Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

A reminder for the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead-ers who are following along with the #LMMJournals: this coming week (Nov. 24-30) we‘ll be picking up the journals again for just one week, before we dive into LMM‘s Christmas stories.

On Saturday 11/30, we‘ll discuss July 14, 1913 - March 12, 1916 from Volume 3 of LMM‘s Complete Journals. Looking forward to it!

blurb
BarbaraJean
The Golden Road | L. M. Montgomery
post image

LMM called The Story Girl “my own favourite among my books” and “the best piece of work I have yet done.” Of writing it, she said: “I was sorry to finish it. Never…had I laid down my pen and taken farewell of my characters with more regret…I have written it from sheer love of it.”
Her comments above about The Golden Road were quite different.
What are your feelings about each book?
Do you think the difference LMM felt is apparent in her writing?

BarbaraJean #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread Golden Road Discussion 3/3 1d
Roary47 I think she genuinely loved these characters, and to feel rushed in writing characters I grew to love too from the attention she paid to their development I would have hated it too. These characters I grew to love more than her other books and I am sad there was not more. I think if she did have the time that she wanted she could have made more of an epilogue to finalize their stories than just predictions. 1d
julieclair It makes me sad to think she did not enjoy writing this book. But it also amazes me that even so, she was able to create such a feeling of warmth among her characters, that radiates out to us, the readers. 1d
See All 6 Comments
TheAromaofBooks I don't feel like The Golden Road is a weaker book than The Story Girl - to me, it picks up right where the first book left off. Like @julieclair and @Roary47 I'm amazed at how her inner turmoil and stress doesn't feel reflected in the writing, which is warm and happy. 13h
lauraisntwilder @julieclair I completely agree! 12h
kwmg40 Her comment about Chester suggests she was a typical overworked and tired mom. I can believe that the writing process was arduous with an infant around! 5h
37 likes6 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Golden Road | L. M. Montgomery
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread Golden Road Discussion: 2/3

Which of the characters did you relate to the most? Who would you have most enjoyed having as a childhood friend?

What did you think of the Story Girl‘s “prophecies”—and of the way the book ends?
What would you imagine for these characters‘ futures?

julieclair I think of the “prophecies” as LMM‘s way of letting us know what happened with each of the characters, kind of like an epilogue. The ending of the book was so bittersweet, with the characters separating and moving on to the next phase of their lives. This was so reminiscent, for me, of leaving high school and everyone scattering to different colleges. 1d
julieclair I think I would have loved to have Cecily as a childhood friend. She was so kind, and calming, and just plain good. 💙 1d
TheAromaofBooks I agree with @julieclair that this was kind of an unofficial epilogue. I thought it was interesting that she gave us so much foreshadowing of Cecily's early death, and found myself wondering why she decided to sort of secondhand kill her off. But I loved the references that Bev makes throughout the narration of still seeing everyone later in life, receiving letters from them, etc. 13h
See All 6 Comments
lauraisntwilder Weirdly, I think I related most to Bev, who, as narrator, has the least personality. But, he feels so strongly about them all and creates this record, so to speak, and I think I'm often the one paying attention and writing things down, rather than being the center of attention. I would have loved a friend like Cecily. 12h
lauraisntwilder I have asked my husband for the DVDs of the Road to Avonlea TV show for Christmas. 🤞 The epilogue section made me think so much of the show, almost like it is filling in the blanks. I haven't seen it since I was the age of the Story Girl, but I loved it then. 12h
kwmg40 I liked the narrator Bev. I sometimes wished we could have learned more about him. 5h
23 likes6 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Golden Road | L. M. Montgomery
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread Golden Road Discussion: 1/3

What did you think of the book overall?
Are there any specific quotes or particular sections that stand out to you?

Do you see any common themes or parallels between this book and others you‘ve read by LMM? Or with LMM‘s life and her writing in her journals?

Roary47 I really enjoyed this short series. The Story girl‘s stories at the end when she predicted their futures I‘m still thinking about. Especially, when Cecily was mentioned to “never leave the Golden Road” 😭 I also really liked that Peter‘s dad came back so he could go to school. Even if it wasn‘t everyone‘s else‘s school. 1d
julieclair The scene where Paddy died was a real tearjerker. And the scene where Peg came to church was hysterical! And the scene where Felicity cried because The Story Girl was moving away was so surprising to me. Lots of emotional ups and downs in this book, which gave it such depth. 1d
TheAromaofBooks I enjoyed this more than I remember doing so in the past. I think I've always been sad that the book ends with everyone going their separate ways, but this time I just tried to enjoy the book without thinking about the ending haha One thing that struck me this time was that I definitely feel like the Story Girl's father was based on LMM's father, with an ending for the SG that LMM wished she had had. 13h
See All 7 Comments
TheAromaofBooks This kind of felt like a homesick book to me in a way. This is LMM's first novel she writes after moving away from PEI, and there were things like her going off on raptures about mayflowers and just overall descriptions of nature and the farming community that felt nostalgic - especially combined with the fact that the story is being narrated by someone reminiscing about his childhood. 13h
lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks I thought about LMM's father, too, when the Story Girl's father returns, but also Peter's father, who seemed like even more of a lost cause. And then Bev and Felix's father returned, too! It was sad for the group to be broken up, but that was what made their time together so special. I loved Dan in this one, called Felicity a sweet name to mask an insult. 😆 12h
lauraisntwilder Overall, I thought this was a sweet follow up. These two feel different from her others. Maybe because I just read Chronicles of Avonlea, which recycles a lot of themes/situations from her other work, but the King cousins feel real and more like AoGG in terms of originality and style. 12h
kwmg40 This book definitely felt more melancholy than other LMM books I've read. I think it's mostly because of how Bev looks back on the events nostalgically. 5h
20 likes7 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

#5JoysFriday!
1. The soup my husband made for me while I was sick with a cold
2. A Zoom call with my spiritual direction mentor group, where we talked about JOY!
3. That conversation led me to Mary Oliver‘s poem “Mindful”:
“…It was what I was born for—
to look, to listen,
to lose myself
inside this soft world—
to instruct myself
over and over
in joy,
and acclamation.”
https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/mindful-mary-oliver/
⤵️

BarbaraJean 4. Book haul: the Amazon 3-for-2 sale meant I bought not just Letters from Father Christmas for #TolkienChristmas, but an Advent book I‘d been wanting and two books for my grand-niece 😁
5. Discovering that the poetry Advent calendar I loved so much last year is being offered again this year: https://mailchi.mp/anamcara/anam-cara-advent-calendar-2024
2d
Daisey What a great list of joys! 2d
BarbaraJean @Daisey 🤗Thank you! 1d
dabbe 🧡🤎💛 1d
29 likes4 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Orbital | Samantha Harvey
post image
Bailedbailed

Sigh. It‘s not you, Orbital, it‘s me. But maybe it‘s you, just a little. (Also maybe audio was a poor choice for me with this one.)

I was enticed by the Booker win and an immediately available audio copy on Libby. This sounded like something I‘d enjoy: meditative and thoughtful. I like meditative and thoughtful. I don‘t need a page-turning plot, but I did want some semblance of a story. Halfway through I‘m still struggling to remember ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …who some of the characters are, and I have SO much else to read. So it‘s goodbye, at least for now. 5d
BarbaraJean @dabbe Yes!! I hate bailing, and I need the reminder that it‘s okay to put it down if it‘s not working for me. 3d
45 likes3 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Golden Road | L. M. Montgomery
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

Checking in at the midpoint of The Golden Road! Thoughts on the first half of the book?

Which events and adventures stand out to you? What do you think of “Our Magazine”?

In comparing it to The Story Girl, do you see growth and change in the characters?

lauraisntwilder I went rogue and decided to squeeze in Chronicles of Avonlea before starting this one. I'll catch up for next week. 😊 1w
TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder - I'm reading the Chronicles, too! 😂 1w
TheAromaofBooks I'm also reading The Golden Road, although I'm not quite to the halfway point yet. I'm actually really enjoying this except Felicity seems way more unlikable in this one. She's so smug and condescending. I just wanted to smack her when they were all making their New Year's resolutions. This one doesn't seem to have as many of the Story Girl's stories, which is okay with me as I enjoy the adventures of the gang more, I think. Staying in Peg's ⬇ 1w
See All 12 Comments
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) house was pretty exciting!!

On the whole, I don't feel like anyone has changed much since the last book (other than Felicity being worse lol) but I also think that not much time has supposedly past since the conclusion of The Story Girl, either.
1w
julieclair The chapter where they stayed in Peg‘s house was a hoot! My favorite chapter, I think. And I agree with @TheAromaofBooks about Felicity. She‘s on my last nerve. 😂 1w
julieclair I‘m really enjoying all the juicy, and sometimes snarky, tidbits in Our Magazine. 1w
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks I love that you're both reading Chronicles! I support the going rogue. 😁 1w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair Yes about Felicity—ugh!! I did love the comment about the New Year's resolutions in “Our Magazine,“ basically saying that Felicity claims to have thought a beautiful thought every morning but won't tell them what any of the thoughts were 😂 And I'm enjoying Dan's method of dealing with her, with all his snarky “dear sis“ and “darling“ tacked on to his comments! 😂 ⬇ 1w
BarbaraJean The adventures here feel more memorable than in Story Girl—they're doing more than sitting around telling stories & making up games. The Peg chapter is a favorite, for sure—especially after their desperate & scared pilgrimage to ask for her help over poor Paddy! Not that much time has passed, but it seems like they're discussing “older“ subjects and at least Cecily seems less little-girl-ish. Maybe that's just all the drama over Cyrus Brisk!! 1w
kwmg40 As others have mentioned, the chapter at Peg's house was the best one so far. In fact, I'd been finding the pace a bit slow up until then, but now I'm wondering if/how all her predictions will come true! 1w
kwmg40 Coincidentally, I'm reading at the same time Terry Pratchett's The Truth with the #OokBOokClub, which is about a group of Discworld characters trying to set up and run a newspaper. The parallels are fun to consider, though the settings couldn't be more different from each other. 1w
BarbaraJean @kwmg40 There are some great Peg moments in the second half, too! So funny about parallels to The Truth—I still need to get started on that one. Very different publications, I‘m sure 😂 5d
27 likes12 comments
review
BarbaraJean
The Haunted and the Haunters | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
post image
Pickpick

Another #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent pick from October—I wanted to read this because L.M. Montgomery highly recommended it in her journals. LMM loved ghost stories, so when she described this one in particular, I hunted it down and added it to our list. I‘m a coward about scary stories, so I read it in broad daylight—and didn‘t find it particularly scary. Then the night after I read it, I woke up in the middle of the night, ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …was convinced I heard a voice speaking in my ear, couldn‘t stop thinking about this story, and was a leeetle scared of going back to sleep. The story itself was fascinating. I loved the setup: the logical/skeptical/scientifically-minded narrator wants to stay in an actual haunted house, and he REALLY gets what he asked for! Although it gets a little too explain-y in parts, it ends up being an interesting combo of supernatural and not. 1w
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
Starling House | Alix E. Harrow
post image
Pickpick

This was the second creepy house book I read in October! It wasn‘t really YA but read like it—I‘m not sure how I feel about that, but I did really enjoy the book. I liked the characters and was fascinated with piecing together the various clues about the history of the house and the Starling family. And I loved the role that legends and storytelling and dreams played in the plot. However, there were a few writing quirks that got on my nerves. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I had a creative writing professor who used to caution us against descriptions that would distract readers and pull them out of the story. Harrow seems to be quite fond of these, from “abyssal eyes” to “hair the color of raw meat”—both of which were used multiple times. The repetition got to be really annoying. If I have to read the phrase “hands fisted in his shirt” one more time… 🙄 This was my October #DoubleSpin. @TheAromaofBooks (edited) 1w
TheAromaofBooks The color of raw meat?! What even 😂 1w
47 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraJean
post image
Mehso-so

Another belated review: this was one of the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent picks in October—and it was the slowest burn ever. I‘d read that it was slow & wordy, but man… it was really slow and really wordy. It used lots of gothic tropes without actually feeling gothic, it talked about how creepy the house was but didn‘t feel creepy, and the sinister curse didn‘t feel all that sinister. Hawthorne‘s writing really is beautiful, ⤵️

BarbaraJean Cont‘d) …but I kept waiting for something to happen—and once it does, it‘s kind of anticlimactic. I did enjoy the backstory: the generational curse, the inherited guilt, the shadowy crimes that are hinted at…I wish Hawthorne had brought those stories into the foreground rather than sketching them as the backdrop. I have a feeling that in the end, what I wanted was this same story written by a different author. 😆 1w
38 likes1 comment
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

#5JoysFriday!

A few things that brought me joy this week:
🙏🏼 My Sunday Centering Prayer group
🌟 Going to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
🎹🎷My husband‘s music on Tuesday: https://fb.watch/vTwciVpS-d/?mibextid=cr9u03
🥘 Tasty dinner and post-election commiseration with a good friend
🛁 Cozy bath and reading

dabbe 🧡🍁🤎 1w
DebinHawaii A great list of joys! 💛💛💛 Thanks for joining in! 1w
35 likes2 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
David Copperfield | Charles Dickens
post image

Taking a cozy bath tonight with Christy and David 😆 #WhatTheDickens #RandomClassics

LeahBergen That looks lovely! 1w
41 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
post image
Mehso-so

This was promising but disappointing. I enjoyed the mystery and how it played out, but there were a lot of things about the writing that annoyed me. Most frustrating was that the main character is in her 60s but reads as a LOT younger. Almost across the board, the characters are not developed consistently or convincingly (it‘s never a good sign when you have to count back in a section of dialogue to figure out who said what, (Cont‘d ⤵️)

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …because the characters‘ voices are indistinguishable from one another). A more minor annoyance: there are several shadowy events from the past that are alluded to but never elaborated on. These could have been effective if this was a first-person unreliable narrator, but a close third-person POV that feels unreliable is just frustrating to me. 1w
45 likes1 comment
quote
BarbaraJean
The Hotel Balzaar | Kate DiCamillo
post image

“It takes no courage at all to doubt, Marta,” she said. “And we are not beyond rescue. We are never beyond rescue.”

quote
BarbaraJean
The Hotel Balzaar | Kate DiCamillo
post image

“There are days,” said the countess as she put on a hat that featured a yellow bird, “when the soul can be rescued from despair by the right hat. Although some days, of course the soul seems beyond rescue, and then there is nothing to do except to be patient and wait for the light to return, with or without a hat upon your head.”

This, thought Marta, is one of those days.

quote
BarbaraJean
The Hotel Balzaar | Kate DiCamillo
post image

Pay attention, my love. Note everything for me. Tell me where you see the light seep through.

review
BarbaraJean
The Hotel Balzaar | Kate DiCamillo
post image
Pickpick

I love Kate DiCamillo so, so much. This is another book I want to hug.

Marta‘s mother is a maid at the Hotel Balzaar, and Marta must spend her days staying quiet and invisible, certainly not bothering any of the hotels‘ guests. Until a countess and her parrot arrive and the countess singles Marta out to tell her a series of stories—each to be told in its proper order, at the proper time. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The stories frustrate Marta‘s expectations as she struggles with her own sadness and worries over her father, who is missing. I loved watching the way Marta is transformed as the stories gradually reveal their truths. Such a wonderful exploration of the power of stories and human connection. 1w
37 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
The October Country | Ray Bradbury
post image
Pickpick

This collection of Ray Bradbury‘s short stories was just the right amount of unsettling—a perfect read for October! Bradbury is a master, and there are some gems here. The stories I found the creepiest were creepy for entirely different reasons: “The Next in Line” and “Skeleton.” I loved “Uncle Einar,” “There Was an Old Woman,” and “The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone”—and honestly, those were probably the least unsettling of them all. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Other favorites: “The Small Assassin” and “The Man Upstairs.”

This was my IRL book club pick for October, my October #BookSpin, and my 1955 pick for #192025. @TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle
1w
Librarybelle Nice! 1w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1w
39 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraJean
The Misunderstood Jew | Amy-Jill Levine
post image
Pickpick

This was my first intro to Amy-Jill Levine, and I‘m definitely planning to read more from her. How can you not read on when the intro begins with the sentence: “When I was a child, my ambition was to be pope.” 😂 This, from a Jewish New Testament scholar.

Levine offers a fresh, much-needed perspective on Jesus and his New Testament context. She emphasizes that Christians tend to interpret the New Testament solely through the context of the ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Old Testament, which results in an inaccurate & mistaken picture of what first-century Judaism actually looked like—and often leads to projecting anti-Semitic views onto the text & out into the world. Her writing is accessible & approachable, and although I found her characterization of the Apostle Paul a little harsh, she makes a powerful case for careful study of the historical context as well as for a more robust interfaith dialogue. 2w
TheBookHippie I wanted to be a nun 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 2w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie 😂😂 Reminds me of Anastasia Krupnik and her desire to be a Catholic because of the fancy white confirmation dress 😆 Levine said some of her attraction to the position was that she really liked the pope‘s hat 🤣 2w
See All 10 Comments
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean RIGHT?!?! 😂😂😂😂 2w
Graywacke Sounds fantastic. And @TheBookHippie - that‘s hysterical. 2w
TheBookHippie @Graywacke I blame Audrey Hepburn and the nuns I saw in the city looking so chic in my 8 year old brain 🤣 2w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Who knew that Catholic fashion would be so enticing?! 😂 2w
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean 😂😵‍💫😂😅🤷🏻‍♀️ 2w
marleed I really wanted to be the flying nun specifically Sally Field as the Flying Nun. Imagine my disappointment when I learned as an adult that Sally hated that role 🤣🤣🤣 1w
BarbaraJean @marleed 😂😂 Adulthood brings so many disappointments!! 1w
38 likes1 stack add10 comments
review
BarbaraJean
post image
Pickpick

So much fun! The concept is fantastic: the reluctant hero is a young wizard whose magic can only influence dough—and whose familiars are a sourdough starter & a gingerbread man. I loved seeing Mona grow into her magic, grow into her power, and grow into herself. Although there are darker bits, and a dash of political intrigue, this is ultimately a cozy fantasy. The tone reads as MG or younger YA, with a strong coming-of-age plot. I loved it!

40 likes1 stack add
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

I had to answer today‘s #Two4Tuesday questions because of my amusing history with striped shirts!
1. It has to be stripes. A few years ago, I realized I‘d somehow accumulated an unreasonable number of stripey shirts. I was not intentionally amassing large quantities of striped shirts, but apparently I do possess a deep love for the stripe.
2. It‘s somewhat surprising that of the TEN books I have in progress, only one (tagged) is a library book!

Ruthiella That‘s quite a collection! 😃 👚 2w
TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 2w
Sace 😂 2w
kspenmoll 😂😂 2w
41 likes4 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

Let‘s have a #KindredSpiritsChristmas! Here‘s the schedule for December‘s story-a-day #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead. A couple years ago, we read L.M. Montgomery‘s holiday stories together in December, and I loved it so much I want to do it again. Let‘s enjoy these cozy stories and chat about them as we go! Some sources for where to find the stories are posted in the comments. Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be!

BarbaraJean This list is pulled together from several sources (I found a few more Christmas stories since last time!), so unfortunately not all the stories are available in one collection. Here are some options for where to find them. Use whatever works for you!

The tagged collection (ed. by Rea Wilmshurst) has 16 stories, and there are several LMM Christmas story collections and individual stories available on Hoopla (both audio & ebook). (More below ⬇)
2w
BarbaraJean Serial Reader has an LMM Christmas Stories collection with 13 stories. Online options are another good source: Project Gutenberg, fadedpage.com, online-literature.com, fullreads.com, etc. I‘ve also added in a Christmas novella by LMM that I came across this year while poking around on Hoopla: “A Merryvale Christmas.” The Hoopla audiobook is the only place I‘ve found it! I‘ve divided up its chapters over three days (15-18 minutes per day). 2w
See All 22 Comments
Daisey @jewright Any chance you want to join in for this one? 2w
sblbooks Sure, I'd love to! 2w
jewright @Daisey Is it a separate book? 2w
BarbaraJean @sblbooks Wonderful! I‘ll add you to the tag list! 2w
BarbaraJean @jewright Most of the stories are in the tagged collection, but I‘ve included a few more that I found on Hoopla and from other online sources. 2w
Prairiegirl_reading I‘m in. I loved doing this and I missed it last year 😊 2w
quietjenn I'll try to participate at least a bit! 2w
julieclair This will be so much fun! 2w
lauraisntwilder I'm in! I ordered a copy of Christmas with Anne yesterday. 😊🎄 2w
BarbaraJean @Prairiegirl_reading I missed doing this last year, too! Glad to have you reading along! @quietjenn I‘ll add you to the tag list—feel free to drop in as you are able! @lauraisntwilder @julieclair Yay!!🎄👒🎄 2w
TheAromaofBooks Yay thank you!! I think I have most of these and I'm looking forward to rereading them!!! 2w
Daisey @jewright Did you read her comments at the very top? I haven‘t looked all of them up yet this year, but some are on Serial Reader and some can be found online. 2w
AvidReader25 Aww what a lovely idea! 2w
rubyslippersreads What a lovely idea! I own the tagged book, plus I know there are a lot of LMM stories at fadedpage.com 2w
BarbaraJean @AvidReader25 🤗 Thank you! Shall I add you to the tag list? @rubyslippersreads Yes, fadedpage is a great resource and I‘ve found several of these there! Would you like me to add you to the tag list? 2w
rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean Yes, please add me. 🎄 2w
BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Will do! 🎉🎄 1w
AvidReader25 Yes! I double checked and I own her Christmas collection on kindle. 7d
BarbaraJean @AvidReader25 Yay! I look forward to having you reading along! 5d
30 likes22 comments
review
BarbaraJean
post image
Pickpick

This was a delight. Beautiful, sweet, heartbreaking, and soul-healing. So much of the text could have come across as cliched platitudes, but weaving the text together with the characters and Mackesy‘s drawings gives it an emotional depth that takes it beyond Etsy-craft-quotable status and makes it into a book I‘m putting on my Christmas list.

TheBookHippie Mr Book Hippie loves this book. I gave it to him several years ago now. But it‘s really beautiful. 2w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie I feel like I arrived really late to the Charlie Mackesy party, but I'm glad I finally did arrive! 2w
48 likes2 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

I had this in my library holds for months (back to January‘s #AuldLangSpine list!) and finally said yes to the hold when it came through (again) in September. It was so good I wish I‘d made space in my reading list earlier (and I wish I‘d reviewed it sooner as well!).

True Biz follows one academic year at a boarding school for the deaf, told in alternating perspectives (several students as well as the school‘s headmistress). (Cont‘d ⤵️)

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The breadth of issues raised here was impressive—from the history of sign language to the nuances of language acquisition to racism and bodily autonomy and civil rights—and although some issues are only explored briefly, I didn‘t feel like anything was given short shrift. I loved these characters and would love to read a sequel. ⤵️ (edited) 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Honestly, my biggest gripe is that the ending left so much unresolved. Although I felt it was realistic and completely fitting to end the story the way Novic did, I also want to know more about where these characters will go next. 2w
kspenmoll Wonderful review! 2w
monalyisha Oh, I‘m so glad you read it — no matter the time (January or November)! 💓 2w
43 likes4 comments
review
BarbaraJean
post image
Pickpick

Wellll, this review goes back to September 😬

I really enjoyed this sci-fi steampunk-ish mystery novella, set on a gas giant where humanity has fled after the collapse of Earth‘s environment. The world building is fascinating and subtly done, and the character development is equally subtle and patient. I also liked the mystery‘s slow unfolding of hints and clues. I‘m looking forward to reading more of this series!

blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

We‘re back into LMM‘s journals this week, starting volume 3 with LMM‘s honeymoon travels, setting up the manse in Leaskdale, and reflections on new motherhood. I‘m behind on this week‘s reading—so just a general check-in this week, posted early because tomorrow is packed! 😊

How are you doing with this week‘s reading?
What have you noticed? Are there sections, quotes, or themes that stood out to you?

TheAromaofBooks I am almost done reading this section, so I'll pop back in. Also, just confirming, we aren't reading the Chronicles as a group, right? I may still read through them because I'm kind of interested in how they fit into her overall publishing progression arc haha 2w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes, I decided not to include Chronicles this time around—I wasn‘t super interested in re-reading, and they pop up in the journal so close to Golden Road that logistically it also worked better to leave them out! I‘d love to hear your thoughts if you do read through them at this point, though! 2w
lauraisntwilder I'm behind, too, but I'm enjoying being back in Maud's world again. She made me laugh when she talked about her new dining room, with "only one window which gives a view of several ugly back yards including our own." I also loved the irony of her traveling to places she loved from books/poems and being annoyed when they were packed with tourists. Who goes to PEI and doesn't go to the Anne sights? Would you even go there otherwise?? 2w
See All 9 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Like @lauraisntwilder I was glad to be back to reading Maud's thoughts again. Her honeymoon sounds like quite the whirlwind! You have to wonder if she had any thoughts about Ewan vs. MacMillan when she met M in person. And was M's fiancee really as bad as Maud portrayed her, or was she being a little catty/dog-in-the-manger-ish?? On the other hand, it sounds like Maud was physically so uncomfortable from her cystitis, who can blame her for being⬇ 2w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) a little grumpy?? How horrible to have a problem at a time when there were no antibiotics or anything that could actually help her problem. It just sounds miserable, especially while traveling!

It's been fun to read about her setting up house and of course the arrival of Chester. But it's also kind of hard to read about her being soooo in love with her baby knowing that he's going to absolutely literally destroy her life later 😢
2w
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks I've been enjoying Maud's voice again as well! I had to laugh at her comments about literary sites being crowded with tourists. I think she would be aghast at how AoGG sites are such a tourist attraction now! I feel for her annoyance, because who wouldn't want those gorgeous sights to themselves, for reflection & full immersion in the experience? It's a shame when the experience is diminished by the crowds, but ⬇ 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...also just a little entitled to be so indignant that others also want to experience those same sights. @TheAromaofBooks Her descriptions of MacMillan's fiancee were really funny! I didn't get the sense that she was being catty (who knows, though!), but I did feel like her skills in writing a quick, vivid character sketch were on full display there! The passages where she gushes about her love for Chester were SO bittersweet to read. ⬇ 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) The note on the May 6, 1913 entry really got me. “My own dear little son! What a blessing you are to me! Will you always be so?“ and then the later added note: “Oh, dear God! 1937!“ 😭 Another passage that struck me was in the June 29, 1913 entry, when she talks about truth and not having the courage to tell it because she's a slave to old conventions and rules. That rings so true about her struggles with conventions and appearances. 2w
TheAromaofBooks Yes on the conventions thing!! Because I definitely feel like a lot of her life choices were made because of “what would people say“ and “upholding the family name“ instead of what she actually wants from life. And that entry about Chester!!!!! 😢 2w
24 likes9 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

This has been a rough week and moments of joy have seemed hard to find, but also more important to look for than ever. Thank you @DebinHawaii for hosting this much-needed #5JoysFriday!

🎶 Listening to my husband‘s music on election night (my church was a voting center and my husband & a friend from his jazz band spent an hour playing for people as they came to vote)
🍻 A pub dinner with friends—good conversation, steak & ale pie, hard cider ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
🎞️ I came across these wonderful photos of my grandparents—top right is my grandpa with his fencing team at Purdue, bottom right is his college graduation in 1923, and bottom left is my grandparents (possibly on their honeymoon)
🫂 Supportive community has been everything—on Litsy and IRL (and even, surprisingly, on FB). So many encouraging words shared & received.
🫖 The Aldi tea Advent calendar I bought!
2w
kspenmoll Litsy is the best community. 🧡 2w
TheBookHippie ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 2w
33 likes3 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
post image

Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

into a rich mash, in order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out

to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing as we must,
how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?
I don't say
it's easy, but
what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?

(Cont‘d ⤵️ )

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
So let us go on, cheerfully enough,
this and every crisping day,

though the sun be swinging east,
and the ponds be cold and black,
and the sweets of the year be doomed.
2w
dabbe 🧡🍁🤎 2w
26 likes2 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
post image

“…the practice of lament includes rage as much as grief.
…In those times, when we are so upset that we cannot pray, we allow our emotions to be our prayers. We pray through grief and anger, and that is enough.”

dabbe 🧡🍁🤎 2w
34 likes1 comment
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

I had finished 12 out of 16 chapters as of a couple days ago, on track to finish before it‘s due back to the library this weekend. But I just don‘t know if I can stomach the rest right now, after the election results yesterday. This may need to go back on hold for me until I have a little more bandwidth 😔

TheBookHippie She‘s putting out a new book… and yes, take care of you. 3w
kspenmoll Taje your break.❤️ 3w
staci.reads Oof, I would probably put it aside right now. Self care is important right now. This one is on my shelf too, but it's probably going to stay there a good long while now 😔 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Well, I‘d better finish this one if she has a new one coming 😆 @kspenmoll @staci.reads I ended up getting a second wind today and forged ahead to finish it. I decided it would be better to have the closure of finishing it than to have it hanging out in my “in progress” reads for another however many weeks. And, I‘ve apparently moved into the anger phase of grief and that helped 😬 2w
44 likes1 stack add4 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
Revelations of Divine Love | Julian of Norwich
post image

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well... for there is a force of love moving through the universe that holds us fast and will never let us go.”

MaureenMc 💗💗💗 3w
39 likes1 comment
quote
BarbaraJean
post image

Hope Is Not a Bird, Emily, It‘s a Sewer Rat
by Caitlin Seida

Hope is not the thing with feathers
That comes home to roost
When you need it most.

Hope is an ugly thing
With teeth and claws and
Patchy fur that‘s seen some shit.

It‘s what thrives in the discards
And survives in the ugliest parts of our world,
Able to find a way to go on
When nothing else can even find a way in.
⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)

It‘s the gritty, nasty little carrier of such
diseases as
optimism, persistence,
Perseverance and joy,
Transmissible as it drags its tail across
your path
and
bites you in the ass.

Hope is not some delicate, beautiful bird,
Emily.
It‘s a lowly little sewer rat
That snorts pesticides like they were
Lines of coke and still
Shows up on time to work the next day
Looking no worse for wear.
3w
CBee Okay wow, I love this 3w
BookmarkTavern I needed this today. Thank you. 3w
See All 8 Comments
Cuilin 💗 3w
dabbe Needed to read this today. 🤎🍁🧡 3w
BarbaraJean @CBee @Cuilin 💙💙 @BookmarkTavern @dabbe I needed it, too. Tenacious, scrappy, realistic hope. (edited) 3w
kspenmoll I just love this. Thank you. ❤️ 2w
43 likes8 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
Aquicorn Cove | Katie O'Neill
post image

“Sometimes I feel like I just want to go to sleep for a while, and wake up when I‘m stronger or things are different somehow.”

I tried this last night. I didn‘t sleep well and things aren‘t different yet. Praying for strength and hope. 💔🇺🇸

CBee Same 💔💔 3w
Hooked_on_books Can I wake up in 4 years and 2.5 months please? 3w
BarbaraJean @Hooked_on_books I‘d be in agreement about sleeping that long except for the nightmares that would take place while I was asleep. Although I suppose they‘re likely to happen whether I‘m asleep or not. 😭 3w
dabbe I want to be like Rip Van Winkle and fall asleep for, oh let's say, the next FOUR years. 💙 3w
CarolynM Hugs 3w
41 likes5 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
Aquicorn Cove | Katie O'Neill
post image

I‘m about to make a mug of hot tea, put on the coziest, comfiest pajamas ever, and start reading what I think may be the literal definition of a unicorn chaser. Necessary self-care on this election night. 💜 #ComfortReadathon

BookwormAHN Absolutely 💗 3w
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

How I‘m currently managing election anxiety… reading Terry Pratchett and listening to my husband and a friend play some jazz at our church (which is a voting center—it‘s a delight to hear them offering some music for voters in line!)
#ComfortReadathon

BkClubCare Oh, that‘s cool 😎 3w
BookwormAHN Nice 💗 3w
TheSpineView 💜🎶💜 3w
DogMomIrene That makes for quite the upbeat voting experience 💜🎶 3w
45 likes4 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
Winterset Hollow | Jonathan Edward Durham
post image

Yep. 😆

I turned in my ballot a couple of weeks ago, and today, I'm seeking peace and hope in the midst of uncertainty. Even though I'm in the middle of too many “required“ reads right now, I'll be setting aside time tonight for the #ComfortReadathon... maybe I can sneak in a quick graphic novel!

BookwormAHN 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 3w
JamieArc This was my day today 😂 3w
45 likes2 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Woman Warrior: China Men | Maxine Hong Kingston
post image

Two nonfiction picks for #NonfictionNovember! This is a nice pairing—the #BookSpin pick has been on my TBR for a loooonnng time, and my #DoubleSpin is the book I‘ve bought most recently.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 3w
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Haunted and the Haunters | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

Do you enjoy reading scary stories?

What types of stories are scariest to you—ghost stories, thriller, horror…?

Did you find this story particularly scary?

BarbaraJean I definitely don‘t read horror, and I‘m kind of a coward about scary stories. I do like to read spooky-ish books in October, but definitely spooky lite! I don‘t mind “thriller” stories, but horror is too much for me. And supernatural/demon possession stuff freaks me right the heck out. This one pushed the line for me as far as scary. Funny story: I read it during the day, because I didn‘t want to end up like LMM—too scared to turn out the light!⤵️ (edited) 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I thought it was creepy, but not TOO scary, until I woke up in the middle of the night that night convinced I heard a voice speaking in my ear… 😱 3w
TheAromaofBooks I am not really into scary stories. I enjoy thrillers as long as they aren't too graphic - I'm not a horror fan, but more because I don't like blood and gore. I'm not sure how much I would enjoy reading scary stories if I lived by myself (or with just an elderly grandma like LMM!). I didn't think this one was super scary, but like you I read it in broad daylight 😂 I can picture LMM reading it by lamplight in an old, creaky house and that sounds⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) much scarier! 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Hahaha—I hadn‘t thought about reading it in an old creaky house!! 😱 3w
20 likes5 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Haunted and the Haunters | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

From the setup through to the end, did the plot work for you?

What did you think of the logical/theoretical explanation the narrator inserts before the final resolution of the story?

What did you think of the discovery at the end? Was the resolution satisfying to you?

TheAromaofBooks Overall I liked it, but did feel like parts of it got a little lecture-y. I kind of liked having the explanations, especially the actual story behind the ghosts. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yeah, the explain-y part bored me! I kind of wanted it to be more about the ghosts and what had happened to them in life. I thought the conclusion was so interesting—kind of a combination of supernatural and not. I really liked the setup with the narrator wanting to find and stay in an ACTUAL haunted house… and then really getting what he asked for!! 3w
19 likes2 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Haunted and the Haunters | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
post image

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

LMM often mentions Bulwer-Lytton as an author she enjoys. He‘s famous for the line: “It was a dark and stormy night” and has a bad-writing contest named after him! (www.bulwer-lytton.com/)

Did you like Bulwer-Lytton‘s writing style in this story? Why or why not?

TheAromaofBooks While this one didn't blow me away, I thought the writing was solid and engaging. I liked the narrator and liked the way that he was skeptical in a sense, but did believe that these crazy things could happen. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I thought the writing was solid, too. Having a logical/skeptical narrator who could be somewhat balanced in reporting what happened made the ghost story seem credible/plausible in a way! With the bits and pieces I‘ve heard about Bulwer-Lytton I thought it would be a lot more overblown/dramatic… although maybe if I were to read one of his full-length novels I would feel differently about his writing😆 (edited) 3w
18 likes2 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
The Golden Road | L. M. Montgomery
post image

For those following along with #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread or #LMMJournals, in November we‘re starting Vol. 3 of the Complete Journals and also reading The Golden Road.

Then in December we‘ll read LMM‘s Christmas stories! I‘ll assemble a #KindredSpiritsChristmas story-a-day schedule for us to read these cozy holiday stories together. All are welcome—if you‘d like to join in just for December, let me know and I‘ll add you to the tag list!

Seabreeze_Reader Enjoy your reading. 🙂Unfortunately I won't have time in my schedule to join in. 3w
BarbaraJean @Seabreeze_Reader Thank you! Maybe we‘ll catch you another time 😊 3w
TheAromaofBooks I actually read the “Haunted“ short story this week! Still plowing my way through Seven Gables 😅 My copy of the journals should be here this weekend. I'm looking forward/also somewhat apprehensive to read about LMM's early marriage years and leaving PEI. Are the Christmas stories going to a specific book of collected stories, or just random ones from here and there? 3w
See All 14 Comments
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Seven Gables turned out to be quite a slog! 😬 I‘ll see how this volume of the journals feels—I‘m a bit apprehensive as well! There are more of LMM‘s books to break things up with at this point, though, and I‘m going to go through the notes and jot down adjacent titles to work into the schedule also. The Christmas stories are random—I have a list compiled from a few different Christmas collections (minus that weird Red Room one!) 3w
Roary47 The golden road looks enchanting. I‘m going to read the first book really quick to be on track. 🥰 3w
TheAromaofBooks Yeah, The Red Room, randomly depressing and not remotely Christmasy haha That story was a disappointment! 😂 3w
julieclair @TheAromaofBooks I actually read the haunted story too! I‘m so proud of us! 😀 3w
julieclair I will skip the journals, but join in for The Golden Road. And December sounds delightful! 3w
BarbaraJean @Roary47 Yay! Glad to have you join in, and I hope you enjoy both books! 😊 3w
BarbaraJean @julieclair Looking forward to reading Golden Road and Christmas stories with you! And good job reading the ghost story—LMM loved ghost stories, but it sounds like it‘s not in any of our wheelhouses, so good job to all of us! 3w
Daisey I‘d like to try to join in for the Christmas stories. Please add me to that list. 3w
BarbaraJean @Daisey Will do! Glad to have you along for the Christmas stories! 3w
CogsOfEncouragement Christmas story-a-day sounds delightful, please count me in. 2w
BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I've added you to the tag list! Glad to have you along! 2w
28 likes14 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
post image

#5JoysFriday!

🎃 Pics of my grand-niece as Grogu for Halloween
👻 A former student shared this delightful & hilarious video of his friend‘s Halloween costumes: https://fb.watch/vvQq2BtBNz/?mibextid=gYSGZt&fs=e&s=TIeQ9V
💜 This perfect drawing/story by Kai Skye of Flying Edna Studios reminded me to look for small joys: https://flyingedna.com/products/little-things-prints
⤵️

BarbaraJean 📚Reading the tagged book—I have too many long-term/nonfiction/“required” books going right now, so it was a pleasure to read this beautiful Kate DiCamillo story in one sitting
😂 This is so dumb, but I laughed so hard at this video I couldn‘t breathe:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/8566968656694363?fs=e&mibextid=gYSGZt&fs=e&s=TIeQ9...
3w
Bookwormjillk What a cute Grogu! 3w
BarbaraJean @Bookwormjillk I think so, too—but I‘m definitely biased!! 3w
24 likes3 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
post image

I didn‘t intend to be reading horror tonight on Halloween, but here we are.

I knew this book would be infuriating, but didn‘t realize just how infuriating. Even more so because I grew up in a family of big James Dobson fans. My mom listened to Focus on the Family every morning on the drive to school. As an adult, my view of the man has changed drastically as glimpses of the toxicity in his work trickled into my awareness, but this? 😳🤬🤢

CogsOfEncouragement I read this a year ago. I did not experience the pipeline of information coming from those revealed in this book, so it explained a lot to me of why certain people in my life see things the way they do. I have not been taking in the same teachings they have all these years. Explains so much about how we got here. 3w
marleed You are a stronger woman than I! As much as I want to read this, I‘m not ready for how frustrated I‘ll be. Maybe by next week some after Tuesday, winds will be in a place I can prioritize this one. 3w
See All 8 Comments
MommyWantsToReadHerBook 😱😱😱😱😱 3w
DogMomIrene 🤢 Just gross! May need to read this one. Will see how 2024 wraps up… see if I can stomach it. 3w
BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement While so much of the context is SO familiar to me, I was young enough that a lot of it didn‘t register or at least root itself deeply! But I‘m having a similar experience as you—it‘s connecting the dots for me as to where certain positions came from, and why my (8.5-years-older) sister has SUCH different views from mine. I moved away from strongly evangelical contexts in my mid-20s and she was/is far more firmly entrenched. (edited) 3w
BarbaraJean @marleed Totally affirm that decision on your part!! I decided (naively) I wanted to read several election-adjacent books leading up to this election. This is only the 2nd one I‘ve gotten to (perhaps fortunately?!). The other (tagged) is more practical & hopeful. With this one, when she started discussing movements I lived through, it got more personal. I have a week before it‘s due back and am hoping I can stomach the rest before then. 3w
BarbaraJean @DogMomIrene I understand waiting a bit before you can engage with this one!! 3w
25 likes8 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
post image

#BookSpin list for November—which I can‘t believe starts tomorrow 😳

I delved into my nonfiction TBR for November, and had too many I couldn‘t decide between—so there are several 2-in-1 options! I also pulled lots of #192025 titles into the mix. Looking forward to BookSpin day on Saturday!!

blurb
BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
post image

October #BookSpinBingo yielded TWO bingos, and both #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin complete! 🎉

Some great reads this month! Favorites:
⚽️ Unseen Academicals
🍪A Wizard‘s Guide to Defensive Baking
🎭 The Puppets of Spelhorst
🦜The Hotel Balzaar

Now I need to catch up on October reviews…😆

Sace Defensive Baking is so good! I‘ve read it twice! 3w
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 3w
23 likes2 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
David Copperfield | Charles Dickens
post image

“Mrs Westbrook, who was a large lady—or who wore a large dress, I don‘t know exactly which, for I don‘t know which was dress and which was lady—came sailing in.”

😂

#WhattheDickens

Texreader I loved this quote as well!! 4w
Lcsmcat 😂😂 4w
Cuilin 😂 A perfect #WhatTheDickens quote. 4w
39 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Lolly Willowes | Sylvia Townsend Warner
post image
Pickpick

This has been on my Hoopla “Favorites” for years (on my GR TBR since 2016!), and I finally got to it this month! It starts out as the story of a woman who breaks free from the constraints of her family and the expectations of society, setting up house for herself in the countryside. The majority of the book is funny and ironic—though slow-paced—and then towards the end, there‘s almost a complete genre shift ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …when Laura discovers a local coven, becomes a witch, and sits down for a little philosophical chat with Satan himself. I didn‘t mind the shift in tone, honestly, and the thinky part at the end is worth the price of admission all by itself—but the slow-paced lead-up is needed to get you there. 4w
BarbaraJean This was my 1926 pick for #192025 @Librarybelle 4w
Librarybelle Hooray! I‘ve wondered about this one. I‘ll have to read it one of these days. 4w
33 likes3 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
Lolly Willowes | Sylvia Townsend Warner
post image

“That‘s why we become witches: to show our scorn of pretending life‘s a safe business, to satisfy our passion for adventure.”

quote
BarbaraJean
Lolly Willowes | Sylvia Townsend Warner
post image

“One doesn‘t become a witch to run round being harmful, or to run round being helpful either, a district visitor on a broomstick. It‘s to escape all that—to have a life of one‘s own, not an existence doled out to you by others, charitable refuse of their thoughts, so many ounces of stale bread of life a day…”

quote
BarbaraJean
Lolly Willowes | Sylvia Townsend Warner
post image

“Mr. Arbuthnot certainly was not prepared for her response to his statement that February was a dangerous month. ‘It is,‘ answered Laura with almost violent agreement. ‘If you are a werewolf, and very likely you may be, for lots of people are without knowing, February, of all months, is the month when you are most likely to go out on a dark windy night and worry sheep.‘

Henry and Caroline glanced at each other in horror.
⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Mr. Arbuthnot said: ‘How very interesting! But I really don't think I am likely to do such a thing.‘ Laura made no answer. She did not think so either. But she was amusing herself with a surprisingly vivid and terrible picture of Mr. Arbuthnot cloaked in a shaggy hide and going with heavy devouring swiftness upon all-fours with a lamb dangling from his mouth.

This settled it. Henry and Caroline made no more attempts to marry off Laura.”
4w
willaful I read this too young, I think. Must have another go. 4w
BarbaraJean @willaful I really liked it, but it‘s very slow-paced and seems to take a good long while to get where it‘s going. I thought the journey was worth it in the end! 4w
quietjenn One of my favorite scenes from this book! 4w
21 likes4 comments