Anne of Green Gables is a charming heroine, and I loved the enemies-to-lovers story with Gilbert Blythe. A brainy boy—swoon! I loved the adaptation with Megan Follows, and with the 5 disc special edition, you could easily pass away a rainy weekend. There are eight books in the series and I particularly like this recent box set.
While we’re talking about swoony DVDs, I absolutely loved Ever After with the perfect Drew Barrymore. Fairy tales just have such a sweet charm. For another great Cinderella adaptation, try The Slipper and the Rose. Yes, it’s 1976 and it’s dated, but it’s super fun too.
Sticking with fairy tales, Barnes and Noble produced a beautiful hardback edition of the Snow Queen and other tales, with silver embossing. A gorgeous Christmas present for girls who love to read. For older readers, aged 12+, Jackie Morris’ adaption of The Wild Swans is very powerful. Love stories take a back seat in these tales, originally by Hans Christian Anderson, but the romance of the fantasy elements absolutely won me over when I was younger.
When I was in school, we studied Pride and Prejudice, and it’s been pretty much my all-time favourite book ever since. Wordsworth have brought out a beautiful heritage hardback edition, with a floral design. I also love this teal T-shirt with its gorgeous peacock pattern.
If you want six hours of Colin Firth, take a look at this special edition of the BBC Pride and Prejudice. It comes with the BBC series of North and South, starring Richard Armitage, and it is one of my faves. I teach it and it’s very much an industrial, Victorian version of Pride and Prejudice. I love the way Gaskell gets up close and personal with real-life working class characters, and the sympathetic way she portrays their suffering and values.
Out-of-copyright books are often free to read online, and if you’re looking for a new eReader, the Kindle Paperwhite is fantastic value, and comes with no ads.
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Sophie Toovey 