L.M Montgomery

Books to Read in October

| Ardin Patterson

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”


― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

As we near the end of September, we are greeted with the warm comforts of Fall: pumpkin spice, reds, yellows, oranges and purples, scarves, hats and sweaters and cozy blankets for those chilly afternoons when we want to curl up with a book in our lap.

I find that I tend to read more in the Fall. I like being wrapped up in a soft blanket with a cup of tea or sitting up late at night with a book in my lap until I nod off to sleep. I also find that the books I read during the Fall tend to be either comforting or have me on the end of my seat, especially as October comes around.

Last night I started reading Mexican Gothic, which had me hooked in the first chapter. I also found my name in the book which never happens. Of course it was a reference to Elizabeth Arden and not me, Ardin but that is who I was named after so I like to think of it as…I was meant to read this book. It’s not every day I buy a book solely based on the title and synopsis. I got three chapters in before I fell asleep and it is exactly what I was hoping for. Gothic literature at it’s finest. I don’t know what it is about the genre that I like so much but it is one that sucks me in.

A slightly less spooky book that I think would be perfect to reread in the Fall is Fake Blood. The book makes so many references to Twilight and it’s a great read for a younger audience (ages 9-12). I had so much fun reading it and I’ve never read the Twilight series or watched or read Vampire Diaries. It was the perfect mixture of funny, sweet and spooky!

Another book which is for the YA audience is Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Now don’t be confused CAOS fans, this graphic novel isn’t chilling. It’s fun, it’s full of what I call Sabrina oopsies and Salem talks and is as sassy as ever. I also recommend Jughead and Sabrina because again Sabrina is absolutely hilarious along with all of the spookiness that goes on in Greendale. No matter how bad things or how big of a mess she makes she somehow manages to find a way to fix things (or at least temporarily).

I don’t know what it is about L.M Montgomery and Fall but I’m often drawn to her work at this time of the year. I suppose her stories, because of their familiarity in Canadian culture are comforting. Despite my love for Anne however I want to recommend Emily. I adore Emily’s story just as much. Her friendship with Ilsa, her unwavering dream to write. Emily is often viewed as rebellious by those around her but it is this side of her that makes her strong and resilient. I feel like she’s seriously underrated. A lot of people don’t know she exists, and so I think it would be nice to introduce yourself to Emily this October (there’s also an anime if anyone is interested).

Lastly a book series that I continue to recommend over and over, Monster. Monster is incredibly chilling, incredibly thrilling and is a story that draws you in with its characters and plot. Not only is it a manga, it’s a historical fiction set in Germany which follows a Japanese Doctor as he tries to track down a patient that he never should have saved. Trust me, this series will have you staying up all kinds of hours reading. You won’t want to put it down!

What books are you looking forward to reading this Fall?

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by Ardin Patterson

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A Rose by Any Other Name…

| Ardin Patterson

“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables.

I’ve always loved Anne’s comment on Shakespeare’s line from Romeo and Juliet.

I almost always look up what names mean before using them. I also have a deep love for flower symbolism and floral names, which stems from back when I was in high school. My niece was born and I went to look through all sorts of names and learn their meaning…which later became a bit of an obsession of mine. I ended up looking up the names of every character I’d ever written, plus the meaning behind my own name, the names of my family members and the names of my friends.

My Nana’s birth name is floral but she hates it. She goes by her middle name instead. I love it though, I think it’s a really beautiful name. I had a doll with that name when I was little but I ended up changing her name to Erika, after the Princess and the Pauper Barbie movie. My sister had the same doll but with blonde hair, so hers was named Anika. I think if I have a daughter someday in the future, I’ll name her after my Nana. My Nana gave me permission to use the name. Her mother also had a very floral themed name that I think is pretty, but my Nana thinks it’s too frilly and over the top.

One of my main character’s in my debut novel, is named after a flower. Her uncle even calls her “Flower” at times to tease her, which he’s done since she was a baby. Sometimes it annoys her, but she doesn’t completely hate it either.

Unless you’ve seen the upcoming novels page on my publishers website, you probably don’t know any of my character’s names. I haven’t posted them anywhere yet, since we’re only on the deep dive edits, but I’ve decided to drop little hints here and there in the meantime.

Can you guess what her name is?