‘Tis the season to be thankful! As we all gather around with family in the coming weeks to share turkey and all the fixings we reflect on all of the things in our lives we are most grateful for. One of the things at the top of my list are books, of course! But there is always one book that I am THE most thankful for, though. As a young girl my parents introduced me to the most wonderful character (in my opinion) ever written into existence…Anne Shirley. I instantly fell head over heels in love with “Anne of Green Gables“. She was fiery, independent, flawed, passionate, competitive and not afraid to be the smartest in the room. I craved a connection like Anne had with her loyal her bosom friend, Diana and come on, who didn’t have their first crush on Gilbert Blythe?

…and then there was the 1985 CBC series staring Megan Follows as Anne. Watching these episodes snuggled up with my Dad are memories I will always treasure. (I think I will always have “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes memorized thanks to the scene at the White Sands Hotel.) I cherish these characters as if they are real, the love Matthew Cuthbert so freely gave Anne (the puffed sleeves!) and the strong and silent way Marilla showed hers. I am just counting down the days until I am able to share the people of Avonlea with my own daughter. I can only hope she finds her own way of loving these timeless characters written into life by Lucy Maud Montgomery over 100 years ago.

I asked my friends and family to share with me books that they are most thankful for and below you can see the responses I received. I am so thankful for talented authors who have the ability to transport us to so many different places and times, that challenge us, that make us better humans and most importantly make us feel.

Lastly, Reader, I am thankful for you and all of the support you have shown me over the last year. Thank you for sharing my page with your friends and family and continuing to like my reviews and converse with me. I appreciate you all so much. Happy Thanksgiving month to you all!

BOOKS WE ARE THANKFUL FOR:

• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
• A Separate Peace by John Knowles
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks & Micah Sparks
• The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World by Alan Downs
• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Anthem by Ayn Rand
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal
• Invisable Man by Ralph Ellison
• The Shack by William P. Young
• Made for Goodness by Desmond Tutu & Mpho Andrea Tutu
• Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Becoming by Irvin Yallom
• Anything written by Brene Brown
• The Body Papers by Grace Talusan
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
• Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
• The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
• Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling – the MOST popular response!
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
• Anything written by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall
• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• My Brilliant Friend (series) by Elena Ferrante
• The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
• Outlander (series) by Diana Gabaldon
• The Bible