Sensational Quote Sunday

Some books change your life. They change the way you see the world. They do this not only with the story as a whole, but sometimes with an idea, a beautiful phrase, or even a word, that resonates with you the way nothing has before.

Sensational Quote Sunday is my way of paying homage to those books that remind me every day why I love reading.

Last month I revisited Anne of Green Gables, from the eternal L. M. Montgomery. I’m working my way through the whole series again, now, and it’s wonderful.

Anne has so many quoteable moments, with her beautiful, whimsical turns of phrase. I have a soft spot for this one, however, because in Australia October means spring – and to me, October means my birthday. It’s an excellent month!

Do you have a favourite month? Or a favourite Anne-ism?

The Cinderella Moment – by Jennifer Kloester

Angel’s dream has always been to become a fashion designer. But as the daughter of a housekeeper, it feels like that dream may never come true. When Angel’s best friend, Lily, begs Angel to pretend to be Lily in Paris for two weeks while Lily attends drama school in London, it seems like Angel’s chance may finally have arrived. Lily’s grandmother, the Comtesse de Tourney, is one of Paris’ most influential figures, with an invitation to one of the world’s most prestigious fashion events. What if Angel can use this chance to meet the right people, and start living her dream?

It’s a madcap setup that leads to all sorts of mayhem, as Angel quickly discovers that being Lily isn’t just a little white lie. People are going to get hurt – including Angel. But if she doesn’t take this opportunity while she can, will Angel miss her moment forever?

Okay. No summary is going to do justice to the several complicated concurrent story lines fighting for attention in this novel. There’s the Parent-Trap-esque swap. There’s a Teen Couture competition. There’s theft of fashion intellectual property and a bogus entry into said competition. An absent father (Lily’s). A sick mother (Angel’s). An evil almost-stepmother and  almost-stepsister. Two or three extremely convoluted back stories. And a boy (of course). Phew.

Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea – by L. M. Montgomery

Recently, I felt the need to revisit Anne, Marilla and Matthew on Prince Edward Island. Anne of Green Gables and its many sequels were one of my most beloved childhood series, and there’s something beautiful in the nostalgia you experience in re-reading these classics. At the same time, the story is a somewhat different experience when you’re an adult.

It took a little while for me to empathise with Anne, this time around. Perspective changes things, and as a grown up, I’m now approaching Anne’s story from more of a Marilla standpoint than from Anne’s. Does that make any sense? Just go with it. What I’m trying to say is that Anne wasn’t a kindred spirit (to borrow a term) as quickly now as she was when I was ten. I think it took time to settle into the cadence of Anne’s thought patterns, and her dramatic whimsy. But I love her. I defy anyone not to love Anne. Her boundless imagination, wild flights of fancy, and implacable optimism are incredibly endearing.

The Circle- by Dave Eggers

My first Dave Eggers! And what an introduction. Here’s what I thought of The Circle:

Mae Holland has just landed her dream job! She’s going to be part of the Circle, the most powerful internet company in history: the first company to let you control social media, banking, emails and anything else you can do online in one place. Their Californian campus is sprawling and decadent, with everything you could ever need available free to employees. Why would they ever want to work anywhere else? In fact, why would they want to leave the campus?

Mae soon realises that there’s more to the Circle than work. They want to know what you do on days off, where you go, what hobbies you have, what movies you watch, which doctors you see, what your friends are like, what they watch, where they go, and so on. It’s all about inclusion, openness, everyone being a part of something bigger. Mae sees nothing wrong with that. We could all stand to be a little more open, a little more transparent, right?