Litsy

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“Dear old world you are very lovely and I love you. I am glad to be alive in you.”

I LOVE that what becomes a future Anne quote is taken almost directly from 17-year-old LMM‘s journal!

#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks ❤ ❤ ❤ 2d

lauraisntwilder This diary reads like one of her books so far. 1d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder The cow escapades earlier this week felt so much like an Anne and Diana adventure! 1d

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“I had a charming time all through except for a scare I got with one of David Macneill‘s cows, and having to skulk about the woods for nearly an hour while the Baptists were going through the lane to Sunday School…”

The image of LMM “skulking about the woods” to avoid the Baptists just cracked me up. And the cow! I really want more detail in this entry!!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean Clearly I posted too soon, as there is more detail about avoiding savage-looking cows in the October 22 entry. 😆 3d

TheAromaofBooks I'm so surprised that a country girl like Maud has such a terror of cows! I marked the passage I was reading today because I was a bit horrified at her casual attitude towards fence breaking as well! 😂 3d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I know, right?! But it was both LMM and Lu! That comment: “I don‘t know how it is that we have got to be such cowards over strange cows.” 😂Partially in their defense as regards the fence-breaking: at least some of it was done because of their “deadly fear” of cows.🤣 Although THAT made me worry that the cows would get out!! 2d

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Weekly check-in for #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - our first with the #LMMJournals!

I have to apologize for breaking up the reading so oddly—it wasn't until I finished up my own reading that I saw I'd completely missed a natural break at the end of 1890 and kept us going into 1891 for a grand total of 2 pages. 😂

How is your reading going?
What are your thoughts on this week's reading?
Any observations, favorite sections, or quotes?

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean I loved the superstition of counting 9 stars over 9 nights, and the questions with Nate over which boy/girl they liked best—such drama! Then this quote from July 26, 1890: “The fact is, Nate is absurdly sentimental these days—or would be if I would allow it. I hate that sort of thing. He has just spoiled our lovely, old comradeship completely. He is so nice when he is sensible and so horrid when he isn't!“ SO much like Anne's words about Gilbert! 6d

BarbaraJean I was also struck by the fact that LMM calls Bulwer-Lytton her favorite author at one point (July 31, 1890), since there's a contest for BAD writing named after him! “Since 1982 the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest has challenged participants to write an atrocious opening sentence to the worst novel never written.“ https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

Maybe we should add a Bulwer-Lytton book to our #LMMAdjacent list? 😂 6d

TheAromaofBooks I also saw similarities between Maud/Nate and Anne/Gilbert. It made me wonder if Maud ever looked back at that relationship and wished she had allowed it to grow into something more. I feel so bad for her being so homesick!! 5d

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TheAromaofBooks We talked a little on the other post about whether or not (or how much) editing LMM did of her own journals when she recopied them. Like you said, so much of this genuinely sounds like a girl in her teens, being silly and dramatic, convinced that everything that happens is SO IMPORTANT. it's amazing how perspective is something you literally just have to earn with age! As you get older, waiting a year for something doesn't feel as crazy. 5d

TheAromaofBooks However, some of what I wondered were small things, like when she was getting ready to leave for the west and saying that's she determined to absolutely love her step mother and get along wonderfully - more small sentences that cast herself as the mature, reasonable person in a situation. Not necessarily big scene edits, but small insight edits. Personally, I don't think I could bear to go through and copy out by hand my numerous teen/20s ⬇ 5d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) journals! Oh the horrors! 😂

Overall, I'm finding this so readable and engaging. I'm very glad that we've already covered a couple of biographies to give me a background/overview of her life and some of the major characters, though. That framework is helping me just be able to read these as they come instead of being confused about the background. 5d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I think “9 stars over 9 nights” is mentioned in Emily of New Moon. Nate also reminds me a bit of Perry, in that Emily only wants him as a chum, but Perry feels quite different. (edited) 5d

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Having read the biographies helps me too, as does having read the YA novel

Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean He was her favorite author when she was 15; I wonder how long that lasted? 😏 5d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I wonder that about Nate as well! YES, having read those biographies has definitely been helpful, and also Maud, as @rubyslippersreads mentioned (which I think you skipped--there's lots of Nate and Will in that one!). It‘s fascinating to see what feels emphasized here vs. what has been emphasized elsewhere, both in the biogs and fictionally. I'm waiting for the VERY SIGNIFICANT absence of Edwin Simpson in later volumes. 😏😂 5d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I hadn‘t thought about little insertions like that, but that sounds VERY plausible!! Kind of a self-justification for some of her other comments about her stepmother—LMM could be emphasizing that it wasn't her fault; she really did intend to make that relationship work. I agree with you, I could NOT bear to copy out my teenage journals. I don‘t know if I could manage to even re-read mine! It is a credit to LMM‘s skill as a writer⬇ 5d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) that these are so engaging and entertaining, especially coming from a 15/16-year-old. LMM knows how to recount a good story, and I can't just chalk it all up to later revisions! 5d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I had forgotten the “9 stars” in Emily of New Moon! I remembered it from reading Maud, but now that you mention Emily, I vaguely remember it there as well. LMM weaves in SO many little pieces from her own life into her fiction. I like that comparison of Nate to Perry. I‘m really curious about how LMM writes about both Nate and Will, and like @TheAromaofBooks, if there may have been later editing with her descriptions ⬇ 5d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) of both of them and her assertion that she thought of them as just good comrades.

When I skimmed through the footnotes in Vol. 1, looking for what books and authors she referenced, I noticed that she mentioned Bulwer-Lytton several times! But yes, I do have a feeling her taste grew a bit as she got older… 5d

lauraisntwilder I'm a little bit, since I traveled out of state (and I drove) for my nephew's college graduation. I've been enjoying the entries so far and I agree, reading the other bios first was helpful. 5d

TheAromaofBooks I definitely think that even if she edited/added tiny bits to these later, it was just that - tiny bits. The bulk of this feels authentically her age, and it's obvious that she already has a real knack for writing, sketching characters, descriptions, storytelling, etc. I know that she honed her skills over time and worked very hard on every book, but it's also obvious that she has an inborn talent for writing. 5d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Thanks for checking in! Hope you had a great trip for your nephew's graduation. 4d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I agree--the tone throughout is far too teenage girl for it to have been wholly rewritten (although that's exactly what my urge would be in copying out old journals with an eye towards posterity!). It definitely demonstrates her skill with descriptions and storytelling, from a young age. It was certainly her prerogative to curate, but I'm SO curious about what she might have left out, with all the talk of “razored out“ pages! 4d

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks For me, her descriptions of the natural world seem too perfect for a teenager, BUT she was reading Sir Walter Scott and Undine, etc. And she was also starting to get published at this point. I think you're right--she was just a natural. 4d

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

“I love books. I hope when I grow up to be able to have lots of them.”

💜📚💜 Kindred spirit, indeed!! I started this tonight and it‘s delightful so far—and I LOVE all the pictures included! #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yes!! All the photographs are a wonderful bonus! I love it when photos like that are interspersed with the text instead of in random bunches of several pages at a time like many nonfiction do. 1w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Me too--I think it was the Rubio biography that had them in bunches like that. I'd much rather have them like this. I really appreciate the way they're approximating how LMM would paste pictures and the like into her journals. 1w

TheAromaofBooks As I'm reading, I find myself wondering how much editing LMM did when she recopied these journals and how much of it is actually what she wrote at this age. I don't know why I'm surprised that this has been so readable, considering I enjoy her fiction writing so much haha 6d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—me too! If it were me, I would find it really difficult to refrain from trimming embarrassing sections, bad writing, etc. I was struck by several sections that sound VERY much like a girl of 15/16, though. I marked down the New Year‘s entry on Dec. 31, 1899, and the concert description on July 1, 1890 as she waxes poetic about the future nostalgia they will all feel when looking back. 😂 @lauraisntwilder, @rubyslippersreads ⬇ (edited) 6d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) Both of those passages read to me like things I wrote in my journal as a teen, thinking my words would sound so terribly prescient and wise in future years. I had to laugh at both of these—they sounded so affected, with such an over-self-consciousness of future readers. But I remember doing the same thing! (edited) 6d

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TheBookHippie

Anne Frank: The Collected Works | Anne Frank

My next chunkster to tackle…

LiseWorks 😲 2w

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Hello, Kindred Spirits! Here is an UPDATED schedule for May/June. Since the #CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2024 with @TheBookHippie will be reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm in MAY, I shuffled our schedule around so we can join in the excitement and read it together.

We'll start the Complete Journals on May 1 - which is next week!! 😱 I'll post a weekly check-in/discussion post on Saturdays.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals #LMMAdjacent #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, sblbooks, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean Preview of coming attractions: We'll start Volume 2 of the Complete Journals in July/August, and will also re-read Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. 2w

julieclair Yay! Very excited for all the LMM-adjacent reads! 😃 2w

TheAromaofBooks Thank you for the update!! This looks great. I can't believe May is next week...!!!!! 2w

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monalyisha

Journal of a Solitude | May Sarton

#BookHaul from The Book Barn in Niantic, CT. Can you believe I visited exactly one structure in their sprawling, 3-location empire before my hands got too cold and I quit? 😅🥶 My wallet gives thanks to Mother Nature.

JamieArc Have you read the tagged? If not, you‘re in for a treat. I really loved it, and while I rarely reread, this is one I definitely want to. 3w

monalyisha @JamieArc I haven‘t! And yay! You know I take your endorsements seriously. 😉 While browsing, I sat down in a worn orange chair and read the first few pages to make sure I liked the writing. I was sold. 3w

JamieArc I read it at the height of the pandemic and it was just lovely. I have an orange chair in my office that I use to take reading breaks 🧡 3w

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slategreyskies I received The Collected Poems of May Sarton as a gift a few years ago. It was a used copy, and when I opened it up to begin reading, we were both surprised to find out that it was signed! I treasure it now, even more so than I would have otherwise. Also, I have so many of her journals as well. Her writing calms me. 3w

AmyG Other Birds was so lovely. 3w

monalyisha @slategreyskies That‘s all so wonderful! I know nothing about her, actually. Good to know my instincts can be trusted. 😊 3w

Tamra The Last Report is one of my all time favorite novels. 💙 3w

Hooked_on_books You found some good ones! An Immense World is phenomenal. 3w

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LitsyEvents

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Repost for @BarbaraJean

May 1 begins the next #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead iteration! We‘ll read the Complete Journals interspersed with LMM-adjacent books & LMM rereads. The pace is ~100 pages per week, with Saturday check-ins to chat about the week's reading.

#LMMJournals #LMMAdjacent #LMMRereads

See original post at https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2725037

BarbaraJean Thank you for sharing!! 3w

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BarbaraJean

Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1900 | Mary Henley Rubio, Elizabeth Hillman Waterston

Just a reminder: May 1 begins the next #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead iteration! We‘ll read the Complete Journals interspersed with LMM-adjacent books & LMM rereads. The pace is ~100 pages per week, with Saturday check-ins to chat about the week's reading.

I‘ve tagged those who were interested, but all are welcome! Comment if you'd like to join—for some or all! Re-reads will pop up in Vol. 2 of the journals. #LMMJournals #LMMAdjacent #LMMRereads

rubyslippersreads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean @sblbooks I have you down for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm once we get to it in June! 4w

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! I'm really stoked about this!!! 4w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Meeeee toooo!!! 3w

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julieclair Yay! I would like to be tagged for the Adjacents and Rereads, please. If it‘s easier, feel free to tag me for the journals as well. 3w

BarbaraJean @julieclair I can definitely tag you just for the adjacents and rereads! Looking forward to having you join in! 3w

julieclair Thanks! Looking forward to it! 3w

lauraisntwilder I just got my copy of the Complete Journals Vol. 1 and it's beautiful! Whatever editorializing Rubio did in her bio is partially forgiven (by me, at least!) because of the obvious amount of care that went into this. 3w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I know, right?! The photos and all the notes look fantastic. I looked at Vol. 1 of the complete journals on Internet Archive and that glimpse convinced me that I wanted to read the complete journals instead of the selected, and it made up my mind that I wanted to buy each copy as we go! 3w

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean Exactly! I haven't even started it yet and I'm already so impressed. 3w

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hannah-leeloo

Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: Because the Undead Have Feelings Too | Tim Collins, Andrew Pinder

Been recommended these by my 11 year old cousin. Should be interesting haha

lazydaizee They all look like fun. 4w

Roary47 Cute! 4w

LibrarianRyan Those look fun! 4w

Gissy If an 11 year old boy said they were interesting, we should try them. I‘m always looking what children are reading and what keep them in reading a series, the topic? The characters? The adventure? ☺️ 3w

hannah-leeloo My cousin love to read @Gissy she's especially into cat adventures hehe 3w

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