonderful to read about, and I love witnessing Anne’s interactions with them. I think the best thing about having children in your life is that they help you see the world with childlike wonder, and that’s the best thing about this book too. I also really love Miss Lavender because even though she was an older woman, she was still so childlike and sweet.
Now that I’m older, I feel like there’s no reason to stop being childish and carefree just because you’re all grown up. I know there are people who disagree, but I’ve been serious and somber as an adult, and I’ve been childish and playful as an adult, and I can tell you I’m much happier when I can be childish and playful. Mind you, when I say childish and playful, I don’t mean immature and irresponsible. People need to know the difference!
I also love that Gilbert and Anne are friends in this book, although we don’t see as much of Gilbert as I want. But there’s still the next book to look forward to!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
As soon as Anne Shirley arrives at the snug white farmhouse called Green Gables, she is sure she wants to stay forever . . . but will the Cuthberts send her back to the orphanage? Anne knows she’s not what they expected—a skinny girl with fiery red hair and a temper to match. If only she can convince them to let her stay, she’ll try very hard not to keep rushing headlong into scrapes and blurting out the first thing that comes to her mind. Anne is not like anyone else, the Cuthberts agree; she is special—a girl with an enormous imagination. This orphan girl dreams of the day when she can call herself Anne of Green Gables.
I was just casually browsing the Audible Plus catalog and came across this book, narrated by Rachel McAdams. I love this book and I love Rachel McAdams and I was just curious, so I listened to a sample. And just kept going!
The Quotes
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
“The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and storytellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.”
The Narrator(s)
Rachel McAdams. I love listening to her voice, it’s so distinctive! And so expressive too! I thought she was such a wonderful voice for Anne.
My Thoughts
This was one of my favorite childhood books, but I honestly thought I had read it enough for now and wasn’t planning to come back to it for a while. I sampled the audiobook just to see how Rachel McAdams sounds as Anne, and ended up getting sucked back into the wonderful nostalgia of childhood.
I love this world with Anne; looking through her eyes, falling in love with Green Gables and with the Cuthberts, being so happy about simple things, always looking out for kindred spirits, letting the imagination run wild and free. Oh! It makes me want to live there permanently! And it makes me wonder why I don’t.
Why can’t we keep falling in love with our homes and the people around us every day? Why can’t we be happy about the simple things? Why can’t we keep ourselves open to kindred spirits? Why can’t we let our imagination run wild and free once in a while? I used to do it all the time, but I have forgotten to hold on to the magic the longer I’m an adult. Anne keeps my inner child alive and reminds me that even though I’m older now, there can still be magic in this world. I want to bring that magic back.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
When Jerusha Abbott, an eighteen-year-old girl living in an orphan asylum, was told that a mysterious millionaire had agreed to pay for her education, it was like a dream come true. For the first time in her life, she had someone she could pretend was “family.” But everything was not perfect, for he chose to remain anonymous and asked that she only write him concerning her progress in school. Who was this mysterious gentleman and would Jerusha ever meet him?
This is one of my favorite childhood books but I have never listened to it on audio. And then I find out that Julia Whelan narrates it! Of course I had to listen!
The Quotes
“I think that the most necessary quality for any person to have is imagination. It makes people able to put themselves in other people’s places. It makes them kind and sympathetic and understanding.”
“I believe absolutely in my own free will and my own power to accomplish – and that is the belief that moves mountains. ”
“It’s much more entertaining to live books than to write them.”
“It isn’t the big troubles in life that require character. Anybody can rise to a crisis and face a crushing tragedy with courage, but to meet the petty hazards of the day with a laugh—I really think that requires spirit!”
The Narrator(s)
Julia Whelan. The GOAT.
My Thoughts
As I was reading, I’m aware of how times have changed and how Daddy-Long-Legs would probably not be a wholesome story for modern times. However, I love this book too much to get too woke about it, and I think sometimes we have to take into account that stories that come from a different time than ours will play into thinking that is different from ours and it’s necessary to not erase them.
Having said that, I just really love this book for so many reasons; I love that it’s so funny, I love that Judy Abbott has such a wonderful sense of humor, I love that she’s honest about herself and her flaws, I love that she discovers herself and stays true to herself, I love that she makes friends and learn new things. I love so many things about it. I love that it’s epistolary; it really ignited my love of writing letters and journals, and it also helped me to develop a irreverent voice for my own journal-writing because of how irreverent Judy is.
I should also mention that another one of the things I love about it is the cute illustrations, but since I’m listening on audio this time around, they don’t come into play. But also, since I’m listening on audio and Julia Whelan narrates it, what I lose out in illustrations, I gain in Julia Whelan’s narration. So it’s win-win either way!
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
A race for survival among the stars… Humanity’s last survivors escaped earth’s ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers?
WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH?
The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life.
But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind’s worst nightmare.
Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?
I have heard so much praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky but I haven’t read any of his books. People say this is a good one to start with, so I started with this.
The Quotes
“That is the problem with ignorance. You can never truly know the extent of what you are ignorant about.”
“A life lived entirely at the whim of another is no life at all.”
“This will be the first of a thousand worlds that we will give life to. For we are gods, and we are lonely, so we shall create.”
“Sometimes all it takes, to crack a problem, is a new perspective.”
“The elegant and sophisticated way of life that the spiders have built for themselves has always been strung over a great abyss of barbarism, cannibalism and a return to primitive, savage values. After all, they are predators at heart.”
The Narrator(s)
Mel Hudson. No complaints, she was great!
My Thoughts
I went in not knowing what to expect. The book description doesn’t really give away any specific details so it was mostly just an abstract idea for me going in. I ended up really loving it! I love that it features spiders as an evolutionary species, and that they are a matriarchal society. It was so interesting seeing the way their culture and beliefs evolve, it was so interesting to see them evolve into sentient beings!
To be clear, a whole lot of nothing happens until the end, but the during all the “nothing” that happens, we see a lot of subtle learning, growth, evolution, change. It’s so fascinating! I am very curious about the next books and where the story will go from here.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.
A book buddy of mine has been singing the praises of this book and its series. I was going to read it eventually but I moved it up the timeline because of her. And also because it fit a prompt for a book challenge!
The Quotes
“After everything that’s happened, how can the world still be so beautiful? Because it is.”
“They spent the first three years of school getting you to pretend stuff and then the rest of it marking you down if you did the same thing.”
“All it takes,” said Crake, “is the elimination of one generation. One generation of anything. Beetles, trees, microbes, scientists, speakers of French, whatever. Break the link in time between one generation and the next, and it’s game over forever.”
The Narrator(s)
Campbell Scott. He did a great job, but I think it was just hard to understand on audio because of the story itself.
My Thoughts
I think in general scifi and fantasy on audio can be hard to follow especially if they have a lot of made-up names and terms. I was confused for a long time in the beginning and it took me a while to even realize Jimmy/Snowman was talking about Oryx and Crake even though those names are on the title. I thought he was talking about a friend named Craig and a girl named Aurix (some variation of Aura/Aurora?). Still, it was pretty engrossing and I wanted to know more.
One of the things that stood out most to me was Oryx’s backstory because child trafficking happens a lot in the world where I grew up, and it was interesting to see her POV about her childhood. There’s a lot to think about with this book, for a lot of reasons, and I think that’s the genius of the author. Atwood is so good at writing dystopian worlds and getting us to think about all the what-ifs. I am excited to read the next books in the series and find out more about this world.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Women can be heroes.When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
I love Kristin Hannah’s books and I love Julia Whelan’s narration. I also needed a book with a palindrome on the cover.
The Quotes
“The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn’t quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”
“Women can be heroes.”
“The old white men who run this country are scared. And people do stupid, ugly things when they’re scared.” She leaned close. “But they’re counting on their power and our fear.”
“Maybe that was why people built walls: to look away, to ignore anything they didn’t want to see.”
The Narrator(s)
Julia Whelan. It’s no secret I love Julia’s narration in anything! This one was another beautiful one.
My Thoughts
This book pulls you in and doesn’t let go. I had so many feelings as I was reading it, mostly anger, and fury, and sadness, but also hope. So much hope. I hate that the women were treated so unfairly, I hate that there were so many scummy men, I hate that it was so difficult to find mental health help in the days where it was so important to get that help. With every page, it just got more and more heartbreaking to read and I was sure it wouldn’t end well. But it ended the way it should, and I’m happy with that.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
In a house full of sadness and secrets, can young, orphaned Mary find happiness?
Mary Lennox, a spoiled, ill-tempered, and unhealthy child, comes to live with her reclusive uncle in Misselthwaite Manor on England’s Yorkshire moors after the death of her parents. There she meets a hearty housekeeper and her spirited brother, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin, and her wilful, hysterical, and sickly cousin, Master Colin, whose wails she hears echoing through the house at night.
With the help of the robin, Mary finds the door to a secret garden, neglected and hidden for years. When she decides to restore the garden in secret, the story becomes a charming journey into the places of the heart, where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit, and the magic of the garden, coming to life anew, brings health to Colin and happiness to Mary.
It was available on audiobook and I needed a book with the word “secret” in the title. I thought this would do.
The Quotes
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
“At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done–then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.”
“Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world,” he said wisely one day, “but people don’t know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen.”
“Two worst things as can happen to a child is never to have his own way – or always to have it.”
The Narrator(s)
Carrie Hope Fletcher. It was so lovely to listen to. I really enjoyed her narration.
My Thoughts
This was never one of my favorite childhood books. I read it as a child, I liked it, but I never loved it or thought about it much. I didn’t dislike it, to be clear, it just wasn’t on my favorites list. I decided to reread it recently because it was convenient and it fit a reading prompt I needed to finish, and I am so glad I did! I found that I love this book a lot more now as an adult than as a child.
There were many things about the book I didn’t understand as a child. Mary being neglected and left alone, the fact that not many adults in her life cared for her and she wasn’t parented well. And Colin too. I feel for them a lot more now instead of thinking they were nothing but brats in the beginning. I mean, they were, but it’s not their fault.
I love the transformation of their attitudes and personalities as the garden is also transformed. I love how this book presents the law of attraction in action. I love how the book started so bleak and sad, but ended so hopeful and happy. I love this book so much more now as an adult.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.
This has been on my shelf for ages. I heard so much praise for it and I finally decided to read it.
The Quotes
“In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.”
The Narrator(s)
Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her voice is so gentle and soothing, I absolutely loved listening to her. She made me feel so connected to her, to the earth, to the stories she was telling.
My Thoughts
This book was longer than I expected, but it was such a beautiful meandering journey. It was really soothing to listen to and I felt like I was in another dreamy and idealistic world. I felt really connected to the earth and nature listening to it, but there were also parts that made me sad and angry about the state of the world now because we don’t honor and appreciate the earth the way we should be. I loved the journey and one day I’ll take it again.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
