lmmontgomery

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

Hello, #KindredSpirits! Checking in here at the halfway point of Anne‘s House of Dreams:

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 #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, monalyisha, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks

CogsOfEncouragement Miss Cordelia is a hoot! Captain Jim is a treasure. Leslie is such a strong woman. This is a reread for me (over ten years between) and I totally forgot about Baby Joyce. 16h

CogsOfEncouragement “Why do you hate the men so, Miss Bryant?”
“Lord, dearie, I don‘t hate them. They aren‘t worth it. I just sort of despise them. 16h

CogsOfEncouragement “Yes, red—to give warmth to that milk-white skin and those shining gray-green eyes of yours. Golden hair wouldn‘t suit you at all, Queen Anne—my Queen Anne—queen of my heart and life and home. “Then you may admire Leslie‘s all you like,” said Anne magnanimously. 16h

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CogsOfEncouragement “When I ponder on them seeds I don‘t find it nowise hard to believe that we‘ve got souls that‘ll live in other worlds. You couldn‘t hardly believe there was life in them tiny things, some no bigger than grains of dust, let alone color and scent, if you hadn‘t seen the miracle, could you?” (Captain Jim, Chapter 18) 16h

TheAromaofBooks I love this book so much! One thing I was thinking on this read through is about how LMM chose to have Anne move away when she married, much as LMM also had to do. The whole part of the story with Joyce is just sooo sad, especially knowing how many of Anne's thoughts are reflections of LMM's own when she lost her baby. But I love the way that that isn't just a throwaway scene to make readers emotional for no reason - the baby's death is also the ⬇ 15h

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the catalyst for Anne becoming closer to those around her, especially Leslie and Captain Jim. In a way, it feels like her actual induction to adulthood more than anything else that has happened to her, the first true tragedy of her life. Consequently, it gives the story weight and meaning instead of just feeling like it is thrown in there just to make readers cry. 15h

lauraisntwilder This is my second time reading this one. I read it for the first time in 2023, but that time I read Windy Poplars first. I think reading this as book 4, in publication order, makes more sense. I like Windy Poplars, but it's a little strange that Gilbert is so unimportant. 10h

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I love Miss Cordelia so much! She's hilarious and so bait-able, but she's just so wholly herself that she's aware she's being baited and doesn't care--she speaks her mind regardless. And such great quotes! That one about the seeds stood out to me, too. ⬇ 4h

BarbaraJean One of the passages that stood out to me this time:
“You'll see your little Joyce again some day.“
“But she won't be my baby,“ said Anne, with trembling lips. “Oh, she may be, as Longfellow says, 'a fair maiden clothed with celestial grace'—but she'll be a stranger to me.“
“God will manage better'n THAT, I believe,“ said Captain Jim.

It reminded me of Anne's conversation with Ruby in Island. I love how LMM digs in to challenge pat answers. 4h

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I hadn't thought about that parallel of LMM moving away after getting married! The parallel with Joyce is so sad and adding in other biographical details it seems Four Winds and Gilbert are likely even more of a reflection of what LMM wished for...both the love story and nearby friends of “the race that knows Joseph.“ I agree that this first real grief for Anne gives the story so much more weight & meaning. I'm impressed (again) ⬇ 4h

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) at how LMM took the events of her life and was able to weave those emotions and longings into her writing. Reading the journals is adding so much to re-reading her fiction. And as much as I love Island, I agree with LMM when she said that she thought this was her best book yet. Both the loss of Joyce and the way it's a catalyst for Anne, as well as Leslie Moore's story arc, make this story much deeper than her previous books. 4h

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Yes, it's fascinating to be reading this one in publication order! I do love Windy Poplars for how it shows Anne finding her own way as a teacher and in Summerside society, but this one follows more naturally after Island when it comes to Anne & Gilbert's relationship. Gilbert's development as a character makes more sense when you go from Green Gables to Avonlea to Island to House of Dreams without the weird Windy Poplars absence. 4h

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emilycoc

Anne of Ingleside | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Next up, I'm continuing on in this series. This is book 5 of 8, and it's #BookThreeOf2025

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CogsOfEncouragement

Anne's House of Dreams | Lucy Maud Montgomery

“Thanks be, I‘m done with geometry, learning or teaching it,” said Anne Shirley, a trifle vindictively, as she thumped a somewhat battered volume of Euclid into a big chest of books, banged the lid in triumph, and sat down upon it, looking at Diana Wright across the Green Gables garret, with gray eyes that were like a morning sky.

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LitsyEvents

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

Repost for @BarbaraJean

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)

Original post - https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2831188

BarbaraJean Thanks for reposting! 5d

35 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

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

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

The Country of the Pointed Firs

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! 🙈 6d

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TheKidUpstairs @monalyisha where in PEI are you going? It's one of my favourite places to visit! 6d

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. 6d

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!! 6d

BarbaraJean @monalyisha Would it help with commitment if I only tagged you for the end discussion of each book and not the midpoint? 😆 Would love to have you join in if you can! (Like @TheAromaofBooks this is probably my favorite Anne book… and I‘m also super jealous of the PEI trip 😁) 5d

TheKidUpstairs @monalyisha well, clearly she's an awesome person with a name like that 😉🤣 I'll email you some of my fave spots! 5d

monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs Yay! Thank you, Megan! And @BarbaraJean, go ahead and tag me at the mid-point, too. If I haven‘t started reading yet, it‘ll be a reminder to at least think about it. 😉 (edited) 4d

BarbaraJean @monalyisha Haha—will do! 😊 4d

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kwmg40

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

pick

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 🎉🎉🎉 2w

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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. 2w

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.“ 2w

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. 2w

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). 1w

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!!) 1w

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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. 2w

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. 2w

kwmg40 @lauraisntwilder I'm sorry to hear about your sister's illness. I too found Anne's interactions with Ruby very sad and moving. 2w

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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 ⬇ 2w

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. 2w

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. 2w

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. 💔 💜 1w

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 😂 1w

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! ⬇ 1w

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. ⬇ 1w

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. 1w

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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!) 2w

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. 2w

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! 2w

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! 1w

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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. 2w

CogsOfEncouragement This is a reread. Fun to see Anne continuing her education, making friends, and living in a beautiful home. 2w

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. 2w

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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. 2w

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) 1w

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. 1w

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