You’ll definitely like Emily because the second books, Emily Climbs is very similar in feel to Anne of the Island, and the third book (with Emily’s literary aspirations) will hit a familiar chord with female writers, I feel. Anne is more lovable, but Emily is more relatable in my opinion.

Thanks for the recommendation–I will definitely check it out! On a side note, maybe it’s my my fanciful imagination, but I feel like Amy and Poe has some sexual tension going on. He really grew on me in Under the Rose. I guess I’ll have to see what happens in the third book. But I’d love to see more interaction between the two, anyhow. Anyhow, best wishes on all you projects!

Yes, Clarissa and Marilla have the same last name. Sadly, I think I may have been inspired by Elisha Cuthbert, of 24. I know. I know. All that new-won respect right out the window.

I also do like Anne’s House of Dreams, but mostly because I totally loved her neighbor’s love story, and the lighthouse keeper, and “the race that knows Joseph.”

But I could pretty much live without Ingleside, which is all about the kids, anyway, and then Anne acting like some kind of jealous child in the last chapter. You always think that their relationship is so much healthier than that, and then she turns into a shrew. and since it’s the only time you see them really interacting in the book, it makes you wonder what kind of marriage they have.

I never read the Emily series, but I’ve been hearing a lot about it!

Anyhow, strong heroines are scattered about everywhere-there’s no question about that. I just finished reading Under the Rose and I enjoyed it even more than the first book. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

I can’t believe how prejudice the world has become towards YA, Romance and Chick-Lit. So what if the cover is pretty and eye-catching. Why do people think that the only books with merit have to talk about some sort of emotional tragedy or be recomended by Oprah? Personally, I always thought Kelly Ripa had better taste in literature. But that’s neither here nor there. The point is that happy books have gotten such a bad rep from self-righteous pricks in the media, who really, if they can’t see the awesome female strenght in Nancy Drew, The All American Girls, the Princess Diaries and The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, then I don’t know what. Anne Shirley would have totally been bff with Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bee.

And what’s more, these books actually show what it’s really like to deal with human relationships. They are our generation’s versions of Jane Austen’s social commentaries about the world around her. Those of us who don’t live in caves all deal with the messy, sticky emotions that come from being involved with other people.

I mean, maybe all of this prejudice is residual from the 80’s where granted, the maurading cherry poppin scoundrels made off with all the duke’s virgin daughters, but seriously, contemporary romance is so far removed from that. Anyone who still believes that girls are waiting to be rescued and tamed obviously hasn’t picked up a Jennifer Crusie or a Nora Roberts. For shame and for sooth! Romance (using the word as a blanket here guys) has erradicated so many gender/social boundaries, women in these books are firefighters, spies, police officers, lawyers and sports agents not to mention, they can plan to get the guy and kick the bad guy’s ass. Heck yes, I’m proud to admit I want to be a romance novel heroine!

As for Anne, while she may not be the last great female heroine, she is certainly a beloved one by people who don’t read contemporary YA novels, which is why they don’t know any better. It’s seen as a children’s book, not as YA, and for some reason, children’s lit is seen to be more valid than YA these days.

Also I take issue with the Bella thing why is it chucking it all to choose to be with the person you love? Would it have been more grounded to have walked away from him?

The whole premise of the Newsweek story is just so . . . ridiculous.

I was just thinking about Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, too.