kindredspiritsbuddyread

FIVE years ago today I started the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead! We began with a chapter-a-day read of the Anne of Green Gables series, then decided we weren‘t done and continued on to read all of LMM‘s published novels + some short stories. There've been a few other iterations since; we‘re currently reading LMM‘s complete journals, interspersed with books LMM mentions in her journals, and re-reads of her books as they‘re mentioned being published. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I‘m thoroughly enjoying this deep dive into a beloved author from my childhood, and am so grateful for all of you who have come along on this buddy read with me!! Special shout-outs to @TheAromaofBooks, who has buddy read basically every one of these books with me so far (we won‘t talk about Pat), and @JenlovesJT47 and @rubyslippersreads, who have popped in and out of the buddy read since the beginning! 13h

BarbaraJean Tagging the original tag list + current tag list below in celebration! @JenlovesJT47 @Prairiegirl_reading @merelybookish @quietjenn @Liatrek @Centique @rjsthumbelina @meghathecloud @BookwormDownUnder @Jerdencon @Hooked_on_books @Bkwrm7 @Clare-Dragonfly @TheAromaofBooks @coffeewithbooks @StayCurious @Blackink_WhitePaper @AnneCecilie @EclecticBookLover @slategreyskies @Andrea313 @LeahBergen @dottie.floating.on.words @rubyslippersreads @MB1994 13h

BarbaraJean @Daisey @Desha @jewright @sblbooks @megnews @lauraisntwilder @CogsOfEncouragement @kwmg40 @julieclair @LeahBergen @Roary47 13h

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JenlovesJT47 Yay! I posted a couple of AOGG haikus yesterday and today. October is the perfect time to read Anne! I‘m hoping to pop back in with the buddy reads soon, I‘m so behind on everything 😭. And imo LMM isn‘t saccharine, that title goes to Miss Louisa May Alcott. Anne books are cozy. There‘s no cozier atmosphere than an LMM book in my humble opinion. 🧡🤎🧡 13h

BarbaraJean @JenLovesJT47 💜 No worries—pop in when you can! We're reading Blue Castle the next two weeks, if you have time for what feels (to me, anyway) like the absolute perfect cozy fall book! More & more I realize classic children's books criticized for being saccharine aren't saccharine at all (even Pollyanna!!). There's a coziness and an optimism that's refreshing to me, especially these days. There's a reason I started this buddy read in 2020 🙃 13h

JenlovesJT47 Well Blue Castle happens to be my absolute fave LMM book and this is the perfect time to read it! I‘m in! And I agree. Love Pollyanna, too (especially the movie, it brings me joy) — there‘s nothing wrong with wanting to read books with happy endings and cozy vibes. Going to start the Blue Castle today! 🩵 13h

CSeydel Well said! I think when people lob the criticism that something is “saccharine” it often says more about them than the art being criticized. 12h

CSeydel Although I confess I once referred to Alcott as “a bit treacly” 12h

BarbaraJean @JenLovesJT47 Yay! I'll add you to the tag list!! 12h

BarbaraJean @JenLovesJT47 @CSeydel I was just talking to a friend about this and she said she loves LMM because the joy feels like rebellion against all the dark things happening right now. And she shared this PERFECT LMM quote: “Don‘t be led away by those howls about realism. Remember - pine woods are just as real as pigsties and a darn sight pleasanter to be in.” (Mr. Carpenter, to Emily) 12h

JenlovesJT47 @BarbaraJean that‘s perfect, love it! And the quote 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 12h

JenlovesJT47 @CSeydel treacly is the perfect way to describe LMA. I love Little Women, don‘t get me wrong. But I tried to read some of her Christmas short stories last year and they were too syrupy sweet for me. I don‘t think that applies to LMM but I may be biased. 🤓 12h

CSeydel @JenlovesJT47 Agree! 12h

CSeydel @BarbaraJean Oh, I love that. Too often these days people think they‘re being rebellious or sophisticated by rejecting earnestness and even just pleasantness. But being joyful takes effort and intention; it‘s easy to be cynical. 12h

LeahBergen I loved rereading all of the Anne books with you! How can it be 5 years already? 😂 11h

Hooked_on_books Wow! I can‘t believe it‘s been 5 years! I enjoyed the few I joined in with. I‘m so glad you organized this. 11h

Jerdencon Wow - 5 years ago! I dropped after most of the novels were read but it was so much fun! 11h

rubyslippersreads I never dreamed, when my mom used to find me out-of-print LMM books in the used bookstore (and they were pretty much all out-of-print except AOGG), that someday I‘d have a whole group of Littens to discuss them with. 😄 11h

dabbe 💛💜🩶 8h

lauraisntwilder I'm so glad I jumped in on this! Reading LMM's journals, especially, has been a deeply meaningful experience -- and we're not done yet! It's always special discussing good books with kindred spirits, but even moreso when it's LMM! I can't wait to start The Blue Castle. This will be my first time reading it. 💙 6h

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I'm so glad you're reading along!! I love discussing all of these with this group--it really is a delight. The journals have been so rich and meaningful to me, too. And I love knowing we still have months & months of reading ahead (I have plans sketched out through at least August 2026)! 😁 You're in for a treat with Blue Castle!! I think it's my favorite by LMM (although it's harder and harder for me to choose just one favorite) 6h

quietjenn Thank you for making it happen! I loved reading my way through LMM's catalog with you all. Definitely one of my favorite pandemic+ experiences. 4h

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BarbaraJean

Tales of the Alhambra | Washington Irving

I‘ve gotten behind in my Alhambra reading this week… the Abencerrages chapter was a real slog (I had a really hard time keeping track of who was who!), and I never quite got caught back up. I‘ve been enjoying the stories and legends more than the history!

How‘s your reading going? What stories/sections stand out to you so far?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

Texreader Omg I have the first edition of this book!! I‘ve been wanting to read it but it‘s so old and crumbly I‘m afraid of damaging it. 4d

TheAromaofBooks Some parts of this definitely bog down, but the legends are great fun. I never feel like Irving is taking himself too seriously when he is describing what is happening to him/his observations, and I really like how it never feels like the Muslims and Christians are put into good v. bad categories - just two different sides. While I don't LOVE this one, I am finding it enjoyable. But it's not a fast read! 4d

34 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

Tales of the Alhambra | Washington Irving

“That book always makes me feel as if I had opened a little door and stepped straight into fairyland.
How I would love to see the Alhambra!”
—from “Salad Days” in Emily Climbs

How are you enjoying your reading of Tales from the Alhambra this week? Is it taking you to fairyland, as it does Emily? #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

julieclair There are moments where it feels like fairy land, but to be honest, it has mostly felt like a slog. The writing and descriptions are beautiful, but there are too many details for me. Although I must admit it has piqued my interest in visiting Grenada and The Alhambra some day. However, I‘m ready for some action! 2w

rubyslippersreads I need to catch up. I‘ve always wanted to read this because of the Emily connection. 2w

julieclair I‘m not sure where I am vs. where we‘re supposed to be. I‘m listening on audio and there are no chapters referenced, either in the narration itself or in the “details” section on Hoopla. I‘m at the part where he has just climbed up to the ramparts to see the view. 25% of book read. 2w

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BarbaraJean @julieclair The first chapter, where they're traveling to Granada, was SUCH a slog. It's picked up a bit more now he's including some of the legends & stories from the past. And SO interesting that yours doesn't have chapter references! I'm reading a digital copy via Hoopla & there are chapter titles but not chapter numbers. Where I left off yesterday, he was talking about how misunderstood Boabdil is and is about to tell about the Abencerrages. ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean I wonder if the audio just reads the chapter titles into the text. Would it help if I posted a list of the chapter titles tied to the dates for the week? (Although it's not like there are really spoilers to be careful of, probably reading roughly 1/3 each week is close enough for our check-in/discussion purposes!)

@rubyslippersreads Me too! I remember coming across it first in the Emily books & there was a reference to it in the journals, too. 2w

TheAromaofBooks I actually have been enjoying this. The writing is friendly and I like the way that he is so kind to/about everyone. He seems like a person ready to be pleased with what he finds instead of always looking for faults. I loved the chapter where he decided to sleep in the abandoned rooms and then found himself getting creeped out by the ambiance 😂 It's a little dense - I think I'm a chapter behind - but I quite like it. 2w

julieclair @BarbaraJean You‘re sweet to offer, but I think your idea of just listening to 1/3 each week will work out fine. 💙 2w

julieclair @TheAromaofBooks I hadn‘t really thought about how nice he is, but you‘re right! 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Like @julieclair, I hadn't thought about his kindness and how he just enjoys everything. Irving is the opposite of the stereotypical entitled traveler who is annoyed when things are different from home! It makes for a lovely tone for a travelogue. 1w

29 likes9 comments

LitsyEvents

Tales of the Alhambra | Washington Irving

Repost for @BarbaraJean

Hello, Kindred Spirits! We‘ll begin reading Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving this week. I‘m looking forward to experiencing this book that LMM loved and that she references both in her journals and in the Emily books. Here‘s the schedule—all are welcome! Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacents

Original post - https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2900766

33 likes

lauraisntwilder

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

pick

I finished this reread a little late for #kindredspiritsbuddyread. I still enjoyed it though!

24 likes

kwmg40

Emily Climbs | Montgomery Lucy Maud

pick

I enjoyed this second book in the Emily series, in which Emily has a number of difficult decisions to make while various member of her friends and family try to exert their influence. I'm noticing the many ways in which Emily is different from LMM's more famous character, Anne Shirley!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean

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BarbaraJean

Tales of the Alhambra | Washington Irving

Hello, Kindred Spirits! We‘ll begin reading Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving this week. I‘m looking forward to experiencing this book that LMM loved and that she references both in her journals and in the Emily books. Here‘s the schedule—all are welcome! Let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacents

TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents, julieclair

TheAromaofBooks I just started this morning, and am feeling very smug about having reading Don Quixote last year and understanding some of the references 😂 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂 😂 YES! I felt the same way. I think a not insignificant reason for reading classic literature is so you can feel smug when you understand references to it later. 😆 2w

31 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1930-1933 | L M Montgomery

“Of course Emily II isn‘t half as good as New Moon. The second volume of a series, especially if it deals with a very young girl, is the hardest for me to write—because the public and the publisher won‘t allow me to write of a young girl as she really is. One can write of children as they are; so my books of children are always good; but when you come to write of the ‘miss‘ you have to depict a sweet, insipid young thing— ⤵️

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …really a child grown older—to whom the basic realities of life and reactions to them are quite unknown. Love must scarcely be hinted at—yet young girls in their early teens often have some very vivid love affairs. A girl of Emily‘s type certainly would. But ‘the public‘… I can‘t afford to damn the public. I must cater to them for awhile yet.” ⤵️ 3w

BarbaraJean Do you agree that Emily Climbs isn‘t “half as good” as New Moon? Do you agree with LMM‘s reasons re: writing constraints for why it may be inferior? How do you think Emily Climbs might have been different if LMM had been able to “damn the public”?
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread 3w

TheAromaofBooks I actually like Emily Climbs better, but maybe that is just because it doesn't feel as sad somehow haha But I do think LMM does a good job of providing us with a character who feels passionate, vibrant, and ambitious, and who is likable without “always being good.“ 2w

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lauraisntwilder I don't think it's any better or worse, but a continuation, very different from the Anne books. AoGG is very self-contained. Emily Climbs feels much more like Emily of New Moon than any of the subsequent Anne books feel like the first. Not that I don't love them! And Emily has love affairs! She's clearly in love with Teddy the entire time and eventually realizes it herself. Not to mention Dean and her two denied proposals. 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder On this re-read, I decided I'm in no place to objectively judge which book is “better“! I remember liking this a LOT better than New Moon the first time I read the series. When I re-read New Moon a few years back, I LOVED it & rated it 5 stars, but wasn't as enamored with this one. This time, I was surprised by my previous 4-star rating & changed it to 5 stars—I honestly think I can't be trusted to be objective! ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean I AM really curious what this book would have been like if LMM had felt free of public opinion and had written Emily's “love affairs“ as she wanted, as she felt would be true to life for Emily. What would have been different with Teddy? Would I have been horrified by her depiction of Dean (even more than I already am!)? I wonder if my own reasons for seeing it as “inferior“ would be very different from her reasons! 2w

25 likes6 comments

BarbaraJean

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

How do you see Emily‘s writing ambitions manifest & grow throughout Emily Climbs?

Where do you see similarities between Emily & LMM?

What do you think of the choice Emily makes at the end? Do you agree with her decision or were you disappointed? What does the decision say about her sense of self? About her writing ambitions?

Are there any other scenes, themes, quotes, or characters you‘d like to discuss?

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

kwmg40 Though this book was published 100 years ago, Emily's decision seems uncannily appropriate for the current times. Without getting into politics, I'll just say that there is a wave of patriotism in Canada right now at a level I've not seen before and many young people are reconsidering their decisions to leave the country for work or study. LMM herself achieved great success staying in Canada and writing about regular small-town people! 2w

TheAromaofBooks I have such mixed feelings about the ending! On a personal level, I completely agree with Emily, that she doesn't have to leave her home to be a success, and that someone from a small town can still write about life just as well as someone out there experiencing the rest of the world or what have you. But as far as whether it is true to the character LMM has created - I'm not as confident. Emily turning down this offer just doesn't seem to 100% ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) match the ambitious, Alpine-path-driven Emily we've gotten to know over these two books. I feel like she would have said yes for a season - not forever, but for a year or something, just to gain the experience and hone her craft. 2w

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lauraisntwilder @kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks I feel like it's that slight patronizing or condescending tone that made all the difference. So far, we've seen Emily thrive in the face of opposition and I think staying at home and being successful anyway would feel like a greater victory for her. 2w

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 I love that! The way LMM's pride in being Canadian peeks out in moments like this is lovely. I love that Mr. Carpenter says she'll go and get “Yankeefied“ 😆 And I think Emily is absolutely right to hold on to her sense of place and identity in the way she does. She's beginning to identify the things that shape her writing and is choosing how she wants to be shaped. ⬇ (edited) 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I have ALWAYS been torn about Emily's decision. It seems like such an amazing opportunity. I always think it wouldn't have changed her that much, she could have held on to her sense of self, etc. And yes, it seems at odds with the ambitious Emily we've seen so far. But on this reading, it landed better with me. I saw it as Emily's real growth in self-knowledge—both in who she is & who she wants to be as a writer. ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Yes, exactly—it feels like a greater victory for her to succeed on her own terms. I wonder if she had gone and found success that way, if she'd have always wondered whether her writing was actually good enough to stand on its own (without Miss Royal's connections, without compromising her writing and becoming “Yankeefied“) 2w

18 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread
Emily‘s relationships with her family naturally change here, and the New Moon family members fade a bit into the background. Still, her family continues to (or tries to!) influence her choices.

Where do you see that family influence most strongly in this book?

How are Emily‘s choices shaped by her family—and where do you see her pushing back on that influence as she matures?

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

kwmg40 Emily has a very strong sense of obligation to her family, and of course, some of those members don't hesitate in reminding her of her debt to them. I'd like to think that the most influential family member is cousin Jimmy, the one that most others consider “simple“ but whose wisdom Emily recognizes and whose quiet support she appreciates. 2w

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