Return to Green Gables: Welcome!

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 

– L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

I can't say enough how excited I am that this week is finally here! Hannah (So Obsessed With), Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) and I are thrilled to unveil a project we've been talking about for months and that is.. Return to Green Gables! All week long we'll be talking about the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. We have a ton of fun posts planned so make sure to check back every day!

When I fell in love with this series

In elementary school, my teachers had little collections of books in their classrooms and it should come as no surprise that I was the only student who regularly borrowed their books. It was there that I found a copy of Anne of Gables and read it for the first time when I about 11 or 12. By the time I finished the entire series, it was probably early high school and then soon after I watched the movies featuring Megan Follows. The books (and films) have been a favorite of mine ever since!

At the time, Anne was just the perfect heroine for me. Like her, I loved books, had a tendency to constantly daydream, wanted to write, had silly romantic notions and viewed friendship with the same intensity.  I loved watching Anne grow from a young girl into a beautiful woman and seeing all the decisions and mistakes she made in between. Like figuring out the meaning of true love (hello Gilbert Blythe!), kindred spirits and the bond she formed with her adoptive "parents" Marilla and Mathew and many other individuals along the way. It's one of the most heartwarming series I've ever read.

Last year I decided to start collecting copies of the first book and I'm now up to my 15th copy. It's part of the reason why I wanted to celebrate this series with friends who love it as much as I do. Re-reading it for this blog feature showed me (not that I needed proof!) of how timeless this series is. Over 10 years later and it still has the power to bring me to tears and make me laugh out loud. I'm sincerely hoping this will inspire others to re-read or even read it for the first time.

About Lucy Maud Montgomery

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L.M. Montgomery was a Canadian author who was best known for the Anne of Green Gables series, although she eventually went on to publish 20 books total. Most of her books were set in Prince Edward Island and the locations used are now considered literary landmarks thanks to her work. Before she began her career as a writer, she got her teaching license and even went onto study literature at a university. (Sidenote: reading her bio totally reminded me of Anne Shirley!) She eventually married and had children but it was said that she often dealt with bouts of depressions for numerous reason and writing become her one solace. Anne is still her most famous legacy but if you want to read more of her books, check out the Emily trilogy and you can also learn more about the author on the L.M. Montgomery Institute.

Make sure to check out Hannah & Alexa's posts! 
And of course, stop by again tomorrow!