Litsy

Beautiful Joe: An Autobiography | Marshall Saunders

Hello #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead-ers! I‘m looking at a tentative schedule for the next few months:

Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders (2 weeks)
Journals Vol. 5 (2 weeks)
Emily of New Moon (3 weeks)
Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner (3 weeks)
Journals Vol. 5 (3 weeks)
Emily Climbs (3 weeks)
“The Lay of the Brown Rosary” & Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (4 weeks)

THAT takes us to mid-October & finishes Vol. 5 of the journals.⤵️

rubyslippersreads, Daisey, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, Roary47, julieclair

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Take a look and let me know where you‘d like to join in. I added Beautiful Joe right after Pollyanna, so we‘ll be reading two of LMM‘s fellow L.C. Page & Co. authors back to back.

Note: I added two books I forgot to put into our voting a couple months ago. LMM mentions Story of an African Farm multiple times in her journals (it‘s considered a feminist classic) and there‘s another reference to it in Vol. 5, so I added it here. ⬇

The story of an African farm: a novel

(edited) 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Aurora Leigh is referenced in Vol. 2 of the journals and in Emily Climbs. It‘s also really long (350-400 pages) AND it‘s a novel in verse, which may not be everyone‘s cup of tea. If nobody‘s interested in either of those, I can pull them out and reconfigure things.

FINALLY: a preview of other potential adjacent books:
Ivanhoe—Sir Walter Scott
Life of Charlotte Bronte—Elizabeth Gaskell
More Tramps Abroad—Mark Twain ⬇

Aurora Leigh

(edited) 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) People voted for the above three books in our poll but they‘re each 400-600 pages, so I‘m going to parcel them out more sparingly. I might add Gaskell‘s Charlotte Bronte bio after we finish the Emily books, since there are a lot of parallel vibes between Emily & Jane Eyre.

After all of THAT… 😂 Let me know what you‘d like to be tagged for, and I‘ll post a finalized schedule soon!

The Life of Charlotte Bronte

(edited) 4d

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rubyslippersreads I had that copy of Beautiful Joe as a child. I read it over and over. 🐶 4d

kwmg40 I‘d definitely like to continue with the #LMMReread books (the Emily ones from this list). Thanks! 4d

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I'm down for any/all of these. Like @rubyslippersreads I had a copy of Beautiful Joe that I read so many time growing up. It has very Black Beauty vibes. I'm a little scared of Aurora Leigh but am willing to give it a try if everyone else wants to read it 😂 3d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads It's such a sweet cover! @kwmg40 I'll make sure to tag you for the Emily books! @TheAromaofBooks Knowing your feelings about poetry, I was definitely thinking of you when I said Aurora might not be everyone's cup of tea 😂 I'll give it a few more days to see who else weighs in, but I think I'll start with a schedule for the summer and we can revisit interest in Aurora when we get to August and Emily Climbs! 3d

rubyslippersreads Ivanhoe is also a #BetsyTacy adjacent book. 🙂 2d

julieclair I‘d like to read all of these except the journals. I‘m a bit hesitant about Aurora Leigh, but I‘d like to give it a try! Thanks so much for organizing all of this for us, @BarbaraJean ! 💙 2d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I have never read Betsy-Tacy! 😱 Maybe I need to read it when we get to Ivanhoe 😄 @julieclair I'll put you on all the lists except the journals! I'm thinking I might pre-read some of Aurora Leigh, see what it's like, and report back. I love the “Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God“ quote, but that's really the extent of my familiarity. @TheAromaofBooks 2d

TheAromaofBooks Ohhh you would probably really like Betsy-Tacy!! It's a series that starts out for and about younger readers, and the books get more advanced as the characters get older - Betsy is married by the end of the series!! They're super cute. 24h

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rubyslippersreads

The shuttle | Frances Hodgson Burnett

It‘s funny that Betty describes nasty Nigel describes as the villain in a melodrama, because I thought of him as Snidely Whiplash from the beginning. 🤣

Also, I‘ve never seen the phrase “Hully gee!” outside of a #BetsyTacy book.

All that said, I loved this book! I think it‘s the first adult novel by FHB I‘ve read, but I‘m definitely going to read more.

#PersephoneClub

LeahBergen 😆😆 Great review! And do read

The Making of a Marchioness

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Andrea313

Betsy-Tacy | Maud Hart Lovelace

Hello from Deep Valley and Betsy Ray's house! Planning for the #BetsyTacyConvention has kicked into overdrive and your fearless committee has gathered in Mankato to finalize some details for our event this fall. Having attended multiple conventions in the past, I can't stress how incredible it is to be in these spaces and see the real-life inspiration for some of my favorite books. Will I see you in October? Registration link is in the comments!

Andrea313 https://betsy-tacy-convention.square.site/ 1mo

Andrea313 #MaudHartLovelace #BetsyTacy #BetsyTacyAndTib #BetsyTacyTib #EmilyOfDeepValley #OktoDelta 1mo

Ruthiella I‘ve only read the first three books as an adult, but yes, that house is 100% familiar! 😃 (edited) 1mo

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Andrea313

Betsy-Tacy | Maud Hart Lovelace

Calling all #BetsyTacy fanatics! All #MaudHartLovelace diehards! All of you #DeepValley devotees! The time has come! Registration is now OPEN for the 2025 #BetsyTacyConvention! I'll put the link in the comments, and will hope to see you in Mankato!

Andrea313 http://betsy-tacy-convention.square.site/ 2mo

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rubyslippersreads

Betsy-Tacy | Maud Hart Lovelace

So many lovely, thoughtful birthday treasures from @LeahBergen 😍

I remember Calling All Girls!/Young Miss—it‘ll be so much fun to read one again. The vintage ballet book is adorable, and this is a BLWW I‘ve been wanting to read.

❤️ the goodies in the Betsy-Tacy pencil pouch! The Deep Valley card is absolutely frameable. I hope Nicky & Sadie don‘t get any ideas about cooking from the other cute card. 😹

Thank you so much for everything! 😘

TheBookHippie How. FUN! HBD!!!🎉 3mo

LeahBergen Yay, it arrived! I‘m so glad you like it (it‘s basically a bunch of my favourite little things 😆). Happy Birthday! 😘😘 3mo

Cathythoughts Lovely gifts ❤️ 3mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Happy birthday 🎉🎂🎈🎁 3mo

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InkedBookworm13

Betsy-Tacy Treasury | Maud Hart Lovelace

❄️Snow day❄️
I used to read these books all the time in grade school. I got this collection that has all the books in one and can't wait to revisit my childhood.
P.S. Dexter says hi 👋

Deblovestoread Hi Dexter! 🐾🩷🐾 3mo

Catsandbooks Adorable Dexter! ❤️ 3mo

Butterfinger Oh my goodness. I was thinking of how many times I read the last one and wondering if it was the book that caused me to become such a romantic and out of the blue, I remembered Joe's name. If his name wasn't Joe, don't correct me. 3mo

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dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3mo

InkedBookworm13 @Butterfinger No need to correct you, his name is Joe 😀 3mo

DogMomIrene High paw Dexter🐾❤️ 3mo

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merelybookish

Jane's Country Year: The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection | Malcolm Saville

Oh @LeahBergen what a wonderful parcel! Well worth the wait! 😉 Thank you so much! Thrilled with the books! (So pleased to have a Handheld Books edition as I eyed them for years but never purchased one!) Love the card, the post card, the bookmark, the whole kit'n'caboodle. ☺️ And curious if you would recommend visiting Mankato?

Crinoline_Laphroaig I loved visiting Mankato a few years ago! 4mo

rubyslippersreads I‘ve visited Mankato a couple of times. You can tour Betsy‘s and Tacy‘s houses, and sit on the Friendship Bench. It‘s a pilgrimage for #BetsyTacy fans. 4mo

LeahBergen Yay, it arrived!! I really enjoyed my visit to Mankato and seeing all the little spots from the books. And just what @rubyslippersreads said … the house tours were so fun! 4mo

Cathythoughts Lovely 🥰 4mo

MaureenMc There‘s a Betsy-Tacy Convention in Mankato this year, in October. My daughter & I are hoping to attend! 4mo

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Andrea313

Emily of Deep Valley: A Deep Valley Book | Maud Hart Lovelace

Save the date, #BetsyTacy fans! The next Betsy-Tacy Convention will be held this year in Mankato, MN in honor of the birthday girl, Deep Valley's Emily Webster! More information to come on speakers, workshops, and activities, but rest assured- if you've never visited Betsy's house, sat on the famous bench, or gallivanted around Lincoln Park (”that pie-shaped wedge!") - you don't want to miss this chance. #BetsyTacyAndTib #MaudHartLovelace

Andrea313 #BetsyTacyTib #DeepValley #EmilyOfDeepValley #CarneysHouseParty 4mo

LeahBergen Wonderful! I visited for the first time last summer. 🥰 4mo

Andrea313 @LeahBergen Did you absolutely love it? I was hooked from my very first visit! 4mo

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LeahBergen It was SO much fun. There was a terrifying moment when I discovered the house museums would be closed on the weekend I was there but I contacted them and ended up getting a private tour (with some other people who showed up, too). Phew! And I also managed to do some damage in the little gift shop. 😆😆 4mo

Andrea313 @LeahBergen Amazing!!!! I'm so glad someone was able to come through and give the tour! ❤️ 4mo

MaureenMc My daughter and I are going to try to make it! We were just talking about it again over the weekend. 🤞🤞 4mo

Andrea313 @MaureenMc Amazing! Fingers crossed that we meet in Deep Valley! 🤞❤️ 4mo

Andrea313 #BetsyTacyConvention 1mo

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