Virtual Advent 2013: Christmas with L.M. Montgomery

Happy Christmas, painted by Johansen Viggo, 1891,

One of my goals for 2013 was to read or reread all of L.M. Montgomery's novels. I've also found some time to read her short story collections. (Though I'm not sure I'll fit all of her short stories in this year!) Montgomery is a great writer, and some of her stories make for a great holiday treat! (Almost) All of these holiday stories can be read online.

Without a doubt, my absolute favorite is Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket. So if you only have time to read one little story this Christmas, give this one a try!

When Lucy Rose met Aunt Cyrilla coming downstairs, somewhat flushed and breathless from her ascent to the garret, with a big, flat-covered basket hanging over her plump arm, she gave a little sigh of despair. Lucy Rose had done her brave best for some years—in fact, ever since she had put up her hair and lengthened her skirts—to break Aunt Cyrilla of the habit of carrying that basket with her every time she went to Pembroke; but Aunt Cyrilla still insisted on taking it, and only laughed at what she called Lucy Rose's "finicky notions." Lucy Rose had a horrible, haunting idea that it was extremely provincial for her aunt always to take the big basket, packed full of country good things, whenever she went to visit Edward and Geraldine. Geraldine was so stylish, and might think it queer; and then Aunt Cyrilla always would carry it on her arm and give cookies and apples and molasses taffy out of it to every child she encountered and, just as often as not, to older folks too. Lucy Rose, when she went to town with Aunt Cyrilla, felt chagrined over this—all of which goes to prove that Lucy was as yet very young and had a great deal to learn in this world.

• "A Christmas Inspiration"
• "A Christmas Mistake"
• "Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket"
• "The Josephs' Christmas"
• "The Osbornes' Christmas"
• "Bertie's New Year"
• "Clorinda's Gifts"
• "Ida's New Year Cake"
• "The Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road"
• "The Falsoms' Christmas Dinner"
• "Christmas at Red Butte"
• "Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner"
• "End of the Young Family Feud"
• "The Unforgotten One"
• From The Golden Road, "The Christmas Harp" and "New Year Resolutions" 
• From Anne of Green Gables, "Matthew Insists On Puffed Sleeves."
• From Anne of the Island, "Home Again" and "Anne's First Proposal"
• From Anne's House of Dreams, "Christmas at Four Winds," and "New Year's Eve At The Light"
• From Anne of Windy Poplars, The Second Year, chapters 4, 5, 6,
• From Anne of Ingleside, chapters 12, 13
• From Rilla of Ingleside, "Dark and Bright," "The Weeks Wear By," 
• From Jane of Lantern Hill, chapters 30 and 31

By the way, if you're looking for something to read for Advent, I am hosting a read-a-long of the Gospel of Luke at Operation Actually Read Bible.

Virtual Advent Tour

The other stop on the Advent Tour today: The Sleepless Reader


© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews