My mum's got Christina Hardyment's book too! She's a huge Arthur Ransome fan. Unfortunately, as she's in Australia, it's a fair way for her to come and visit... I know she has been to the Lake District before, but I think only once in the 1970s. She and Dad have visited the UK since I moved here and taken some tours, but I don't think they made it as far north as Cumbria.

When it comes to Ransome's books, I've only ever got around to reading Swallows and Amazons myself, but I did enjoy it and would love to read the others now that I've seen some of the real locations! I'd also love to explore the Lakes a bit further, but of course all holidays are off at the moment. It's on my list, though, when I can.

I reread The Wind in the Willows recently. I don't read that book very much but whenever I do, I love it. It's a great lazy, relaxing, comfort read.

After that, I started rereading a book that people have posted about in this thread not too many pages ago. Dombey and Son. I love me some Dickens but I feel like you have to read them twice to really enjoy them. The first time I read Dombey and Son, I had a hard time enjoying it because of all the different plotlines. It was so slow waiting for them to catch up with each other. This time, I've been able to relax and enjoy it more.

I still don't consider the book to be its author's best work though, mainly because I don't enjoy the character of Captain Cuttle as much as I enjoy similar Dickens characters, like Daniel Peggotty (David Copperfield) and Joe Gargery (Great Expectations.)

HIDE SPOILER
I also kind of hate that Toots ends up marrying Susan Nipper when he says he'll never love her as much as he does Florence Dombey. I really like Susan Nipper and resent seeing her be a consolation prize. I think Dickens wanted to give Toots a happy ending but he couldn't have him end up with Florence and he didn't want to make readers lose their respect for him by having him decide he wasn't really in love with her. The way he ends though, Toots ended up losing my respect far more. I haven't gotten to that part yet so maybe I'll like it better this time.

Like I said though, I am enjoying the book a lot. It'd be worthy reading for Chapter 47 alone if for nothing else. I'm also looking forward to the end though, so I can start on another Dickensian reread: Little Dorrit. That book has even more subplots, which take forever to connect to the main story. (Some of them arguably barely do so.) But I feel it's more consistent in its greatness than Dombey and Son.

I'm going to post maybe the most controversial thing I've ever said on this forum (and no, I'm not talking about the fresh, clean update 😉 ). Do you all remember the movie Napoleon Dynamite that came out a few years ago? That's one of those movies that for me, was painful to get through, but it had these moments of hilarious brilliance....that's how reading through the Anne series has been for me. I really just about quit at the beginning of book four, but I stubbornly plowed through. I'm early in book five, and I think I'm gonna stop after this one. It's just not my cup of tea I'm afraid, and I'm sorry to disappoint all of you die-hard Anne fans out there. 

Sarcasm aside, I think the real issue is that Anne and I (or rather the author and I) are very different people. I have a very hard time relating to Anne, and there's a character in the book that reminds me of me and the author spends a big chunk of time converting said character over to Anne's world. So there's just not a connection there, and that's okay. I suspect someday my eldest daughter will love this book because it's much more up her alley. 😉 

ETA: Col Klink, I own The Wind in the Willows and I've never read it. Maybe I'll pick that one up after I finish up Anne. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂 

Hello fantasia! 

As big fan of the Anne books, I’m sorry that you didn’t like them although I can definitely empathize with not relating to the main character (Pride and Prejudice’s characters as a whole come to mind, which is perhaps an even more controversial statement given that there is an entire thread dedicated to Jane Austen and her work  ).  

However, given that you don’t feel particularly connected to Anne, you may find the last book, Rilla of Ingleside more palatable (this one is my favorite one, so I’m obviously quite biased ).  Anne has a relatively small part to play (she’s almost a background character), and Rilla of Ingleside focuses more on the lives of her children and what the Canadian homefront was like during World War I.  It has a markedly darker, more serious tone compared to the other books.  The main character undergoes a significant amount of development throughout the story, and it is an intriguing look at how World War I forced the younger generation to step up, pass the torch, and “keep the faith.”  (As for context, I believe that you might be able to get away with simply reading summaries of the preceding books.)

I hope that this did not come off as too aggressive or dismissive.  From one book-lover to another, I wish you happy reading!  

—Wanderer

@wanderer-between-worlds, just to be clear, there were many parts of Anne that I liked very, very much. I have no regrets reading it. 😉 We'll see if I can make it to Rilla. 

@ValiantArcher and @SnowAngel, LOOK at what has arrived in my mailbox.

 ETA: You'll have to click the attachment and I'll have to figure out how to show it. 😉 

It's interesting how readers tend to be either charmed by the character of Anne Shirley or annoyed by her. (Happily, I'm in Camp No. 1.) What's brilliant about the first book, I feel, is that we have a major character who is charmed by her (Matthew) and a major character who is annoyed by her (Marilla) so whomever you agree with, there's someone in the story to whom you can relate. ? That's why Anne of Green Gables is the book I can remmomend to everyone while the other Anne books I'd only recommend to people who really liked the first one. That and I think the first book has the best character arcs (for Anne and Marilla.) Though I maintain that the other books have parts that are as great as the original. Anne of Green Gables is the most consistenly great. 

Wanderer Between Worlds, I'm not a particularly enthusiastic fan of Jane Austen, as I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum, but if you've only read Pride and Prejudice, you should probably know that most of her protagonists aren't like Elizabeth Bennet, or not exactly like her anyway. I feel like there's this idea that Pride and Prejudice is the normative Austen book, for lack of a better term, when it isn't necessarily. Of course, the Jane Austen protagonist whom I like best is Emma who is very, very, very polarizing character, so you may not want to heed my opinion. ? 

Ooooh, @fantasia! I believe @meltintalle got hers a couple days ago, so maybe mine will show up soon?  

Okay, I totally have to start reading the Ashtown Burials. I think I will order The Dragon's Tooth and maybe The Drowned Vault this week yet. You ladies, whose reading choices I very much respect, have piqued my interest in a huge way.  

@fantasia, how exciting!   My siblings keep asking when chapter one is going to arrive and I have the same answer every time...soon.  

Oh, all the talk about the Anne books reminds me I really should read them again. I don't remember which is my favorite, but I do know Rilla of Ingleside is my least favorite and since it's my least favorite I am always surprised when someone enjoys it.  

I've been listening to The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett, I had recently watched the the 1942 film starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and Brian Donlevy.  I read The Glass Key back in 2013 or 2014, there's more foul language than I remembered or maybe it stands out more in an audiobook. Anyway, I am enjoying comparing the book and the film, I definitely like the film the better of the two, but the book is entertaining.

SnowAngel 

My favorite Anne books are Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, and Anne's House of Dreams. Or at least they were last time I read the series. Most recently when I want to read L. M. Montgomery I find myself reaching for The Blue Castle or Jane of Lantern Hill.

(Which character do you think you're like, @fantasia, if I may ask? I've been trying to guess, but I don't like any of the answers I've come up with so far; so maybe I've forgotten a character?)

@valiantarcher is correct, I did get the first installment of Silent Bells! It was a nice surprise to see it show up in my mailbox.  

I've been reading William Stevenson's Spymistress: The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II but didn't quite finish it before it had to go back to the library, and they didn't have Leo Mark's biography Between Silk and Cyanide which I wanted to read again in context of his work with Vera Atkins, so I picked up Stevenson's A Man Called Intrepid who also features in Spymistress.

I also read Intisar Khanini's retelling of the Goose Girl, Thorn, which was quite good. Khanini does a great job with her characters and every-day situations even if they're grappling with magic and the rise and fall of kingdoms as well.  

Posted by: @snowangel

Anyway, I am enjoying comparing the book and the film, I definitely like the film the better of the two, but the book is entertaining.

I had a similar reaction when I read Hammett's The Thin Man after watching the movie. Many of the same situations were in the book, but the filmmakers and actors had given it a lot more comedic timing and expression.

Right now I'm reading The Rise of Kyoshi by F. C. Yee. It's an Avatar: The Last Airbender prequel. It's pretty good, but I'm not completely sold on it yet.

I'm also reading Aztec & Maya: The Complete Illustrated History by Charles Phillips. It's been really interesting so far. Apparently the temple of Kukulcan was designed so that the rising and setting of the sun at the equinox creates a snakelike pattern on its steps and if a person claps their hands at the base of the steps, the sound bounces off the steps and makes a sound reminiscent of the quetzal bird. Both snakes and quetzal birds are associated with Quetzalcoatl, the god to whom the temple is dedicated. Fascinating stuff!

Posted by: @meltintalle

My favorite Anne books are Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, and Anne's House of Dreams. Or at least they were last time I read the series. Most recently when I want to read L. M. Montgomery I find myself reaching for The Blue Castle or Jane of Lantern Hill. 

Although I enjoyed the Anne series, I think I enjoyed L.M. Montgomery's Emily of New Moon series. It's a little darker in tone than the Anne series, so those of you that didn't kind enjoy Anne might find Emily more to their taste.

I'm currently reading Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. I'm really enjoying the look into British advertising during the 1920s and 30s.

~ Wunder

I'm about to start a read-through of The Lord of the Rings.  Hopefully I'll get through them by the end of summer!

Also, it's been interesting to lurk on the conversations about the Anne of Green Gables series.  I've only ever read the first book, and that was a while ago.  I think my sister might have the rest of the series...

...but Lord of the Rings first! 

Posted by: @meltintalle

I had a similar reaction when I read Hammett's The Thin Man after watching the movie. Many of the same situations were in the book, but the filmmakers and actors had given it a lot more comedic timing and expression.

The Glass Key and The Thin Man are definitely two books were the films are superior. I think perhaps The Maltese Falcon book was better than the film. 

I enjoyed The Glass Key enough that I became interested in reading The Continental Op by Dashiell Hammett again. I found that my library has The Big Book of the Continental Op, it's currrently on hold for me. My dad offered to pick up items from the library tomorrow ( ), items including N.D. Wilson books, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, several movies, and Spymistress for Scarlet since Mel mentioned it.

I'm currently reading A Penny For Your Thoughts (Million Dollar Mysteries #1) by Mindy Starns Clark and The Grand Escape by Neal Bascomb. And I am listening to The Pilgrim's Progress via Hoopla since I'm also listening to The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Guided Tour via Ligonier.  

SnowAngel

Going through the MENSA reading list for K-3rd grade with my kiddos. I had hoped to finish it up this year but I don't think that's going to happen. Too many chapter books left and not enough time. But we've ticked off a large number of them anyways. This week we finished up Rabbit Hill, which I don't think I'd read before. It was alright I guess, but not quite my cup of tea. 

Prior to that we read The Tale of Despereaux, which IS right up my alley. I like that one. 😉 

So I'm a bit burned out on animal books at the moment. May hold off on The Wind in the Willows for the time being.  

The kids and I are going to read Pippi Longstocking next. I was going to check it out from the library but apparently it's the MUST READ book of the summer because all of their copies were checked out with a long line of holds. So I just bought it. My son's favorite book right now is Happy Times in Noisy Village by the same author, so hopefully he'll like Pippi.

I haven't started my installment of Silent Bells yet. I'm paranoid that something is going to happen to my copy and it will be ruined and that's it because I can't replace it. I should have ordered two copies!