I don't often give books five stars and as I neared the end of this book, I gave some thought to how many stars this book deserved. I've read the Anne of Green Gables series once before - over twenty years ago. In spite of the amount of time that has elapsed, I clearly recall reading the last book in the series very slowly and thinking to myself, "I will be so sad to not be able to read about Anne anymore." When I picked up this book a few days ago to re-read it, I found within a few chapters that it was like seeing an old friend. Anne was even more delightful than I recalled, since I now have daughters who share her "scope for imagination," her penchant for large words and her zest for life. Reading about Anne's appreciation for life's loveliness made me appreciate my daughters and long to live more in-the-moment myself. So, I decided that a book that feels like an old friend after twenty years deserves five stars.

Anne Shirley must be one of the most delightful characters ever written, largely because she is far from perfect. She makes mistakes, as we all do, but her mistakes are much funnier than my own feel and she makes me see the value in learning from each of them, laughing at them and moving on. Like my middle daughter, there is no lukewarm with Anne. I love that she approaches life enthusiastically, despite have spent a decade belonging to no one.

I also like that Anne talks straightforwardly about wanting, seeking and building friendships. Even now, I am hesitant, awkward and scattershot at building relationships. I may meet someone who seems a kindred spirit, but lack the time or, let's be honest, sheer boldness to approach them and seek to build a friendship. We see Anne seek and build relationships not only upon her arrival in Avonlea, but during her time at Queens.

One reasons I re-read this book was because two friends recommended it for it's fluency in writing dialogue. Unlike Little Women, which I attempted to read for the writing, this book did not disappoint. The dialogue sounds exactly like each character would sound and it flows smoothly from narration to dialogue and back. In fact, I'm baffled that Little Women routinely makes top 100 lists while Anne of Green Gables is nowhere to be found on the lists of must-read classics. Unlike the Little Women characters who are archetypes rather than three dimensional characters, Anne is a bold a female character who refuses to be categorized. That's exactly why I love her and love this book.