Favorite Authors: LM Montgomery

I remember starting sixth grade without the desire to read. My teacher that year was Mrs. Werner. In an effort to get me reading Mrs. Werner suggested I try Anne of Green Gables. I looked at the cover, then looked at Mrs. Werner, and thought, "Saying 'no' is not an option." So I took the book home and struggled for a week to get through the first chapter. Anne's forever-long diatribe on her ride home from the railroad station with Matthew was hard to get through.

But then I had a breakthrough. Anne's arrival at Green Gables was much more interesting. I so hoped Marilla and Matthew would keep her. And especially after she became friends with Diana, I could not put the book down. Later, as I read the sequels, I fell in love with Gilbert Blythe as much as Anne did. The whole Anne series is still a favorite to this day. I wish I could thank Mrs. Werner.

Lucy Maude Montgomery's mother died when she was just 21 months old. For the most part her grandparents raised her on Prince Edward Island in Canada. She was first published at about age 16 when a poem she wrote was printed in the newspaper. After she finished school she studied to get a teacher's license. She taught in various schools on Prince Edward Island. Although she did not enjoy the work, it provided plenty of time to write. "Beginning in 1897, her short stories were published in magazines and newspapers. A prolific writer, Montgomery published over 100 stories between 1897 and 1907" (source). Her first book, Anne of Green Gables, was published in 1908 and was an immediate success. In 1911 Lucy married Ewen McDonald, a Presbyterian preacher; shortly thereafter they moved to Ontario for his work. The couple had three sons (although the second was stillborn), but the marriage was difficult due to Ewen's mental health and temperament issues. Lucy's writing became prolific during this time of her life, partially because she used writing as a coping mechanism to deal with her challenges. She spent many years caring for her husband and struggled with depression as a result. During her lifetime, Montgomery had published twenty novels, over 500 short stories, an autobiography, and a book of poetry. She died in 1942.

Project Gutenberg has numerous L.M. Montgomery books available for free as ebook downloads. Follow this link and pick your favorite. I recommend Rilla of Ingleside in addition to any of the Anne books.

Favorite Authors: Agatha Christie

I don't recall how old I was when I first read a mystery by Agatha Christie. But I do remember going through a phase of checking each book out of the Mesa Public Library. It was summer and I would ride my bike twice a week the three miles to the library to get a new batch of books. I remember loving Christie's books because it was almost impossible to guess who was the murderer.

Agatha Christie is a British author born in Devon in 1890. Unusual for the time, Agatha was homeschooled by her father. She loved to read and had a vivid imagination. She started writing in her later teen years, first experimenting with short stories. In 1910 her family moved to Cairo to benefit her mother's health. Cairo became the setting of several of her books later in life.

In 1912 Agatha met Archie Christie, a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. Their courtship progressed quickly, but was interrupted by WWI. They were not able to marry until Christmas Eve of 1914. Just three days later Archie had to return to the war. It was not until after the war ended their married life truly began.

Agatha began writing more in earnest at this time. Her sister, Madge, bet her she could not write a good detective story. Additionally, Agatha found her day job at a local hospital to be extremely boring. When the hospital opened a dispensary, she took the exam to become an apothecary and changed jobs. This knowledge of medicine and poisons became invaluable to her writing. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which uses her knowledge as an apothecary, took a while to get published, but resulted in a publisher asking for five more manuscripts. Agatha had won her bet with Madge.

Agatha is actually known for a real-life personal mystery. In December 1925, possibly concussed, she disappeared. Her car was found abandoned the next morning. She was eventually discovered in a hotel in London suffering from amnesia. She did not recognize her husband when he came to get her. Her marriage began to fail after this and she never spoke of this time to others. By 1928 she and Archie were divorced. About five years later she met and married Max Mallowan, an archaeologist and language specialist.


Christie's career as an author was most prolific during her later years. She is known for several famous detective characters, including Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Poirot is a Belgian retired detective who is known for his methodical, precise work, as well as his mustache. Miss Jane Marple is an elderly, charming British woman who blends into the background, but has intuitive listening and observation skills.

I don't own all that many Agatha Christie books, since I read most of them from the library. I did notice, however, that Project Gutenberg has two of Agatha Christie's books available as free ebook downloads. You can find them here. I downloaded The Mysterious Affair at Styles to re-read (I could not remember the plot having read it so long ago) and enjoyed once again Christie's writing ability. If you have not read any of Agatha Christie's works, this is a great place to start!

Favorite Authors: Emilie Loring

As a junior high student I read everything I got my hands on, especially historical romance books. After working my way through the recommendations of my English teacher, I asked the school librarian for ideas. I'll never forget him leading me to a shelf of books by author Emilie Loring, each of the hardback spines showing the wear of numerous readers. And after I read my first chosen Loring book (With this Ring--I read the whole book that day after school) I was so excited to return and get a new one the next day.

If you're not familiar with Emilie Loring's books, here is a good description: "Loring's books are highly formulaic and focus on the 'wholesome love' and independent spirit of women who still value homemaking and motherhood. There are no sexual situations in her novels, and most are tinged with action-adventure plots that stimulate the main characters' emotions and provide drama. . . Beyond romance, her books also explore a selection of topics including, but not limited to marriage, love, American patriotism, freedom, and optimism" (source: Wikipedia). Most of her books take place in the 1930s and 1940s, many during WWII.

About ten years ago I stumbled across an Emilie Loring book for sale at a garage sale. After re-reading it and re-discovering my enjoyment of Loring's works, I started collecting her books. Mostly I bought them on E-bay three at a time. I think now I own all but three or four. And I still re-read them on occasion. One of my favorites is The Trail of Conflict, which is actually available for Kindle for FREE on Amazon here.

As I have been collecting Loring books I have learned a little about this favorite author. She didn't start writing until she was in her 50s. During the height of her career she was selling more books than Agatha Christie and her publisher (Little, Brown Company) was running full page ads for her new releases in the New York Times. She died in her 90s, after publishing about 20 books. Her sons found parts of numerous manuscripts among her things after her death and worked with a ghostwriter to finish these additional novels.

If you are interested in reading an historical romance, try an Emilie Loring book. Or, if you are interested in learning more about this favorite author, check out Patti Bender's website and blog The Emilie Loring Collection.