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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This was my first #AuldLangSpine read from @Librarybelle as well as my first read of the year, and it was a great way to kick off both! I enjoyed this GBBO-themed story and its lovable characters. Although I often get frustrated with “character is weighed down by a secret from the past” storylines (JUST TELL THEM!), this one mostly worked for me. The flashbacks were predictable, but I enjoyed how the author wove in specific bakes ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …with each memory, and built them together to flesh out Jenny‘s story. Food is such a memory trigger, making Jenny‘s revisiting of the past feel authentic rather than contrived. My inner GBBO fan wanted more of the actual competition, but that wasn‘t the intent of the story and I think it would have distracted from the whole. Overall, a cozy, comforting read. This was also my January #DoubleSpin—checking off so many boxes with one book! 2h
11 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This was completely ridiculous! I have to admit I initially expected a more serious/straightforward Jane Austen-inspired murder mystery (I don‘t know why—the book blurb tells us that eligible bachelor “Edmund Croaksworth” is the murder victim…). Early on I was put off by the more ridiculous/anachronistic elements of the story and dialogue, but once I let myself sink into the silliness, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me a LOT of ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor, and honestly, now I want a graphic novel version! Also: I derived great satisfaction from this bookmark pairing. Thank you @Librarybelle for the #AuldLangSpine recommendation! 13h
kspenmoll I had fun with this book!!! 13h
Librarybelle Oh! That‘s a great bookmark/book pairing! It is a truly ridiculous book that is absolutely fun! 13h
41 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Christy | Catherine Marshall
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Pickpick

It had been YEARS since I read this (I think I read it in high school), and I remembered so little, it was like reading it for the first time! I know I watched the miniseries way back when, and I also remember very little of that—so it was all new!)

I was so impressed by the depth of spiritual reflection and growth explored through Christy‘s perspective here. There‘s a real wrestling with faith & vocation, and with the complexities of how to ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …serve & help the “disadvantaged” from a position of both ignorance & privilege. Marshall‘s characters are vivid and both lovable (Fairlight and Miss Alice) and frustrating (there were so many times I wanted to shake condescending David!).

The ending felt very abrupt, though—in spite of how long the book is, the final resolution really needed more fleshing out. That aside, this was a very worthwhile re-read ⤵️
14h
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …(and it‘s got me wanting to re-read Marshall‘s Julie, which I also read as a teen, but remember much more vividly!).

Thank you to @TheAromaofBooks for hosting this buddy read in November/December—I can‘t believe it took me this long to actually write a review 🤦🏻‍♀️
14h
kspenmoll I read this when young myself. Sounds like a good tetead! 13h
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TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. I was surprised at how engaging I found it. However, I did feel like the story lost momentum when the pandemic swept through, and, like you, I wanted more resolution, especially regarding the romance. Even a brief epilogue would have been nice! 12h
Butterfinger My grandmother loved Catherine Marshall. I think it is time to reread A Man Called Peter. 12h
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes, definitely! There were little hints throughout the book as to how the romance would end up, but because of how abrupt the ending was, it almost felt like a bait and switch. I wanted more of a resolution for David and more development with Neil. Even so, it was such a good read. 4h
34 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
Anne's House of Dreams | L. M. Montgomery
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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

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
27 likes12 comments
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BarbaraJean
The Cabinet | Un-su Kim
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“All the information contained in this novel has been manufactured, modified, or distorted in some way, and should not be used as evidence in any argument, be it in a respected academic journal or a heated bar fight.”

Well, that‘s a fantastic opening! 😂

ShyBookOwl 🤣 it's sad that ppl need these warnings now, but we do 21h
36 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
Anne's House of Dreams | L. M. Montgomery
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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)

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
36 likes10 comments
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BarbaraJean
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“She pulled a pair of opera glasses from within her hat. ‘I will not forgo my duties as your chaperone. I can use these to watch from a safe distance, and then there is no need for me to go down into some hellish secret room.‘

‘Very well,‘ Beatrice said, and descended eagerly into the hellish secret room.”

😂 This book is utterly ridiculous and I am enjoying it immensely. #AuldLangSpine

Librarybelle Isn‘t it fun? 😂 So glad you are enjoying it! 6d
monalyisha Ha! What a great quote! 6d
44 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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It‘s 11:30pm on Friday here, and I won‘t be able to finish this tonight. 😩 I have class all day tomorrow, so… here‘s a discussion prompt with zero questions and you can discuss amongst yourselves! Especially that section about LMM‘s “love affairs” 😆 (That‘s about as far as I‘ve gotten) I‘ll hop into the discussion as I‘m able and as I make progress in my reading!

TheAromaofBooks I still have about 40 pages left, so you are all good!! I will say that my favorite part of the “love affair“ section was when Edwin, who caused her so much stress and agony, and to whom she was actually ENGAGED, only gets one sentence! 😂 1w
lauraisntwilder One of my main take aways from this volume was that I'm glad I didn't marry a clergyman! Those pastoral visits just about drove her to drink. 😂 It's so hard to imagine living in a time of such a huge war, with no 24 hr news cycle, no social media with reporters on the ground. My parents grew up in LA and have been following the wildfire news on YouTube. But poor Maud had to wait for a newspaper to be printed. 1w
lauraisntwilder I sympathized with Maud's feelings of disconnection with Cavendish, while simultaneously the people who made home feel like home were dying or changing. 1w
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lauraisntwilder Oh, but my favorite part in the whole book was Ewan's reaction to meeting Maud's sister. He was so rarely mentioned, but that line of his made me laugh. 1w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂 😂 I cracked up when she wrote there was no need to say much of him. I wrote in the margin: “Because so much has been said already!“ I loved that whole “love affair“ section, including the request from the editor that she write about it for “adoring Canadian girls“! The sweetness of finding out that her first crush “had really been all my young fancy had painted.“ And then the singer whose eyelids intrigued her 😂 ⬇ 6d
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I was struck by how often she said some man had cared terribly for her and then followed that by saying he had meant nothing to her. So flippant! And it makes me SO sad to read (again) that she was never in love with Ewan. With LMM having written love stories like Anne & Gilbert and Valancy & Barney... it makes me doubly sad she didn't have that love & partnership in her own life. Maybe part of why she needed friendships so deeply. 6d
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Seriously! It brings to life all the more why she never wanted to marry a minister!! That one entry where she talked about how they'd been “visiting wildly“ to get in all those pastoral visits before the roads “broke up.“ I just couldn't. Ewan's reaction to her sister was hilarious. I wish we got more of a picture of what Ewan was really like. That one line made me like him a lot! 6d
BarbaraJean All the bits and pieces about Page were fascinating and infuriating. Maud feels so many things so deeply, and with the war and the looming legal threat with Page, I can feel her struggles mounting. It makes me feel for her and wish she had a therapist!! Or at least a kindred spirit nearby. (That's probably another casualty of being a minister's wife, now that I think of it--hard to have a confidant among parishioners.) (edited) 6d
27 likes8 comments
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BarbaraJean
Grumpy Monkey | Suzanne Lang
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With family in town and so much going on, I missed last week, but here are my joys for this week‘s #5JoysFriday.

🎂My grand-niece dancing on the table at the end of her first birthday party
📚That same sweet girl enjoying her book gifts at the park
🥐A croissant sticking out its strawberry tongue at the wall of the display case
🙏🏼Seeing a former student interviewed on the news as he was providing support and aid to wildfire victims (link ⤵️)

BarbaraJean I was watching the news and said: “That‘s my student!!” Had to pause it for my husband to see and then later tracked down the clip! https://www.facebook.com/dan.cortese.79/videos/3852420878407376/
💜I had a realization of how absolutely beautiful people are, thinking about the massive outpouring of wildfire assistance + two beautiful spiritual direction sessions I had this week
1w
TheBookHippie How wonderful! 1w
dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 1w
DebinHawaii Lovely joys! 💛💛💛 Your great-niece is so cute! 💕 6d
40 likes5 comments
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BarbaraJean
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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

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. 1w
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. 1w
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. 😜 1w
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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. 1w
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… 1w
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. 1w
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 😂 1w
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). 1w
25 likes8 comments
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BarbaraJean
Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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#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?

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
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#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?

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
23 likes11 comments
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BarbaraJean
Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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#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?

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
23 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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#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?

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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BarbaraJean
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“The universe responds to your willingness to behold the holy by revealing almost everything as holy. A plate of rice & beans, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, your new baby, the latest political scoundrel, the scary diagnosis, the restless nights.

You can start right here, in the middle of your messy life. Your beautiful, imperfect, perfect life.”

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BarbaraJean
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“When we make a pact with ourselves to show up for reality just as it is, reality rewards us by revealing its hidden holiness, its ordinary wonder, its fruitful shadows and radiant wounds. Not always, not everywhere, but more and more often and in the places we least expect.”

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BarbaraJean
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“Steal not this book for fear of shame,
For in it doth stand the owner's name,
And at the last day God will say
'Where is that book you stole away?'
And if you say, 'I cannot tell,'
He'll say, 'Thou cursed, go to hell.‘

All or any of these books were freely lent, for none of the owners wanted to read them.”

Apparently there‘s a special place in hell for people who don‘t return books, even though nobody in Lark Rise cared 😂 #hashtagbrigade

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 3w
42 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Hello, #KindredSpirits! Just a little check-in here at the halfway point of Anne of the Island:

How is your reading going? What are your thoughts so far?
What have you enjoyed most in the first half of the book?
Any favorite sections or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

BarbaraJean I‘m loving this re-read (this will always be one of my favorites!), and finding Davy far more endearing here than in AoA. The Charlie Sloane bits had me cracking up—Phil saying that Gilbert‘s chum “had eyes that stuck out THAT FAR.” And the part where he digs up and sits on one of the forbidden cushions. 😂 Then the section with Ruby ALWAYS gets me—it‘s so well done and so heartbreaking. 3w
BarbaraJean I‘m also noticing so many LMM life episodes! The chloroforming, and then not being able to get out of bed to turn out the light after reading a ghost story. And Anne‘s visit to the house where she was born—it was just beautiful, and echoed LMM‘s own words about her parents. 3w
TheAromaofBooks I love this book so much!!! I wish that it was MORE books because I would 100% read a book about each year of Anne's college experience! I really love her warm friendship with the other girls, but how she stays in touch and spends so much time with Diana when she's home. The baking powder story episode cracks me up every time - having the hero mention baking powder as the final line of the story 😂 Even though LMM didn't want to write “lovering“ ⬇ 3w
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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I think she does such a great job with the Anne/Gilbert story, and I think stays so true to Anne's character. Like Phil says, Anne has fallen in love with this idea of love instead of being able to recognize it when it's in front of her face. We get the hints that Anne isn't actually as indifferent towards Gil as she thinks she is, and all sets up beautifully for the second half of the story. And speaking of romance - Jane's proposal ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) for her brother is another episode that absolutely sends me every time. 😆 On the whole, I think we see such character growth for Anne in this one, and it's SO well done. 3w
lauraisntwilder I'm not to the halfway point yet -- I got behind on LMM's journals so I've been catching up there this week. The girls have just secured Patty's Place. I agree with everything both of you have said though. After AoGG, I think this is my favorite Anne book. 3w
CogsOfEncouragement Enjoying Phil‘s dramatic ways: “And I have such a cold in the head—I can do nothing but sniffle, sigh and sneeze. Isn‘t that alliterative agony for you?” 3w
CogsOfEncouragement This was too funny: …wound up by saying that she was disgusted with Spencervale church and she never meant to darken its door again, and she hoped a fearful judgment would come upon it. Then she sat down out of of breath, and the minister, who hadn‘t heard a word she said, immediately remarked, in a very devout voice, ‘Amen! The Lord grant our dear sister‘s prayer!‘ 3w
CogsOfEncouragement This is my second read. This was one of my fav quotes from the series: The little things of life, sweet and excellent in their place, must not be the things lived for; the highest must be sought and followed; the life of heaven must be begun here on earth. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh, me too! I would absolutely read a whole series of books for Anne‘s college years! I adore Patty‘s Place and all the friendships between the girls. I think you‘re absolutely right that LMM gets Anne‘s character development spot on here. And it‘s so relatable for me, anyway! Diana putting the baking powder into the final line of the story is HILARIOUS. And the fact that she didn‘t see it as ridiculous is even funnier. I loved ⤵️ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Gilbert‘s response that no-one would fault her for wanting the prize money—and I wonder if the high melodrama of the story made that ridiculous line fit right in 😂 I‘m still waiting for my favorite of Anne‘s proposal, though: the “will yeh hev me?” one 🤣 3w
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Oh, I‘m glad you‘ve been able to do some journal catch-up! Those are a bit harder to binge… with the Anne books, it‘s hard to stop! 3w
BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I love Phil so much!! I get a much clearer picture of her than of the other girls, and she‘s so endearing. There really are some great quotes here—that story you mentioned is hilarious!! And the passage about living for the highest (especially with the context with Ruby) is both beautiful and heartbreaking. 3w
kwmg40 This novel is one of my favourites. I love Anne's first steps into adulthood and independence, and Patty's Place seems so warm and comfortable. Phil is an adorable character, but spending time with a real-life version of Phil would drive me crazy. I'd rather have a more low-key friend like Priscilla! 3w
BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Ha! Yeah, Phil might be a bit much in real life! I think I wouldn‘t mind her as a friend, but definitely not as a roommate/housemate—even with Priscilla and Stella to balance things out! 3w
julieclair This is my first time to read this book. I adore how Anne is maturing, but glimpses of her dreamy, imaginative, spunky, childhood self still come through. The baking soda prize story was a hoot! And I love the cat Rusty… how he just attached himself to Anne… so sweet. But the chloroform scene was very hard to read. Patty‘s Place sounds like the absolutely best college living arrangement ever. Although I agree with @kwmg40 that Phil would ⬇️ 2w
julieclair drive me nuts as a roommate. But she‘d be fun as a friend. The scene where Anne turned down Gilbert‘s proposal broke my heart. Anne is just so stubbornly blind! 2w
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BarbaraJean
Yayoi Kusama | Yayoi Kusama
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Lots of joys while visiting friends over New Year‘s!
🖼️ Visiting SF MOMA
🟡 Seeing Yayoi Kusama‘s work (Giant polka-dot pumpkins! Infinity room!)
🍻 Games at a friend‘s taproom on New Year‘s Eve
🖼️ Art galleries in Carmel, especially sculptures by Richard MacDonald
🌅 New Year‘s Day sunset in Carmel

#5JoysFriday

mhillis Yayoi Kusama! Sounds amazing 🤩 3w
dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 3w
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BarbaraJean
Untitled | Untitled
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I got “more books”—what did you get? 😂😂😂

(Via Goodwill Librarian on FB)

wordslinger42 🤣🤣🤣 3w
BarkingMadRead 🤣🤣🤣📚📚📚 3w
MariaW Showed this to my boyfriend, he didn‘t laugh because he knows there will be more books. 🤣🤣🤣 3w
Bookgoil S‘more book 3w
dabbe @Bookgoil A book with s'mores sounds fantastic to me! 🤩😂🤩 3w
41 likes5 comments
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BarbaraJean
Greta and Valdin | Rebecca K. Reilly
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Pickpick

I‘ve waited too long to review this and am having a hard time remembering the plot—but honestly, it doesn‘t feel like it matters since plot is not the main point here! I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven book. Both Greta and Valdin were likable and relatable, and I loved spending time with them and their sprawling, quirky family. My main criticism is that there were about four too many characters! At times it was a challenge keeping track⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …of who was who and how they were all related. And adding additional POVs at the end felt a bit chaotic, but so did the plot at that point, so maybe it all works out. 😆 (edited) 4w
CarolynM ❤️ Loved this one. 4w
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I watched the movie in November (which was excellent) & then had to reread this childhood favorite. The audiobook distracted me from traffic on an unreasonably long drive home from my December class meeting in LA. I love this story so much—what happens when the “worst kids ever” take over the church Christmas pageant because they were told there‘d be snacks. It always manages to be both hilarious and a tearjerker. “Hey! Unto you a child is born!”

julieclair Love this review AND photo. The quilt hanging on the wall is gorgeous! 4w
BarbaraJean Aw, thank you! My mom made the quilt square—we have several seasonal hangings that she made over the years. 3w
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Thank you to @Daisey and @JazzFeathers for hosting #TolkienChristmas again this year! I looked forward to reading my Father Christmas letter each day, and Tolkien‘s drawings & the antics of North Polar Bear were such a joy! This year I bought the Centenary edition of the book instead of relying on a library copy, and I‘m so glad I did (pictured here with the closest I have to NPB). This may become an annual tradition for me! #FellowshipofTolkien

Daisey I‘m so glad to hear you enjoyed it this much! It‘s become an annual tradition for me as well, although I spend varying amounts of time with it from year to year. 4w
JazzFeathers That photo is absolutely fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing it. It warms my heart. And so happy that you enjoyed the readalong. It has indeed become a tradition for this little group of Tolkien enthusiasts 😁 3w
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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January #BookSpin! Posting now because I‘m out of town over New Year‘s and who knows if I‘ll remember before the 2nd! I‘m still trying to finish that last BookSpin pick from November… 😂

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 4w
34 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Happy almost New Year, Kindred Spirits! Today begins our buddy read of Anne of the Island. I‘m really looking forward to re-reading Anne‘s college adventures!

I‘ll post a check-in halfway through on Jan. 4, and our discussion will be on Jan. 11. Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be! #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

SpeculativeFemale I read these so many times growing up and still love them! 4w
BarbaraJean @SpeculativeFemale Me too—they‘re such beloved favorites for me!! 4w
TheAromaofBooks I know this is considered one of the weaker Anne books, but I love it so much!! 4w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I don‘t understand this one being viewed as weaker, because it had always been my favorite! (House of Dreams eclipsed it for me a few years ago, but still!) 4w
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This is really far out of my usual wheelhouse, but my spiritual director recommended it, and a good friend has talked with me a lot about the polyvagal work she‘s doing with her therapist, so it intrigued me. It turned out to be a helpful read for me—there‘s a LOT that made sense and gave me better insight into my stress responses. The book is probably 40-50% info, and 50-60% exercises—what she calls “explorations.” The info parts required ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …close attention for me, and that combined with the explorations meant it took me a while to work through the material. Some of the explorations flat-out did not resonate with me, but others were really helpful. Honestly, a lot of this felt like a slog to read, but given the number of page flags I added to mark sections I‘d like to return to… I think I should give it a pick! This was my November #DoubleSpin. @TheAromaofBooks 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo
MommyWantsToReadHerBook This sounds really interesting! 1mo
BarbaraJean @MommyWantsToReadHerBook It really was insightful for me—helpful to look at the “fight or flight” and shutdown type reactions that are really common for me under stress as biological rather than purely emotional. 4w
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I first read this 15 years ago, and found it deeply meaningful during a time when I was both mentoring others in discerning their calling, and discerning a new direction in my own life. Reading it again now brought up so many memories, and the parallels & contrasts between my life then and now are striking. Because of that, it was a difficult read in some ways, but very reassuring in others. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I feel like I‘ve made very little progress in my “vocation” since 2009—and at the same time, the changes I‘ve been pursuing this year dovetail with Palmer‘s message in some very validating ways. Palmer focuses on living out of our true self, rather than trying to become who we—or others—think we should be. There‘s a rather large element of privilege there (wouldn‘t it be nice if we all had the luxury of jobs that both pay the rent ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …and are truly a vocation, a living out of our true self)—but at the same time, there‘s still a lot of truth here that resonates for me. 1mo
JamieArc Love Parker Palmer (especially as a Quaker). 1mo
BarbaraJean @JamieArc 💜 I think this is the only book of his I've read, but I follow him on social media and love basically everything he posts. I need to make time for more of his books. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Freak The Mighty | Rodman Philbrick
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Pickpick

I‘m annoyed by this movie-tie-in cover—especially since the title was changed to match the movie 🙄But I‘m pretty sure I picked it up at a library sale for 50 cents, so I shouldn‘t complain too much 😆

I LOVED this so much! It‘s the story of a friendship between two vastly different kids, each struggling with their own unique pain and escaping into stories. There‘s such good characterization, and it‘s paced just right. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) It‘s funny and sweet and heartbreakingly sad, but also hopeful and redemptive. Definitely recommended. This was my 1993 pick for #192025 @Librarybelle 1mo
Librarybelle Good choice! 1mo
mrp27 I loved this book and the movie was good too! 1mo
AlaMich You have two of my very favorite childhood/tween years books! The Borrowers and The Westing Game will always be standouts from back when. (edited) 1mo
BarbaraJean @mrp27 I'll have to check out the movie--maybe it will make me less annoyed with the movie tie-in cover 😆 @AlaMich They're two of my favorites, too! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Reading Genesis | Marilynne Robinson
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Pickpick

This is beautiful, thoughtful & reflective—just what I‘d expect from Marilynne Robinson! I read it slowly, and found myself referencing it frequently in conversations. I lead an Education for Ministry (EfM) group at my church, and year after year my first year participants have such a hard time with reading the Hebrew Bible—not only because it‘s long & often dry, but because there‘s so much that‘s hard to stomach: patriarchy, violence, legalism.⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I found this to offer a refreshing perspective on Genesis—it doesn‘t gloss over the parts that are so difficult, but it brings forward the way God places a high value on human life and human thriving. She points out how Genesis acknowledges the complexity of the problem of evil, and wrestles with it seriously rather than reducing it to supposedly-easy answers. Especially meaningful for me were her thoughts on God‘s covenant with Abraham⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …and Jacob, and the way she characterizes God‘s relationship with humanity as unique among other ancient near eastern religions and cultures of the time. (This was my September #BookSpin, but I took my time and didn‘t finish reading it until November!) @TheAromaofBooks 1mo
TheAromaofBooks This sounds so interesting!!! 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks It really is! I don't agree with all of her interpretations, but overall, her approach is so thought-provoking. This really enriched my perspective on Genesis. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent | Judi Dench, Brendan O'Hea
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Pickpick

This was SO much fun, and it made me want to read or re-read and watch all the plays discussed. One disappointment: I intentionally checked out the audiobook, because I wanted to hear this in Judi Dench‘s voice. I didn‘t realize her part of the conversations was narrated by someone else (my fault—it‘s clearly marked on the cover!). That said, once I got into it, I didn‘t notice so much that it wasn‘t her, and the conversations were a delight. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) There was a lot more literary discussion than I anticipated, which was wonderful. It was fascinating to hear Judi‘s analysis of the characters she played over the years, as well as all her stories about each production. 1mo
willaful Oh bummer. But I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway. 1mo
TheBookHippie This is on my list! 1mo
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BarbaraJean @willaful Yeah, it was a disappointment that it wasn't her voice throughout, but honestly, listening to the bonus interview they included at the end, I could understand why they didn't just use the audio files from the interviews as the audiobook. So many little digressions and side comments! @TheBookHippie I hope you enjoy it!! 1mo
willaful @BarbaraJean That reminds me of my favorite audio movie commentary, which is by the director of the musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.“ He's having such a great time watching the movie, sometimes he sings along. 😂 1mo
BarbaraJean @willaful Hahahaha!! I love it!! 4w
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I placed a library hold for this as soon as it came out, because I loved the Thursday Murder Club books so very much. And for me, it isn‘t yet quite on par with Thursday Murder Club, but I can see the series growing on me as Osman develops these characters further. And I did really enjoy it! I liked the father-in-law/daughter-in-law mystery-solving duo of Amy and Steve, but Rosie stole the show. There‘s a lot to explore with all of these ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …characters as the reader gets to know them better. Looking forward to the next installment. 1mo
AmyG I just finished this one and really enjoyed it. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Did I really never go back to review this #OokBOokClub pick from the beginning of November? Sigh. Pratchett‘s satire of Hollywood was fun, but fell a little short for me. I wanted a bit more all around—less of the jokey poking fun (lots of his stereotype-based humor fell flat for me) and more biting satire, more depth of character development, more exploration ofthe deeper themes that were only hinted at ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …and more satisfying endings all around. I‘m glad there‘s more of Gaspode in future books! This was my pick for 1990 for the #192025 challenge. @Librarybelle (edited) 1mo
willaful Yeah, not one of his top tier for me either. 1mo
julesG @willaful an okay read, but not The book I'd recommend to someone starting their Discworld journey 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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I posted this as part of my Five Joys Friday, but it deserves its own post! Here‘s my Christmas book haul—some great picks by my husband! From the top down: This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley, Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (finishing out the series!), the tagged book (I LOVE his podcast), The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, & the Horse (5th anniversary edition & the animated story book), and The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler. 💜🎄💜

TheBookHippie ♥️ 1mo
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BarbaraJean
The Dean's Watch | Elizabeth Goudge
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I was thinking about catching up and joining in on the 12 days of Christmas posts, and then I thought maybe I‘d better catch up on my Litsy reviews first. I checked to see how behind I am, and, well—pictured above are just half of the books I have yet to review 🤦🏻‍♀️ Wonder if I can do them all before New Year‘s? 😆

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BarbaraJean
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#FiveJoysFriday - Lots of Christmas joy this week!

🎶 A rich and meaningful Lessons & Carols service on Sunday
👶🏼 Seeing my grand-niece who is just beginning to walk, tottering around like a tiny drunkard after the Christmas Eve service
🐴 My husband‘s reaction to the Wheel of Time/Parks & Rec mashup shirt I got for him
📚 Christmas book gifts
🎄 My dad reading to his great-granddaughter on Christmas

TheBookHippie Awe your dad, just precious. 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💙💙💙 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie It really was! His eyesight is so bad that I wasn't sure how it would go when she brought him a book... but we realized books for that age often have really big print 😂 1mo
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean 😊😂♥️ 1mo
dabbe 💙🩵💙 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Today‘s story, “Bertie‘s New Year,” is available on Hoopla, in the tagged collection, and here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1905-1906/5/

Thank you all for joining me for #KindredSpiritsChristmas this year! These sweet stories have been a delight & I‘ve really enjoyed reading them with each of you. I hope you have a wonderful, meaningful holiday full of the grateful & giving spirit of these stories. #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

JenlovesJT47 Thanks for hosting!! ❤️💚❤️ 1mo
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 You‘re very welcome! 🤗 1mo
Daisey Thanks so much for hosting! I didn‘t do well staying with the schedule, but I loved listening to most when I had time. 1mo
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BarbaraJean @Daisey You‘re welcome! Thanks for joining in as you were able! 🎄💜 1mo
sblbooks I've enjoyed this reread very much! Thank you for doing this again. Merry Christmas! 1mo
CogsOfEncouragement This was a very sweet collection of heartfelt and festive stories, and a nice thing to mix in with the other holiday novels I‘ve been reading. Thanks for hosting this BR. 1mo
lauraisntwilder Thanks so much for hosting! Merry Christmas! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks These stories were adorable (and worth plenty of WinterGames points 😂) and it was so lovely to revisit them. I really appreciate you linking to them every day and hosting our discussions!! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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“I'd love to be friends with you,“ she said slowly. “I've often thought I'd like to know you. Isn't it odd that we have the same name? It was so nice of you to come and see me. I—I'd love to have you come often.“

Aw—such a sweet story of a mixup that leads to a kind deed and a future friendship. Also: Josie Pye!! ? ⤵️

#KindredSpiritsChristmas #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

BarbaraJean Today‘s story is “Ida‘s New Year Cake,” which is available on Hoopla, and also in the tagged collection. You can read it online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1905-1906/11/

Tomorrow, we‘ll finish out this Christmas buddy read with “Bertie‘s New Year,” which is available at the above-noted sources, as well as online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1905-1906/5/
1mo
CogsOfEncouragement lol Right? I‘m sure it is quite a chore to continually come up with unique names! I enjoyed this sweet story of kindness. 1mo
lauraisntwilder They were discussing the "other" Ida Mtchell and I thought, if only they had an idea of the other Josie Pye! 1mo
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BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I‘ve often thought about that with LMM‘s short stories, wondering how she chose all the names! @lauraisntwilder Oh, my—yes!! Now you have me thinking: what if LMM had written a story in which this Josie Pye was that Josie Pye and had the name mixup. A very different story indeed. 😂 1mo
rubyslippersreads Was the Josie Pye in AOGG the evil twin of the one in this story? 1mo
BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I only just saw this comment! 🤦🏻‍♀️ And YES, I think we have an evil twin situation here. 3w
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BarbaraJean
The Dean's Watch | Elizabeth Goudge
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“Love. The only indestructible thing. The only wealth and the only reality. The only survival. At the end of it all there was nothing else.”

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BarbaraJean
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“She had planned to spend a nice, lazy holiday with the new book her father had given her at Christmas and a box of candy.”

Those sound like FANTASTIC plans for New Year‘s Day, and I feel that “regretful peep” at her book!! But I love the plan to brighten someone‘s New Year, anonymously—with such a wonderful result. ⤵️

#KindredSpiritsChristmas #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

BarbaraJean Today‘s story is “Uncle Richard‘s New Year‘s Dinner” which is available on Hoopla, and also in the tagged collection. You can read it online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1909-1922/26/

Tomorrow, we‘ll be reading “Ida‘s New Year Cake” which is available at the above-noted sources, as well as online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1905-1906/11/
1mo
lauraisntwilder We're with my family for Christmas and intend to go back home in time for me to do exactly this on New Year's Day! 1mo
CogsOfEncouragement That was my favorite quote from this happy story too. 1mo
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TheAromaofBooks This one was just adorable. And no good deed is done without a twinge of the selfish one that could have been 😂 1mo
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder The perfect New Year's Day plan! I mean, unless you have an estranged uncle to cook for, in which case, do that. 😂 @CogsOfEncouragement It was such a relatable situation! @TheAromaofBooks So true!! 1mo
lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean No estranged uncles! 😜 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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I‘m having so much fun reading LMM‘s Christmas stories! We‘ll finish those on Christmas Eve, then pick up our regular buddy reading starting 12/29. Above is our #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead schedule through mid-February, including two for #LMMReread, the last bit of Vol. 3 for #LMMJournals, and #LMMAdjacent read: The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett. Let me know if you‘d like to be tagged for any or all of the above. All are welcome! ⬇

BarbaraJean I have a list of potential adjacent reads that I need to review, and I‘m planning to post a poll with some of those options sometime in January. In the meantime, let me know if there are any books LMM has mentioned that caught your eye. I‘d love to add in more adjacent reads! 1mo
julieclair Please tag me for Anne of the Island and The Country of the Pointed Firs. 🙂 Thank you for the thoughtful way you host this challenge! 🩵💙🩵 1mo
TheAromaofBooks It really seems like I should be completely burned out on LMM at this point, but I am honestly more engaged than ever in these buddy reads!! Thank you so much for continuing to organize this. I've never spent this much time with one author and it has been so fascinating. I'm not sure I've ever skipped Windy Poplars - I've always read this series in chronological order - so I think it will be interesting to see the original progression. 1mo
BarbaraJean @julieclair Will do! You‘re welcome!! Thanks for joining in! 🤗 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—same! I kinda worried I‘d get tired of this when we started the journals and the re-reads both, but it‘s been so interesting! Thank you for reading along with me all this time! I‘m also really interested to reread Poplars and Ingleside integrated with the journals, and see how they fit when read that way. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday!

🌹A perfect bloom in the rose garden at church
🤗 Every person in my Education for Ministry group!
👶🏼 A FB memory of the year my roommate‘s boyfriend made a baby Jesus-shaped cake for our Christmas party 😂
🎄📚Reading by the Christmas tree
🎶🎷My husband‘s big band Christmas concert last night

Texreader These are all so lovely! 1mo
kspenmoll A rose!!!!🌹 1mo
BarbaraJean @Texreader 🤗 @kspenmoll The rose garden at church and my couple of rose bushes at home are still blooming their heads off here in late December! It‘s wonderful! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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I loved reading about all the little secrets as the Joseph children prepared gifts for each other! (Also, why are children so often described as having “curly heads”?!) In the end, this is yet another sweet story of kindness and sharing at Christmas. 💜🎄

#KindredSpiritsChristmas #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

BarbaraJean Today‘s story is “The Josephs‘ Christmas,” which is available on Hoopla, and also in the tagged collection. You can read it online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1902-1903/13/

Tomorrow will be a catch-up day, and we‘ll be back on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with a series of New Year stories to lead up to Christmas!
1mo
CogsOfEncouragement Another heartwarming story of Providence. My fav line was “Well, this is Christmas with a vengeance.” 1mo
julieclair What a lovely story. The love and resourcefulness of the Josephs, and the kindness of the Ralstons. True Christmas spirit all around. ❤️🎄❤️ 1mo
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BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement Haha, yes! I loved that line!! I was going to use it for the quote, but decided it was a little misleading out of context 😂 @julieclair I love how the story highlights that the homemade gifts the children made for each other were not forgotten and were still appreciated, even alongside the bounty of gifts from the Ralstons! (edited) 1mo
JenlovesJT47 💚💚💚 1mo
lauraisntwilder @CogsOfEncouragement I loved that line, too! 😊 1mo
Daisey I really enjoyed this one! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Knock, Murderer, Knock! | Harriet Rutland
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“Mrs Napier walked slowly to the middle of the terrace, noted the oncoming car, looked round to make sure that she was fully observed, crossed her legs deliberately, and fell heavily on to the red gravel drive.”

Now that‘s a great opening sentence!! 😂

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BarbaraJean
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What is the happiest Christmas morning you can remember?

This was another lovely story about giving to others on Christmas. So many of these stories have the same exact themes—in today‘s story, noticing someone who is lonely or less-fortunate and bringing them Christmas joy—but I LIKE those themes!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #KindredSpiritsChristmas

BarbaraJean Today‘s story is “A Christmas Inspiration,” which is available on Hoopla, and also in the tagged collection. You can read it online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1896-1901/2/

Tomorrow we‘ll be reading “The Josephs‘ Christmas,” which is available in the above-noted sources, and online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1902-1903/13/
(edited) 1mo
lauraisntwilder The happiest Christmas morning I can remember was when my son was 3 and he got the talking Vanellope (from Wreck-It Ralph) doll he'd asked for. I made pancakes and made small ones for the doll and he thought it was to coolest thing ever. ❤️ This was a sweet story. I liked that the "needy" person wasn't necessarily poor 1mo
CogsOfEncouragement Heartwarming, with the hope they can keep up the goodwill all year. 1mo
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TheAromaofBooks My mom loves Christmas so I have loads of happy Christmas memories. But one of my favorites was a few years ago when the family had planned to get together 12/26 instead of 12/25, so a rare Christmas where the husband and I were going to be home alone for the holiday - and it SNOWED, like several inches of snow, which never happens here on Christmas and was supposed to be rain but instead it was just so perfect and fluffy!!! 1mo
BarbaraJean One of my favorite Christmases was when I was living in South Africa & didn't return to the US at Christmas. My roommate & I invited two friends for a Christmas Eve sleepover—we decorated Christmas cookies by candlelight because of a power out. Then we had what we called “Magnificent & Wondrous Christmas Breakfast“! @lauraisntwilder Aw, I love the idea of little pancakes for the doll!! @TheAromaofBooks An unexpected white Christmas—what a delight! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Your favorite Christmas sounds exactly like one of LMM's stories! 😂 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂 More than you know… we took a bunch of Christmas gifts to our friends out in the township later that day! And the cat would NOT come down from the huge tree in front of the house… another Christmas mishap 😂 There were no sleigh rides or sledding, however 😁 (edited) 1mo
AvidReader25 Your Christmas in South Africa sounds lovely! I do love these LMM themes too. 💙 I remember having Christmas in a hotel room one year with my family when we were traveling to Boston. There was something sweet about realizing Christmas was Christmas no matter where you were because of who you were with. 1mo
BarbaraJean @AvidReader25 Aw, yes—somehow those out-of-the-usual Christmases help us to focus on what‘s really important about the holiday. Which is funny to realize, because I‘m big on keeping up traditions! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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“A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day.”

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BarbaraJean
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“Alexina was perfectly reckless; no matter how big a hole it made in their finances Uncle James must have a proper Christmas dinner. A favorable impression must be made.”

I did love this story, with all its familiar LMM Christmas story themes: a Christmas mishap is made right, a disagreement is resolved, and a rich relative swoops in to fix things! Although I wanted an apology from Duncan! ⤵️

#KindredSpiritsChristmas #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

BarbaraJean Today‘s story is “The Falsoms‘ Christmas Dinner,” which is available on Hoopla, and also in the tagged collection. You can read it online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1905-1906/19/

Tomorrow we‘ll be reading “A Christmas Inspiration,” which is available in the above-noted sources, and online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1896-1901/2/
1mo
TheAromaofBooks I liked this one but it felt a little too fast. I didn't feel like I got the connection to these two as I have to characters in several of the other stories we've read. 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks It did feel quick, didn't it?! I thought she could have developed this one a lot more (it's another of these stories that I'd happily read a longer version of!) 1mo
CogsOfEncouragement Another heartwarming short. 1mo
lauraisntwilder I'm trying to imagine the "greasy trail" left by stealing a turkey. ? 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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I‘ve been reading the images of Tolkien‘s handwritten letters alongside the printed text, and several times have discovered that the printed text makes minor changes or omits parts of the original letters! In today‘s letter, there‘s a whole paragraph about Priscilla‘s “Bingos” that is missing from the printed text. So interesting to see the editorial decisions! #TolkienChristmas #FellowshipofTolkien

TheAromaofBooks I noticed this last year! It seemed odd to me to omit what felt like random paragraphs/sentences. 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks All I can think is that the editors were trying to make the “story“ parts tighter by omitting the specifics about which gifts Father Christmas was bringing. I've noticed they also sometimes omit the references to things the children had written in their letters, which aren't included (I'd actually love to read those, though!) 1mo
Daisey I haven‘t analyzed these carefully, but I have wondered about editorial choices. Focusing on the story aspects does make sense. Thanks for sharing. 1mo
AvidReader25 I‘ve been reading these with my girls and they are so delightful! 1mo
JazzFeathers Oh, l didn't know that. I've tried to read only pieces of the original letters, and l never noticed the omissis. Thanks for sharing ☺️ 4w
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BarbaraJean
Untitled | Untitled
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Mehso-so

Yesterday was so busy that I missed both reading and posting! I finished listening to “A Merryvale Christmas” this morning. It‘s a fun story, with kids longing for gifts, a snowball fight, sleigh rides & sledding, and bringing Christmas to the less-fortunate. But especially for a longer story, it felt a bit lacking. I‘m still puzzled by this little Hoopla audiobook and I have notes! ⤵️
#KindredSpiritsChristmas #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

BarbaraJean I still find it odd that I can‘t find a mention of this story anywhere. It didn‘t NOT feel like LMM, although it wasn‘t particularly distinctive. I could see it being published in one of the boys‘ magazines LMM mentions writing for. The production was odd, with music sort of fading in and out behind the intro, which weirdly went on and on about how great Christmas is. It then gave some background about LMM, but didn‘t really explain where the ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) story came from—which is what I most wanted to know! The female narrator was less annoying than the guy who did the intro, but she kept pronouncing “Todd” as “Toad.” ⁉️ Then after the story came a full rendition of Joy to the World and an effusive bio of Geoffrey Giuliano, who I guess started the media company that made the audiobook?! Weird all around. Who else listened to this audiobook? I‘m super interested to hear your thoughts! ⬇ (edited) 1mo
BarbaraJean Tomorrow we‘ll be reading “The Falsoms‘ Christmas Dinner,” which is available on Hoopla (but it‘s NOT a weird audiobook with dubious origins!!), and also in the tagged collection. You can read it online here: https://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/1905-1906/19/ 1mo
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JenlovesJT47 Wasn‘t this so weird??? I‘m glad it‘s not just me. I only gave it a soft pick because it‘s LMM but it didn‘t really feel like one of her stories. Maybe we would have liked it better if we could have read it with our eyeballs. Plus the intro was like 5+ minutes of music and stuff, not to mention the outro. So very strange. 1mo
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 I know, right?! The intro & outro were bizarre. I think I'd have felt differently about this one if I could have read it on the page, without all the weird audiobook quirks.

What's funny is that I had a Hoopla audiobook of A Christmas Carol on my list to read, and this morning I noticed it's from the same media company as this one. I went & found a different version because I don't want the same weird crap with A Christmas Carol 😂
(edited) 1mo
Daisey I checked it out on Hoopla, but I haven‘t had a chance to listen yet. I lost track of when I was supposed to get to it, but I‘ll keep my expectations in check based on your comments. It is weird it seems to be mentioned nowhere else. 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Sounds... interesting 😂 I'm sorry to miss this one, but apparently not TOO sorry haha 1mo
TheAromaofBooks As a side note, will we be starting January by reading Anne of the Island? 1mo
BarbaraJean @Daisey Glad a couple of us could help you lower your expectations! There's a bunch at the beginning and the end that you can skip! 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂 Yeah, don't bend over backwards to become an audiobook listener for this one! And yes, we will be starting Anne of the Island in January! I haven't put together a graphic yet, but I will soon. This is the plan:
12/29-1/11: Island
1/12-1/18: finish Journals Vol. 3
1/19-2/1: House of Dreams
...unless people want to take a break the week of New Year's? January is being unhelpful by starting in the middle of the week. 😂
1mo
TheAromaofBooks Wednesday holidays are the worst!! 😂 I am good with whatever, especially since Island is an easy, enjoyable reread. I'll be on vacation Jan 4-11 and probably offline for that time, but it's no hardship to work Anne into my program haha 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Well, this starts off with a lengthy intro about how great Christmas is (that I‘m pretty sure was not written by LMM)—and if you want to skip ahead, you can start chapter one around the 7:45 mark! Not a whole lot of story yet in the first two chapters, but I‘m interested to hear the result of the snow fight tomorrow. #KindredSpiritsChristmas #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead ⤵️

BarbaraJean In all my Google searchings, I‘ve only found this as an audiobook on Hoopla. The intro seems to indicate it‘s drawn from several stories and books, but its origins are otherwise a mystery! I‘m interested to see how much of a traditional LMM flavor it has as we listen to the rest. (edited) 1mo
lauraisntwilder Is it just me, or is the narrator pronouncing Todd like toad? 1mo
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder It‘s not just you! That annoyed me!! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks I'm not an audiobook person, so I doubt I'll end up listening to this. But I'm very interested to hear what you think of it!! I wonder where this story came from?? I could find nothing about it! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Little Book of Joy | Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu
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#FiveJoysFriday!

Some joys this week:
🎄 Christmas decorations!
🐻‍❄️ This illustration from Tolkien‘s Letters from Father Christmas yesterday
☕️ A mug of tea from my tea Advent calendar every night
🍽️ Tasty Korean BBQ and good conversation last night with one of my best friends
🎁 My husband went Christmas shopping today (unheard of—he usually waits until at least the week of Christmas 😆)

dabbe 💙❄️💙 1mo
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