“We can roam the bloated stacks of the Library of Alexandria, where all imagination and knowledge are assembled; we can recognize in its destruction the warning that all we gather will be lost, but also that much of it can be collected again; we can learn from its splendid ambition that what was one man's experience can become, through the alchemy of words, the experience of all, and how that experience, distilled once again into words, ⤵️

“Old or new, the only sign I always try to rid my books of (usually with little success) is the price-sticker that malignant booksellers attach to the backs. These evil white scabs rip off with difficulty, leaving leprous wounds and traces of slime to which adhere the dust and fluff of ages, making me wish for a special gummy hell to which the inventor of these stickers would be condemned.”

Once the mind is reduced
to the brain, then it falls within the grasp
of the machine. It is the mind incarnate
in the body, in community, and in the earth
that they cannot confine. The difference
is love; the difference is grief and joy.
Remember the body's pleasure and its sorrow.
Remember its grief at the loss of all it knew.
Remember its redemption in suffering
and in love.

—from 1990, III

I would not have been a poet
except that I have been in love
alive in this mortal world,
or an essayist except that I
have been bewildered and afraid,
or a storyteller had I not heard
stories passing to me through the air,
or a writer at all except
I have been wakeful at night
and words have come to me
out of their deep caves
needing to be remembered.

—1994, VII

The body in the invisible
Familiar room accepts the gift
Of sleep, and for a while is still;
Instead of will, it lives by drift

In the great night that gathers up
The earth and sky. Slackened, unbent,
Unwanting, without fear or hope,
The body rests beyond intent.

Sleep is the prayer the body prays,
Breathing in unthought faith the Breath
That through our worry-wearied days
Preserves our rest, and is our truth.

—1990, V

In the game of library holds, I usually find that timing fails me. This has arrived about 6 weeks too soon… meanwhile I also have the ebook version on hold, which says it‘ll be an 18-week wait 😂 #CampLitsy25

The cover is gorgeous, I love the concept, but ultimately the book was… fine.

Maddie has been visiting Havenfall, the inn managed by her uncle, since she was a child. She finds a refuge there that offers love and friendship and magic… and solace from the grief of her life outside Haven. The concept of an inn at the crossroads of ancient, magical worlds is so promising, and the intrigue and power dynamics could have been compelling, but ⤵️

This was EXCELLENT. It‘s the story (or rather, the stories) of a house and its surrounding forest in New England; a multigenerational saga of sorts—but of a place instead of a family. We follow the people who come and go, but also the trees, the beetles, a catamount—as they both shape and are shaped by the unique history of the place in which they dwell, a place that outlasts them all. Each section has a very different feel, and between each, ⤵️

“Miss Oliver dear, you are all tired out and unstrung—just you go upstairs and lie down and I will bring you up a cup of hot tea and a bite of toast and very soon you will not want to slam doors or swear.“
“Susan, you're a good soul—a very pearl of Susans! But, Susan, it would be such a relief—to say just one soft, low, little tiny d—“

😂 😂 I‘m with Miss Oliver on this one…
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

Is there anything else you‘d like to discuss from Rilla of Ingleside?
Was there anything that bothered or frustrated you about the book?
Do you have any favorite passages or scenes you‘d like to share?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

On this umpteenth re-read for me, what struck me as new (more than just the “new” passages that I discovered had been excised from my old faithful Bantam paperback!!), was seeing so much of LMM‘s WWI experience on the page.

If you‘ve been reading LMM‘s journals, what did you notice in Rilla of Ingleside that echoed LMM‘s thoughts and experiences during WWI?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

“No, I don‘t like you and I never will but for all that I‘m going to make a decent, upstanding infant of you. …If I can‘t love you I mean to be proud of you at least.”

Rilla ambitiously takes on the care of an infant—a “war-baby”—in spite of the fact she does NOT like babies.

What did you think of this storyline?
How does Jims contribute to Rilla‘s own growth?

Posting #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead Qs early—I have a very long day tomorrow!

LMM weaves in a number of female characters who contrast with Rilla—in age, in maturity, in personality—and who together offer a full, rich picture of women on the “home front” in WWI.

What did you think of the way women‘s roles were portrayed in the novel?
Which characters besides Rilla were you most drawn to?
Which attitudes toward the war did you most resonate with?

Hi friends! I can‘t believe we‘re already over a week into May, and I‘m looking at my summer reading! I‘m still planning to read the Kristin Lavransdatter series in June, July, and August. I‘m tagging those who were interested in a buddy read, but all are welcome—please comment if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be (or vice versa if you‘re not interested anymore 😁) Also I suppose we need a hashtag—any suggestions?!

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.⤵️

In many ways, this could be summarized as: Things happen to Celehar. People ask Celehar what happened. Celehar explains what happened. Which could have gotten tedious, but never did. I loved this. (Although I DID wish I‘d re-read the previous two books to refresh my memory first—there were too many character names and other references I needed to be reminded of!) As in previous books, Addison weaves together parallel plotlines, ⤵️

#5JoysFriday
1. A catch-up session over the phone with one of my best friends
2. GREAT book group on Sunday: we beta-read my husband‘s fantasy novel & everyone had such good feedback & encouragement for him (photo is the map he‘s drawn for the book)
3. Reflective, meaningful mini-retreat on Wednesday
4. Having the house ALL to myself last night
5. This talk from Greg Boyle: https://youtu.be/XCdk-Ay8Y34?si=U0z-1cbaHgE13eCk (some quotes below)

I‘ve loved so much of Padraig O Tuama‘s work: his podcast, Poetry Unbound, and his collection of reflections on poems by the same name, as well as various poems & prayers of his I‘ve come across here & there. So I decided to read this book of daily poems & prayers during Lent this year, to displace my habit of scrolling social media & news first thing in the morning.

The book has 31 daily readings—made up of a reading, a scripture reading, and⤵️

Belated review…

Honestly, I didn't enjoy this. I didn't find it engaging, for all its action. The characters held promise, but weren't developed at all. I was initially excited about a strong female protagonist in Cora, but her characterization & role flattened as the book went on. Cooper sacrifices character development for horrific action sequences and scenic descriptions that fell flat. There were problematic racial stereotypes galore, but⤵️

I was engrossed by this quiet story of a woman who sets aside her career to join a religious community, less for spiritual reasons than for reasons she can‘t quite explain. I enjoyed its descriptions of community and religious life, and loved the quiet pace of the story and its meditations on memory, grief, and loss. It‘s thoughtful and reflective ⤵️

SUCH a powerful book. Steven Charleston is a (now retired) Episcopal bishop and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. This book tells a bit of his journey to integrate and faithfully follow both paths of his spiritual heritage. The first half of the book gives background for the second half, as Charleston orients the reader in his faith and Native heritage, contextualizing Christianity in terms of Native American perspectives and traditions. ⤵️

I‘m so conflicted about this one. I really liked the mystery and its twists and turns. I enjoyed the intrigue on the boat. I really liked Anne, Suzanne, and Colonel Race. But I hated Sir Eustace and I wasn‘t a fan of Harry. The colonialism and casual racism of the South African backdrop + the overt sexism/objectification of women really bothered me. I had a really hard time setting aside those latter elements with excuses of it being ⤵️

Hello, Kindred Spirits! Our #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead of Pollyanna begins on Sunday! Schedule is above. I‘ll post a check-in on Saturday, May 17, and we‘ll discuss the whole book on Saturday May 24.

All are welcome—let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be!

I found something very puzzling while reading Rilla this week. I often switch between print and ebook when I have both and one is more convenient. I was reading the ebook over lunch and was mid-chapter when I switched back to print. In scanning through to find my place, I discovered sections in the ebook that aren‘t in the print version. I checked it against both print copies I have—both are missing the highlighted passages above. What?!? ⤵️

This is how I feel about Irene Howard.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

A little #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead check-in for Rilla of Ingleside:

How‘s your reading going so far?
What has caught your attention in the first half of the book?
What are you enjoying (or not enjoying) in Rilla of Ingleside?

#LMMReread

#BookSpin and #DoubleSpin for May! I‘m really excited about The Library at Night. It‘s been on my TBR for years, and my husband bought me a copy maybe a year ago at Christmas. It‘s on my #50x50 list and its time has come! My DoubleSpin landed on the same category as April‘s BookSpin (1950s—70s for #192025), which I still haven‘t read—I think it‘s a sign 😆 So I‘ll pick two of those three above, and one will be for April and one for May!

#5JoysFriday!

1. Library book sale
2. Tiny grand-niece
3. Husband and Sunday jazz
4. I discovered India Rose Crawford this week—her Frog & Toad videos and pics are giving me SO MUCH JOY. Here‘s spring cleaning with Frog (the tiny booooks!!): https://www.facebook.com/reel/1219293336488930
5. The Getty Center and its gardens

How is it the last day of April already?! I haven‘t finished either of my April #BookSpin picks, and my #BookSpin from March is still languishing on the bookshelf. Maybe May will offer more breathing room and fewer reading commitments so I can catch up on previous reading commitments? Seriously, don‘t let me join any more buddy reads or challenges. (She says, while posting a list for another challenge. 😂🤣😂)

“Dancing was a hot affair. I danced twice with Anne Beddingfeld and she had to pretend she liked it. I danced once with Mrs. Blair, who didn't trouble to pretend, and I victimized various other damsels whose appearance struck me favourably.”

Ew.

#ChristiesCapers @Librarybelle

“For anybody who doesn‘t know where they‘re going.”

One of my favorite book dedications that hit just right, just at the right time.

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

Calling all Kindred Spirits! We‘ll be continuing the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead with an #LMMReread of Rilla of Ingleside, then an #LMMAdjacent title: Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (a contemporary of LMM and a fellow author who published with the nefarious L.C. Page Co.). The schedule is above—all are welcome! Please comment if you‘d like to be tagged for either or both books.

What sections or themes from this volume of the journals stand out to you?
Are there sections or quotes that you particularly enjoyed or resonated with?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

During this time, LMM began copying over her earlier journals. Having read those earlier journals and reading this journal now—do you think she ended up doing what she said she would, and copying them absolutely faithfully?

If you undertook the same task—copying out early journals now that you‘ve become a famous writer—how would you handle it?

Would you edit or revise along the way? Why or why not?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

In a couple of journal entries in this volume, LMM gives extensive descriptions of herself, her likes, and her views on various subjects, notably her religious views.

Did her beliefs or her view of herself surprise you?
What about her likes?
How did these sections affect the view you have of who LMM was?
#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

On January 31, 1920, LMM lists and comments on several quotations she‘d recorded earlier. I thought this was such a great view into her thoughts on writing and life in general.

Which of those comments stood out to you?
Are there any books listed there that you‘ve read or would like to read?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

In this volume, we see an end to WWI, but LMM records some profound struggles, from Ewan‘s illness to Frede‘s death. We see legal battles with Page and small mentions revealing her status as an author: speaking engagements, reviews, letters from fans. And we see her as a mother, writing about Chester & Stuart.

What influence do you think these years had on LMM‘s writing? Do you see echoes of this time in Rainbow Valley or in later books?

I spent a lovely rainy morning browsing the local library book sale with my niece and her daughter (well, tiny niece spent the time playing with her new bunny toy)—here are the results of the morning! The four I‘ve read already (including the vintage Anne of Avonlea) don‘t count 😆 They were giving everyone a free copy of the Ren Faire book! #bookhaul

#5JoysFriday! Here are a few joys from my week—and you can add a bonus joy of seeing everyone else‘s 5 joys 😊

1. My sister made me this crochet Frog & Toad and they make me smile every time I see them
2. One of my best friends sent me a slew of ridiculous bird names and I can‘t stop laughing at them
3. My husband‘s piano music
4. Leading a reflective Quiet Day retreat on Saturday
5. A breath-of-fresh-air meeting with my spiritual director

“…it was not until 1978 that Native Americans were allowed to practice their religious beliefs, in spite of what the First Amendment to the Constitution had guaranteed to Americans for over 200 years.
In 1978 Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act… for the first time in the 400-year history between Europeans and Native Americans, the religious practices of Native nations were not banned.”

“There isn't a single interesting person in this village—not one who makes you feel better just because of a chat. I really never saw such a collection of stupid, uninteresting people. …When I am feeling normal I suffer them gladly and find some amusement in their very stupidity but when I'm below par I'd like to blow them all up with gunpowder.”

😂 As I find so often, Maud‘s “below par” reaction to certain other people is thoroughly relatable.

I feel
Very much
Like taking
Its unholy perpetrators
By the hair
Of their heads
(If they have any hair)
And dragging them around
The yard
A few times,
And then cutting them
Into small, irregular pieces
And burying them
In the depths of the blue sea
They are without form
And void,
Or at least
The stuff they produce
Is.
They are too lazy
To hunt up rhymes,
And that
Is all
That is the matter with them.

😂😂
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

“…may not a person such as myself… whose love of beauty amounts to passionate worship, who finds comfort and help and rapture and courage and satisfaction in a wonderful sunset, or starry waters, or a wood-blossom, or the sleek, ineffable curves of a drowsy cat, or the dance & glow of an open fire—may not such a person be as truly religious as one who finds God in some other manifestation of His personality.”
#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

I‘ve enjoyed being back into LMM‘s journals this week, even though it can be difficult to read about her struggles with Ewan‘s illness and the lawsuit with Page.

How‘s your reading going? What stood out to you from this week‘s section?

#5JoysFriday:

1. Small joys: wearing my Anne of Green Gables socks while reading LMM‘s journals, and wearing my donut socks with my “ice cream” shoes (brown with pink laces)
2. Larkspur and roses in the garden and on my table
3. A perfect book cover/bookmark pairing
4. FINALLY finishing painting the bathroom, hanging a new cabinet, and replacing the light fixture (the process was not a joy, but being done is)
(Cont‘d ⤵️)

😂😂

I also loved this story from LMM‘s childhood:
“One day when I was very small an aunt asked me if I would go and bring home her turkeys from the shore field. I responded gravely, ‘I am afraid it would excite ridicule.‘”

🦃🤣

#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

I loved Camp Litsy last year and am so excited for #CampLitsy25!! Here are my nominations… tagged in the comments. Looking forward to a great reading summer!

Here's the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead schedule for the next six weeks, with #LMMJournals, #LMMReread and #LMMAdjacent choices. We'll read the last section of Volume 4 of LMM's Complete Journals over the next two weeks, then Rilla of Ingleside, then Pollyanna.

I've tagged the schedule/announcements list for the group, but all are welcome. If you'd like to be tagged for any/all of the above, please comment!

For our #LMMJournals readers (and those interested in the L.M. Montgomery connection!):

LMM mentions having read the book “in schooldays” and discussing it with Nate Lockhart. What did you notice in the book that might have attracted LMM as a schoolgirl? What characters and incidents do you imagine she might have discussed with Nate so enthusiastically?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans discussion (5/5)

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans Discussion (4/5)

In general, did you like or dislike the book? What did you enjoy or not enjoy?
Do you feel this is a classic that‘s worth reading?