An audiobook review of Murder at St. Margaret by Lynn Morrison, Narrated by Pearl Hewitt.

Title: Murder at St. Margaret
Author: Lynn Morrison
Narrator: Pearl Hewitt
Length: 8 hours 16 minutes
Publisher: Marketing Chair Press⎮2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Read Synopsis on Goodreads
Stars: ★★★★
Buy On: Audible | Amazon US | Amazon India

My Review:

Note: I received this book from the author via AudioBookworm Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Natalie takes up a job at St. Margaret college and discovers she has magical lineage. She is tasked with keeping the magical balance but the magic is depleting and no one knows why. On her first day at work, Nat discovers the body of the murdered chef. She along with her magical friends must now solve the mystery of the disappearing magic and find the chef’s murderer.

Set in Oxford, a college town, Murder at St. Margaret is a light and easy cozy mystery with a fascinating plot involving a magical realm that exists all around but that can only be accessed in the college towns of Oxford and Cambridge – the power of knowledge in this towns allows the two realms to intersect. There are three prefects who help maintain the balance between the realms, each prefect being in-charge of different aspects of it all. Natalie is the Head of Ceremonies.

I liked, that all three prefects were women but it seemed odd that men had been ignored for these roles. Oxford is a college town and St. Margaret is just one of the colleges, so it was also odd that there were no prefects in other colleges. Then there is the fact that only Cambridge and Oxford, in the whole wide world have the power to intersect with the magical realm. What about all the other college/knowledge towns across the world?

Lynn Morrison has created an interesting world of magic with characters like ‘H’ the 400 year-old wyvern who looks like a cat to non-magical folk, portraits and autobiographies that speak to magical folk and Eternals who help preserve the magical world connect.

The setting of the story in present-day Oxford led me to discover the college town through the story. I don’t know if all the places described by the author are real but I enjoyed traveling across the town with Nat, seeing the places in my mind’s eye. 

The story progresses at a steady pace and I was kept hooked wondering who was the murderer as a line-up of suspects were introduced and eliminated. Witten in the first person, Nat makes for a good character telling the story as she experiences it, meeting new people, dissecting them and their motives as she tries to solve the murder mystery and save the magic.

Pearl Hewitt has done a good job with narration, she brings the story alive with her voice. The characters are easy to identify with her voice variations and accents. I found that I enjoyed listening to her both while doing chores and as a bed-time listen.

I enjoyed the simplicity of language and the storyline. A good read/listen if you like me, are looking for something simple and easy on the mind and ears.

Buy On: Audible | Amazon US | Amazon India

This is a ridiculously funny book, it’s humour all in words.
An audiobook review of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe, narrated by Moira Quirk.

 

Title: The Secret Life of Anna Blanc
Author: Jennifer Kincheloe
Narrator: Moira Quirk
Length: 12 hours 45 minutes
Publisher: Jennifer Kincheloe⎮2016
Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery
Read Synopsis on Goodreads
Stars: ★★★★★
Buy On: Audible | Amazon US | Amazon India

My Review:

Note: I received this book from the author via AudioBookworm Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe, narrated by Moira Quirk exceeded my expectations. When I read the blurb, it held out a promise of a light and funny read, but the book turned out to be much more.

In 1907 Los Angeles, women weren’t allowed to be detectives. But society and rules weren’t going to stop Anna Blanc. A jugaadu girl with lots of pluck and inspired by crime novels she gets a Police Matron job using an alias stumbles upon a murder series and sets out to solve it.

In Anna Blanc, Jennifer Kincheloe has created an endearing character. A floundering silly girl who forever seems to get into trouble, yet she does it all with heart and joie de vivre. A woman fighting the system for what she wants from life. A lady juggling a double-life hidden from her father, fiancé and best friend.

What stood out most for me in The Secret Life of Anna Blanc was Jennifer Kincheloe’s use of the English language and Moira Quirk’s narration of it. This is a ridiculously funny book, it’s humour all in words. Jennifer Kincheloe’s choice of words and descriptions for people and situations had me grinning though out. /(make sure you head over to audible and listen to a sample)/

Moira Quirk’s narration makes this book easy on the ears. All the various characters are easy to distinguish and Moira Quirk brings a certain life to them. She sets a good pace for easy listening and had me hooked until the end.

At 12 hours and 45 minutes, this is one long book and I wasn’t sure I’d finish but Anna Blanc’s spunk brought to voice by Moira Quirk kept me going right to the end. If you, like me enjoy the humour in words, this will be 12 hours of laughs (45 minutes you might just hold it back).
And there’s a book 2 and 3 too!

Buy On: Audible | Amazon US | Amazon India

About the Narrator:

 
Moira grew up in teeny-tiny Rutland, England’s smallest county, which is fitting as she never managed to make it past five feet herself. Moira’s work spans the pantheon of the voiceover world: plays for BBC radio, plays for NPR, video games, commercials, television promos, podcasts, cartoons, movies and award winning audiobooks. She’s won Multiple Audie Awards, Earphone Awards, as well as Audible’s prestigious Book-of-the-Year Award. She has lately set foot in front of the camera again, appearing in “Pretty: the Series” and the Emmy-winning “Dirty Work.”
 
Links:
Website │ Twitter – @moiraquirkable │ Facebook Page
 

About the Author:

 
Jennifer has been a block layer, a nurse’s aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. A native of Southern California, she now lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers. She’s currently writing book three in the Anna Blanc Mystery series. Book two, THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK, is coming out in Fall of 2017 from Seventh Street Books.
 
Links:
Website │ GoodReads │ Twitter – @jenkincheloe │ Facebook Page
 

The Case of the Cursed Dodo by Jake G. Panda

Narrated by a Full Cast

Summary:

(Goodreads)

If you’re looking for trouble, you’ve found it. The name’s Jake G. Panda, and trouble seems to follow me wherever I go. I work in the protection racket at a flophouse for endangered critters called the Last Resort. I’m the hotel snoop. The resident fuzz. It’s my job to keep these guests safe and outta harm’s way. This is the first of my many misadventures. A wild and woolly mystery involving a lost suitcase, a green bird, and a bunch of double-crossing animals. I’m calling this jungle noir The Case of the Cursed Dodo.

This hilarious first instalment of The Endangered Files follows Jake, a hardboiled panda detective, and an unusual cast of endangered creatures on a globe-trotting adventure that will appeal to young and old alike.

 
Title: The Case of the Cursed Dodo
Author: Jake G. Panda
Narrator: Cast – Michael McConnohie, J.W. Terry, Dave Mallow, Molly Brandenburg, Antoinette Attell, Ian Whitcomb, Barbara Watkins, Bobb Lynes.
Paperback: 172 pages/2 hours 34 minutes
Publisher: Woolly Family Studios, October 3rd 2017 (first published November 23rd 2014)
Genre: Mystery, Middle Grade, Family Audio Drama
Read: audio book

Stars: ★★★★★
Buy On: Amazon US | Audible | Amazon India

My Review:

Note: I received this book from the author via AudioBookworm Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Cover: Cliched Mysterious

Narration: Entralling

Readability, language: Simple and Easy

Why did I choose this book: I was looking for an easy listen. And this was a simple easy listen, just not how I had expected it.

I’ve been listening to audio books for two years now and yet this is the first time I’ve experienced a book like The Case of the Cursed Dodo. This book is a full production with multiple voice actors, sound effects and background score. It was like listening to a movie, and in my mind I could see it all in vivid technicolour.

A mystery thriller, The Case of the Cursed Dodo starts off with Jake G Panda, the in-house detective at ‘Wildlife’s Last Resort’ receiving a call that gets cut-off mid-conversation. He sets out to find his friend, the Professor, who has disappeared. Along the way he gets kidnapped by poachers, rescued by the Endangered Underground and finds a mysterious Jade bird. Now he must solve the mystery of the bird before it’s too late.

First Impressions

It was the title and cover that caught my eye first when I came across The Case of the Cursed Dodo. It was just so like those Famous Five, Three Investigators, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books I’ve read ages ago. The cliche was comforting. The blurb closed the deal as I wanted a simple easy listen. And it was a simple easy listen, just not how I had expected it.

The Case of the Cursed Dodo as an audio book is an experience that will enthral. The production makes it a different thing altogether, it’s no longer a simple children’s mystery with a whole lot of varied endangered animals.

Plot, Setting, Characters

The story begins at the Wildlife’s Last Resort, a flophouse for animals in trouble and quickly becomes a globe-trotting adventure, involving flying to Marrakech by Tortoise Air, searching The Critter Bazaar, escaping by The Creature Comfort Express and landing up in Extinction City.

This may be a children’s book but the play of words will be absolutely enjoyable for adults. I laughed many a time at the puns and old clichés. Have you spotted some of them? It was way too funny.

There is a whole forest of anthropomorphized animals as characters in the story. Here are a few – Jake G. Panda a panda, The Professor a.k.a. Harry a hispid hare, Rose an El Hierro giant lizard, Ernie an Asian elephant, Daisy Condor a California condor, Madame Baloni a wild yak, and Bedouin Joe a large Bimini boa among others.
I enjoyed getting to know the whole bunch of animals, each with their own quirks of dress, makeup and mannerisms. They add so much to the story.

Note for Kids

If you have kids this a great book to introduce them to a plethora of animals. There is also a Resources Section with links to fun activities and animal organisations.

Audio Book Experience

Like I was saying earlier The Case of the Cursed Dodo as an audio book is an experience to be had. Each character has his or her own voice actor, the narration is excellent with each chapter starting out with a recap and scene setting, and the story progressing with sound effects and a background score. The language is simple and easy. The story has a good pace and an unexpected climax, there’s loads of action too!

I absolutely enjoyed The Case of the Cursed Dodo and heartily vouch for it. This is a book for kids for sure (I lent it to a 10 year old and she sat still for almost the whole book!). But it’s also for adults who enjoy verbal humour and word-play. 🙂

Buy On: Amazon US | Audible | Amazon India

About the Author:

 
Jake G. Panda is a wildlife investigator. A hardboiled Winnie-the-Pooh. He likes bamboo and saving endangered animals. He is the author of The Endangered Files, a mystery series about his misadventures in the protection business.

His partner in crime, the fella who helps write these books because, let’s be honest, it’s not easy typing with big, clunky bear paws, resides somewhere in New England. He has written his fair share of stuff, mostly for the big screen. And some of it has actually been projected. He likes to keep a low profile and lets Jake do all the talking.
 
 
Author Links:
Website │ GoodReads │ Twitter – @jakeGPandaPI │ Facebook Page
 

Author: L.M. Montgomery

Narrator: Colleen Winton

Length: 8 hours 20 minutes

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press

Series: Anne of Green Gables, Book Three

Genre: Classics

Anne of the Island was published in 1915, seven years after the best-selling Anne of Green Gables, partly because of the continuing clamor for more Anne from her fans – a fan base that continues to grow today!
In this continuation of the story of Anne Shirley, Anne leaves Green Gables and her work as a teacher in Avonlea to pursue her original dream (which she gave up in Anne of Green Gables) of taking further education at Redmond College in Nova Scotia. Gilbert Blythe and Charlie Sloane enroll as well, as does Anne’s friend from Queen’s Academy, Priscilla Grant. During her first week of school, Anne befriends Philippa Gordon, a beautiful girl whose frivolous ways charm her. Philippa (Phil for short) also happens to be from Anne’s birthplace of Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia. Anne, always the good scholar, studies hard, but she also has many life lessons. This book sees Anne leave behind girlhood to blossom into a mature young woman.

Audible ● Post Hypnotic Press

➜Use the code Anne_VT17 to get 35% off downloads and CDs from Post Hypnotic Press.

Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942) was a Canadian author best known Anne of Green Gables and the series of novels that book begins. The “Anne” of the books is Anne Shirley, an orphaned girl who comes to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on their farm, Green Gables. Published in 1908, the book was an immediate success in Canada, the United States and beyond. It has been adapted multiple times to screen, stage, radio, and TV.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Pinterest

Colleen is a Vancouver actor, singer, dancer, director and choreographer…and now a narrator. Her career has taken her all over the country and includes the Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown Festivals, the original Canadian companies of CATS and Show Boat, extensive film/TV credits, and numerous directing/choreographing credits. Her stage work has been honoured with numerous nominations and a Jessie and Ovation award and she received a cultural award given by her local Chamber of Commerce. She was especially pleased to have recorded the works of L.M. Montgomery for Post Hypnotic Press just before she embarked on a production of the musical Anne of Green Gables at Theatre Calgary in which she plays Marilla Cuthbert.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Post Hypnotic Press. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Anne of Green Gables Giveaway: Three Winners

Aug. 13th:
History From A Woman’s Perspective
Spunky ‘N Sassy

Aug. 14th:
A Lovelorn Virgo
2 Girls and A Book
Tara’s Book Addiction

Aug. 15th:
Dab of Darkness
Joy of Bookworms
Canadian Book Addict

Aug. 16th:
CGB Blog Tours
A Book and A Latte
Macarons and Paperbacks
Lilly’s Book World

Aug. 17th:
To Read Or Not To Read
Jorie Loves A Story
Reading for the Stars and Moon
Notes From ‘Round the Bend
Haddie’s Haven

Aug. 18th:
The Maiden’s Court
The Book Slayer
Jorie Loves A Story
Hall Ways

Aug. 19th:
Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Lomeraniel
Life As Freya
Bound 4 Escape
WTF Are You Reading?

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Aranya by Marc Secchia

Narrated by Siromi Arserio

Summary:

(Goodreads)

Chained to a rock and tossed off a cliff by her boyfriend, Aranya is executed for high treason against the Sylakian Empire. Falling a league into the deadly Cloudlands is not a fate she ever envisaged. But what if she did not die? What if she could spread her wings and fly?

Long ago, Dragons ruled the Island-World above the Cloudlands. But their Human slaves cast off the chains of Dragonish tyranny. Humans spread across the Islands in their flying Dragonships, colonising, building and warring. Now, the all-conquering Sylakians have defeated the last bastion of freedom–the Island-Kingdom of Immadia.

Evil has a new enemy. Aranya, Princess of Immadia. Dragon Shapeshifter.

 

Title: Aranya
Author: Marc Secchia
Narrator: Siromi Arserio
Paperback: 454 pages/14h 33m
Publisher: Amazon CreateSpace (June 13th 2014)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dragons
Read: audio book

Stars: ★★★★☆
Buy On: Amazon US | Audible | Amazon India

My Review:

Note: I received this book from the author via AudioBookworm Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Cover: So-so

Narration: Clear but Grows on you

Readability, language: Easy and Simple

Why did I choose this book: I haven’t read a dragon story since Eragon and Aranya promised even more, a shape-shifter dragon!

Aranya, Princess of Immadia is taken hostage by Sylakia, a island country that has ruthlessly conquered the island world. Aranya dreams of a black dragon and can set things on fire when she loses control of her emotions but she is unable to understand what it all means, until she gets thrown off a cliff for high treason.

Falling to her death, she transforms and finds her true self, an amethyst dragon. Flying away from death she sets out to learn more about herself and bring the tyrant Sylakian empire to heel.

A dragon shape-shifter, a dragon rider, dragon monks, dragon ships, an island world, tyrant rulers, and more made for a plot that felt quite new. The story centers around Aranya as she learns what it means to be a dragon, in the process we get introduced to different people, places and history of the island world.

Set in a large world made up of islands, from cold Immadia to warm sunny Remoy. There are oceans, cloud lands, volcanos, and different races of people in this world. Marc Secchia brings it all to life with his words, and the flying height and sight of a dragon make it even more beautiful.

Aranya is the protagonist of the story but Zuziana, princess of Remoy has an important role to play too. Aranya first meets Zuziana in the Sylakian tower and there begins their stormy friendship. They almost can’t stand the sight of each other but circumstances bring them together and as they get to know each other, they become fast friends, with Zuziana finally becoming Dragon Aranya’s rider. There are other characters too, quite a few of them and some of them make an impression. King Baran – Aranya’s father, Riaryan – the dragon monk, Yolathion – third hammer & the man she loves.

The story is structured well with Aranya discovering her powers in the first part, then going on a journey of discovery in the next and finally fighting for a cause in the third. The start of the story is slow until Aranya shape shifts for the first time, however Marc Secchia has used these initial chapters well to establish a few ideas and relationships. Once past this the pace picks up and hold well until climax. I did feel a drop of pace though between fights which are adrenaline packed with detail.

The story has little subplots through out and most of them add to the story. At the end though a lot of new sub-plots are introduced and most of them are left as unanswered loose ends to be completed and answered.

I listened to Aranya on Audible, narrated by Siromi Arserio. The language of the book lends itself well to listening, with language being simple and easy to follow. I’m not sure if it was me or the narrator, but Siromi Arserio’s voice took some getting used to however once I did, I enjoyed listening to her right to the end, all of 14 hours and 33 minutes.

Overall Aranya was a good choice to read/listen, Marc Secchia brings a beautiful world and a beautiful dragon with magic together to spin a tale I got hooked to, I can’t wait to read book 2. If you like YA Dragon Fantasy, Aranya is just the book for you.

Buy On: Amazon US | Audible | Amazon India

About the Author:

 
Marc is a South African-born dragon masquerading as an author, who loves writing about dragons and Africa, preferably both at the same time. He lives and works in Ethiopia with his wife and 4 children, 2 dogs and a variable number of marabou storks that roost on the acacia trees out back. On a good night there are also hyenas patrolling the back fence.
He’s the author of 21 fantasy books in 3 languages.
 
 
A native of London, England, Shiromi Arserio is a stage actor, voice talent and audiobook narrator. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance. In addition to narrating dozens of audiobooks, her voice can be heard in documentaries, e-learning projects and video games such as Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion. Shiromi currently resides in the Seattle area with her husband and her two furbabies.
 
 
Author Links:
Website │ GoodReads │ Twitter – @MarcAuthor │ Facebook Page
 

Author: L.M. Montgomery

Narrator: Colleen Winton

Length: 9 hours 5 minutes

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press

Series: Anne of Green Gables, Book Two

Genre: Classics

Following Anne of Green Gables (1908), this book covers the second chapter in the life of Anne Shirley. We learn of Anne’s doings from the age of 16 to 18, during the two years that she teaches at Avonlea school. It includes many of the characters from Anne of Green Gables, as well as new ones: Mr. Harrison and his foul-mouthed parrot, Miss Lavendar Lewis, Paul Irving, and the twins Dora (sweet and well behaved) and Davy (mischievious and in constant trouble). Anne matures, slightly, but she gets into a number of her familiar pickles, as only Anne can: She accidentally sells her neighbor’s cow (having mistaken it for her own), gets stuck in a broken duck house roof while peeping into a pantry window, and more.

Audible ● Post Hypnotic Press

➜Use the code Anne_VT17 to get 35% off downloads and CDs from Post Hypnotic Press.

Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942) was a Canadian author best known Anne of Green Gables and the series of novels that book begins. The “Anne” of the books is Anne Shirley, an orphaned girl who comes to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on their farm, Green Gables. Published in 1908, the book was an immediate success in Canada, the United States and beyond. It has been adapted multiple times to screen, stage, radio, and TV.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Pinterest

Colleen is a Vancouver actor, singer, dancer, director and choreographer…and now a narrator. Her career has taken her all over the country and includes the Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown Festivals, the original Canadian companies of CATS and Show Boat, extensive film/TV credits, and numerous directing/choreographing credits. Her stage work has been honoured with numerous nominations and a Jessie and Ovation award and she received a cultural award given by her local Chamber of Commerce. She was especially pleased to have recorded the works of L.M. Montgomery for Post Hypnotic Press just before she embarked on a production of the musical Anne of Green Gables at Theatre Calgary in which she plays Marilla Cuthbert.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Post Hypnotic Press. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Anne of Green Gables Giveaway: Three Winners

Aug. 6th:
History From A Woman’s Perspective
Spunky ‘N Sassy

Aug. 7th:
The Book Slayer
A Book and A Latte
Tara’s Book Addiction

Aug. 8th:
CGB Blog Tours
2 Girls and A Book
Lilly’s Book World

Aug. 9th:
The Maiden’s Court
Macarons and Paperbacks
Canadian Book Addict

Aug. 10th:
Jorie Loves A Story
Notes From ‘Round the Bend
Dab of Darkness
Haddie’s Haven

Aug. 11th:
To Read Or Not To Read
Joy of Bookworms
Hall Ways
Bound 4 Escape

Aug. 12th:
Lomeraniel
Forever Literary
Life As Freya
WTF Are You Reading?

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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Narrated by Colleen Winton

Summary:

(Goodreads)

Anne, a young orphan from the fictional community of Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia, is sent to Prince Edward Island after a childhood spent in strangers’ homes and orphanages. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, siblings in their fifties and sixties, had decided to adopt a boy from the orphanage to help Matthew run their farm. They live at Green Gables, their Avonlea farmhouse on Prince Edward Island. Through a misunderstanding, the orphanage sends Anne Shirley.

 

Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Narrator: Colleen Winton
Paperback: 320 pages/10h 7m
Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press (May 30th 2013, first published 1908)
Genre: Classics, Historical, YA
Read: audio book

Stars: ★★★★★
Buy On: Amazon US | Audible | Amazon India

My Review:

Note: I received this book from Post Hypnotic Press via AudioBookworm Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Cover: Classic

Narration: Clear, Cheery, Engaging

Readability, language: Easy and Simple

Why did I choose this book: I first read Anne of Green Gables as a child; I must have been really young as apart from remembering that I’ve read the book, I don’t remember much else. In the last few years I have found myself wanting to read the book again, so when I received a review request for the audio version I jumped at it.

Anne of Green Gables is the story of 11 year old Anne Shirley an orphan girl who is sent to the Cuthberts by mistake. The elderly siblings Matthew and Marilla had planned to adopt a young boy to help around the farm but Anne arrives instead. Anne will have to prove she is worth keeping if she is to stay and not get sent back.

First published in 1908, this classic is over a hundred years old and yet the story resonated with me. I found myself falling in love with Anne and wishing the book would never end. The story covers 6 years of Anne’s life with the Cuthbert’s, going to school, making friends and even her changing perspective of boys.

Set on the Green Gables farm and in the fictional town of Avonlea (modeled after Montgomery’s hometown of Cavendish), Anne is a most delightful companion to explore the terrain. Montgomery’s descriptions bring it all to life in way that made me feel I was right there and Anne’s imaginings had me grinning remembering the child I was many years ago, her imagination made the trees, the greens, the lake and every thing else more that they were, packed with life, stories and beauty.

When I started out listening to Anne of Green Gables, I didn’t think I would connect with a 11 year old child, but a soon as Anne made her entry I was hooked. A chatty red head with freckles, Anne is a child in her talk and imaginings but with a knack for saying the most uncanny truths. She made me sit up and notice the world around me in a different light.

Anne is forgetful, silly, stubborn, blunt but pure at heart. She wins over not just Marilla but all the people around her, slowly but surely. She forgets to put flour in her cake, gets her best friend Diana Barry drunk by mistake, tells Mrs. Lyne just what she thinks of her and yet they can’t help but love her, for she is also the child who loves and gives with all her heart.

Marilla and Matthew are two other characters I loved. Matthew is a man of few words, simple in his ways with a quiet strength of character. He is happy to listen to Anne ramble on and on, seeing her for who she truly is. Marilla is a strict lady with rules and set ways of doing things, who starts out unsure if keeping Anne is the right thing to do but gradually is bowled over.

There are just so many things I loved about Anne, so many incidents and situations that had me smiling and laughing sometimes as Anne gets herself into a spot and then with childlike magic gets out of it too. You just can’t help falling in love with her, she’s such a kindred spirit. Through the book she grows up, slowing learning and changing into an adult and yet she still has her childlike heart, pure and in the right place.

There is so much I wanted to list out in this review, so much I wanted to say about Anne, but words don’t seem enough and I just can’t make up my mind on which incidents to relate and which dialogues to share, there are just so many. You are just going to have to read or listen to the book.

I chose to listen and I am so glad I did. Colleen Winton has done a kickass job narrating Anne of Green Gables. She brings Anne to life, at times it felt like Anne was actually here, right with me and not a 100 year old character. Her diction is clear, her voice melodious and easy on the ears. Each character intoned and voiced differently so I was never got mixed up with the characters. It was 10 hours of blissful listening and I can’t wait to get started on Anne of Avonlea, the next in the series.

I strongly suggest you read Anne of Green Gables if you haven’t already. And if you have, then listen to it, it was just such a wonderful 10 hours I spent, I want to do it all over again.

Buy On: Amazon US | Audible | Amazon India

About the Author:

 
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE (November 30, 1874 – April 24, 1942) was a Canadian author best known for Anne of Green Gables and the series of novels that book begins. Montgomery published 20 novels as well as 530 short stories, 500 poems, and 30 essays in her lifetime. Her work, diaries and letters have been read and studied by scholars and readers worldwide. Mostly set in Prince Edward Island and locations within Canada’s smallest province, the books made PEI a literary landmark and popular tourist site. Montgomery was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.
 
 
Colleen is a Vancouver actor, singer, dancer, director and choreographer…and now a narrator. Her stage work has been honoured with numerous nominations and a Jessie and Ovation award. After having recorded the works of L.M. Montgomery for Post Hypnotic Press, she has embarked on a production of the musical Anne of Green Gables at Theatre Calgary in which she plays Marilla Cuthbert.
 
 
Author Links:
Website │ GoodReads │ Twitter – @Post_Hypnotic │ Facebook Page
 

LMM signed photo Credit: Library and Archives Canada / C-011299