@BarbaraJean on Litsy

Christmas with Anne: And Other Holiday Stories | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Join us for a #KindredSpiritsChristmas as the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead reads L.M. Montgomery‘s cozy holiday stories, one per day, Dec. 6-25.

Almost all the stories are available online (I‘ll post links as applicable), and all but the first four are in the tagged book. (Dec. 10 is ch. 25 in Green Gables and Dec. 17 is chs. 5-6 in the “Second Year” of Windy Poplars.)

All are welcome! Some past participants are tagged—comment if you‘d like to join!

BarbaraJean @AvidReader25, @rubyslippersreads, @quietjenn, @Daisey, @JenLovesJT47, @CogsOfEncouragement, @Prairiegirl_reading, @lauraisntwilder, @sblbooks, @TheAromaofBooks, @julieclair, @kwmg40, @LeahBergen, @Roary47, @LitsyEvents 4d

monalyisha Aw! Count this mood reader who can‘t be counted on “in!” Maybe. Please tag me, anyway. 😜 4d

BarbaraJean @monalyisha 😂 I‘ll add you to the no-pressure (but daily) tag list! 😁 4d

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monalyisha @BarbaraJean You‘re the best! 4d

Jerdencon I like this idea - I‘ll try to find the stories and join too! 4d

JenlovesJT47 Yay I so enjoyed this last year ❤️💚❤️ 4d

sblbooks I'm glad you're doing this again. I've really enjoyed this tradition the past few years. I'm in. 4d

Daisey Thanks for the tag, but I think I will be skipping this year. 4d

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I tend to bounce in and out of these now that I've read all of them at least once, but keep me on the list for sure!! 4d

BarbaraJean @Jerdencon @JenlovesJT47 @sblbooks Yay! Glad to have you all reading along this year! 🎄 4d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks In past years, I didn‘t remember which stories went with which titles (for the most part—I always remember Aunt Cyrilla and her basket!!), but now they‘re starting to look familiar! Also, I added a couple “new” ones this year (not that weird Merryvale one from last year, but a couple others I hadn‘t seen before)—so keep an eye out on Dec. 8 & 9 😁 4d

BarbaraJean @monalyisha ☺️🤗 4d

AnneCecilie I might join in. It was very cozy reading these stories the first year 4d

BarbaraJean @AnneCecilie I'll tag you! Feel free to pop in and out or whatever works for you. 3d

31 likes14 comments

BarbaraJean

Emily's Quest | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Next up in the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead:
✍🏻One week of LMM‘s journals
📓Two weeks reading Emily‘s Quest
✍🏻One more week to finish volume SIX of LMM‘s journals
🎄THEN: #KindredSpiritsChristmas! (schedule will be posted separately)

I‘ve tagged my small list for #LMMJournals and Emily‘s Quest (Hi Sarah! Hi Laura!), but all are welcome! Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be.

lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean Wait, also tagging @kwmg40 for Emily‘s Quest! 4d

kwmg40 Thanks, I‘ll definitely be joining for Emily‘s Quest! 4d

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yay!! 🎉 4d

TheAromaofBooks Is it weird that I'm excited to get back into the journals? 😂 4d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks If it is, then I'm also weird. 😆 3d

31 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

A couple more (non-Blue-Castle-related) questions:

Does Missy‘s journey ring true for you? Why or why not?

What did you think of the ending, and the reveal about the character of Una?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder By the end, I didn't particularly like Missy. And that ending was ridiculous. 5d

rubyslippersreads What @lauraisntwilder said. 5d

TheAromaofBooks My other comments have probably revealed that I wasn't a fan of Missy 😂 And her journey did not really make any sense to me, honestly. The whole thing with Una at the end was absurd. And it left me kind of sad because it felt like Missy lost her one friend! 4d

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BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Like you, Sarah—to me Missy's journey didn't make sense. Her changed personality/actions don't make sense in the context of the plot. I hated her lying & manipulation and I hated the ending. The ending doesn't really make sense, either—it's inconsistent with the rest of the book! Una had tea with Missy & Drusilla & Octavia, she signs legal paperwork, but she's a ghost & invisible at the end? 🙄 3d

TheAromaofBooks And somehow now no one remembers her?! It just felt like lazy writing. And I'm still not over the way that we're supposed to believe that John Smith has fallen sooooo in love after whatever it was, two days or something, that he's going to be 100% cool when he finds out that Missy literally lied about EVERYTHING to get him to marry her! 3d

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Una was right to advise Missy never to tell John Smith the truth. 😆 3d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh, I'm pretty certain he's not in love with her. He says pretty clearly (and very coarsely) that he changed his mind about Missy when he discovered she's good in bed. That ain't love... he's fallen sooooo in lust. 🙄 @rubyslippersreads is right, Una was right in her advice! She also should have told Missy to make sure she always puts out. That would be perfectly in line with his character, as written. ⬇ 3d

BarbaraJean Also, HOW does it make sense that John Smith's dead wife, who (according to him) was a terrible person who fought with him, cheated on him, and wouldn't let him “get his leg over“ decides to come back as his little matchmaker? They both thought the other was terrible, so why would she think he's a good match for anyone, let alone poor put-upon Missy Hurlingford? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. 3d

22 likes8 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

The main difference between the two books is how the privileged Hurlingfords take advantage of the under-privileged women of the clan. What did you think of this part of the story—as Missy stands up for both herself and the disadvantaged women of the family?

What did you think of The Ladies of Missalonghi in its own right? Does it have merit on its own, apart from Blue Castle?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

rubyslippersreads I actually liked this part. The family menfolk were jerks in both books, but at least here, the women got the best of them. As for standing on its own merits, I wouldn‘t read this again. TBC, on the other hand, I will always reread. (edited) 5d

TheAromaofBooks Ugh, the Hurlingfords were SO unlikable. Who steals from old women?!? So I was glad that the old ladies all got some redemption and seemed to be better set for going forward. 4d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Yes, I liked this part of the story, too. I enjoyed seeing the men get their comeuppance, and the women be provided for through Missy's efforts. I think it's the part of the book that works the best. My opinion of the book in its own right is still pretty low, however. 3d

15 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

What *differences* do you see between Ladies of Missalonghi and Blue Castle?

How do those differences impact the narrative?

How do those differences impact your view of each book?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder Missy actually likes her mother. Their poverty is a shared enemy, rather than a basis for dumb rules. Missy is not nearly as likeable or sympathetic as Valancy though. 5d

rubyslippersreads The quality of the writing. This author just does not measure up to LMM. (But then, who could?) And the coarseness. Obviously LMM wrote at a different time, but this book told me more than I wanted to know (especially some of John Smith‘s thoughts). 5d

TheAromaofBooks To me, the biggest difference was how Missy was very manipulative and willing to lie to get whatever she wanted. It made her character arc somewhat unbelievable for me. With Valancy, you feel that she is actually growing as a person, determined to face her fears and live life on her terms. In fact, she becomes MORE honest as a person. We're told that Missy has been living her life as a mouse, but when we meet her she is already being somewhat ⬇ 4d

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) deceitful and underhanded, so it really just felt like she got better at manipulating people rather than having actual growth. The straight up lying, emotional blackmail, and seduction made her a really distasteful character to me. I'm not nearly as confident that John Smith will be as forgiving of her as she seems to be. I can't imagine starting my entire marriage based on complete fabrications. 4d

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Valancy honestly thought she was going to die; she didn‘t borrow the idea from a novel. 😏 4d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads “Coarse” is the perfect word. Reading this so soon after Blue Castle, I couldn‘t help but think what LMM‘s reaction would be. The leeches, Missy‘s lies and manipulation, the coarse comments and descriptions—I felt like McCullough took a lovely, sweet, innocent, well-written story and dragged it through the mud. 3d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks EXACTLY. I don‘t find Missy‘s transformation convincing. The reason for it is supposedly Una, and that really doesn‘t make sense (unless you throw in some backwards continuity based on who Una is revealed to be, but even then, it doesn‘t make sense that Una would manipulate her in that way. Una‘s motivations don‘t make sense, either!) I really felt like the changes McCullough made ⬇ 3d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …make the story weaker and Missy‘s character arc just nonsensical. In Blue Castle, it DOES make sense that a beaten-down, shrinking violet personality would be motivated to stand up for herself and start LIVING because of a terminal diagnosis. McCullough removes that believable motivation and twists the diagnosis around into a manipulative thing that makes Missy, to me, a very unlikable character. 3d

TheAromaofBooks And I just have to say that the line, “Valancy found herself shivering with the rapture of her first kiss“ is far more romantic and gives me that little chest-ping more than ANY of the strange lustful passages in this book. 3d

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks I completely agree. I have a feeling McCullough never heard the saying “Less is more.” 😏 3d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean That‘s just how I feel too. There was really no need for this book to have been written. 3d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks No chest-ping from Missy's “small buff nipples“ and John Smith “getting his leg over“? UGH. 😖 ANYTHING would be more romantic than this “romance“!! LMM's romantic writing and this are like night and day. 3d

16 likes12 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

There are MANY similarities between Ladies of Missalonghi and LMM‘s Blue Castle.

Do you find McCullough‘s defense of “subconscious recollection” convincing (the idea that she read Blue Castle when she was young, but any borrowing was unconscious rather than intentional)?

Or are the similarities just too close to be “subconscious”?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder The fact that there are so many similarities actually makes me think she didn't do it on purpose. She was a well-known writer by this time, since this came out after The Thorn Birds was already adapted into a miniseries, and I don't think she would have been so blatant if it was a conscious decision. 5d

rubyslippersreads I think it was probably subconscious. It started off like TBC, but veered wildly off course. 😏 5d

TheAromaofBooks First off, how could you FORGET reading The Blue Castle?! 😂 I don't know, I have mixed feelings. Some of this book felt like she had just lifted sections and changed the names. But this was sooooooo much worse than TBC that at some level they don't even feel worth comparing lol 4d

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BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Speculating about this is FASCINATING to me. I can't get over how many details line up. Reading it right after Blue Castle, just I couldn't swallow her “subconscious“ claim. But Laura, your point about her being well-known is a great one and I think you're probably right. And I'm with you, Sarah--it's SO much worse that I can't imagine someone consciously writing such a terrible rip-off!! 3d

BarbaraJean Under spoiler tags is the list I compiled of the similarities between the two books. It's a LOT. 3d

BarbaraJean Spinster MC lives with strict mother & aunt
MC has a large extended family who is prominent in town
MC has a beautiful, stuck-up, rich cousin who‘s engaged
MC has heart “attacks”
MC takes refuge in her imagination and in books
MC‘s strict mother & aunt disapprove of her reading novels
MC begins to rebel against the expectations of her family
MC begins to make scandalous comments at family events
There is a mysterious, roguish outsider in town ⬇ (edited) 3d

BarbaraJean Family/town thinks mysterious outsider has an unsavory past
MC is fascinated by MO; he shows up in her imaginings
MC proposes to MO b/c of diagnosis and asks he not refer to her illness
There‘s a mixup w/ a doctor‘s letter containing a diagnosis
MC discovers her illness isn‘t fatal and wishes for the sweetness of death
MO spent years traveling after a relationship breakup
MO goes by an assumed/changed name
MO turns out to be fabulously rich 3d

TheAromaofBooks Also the whole part where he's like “I was so excited to buy/own my own valley“ instead of island. That whole conversation sounded sooo much like Barney talking about why he bought the island. I think it's the details that make me feel like she purposefully ripped some of it off - the rich/beautiful cousin and the whole bit at the beginning where “if she hurries“ she starts feeling the pain. I don't know, I really went back and forth when I was ⬇ 3d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) reading it! And like we briefly touched on somewhere else - it's kind of similar to the way Anne is similar to Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, so do I only get mad about it when the second attempt is bad?! 😂 3d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I love the list! 3d

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I‘m surprised the MO wasn‘t named Bernie Smith. 🤣 3d

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads 😂 😂 It did occur to me that “Smith“ is really close to “Snaith“! Also, a couple of others for the list: both MCs suddenly become attractive when they change their style/color of clothing, both have unusual first names but their families call them by a nickname (although there's a reversal in one preferring the nickname and the other hating it) 3d

14 likes12 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

Several of us shared LOTS of thoughts early this week, but our scheduled discussion is today! Here are some questions to start, but feel free to add further thoughts, rants, etc.!

First, some general questions (separate from Blue Castle!):
Did you enjoy the book?
Did you find the characters likable—Missy, Drusilla & Octavia, John Smith, Una?
What about the antagonists—cousin Alicia & the other Hurlingfords?
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

lauraisntwilder I will say that I liked Drusilla and Octavia better than Amelia and Cousin Stickles. And I liked Una...until the end. 🫤 5d

rubyslippersreads It held my interest, which isn‘t the same as liking it. (And I think a lot of my interest was based in comparing the two books.) Missy‘s mother and aunt were certainly kinder than Valancy‘s, but Alicia, et al, were too over the top. 5d

TheAromaofBooks Honestly, I wasn't a fan. I was prepared to like it, but I never actually connected with Missy. And I also NEVER forgot that I was reading a book that was written in the 80s. The writing style/conversation topics/things that were mentioned meant that I never was really able to be immersed in the story because it was so anachronistic. I had to look up to see when the story was supposed to be taking place. It had its moments, but the humor never ⬇ 4d

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) quite clicked for me. I did like Missy's mother and aunt. The Hurlingfords were pretty dreadful. 4d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Yes, Drusilla & Octavia were miles better than Amelia and Cousin Stickles. I loved that Drusilla was privately glad that Missy was finally showing some backbone (and that she was aware/in favor of the clandestine novel-reading!). They actually cared for Missy, unlike most of Valancy‘s family. I think Drusilla and Octavia were the best characters in the book. Also Una, but I agree with you about the ending—it ruins that character! (edited) 3d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Valancy‘s family is horrible & ridiculous, but they feel like real people. The characters here—mostly—do not.

@rubyslippersreads Me too—it held my interest but I didn‘t necessarily enjoy it. The first half I was cataloguing all the similarities to Blue Castle. By the middle, I was invested in Missy‘s scheme to stand up against the Hurlingfords (who I liked as antagonists until Alicia ran off with the chauffeur! Over the top, as you said. (edited) 3d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Exactly—the whole tone was WAY off for a supposed historical novel. 3d

13 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

The Remains of the Day | Kazuo Ishiguro

pick

The book cover‘s description of “quietly devastating” is spot on. This is another book that‘s been on my TBR forever. I knew I‘d love it, but in recent years, I haven‘t been in the mood to be devastated, even quietly so. But I decided to read it as my 1989 pick for #192025, and am so glad I did. What depth of characterization through such a slow-burn gradual reveal. The denial, self-delusion, and pretense that are slowly laid bare ⤵️

Librarybelle

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…as pride and desperate self-preservation. Heart-wrenching perfection. GOSH, this is good. Quietly devastating. Yes. 1w

Ruthiella Great review! 👍 1w

Librarybelle It is so good! I loved it. 1w

BarbaraBB Great review. One of my all time favorites 1w

Tamra As good as the novel is, the film is even better. I can‘t say enough about Hopkins‘ & Thompson‘s performances. 💜💜💜💜 Husband and I watch it nearly annually. (edited) 1w

34 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom | John O'Donohue

pick

I‘ve loved John O‘Donohue‘s writing in the past. His book of blessings (To Bless the Space Between Us) always has something rich and meaningful to offer, and I‘ve often come across quotations from O‘Donohue‘s work that are exactly what I need when they cross my path. So I had high expectations for this one, having had it on my TBR for some time.

O‘Donohue offers an exploration of Celtic spirituality as he examines friendship, the senses, ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)… solitude, work, aging, and death. Woven throughout is a reverence for beauty and for the natural world. I enjoyed this overall, but often found it meandering & disconnected. Looking back at sections I underlined, there were quite a few gems along the way…so I‘m puzzled as to why it left me underwhelmed.

I read it over 3 months, in fits and starts, and I wonder if it would have read better for me if I‘d dipped into it more frequently—⤵️ 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …savoring it more consistently. I will probably read this again, more slowly, dipping into chapters and sections as I feel drawn to them.

This was my April #DoubleSpin and I also chose to read it as # 44 for #50x50—“Related to my vocation/profession”—connecting it to my coursework in spiritual direction. @TheAromaofBooks 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1w

26 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

Salt Dancers | Ursula Hegi

pick

This is a quiet, internal story, with abuse, abandonment, and unanswered questions at its heart. Julia—pregnant at 41—returns to her hometown after 23 years away. She‘s searching for answers & some measure of resolution about her past. I appreciated the nuance with which Hegi paints her characters—acknowledging both the repercussions of abuse & abandonment, and the unreliability of memory—as Julia struggles to reconcile the past & move forward.⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Post-college (early 2000s), I read a couple of Ursula Hegi‘s books—Intrusions and Stones from the River—which made Hegi an auto-buy author for me for several years. Salt Dancers was one of those auto-buys from a now-long-closed Borders‘ sale shelf. Although I remember one of my best friends reading and loving this, it sat on my shelf for years. A trifecta of challenges prompted me to finally read it back in August. ⤵️ (edited) 1w

BarbaraJean This was my July #BookSpin, and it also fulfilled 1995 for #192025, and # 38 (published before I turned 20) for #50x50. @TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle 1w

Librarybelle I really enjoyed Stones from the River! Stacking this one! 1w

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 1w

33 likes1 stack add4 comments

BarbaraJean

The Dark Horse | Rumer Godden

pick

I loved this hidden gem I picked up at a library sale. It‘s based on a true story about a racehorse in the 1930s, who was shipped to India from England—and the various lives this horse brings together. There are themes of hurt and healing, prejudice and acceptance, redemption, and found family. The backdrop of 1930s Calcutta—from the poor and the privileged, to the convent and the racetrack—is fascinating. This was my 1981 pick for #192025.

Librarybelle

tpixie Sounds great!!! 👍🏻 1w

TheBookHippie Oh this sounds good! 1w

Librarybelle Yay!! 1w

LeahBergen And it‘s being republished by Virago in a nice new cover. 💚 1w

37 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water | Zen Cho

pick

This reminded me a LOT of Nghi Vo‘s Singing Hills books. And it was a lot funnier than I‘d anticipated! I do wish it had been fleshed out into a full novel. There were so many references to earlier events that remained only just sketched out, and just enough character development to make me want to know more. I‘m hoping Zen Cho writes more in this world!

31 likes

BarbaraJean

Awake: A Memoir | Jen Hatmaker

pick

I admit I read this motivated in no small part by pure nosiness. I wanted to know “what happened.” I‘ve followed Jen on social media long enough to have seen some of her faith deconstruction process in real time, long enough to witness the backlash she suffered for her honesty about that process and her changing beliefs. Long enough to remember when her marriage fell apart and be curious about her divorce. This offers some of the details I was ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…curious about, but her framing of it was refreshing. This isn‘t a petty, revenge-driven divorce memoir full of blame & self-justification. It‘s clear she‘s done the work, and so much of this is relatable as a “coming home to yourself” story. It‘s funny, engaging, and vulnerable. However, I struggled with her level of unacknowledged privilege—something I also see in her social media. Wouldn‘t it be nice if everyone, in the aftermath of ⤵️ 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…betrayal, trauma, loss (and cancellation by self-righteous social-media crusaders) could go on a month-long “Me Camp” to an idyllic small town in Maine? Or afford extensive home makeovers & renovations? Or have such a deep, robust network of support from family & friends? I‘m sincerely glad Jen had access to the resources she did, and this is her story—not anyone else‘s. She wrote the book she needed to write & I applaud that. ⤵️ 1w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) But. Few people going through trauma have the resources she did, and a little caveat would have mitigated some of my “wouldn‘t it be nice” eye-rolls throughout. That said, I found a deep affirmation for myself in so much of the work she‘s done: being honest about the lies you‘ve believed and the influences that shaped you—without bitterness or blame, taking responsibility for your own heart & life & choices, and learning to dream again. 1w

TheBookHippie 💯💯💯💯💯💯 1w

CSeydel A thoughtful review! 1w

32 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

The #BookSpin fates are whispering “read your challenge books.” My BookSpin will fulfill 1953 for the #192025 challenge AND # 15 (BIPOC author I‘ve meant to read) for my #50x50 birthday challenge (which I‘ve neglected in favor of finishing 192025 😆) My #DoubleSpin is any #50x50 book. I‘m debating between the three on the right: Last Unicorn (classic children‘s fantasy), Mabinogion (Arthurian), and Hungering Dark (published before I turned 10).

TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean Oh! And my BookSpin will also complete another #10beforetheend book! 🎉🎉 2w

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 2w

28 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

The Old Curiosity Shop | Charles Dickens

I pulled this off my shelf tonight to plan my #whattheDickens reading & discovered a bookmark from Hay on Wye—where I purchased this copy.😍 It was helpfully tucked in between Curiosity Shop and Child‘s History, so I only had to flip back a few pages to determine how many chapters are in Curiosity Shop. However, the last chapter is helpfully titled “Chapter the Last,” meaning I had to flip back a few more pages to find an actual numbered chapter🤪

Cuilin, Texreader

LeahBergen What a pretty edition! 2w

AnnCrystal 📚🤩💝. 2w

Texreader Ok lots to say about this post! Gorgeous book! And you went to the town of bookstores??? I so want to go there someday! I love you found that bookmark in it. And finally I simply adore how Dickens names his chapters! 2w

BarbaraJean @LeahBergen So pretty! But the print is t i n y. 🧐 @Texreader Yes! The town of books is glorious!! Highly recommended! I‘ve been so privileged as to go there multiple times 😍 I have good friends in Wales, not too far of a drive from there. 2w

Cuilin Love this 😍 2w

33 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

“I notice Alicia has kept her choice to virgins only,” said Missy, whose stitch had been bothering her ever since the 7-mile walk from Missalonghi, and now was growing worse. To leave the room was impossible but nor could she sit still and silent a moment longer; to keep her mind off the pain, she started to talk. “Very orthodox of her,” she continued, “but I‘m *definitely* a virgin, and I didn‘t get picked.”

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

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BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

“‘Darling, you look absolutely splendid! In a paddy, are we?‘

Missy took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. ‘Oh, just my cousin James Hurlingford. I told him to go bite his bum.‘

‘Good for you! Time someone told him.‘ Una giggled. ‘Though I imagine he‘d much rather someone else bit it for him—preferably someone masculine.‘

This sailed straight over Missy‘s head…”

👀🤣
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

TheAromaofBooks This quote felt a little anachronistic to me, but maybe not?? What did you think? 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Soooo anachronistic! There were several places where the dialogue felt completely mismatched to the era in which this was set (the other quote I posted was another one). I think it was this part that made me go double check when the book was supposed to take place! It felt so off to me. 2w

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Much of the book seems anachronistic to me. I have more comments, but I‘ll save them for after everyone has finished. (edited) 2w

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BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I just finished it and I have SO MANY comments. 2w

TheAromaofBooks I am almost done and I feel like an old lady pearl-clutching at a few of these scenes 😂 @rubyslippersreads 2w

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Me too! 2w

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads What in the WHAT did I just read?! 😂 I finished this this morning and it was SO FREAKING WEIRD 😆 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Right?!? I came close to throwing it across the room. 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads I kept imagining LMM doing some pearl-clutching from her grave!!! I was so shocked by the “starting your honeymoon early“ part that I handed it to my husband to read. He said: “Wait, is this a pink-shelf book?“ then his face went 😳 and he said: “A woman wrote this? Your group should not be reading this. It's misogynistic crap.“ 😂 2w

TheAromaofBooks For real, though!!! What even! 2w

julieclair Just posted my review, and then came to look at the discussion. I only started reading on Sunday, so hadn‘t looked at it. My oh my, I‘m glad I‘m not alone! What the heck?!?!? 1w

julieclair I didn‘t get to read The Blue Castle, so I can‘t speak to the plagiarism issue. I‘ve always wanted to read The Blue Castle, but think I‘ll skip it if it‘s like this book. 1w

BarbaraJean @julieclair I will say: don't judge Blue Castle based on this one!! With Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and AoGG, I felt like LMM said “I can make this better“—and she did. Here, it's like that Wuthering Heights meme: “I can make him worse.“ McCullough uses lots of similar plot points, but the quality is night and day. I feel like McCullough changed the parts that make Blue Castle work so well, wrote them poorly, then made the romance rapey and icky. 5d

23 likes13 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

Just a quick check-in partway through Ladies of Missalonghi!

How are you enjoying the book so far?
What are your first impressions?
How many plagiarism-like similarities have you found so far between this and Blue Castle?!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean Besides the similarities to Blue Castle, I‘ve been struck by a lot of dialogue that‘s hilarious, but surprising, for a book set just before WWI. I‘ll post a couple quotes! I‘m really enjoying Una as a character, but was a bit ambivalent about Missy until the bridal shower and its aftermath. 2w

DrSabrinaMoldenReads I got mine yesterday 2w

BarbaraJean @DrSabrinaMoldenReads I feel that—I had to read the first half on Internet Archive because my library hold didn‘t come in till yesterday! 2w

See All 10 Comments

TheAromaofBooks I just started this morning, because of the no-chapter thing I knew I wouldn't be able to stop 😂 I'm enjoying it, but parts of it do feel like quite the copy! I don't remember the history of this one - did the author acknowledge LMM in any way? 2w

rubyslippersreads I‘ve already finished. There are certainly similarities; it feels as though the author started with the premise of TBC (whether intentionally or accidentally) and then took off from there. (edited) 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks McCullough claimed “subconscious recollection“ in response to accusations of plagiarism. She said she'd read LMM's books when she was young & the similarities were due to subconsciously remembering TBC rather than intentionally copying. That defense rings false to me! @rubyslippersreads Yep, it seems to diverge more as the book goes on (at least so far--I'm a little over halfway), but it certainly feels like she started with TBC. 2w

TheAromaofBooks In fairness, this IS a bit like a weird fever-dream version of TBC 😂 The parts that feel plagerism-y to me are sentences that are almost word-for-word to something in TBC. The flip side is - I ended up justifying LMM's similarities between Anne and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - is this just something similar...??? 2w

lauraisntwilder I've just started today and, so far, it's the same book -- but this edition has illustrations for some reason. 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Hahaha... I had the same thought about Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Anne! This is way more blatant. I could dismiss the similarities with Rebecca as coincidence or unintentional. But here, these CANNOT be accidental/subconscious similarities. 2w

TheAromaofBooks It's true, there were definitely passages that felt like she had just kind of reworded something directly from The Blue Castle. And where Anne was a far superior version of Rebecca, Ladies definitely was the absolute worst version of Blue Castle that I could imagine (worse, really, because I NEVER would have imagined most of this 😂) 2w

27 likes10 comments

BarbaraJean

Blessed Relief: What Christians Can Learn from Buddhists about Suffering | Gordon Peerman

so-so

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I‘m open to learning from faith traditions other than my own, some of the language around suffering felt a lot like spiritual bypassing. Peerman‘s definition of and subsequent approach to suffering seemed to actively exclude harm imposed by others (abuse, oppression, structural inequalities, etc.)—which often made his approach feel overly simplistic, privileged, and potentially damaging. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The author eventually addresses how action can and should arise from the practices he describes, but it‘s late in the book & feels tacked on—I felt it was limited in acknowledging broader suffering that‘s not just a product of our own thoughts about pain. A few caveats earlier on in the book would have been extremely helpful in reframing the content to guard against the simplistic answers and spiritual bypassing that are so easy to do.⤵️ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) That said, I noticed a lot of helpful parallels between the two faith traditions that expanded my view of how to approach suffering in my own life. Looking back over the book, I see a lot of value in the practices he suggests—for myself and for my work as a spiritual director, to guide others through investigating thoughts and emotions with curiosity and kindness. So: this lands somewhere between a pick and a so-so! 2w

BarbaraJean This was my October #DoubleSpin (and a required read for my spiritual direction program) @TheAromaofBooks 2w

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 2w

27 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

Cozy Halloween: Cozy Mystery Boxed Set | Addison Moore, Bellamy Bloom

#5JoysFriday

❄️ Grand-niece‘s preschool Halloween parade (she was Elsa and her bestie was Moana 🥹)
🎹 Sunday jazz with some new original tunes
🎷Spooky jazz concert last night (setlist included “Candyman,” Bing Crosby‘s Headless Horseman, “You Put a Spell on Me,” and the theme from Beetlejuice, among others!)
🎃 Frog & Toad and Pumpkin Cottage (by India Rose Crawford)
🙏🏼 Two fantastic, encouraging meetings with my spiritual director and mentor

DebinHawaii

kspenmoll Adorable! 🧡 2w

dabbe 🧡🎃🖤 2w

AnnCrystal 😍💝💝💝💝💝. 2w

peanutnine Spooky jazz sounds fun! 2w

27 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

#BookSpinBingo for October yielded no bingos, but FOUR almost-bingos 😆 I planned to grab a bingo by reading Midnight Is a Place as my 1984 pick for #192025…then discovered I made a typo on the pub year—it was published in 1974 🤦🏻‍♀️

I DID finish both #BookSpin & #DoubleSpin, though—and am now caught up on all but one past spins! Also, some great reads this month. Favorites:
Remains of the Day
The Blue Castle (re-read)
Mr. McFadden‘s Halloween

TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean Honorable mention favorites:
Lost Evangeline
The Owl Service
Alanna 2w

SamanthaMarie I love The Blue Castle. Such a good book. We are also huge Swallows and Amazons fans here!! 2w

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fabulous month!! 2w

23 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

November #BookSpin list! I‘ve got a few for #NonfictionNovember, my remaining #192025 books which are also my remaining #10beforetheend books, and various challenges, book groups, and buddy reads!

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2w

25 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

The Owl Service | Alan Garner

pick

This is a creepy little tale set in West Wales, with connections to the Mabinogion (which I now want to re-read! Maybe it‘s time to pull out that Charlotte Guest translation I‘ve always meant to read). The focus is on three children and their discovery of a set of old plates in the attic—a discovery that pulls them into embodying the same legend that has played out generation after generation. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The book is economical in its details, offering the bare minimum for the reader to piece together connections between present day & history, folklore & legend. The slow build of tension, with children at the center, was increasingly disquieting. I don‘t know if I‘d have liked this as a child—it‘s puzzling, fascinating, and troubling. But it was well worth the read now, and a perfect book for October. 2w

BarbaraJean Another book completed for #10beforetheend! This is my #1967 pick for #192025. @ChaoticMissAdventures @Librarybelle 2w

Luke-XVX Childhood favourite of mine 2w

See All 7 Comments

ChaoticMissAdventures ✔ ✔ 💓 2w

Librarybelle Yay!! 2w

LeahBergen It‘s so good! 2w

Centique I loved this but I had to have a real think at the end to puzzle out what I thought was happening. A real mind bender of a book! 2w

33 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

A Spell of Good Things | Ayobami Adebayo

pick

Oof. This was rough—from injustice and political corruption to violence. The title doesn‘t so much describe a season of good things, but rather comments on the impermanence of good things.

I read this based on the strength of Adebayo‘s first book, Stay with Me—which was SO GOOD. This didn‘t quite measure up. It follows two characters from vastly different circumstances: 16-year-old Eniola (“a boy who looks like a man”), whose family struggles ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…to make ends meet; and 28-year-old Wuraola, a young doctor from a wealthy & well-connected family, who‘s on the verge of becoming engaged. The narrative alternates between the two, but the connections between their stories are minimal—besides highlighting the contrast between the privileged & the disadvantaged, and their common societal pressures to measure up that backfire in dramatic & horrific ways. LOTS of trigger warnings here. 2w

28 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

Mr. McFadden's Hallowe'en | Rumer Godden

pick

I loved so many things about this: irrepressible Selina, her pony named Haggis, the food descriptions, the Scottish setting, and a goose named Big Wullie! The basic plot: Selina befriends a crusty old farmer when her pony keeps “planting” himself in said farmer‘s turnip field.

Selina is kind of a misfit—both her mishaps & her soft heart for outsiders are endearing. The exploration of what it means to take care of others, even when you and they ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …are misunderstood, is full of complexity, depth, and heart. There were a few events where the resolution seemed too simplistic/glossed over, but even with that—this was like a warm hug. And I now really want some sausages and “champers” (“potato and cheese all mashed together and put in the oven”)!

This was my #1975 pick for #192025, and my second book completed for #10beforetheend @librarybelle @ChaoticMissAdventures (edited) 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) (I was debating between two possibilities for 1975, then turned them both down in favor of this one. Glad I did!)

@TheAromaofBooks Have you read this one? I think you might really like it! (edited) 2w

Librarybelle Yay!! 2w

LeahBergen I liked it, too! 2w

36 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

The Ladies of Missalonghi | Colleen McCullough

Here‘s the next month for #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead! We‘re just starting the tagged book for #LMMAdjacent, then after one more week back in the #LMMJournals, we‘ll return to the Emily books with Emily Climbs for an #LMMReread. Tag lists are in the comments… but all are welcome! Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be!

LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean Tag list for Missalonghi: @TheAromaofBooks, @julieclair, @lauraisntwilder, @rubyslippersreads, @DrSabrinaMoldenReads

The Ladies of Missalonghi

BarbaraJean Tag list for journals and Emily‘s Quest: @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder

Emily's Quest

BarbaraJean Okay, Missalonghi readers, I have no idea what‘s going on with chapters in this book. I have found no chapter divisions in the print copy. The Hoopla audio has 9 chapters. Searches online say: 1. There are chapters, 2. There are no chapters, 3. There are 19 chapters. All followed by the caveat: “AI answers may contain mistakes.” 🙄 I don‘t know where I got 22 chapters from. 🤷🏻‍♀️ So: read roughly half this week & we‘ll check in on Saturday! 😆 (edited) 2w

See All 9 Comments

TheAromaofBooks I just picked this up this morning and realized that it has no chapters 😂 Who does that!?!? 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Terry Pratchett does that and as much as I love Pratchett it drives me crazy! I started reading last night thinking I‘d read a couple chapters and see how far that took me. At page 30 of a 200-ish page book, I thought the first chapter was getting kind of long, and I started flipping ahead. By page 100 I realized I had yet again made a huge mistake in trusting a chapter count I found online 😂 2w

TheAromaofBooks That has actually been my biggest problem with reading the Discworld books! For some reason, the lack of chapters really turns me off of a book, and I can't even explain why 😂 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I feel the same—the lack of chapters turns me off! I think my brain prefers defined units of content so I know how many bits there are to parcel out. I've seen quotes from Pratchett saying he thought chapters broke up the natural flow of a story. But NOT having them kind of breaks my brain a little. I mean, you have to stop somewhere and I'd rather know where the author would stop! I guess he does use scene breaks, but still. ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean The last Pratchett I read was an ebook version on Hoopla and it didn't even have any designation of where the scene breaks were. It gave me narrative whiplash to start a new paragraph and find I was suddenly in a completely different place with a different group of characters. That pulled me out of the narrative flow more than chapters would have! 2w

TheAromaofBooks Oh wow, that would be SO confusing! He definitely jumps around, so I can't imagine not even having the warning of an extra space! 😂 2w

26 likes9 comments

BarbaraJean

The Blue Castle | L. M. Montgomery

Valancy strikes me as a particularly subversive heroine, and so many of her actions feel very progressive for her time—yet the ending of The Blue Castle leaves Valancy in a very traditional, conventional role.

How did the ending land with you?
Does it feel conventional? Predictable?

#LMMReread #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, Sparklemn, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 I like that her goals, while conventional, are also relatable, and she found the perfect person to complement her. I love that she doesn‘t play by society‘s rules anymore and is happy as a lark! 3w

BarbaraJean For me, I think this is a case of the journey mattering more than the destination. Valancy decides to live her life on her own terms, rather than according to others‘ expectations. The fact that in the end, she‘s in a situation that measures up to society‘s expectations doesn‘t matter, because it‘s not the expectations that mattered to her—it‘s her own. I do think the ending is predictable, but I don‘t care because I love the book so much! ⬇ 3w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I wonder how much Valancy embodies what LMM *wanted* to do & say, but felt too constrained by convention to actually live out. The freedom Valancy feels to flaunt convention & live unburdened by expectations is liberating to me, and I have a feeling it was a bit of wish-fulfillment for LMM. It feels like LMM let loose a little here, freeing her character from the worry of what others will think—a freedom it seems LMM couldn‘t attain. 3w

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rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I agree that Valancy can do and say what LMM (especially as a minister‘s wife) couldn‘t. Valancy could also have the romantic, passionate love story that LMM sadly didn‘t. 3w

TheAromaofBooks Valancy's ending is conventional in the sense that she ended up married, but not remotely so when you consider WHOM she married. To me, an actual conventional ending would be Valancy marrying Edward Beck and becoming a stepmother/drudge. Instead, she went out and found romance on her own terms, ending up with someone who would take her around the world and continue to broaden her horizons instead of keeping her confined to the kitchen. So the ⬇ 3w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) ending is predictable, but I think it is still in line with the rest of Valancy's journey. And Valancy herself says at the very beginning that she does want to be married, to have her own house, her own husband, and even her own “sweet, little fat babies“ - so I love that she decided to go out and find her own fate. 3w

TheAromaofBooks Also, I wrote my comment on the other post about this being LMM's dream book before I read your comment here - we are on the same track! 😂 LMM allowed herself to be tied down by all THE RULES of society, and I think she found real joy in creating a character who was able to shed those fetters and sneeze whenever she wanted to. 3w

rubyslippersreads Maybe Olive should end up with Edward Beck. 😂 3w

lauraisntwilder I'm going to go a little off topic, but your framing of this question in terms of heroines of the day and the mention of the Rubio bio reminded me of Mazo de la Roche. This one feels so similar in tone to Jalna, but I didn't put that together until just now. Jalna came out the next year! And it totally steals Mr. Harrison's foul mouthed bird. No wonder LMM didn't like her! 3w

lauraisntwilder Just makes me wonder what other books she could've written if she hadn't been married to a pastor and been shoe-horned into only writing for children. 3w

kwmg40 I think most readers want happy endings in LMM's books and this one does it to excess -- the heroine ends up illness-free, married to the man she loves, and incredibly wealthy too. So to me, it wasn't very realistic, but as others had mentioned, it was the journey to that point that mattered. 3w

rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder This makes me want to reread the Jalna books. Was it Adeline who had the parrot? 3w

lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads Yes, Adeline has Boney, the parrot. I've only read one of them, the first (in publication order). One day I'll get around to the others! 3w

rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder I read most of the series when I was a teenager, because my mom loved them, but I don‘t think we could ever find a copy of the first one. 3w

julieclair I didn‘t get to read this one in time for the discussion. 🙁 3w

BarbaraJean @JenLovesJT47 @TheAromaofBooks I agree—what makes Valancy‘s story so compelling is that she goes after what she wants. Even though it‘s a “conventional” happy-ever-after ending, it feels so empowering because she chooses her own third path. In her family‘s view, she had two acceptable choices: fade into the old maid role, or marry whoever will condescend to have her. The irony of her unconventional choice is how it ends up both fulfilling ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...Valancy‘s dream and satisfying her family because of Barney‘s money! 🙄 The final exposure of hypocrisy... 2w

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Yes, I think there was wish-fulfillment for LMM in the romance here, too. @TheAromaofBooks Great minds think alike! I kind of want an inspirational picture/sign that says “The greatest happiness is to sneeze when you want to.”

@lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads I‘ve never read any Mazo de la Roche! Maybe we should put Jalna into the #LMMAdjacent reads for next year. 2w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I SO wish she‘d been able to write freely, without worries over conventions and expectations. In her journals, she comments more than once about how she would write something differently if it weren‘t for _____. I would love to read more along the lines of Blue Castle. And I‘m so curious how she would have written Emily differently. 2w

rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I would love to add Jalna to the #LMMAdjacent reads. They all seem to be available on fadedpage.com and the first book in the series is

The Building of Jalna

(edited) 2w

BarbaraJean @julieclair Oh, that‘s a shame! Well, the discussion will still be here if you do have time to read it in the coming weeks! Do you still want to join in for Ladies of Missalonghi? 2w

julieclair @BarbaraJean I probably won‘t get to read Missalonghi in time either, but please tag me just in case. Both of these are books I have wanted to read for a long time. 2w

BarbaraJean @julieclair 👍 If you only have time for one, read Blue Castle. So far, Missalonghi is basically discount Blue Castle 😆 2w

29 likes23 comments

BarbaraJean

The Blue Castle | L. M. Montgomery

One of the things I love most about this book is its humor—it‘s filled with hilarious situations, comments, and descriptions. What are some of your favorites?

#LMMReread #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, Sparklemn, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 When Valancy first comes out of her shell, and they are having a family dinner and she tells everyone exactly what she thinks (and she‘s not wrong!), I find it SO gratifying as well as hilarious. She is now my favorite book character after Phryne Fisher. 3w

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 Right?! I always lose it over that ENTIRE family dinner scene. But especially when Aunt Alberta says she was bitten by a dog “a little below the Catholic church” and Valancy says “Is that a vital part?“ 😂 😂 Also later when Uncle Benjamin is spluttering about Valancy marrying Barney and she says: “Say ‘damn‘ and you‘ll feel better.” 😂 3w

rubyslippersreads I just love the way Valancy suddenly has no filter. I also love seeing Olive put in her place. And the way the family is much more careful of Valancy‘s feelings once they find out she‘s married a millionaire. (edited) 3w

See All 6 Comments

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - I lose it over the Catholic church every time 😂 Also Valancy sassing Abel about how not everyone should sing at their work haha 3w

lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I was listening to the audio on a walk with my husband (we can't talk easily when exercising so he listens to music and I usually have a book going) and I laughed out loud at the Catholic church line so hard I startled him! 🤣 3w

kwmg40 I found Uncle Benjamin's blatant hypocrisy hilarious, when he completely changes his attitude toward Valancy after finding out who she married. 3w

22 likes6 comments

BarbaraJean

The Blue Castle | L. M. Montgomery

The Blue Castle is set in Muskoka, where LMM traveled with her husband & children (and our old friend John Mustard & his wife) in 1922. She recounts this trip in her journal. The above passage made me laugh—hard—given how I feel about “Barney Snaith” as a name for a romantic lead!

What names in The Blue Castle did you find particularly evocative?
What role does naming play in the narrative?

#LMMReread #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, Sparklemn, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 Barney Snaith IS quite the interesting name for a romantic lead! 😆 I had totally forgotten about the Redfern angle but the whole thing is so hilarious. 3w

rubyslippersreads The name Barney Snaith just grates on me. I also had forgotten the Redfern angle, which I suppose explains it. Speaking of names, does anyone know why “Doss” is a nickname for Valancy? (edited) 3w

TheAromaofBooks Barney! I cannot BELIEVE that one of my favorite romantic heroes is named BARNEY. I try not to think about it 😂 Can we publish our own edition where the only thing we change is Barney's name??

@rubyslippersreads - I've often wondered the same thing! https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/doss Apparently it is a slang word, but I'm not sure any of these meanings would really apply to her?? Maybe the “little effort“ aspect? 3w

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TheAromaofBooks Speaking of Muskoka, I always forget how much of this book is really just a love song to nature and natural beauty. I don't know how LMM manages to just write sentence fragments (“Great silences, austere and searching. Jewelled, barbaric hills. Icy-grey twilights, broken by snow-squalls“) that convey SO much description. Every word in this book is perfect. 3w

rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Maybe “they sleep in a place which is uncomfortable, usually because they have nowhere else to live.” The whole family thinks that Valancy, as an “old maid,” has no choice but to live with her mother. 3w

lauraisntwilder Doss is the worst. I actually love the name Barney...but not Snaith. 3w

rubyslippersreads I had another thought about Barney‘s name. LMM was passionately in love with Herman Leard, not exactly the name I‘d give a romantic leading man. 3w

kwmg40 Ever since the purple dinosaur was introduced to the world, I've had a hard time taking anyone named Barney seriously! However, as I live in Ontario, I hear the name “Muskoka“ frequently so it didn't seem strange. I agree with @TheAromaofBooks that LMM's descriptions of nature are among the highlights of the book. 3w

rubyslippersreads I guess we‘re not the only ones who have pondered the meaning of Doss: https://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/what-is-the-impact-of-the-nickname-doss-in-... 3w

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 @rubyslippersreads @kwmg40 I had also completely forgotten that his name isn‘t actually Barney Snaith. And that‘s a good point about “Herman Leard.” It makes me think about Anne‘s idolization of “Walter and Bertha Shirley” as such beautiful names. My grandmother was named Bertha and I always felt sorry for her over it! I‘m certain that some names just sound different to different generations. ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) Plus there are the inevitable cultural associations that ruin a name. I can‘t separate the name Barney from Barney Rubble, Barney Fife, and Barney the Dinosaur—but LMM would have had none of those problematic associations! 2w

BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks The “Doss” definitions are fascinating! The “nowhere else to live” one makes a lot of sense. I wonder if LMM considered that, or if she meant to convey that the family intended it…? Or if we‘re reading into it! I‘d always assumed it was a “baby name”—some association that emerged in her childhood that just stuck. Kind of like Dickens‘ son, Plorn—the fact of which is an ENDLESS source of amusement to me ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean Citations for Plorn, because WHAT?!
https://www.reddit.com/r/tumblr/comments/kz85i5/what_the_dickens/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Dickens 2w

BarbaraJean There is so much about naming here that's interesting to me. A mistaken name (Stirling vs Sterling) kicks the whole thing off. Both Valancy and Barney cast off names they hate (Doss and Redfern)—and their reasons are somehow simultaneously very different, but also similar due to the hated name's association to their respective families. And then “Cousin Stickles” has always felt like SUCH a fitting name!! 2w

JenlovesJT47 Cousin Stickles always sounds like Cousin Prickles and I think that‘s very fitting! I‘m with you on the name Barney. Not my first choice of name for a romantic lead. I had remembered most everything from the first time I read it minus the fact that he was a Redfern. Valancy really lucked out with that lol. I love how her family is equal parts in awe and fear of her after they find out she‘s married to a millionaire. 🤑🤑🤑 2w

TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads - Oooo thank you for sharing that article! 2w

TheAromaofBooks It's definitely true that popular names change over times AND that certain names pick up cultural connotations. My husband's grandpa's name was Kermit, and I actually LOVE that name objectively, but it's awfully hard to separate from the Muppets at this point! 2w

24 likes17 comments

BarbaraJean

The Blue Castle | L. M. Montgomery

How does The Blue Castle strike you when read within the chronology of LMM‘s other books?
Did you find it surprising?
What feels similar or different from her earlier books?

#LMMReread #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, Sparklemn, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 I found it surprising the first time I read it since most of her books are about younger girls. But I love it so much! If I had read this in my 20s my life would be very different right now. 3w

rubyslippersreads This book reminds me so much of Emily of New Moon, I think because of all the clannish family stuff. 3w

TheAromaofBooks This really seems like a departure from her other books. I think spiritually it's actually closest to Rilla? I feel like this is LMM's “dream book“ - she spends SO much of her life doing what people think she should be doing, or doing something because of “what people will think.“ She's someone very bound by tradition and appearances. To write about someone who was willing to throw all of that over and just follow her heart makes me think LMM ⬇ 3w

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) wanted to do the same. 3w

lauraisntwilder I think if I read her books in publication order, without reading her journals, I would be surprised. It does feel like a big departure. In the context of her life though, I kept thinking how it sounds like observations of a pastor's wife. 3w

kwmg40 This book did seem surprising to me. In the other LMM books I'd read, her protagonists did push back against societal norms but in gentler ways. This book felt like a very powerful criticism of society, and it must have seemed especially so when the book was published. 3w

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 It is really inspiring as far as living the life you want!!

@rubyslippersreads Yes, the clannishness and so many quirky horrible repressive family members really do recall Emily. 2w

BarbaraJean I hadn't found Blue Castle surprising until this re-read, in the context of her other works. Even so, reading it in the context of her journals, it doesn't seem surprising at all. @lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks YES, exactly... her journals make this book make SO much sense from a personal standpoint. I agree about Rilla, as well. Rilla feels like the most “grown up” of LMM‘s books to this point. 2w

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Yes, the social criticism just feels different here. There are very few redeeming qualities in the Stirling clan, whereas with Emily‘s family, the characters are a little more nuanced. And Valancy‘s rebellion is kind of a wholesale denouncement of societal norms, while in earlier novels, LMM‘s heroines push back in much softer ways—or only in one area instead of across the board. 2w

21 likes9 comments

BarbaraJean

The Blue Castle | L. M. Montgomery

These quotes from LMM‘s journals feel so timely, since reading this felt like an escape and a refuge from the world for me—and both LMM‘s words and my experience of the book feel like a parallel to Valancy‘s Blue Castle.

Do you have a “Blue Castle”? Where are you finding refuge and escape these days?

#LMMReread #LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, Sparklemn, julieclair

JenlovesJT47 I feel this way about my writing (mostly poetry). But it‘s not quite a blue castle. Maybe I need to restore faith in myself and remind myself it‘s okay to go after your dreams. You‘ll never get anywhere if you don‘t ever try. 💙🩵💙 3w

rubyslippersreads I‘m finding refuge in books. 3w

Sparklemn @rubyslippersreads Me too 3w

TheAromaofBooks Sitting on our porch has been my escape lately! Just being able to listen to the quiet and watch the leaves is so calming. 3w

kwmg40 Cooking while listening to audiobooks is how I escape from the troubles of the world. 3w

21 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

The Historian | Elizabeth Kostova

#threelistthursday #tlt

I‘m surprised I got SEVEN on this list, as someone who‘s really not into scary/creepy/horror! The three on the left are favorites from this list (although I was surprised to see Name of the Rose on there!). The three on the right I‘ve read the book and watched one or more movie adaptations. With Dracula and The Dead Zone, I enjoyed the book more, but Hitchcock‘s Rebecca tops both the book & the recent movie version for me!

dabbe

lil1inblue That's a good list! 🌟 3w

dabbe Fab list! Have you seen the 1940s REBECCA? It's an all-time fave of mine. Thanks for playing and sharing. 🧡💜💛 3w

BarbaraJean @dabbe Yes!!! It was the first Hitchcock film I ever saw. I watched it years before reading the book—and I still think it's better than the book 🫣🤫🤭 3w

dabbe @BarbaraJean I think you're right! 💛🩷🧡 3w

30 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

A Mouthful of Dust | Nghi Vo

pick

This was a low pick. It‘s another solid novella in the Singing Hills Cycle, a creepy little tale of famine, hunger, and power. But it ranks lower for me than the others. What I missed here was how the other books play more intricately with ideas of storytelling, making me examine and re-examine the perspectives of both storyteller & audience, and how stories twist & turn and reveal & conceal. Still: I‘m all in and will read the next in the series!

32 likes

BarbaraJean

Automatic Noodle | Annalee Newitz

pick

I didn‘t realize that cozy post-apocalyptic sci-fi was a thing, but this is that. And it was the cozy sci-fi found family story I needed! A group of food service bots power back up after a shutdown and decide to rebrand and reopen the restaurant in which they were abandoned. Alternating POVs explore the backstory of each of the bots, offering a surprising amount of depth and character development in this short novella. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) My only quibble is that it wasn‘t longer! I‘d love to spend more time with these characters. (edited) 3w

37 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

The Nefarious Nights of Willowweep Manor | Shaenon K. Garrity

pick

This sequel to The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor was just as ridiculous and just as much fun. Smashing together the Gothic romance atmosphere of Willowweep Manor with Golden Age murder mystery vibes worked for me. While I do think the first book was better, this was still a good read—especially if you enjoy hilarious literary chaos.

43 likes

BarbaraJean

Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or S | Srdja Popovic, Sra Popoviac

pick

Popovic was part of the movement (Otpor) that ousted Milosevic from power in Serbia, and this book is a handbook of sorts—taking principles from Otpor and discussing how those principles could be applied in a variety of contexts, using nonviolent activism and resistance to effect change. The wealth of examples he offers are inspiring and often hilarious. I can‘t help but wonder if the Portland Frog was inspired by this book… ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I read this with an online book group over the summer, and I‘m so glad I did. The final session was a discussion with the author—rich with relevant and practical ideas for our current context in the USA. 3w

JamieArc I read this years ago when it first came out and I think about it all the time. I think it‘s been the book I recommend most these days. I, too, thought of the connection between Portland and this book. I‘ve been hoping someone would get into some creative protest! 3w

BarbaraJean @JamieArc Right?! I just keep talking about it. I even talked about it with my (conservative but horrified by Trump) dad as we saw protests over the weekend here in the LA area. I was so glad to see the creative protests in Portland and am hoping that kind of action gets more prominent. 3w

43 likes5 stack adds3 comments

BarbaraJean

The Owl Service | Alan Garner

“It‘s the sheep are the problem,” said Gwyn. “Mostyn Lewis-Jones breeds them with short left legs, and Gareth Pugh breeds short right legs… Mostyn's sheep eat from right to left, and Gareth's from left to right across the slope. When they reach the fence they have to walk backwards and then start again.”

😂😂😂

Bookwomble ❤️🦉❤️ 4w

Sparklemn 😂 4w

TheBookHippie 😅😂 4w

34 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

The Unfolding | Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

pick

This broke me wide open in the best ways. Trommer explores themes of grief and loss, beauty and love, with the sacred woven throughout.

My spiritual director introduced me to Rosemary Wahtola Trommer‘s poetry, and I subsequently signed up to receive her daily poems—they‘re a daily gift. I‘d highly recommend both this collection of poems as well as her blog at https://ahundredfallingveils.com.

36 likes2 stack adds

BarbaraJean

Brideshead Revisited | Evelyn Waugh

pick

This is yet another book that‘s been on my shelf forever… so long that I can‘t pin down the recommendation that originally prompted me to buy it. I wish I could remember, because that might offer me some direction on why I wanted to read it and what I might have gotten out of it!

This was beautifully written, the characters are richly drawn, and it left me cold. I actually kind of wanted to throw the book across the room at the end. ⤵️

BarkingMadRead

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The sadness and nostalgia for a disappearing place and time didn‘t really land for me, because I found the characters so unlikable—and as such, the overarching themes of conversion and grace felt like too little, too late.

I‘m glad I read this with the #hashtagbrigade to glean from others‘ comments some of what I missed! Also, this checks off 1945 for the #192025 challenge. @Librarybelle 4w

Librarybelle I‘m glad that this was a #hashtagbrigade book! I‘m still reading it and am enjoying it. (edited) 4w

Centique I had some of the same feelings reading this a few years ago. Just didnt draw me in, as compared to something like The Go-Between - also in that whole “fall in love with a big house and a wealthy family genre” (genre I just made up!)

The Go-Between

BarbaraJean @Librarybelle I'm glad you're enjoying it! @Centique It was an odd experience for me. I didn't dislike it—the writing was gorgeous. I found it engaging and wanted to keep reading. But I also disliked basically all of the characters and where the plot landed was frustrating. I kind of want to read it again 😂 I love your made-up genre—it IS a thing! I'll have to check out The Go-Between. 3w

44 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

Alanna: The First Adventure | Tamora Pierce

pick

This served as a delightful unicorn chaser while I was reading Newitz‘ The Future of Another Timeline. I‘ve wanted to read Tamora Pierce for a long time—and I‘m glad I chose this as my 1983 pick for #192025. A lot of the plot felt unrealistic to me—Alanna‘s path isn‘t easy by any means, but she‘s a little too readily accepted & fits in as one of the boys far too quickly. But honestly, I didn‘t mind. I needed a lighter take on female empowerment ⤵️

Librarybelle

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …and gender dynamics, and I was happy to sink into a story where a girl in Alanna‘s place isn‘t in grave danger and the male characters aren‘t all violent, villainous misogynists! 4w

Librarybelle Yay!! 4w

36 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

The Blue Castle | L. M. Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

Just a little check-in here halfway through Blue Castle… (although I know some of you couldn‘t resist finishing it already!)

What edition are you reading?
How is your reading going?
What have you enjoyed the most in the first half of the book?
What favorite scenes, quotes, or other elements stand out to you?

rubyslippersreads, DrSabrinaMoldenReads, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, Sparklemn, julieclair

BarbaraJean My copy is the cover on the lower right… which I only like because of nostalgia value! Someday I‘ll get a copy with the Elly MacKay cover (top center). 😍 On this read, Valancy‘s pursuit of what she wants feels so satisfying. I mean, it always does, but somehow it feels deeper for me right now. I think I‘m in a more “appearances can go hang” phase of life than ever before! I keep thinking how Valancy would fit right in with #WDNCW 😂 4w

rubyslippersreads Valancy‘s relatives always remind me of Emily‘s, when Emily is hiding under the table, waiting to find out who will take her. (I‘m reading the ebook, but I have a pretty copy from the 1930s with a girl‘s portrait on the dust jacket.) 4w

JenlovesJT47 I just love this whole dang book! Once Valancy‘s craps have flown the coop, it is absolutely hysterical how she tells her family like it is. So liberating lol. 4w

See All 9 Comments

JenlovesJT47 I ready an ereader copy like the ones on Hoopla. Need to get a physical copy! 4w

lauraisntwilder I have the Sourcebooks edition (second from the right on the bottom). So far, Valancy's family feels like a cross between Emily's and the family from Tangled Web. LMM is so funny! 4w

rubyslippersreads I also feel like Valancy is saying out loud the kinds of observations Emily made in her Jimmy-books. 4w

TheAromaofBooks I just finished the section with the family dinner party where Valancy is a bit “dippy“ 😂 I still snort-laugh about being bitten “a little below the Catholic church“ every time haha 4w

DrSabrinaMoldenReads I‘m behind but plan to catch up. I got it on Kindle but that‘s probably not a good idea. 4w

Sparklemn I got behind, too, but enjoying it so far. 3w

33 likes9 comments

BarbaraJean

A Separate Peace | John Knowles

Realizing there are ten weeks left in the year is ridiculous, and I can‘t resist #10beforetheend. I have 10 books left for the #192025 challenge, so that‘s my list! For some of the years I‘m still debating between a couple options, so that‘s why there‘s more than one book cover in several slots. Fingers crossed I can get all of these read by the end of 2025!

ChaoticMissAdventures

Librarybelle Good luck on finishing #192025 ! You have some good titles for the last 10 reads! 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures Some great titles! I will always vote Baldwin, but Agatha Christie is so much fun. Good luck! Hope the 10 Before the End gives you that extra push! 4w

38 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

The Inimitable Jeeves | P. G. Wodehouse

pick

I‘ve had the Jeeves & Wooster books on my list for so long! I finally read this one as my 1923 pick for #192025… and I think my expectations were too high 😆

Don‘t get me wrong—I enjoyed it. It made me laugh, and the banter and the ridiculous situations were great fun. But it‘s more loosely-connected short stories than it is a novel, and so it felt scattered. I kept waiting for an overarching plot rather than isolated episodes. ⤵️

Librarybelle

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Also, the setting and the Jeeves & Wooster relationship felt so similar to the Lord Peter Wimsey books that I kept wondering when the murder was going to happen. 😂 These are minor criticisms—the problem was more my own expectations than the book itself! I‘m planning on & looking forward to reading more Jeeves & Wooster down the road. 4w

Ruthiella Oh yes. There is never really a plot to speak of. I love these stories because they are so ridiculous. 😂 The TV series with Fry and Laurie is also excellent. 👍 (edited) 4w

AlaMich Yes, these are worth doing on audio, although I think there are a lot of different narrators. 4w

Librarybelle I‘ve yet to read a Jeeves book! 4w

32 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

The Future of Another Timeline | Annalee Newitz

so-so

This was really not for me. It was a friend‘s pick for my IRL book group, and it really should have come with ALL the trigger warnings: graphic violence, sexual assault, abuse, murder, and abortion: this one‘s got it all.

Trigger-heavy content aside, the writing itself is engaging and propulsive, and I found its musings on history and time travel philosophy interesting. But honestly, I think Newitz was trying to do too much here. She juggles ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) sci-fi time travel elements, two first person narrators, a story that plays out across 1992, 2022, and 1893 (with further journeys to distant/very distant points in history), ideas about history & time travel & feminism.

The plot, character development, and world-building all take a back seat to a heavy-handed message that I struggled with because there was so little nuance anywhere. The villains were all flat (male) caricatures ⤵️ 1mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…I hate to say #notallmen but there were maybe 2 halfway decent men in the entire narrative. Women‘s rights are about far more than abortion, but this story uses abortion as the stand-in for all other issues in the realm of women‘s equality, much as it seems to use misogynists as a stand-in for all villains & all men everywhere. Maybe the violence overshadowed things for me, but as I said: not for me. I‘m giving it a so-so, but a low one! 1mo

35 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

All Creatures Great and Small | James Herriot

pick

This was a delight! It‘s been on my shelves for years, and a #blameitonLitsy trifecta prompted me to read it: I put it in my #192025 lineup for 1972, @TheAromaofBooks spotted it on my #BookSpin list & suggested a casual buddy read, then it landed as my August #BookSpin…clearly, it was meant to be!

Herriot‘s descriptions of the Yorkshire countryside make me long for England (admittedly, it doesn‘t take much to trigger that longing in me!). ⤵️

Librarybelle

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) His stories of life as a vet range from hilarious to charming, as do the personalities he introduces us to along the way. I loved every one of Herriot‘s anecdotes—from Siegfried‘s infuriating but somehow also charming contradictoriness, to Tricki Woo the beloved and overfed Pekingese, to Herriot‘s disastrous attempts to court Helen. I devoured the short chapters like the best treats, using the book as a reward to follow heavier reads. 1mo

AmyG I read these as a young adult and absolutely loved them. 1mo

SamAnne A favorite of mine from my early teenage years. 1mo

See All 10 Comments

Ruthiella I also read these as a teenager and remember loving them. The TV show was also on PBS at the time which was wonderful. 😍 1mo

Sparklemn @Ruthiella There is a newer version on PBS that is wonderful as well. 1mo

Librarybelle Great choice! 1mo

Daisey I loved these as well! 1mo

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @Sparklemn My parents loved the original TV show... I've just put the newer version DVDs on hold at the library, to watch with my dad 😊 1mo

TheAromaofBooks It was SO fun to revisit this one! I'm starting All Things Bright and Beautiful next week 😂 4w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yaaaay! It is SO tempting to start in on All Things Bright and Beautiful... but I'm trying my best to finish a couple of reading challenges and can't believe October is almost over 😩 I'm planning to start #192030 in the new year, and I might just have to put Bright & Beautiful and Wise & Wonderful down for 1974 and 1976 😁 4w

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Joined May 2016