In Which The One and Only Marius Makes An Appearance

I was trying to think of a sensational post topic for today, but I couldn't think of anything, so you'll have to be contented with another little review for the time being.
Today I'm reviewing Rilla of Ingleside.

 I'm sure that most of you have read Anne of Green Gables.  I'm not sure how many of you know that it has sequels.  Yes, there are seven sequels to AGG, and I love each and every one of them.  But Rilla (hereafter abbreviated as RI because it's too much work to click italics on and off. :D) has a special place in my heart.  It's my favorite in the series- I like it even better than AGG, and that's saying a whole lot.
This is one of those books that you finish with a contented sigh and then start again five minutes later.  I read it when I want cheering up and I read it when I want a book that will send me away thinking.
RI has extremely funny parts and characters- I've read it at least six times, but I giggle hard at them each time.  It never seems to get old, and every new turn of the plot is always unexpected even though I've read it so often.
It's also really sad.  It's set during WWI, so people go off to war and, well, die.  I always cry when a Certain Character (those of you who have read the book will probably know what I mean) dies. This is an incredibly inspiring book that always sets me on fire while subduing me as well.
The main character, Bertha Marilla "Rilla" Blythe, is the youngest daughter of Anne and Gilbert Blythe.  Like Johnny Tremain in my last review, Rilla starts out as a flawed yet likeable character and grows as the story goes on.
This is part of a series and will probably be a little hard to understand for those who haven't read the previous books, but if you don't have the time or inclination, you only need to read Anne of Ingleside and Rainbow Valley to get most of the history you need to know.  (And rain will make the flowers grow, but I'm sure you already knew that.)
You can get it on Kindle free here, and if you don't have a Kindle, you can read it online there as well.

And just as a little random tidbit, because a) this singer is marvelous, and b) this song fits pretty well with RI.

 

-Miss Jane Bennet