#AnneReadAlong2017: 5 Reasons I Want To Read Anne of Green Gables

June 2, 2017

To keep things fresh and exciting with our Anne of Green Gables read-along, Jane and I thought some Top 5 lists would be a fun way to better understand your reading experiences. Feel free to join in our Top 5 List posts and link-up below. Our schedule is merely recommended– you’re welcome to join in whatever you’d like whenever you’d like! And without further ado…

Top 5 Reasons I Want To Read Anne of Green Gables

 

1 – I’ve never read any of the Anne of Green Gables books before!

This is almost an embarrassing thing for me to say. I obviously adore reading, and while I haven’t read EVERY classic ever, I am really into children’s literature. In fact, I’m on a quest to read all the Newbery Award Winners by 2022, the 100 year anniversary of the award. How did I miss Anne? It’s not a book I had even heard about until I became an adult. My friends, family, teachers, and librarians obviously failed me. But now that Anne of Green Gables has found its way into my grubby little paws, I won’t let go until I’ve read them ALL.

 

2 – Anne is a fellow redhead! Hurray!

Take a second. How many red-headed protagonists can you name from children’s literature? Pippi Longstocking, little orphan Annie, Tintin, Alanna of Trebond, and Anne Shirley. That’s it. No, I’m not counting Disney adaptation characters. But growing up I never saw myself in the characters for most literature I read. I was obviously obsessed with every redhead mentioned above (I would not only pretend to be all the women, but I was also Tintin’s twin sister sometimes, as well), but somehow it never came to pass that I learned of Anne Shirley’s glorious mane of hair. This is being corrected.

 

3 – This was my Grandmother’s favorite book growing up.

Going back to #1, this probably makes you think my Grandmother wasn’t a great Grandmother. Not true, she just died when I was young. I only learned recently that this was my Grandmother’s favorite novel growing up. I mentioned #AnneReadAlong2017 to my mother and she told me all about it. The best part is that I can imagine my Grandmother reading and loving this series. The image in my head is beautiful. And it makes me wish I was able to discuss this series with my Grandmother when she was still alive.  Anne of Green Gables is part of my family history. I cannot ignore that!

 

4 – SO MANY people have recommended this to me over the years.

As I mentioned above, I was only introduced to Anne of Green Gables as an adult. Every time Anne comes up on some level I only hear rave reviews. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard, “Wait. You’ve NEVER read Anne of Green Gables? How could that BE?!” I’d be wealthy. Or. Well. At least be able to build floor to ceiling bookshelves in my own personal library at home. Fancy ones. With a ladder. Regardless, I’ve heard Anne describes glowingly countless times. It just so happens that the right time hadn’t come up yet. Until now.

 

5 – I love talking about books!

As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I *love* talking about books. In fact, the whole reason I started this blog was to have conversations about books, characters, plot, themes, etc. in a space I could access whenever I wanted to. When I learned about #AnneReadAlong2017, I jumped at the chance. Now that I’m co-hosting with Jane I have even more opportunity to participate in and lead discussions around Anne. I cannot wait to dig deeper into Avonlea with you all. Plus, since so many of my friends and family have already read this book, and the new Anne with an E Netflix series is out, I know I’ll have opportunities to discuss Anne in person with people as well. Want to chat about Anne? Let me know. I’ll be waiting. 😉

 

I could certainly mention more and more reasons why I want to read Anne of Green Gables. Having already read book one I already feel a connection to Anne Shirley and her world on P.E.I. But this is supposed to be a Top 5 list. I don’t want to get out of control. 😉


Other Top 5 Reasons To Read Anne of Green Gables

Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf

Amanda @ Cover2Cover Mom

Evelina @ Avalinah’s Books


What do you think?

  • Are you participating in our Top 5 posts? Link your posts below!
  • Why do you want to read/re-read Anne?
  • Do you have any special connections to this series? What are they?

45 Comments

  • KrystiYAandWine June 2, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Awww, I LOVE that it was your grandma’s favorite! That would be enough to convince me to read a book. My grandma is way more into non-fic. Which I really should read more of…or any of. LOL. I do want to read this series!

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 6:00 pm

      Haha– I prefer to read non-fiction through audiobook format. I find it lets me space out when I need to, but I continue reading the book. I have 5 non-fiction books partially read sitting around my house waiting for me to pick them back up. O_o

      I hope you get a chance to read Anne some day. I am loving it thus far. And 5th Wave, too! 🙂

      • KrystiYAandWine June 6, 2017 at 6:52 pm

        I’ve read a handful of non-fiction books. They just aren’t quite the escape that I want when I read. That said, some of them really are good and entertaining. So glad you’re loving The 5th Wave! I’m only a few chapters in, but I like it! It’s really neat so far.

        • Jackie B June 16, 2017 at 5:43 pm

          I cannot wait to keep reading The 5th Wave. So far, I’ve only been able to predict one major story point, which makes me really excited! I have gotten really good at predicting what will happen in YA…

          • KrystiYAandWine June 16, 2017 at 5:55 pm

            You are cruising! I’m totally slacking, but I am going to spend some time on it this week! I’ve been working on a blog redesign this week, and it has taken ALL my time. LOL.

            • Jackie B June 20, 2017 at 8:44 am

              I *completely* understand how that works! Blog redesigns are exhausting but sooo worth it. What inspired this change?

              • KrystiYAandWine June 20, 2017 at 12:07 pm

                Exhausting is definitely right. 🙂 I just felt like the old design was a little too cluttered. I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but it took taking a week off work to learn how to do it honestly.

                • Jackie B June 20, 2017 at 4:16 pm

                  !! I LOVE IT. IT’s so pretty and clean. I also love the new logo– well done! I’m always impressed with your banners and images, but now they stick out a lot more. I think that’s great– it shows off your hard work much more. Well done!

                  • KrystiYAandWine June 20, 2017 at 5:04 pm

                    Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback so much, Jackie! 🙂

  • Birdie June 2, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    I love the images you chose. They’re all so perfect!

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 5:56 pm

      Thank you! There aren’t nearly as many Anne gifs as I would have hoped in the world! At least from the Megan Follows version of the series. 🙂 I’m glad I could find a few good ones.

      • Birdie June 7, 2017 at 7:45 am

        Did you watch that movie yet? 🙂

        • Jackie B June 14, 2017 at 2:17 pm

          Not yet! But I did reserve it at the library. The waiting list is super long! I blame Anne with an E for reminding the world about this version. 😉

          • Birdie June 14, 2017 at 2:31 pm

            haha, that’s true!

  • Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf June 2, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    Love this! I still can’t believe you’ve never read any of the books before 🙂 So cool that your grandmother loved Anne as well. What a fun first month we’ve had! Posting my Top 5 list soon and I will post the link here too 🙂

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 5:57 pm

      Right? It is such a weird coincidence on one level, and completely not surprising to me on another. Very strange how tastes like that can run through families!

      We’ve had a great first month. And we’re just getting started! 😉 I can’t wait to read your list.

  • theorangutanlibrarian June 3, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    I actually have more shame, because I *had* heard of this as a child, but only started reading this series a year ago- whoops!! Ah I love books that are a part of become part of a family history- I have that with the Hobbit 😀 And yes, so many people recommended this to me over the years- I don’t know why it took so long to read cos I was pretty much guaranteed to love it! Such a fun post!!

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 5:40 pm

      Oooh, what is your family connection to The Hobbit? That’s super cool.

      Are you still reading the Anne series?

      • theorangutanlibrarian June 7, 2017 at 5:31 pm

        Ah it’s just that it was my aunt’s favourite and she died young, so reading it used to make me feel closer to her (a bit corny, I know)
        Yes- I’m 4 books in- I still need to read the rest!!

        • Jackie B June 14, 2017 at 3:10 pm

          Pft. That’s not corny. That’s AWESOME. I completely can relate to that now.Ii miss my Grandmother; I’d do many things which seem corny or weird to feel like she’s with us again.
          Perhaps you’ll pick up book 5 with us in September? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 🙂

          • theorangutanlibrarian June 15, 2017 at 5:28 pm

            Aww thank you!! And yes- that’s a really good idea- I usually don’t do a lot of these things cos I am such a massive mood reader- but I can definitely manage to make sure I read that then (I hope!!!)

            • Jackie B June 16, 2017 at 5:56 pm

              You’ve got plenty of time for it, after all. 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of the series as it continues– particularly after some time has passed. I wonder a bit if I would like the remaining Anne books less if I hadn’t just read Anne of Green Gables. Who knows?

  • Books, Vertigo and Tea June 3, 2017 at 4:36 pm

    I love that it was your grandmother’s favorite! I discovered Anne through the recommendation of my librarian at a young age and devoured her adventures! I admit that I was also immediately drawn to the fact that she was a fellow redhead 😉 I could not think of a better series to discuss.

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      I’m so glad a librarian pointed you towards Anne and her adventures! Sometimes, I worry that the internet is limiting our interaction with librarians. I don’t get nearly as many direct librarian recommendations anymore. I should make more of an effort, for sure. Perhaps there is another amazing series I missed somewhere?!

      • Books, Vertigo and Tea June 8, 2017 at 2:50 pm

        I am exploring some more of LM Montgomery’s work soon. I have been collecting it on my Kindle. I am just trying to decide whether I want to re-read Anne after I watch the series 😉

        • Jackie B June 14, 2017 at 2:19 pm

          I think it would be really interesting to compare the series to the book backwards like that. So often we read the book first and then judge the series— I would love hear your opinions. I’m sure there will be some interesting insights. When did you last read Anne?

          • Books, Vertigo and Tea June 16, 2017 at 5:03 pm

            Oh I have not read Anne for over 10+ years? Cringing at how long it has been since you now brought that to my attention.

            • Jackie B June 16, 2017 at 5:05 pm

              Haha. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. This is definitely a book younger Jackie would have LOVED. I am a bit shocked it took me thing long to read them. But I couldn’t be happier.
              You’re always welcome to join our adventure, Danielle!

              • Books, Vertigo and Tea June 17, 2017 at 1:56 pm

                I am seriously hoping to dive in soon. I have found myself a bit behind with ARCs and requests though so trying to stay on track haha.

                • Jackie B June 20, 2017 at 4:28 pm

                  Good for you! Keep up the great work. I’ll just keep drowning in mine over here. 😉

  • Shouni June 5, 2017 at 6:10 pm

    I love your reasons! That’s so sweet that it was your Grandmother’s favorite book growing up. Sometimes I wish I grew up with Anne because I feel like that would make the books even more memorable than they already are. You know, I never thought about the lack of redheads in children’s literature until now. I guess there’s always Harry Potter, the entire Weasley clan are ginger. I met one of my best friends through the Anne books, we were both reading it in class back in sixth grade one day and just gravitated towards each other 😀 .

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 9:22 am

      Thank you, Shouni! Yes, in the last decade or so we’ve seen a lot more redheads showing up in children’s literature. Obviously, the Weaselys are a huge one. It has helped that Disney has created a ton of redheads recently– Else, Merida, Jessie the Cowboy, and the traditional Ariel and Peter Pan who have been “released from the vault”. I can see redheads more often on covers of books when I go to the library. For example, Freckleface Strawberry and Cam Jansen. We’re an awful small part of the population, so I don’t expect to see us everywhere. But it’s still nice!

  • Grab the Lapels June 6, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    I don’t know if I want to watch the new Anne With An E series, though I saw it’s there… Has anyone watched it?? Will I feel sad that I watched it because I live Megan Follows so much?!!

    • Jackie B June 6, 2017 at 5:28 pm

      I haven’t seen it yet, but I don’t have Netflix. I’ve heard it’s really different, and everyone I know who watched it either loves it or hates it. There is little middle ground. I’d definitely love to hear thoughts on this series from anyone. It’s hard to follow up Megan Follows… 😉

      • Grab the Lapels June 6, 2017 at 8:40 pm

        ….I might stay away and watch Megan Follows tomorrow!

  • AvalinahsBooks June 13, 2017 at 2:12 am

    Wait what 😀 I didn’t know we were doing top5 posts! I guess my review automatically qualifies, cause it’s exactly what I did 😀 here you are: http://avalinahsbooks.space/anne-of-green-gables/

    And it’s so cool you’re reading all the Newberies! Except a lot of Newbery winners I’ve chanced upon.. Haven’t been so good. So they’re all here and there, there are some really good ones and some weak ones. Perhaps that’s why I wouldn’t really pledge to read them all.

    Also, you might find it curious that I’ve always wanted red hair and particularly freckles. If anyone would just give me freckles now. Well, at least boyfriend has them. I console myself with the fact that this way I at least get to look at them? Wouldn’t be constantly seeing them on myself, after all. The cinammony goodness. (Do you have freckles, or just the awesome hair?)

    Also. Why is Anne straight haired in all those gifs and films xD the book clearly says she was curly!!!! Graaaahhhh!! (I had the same problem going for curls, they’re like… on par with red hair, when it comes to being laughed at, and they are NEVER portrayed in any story -.-)

    • Jackie B June 16, 2017 at 5:55 pm

      I know I know! I’m so crazy. And yes– I cannot wait to add your book review to our list! (I’ll be adding it both here and to the Anne of Green Gables if you don’t mind. 😉 It totally qualifies as both!)

      Most of the Newbery winners I’ve read have really captured me. I’d say the best ones I’ve read thus far are The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Holes by Louis Sachar. I have often found that the Newbery Honor books captivate me even more… but if I included those in my quest, well, I’d never meet my goal. Unless all I did was read Newberys until 2022. Which I am not doing. 😉

      D’aw. This makes my heart all warm! I never understood why people didn’t like redheads historically. What’s wrong with how adorable we are? 😉 Yes, I have the weird demi-curly demi-wavy red hair and freckles. I don’t have Anne’s grey eyes, though, just good ol’ brown. When I was younger I didn’t like my freckles, but my better half says my freckled shoulders are his favorite. <3

      YES. I DON'T GET IT. She should have curly hair! I don't understand why curly hair isn't portrayed often... or, if it exists in books, why it's cut out for adaptions. It must be too challenging to maintain under all the lights? Who knows. I love your hair– it’s sooo pretty. I wish my hair a bit curlier, but don’t we all wish something was slightly different about our hair? 😉

      • AvalinahsBooks June 18, 2017 at 9:15 am

        Thanks for adding me, I saw all those pingbacks 🙂 I’ll have to go and read the other posts as well, haven’t got round to doing that yet.
        How many of the Newberies are there BTW?
        And YES. Freckles ARE the best. They’re like little unexpected surprises all over your face and everything, because you never know where they’ll appear. They’re lovely.
        As for curls… I’ve been much too bullied in my life about my hair to like it one bit 🙁 curly hair was totally unacceptable as I was growing up, people just kept telling me to “clean up already” as if curls are a mark of laziness. I still dislike them even if they’re sort of fashionable now. Curls really are hard to control, and it just infuriates me that people associate them with sloppiness. Especially the way PoC are treated when it comes to being “professional”. I could harp about this all day!

        • Jackie B June 20, 2017 at 11:42 am

          There are currently 94 Newbery award winners. I am trying to read them all before the Newbery Award’s 100th Anniversary in 2022. As far as Newbery Honor Award winners, there have been as few as zero and as many as 8 awarded each year. A brief internet search (as I am NOT counting them) indicates around 267 of those. Those are a problem for future Jackie. 😉 I really should make a page for that somewhere on my blog, shouldn’t I? Hmm… ideas, ideas!

          I’m so sorry you’ve been bullied so much for your hair! I am completely on this soapbox with you. It’s so hard to care for curly hair! Any sort of humidity makes the curls all fluffy and unruly. But that isn’t our fault! I’ve developed a bit of a beauty routine to keep them less wild and crazy, but I don’t do anything extreme. My curls stay curly. I only get it straightened when they cut my hair (to ensure the layers are all even). I hope that you can learn to embrace and love your curls! They are sooo pretty. So pretty. <3

          • AvalinahsBooks June 20, 2017 at 12:41 pm

            Hm, really? Cause humidity actually FIXES my hair. My morning ritual is “spray hair so it becomes tidily curly”. That’s the only way. No other styling even remotely works. But maybe that’s because I’m quite curly, not just wavy. And yeah, straightening would just not work. At least, not in my climate 😀

            94 sounds doable! But you should totally make a page. Maybe like a checklist? Where you can mark how many I’ve done. That sounds like fun 🙂

            • Jackie B June 21, 2017 at 5:54 pm

              Ohmygosh. Even curly hair has different things which affect it. Why do people think they can put us in tiny boxes of hair care?! Ugh. Yes, my waves puff up. When I was a kid, my hair was closer in curl to yours and I would look like little orphan Anne whenever it was humid out. That was embarrassing as a child, for sure.

              I’ll have to consider how I’ll post/chat about that. It never occurred to me that I should make this a real thing. Hmmm… Perhaps a new feature/banner or something too…

  • Anna June 18, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    Following your read-along is making me want to go back and re-read all the books again! They are just so charming and wonderful. 🙂

    • Jackie B June 20, 2017 at 10:36 am

      Thanks, Anna! I’m glad they are giving you some nostalgia. You’re always welcome to join. 😉 Have you read the whole series?

  • John Smith January 10, 2018 at 9:38 am

    I’m not a redhead, but I probably should read this book! It must be lovely!

    • Jackie B January 12, 2018 at 10:50 pm

      It’s a super fun series, for sure! There is a magic in the Anne of Green Gables series. I firmly believe the magic changes and adapts for the reader as they grow, too. As an adult, Anne Shirley taught me many lessons I imagine a younger version of myself would never have noticed.

      Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. 🙂

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