For once, I completed my reading goal with time to spare & exceeded it by two. I set my goal at 55 and completed 57 books. Yay! 🎉 Now for the semi-disappointing news: I didn’t complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. I could beat myself up, but reading is supposed to be fun, not a competition. Not all of the 2018 challenges matched up with what I wanted to read last year, and that is okay.
*Note: The definition of “ethnicity” is different depending on who you ask so I relied solely on where an author was born. I didn’t include British authors because of my own family’s roots, but perhaps that was just overthinking on my part.
With twelve minutes to spare in 2017, I completed my Goodreads goal of reading 50 books. Thanks to the diversity of those books, I also completed the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. Let’s recap the categories accompanied by detailed & extensive lists:
📚 A Book you Chose for the Cover – Before we dive into the list, I want to clarify that I define a cover buy as a book I picked up because the cover caught my eye, which doesn’t mean I didn’t look at the synopsis:
📖 My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Ally Carter, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Holly Black, Jenny Han, Kelly Link, Kiersten White, Laini Taylor, Matt De La Peña, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, & Stephanie Perkins | I almost didn’t buy this book, but I couldn’t get the cover out of my head.
📚 A Book in a Genre You Usually Avoid – These aren’t all genres I avoid on purpose; I just don’t reach for them often:
📖 My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Ally Carter, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Holly Black, Jenny Han, Kelly Link, Kiersten White, Laini Taylor, Matt De La Peña, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, & Stephanie Perkins ( contemporary )
📖 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ( science fiction )
📚 A Book You Were Excited to Borrow or Buy but Haven’t Read Yet – Though I’m excited about every book I purchase, this list includes the titles I’d been dying to read but had yet to do so:
📖 My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Ally Carter, David Levithan, Gayle Forman, Holly Black, Jenny Han, Kelly Link, Kiersten White, Laini Taylor, Matt De La Peña, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, & Stephanie Perkins ( the holidays )
Due to reading fatigue, I am not officially committing to the 2018 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. However, I’m not giving up completely. I may join at any point during the year so I’m leaving the categories here for reference.
📚 A Classic You’ve Been Meaning to Read – A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
📚 A Book Recommended by Someone With Great Taste – TBD
📚 A Book in Translation – The Time in Between by Maria Duenas
📚 A Book Nominated for an Award in 2018 – TBD
📚 A Book Of Poetry, a Play, or an Essay Collection – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
📚 A Book You Can Read in a Day – Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
📚 A Book That’s More Than 500 Pages – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
📚 A Book by a Favorite Author – Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
📚 A Book Recommended by a Librarian or Indie Bookseller – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
📚 A Banned Book – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
📚 A Memoir, Biography, or Book of Creative Nonfiction – Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
📚 A Book by an Author of a Different Race, Ethnicity, or Religion Than Your Own – Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar
Last but not least, I pledged to read 55 books on Goodreads. I’m not going to push myself because reading should be fun, not a competition. Regardless of whether or not I read a certain number of books, I’m doing something I love. Happy reading!
Ever since the day I found out about the CBC/Netflix adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, I have been skeptical. I grew up with the Sullivan trilogy; if anyone asks what my favorite movie is, I answer with those three films. They are very near and dear to my heart, and it is difficult for me to accept anything else. The new series came to Netflix on May 12th. I tried numerous times to watch it but couldn’t bring myself to press play. I realize that I sound like a total drama queen, but keep in mind that I have always been compared to Anne who is the actual queen of drama. Fast forward to July 4th. I finally watched the first episode… and then the second episode… and then the third… two days later I’ve finished all seven, and I NEED MORE!!! Yes it is different from the 1985 movie, and no that is not a bad thing. The first episode was difficult to watch because I could only picture the Sullivan cast, but once I relaxed and and allowed myself to accept the changes, I was fine. Most of my favorite moments involved Anne & Gilbert and Rachel & Marilla. I hope the series continues for a very long time because I can already picture myself watching the cast grow with the story. Fellow AOGG fans, I understand the trepidation, but change isn’t always bad. If you haven’t watched Anne With an E, I highly recommend you give it a chance.
Subscribe to my blog to receive email notifications, and check out my other links listed below.
On April 15, 2015, tragedy struck the Anne of Green Gables family. Actor Jonathan Crombie, known for his role as the beloved Gilbert Blythe, passed away. If you are interested, here is the blog post I wrote following the news of his death: Don’t Forget Me
A member of the AOGG fandom, Sandra McKinney, has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of putting some kind of memorial in David Crombie Park. The Toronto park is named after Jonathan’s father, and Sandra felt it was the perfect place for a memorial. She has talked to the proper authorities, and the idea has been accepted. If there is any money left over from the donations, it will be given to a charity of the Crombie family’s choosing. Donate if you are able to do so, but don’t feel like you have to. At the very least, share the page on social media and help spread the word. Sandra’s efforts speak volumes on behalf of the AOGG community, and I want to do my part to help.
• Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/970383573006872/
In the words of Sandra, “If you like this idea and would be willing to help so that this can happen please donate whatever you can. Let’s make this fundraising campaign a success and let’s keep Jonathan’s memory alive for our generation and generations to come.”
Three months ago this blog post was 75% complete and well on its way to being published. Despite my August deadline, I was feeling uninspired and decided to walk away for reflection. I missed the opportunity to connect this post to August, “Romance Awareness Month”, but I would much rather publish content I am proud of than meet deadlines for the sake of being clever. That being said, allow me to set the stage for this project that has been a labor of love (HA!). Back in April, I made two collages of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley from “Anne of Green Gables” in honor of Jonathan Crombie. When I found out August was “Romance Awareness Month” (who knew?!!), I immediately put my Photoshop skills to work and made collages for my favorite TV and movie couples. This project is near and dear to my heart. The couples I have chosen are fictional, but their stories inspire me because they have substance. Personally, I am not fond of glorifying the physicality of relationships. Less is more! I recently watched the BBC miniseries “North & South” for the first time. The main characters do not interact romantically until the last few minutes of the series, and yet I felt tension and passion throughout; I did not need to see more in order to empathize. It was absolutely brilliant! I strongly believe purity and subtlety go a long way, much further than graphic details. We should all have high standards and use the term “love” with caution. Go ahead and call me a “hopeless romantic”; I accept that label with open arms. :)
Jim Halpert: “Not enough for me? You are everything.”
I could name specific episodes, but I wont because there is at least one Jim and Pam moment in every episode. The list would go on and on and on!! Instead, I recommend that you take the time to watch the entire show. It is hilarious so time well spent.
Captain Frederick Wentworth: “I imagined myself indifferent to her but I was only angry and resentful. Too late… too late I began to understand myself and her. Never have I met her equal in good sense or sweetness of character. She’s perfection itself. I’ve never loved any but her.”
Mr. Darcy: “Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain, and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you… I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgment, my family’s expectations, the inferiority of your birth by rank and circumstance. All these things I am willing to put aside and ask you to end my agony.”
Laura Ingalls: “I took Ma’s advice and didn’t say anything more about Almanzo. I guess I knew I’d always be Half-Pint to Pa, but I was just as sure that I would someday be Laura Ingalls Wilder.”
“Little House on the Prairie” Trailer:
Almanzo and Laura Montage (SPOILERS):
Important Episodes to Watch:
Almanzo And Laura Meet – “Back to School” Parts 1 and 2 (Season 6, Episodes 1 and 2)
Laura Gets Jealous – “Annabelle” (Season 6, Episode 5)
Almanzo Starts to See Laura as an Adult – “Wilder And Wilder” (Season 6, Episode 20)
Almanzo Falls in Love With Laura – “Sweet Sixteen” (Season 6, Episode 22)
Almanzo Proposes – “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” Parts 1 and 2 (Season 6, Episodes 23 and 24)
Almanzo and Laura Get Married – “Laura Ingalls Wilder” Parts 1 and 2 (Season 7, Episodes 1 and 2)
*** From this point on, the newly married couple are seen on and off on the show. The following are some of my favorite episodes post-wedding. ***
Laura Thinks Almanzo is Having an Affair – “Divorce, Walnut Grove Style” (Season 7, Episode 7)
Almanzo And Laura Get Their First Taste of Parenthood – “Nephews” (Season 7, Episode 14)
Laura is Pregnant – “I Do, Again” (Season 7, Episode 20)
Almanzo Comes Close to Death – “Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow” Parts 1 and 2 (Season 8, Episodes 17 and 18)
Almanzo And Laura Lose a Child – “A Child With No Name” (Season 9, Episode 18)
Baby Rose Wilder is Kidnapped – “Little House: Bless All The Dear Children” (Movie)
It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. Jonathan Crombie, best known for his movie role as the beloved Gilbert Blythe, passed away on Wednesday, April 15, at the age 48; the cause was a brain hemorrhage. I grew up watching the Anne of Green Gables movies and dreaming of meeting and marrying my very own Gil. Me and my friends were so smitten with him that we had to designate an area specifically for freak outs; the “Jonathan Crombie Couch” will forever be a treasured memory of mine. I received an Anne of Green Gables music box for Valentine’s Day this year. At the time, the gift was thoughtful, but now it holds so much more meaning. God knew I would need a special reminder of Jonathan, my own personal piece of Gilbert. The following is a short statement given to the Canadian Press by Crombie’s Anne of Green Gables co-star Megan Follows:
“He was incredibly funny, Jonathan just had an amazing sense of humour,” she told The Canadian Press. “Truly I just remember at times just laughing so hard that you’d just be crying. He was so playful and silly and, as I said, really bright, so his humour was always informed with that, which made him even funnier.” Follows called Crombie a “sweetheart” and said a lot of the chemistry onscreen was natural during the filming of the movies. “He had that beautiful face. He was a lot of fun, he was very open so you just felt he was someone who really wanted to play and it really was a new experience for him,” she said, adding that the project was one of Crombie’s first. “We were all just in it to do the best that we could and we had a lot of fun.” (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/04/19/jonathan-crombie-megan-follows_n_7095258.html) I think it is safe to say Jonathan’s version of Gilbert was not far from his true nature: playful and endearing.
It seems all too appropriate to mention some of my favorite Gilbert and Anne scenes from each movie. I have more than one in each film, but, for the sake of attention spans, I will keep the list short. In the first movie “Anne of Green Gables”, one of my favorite moments is the very last scene in which Gilbert sacrificially gives up the Avonlea school so that Anne can teach there and stay at home with Marilla. They exchange the following dialogue, recalling fondly what was originally an explosive and classic moment:
Anne: “Aren’t you worried? I’m liable to break another slate over your head.” Gilbert: “I’m more worried I might break one over yours, carrots”
The scene starts at the 9:57 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPREdzRRRlY
In “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel”, one of my favorite moments is when Gil and Anne are FINALLY a couple, and they are standing on a bridge discussing their future:
Gilbert: “It’ll be three years before I finish medical school. Even then there won’t be any diamond sunbursts or marble halls” Anne: “I don’t want diamond sunbursts, or marble halls. I just want you.”
In the third and final film “Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story”, my FAVORITE moment has to be, of course, the scene when Anne and Gil are reunited after her arduous search during World War I. Anne is on a stage with two friends singing for soldiers; they are singing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”, Gil and Anne’s wedding dance song. As she is scanning the crowd, Anne spots a familiar, beloved face. Running ensues as well as a heartwarming reunion. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8dc9kqaXBI
I want to give my condolences to all of Jonathan’s loved ones. My heart goes out to you, and you are in my prayers.
Jonathan: You embodied a classic book character, a portrayal that was truly a gift to the film industry. You will always be remembered and loved as Gil in the hearts of your fans. Rest in peace.
The “Anne of Green Gables” family could never forget you!! <3 <3 <3
– Lauren Michele :)
” You know, every day I would pick a different memory of you and play it over and over and over again in my mind, until every hair, every freckle, every part of you was exactly as I remembered.” – Gilbert Blythe, “Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story”
Earlier this week, a friend of mine invited me along for a house sitting adventure. The adventure was mine to have because my friend had already visited this house and barn many times. I have seen farm animals multiple times in my twenty-one years of life, but feeding them was a brand new experience. To be exact, there were five dogs, three cats, two doves, two horses, two donkeys, and a small herd of goats and sheep (approximately ten). The first part of the afternoon was spent inside watching TV with the dogs. Nothing especially exciting except for the new episode of Once Upon a Time (Any fellow Oncers reading this??). Eventually it was time to go outside and feed the other animals. It was raining, but I did not care one bit. I was practically leaping out of my skin from excitement! I put on boots and a large coat, and followed my friend’s lead out the door, over the little bridge, and into the barn. After filling buckets with two kinds of feed, I volunteered to feed the horses (my favorite domestic animal). I enjoyed every little thing: opening the gate, walking through the rain and mud, and filling the barrels. What happened next was the real adventure. I walked into the goat and sheep enclosure but left the feeding task to my friend. Have you ever watched goats and sheep be fed? They are greedy! There were three bowls, and yet as soon as my friend moved on from one bowl to the next, the entire group would ignore the food in front of them and follow the bucket. After giving the donkeys some feed, we made our way back into the horse pen. The group of goats and sheep followed, and one particularly bossy sheep managed to push her way in. She made her way over to one of the horses and watched it eat as though she was going to take part. Like I said, GREEDY!! As I made my way through the mud and attempted to herd the animal back to where she belonged, I could not help but laugh. The seemingly annoying situation was actually a dream come true. I felt like Anne of Green Gables trying to get her cow out of Rachel’s field with the help of her best friend Diana. I managed to back the sheep against the gate but simultaneously had to keep the rest of the pushy herd out. Teamwork prevailed, and all animals were where they were meant to be once again. I really wish the chase was on video, but alas it is not. All I have is the hilarious, muddy memory. I hope I was able to paint a vivid picture and add some laughter to your Saturday night. Enjoy the rest of your weekend readers!
I know, I know. I am the absolute worst at Blogmas!! I have tried, I really have. I wrote a Hanukkah post on my art blog and it took two full days to research and write. It was 3 am by the time I finished, and I was not at all ready to blog again the next day. However, I am extremely proud of the finished product so if you have not yet seen it, here is the link: http://laurenmichelephotography.wordpress.com/2014/12/19/artmas-2014-joy-to-the-world/ I am sorry if this excuse is awful and unacceptable, but it is the truth. Moving on. I had a great time with my family this weekend. We did some shopping at the mall and watched lots and lots of Christmas movies. I would like to point out that they were willing, my dad and brother included, to watch both family and romance movies. That is love!! It is no secret that I have had problems getting into the Christmas spirit, but spending quality time with my family made me feel much more merry, as did watching “Blind Side.” “Blind Side” is an emotional movie, not easy to get through without crying, but it has a happy ending. I give it 5 stars. It holds a special place in the hearts of my family because ever since I was born my parents have been taking in people who needed a place to live. I have considered each and every one of them a member of my family regardless of size, shape, and color. It is a great feeling to know that my family was able to help so many people. I love my extended, colorful family and always will!!
(Image Source: http://www.rougemagz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/il_570xN.309602305-570×400.jpg)
