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quote
BarbaraJean
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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

TheAromaofBooks This is EXACTLY how I feel when I read this type of poetry! 😂 Especially when the lines are super short. 21h
lil1inblue 😍 😍 😍 17h
25 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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“…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

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BarbaraJean
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#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?

BarbaraJean I thought her comments on religion were SO interesting—both her description of what she believes (p. 244), as well as her response to this Oliver Wendell Holmes quote: “There is a genius for religion just as there is for painting and sculpture”—and her comments about being too narrow in how we define being “religious.” (p. 238) That whole Jan. 31, 1920 entry was fascinating, as she responded to various quotations she‘d copied down! ⬇ 3d
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I especially loved her “what I like” section, responding to Ruskin's quote of “Tell me what you *like* and I'll tell you what you *are.*“ That whole entry had me jotting down potential #LMMAdjacent books 😆 3d
lauraisntwilder I'm so behind! I do plan to get caught up this week though and finish with the rest of you. 3d
See All 14 Comments
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder In retrospect, I think I should have built in a catch-up week after The Last of the Mohicans! 3d
lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean I just finished it on Thursday! I haven't gone back to look at your questions yet. I'm hoping I'll have a quiet moment tomorrow to do that and catch up on posting reviews. 3d
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Ugggh, I‘m SO far behind on my Litsy reviews!! I have a list going back to early March 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2d
TheAromaofBooks I am not done with this week's section yet (and still somehow have two chapters left of Mohicans haha) but it has been good to get back into the journals again. Somehow, they've become almost like reading a letter from a friend. LMM is such a good writer - I generally find even fictional journals to be a bit tedious, but I find hers so genuinely engaging. A couple of things that have struck me so far - that she has started copying out her old ⬇ 2d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) journals, which seems like kind of a random thing to do. She states that she is going to “be faithful“to copy it as written - do you think she did? I feel like I would be so tempted to maybe gently edit a smidge!! But I have also wondered all along how there were so many photos in even her earlier journals, and here is the answer! That she added the pictures during the copying, which I found interesting. In a TIL moment, I also didn't ⬇ 2d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) know that “bloody“ was a corruption of “by our Lady“ and have also always wondered why it was considered such a bad word! And finally, I thought it was kind of hilarious when she wrote, over a hundred years ago, “I never yet have liked any film I have seen that was reproduced from a book I had read.“ Apparently some things never change 😂

It's sooo hard to read about everything going on with Ewan and how she is still struggling with ⬇
2d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Frede's death - when she said she was so relieved to pass the one-year anniversary, I felt that. But it's so sad how lonely and isolated she is. Why do you think she is SO terrified of other people finding out about Ewan's mental health? Is it just pride/worrying about “what people will say“? She really has a phobia of mental illness. 2d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes!! She‘s witty, and such a good storyteller—I feel like I‘m enjoying her company as I read the journals. With her copying out her journals, I think she initially *intended* to copy it as written, but I suspect she began making some excisions and edits as she got further along. I wouldn‘t be able to refrain from “gentle editing” myself!! That info about “bloody” was completely new to me, too! I‘d always assumed it was ⤵️ 1d
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …something to do with Christ‘s blood and that‘s why it was considered so bad (honestly that seems more blasphemous to me than “by our Lady”?!?). I love her opinion on book to film adaptations!!! I wonder what she‘d have thought of the Megan Follows version of Anne. I do love those versions so, with the exception of that travesty “The Continuing Story” where Gilbert goes off to war right after they get married. 🙄 ⤵️ (edited) 1d
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I feel confident she‘d have HATED it as much as I did!

My heart goes out to her over Frede. It‘s heartbreaking how she longs for a real confidant & friend and seems to have no kindred spirits close enough for the depth of friendship she needs. It makes House of Dreams even more poignant to me with all the kindred spirits Anne finds at Four Winds. I wonder if that lack of a close friend contributes to LMM‘s fear of people “finding out”⤵️
1d
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …about Ewan. Fears of what others will think seem MUCH bigger when there‘s no balancing perspective from an understanding friend. I wonder also if part of it is her fears over his career? If people found out their minister suffered from mental illness—especially “religious melancholia”—he‘d probably have been finished as a minister. The opinions she‘s worried about are the ones paying his salary 😬 I agree that it seems like a phobia! 1d
34 likes14 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#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 ⤵️)

BarbaraJean 5. Encouragements in my spiritual direction journey, from a great class session on Saturday to a helpful mid-week supervision meeting + reminders that I‘m on the right track (even though I often feel like I don‘t know what the hell I‘m doing) 4d
Texreader This is lovely all around! 4d
mcctrish Your flowers are gorgeous 4d
Suet624 Those flowers! And if you‘re on a spiritual journey, you‘re always on the right track. 😊 4d
34 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
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😂😂

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

Texreader So cute!! 6d
Ruthiella Adorable! 😂 6d
TheAromaofBooks I also need divine assistance to eat celery 😂 6d
See All 9 Comments
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder But have you ever worried about exciting ridicule by bringing turkeys home from the shore? 😁😂 6d
TheAromaofBooks Once at the county fair my friend and I took a cow for a stroll around the midway and even let her play the game where you pick a floating duck and get a prize, so public livestock wrangling isn't an issue for me 😂 6d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂😂😂 Best answer ever. The cow played the floating duck game?!? I‘m gone. 😂🤣😂 5d
TheAromaofBooks We may or may not be the reason that the next year there were signs saying “no livestock past this point“ between the dairy barn and the midway 😂 😂 😂 To be strictly accurate, she didn't pick UP the duck, but she did nose one and won I believe one of those plastic unicorns like this one https://www.etsy.com/listing/1753806350/vintage-blue-white-rearing-unicorn-5 5d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh my gosh, it just gets better 😂🤣😂 I love this so much! 4d
26 likes9 comments
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BarbaraJean
Let's Go Camping | Emma Quay
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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!

See All 12 Comments
BarbaraBB Great choices! I am super interested in the Ivey! 1w
squirrelbrain Great choices! ❤️ 1w
GatheringBooks A third nomination for the eowyn ivey title! Nice!!! 1w
Susanita Great list!😉 1w
Suet624 Oh, a new Ivey! That would be fun. 1w
mcctrish I love GB, I want to read Memorial Days so badly 1w
Deblovestoread Great choices! Really interested in Memorial Days. 1w
Megabooks I almost nominated Black Woods Blue Sky. I love Ivy. The Brooks memoirs looks devastating. My mom's a big fan, and I remember her talking about with Brooks said about losing him when it happened. 1w
57 likes12 comments
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BarbaraJean
Rilla of Ingleside | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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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!

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I'm still plowing through The Last of the Mohicans!! I'm really looking forward to rereading Rilla, and Pollyanna with the group!! 1w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I‘m interested to hear what you think once the plowing is done! I don‘t regret reading it, but it was disappointing. I‘m glad to be back into the journals this week and looking forward to the next several picks! 1w
28 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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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)

BarbaraJean I have to admit that I'm puzzled that LMM was enthusiastic about this book! I thought maybe she would have resonated with the nature descriptions, but honestly, I didn't find them that compelling. I guess it was just the action and adventure she was so excited to discuss with Nate?! And perhaps Cora would have been a compelling figure to her? 1w
Daisey I‘m not sure what to think of this connection to LMM either. It does have some interesting scenes to discuss, but it doesn‘t resonate with me in any way that her writing does. 1w
22 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#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?

BarbaraJean Honestly, I didn't enjoy this. I didn't find it engaging, for all its action. The characters initially held promise, but weren't developed at all. Cooper sacrifices character development for horrific action sequences and scenic descriptions that fell flat for me. I'm torn about whether it's worth reading for how it's shaped other writing over the years. I think it has some value as a biased but illuminating portrayal of a specific time and place ⬇ 1w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...in history, but I don't think I'd recommend it unless someone was specifically studying this time period and they were also seeking out supplementary sources to contextualize and balance the perspective here. 1w
Daisey I didn‘t particularly enjoy this. There were short sections at a time that were really interesting, but there were long sections between where I struggled to stay focused. 1w
21 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans Discussion (3/5)

What do you think about the way the book portrays its Native characters (and the different tribes they belong to)?
What about the way it portrays the English and French characters?

BarbaraJean I mentioned this an earlier question, but I was bracing myself for far worse racial stereotypes. There was a bit too much “noble savage“ to the descriptions of Uncas and Chingachgook and the Delaware village. Then basically all Huron/Mingos were portrayed as bad/scheming/backward, but their French allies were largely let off the hook. But I also appreciated how there was SOME nuance in the way Magua was characterized, when he revealed ⬇ 1w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) his treatment at the hands of the English. And Cora early on makes a remark about not judging someone based on the color of their skin (ironic that she makes that comment about the person who basically becomes the villain, though!). There were plenty of problematic racial stereotypes, but overall I was impressed by the complexity we did get. 1w
16 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans Discussion (2/5)
How much knowledge of the French & Indian War/Fort William Henry conflict did you have prior to reading this book? Did you seek out more info?
What do you think of how Cooper dramatized these events?
What responsibility does an author of historical fiction have in representing historical events? What do you think are appropriate or inappropriate changes or exaggerations?

BarbaraJean I didn't have much knowledge about the historical context, and so I looked up the Fort William Henry conflict after reading the section on the betrayal/massacre. I was frustrated by what I found. Cooper has been criticized for his “lurid“ and inaccurate characterization of the massacre--it was bad, but it seems it was not nearly as horrific as described, and the inciting event with the mother & baby seems like it was completely invented. ⬇ 1w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I do think a writer of historical fiction has a responsibility to present the backdrop of history and historical events as accurately as possible--dramatizing within the “spirit“ of what happened, so to speak. ESPECIALLY when it comes to war--attributing particular types of cruel violence that DID NOT happen, to one side or the other, is irresponsible, to me. 1w
Daisey I have some basic knowledge of the French & Indian War, and I did not look anything up while reading. 1w
16 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - The Last of the Mohicans Discussion (1/5)

What expectations did you have going into the book?
How did it compare to your expectations? Was there anything that surprised you?

Daisey I‘ve got two hours of audio left . . . Every few days I listen to a bit more, but I‘ve never felt fully invested. I‘ll come back to the discussion once I‘m done. 1w
BarbaraJean @Daisey Look forward to your thoughts when you finish! This was a bit of a slog for me. 1w
BarbaraJean I did NOT expect the ending. (I haven't seen the movie, and I'm curious--does it end the same way?!) I expected that the portrayal of the Native characters would be far more problematic. I cringed at some of the verbiage/stereotypes, but there was a LOT more nuance and complexity to the portrayal of Native characters and cultures than I expected there'd be, given when this was written. Also, I expected that it would be more engaging than it was!! 1w
19 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday

1. Great weekend visiting friends in Alpine—good conversation, playing board games, eating good food, hanging out on their deck reading together
2. Tasty Thai food with a good friend on Wednesday
3. Good catch-up with former co-workers today, over delicious Greek food
4. These crazy little strawberries (I decided I had one that could walk and one that could talk)
5. This poem: https://onbeing.org/poetry/the-peace-of-wild-things/

Sace Mmmm. 😋 Thai food. 2w
BarbaraJean *Posting with no image because Litsy is being mean. I‘ll post those cute strawberry pictures later 😁 2w
BarbaraJean @Sace Yesssss. This was a good food week. 2w
dabbe 💙💚💙 1w
33 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
Raising Steam | Terry Pratchett
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“I know we have what might be called an unconventional marriage, what with our jobs and the pressure of work and so on, but I wouldn't be doing my wifely duty if I didn't ask you whether you have been firkydoodling with fast and loose women? No pressure. Answer in your own time.”

😂 “Firkydoodling” is hereby added to my vocabulary.

#OokBOokClub

julesG I love the "no pressure." part of this so much. I've only read this book so far. This time I'll listen to the audiobook and am looking forward to how the dialogue plays out. 3w
Ddzmini 🤣🤣🤣 a new word for us wifey to utilize 3w
38 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Posting our check-in for #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent a little early since I‘ll be out of town visiting friends on Saturday & Sunday.

I got caught up this week—and wow, lots of action, lots to talk about. But I‘ll save that for next week‘s end-of-book discussion!

How is everyone‘s reading coming along? What are you enjoying and/or not enjoying in what you‘ve read so far? Which characters are you most curious about?

TheAromaofBooks I'm a couple chapters behind, but overall enjoying this story even if it's a bit slow in spots. The betrayal/massacre as everyone left the fort was just horrific. 3w
lauraisntwilder I'm not loving this one. It feels like a lot of wandering around in the woods, occasionally interrupted by horrible violence. 2w
Daisey I‘m playing catch up today. I just got through the chapter @TheAromaofBooks mentioned. It‘s holding my attention better than it was thanks to the action, but I‘m still not loving it. 2w
See All 9 Comments
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks SO horrific. The violence has been hard to read. @lauraisntwilder Yeah, unfortunately that's a very apt description! @Daisey I've had a similar experience this week: finding it more engaging now, but not really enjoyable. I'm curious about Hawkeye and want to know more about his past as well as Uncas and Chingachgook's past. I feel like Cooper is trading character backstory & development for action & description--not my favorite. 2w
TheAromaofBooks In fairness, this is technically the second book in the Leatherstocking Tales - I think book one is about Hawkeye's origin story. 2w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes! When adding it on GR, I saw it was marked as book two! I had no idea it was part of a series, so looked it up (I hate starting in the middle of a series). The Hawkeye one was written later, as a prequel (1841 vs. 1826 for Mohicans)--so I guess others wanted to know more about him as well! 2w
julieclair @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean I have always thought of this as a stand-alone book. It‘s interesting to learn it is Book 2. I‘m tempted to read a summary of book 1, just to quickly learn more about Hawkeye. 2w
TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean so there goes my attempt to make excuses for Cooper's pathetic character development - apparently he only did so under duress over ten years later! 😂 2w
BarbaraJean @julieclair I always thought it was standalone, too! I don't know if I'm interested enough to read any of the others, though! @TheAromaofBooks 😂 😂 The rest of the series was a retcon... 😆 2w
31 likes9 comments
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BarbaraJean
Rogue Protocol | Martha Wells
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#5JoysFriday

1. THIS jazz album: https://robrennie.bandcamp.com/album/heading-north (It‘s 7 original songs written by the pianist from my husband‘s big band and combo. And that‘s my husband on sax. I‘m biased, yes—but they‘re fantastic musicians, it sounds amazing, and I‘m SO proud. You can listen at the link above and/or treat yourself to a download!)
2. Birthday date with my husband (movie, sushi, ice cream, and great conversation)
Continued ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
3. Birthday gifts from my MIL: Anne t-shirt and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
4. Murderbot. I‘m re-reading the series and they‘re SO GOOD.
5. National Poetry Month! Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer‘s poetry has been such a joy this week. I shared one yesterday, but here are a couple more:
https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2025/04/03/how-ive-started-to-pray/
https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2025/04/01/with-tears-as-i-write/
(edited) 3w
Amiable What a fabulous list of joys! 3w
MemoirsForMe Congrats to your hubs and his band! 🎶 3w
See All 12 Comments
dabbe 🩵💙🩵 3w
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Happy Birthday!!! 3w
Bookwormjillk Sounds like a joyful birthday. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie You and MrBookHippie might want to check out the link in #1 😁 3w
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean oh yes!!!! Sunday coffee plans!! 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Yessss! ☕️🎷🎹🎶 3w
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean oh thank you so much!!! We had a lovely morning with coffee, jazz and even SUNSHINE!!! Just lovely. 2w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Yay!! 🎉 I'm so glad you enjoyed it, as part of a lovely sunny morning!! 2w
33 likes12 comments
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BarbaraJean
Hush | Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
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“What I Know of Love When Times Are Dark”

And if you can‘t find a candle,
then light the wick of your wonder.
And if you can‘t find your wonder,
then now might be a good time
to pray. And if you don‘t
know how to pray,
then perhaps you are doing it right.
What do I know of prayer?
Only that every prayer that has saved me
is a prayer that has found me
instead of the other way round—
a prayer that comes through me,

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
…as if I am nothing more
than flesh in service to a prayer.
And if there is a candle, ask it
to be your teacher. And if there is
a candle, notice how far its light
can reach. See if you, too, can touch
the world as generously as a candle,
just that far, holding back not even
the tiniest measure of love.

Link: https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2025/04/02/what-i-know-of-love-when-times-are-d...
3w
28 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
Behold the Dreamers | Imbolo Mbue
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Pickpick

The story follows a Cameroonian immigrant family—Jende Jonga, his wife Neni, and their son—in ‘07-‘08 NYC. Against the backdrop of the economic crisis and Obama‘s election, we see Jende working for better opportunities for himself and his family, as his future becomes more and more entangled with the family for whom he works as a chauffeur. It‘s a fascinating, nuanced take on the American Dream, with the Jonga family‘s struggles set against ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …the very different struggles of the wealthy Edwards family. Although these struggles were compelling, I didn‘t really connect with any of the characters—which is both realistic and fitting, even if I found it unsatisfying here. People are complicated, and this story resists both “hero immigrant” and “wealthy villain” tropes. I was frustrated by some of Jende‘s actions, frustrated by some of the patriarchal cultural values… ⤵️ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …that rear their head between him and Neni, but was also rooting for them to succeed in finding their place in NYC. And somehow I also found myself rooting for the Edwards family, too—as distasteful as I found many of their actions. So: unsatisfying in the end, but worth the read for its complex characters and the thought-provoking commentary it evokes on the fable of the American Dream.

This was my February #DoubleSpin. @TheAromaofBooks
3w
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 3w
TheBookHippie I remember reading this ARC. I had similar thoughts. It makes a great discussion book I think. 2w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie I think you're right about it being a good discussion book. My enjoyment of it would have been greater if I'd read/discussed it with a group. There's a LOT to talk about. 2w
44 likes5 comments
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BarbaraJean
Crazy Rich Asians | Kevin Kwan
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Mehso-so

This…was not for me. We read this for my IRL book group in March and then watched the movie together—this is a rare case where I liked the movie better!

The whole read kind of low-key annoyed me. Reading about the lavish casual spending of the uber-rich just didn‘t land well with me, especially right now. The characters were largely shallow and/or unlikable—I realize that it was intended as a send-up of a particular segment of society, but… ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …the satire felt too soft and in places, it read a little like a #notallrichpeople justification. I felt like I learned a bit about Singaporean and Chinese culture, but reading about the uber-rich segment of another culture isn‘t really my goal for cultural learning. It was a quick read, though—and I did find myself curious to find out what would happen next (just not enough to read the next book). And I enjoyed the food descriptions! 3w
40 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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April‘s #DoubleSpin is clear—and is also my #44 pick for #50x50. For my #BookSpin, I get to pick a book published in the 1950s—70s for #192025. Above are the three I‘m thinking about… any recommendations?

Suet624 Yay for Anam Cara. I‘ve only read A Separate Peace (as a teenager) out of the three and I liked it. (edited) 3w
TheBookHippie I like them all 👀🤫🙃 3w
BarbaraJean @Suet624 I'm really looking forward to Anam Cara. It's been on my list for so long and it's nice to have the “assignment“ to read it! @TheBookHippie Good news is I'll be reading them all at some point before the end of the year!! 3w
See All 6 Comments
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean literal DECADES since my reading of them 😂 3w
TheAromaofBooks Oh Black Sheep is one of my favorite Heyer romances!! 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh, that‘s good to know! I‘ve been leaning toward Black Sheep anyway because I‘m pretty sure that will be a nice escapist read—the other two, not so much 😆 3w
30 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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#BookSpinBingo wrap-up for March: 12 books, no bingos, no spins completed 😕 I do plan to get to those missed spins in April, though!

Favorites:
💰Making Money
🙏🏼Queering Contemplation
🪦The Woman in White (re-read)
🤖Artificial Condition (re-read)

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 3w
31 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
The Library at Night | Alberto Manguel
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My birthday is tomorrow, which means my #50x50 reading challenge kicks off tomorrow! I‘m planning to read 50 books from my TBR before my 50th birthday (which is in 2028). I‘m planning to start with one of these:

Raybearer—30: gifted w/in last 5 years
Bird by Bird—9: about writing
Anam Cara—44: related to my vocation
The Library at Night—7: about books/reading

If you‘d like to join in, the link to the StoryGraph challenge is in the comments. ⤵️

CSeydel Happy birthday! 3w
See All 18 Comments
Bookwormjillk Thanks for the tag! I need to make my list. 3w
TheBookHippie Working on my list!!! I‘m excited! 3w
TheBookHippie Happiest of birthdays to you!! 3w
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Happy birthday! I read bird by bird in college and liked it 🐦‍⬛ 3w
Butterfinger Happy birthday!!!! 3w
Librarybelle I was thinking about this challenge this morning! I have to do my #bookspinbingo list today, so maybe I‘ll start strategizing this as well! Happy birthday! 3w
julesG I'll probably put my list together tomorrow. 3w
BarbaraJean @CSeydel @TheBookHippie @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @Butterfinger Thank you!! @Bookwormjillk @Librarybelle @julesG It‘s been fun seeing what others have added to the challenge on SG! 3w
kspenmoll Thanks! Just joined your challenge! Happy birthday! 3w
Deblovestoread Joined! Happy birthday 🎂🎈📚🎉 3w
BarbaraJean @kspenmoll @Deblovestoread Thank you! Yay!! Glad to have you along for the ride! 3w
MemoirsForMe Happy Birthday! You‘ll love Bird by Bird! 🥳🎉🎂📚 3w
BarbaraJean @MemoirsForMe Thank you! I‘m sure I will! 3w
Bookwormjillk I hope you had a happy birthday. Story Graph is giving me fits right now but I am in. I am considering re-reading 50 books I've loved in the past. (I turn 50 in 2027) 3w
BarbaraJean @Bookwormjillk Thank you--it was a happy birthday! I love your re-read idea--that sounds like a great way to read into to your 50th. 😊 3w
43 likes18 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Years ago, I came across the poem “The Taxi” by Amy Lowell, and its final line has lived in my brain ever since: “Why should I leave you, / To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?” I‘ve meant to read a collection of her poetry ever since, but we all know how the TBR intentions sometimes go. So when it became apparent that in spite of my best intentions in January, I definitely wasn‘t going to get around to reading any (let alone all ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …three volumes) of Dante‘s Divine Comedy by the end of March for the #ClassicsChallenge2025, I decided to read some Amy Lowell instead.

This collection, published in 1919, is made up of two halves. The first is filled with tiny, exquisite poems that play with Chinese and Japanese forms, creating gorgeous crystal-clear images in word pictures. I had a hard time putting it down, savoring bite-sized poem after poem. ⤵️
4w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The second half is more lyrical, moving away from the Asian-inspired images and into English cities and the countryside. While I preferred the imagery of the first half, there were still some gems in the second half. I‘m glad I finally immersed myself in Amy Lowell‘s poetry, and I‘ll definitely be seeking out more of it!

Link to her poem “The Taxi” (which isn‘t in this collection): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42984/the-taxi
4w
MommyWantsToReadHerBook Such a beautiful poem. Lovely post 💙 3w
36 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
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It‘s been an over-full reading week and I‘m only just now sitting down to read this week‘s section of Last of the Mohicans for #LMMAdjacent #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead. 🙃 How‘s everyone else‘s reading coming along? Are you enjoying the book so far?

Bookwomble Nice bookmark 🔖🙂 3w
DieAReader Behind in all my readings this week🤦🏻‍♀️ 3w
lauraisntwilder I've read this week's chapters, but I'm finding it easy to zone out on this one and not realize it. 3w
See All 11 Comments
TheAromaofBooks I'm finding this one interesting, but a chapter a day is definitely easier for me than large chunks, especially when there is fighting. 3w
Daisey I‘m with @lauraisntwilder on this one. I find some parts interesting, but then I‘ll completely lose the thread. Maybe it would be better if I was focused on print instead of listening, but there‘s no way I can currently fit that in my schedule. 3w
BarbaraJean @Bookwomble Thanks! I like to use a bookmark that matches the book. In this case I love the red leather with the vintage book—even though the Fitzwilliam Museum doesn‘t match thematically😆 3w
BarbaraJean @DieAReader I know the feeling!! This was one of those weeks for me. 3w
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @Daisey Similar for me—I find my attention wandering. @TheAromaofBooks I‘m too behind to parcel it out in short chunks now ☹️ 3w
julieclair Need to catch up… it‘s been a crazy week. 3w
julieclair I‘m now on Chapter 14 - listening on audio and really enjoying it. It‘s action-packed for sure! 3w
BarbaraJean @julieclair I've been wondering whether I'd like this more or less on audio! Glad you're enjoying it. I think I'd prefer audio for the action parts but would probably find myself zoning out in some of the wordiness. 3w
38 likes11 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday!

My first three are more treasures unearthed from the garage:
1. Beautiful blue glass vases which I have filled with larkspur from the garden
2. My brother‘s soccer shirt from when he was a kid in the early 80s, featuring the name of their sponsor: “Drugs-N-Such” 🤣
3. My summer library reading program certificates from childhood, one of which proclaims: “The Sizzler Proudly Salutes You”
Continued ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
More joys (unrelated to organizing the garage 😆):
4. Finally getting my music library (~100GB) back from a failed hard drive
5. Dinner with one of my best friends last night + an early birthday gift of a book, a bookish game, and an Emotional Support Dumpster Fire (gifted in the book-themed gift bag we‘ve been trading back and forth since college)
4w
Bookwormjillk The Sizzler proudly salutes you 😂😂😂 4w
kspenmoll What fun joys!!!‘ 3w
31 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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SEPTEMBER, 1918

This afternoon was the colour of water falling through sunlight;
The trees glittered with the tumbling of leaves;
The sidewalks shone like alleys of dropped maple leaves,
And the houses ran along them laughing out of square, open windows.
Under a tree in the park,
Two little boys, lying flat on their faces,
Were carefully gathering red berries
To put in a pasteboard box.
⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
Some day there will be no war
Then I shall take out this afternoon
And turn it in my fingers
And remark the sweet taste of it upon my palate
And note the crisp variety of its flights of leaves
Today I can only gather it
And put it into my lunch-box
For I have time for nothing
But the endeavour to balance myself
Upon a broken world.
4w
25 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I love the Wayward Children series so much, and this latest book didn‘t disappoint. I ached over Nadya‘s our-world story and loved her underwater portal world (and ached again over the ending). I‘m constantly impressed by how deftly McGuire weaves into her fantasy worlds huge topics like adoption and ableism, in ways that illuminate and universalize the experiences of diverse characters.

This was my 2025 pick for #192025.

Librarybelle Yay!! 4w
46 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
Going Postal | Terry Pratchett
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Pickpick

Still working my way through belated reviews…this goes back to early February for the #OokBOokClub.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, from the characters to the satire to the fact that it had CHAPTERS.* And the reappearance of characters from The Truth. And golems! There‘s so much more substance to the characters here (I‘m looking at you, Rincewind), which gave more depth to the story overall—and its satire of government was maybe a little too ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …relatable right now, with quotes like:

“Steal five dollars and you‘re a common thief. Steal thousands and you‘re either the government or a hero.”
“Sometimes the truth is arrived at by adding all the little lies together and deducting them from the totality of what is known.”
“What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.” ⤵️
4w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d):
*I love Terry Pratchett, but his aversion to chapters has been a mild annoyance thus far. The lack of chapters somehow has the opposite effect from what I assume Pratchett was aiming at—it‘s harder for me to sink into the book when I don‘t have clear units of content to anticipate. My brain wants those clear divisions.

Also also: this was my 2004 pick for the #192025 challenge with @librarybelle!
(edited) 4w
Librarybelle Excellent!! 4w
See All 9 Comments
willaful I also noticed the wonderful CHAPTERS and was wondering if they're part of why this book is so popular! 4w
julesG I think Rob wrote something about the chapters in his biography of Terry. I'll check and come back (though later, just got out of bed it's 6am here) 4w
julesG Wanted to get back to you and clean forgot. I looked through the book, but couldn't find the passage. Sorry. 2w
BarbaraJean @julesG Thanks for looking! I poked around online & found some Terry quotes from an interview: “life does not happen in regular chapters, nor do movies, and Homer did not write in chapters,“ and: “I'm blessed if I know what function they serve in books for adults.“ He has a point, but I have several answers on what function they serve in books for adults! With his use of chapters here and in Making Money, it seems he did find a function for them. 2w
julesG I was wondering, especially with the "synopsis" of each chapter, whether it had to do with his diagnosis. But since he didn't stick to it, I guess it's more of a "tried it, not my cup of tea" thing. 2w
BarbaraJean @julesG I wondered if he used chapters specifically in the Moist books, in order to poke fun at (Victorian?) novels where there's a little synopsis/preview at the beginning of each chapter. Or to work in the little quotes he uses. (Or both.) I think you're right, it was an experiment and he decided he wasn't into it! 2w
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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#BookSpin list for April (even though I haven‘t even started my BookSpin or #DoubleSpin from March yet 😬)

Lots of challenge/buddy read picks on this list, with #192025, #ChristiesCapers, #OokBOokClub, and my own #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead and #50x50. But it also stays pretty close to my physical TBR—which is ostensibly my goal with BookSpin! Looking forward to the numbers next week!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! The Man in the Brown Suit is one of my favorite Christie books, even though (because??) it's completely ridiculous 😂 Is All Creatures Great and Small a buddy read? I love those books so much!! 4w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks All Creatures is on my list for #192025, and so is The Man in the Brown Suit, for that matter (with a nice #ChristiesCapers overlap)! I've never read either and both feel like fun & cozy reads, which I need more and more these days. 4w
29 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
Crazy Rich Asians | Kevin Kwan
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Um… you‘d think that by the time the movie tie-in edition was published, they‘d have corrected stuff like this. TBH, I‘ve already been low-key annoyed reading this—reading about the massively rich just doesn‘t land well right now—and dumb errors like this aren‘t helping. Can‘t guarantee I‘ll be in a good mood about this one at book club on Sunday. 😬 At least it‘s a quick read!

Vansa The book/series start off satirising the clueless uber-rich but then ends up saying they're the good people, it really irritated me. Reflective of the massive privilege the author comes from🤷🏾‍♀️ 1mo
JamieArc What is this even supposed to say??? 4w
BarbaraJean @JamieArc I‘m assuming it‘s supposed to be “A melodious peal rang through the room.” I think it should be a peal of something (laughter, bells, whatever)—and personally, I think “chime” would be more appropriate for the context—but at least “peal” wouldn‘t suggest that there‘s some kind of giant ringing orange rind rolling around. 4w
JamieArc @BarbaraJean 😂😂 Exactly was I was imagining! 4w
42 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Yep.

Leftcoastzen Funny / Not Funny 1mo
BarbaraJean @Leftcoastzen My sentiments exactly! 1mo
TheBookHippie Right?! WTAF 😵‍💫😝 1mo
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BookmarkTavern Do I laugh? Do I cry? Both. 1mo
lil1inblue 😂 😂 😂 😭 😭 😭 4w
CarolynM 🥴 4w
49 likes6 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Another text for my spiritual direction course—this is a gorgeous, interactive book that I had a hard time bringing myself to write in! It explores the basics of spiritual direction from a number of religious traditions—from Christianity and Judaism to Islam and Buddhism. It was instructive to see both the differences and the deep connections between different spiritual traditions when it comes to spiritual guidance. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) There were lots of new-to-me perspectives here that enriched my approach to spiritual direction. With gorgeous artwork and prompts for journaling and reflection, this was brief but not shallow—a solid, thorough intro to the concept of spiritual direction. 1mo
BethM What are you working toward? 1mo
BarbaraJean @BethM I‘m working towards becoming a spiritual director—I‘m about halfway through a 2-year formation program/internship. It‘s been so rewarding! 1mo
38 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I read this in Jan/Feb for my spiritual direction course, and it was excellent. It both broadened my definition of contemplation and challenged me to see contemplative practices in a new way. Holmes explores contemplative practices of the Black church, bringing in the historical context within which new forms of contemplation necessarily emerged. Viewing community and social activism through the lens of contemplation was illuminating. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Holmes also highlights Howard Thurman, MLK, and others as Black contemplatives, and the 2nd edition includes new chapters on Obama‘s presidency, the BLM movement, and explorations of the work of Black artists including Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar. 1mo
Kristin_Reads I love Barbara Holmes and loved this book! I read it several years ago. 1mo
BarbaraJean @Kristin_Reads This was the first book I‘ve read by her, and I definitely want to seek out more. 1mo
35 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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So, what had happened was…😆

When making our reading schedule, I mistakenly consulted the table of contents for a retold/abridged version of the book, which only had 19 chapters. The actual book has 33 chapters. SO—I have adjusted the schedule accordingly! I divided the remaining number of chapters by 3 weeks, so now the pace is about 9 chapters per week instead of 5 —but it should still be really doable. ⤵️ #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) (I was surprised by how short this week‘s section was—now I know why 😂) I‘m so sorry for the mistake—hope this still works for everyone! 1mo
JenlovesJT47 Going to try to catch up today. I know, I‘m the worst 😬 always behind on everything, sorry! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Looks good!! When I started reading, I couldn't find the schedule (Litsy was being obnoxious lol) so I just read 2 chapters a day, so I'm a little ahead of the original schedule anyway!! 1mo
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Daisey I haven‘t been very good at listening to my audiobooks during the week, so I‘m catching up on a book club read today and then getting back to this. 1mo
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 No worries—the discussions will be here whenever you‘re caught up! 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—one small benefit of Litsy‘s issues last week! 1mo
BarbaraJean @Daisey I‘ve had to do a lot of catch-up lately, too—so many (good) bookish commitments! 1mo
34 likes7 comments
review
BarbaraJean
The Fall of Arthur | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this unfinished piece of Arthurian poetry by Tolkien, along with the accompanying essays by Christopher Tolkien (that make up most of the book). Overall, though, it was a bit unsatisfying—I wanted a little bit more from all of it (but that‘s my own issue, not an actual problem with the book). “The Poem in Arthurian Tradition” made me want to study the poem in the context of an Arthurian Literature course, to go deeper into the sources ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …Tolkien drew from. With “The Unwritten Poem & its Relation to The Silmarillion,” I wanted more analysis of the connections & parallels (and character comparisons) not only with the Silmarillion, but also the rest of Tolkien‘s work. (I realize literary interpretation/analysis wasn‘t Christopher Tolkien‘s purpose, and I understand why, but that‘s what I wanted!) My favorite part of the book, though, was the appendix on Old English Verse.⤵️ (edited) 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I loved reading more about the alliterative form—it enriched my reading of the poem to go back and examine the form Tolkien was using, and it made me wish even more for a completed version of the poem. I‘m glad I read this #MedievalTolkien pick with the #FellowshipofTolkien! 1mo
kspenmoll Wonderful review! 1mo
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Daisey Great review and I completely agree! I also really enjoyed the section on the verse form. 1mo
JazzFeathers What a great review, Barbara 🤩 l found it more difficult than others we read, but l still enjoyed it a lot. Especially the chapter about the Silmarillion, though l, too, would have liked a lot more from it. 'Cause I'm sure there's more, there. 1mo
BarbaraJean @kspenmoll @Daisey Thank you! @JazzFeathers I agree, I found the essays in this one more difficult than some of our other reading—especially when Christopher Tolkien got so detailed about the various drafts of the poem. I wanted less of that and more analysis—I understand why CT‘s focus is where it is, but I guess my preference/interest is sometimes different than his goals! 1mo
40 likes6 comments
review
BarbaraJean
The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie
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Pickpick

Another belated review… this was the #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3 pick for February.

I was excited to read this because I hadn‘t read any of the Tommy & Tuppence books before, and it was such fun—in spite of the more improbable & unrealistic aspects of the plot! Both Tommy & Tuppence annoyed me a little at times, but I did enjoy their youthful energy and banter—as well as seeing Agatha Christie write younger protagonists. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I loved their ingenuity as they navigated various predicaments independently of each other. Tuppence had her own strengths and contributions in unraveling the mystery, instead of just being a throwaway token female in the duo. I look forward to reading more Tommy & Tuppence in the future!

This was also my 1922 pick for the #192025 challenge.
1mo
Librarybelle Yay!! 1mo
dabbe You old bean! 🤩🤣🤩 1mo
BarbaraJean @dabbe 😂 I love that expression so much—really need to find ways to work it into my daily life 😆 1mo
dabbe @BarbaraJean IKR? I adored this book! 🤩🤣🤗 1mo
41 likes1 stack add5 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead check-in, 5 chapters in! I‘m reading this Book League of America edition from the 1940s & the print is TINY. 😵‍💫

I‘m having trouble keeping track of the various players & alliances in the conflict, but I‘m interested to see where things go with our travelers. I‘ve also been on edge about how this is going to go as far as racism & stereotypes.

What do you think of our main characters and of the book so far? #LMMAdjacent

tpixie How many pages does this book? I have a kids version that I suspect as an abridged. 1mo
tpixie This was a family favorite movie. 1mo
BarbaraJean @tpixie My copy has 269 pages--I was wondering about the length, because when I originally put together the schedule I was seeing much longer page counts on other editions. And just now when checking for the page count, I discovered that my copy has 33 chapters, but the online table of contents I found, on which I based the reading schedule, has 19 chapters. 😫 This is going to require further research... 1mo
See All 14 Comments
BarbaraJean @Daisey @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads @JenLovesJT47 @DieAReader Important question: how many chapters are there in the editions you're reading? And do those chapters have names? When I did the reading schedule, I used an online table of contents from the Library of Congress, and it had 19 chapters, all named. Mine has 33 chapters, none are named, but each one opens with a quotation. Trying to figure this out...😩 (edited) 1mo
tpixie @BarbaraJean 🩷🩷🩷 Well, at least it‘s not 490!? 😀 1mo
BarbaraJean @tpixie The print is pretty small, but it does seem like an awfully low page count!! 1mo
tpixie @BarbaraJean oh well maybe it is a 400 page book with small print. Small print is so hard…. But the edition looks cool in the photo! (edited) 1mo
TheAromaofBooks I have 33 chapters, and like yours no titles but quotations at the beginning of each chapter. 413 pages + footnotes. I have definitely run into problems with some of the classics I've hosted!! It annoys me that it's so difficult to get a straight answer as to whether a book is abridged and/or “updated.“ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Also I literally had to go to SparkNotes and write down who some of the characters are 😂 1mo
lauraisntwilder There are 33 chapters in mine, too. 350 pages. My impression so far is surprise that there's even a discussion of prejudice. 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder Thank you for the confirmation of 33 chapters!! Also I found my error—the table of contents I found was a “retold” and abridged edition. That‘s what I get for being too lazy to walk across the room and grab my copy 🙄 I‘ll post an updated schedule based on the actual number of chapters! 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks A character list is a great idea! I still can‘t remember which sister is which! Or which fort is which. Or which tribes are allied with whom. 😆 @lauraisntwilder Yes—I was impressed by the one sister‘s comment saying they shouldn‘t distrust their guide just because his skin is dark. I‘m interested to see how these dynamics play out. 1mo
DieAReader Also quotes & 33 chapters in my Kindle Amazon Classics Edition. Some confusion on characters & alliances but it‘s still early🤭 1mo
BarbaraJean @DieAReader 33 chapters (and my mistake) confirmed! 😆 It really is hard to keep track of all the pieces at this point… no doubt it will all settle into my brain soon! 1mo
41 likes14 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday!

1. Sunday jazz with my husband‘s combo
2. Lunch on St. Patrick‘s Day with dear friends
3. Last-minute cheap tickets to see HP & the Cursed Child at the Pantages in LA
4. Unearthed some “treasures” from the garage—including a little ceramic alien my sister made at age 12
5. Phone call from one of my regular editing clients thanking me for my work—helping him craft a eulogy for a mentor of his 💜

dabbe 🩵💙🩵 1mo
TheBookHippie Treasures!! ♥️ 1mo
37 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Woman in White | Wilkie COLLINS
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Pickpick

I had so much fun reading this with the #HashtagBrigade, although I still question my judgment in deciding to read both this and Nicholas Nickleby simultaneously. This was a re-read for me, but I remembered little about the twists and turns of the narrative, so the unveiling of the various secrets and plots was still largely a surprise. 😆 Also, I‘m happy to report that my review from August 2011 still holds up! ⤵️

BarbaraJean I loved this. It‘s deliciously Victorian (oh, the melodrama!), and reminded me both of why I love Victorian lit so much, as well as of its quirks which thoroughly annoy me. Of course, the most capable woman is ugly... and her energy, intelligence, and presence of mind are continually referred to as being “like a man‘s.” Although, Marian herself seems to mock and poke fun at these conventions throughout, which was great fun. ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) What more could you ask: A despicable villain, a conniving husband, a convoluted conspiracy complete with uncanny likenesses and mistaken identity, “horrifying” secrets of the past finally uncovered, a lovely fainting heroine (contrasted drastically with her capable and ugly half-sister), and, of course, the entirely annoying invalid uncle, whose parentheticals just killed me: ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The date was towards the end of June, or the beginning of July, and the name (in my opinion a remarkably vulgar one) was Fanny.”
“She had carefully put the two letters into her bosom. (What have I to do with her bosom?)”
“...she had thought she should like a cup of tea. (Am I responsible for any of these vulgar fluctuations, which begin with unhappiness and end with tea?)”

Hilarious.
1mo
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Bookwormjillk A great read for sure 1mo
ferskner Ooooof! That's a lot of Victorians at once. 1mo
BarbaraJean @ferskner Soooo many Victorians. At least Dickens and Collins have very different vibes! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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“There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets.”

#WhattheDickens

Texreader Great quote!! 1mo
kspenmoll Love this! 1mo
36 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Soooo far behind on reviews! The #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead read & discussed this over a month ago. But, my viable excuse for this late review is that I only just finished the four related stories!

This was a slow-paced description of life in a small, coastal Maine town in the late 1800s. The semi-autobiographical slice-of-life plot is narrated through the eyes of a writer boarding there for the summer. Through small vignettes, Jewett‘s writing ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …brings to life both her characters and the landscape they belong to. The book is slow and reflective, and the four related stories were a delight (although I do wish those stories had been woven into the book proper—they‘re closely linked and feel like they‘re necessary to continue/wrap up a couple of storylines). I loved the way the landscape and the characters echoed Anne‘s House of Dreams, but with a very different flavor. 1mo
Tamra This is right up my alley - I loved it. 😊 1mo
BarbaraJean @Tamra It's just lovely, isn't it? 1mo
39 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Hamlet is Not OK | R.A. Spratt
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Mehso-so

This was…OK. I‘ve seen the “real world characters enter a fictional world” premise executed better elsewhere, and this felt a bit lacking. Selby & Dan felt under-developed, and their interactions with Hamlet and the play‘s other characters were handled a bit awkwardly (really? Hamlet has few-to-no problems/misunderstandings of modern culture or language?). The book explores concepts of mental health (naturally, encountering Hamlet & Ophelia ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …leads to discussions of depression), but without much depth. BUT, this could be a nice entry point for someone who‘s struggling to get into Shakespeare or find it relatable, and I could see it being a springboard for a really worthwhile discussion of the play. 1mo
41 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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We start reading The Last of the Mohicans tomorrow! The weekly schedule is above (we‘ll be reading about 5 chapters per week). I‘ll post a check-in on Saturdays, and we‘ll have a wrap-up discussion of the whole book on Saturday, April 12. Looking forward to reading along with all of you!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

Suet624 Oh boy. What a great book to read. Can‘t add this to my list to read now but I‘ve stacked it because I definitely want to read it. 1mo
DieAReader 💖Happy I came across the #LMMAdjacent post a few weeks ago. 📖I‘ll be reading along with everyone🤓 1mo
BarbaraJean @Suet624 Too many great books to read, right?! @DieAReader Glad to have you reading along! I‘ll add you to the tag list! 1mo
DieAReader @BarbaraJean 🤓💖Thanks! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery
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LMM dedicates Rainbow Valley to three young men who were killed in WWI, and the ending of the novel, with its references to the Piper, foreshadows the war to come. Did you notice anything else in the book that echoes or explores these bookend references to the war?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

lauraisntwilder Ellen West seems pretty convinced there's something rotten in the state of Germany. 1mo
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder And she wasn't wrong! I loved seeing LMM's interest in politics come out in that way. I felt like the Piper stuff was a little heavy-handed, but I liked that little foreshadowing with Ellen. 1mo
kwmg40 There were definitely instances of foreshadowing -- references to the politics but also suggestions that the world will change and the current times will be gone forever. 1mo
BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yes! I think that‘s what I had a hard time putting my finger on. There‘s a whole mood of “all this is about to change.” It makes the childhood games and antics that much more nostalgic. 1mo
27 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery
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It was heartbreaking to read the above in LMM‘s journals and to see LMM‘s loss of her cousin and dear friend overshadowing the publication of Rainbow Valley. But I loved hearing the source for both of these Rainbow Valley moments.

What are some of your favorite parts of Rainbow Valley? Favorite episodes or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

JenlovesJT47 I can‘t wait to actually sit down and read her journals. Hoping to get to it this week. 💚 She was such an interesting person. 1mo
CogsOfEncouragement Throughout the book, it was interesting to me how gossip in the small community played such a role in nearly everything. Sometimes the gossip caused great harm, and sometimes it was the gossip of others that prompted someone to act to everyone's betterment. 1mo
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 I hope you end up being able to get to them—I‘ve really loved reading the journals! 1mo
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BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I got so mad at the gossips! Yes, there were times the Meredith kids (AND the Blythes, if we‘re being fair—which the gossips were not) really got up to mischief—like the pig-riding 😂 But it seemed like the things that set off the worst gossip were often innocent mistakes (like cleaning the house on Sunday!) or situations the kids should/would never have been in—if a responsible adult had provided some guidance and care. 1mo
BarbaraJean In spite of how much John Meredith (as a father) frustrated me, I really enjoyed the Rosemary + John love story. I was rooting for the kids to have her in their life. I loved her friendship with Faith, and how Una finally brought everything together so sweetly & selflessly. I also loved basically all of the scenes that centered on Faith. Her explanation in front of the church, her letter to the Journal, and the pig-riding!! ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) And I loved Faith‘s response to seeing that condescending minister catch his coat-tails on fire, vindicating poor Adam just a little bit! 1mo
kwmg40 I enjoyed the antics of the Meredith kids, and seeing how their “bad behaviour“ usually stemmed from childish impulsiveness, kindheartedness or good intentions. 1mo
BarbaraJean @kwmg40 I really loved those kids! It bothered me that the gossips labeled them as such “bad” kids, because they all had such good intentions. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery
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For those who are re-reading the series: How was it reading Rainbow Valley right after House of Dreams instead of after Anne of Ingleside?

Does this book feel like an “Anne” book to you? What do you think of the glimpses we do get of Anne and Gilbert?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

lauraisntwilder I think it makes more sense coming right after House of Dreams. Well, actually, I think it's that Anne of Ingleside makes more sense if you read this one first. LMM introduces all the children in this one, but on my first read through, I read Ingleside first and was a little lost. I think I'll enjoy that one more this time through. 1mo
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Oh, I hadn‘t even thought about that with Ingleside! Even though we get very little development of the Blythe kids here, at least we do get the general introductions. I‘ll definitely be paying attention to how that affects my reading of Ingleside this time. 1mo
BarbaraJean Although this doesn‘t feel like an Anne book to me, doing kind of a fast-forward to the next generation made sense to me. And I loved getting to see glimpses of Anne and Gilbert at this stage of their lives. The few moments we get of Anne as a parent (both to her own kids and to the Meredith kids at times) were just lovely. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery
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What worked or didn‘t work for you in this book? What did you most enjoy? What did you dislike or find problematic?

We get a bunch of new characters: Anne‘s children and the Meredith family, and various members of the community including the West sisters. Which were your favorites or least favorites? Who would you have liked to read more (or less!) about?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

CogsOfEncouragement I of course like Rosemary. I was very much frustrated by Ellen not allowing Rosemary out of a promise no one should make, and then again when Ellen was keeping herself and three other people from easy happiness. I enjoyed Norman's character and any scene he was mentioned.

Faith was a favorite, I chuckled as she tried to fix messes she made, only to make things worse in some ways. Her letter to The Journal was a hoot!
1mo
lauraisntwilder I was a little confused about when Mrs. Meredith died. I haven't taken the time to look back, but I swear Mr. Meredith has a memory of his wife holding little Una and it sounded like Una was a baby, or a very young toddler, at least. But later Una remembers a speech her father gives them shortly after her mother's death. I wouldn't have thought she be old enough to remember. 1mo
lauraisntwilder *she'd be old enough 1mo
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TheAromaofBooks We'll see if Litsy lets me comment😑 RV has always been my least favorite of the Anne books, and I think it's because I don't like John Meredith. Can anyone really be this self-absorbed and neglectful? How can you still consider him a “good“ person? I have no patience with his whole “guilt-stricken“ moments that are immediately followed by him pursuing his own interests again. While I love the children, I find John impossible to root for. 1mo
BarbaraJean I really like the characters in Rainbow Valley—I love the Meredith kids. But it frustrates me that the Blythe kids are just side characters. And it‘s way too darn hard to remember which Blythe is which, because they‘re not at all fleshed out, and then Nan and Di are named after Anne and Diana, which confuses me! 1mo
BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement Faith was my favorite! I loved her boldness to stand up to the gossips, both with her church announcement and her letter to the Journal. My jaw literally dropped with some of her comments in her letter—but most of what came across so harshly was said truthfully and without malice. Like her comment about the yarn!! I love Rosemary, too—and Ellen‘s stubbornness and hypocrisy infuriate me. 1mo
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I found that memory of Cecilia and Una—it‘s halfway through Ch. 14: “the child whom the dying mother had clasped to her heart… Cecilia had clung to her baby until the gates of death had shut between them.” I was confused, too—“her baby” sounds like Una was either an infant or the youngest, but we know Carl is younger than Una. The AoGG fandom wiki says Jerry was 8 when his mother died, which would make Una 6 at that point. 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks YES about John Meredith. I liked Rainbow Valley more on this reading than before, partly because it reminded me so much of the little gang of friends in Story Girl/Golden Road. But John Meredith bothered me SO much more. No matter how much he supposedly cares for his children emotionally, he‘s a crappy father. But I was equally infuriated by the community, who gossip & judge those poor good-hearted, well-meaning kids who have ⬇ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …absolutely no support or guidance at home. I wanted to cheer at Anne‘s speech about what she‘d say about the Meredith kids, and the way Miss Cornelia took it to heart. But those kids needed more than adults defending them and their father‘s love for them. I think I was rooting for Rosemary & John in part because those kids needed her so badly!! But it also made me really angry that John finding a wife was presented as the best solution ⬇ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …for his failures as a father. Because guess what? If he can‘t remember that he has kids that need caring for, odds are he‘s going to neglect his wife, too. And that‘s going to be a crap marriage if her primary role as a wife is getting him to pull his nose out of tomes of German theology in order to remember he has a wife and kids. (Also UGH to commenting on Litsy via the web right now...) 1mo
kwmg40 I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the earlier ones. I agree with others that John Meredith was an infuriating character but I liked all the other characters, even Ellen. One complaint I had about the subplots is that I felt I had seen them all before in earlier books -- the rescued child, the long-separated lovers, etc. 1mo
BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yes, LMM does have certain tropes she uses a LOT! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
The Book of Joy | Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu
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Belated #5JoysFriday!
1. My dad & I are making progress in getting rid of unnecessary stuff—someone took the dresser we left at the curb, and we gave a bunch of vintage clothes & hats to a local youth theater org for costumes
2. During the above, I found a sweet “Thank You Grandpa” booklet my nieces gave my dad almost 20 years ago (we kept that!!)
3. Between rainstorms we had some glorious clear days where I could see snow on the mountains ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
4. One of my college professors (Bible professor at a conservative Christian university) is posting thoughtful critiques of Trump/Christian nationalism & related topics on social media. Today: “The Christian virtues are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I‘ve yet to figure out where contempt for transgender people fits in this list.”
5. And, that misprint from Sunday‘s bulletin! 😆
1mo
TheKidUpstairs I love all of these! 1mo
dabbe 🩵💙🩵 1mo
DebinHawaii Lovely list of joys! 💛💛💛 That thank you book & messages are so sweet! 1mo
38 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
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“…they're all called monks or monastics, as ‘monk‘ comes from the Greek monos, meaning ‘alone.‘ But as we know, society likes to create separations and binaries of everything, so the word for nuns comes from the Latin nonnus, meaning ‘monk.‘”

😂

review
BarbaraJean
Lark Rise to Candleford | Flora Thompson, H. J. Massingham
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Pickpick

It‘s super hard to review all three books together, because my enjoyment varied greatly from book one to book three! This had been on my list for a while, since my MIL recommended the series to me. And initially my question was WHY did anyone ever think this would make a good series?!?! This question persisted for me throughout the first book and a half, which read like a mildly interesting description of rural village life in the late 1800s. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Very little plot, very little character development—very few characters even to speak of. But by the second half of the second book, Laura begins to emerge as a character, and her thoughts and dreams and observations began to endear me to the book. And the last book was a delight. I don‘t know if I‘d have persisted if it weren‘t for the short chapters & the hilarious daily commentary from the #HashtagBrigade. So, in the end: a pick? 1mo
dabbe 🎯🎯🎯 1mo
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