This is a BBC series that I have recently watched on Netflex.  It is a four part mini series in which a girl travels with her family north to a mill town.  Her father teaches and her mother ails.  Margaret Hale shows spunk and courage in helping the mill town.  She goes from helping the workers to helping one of the masters.  Mr. Thorton, shown to be harsh from the beginning, one starts to see the methods to his madnesses.  When Margaret suffers great losses, she moves to London with her cousin.  With the mill with money problems, it is hard to see the way out of the mess.  The show ends the happy ending of course, and it makes we want to go pick the book up that this is based on.  Five out of Five stars

I have recently been listening at work to this series on audio. This series is a funny ethnic romantic mystery that proves that Jersey has more than the mob and pollution. It is a hilarious ride through the life of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, her romantic interests Ranger and Joe Morelli along with the escapades with her her new friend Lula. This series (I have listened to all but 13 and 14) is great and I highly recommend it to all. I am currently working to amass this series in paperback, so the rereading can begin! This is top on all stars!

Amazing Gracie is about a half blind, albino, deaf Great Dane dog and her life with the founders of the Three Dog Bakery. This is a touching story that is very sad in parts. It touched me due to the two pups I have in my house. I think any animal lover would love this book. It talks of the owners having issues with the picky eater named Gracie. She had a short life, as most Great Danes do, and it went through her life and it was very inspirational. This book was a five out of five stars.

Emily Climbs and Emily’s Quest

Of the Emily of New Moon series the second and third installments were very well done. They went through her tragic life and into the love and loss of the friends she grew up. It talks of the disappointments that came from her writing, and her giving up her writing all together. It talks of her giving up all chances of love to marry a dear friend. She is known as a flirt at many different occasions. Overall the series ends as classic L.M. Montgomery by with all working out for everyone. Her family learns to appreciate her and she gets the man she loves. The whole series I would say four out of five stars.

Emily of New Moon is one of three books about Emily Byrd Starr. This book opens with her living with her father in a old kind of ramshackle home. He is dying though she didn’t really know it at the time. Her mother Juliet had died four-five years before and came from the great Murray family. When her father dies, and leaves her an orphan, she is taken in by some of her mother’s family at New Moon farm. At first she rebels, but soon finds that she dearly loves the childhood home of her mother. She lives with Cousin Jimmy, who everybody thinks is not quite right, Aunt Laura she loves, and Aunt Elizabeth that is a formidable person to meet. She makes friends and writes all the time. She knows to keep them from Aunt Elizabeth and continues to write. She goes to visit her Great-Aunt and meets more friends. She solves a great mystery. The book closes with her to start writing in a diary in her room. I rate this book preliminary three stars out of five. It may be rated differently after reading the others in the series.

Pat of Silverbush and Mistress Pat should and are going to be reviewed together. They are very intertwined and if you read the first you will want to read the next just to see how Silverbush turns out. It opens with Pat before she is even in school and the first book takes you through most of her childhood and teens. During this time she becomes a big sister, she goes to school, is introduced to some very dear friends, learns to hate the Binnie family, and over all learns to love Silverbush, her home, more and more everyday. At one point her brother leaves for the sea, her mother gets more sick, and she scorns all that abuse her home that she dearly loves. To begin Mistress Pat you pick up where you left off in the previous book and it takes you through Queens, many beaus, Hilary going, the new neighbors, Judy dying, her mother ailing, her becoming an aunt, her beloved brother marrying the enemy, and many other things. In the end she finds the love she has always wanted secretly and a home all of her own that she doesn’t mind leaving Silverbush. Together I give these books a 3 1/2 stars out of five.

Tangled Web is aptly named. The story opens with a lot of describing of two entire clans and back story on them. This means that they talk about about 20+ characters that she makes come alive. The theme of the book is about the matriarch of both clans and the “Dark Jug.” She knew she going to die and she tantalized everyone with who would get the precious heirloom. She makes the clans wait a year and during that subsequent year many things happen. Feuds are erased, love is gained and lost, feuds are started, and so on and so forth. I will not spoil the ending for any of you but it all comes out in the end and many good things come of the year. This aptly named book I give a four out of five stars.

I am reading her other books and just finished The Blue Castle. This book is about a girl name Valancy who is considered an old maid at 29. Her family is overbearing and she is not able to do anything that she would like. One day she got some rather bad news, and decides to live her life. She lives, learns to love, and realizes what is important to life. This book is outside most of Montgomery’s books, but is very good and uplifting. I give this book 4 stars and encourage all those who haven’t read outside the Anne series to pick the book up.

I have started to read through my collection of L.M. Montgomery books which means my reviews will be about these books. This started with a new one I got for Christmas called Akin to Anne. This is the classic type of story by this author but with one difference. This book includes many short stories about children and adults alike that have no family, but find family in the end. It is a very uplifting read and the stories can be read in a few minutes which makes it a quick read. I rate this book four stars for its throwback to the old traditions.

I was meaning to write about another book by this author, but I got sidetracked with Lucky’s Lady. I re-read this book and was amazed at the texture she brings to her books. You always know the story is going to work out, but how it does is the greatness of the book. Also the settings of the books are always detailed and researched. It is like the author lives by the bayou of Louisiana. The same goes for all her books though including ones set in Minnesota and many other places. This is definitely a good read and not as gory as some of her books and has the element of romance common to the suspense mystery. I officially give this book 3 1/2 stars.