kindredSpiritsBuddyRead

Anne's House of Dreams | L. M. Montgomery

Next up for the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead: Anne‘s House of Dreams for #LMMReread (+ the short story “The Life-Book of Captain Jesse”) and The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett for #LMMAdjacent.

Discussions are on Saturdays and all are welcome! Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. (Tag lists for each book are in the comments)

LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks, @lauraisntwilder, @CogsOfEncouragement, @rubyslippersreads, @kwmg40, @JenLovesJT47

Anne's House of Dreams

13h

BarbaraJean @julieclair, @TheAromaofBooks, @lauraisntwilder, @rubyslippersreads, @JenLovesJT47

The Country of the Pointed Firs

13h

monalyisha Ohh, I should do this. I‘m visiting PEI in June & never finished the Anne series. This is the one I need to read next! ALSO, I bought the SOJ while visiting Maine with my friend last summer. We intended to do a buddy read and never followed through. I‘m so bad at commitment, though! 🙈 13h

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TheKidUpstairs @monalyisha where in PEI are you going? It's one of my favourite places to visit! 13h

monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs It‘s sort of a dream trip with my friend…named Megan! We have a cottage booked in Cumberland. Happy to take suggestions and hear about places you love! We‘re still in the planning phase. 12h

TheAromaofBooks @monalyisha - House of Dreams may be my favorite Anne book, although it's very hard to choose. I highly recommend joining us in reading it if you have time!! Super jealous of your PEI trip - that sounds magical!! 11h

33 likes6 comments

lauraisntwilder

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years 1911-1917 | Jen Rubio

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I fell behind in reading this with #kindredspiritsbuddyread last year, but I caught up this month by reading a few pages every morning. This is the third volume of LMM's journals and I've found them all so interesting. I especially like reading a little a day. It has made LMM feel like a companion.

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BarbaraJean

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years 1911-1917 | Jen Rubio

I apologize for not posting this sooner—I don‘t know how it got to be Wednesday and I‘m only just starting this last chunk of volume 3!! How is everyone‘s journal-reading coming along?

I‘ll plan to post questions this weekend—late on Friday if I can, because I have a busy weekend ahead. Looking forward to discussing with all of you. And now I‘ll dive into my reading! #LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks I'm enjoying this section!! I'm intrigued by how obsessed LMM is with the war. It's obvious that she's an anomaly among the somewhat backwater area where she lives, but I wonder if more people in Canada at the time felt as she did, as she's quite obsessive about it. 5d

lauraisntwilder I'm actually on track to finish on time, which is great because I was behind on all the other sections. Not because I wasn't enjoying it, but life got in the way. 5d

lauraisntwilder Oh! I've also ordered a copy of The Watchmen, her poetry collection that she barely mentioned except to say she didn't expect much to come of it. 😜 5d

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BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I am intrigued by her interest in the war, but not as intrigued by reading her updates about war developments (or the footnotes explaining them) 😂 It gives so much personal context for Rilla, though!! Like you, I‘m curious how closely the rest of the population was following events. There must have been lots of people who felt as she did, given the newspaper coverage she talks about. 4d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Oh yay about catching up! And 😂 about the poetry collection! I realized I actually have it in an ebook collection of LMM‘s works, but her comments don‘t exactly inspire me to read it… 4d

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I'm definitely not reading all the footnotes. Not just the war ones, either. I'm not finding them very helpful for her personal interests either. She'll mention someone and the footnote will go ahead and tell when they died, which I don't always want to know at the moment I'm reading about them. 4d

TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean - I have definitely been skipping the war footnotes! I don't actually need to know all the nitty gritty historical details of what LMM is talking about 😂 4d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks Well, now I'm gonna skip them, too! 😂 Honestly, I really wish the footnotes were more helpful, or at least consistent. The editors give way too much info sometimes (like death dates and war details), and not enough or irrelevant info at other times (so many times I wish I could get a refresher on who someone is and when LMM has mentioned them before). 4d

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Mirazzles

After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life | Logan Steiner

I read “Anne of Green Gables” for the first time two years ago, and since then, I‘ve become obsessed with everything Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne Shirley. 💛

Ruthiella Do you know about #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead hosted by @BarbaraJean ? They are all about Anne and LMM! 1w

Mirazzles @Ruthiella no, I didn‘t know anything about that! Thank you! 🥰 6d

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella Thanks for the tag! @Mirazzles We have several parallel LMM buddy reads right now, reading through her complete journals and interspersing re-reads of her novels and related books (ones she mentions in her journals or books that have been compared to her books, etc.) We‘re finishing up Vol. 3 of the journals this week and start Anne‘s House of Dreams next week. You‘re very welcome to join any part of it that catches your fancy! 5d

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kwmg40

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

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A reread of a favourite from the Anne series. This one is an excellent coming-of-age novel, with Anne going to college and living on her own. There are both hilarious episodes and very moving moments.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

Andrew65 Excellent 🎉🎉🎉 1w

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BarbaraJean

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread - Anne of the Island discussion - 4/4

📚Is there anything else you‘d like to discuss about Anne of the Island?

📚Favorite sections or quotes, least favorite parts of the book, relatable moments, funniest scenes?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder I know LMM didn't particularly want Anne to end up married, but I simply can't imagine Anne not ending up with Gilbert. He's not like Professor Bhaer in Little Women who seems to only exist so Jo can get married. Gilbert is there almost from the beginning. 1w

CogsOfEncouragement “Humor is the spiciest condiment in the feast of existence. Laugh at your mistakes but learn from them, joke over your troubles but gather strength from them, make a jest of your difficulties but overcome them.“ 1w

kwmg40 I loved the part where Diana sends Anne's story to the baking powder contest, as well as the contrast between Gilbert's and Anne's reactions to her winning the prize. 1w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder YES! Gilbert is woven into Anne's life so naturally and the reader understands why they are such a good fit almost from the beginning. His apology for the “carrots“ episode is 💯 and to me at least, from that point on, it's clear how well he cares for and knows who Anne truly is (better than she knows herself, honestly). 4d

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I loved that part, where they are all telling Aunt Jimsie what they learned from college! @kwmg40 I felt like Gilbert's practical reaction to the baking powder prize was exactly the perspective Anne needed (but she wasn't able to let go of her ideals... which is what trips her up so much!!) 4d

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BarbaraJean

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread - Anne of the Island discussion - 3/4

📚Last week, we talked a bit about Anne‘s growth and change in this book. What changes and growth took place for other familiar characters: Marilla, Mrs. Lynde, Dianna, Jane Andrews, Ruby Gillis, etc.?

📚What do you think of Roy Gardner and Gilbert Blythe—not just as love interests for Anne, but as characters?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder The part with Ruby Gillis was so hard to read this time. My sister has metastatic breast cancer and took a bad turn in December (she seems to be doing a little better at the moment) and it reminded us all of the reality of her disease. She's not as young as Ruby, but Ruby's line, "I've fought so hard to live -- and it isn't any use -- I have to die" tore me apart. 1w

CogsOfEncouragement Marilla showing a bit more emotion was nice, and we can count on Mrs. Lynde to be the same til the end of time lol.

I felt bad for Gilbert. I cannot understand/relate to Anne's denial/misunderstanding of her own feelings. In the end, Gilbert played it smart and trusted Anne to realize the truth on her own. Will we hear about the necklace being repaired???? Such a sweet gesture from Gilbert. 1w

kwmg40 @lauraisntwilder I'm sorry to hear about your sister's illness. I too found Anne's interactions with Ruby very sad and moving. 1w

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TheAromaofBooks @CogsOfEncouragement - I think Anne had completely convinced herself about how being in love would “look“ - she'd always dreamed of being swept off her feet by someone tall, dark, and handsome, who would write her poetry and make grand gestures. So she completely overlooks the person whose sense of humor, attention to what actually makes Anne Anne, and overall companionship made him such a good match. I love the way LMM gives us hints of this ⬇ 7d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) comparing how the two men choose which flowers to send her, what jewelry to gift her, how they respond to a joke, etc. And how in every situation, Gilbert shows that he knows and loves the true Anne. 7d

TheAromaofBooks I think a huge part of what we see in this book is Anne beginning to understand what adulthood looks like. A lot of it is spending time in your own house, doing chores and relaxing, and part of what she sees between Roy and Gilbert is that Gilbert matches how she wants her future to look - warm, homey, companionable, happy. 7d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I'm so sorry to hear about your sister's illness. So hard to be walking through that. That section with Ruby is wrenching to read, and I can imagine how much more so in those circumstances. 💔 💜 4d

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I feel like both Marilla and Mrs. Lynde have softened once we get to this book! Or maybe I just understand Mrs. Lynde better at this point, and can see the goodheartedness behind her, well--Mrs. Lynde-ness 😂 4d

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement @TheAromaofBooks I COMPLETELY related to Anne not knowing her true feelings about Gilbert, but also felt so bad for Gilbert. When he says there were times he thought she cared for him, I thought, “ME TOO, Gilbert.“ The signs are there in so many small moments & thoughts, but she doesn't recognize them for what they really are. And when tall, dark, handsome Roy comes along murmuring his romantic compliments, well...I get it! ⬇ 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) And ugggghhh, the necklace!! I loved the way Anne realizes that Gilbert's flowers are what “fit“ for convocation & then puts on that necklace. She is so close to realizing that GILBERT is what fits, not Roy. But her pride and gossip about Christine keep getting in the way. When she thinks about how Gilbert can see the humor in things... but that Roy has no sense of humor, and that may make life a little dull... I want to just shake her. ⬇ 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ALSO! 😂 Roy is such a blank. All we hear is that he's rich, handsome, and does all the perfect romantic things. I never get a sense of who he actually is. It's like he has no personality. But Gilbert shows up to take Anne on “rambles,“ gives her the flowers she loves that remind her of home, and little gestures like the necklace demonstrate their shared past & shared jokes. That was SO romantic to me, far more than Roy's generic romance. 4d

22 likes11 comments

BarbaraJean

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread - Anne of the Island discussion - 2/4

📚Were Anne‘s experiences at this age relatable for you: going away to college, roommate hijinks, college relationships and romances, as well as her personal growth?

📚What do you see as the biggest similarities or differences between Anne‘s college years and college experiences in our own time?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder I was more worldly than Anne when I was in college, but the friendship aspects were relatable. I rented a townhouse with a friend and we had fun setting up house. (We didn't have any cats or old aunts though!) 1w

CogsOfEncouragement I cannot relate too much, but see things are similar to what my daughter experienced recently in college. Very interesting. Some things have changed so much in the last 100 years, and yet some are still so common to us. 1w

kwmg40 Anne's experiences were relatable for me -- the initial nervousness and loneliness, followed by making new friends and learning to live on my own. I only received one marriage proposal, however, and we're still married after 33 years! 1w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @CogsOfEncouragement @kwmg40 Anne's experiences felt surprisingly relatable to me, given that this is set 100+ years ago. The friendships, living w/ roommates, even the romances. The awkwardness of the proposals felt very familiar, in trying to turn someone down gracefully! I had zero proposals in college, but boy was it awkward turning down weird/thinly veiled date invites. The externals differ, but the emotions felt universal! 4d

22 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread - Anne of the Island discussion - 1/4

📚How did you like Anne of the Island as compared to Green Gables and Avonlea?

📚If this is a re-read for you, was there anything that stood out to you that you hadn‘t noticed before?

📚If this is your first read, what stood out to you the most?

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder I like this one better than Avonlea, but not quite as much as Green Gables. This was a reread, but when I read it before I hadn't read Chronicles of Avonlea. It struck me as funny how often Ludovic Speed was mentioned. 1w

CogsOfEncouragement This is a reread. Fun to see Anne continuing her education, making friends, and living in a beautiful home. 1w

kwmg40 I recall that, when I'd first read the Anne books as a teen, Avonlea was my favourite, maybe because I identified with her at that age. Now, on rereading, I like Anne of the Island much better, though Green Gables will always be a favourite. 1w

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TheAromaofBooks I love both books, but Island takes the win. There is so much more character development and story progression here. Avonlea is fun but nothing really moves forward in that book. 7d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Haha—yes, all the Ludovic Speed references felt a little excessive! It did make me want to go re-read that story, though—so perhaps it had its intended effect. I felt like she should have put the story in here instead of talking about it so much! (edited) 4d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks This one was my favorite the first time I read the series (in jr. high) but now it‘s a three-way tie between Green Gables, this one, and House of Dreams. I can‘t decide between them! I feel like Avonlea really doesn‘t hold up well. I liked it well enough the first time I read the series, but like it less and less upon re-reading. The Miss Lavendar plot line saves it for me, though. 4d

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lauraisntwilder

Anne of the Island - L. M. Montgomery | L.M. Montgomery

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Reread for #kindredspiritsbuddyread. The first Anne book (Green Gables) is my favorite, but this is an easy 2nd. I was behind on reading LMM's journals, so was reading these concurrently and that definitely added to the fun. There was at least one instance where I read the real life inspiration shortly before it showed up in the novel. It's amazing how sweet and happy the novel turned out when LMM was so worried by WWI while writing it.

kspenmoll Love your cups/saucers! 1w

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