Rose Wilder Lane's "Let the Hurricane Roar" was a fictionalized account of her grandparent's struggle that she wrote before Laura put pen to paper and told her version of the events. It was an interesting, adult perspective of some of the events of "On the Banks of Plum Creek".
Jodi Picoult does it again in "Sing You Home", setting out to prove that there is never a situation that is completely black and white, there are always shades of grey. Max and Zoe Baxter have been married for ten years and are desperate to have a baby. Zoe is nearly forty and when she becomes pregnant she knows it may be her last chance. Unfortunately, the baby is stillborn. Zoe is determined to try again, but Max is tired and scared Zoe might die. They end up separating and eventually divorcing. Max turns to alcohol to relieve the pain and ends up heading down a bad path, but thanks to the love of his brother he is saved and becomes a born again Christian. Zoe, meanwhile, becomes friends with Vanessa, and they realize that they have more than just a friendship--it's love. They marry, and Vanessa puts forth the idea of her carrying one of the three embryos that Zoe and Max still had frozen. Zoe loves the idea but Max does not. He would rather give the frozen embryos to his brother and sister in law, who are also having fertility issues. Since technically Zoe and Max each contributed 50% of the DNA to the embryos, who gets them? She definitely makes you think about both sides of an issue, that's for sure.
Budge Wilson wrote a prequel to "Anne of Green Gables" with the blessing of L. M. Montgomery's heirs. I didn't really care for "Before Green Gables". She ignored most of the history of the books that Montgomery so lovingly crafted and tried to give Anne a much nicer childhood than I think Montgomery intended. Sure, Anne suffered before going to Green Gables, but not that much, if you believe Wilson's claims. It just rubbed me the wrong way, like she couldn't bear to make Anne go through horrible things.
I finished rereading Montgomery's series: "Anne of Windy Poplars", which is mostly Anne's correspondence to Gilbert during the three years they were separated while he was studying medicine. She was a principal at a high school and boarded with two lovely widows and their maid, Rebecca Dew. I remember not liking this one much when I was a kid, because of course I was just anxious for Anne and Gilbert to get married, but I enjoyed the wonderful cast of characters in it this time around. "Anne's House of Dreams" follows Gilbert and Anne during their first years of marriage when they move to Four Winds Harbor. "Anne of Ingleside" paints a lovely picture of a house full of children and a happy Anne. My bitterness knew no bounds during this one. I remember the last time I reread "Rainbow Valley" being very depressed by it, but this time around I saw the humor and it made me laugh again like it used to when I was a kid. And finally, "Rilla of Ingleside", the saddest one of all. Poor Walter. And Dog Monday. All I have to do is think about Dog Monday and I burst into tears.
I've been wanting to read Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl" series for quite a while now, and I finally got around to reading the first one. Artemis is a twelve year old genius, out to get a piece of fairy fortune to fortify his family's dwindling riches. It was funny and clever and I rather like young Artemis. I think I'm going to enjoy the rest.
And finally (finally!) "Beauty Queens" by Libby Bray. It was a hilarious farce about a group of beauty pageant contestants who end up stranding on a seemingly deserted island after their plane crashes. The girls learn to become self sufficient even as evil forces behind the scenes are plotting their demise. Throw in a pirate ship full of hot reality star pirates and an evil Corporation straight out of "The Hunger Games", and you had some funny, irreverent romps.
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