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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
quote
BarbaraJean
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“This is part of Montgomery‘s great gift as a story teller—she actually relived the moments as her pen traced them on the page… It would be a mistake to underestimate the importance of the journals as living text. Her life is literally in these pages and in the pages of her novels.”
#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

I started Vol. 4 last night and really enjoyed the intro, as well as getting back into Maud‘s life. How‘s your reading coming?

JenlovesJT47 I haven‘t read any of the journals yet. Do you think it‘s essential to read them in order or does it matter? 2d
TheAromaofBooks I started the journal yesterday... a brief delay when I realized I had accidentally purchased Volume 5 instead of Volume 4 😂 But I am back on track now that I am in the right year!! 2d
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 Oh, I didn‘t realize you hadn‘t read any of the journals yet! Do you want to still be tagged for the journal posts? I don‘t think it‘s essential to start from the beginning instead of jumping in partway through, but it‘s probably helpful to have some context for her life (biographies, etc.)—she does refer back to previous events, people, places, etc. 2d
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BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Hahaha! I asked for volume 4 for Christmas and was annoyingly specific on my list, realizing how similar all the titles are—they‘re not super clearly marked by volume numbers! I was paranoid my husband would get volume 5 accidentally 😆 2d
JenlovesJT47 You can tag me, no problem. I got behind on reading the journals last year but I do have them downloaded already so I‘m going to start them soon. I love journaling myself so I‘m looking forward to these! 2d
JenlovesJT47 I have read quite a few biographies about her so I will try to start on the current one this week. She was such an interesting person! 2d
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 Sounds good! She WAS such an interesting person—and such a good storyteller that her journals really bring her to life. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you read! 2d
34 likes7 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
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Bonus info I somehow missed before:
There are four short stories related to Pointed Firs (I guess those are the “and other stories” in some editions!). I haven‘t read them yet, but I‘m planning to track them down to read in the next week or two. If you‘ve read them, or want to check them out & report back, please chime in with your thoughts! The stories are:
"The Foreigner"
"The Queen's Twin"
"A Dunnet Shepherdess"
"William's Wedding"

TheAromaofBooks I ended up purchasing this book - and am very glad I did!! - and does include these stories. I'm definitely planning to read them!! 5d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks It‘s funny, because I intentionally checked out an ebook without “and other stories” because I didn‘t realize they were related and didn‘t intend to read them. And I wanted a correct page count for tracking my reading. Now I‘m gonna have to check out a different copy WITH the stories and adjust my reading trackers 😂 5d
TheAromaofBooks I actually kind of did the same thing - I looked for an edition without the stories because I thought they were related to EACH OTHER not to the main story 😂 But now I'm glad that I ended up with this one and cannot WAIT to find out how William gets married!! 3d
28 likes4 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
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Which scenes or chapters stand out in your reading? What made them memorable or meaningful?

Is there anything else you‘d like to discuss from your reading of this book, or quotes you‘d like to share?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

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BarbaraJean
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Reading this as an #LMMAdjacent book, I had my eye out for paralells with LMM‘s other work. What similarities or differences do you see between Pointed Firs and Anne‘s House of Dreams (setting, characters, narrative style, etc.)?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

TheAromaofBooks Certain scenes definitely made me think of LMM - especially the big family reunion, or the parts where someone else is telling a story. I expected descriptions of nature and the sea to make me think of her writing, but it was actually the human parts. Jewett does a wonderful job sketching characters through their words and actions, and that part really reminded me of LMM's similar ability. 5d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks The setting felt like it should remind me of Four Winds—there were a lot of surface similarities—but it had a whole different vibe than House of Dreams. I completely agree about the characters. Mrs. Todd especially! The episodic, sketch-like writing style and its lightness on plot actually reminded me more of Lark Rise! LMM‘s more episodic books feel more humorous than this one, but the nostalgia here felt like Lark. 5d
21 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

Pointed Firs largely focuses on female characters—and only a few of these women are pictured in relation to a male character. Did you notice this emphasis on female experience in the text? Do you read this as a matter of perspective (“write what you know”) or a conscious choice to center female experience?

Which characters were most vivid to you?

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BarbaraJean
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I‘m sorry this is so late! Busy week + a long class today = late discussion questions! #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

How did you feel about the 1st-person narrator? Did you wonder about her context & who she was? For you, did the lack of info about the narrator contribute to or take away from the story?

Why do you think Jewett chose to tell the story through the perspective of (what I assume is) a semi-autobiographical main character? ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) How would a different narrative perspective affect the story? 6d
JenlovesJT47 I started this a couple of days ago, I‘m going to try very hard to finish it by tomorrow 😬 6d
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 Feel free to jump into the discussion whenever you‘re ready—no rush!! 6d
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TheAromaofBooks I loved this book!! I had no idea what to expect, but this was just a delight. I found the complete lack of background about the narrator to be slightly distracting, but as the story went on we at least got clues - she's a woman, she's younger than Mrs. Todd, she's a writer, she's only here for the summer, etc. I think the first-person narrative is the only way for this story to work. It doesn't really have a plot - the plot is the narrator's ⬇ 5d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) thoughts, basically. Changing it to third person, or even having it be from the perspective of someone else, like Mrs. Todd, would make this an entirely different book, I think. 5d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I don‘t think I would have been as distracted by the lack of context for the narrator if it weren‘t for the first chapter, where she‘s reminiscing about visiting the town as a child. Other than that, she felt like Bev in Story Girl—first person but without lots of commentary or explanation. I‘d be interested to read this from Mrs. Todd‘s perspective—we‘d definitely get more commentary! But yes, it would be a very different book. 5d
19 likes6 comments
blurb
CogsOfEncouragement
Anne of Green Gables | L.M. Montgomery
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Happy Valentine‘s Day #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

dabbe 🩶🩷🩶 7d
DieAReader 🥰💕💜 7d
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
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“In the life of each of us, I said to myself, there is a place remote and islanded, and given to endless regret or secret happiness; we are each the uncompanioned hermit and recluse of an hour or a day; we understand our fellows of the cell to whatever age of history they may belong.”

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

julieclair I am loving this book! 1w
Cathythoughts I love this quote ❤️ stacking. 1w
Cathythoughts Couldn‘t we have them both though ? The endless regret AND the secret happiness … 1w
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TheAromaofBooks I am really enjoying this book, other than the nagging annoyance of knowing NOTHING about our narrator 😂 1w
BarbaraJean @julieclair I am enjoying it—it‘s very relaxing! But like @TheAromaofBooks I want to know who the narrator is and why she‘s there for the summer, and… and…and… 😆 1w
BarbaraJean @Cathythoughts 💜For me, I think there are different internal islands—some given to endless regret and some to secret happiness 😊 1w
julieclair @BarbaraJean @Cathythoughts I think most of us have both. 💙 7d
julieclair @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean I have no idea why, but that hasn‘t bothered me at all! 😂 7d
32 likes1 stack add8 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
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Hello, #KindredSpirits! Today is our check-in discussion halfway through The Country of the Pointed Firs.

🌲How is your reading going? What are your thoughts so far?
🌲What stands out to you from the first half of the book?
🌲Any favorite sections or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

JenlovesJT47 I‘m behind, going to try to start it today or tomorrow 😬 2w
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 It‘s shorter than I realized, so hopefully that‘s helpful! I didn‘t start it till Wednesday, then I ended up reading the whole first half all at once! 2w
JenlovesJT47 Ooh yay, I‘ll try to start it tonight! 2w
lauraisntwilder My copy hasn't arrived yet, but if it doesn't show up soon I'll read it in ebook from my library. Either way, I hope to catch up before next weekend! 2w
julieclair Starting today or tomorrow. I've been traveling in NC for family fun this week - 5-year-old birthday in Raleigh and baby shower in Charlotte! 2w
20 likes5 comments
review
kwmg40
Anne's House of Dreams | L. M. Montgomery
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Pickpick

I have a much better appreciation of this book than I did when I had first read it a long time ago. I love how Anne has matured and evolved over the series but still retains much of what made so many people love her from the original Green Gables book.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean
#52bookclub25 (character with red hair)
#gottacatchemall (Dhelmise: set on an island) @PuddleJumper