Anne's House of Dreams. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 227 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: “Thanks be, I’m done with geometry, learning or teaching it,” said Anne Shirley, a trifle vindictively, as she thumped a somewhat battered volume of Euclid into a big chest of books, banged the lid in triumph, and sat down upon it, looking at Diana Wright across the Green Gables garret, with gray eyes that were like a morning sky.

 ETA: I don't know how many times I've read this series--dozens??? scores???? My most recent read through is December 2025...and I listened to the audio book. It is just as magical as when I first discovered the series in the late 1980s. 

Premise/plot: Anne Shirley marries Gilbert Blythe in this oh-so-lovely, oh-so-charming book by L.M. Montgomery. Technically, it is the sequel to Anne of the Island! Anne of Windy Poplars was written in the 1930s, decades after Anne's House of Dreams. In this Anne book, the happily married couple settle down in their first home together near Four Winds Harbor and Glen St. Mary. 

Anne's House of Dreams introduces many new characters--some of my favorites I admit--Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia, Leslie Moore, Owen Ford. Marshall Elliot. Susan Baker. Who would ever want to forget their stories? Captain Jim's life-book. Leslie Moore's tragic past but enduring spirit. Miss Cornelia. She's got to be one-of-a-kind. Just a truly spirited character with so much heart and full of gumption. Practically everything out of her mouth is quotable. She sure is great at banter!

My thoughts: I love and adore this one!!! I love how emotionally satisfying it is. The Anne books may have sweet moments, but they pack in reality as well. No one can make me cry like L.M. Montgomery.

Quotes: 

“Stoutness and slimness seem to be matters of predestination,” said Anne.

Jane was not brilliant, and had probably never made a remark worth listening to in her life; but she never said anything that would hurt anyone’s feelings — which may be a negative talent but is likewise a rare and enviable one.

“I’ve heard you criticise ministers pretty sharply yourself,” teased Anne. “Yes, but I do it reverently,” protested Mrs. Lynde. “You never heard me NICKNAME a minister.” Anne smothered a smile.

Their happiness was in each other’s keeping and both were unafraid. 

“Miss Cornelia Bryant. She’ll likely be over to see you soon, seeing you’re Presbyterians. If you were Methodists she wouldn’t come at all. Cornelia has a holy horror of Methodists.”

“I know we are going to be friends,” said Anne, with the smile that only they of the household of faith ever saw. “Yes, we are, dearie. Thank goodness, we can choose our friends. We have to take our relatives as they are, and be thankful if there are no penitentiary birds among them. Not that I’ve many — none nearer than second cousins. I’m a kind of lonely soul, Mrs. Blythe.” There was a wistful note in Miss Cornelia’s voice.

“Were you able to eat enough pie to please her?” “I wasn’t. Gilbert won her heart by eating — I won’t tell you how much. She said she never knew a man who didn’t like pie better than his Bible. Do you know, I love Miss Cornelia.”

“Our library isn’t very extensive,” said Anne, “but every book in it is a FRIEND. We’ve picked our books up through the years, here and there, never buying one until we had first read it and knew that it belonged to the race of Joseph.”

A woman cannot ever be sure of not being married till she is buried, Mrs. Doctor, dear, and meanwhile I will make a batch of cherry pies.

“I wonder why people so commonly suppose that if two individuals are both writers they must therefore be hugely congenial,” said Anne, rather scornfully. “Nobody would expect two blacksmiths to be violently attracted toward each other merely because they were both blacksmiths.”

The p’int of good writing is to know when to stop.

There’s only the one safe compass and we’ve got to set our course by that — what it’s right to do.

Logic is a sort of hard, merciless thing, I reckon.

“Since you are determined to be married, Miss Cornelia,” said Gilbert solemnly, “I shall give you the excellent rules for the management of a husband which my grandmother gave my mother when she married my father.” “Well, I reckon I can manage Marshall Elliott,” said Miss Cornelia placidly. “But let us hear your rules.” “The first one is, catch him.” “He’s caught. Go on.” “The second one is, feed him well.” “With enough pie. What next?” “The third and fourth are — keep your eye on him.” “I believe you,” said Miss Cornelia emphatically.

Cats is cats, and take my word for it, they will never be anything else.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

This week I read three books.

119. Anne of the Island. L.M. Montgomery. 1915. 272 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, classics, romance, friendship]

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade. (McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance). Sian Ann Bessey. 2025. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical romance, time travel]

77. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Barbara Robinson. 1972. HarperCollins. 128 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, realistic fiction, children's classic, children's book]

Century of Viewing #48

1940s

• 1949 The Perfect Woman. Comedy with elements of science fiction. An eccentric scientist--absent-minded at that--invents a robot-woman who responds to voice commands. She's not perfect, mind you, but she's a work in progress. He hires TWO guys (down-on their luck) to test-drive his robot in public. Can the robot fool the public? Will she pass as a woman? But the niece annoyed with her uncle AND a bit restless to get out of the house, changes place with the robot with hilarious results....

1950s

• 1951 The Thing From Another World. Didn't know quite what to expect. But I liked it. I did. It was mostly fun, not particularly gory, though that is because a good bit happens off-screen and viewers just discover it a bit later. Alien invasion, of sorts. Plenty of drama and sci-fi action.

1970s

• 1977 Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas. One of my absolute favorite Christmas specials. Jim Henson's adaptation of a picture book. Essentially a spin on a spin of Gift of the Magi.

1980s

• 1982 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Should I admit I never saw this one as a kid? Maybe not. But I am glad I watched it now. IT is good; it is intense in places. All the feels.
• 1988 Scrooged. I don't love, love, love this one. But I do enjoy it. I do. A modern day spin on The Christmas Carol. The President of a television network is visited by several ghosts trying to teach him a lesson.

1990s

• 1995 Mr Willowby's Christmas Tree. Muppets. Kermit the Frog narrates this adaptation of a picture book. It does star some humans--Robert Downey Jr.--and some muppets--woodland creatures. It's a musical. Definitely fun.

2000s

• 2004 Christmas with The Kranks. I enjoy this one. It's never quite love. A family decides to skip Christmas because their grown daughter will be out of the country....but on the day before Christmas Eve...or perhaps on Christmas Eve....she calls to say she's coming home for Christmas. The family rushes to prepare....

2010s

• 2012 Come Dance With Me. Hallmark movie. Definitely one of the better Hallmark movies. A man takes dance lessons....so he can surprise his girlfriend and her family at their big holiday party. Her dance studio is about to be closed....and it is his company that is handling that. AWKWARD if she knew...she doesn't for the longest time. Can these two find a way to be together.
• 2015 Merry Matrimony. Mediocre Hallmark, but not hideous. She works together with an ex-boyfriend....will these two fall in love AND MARRY before Christmas?
• 2019 A Cheerful Christmas. One of the worst Hallmark movies I've ever seen....ever. She is a "Christmas coach" hired by an extended-extended-extended-extended-extended-extended royal family member living in America. She's awed by his royal-ness. (57th in line for the throne?????, something stupid like that). She helps him feel all Christmas-y by forcing him to build snowmen, drink cocoa outside, and go Christmas shopping. Will he lose all logic and reason and fall in love with her despite her being the most annoying person in the world?

2020s

• 2025 Disney's Living Characters: A Broken Promise. A four hour documentary about Disney's Living Characters...these go beyond animatronics. It is well-researched and up to date.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

This month I read 18 books. Several of them were audio books.

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

114. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Harry Potter #7) J.K. Rowling. 2007. 759 pages. [Source: Library]  [4 stars]

115. The Teacher of Nomad Land. Daniel Nayeri. 2025. 192 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, historical fiction, world war II, family]

116. Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery. 1908. 448 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars]

117. Anne of Avonlea. L.M. Montgomery. 1909. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]

118. Dear Miss Lake (Emmy Lake Chronicles #4) A.J. Pearce. 2025. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy] [historical fiction, historical romance, world war 2, 4 stars, series book]

119. Anne of the Island. L.M. Montgomery. 1915. 272 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, classics, romance, friendship]

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade. (McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance). Sian Ann Bessey. 2025. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical romance, time travel]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

104. I Survived the Dust Bowl, 1935. Lauren Tarshis. 2025. 144 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, historical fiction, series book]

105. Mr. Willowby's Head Over Heels Christmas. Robert E. Barry. 2025. 40 page. [Source: Library] [christmas, picture book, 4 stars]

106. The Dog and Pony Show: Dance Pants. Jeff Mack. 2025. 64 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, if the Cybils exist in 2026 which is questionable, this one would be eligible] [early reader, early comic]

107. Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas. Russell Hoban. Illustrated by Lillian Hoban. 1971. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, Christmas, picture book, animal fantasy]

108. BOARD BOOK: First Festivals: Christmas (Lift-the-Flap). Ladybird Books. 2025. 12 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

109. Board book: There There Little Kitten. Anna Milbourne. 2025. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


74. The Christmas Book Flood. Roseanna M. White. 2025. 175 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, historical romance, holiday romance, Christian fiction]

75. Through Each Tomorrow. Gabrielle Meyer. 2025. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [historical fiction, 4 stars, time slipping, christian fantasy]

76. Everyday Gospel: Christmas Devotional. Paul David Tripp. 2025. 55 pages. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, advent, Christmas devotional]

77. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Barbara Robinson. 1972. HarperCollins. 128 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, realistic fiction, children's classic, children's book]
Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible
(none this month)

Totals for 2025

2025 Totals
Books read in 2025	320
Pages read in 2025	81511
January 2025
Books read in January	30
Pages read in January	7020
February 2025
Books read in February	30
Pages read in February	4782
March 2025
Books read in March	34
Pages read in March	8595
April 2025
Books read in April	34
Pages read in April	8293
May 2025
Books read in May	31
Pages read in May	7698
June 2025
Books read in June	32
Pages read in June	6072
July 2025
Books read in July	37
Pages read in July	10460
August 2025
Books read in August	31
Pages read in August	10711
September 2025
Books read in September	25
Pages read in September	4038
October 2025
Books read in October	18
Pages read in October	8409
November 2025
Books read in November	18
Pages read in November	5433

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade. (McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance). Sian Ann Bessey. 2025. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical romance, time travel]

First sentence: Isla Crawford stared at the email on her screen and frowned.

Premise/plot: Isla was supposed to dress up as Wendy (from Peter Pan) for the costume party. However, the owner of the costume shop, Miss McQuivey, insists she tries on another costume first. She is quite insistent not taking no for an answer. As soon as the costume is on and she steps out of the dressing room, Isla finds herself in 1605 just in time to "save" England from Guy Fawkes' deadly plan. She also obviously has to fall in love. Part of saving England is pretending to be engaged to Simon Hartworth (Lord Bancroft). So obviously they have to fall in love for real.

My thoughts: I was disappointed. I will try to explain why. Time travel is one of my favorite sub-genres. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, I tend to enjoy the genre. SO my expectations were high. This is not like any time travel novel I've read. She is ALL about telling anyone/everyone that she is a time traveler from the future. She not only tells about the future in great detail, she tells about the present time (1605) in detail as well. She not only tells about the present she interferes with the present. Almost every 'rule' that accompanies time travel is broken intentionally in this one. The time travel didn't feel fleshed out as such, it seemed like a flimsy plot device. I also didn't care for how the point of view would switch to Guy Fawkes and co-conspirators randomly. I thought those were unnecessary. I did appreciate that it was clean romance. And the romance was enjoyable enough. But I didn't "need" it to be about Guy Fawkes for it to work as a romance.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews