Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason and the Case of the Postponed Murder. A pretty good installment in the series. Interesting plot, good detective work largely done by Mason himself, a client who wouldn't know the truth if it bit her. And for once, the judge was on the side of Perry (and implicitly justice) and the district attorneys were forced to keep their remarks to a minimum. Made for a refreshing change.
Armistead Maupin, Tales of the City. I've read this one a number of times, but its sheer retro zaniness doesn't get old.
L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea. I found that Anne is a bit more idealized than I remember - her difference from the other girls, her 'innate goodness', her high ideals, her influence on people. It's all a bit hard to swallow. But I also found that Anne is not such an integral part of the book - far more of the plot is about the people she comes into contact with and their stories than it is about hers. As such, Montgomery's characters and feel for her setting are her strengths, so the book is quite enjoyable.
Louisa May Alcott, Rose in Bloom. Rose and Anne have a fair amount in common, although Rose is allowed to have more petty foibles. This book has a slightly different flavor than most of Alcott's work - it is a bit more grown up than many of her tales, and a lot of the themes she likes to use are muted here, forming an undercurrent to the plot.
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