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BarbaraJean

BarbaraJean

Joined May 2016

READ ALL THE THINGS! www.goodreads.com/barbarajanette https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/barbarajean www.commonplacehope.wordpress.com
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BarbaraJean
Heidi | Johanna Spyri
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This is my copy of Heidi—it‘s my mother‘s childhood copy, published in 1945. She wrote her name and address on the front endpapers! Some of the illustrations are lovely, although I never picture Heidi with such short hair (even though this is the same copy I read as a child). #ChildrensClassicRead2024

TheBookHippie Oh how lovely!!! I love all the goats on the cover! 1d
Crazeedi That's very awesome 21h
tpixie Great edition! How sweet to have your Mom‘s edition!! My illustrations also show Heidi with short black hair. I wonder why I always thought she had long blonde hair and braids?! 3h
45 likes3 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
The Silmarillion | J.R.R. Tolkien
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And, here we come to Eol and Aredhel:

“It is not said that Aredhel was wholly unwilling, nor that her life in Nan Elmoth was hateful to her for many years.”

Not a rousing recommendation of their relationship…😬😆

#FellowshipofTolkien #Silmarillion

Daisey Definitely not! This story shows the differences in the intent of enchantments of Melian with those of Eol. The meme did make me laugh though. 1w
JazzFeathers @Daisey And l wonder how much self-censorship there might be here. Might Tolkien have been esitant to include something so horrible as a real rape in his stories? 🤔 1w
BarbaraJean @Daisey It really is such a contrast! And the comment is such understatement. @JazzFeathers Yes, that makes a lot of sense. There‘s a lot that‘s very carefully being toned down or just not being said. Then we get further and stronger hints later when Eol meets Curufin, and he disavows Eol‘s claim to kinship: “those who steal the daughters of the Noldor and wed them without gift or leave do not gain kinship with their kin” (edited) 1w
BarbaraJean @Daisey @JazzFeathers I also wonder how much of a role Nan Elmoth itself plays in both these stories. There is a sense that its enchantments have grown darker, since the time of Thingol and Melian. Clearly Eol prevents Aredhel from finding her way out, but the place itself also seems to play a part. I wonder how much the place itself changed Eol—because of how close it is to Ered Gorgoroth, not far from Ungoliant/her “fell creatures.” 1w
Daisey @BarbaraJean @jazzfeathers You both make some very good points! The location especially may be key. 1w
34 likes5 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Another belated review! Thank you to @TheAromaofBooks for hosting this #RandomClassic buddy read & prompting me to finally pick this up. It‘s been on my shelf so long I don‘t remember when or where I originally got the book.😆

This was fascinating—it‘s basically an extended anti-slavery tract wrapped up in an engaging story. Stowe is clear about her purpose, directly addressing the reader, blatantly appealing to their sympathies, and making ⬇️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) no allowances for “moderate” stances on slavery. It‘s a scathing takedown of the whole institution, taking apart justifications on all sides—North and South both. I was impressed both by the strength of her message and the strength of her story. It was heavy-handed, but it was also a compelling story in its own right. I usually don‘t feel that way about “issue” novels, even when I agree with their message! The narrative initially ⬇ (edited) 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) alternates between two sets of characters, but then leaves the reader dangling without a resolution on one story for almost the rest of the book, while the other story takes over. When the focus shifts to Uncle Tom, it meanders a bit as Stowe establishes and then thoroughly deflates the “kind master” narrative. Shifting the balance to Tom‘s story intensifies Stowe‘s message, but also made the escape narrative feel tacked on. ⬇ 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) In spite of Stowe‘s anti-slavery message, the biases of her time still show through. I had a hard time with the persistent paternalistic, white savior overtones as well as the “noble savage” type language throughout. But I expected that. I didn‘t expect the strong Christian themes, which had me veering wildly between inspired & unsettled. Because the book mostly focuses not on the escape narrative but on Tom and his patient suffering ⬇ 2w
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BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) (with its parallels to Christ on the cross), it felt like it was biased towards passivity & perseverance rather than action, on the part of the enslaved. I don‘t think that was Stowe‘s intent, but it‘s what her Christian message tended to suggest, which bothered me. But overall, it's still a powerful book nearly 175 years after its writing. I‘m glad I read it, both for its historical value and its compelling, thought-provoking story. 2w
TheAromaofBooks Lovely review!!!! It's definitely not a perfect book, but I think it still reads well. Randomly, I just started reading a reprint of an old gardening book, and apparently the author was Stowe's neighbor?? 2w
TheAromaofBooks I agree that it was difficult to completely resolve Stowe's pro-Christianity message with the actions of Tom in the framework of what he should do as a slave. But I do think she strove to place him in positions where his more passive attitude was really a sign of strength and purposeful sacrifice rather than just sitting around hoping God does something haha 2w
41 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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I managed a #BookSpinBingo for February! 🎉🎉 I still need to finish my #DoubleSpin, but still: it was a great reading month.

Favorites:
📚Hijab Butch Blues
📚The Lathe of Heaven
📚The Nine Tailors (technically this goes for March, since I finished it yesterday, but #BookSpin starts on the 2nd so I‘m counting it on the bingo board!)

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Fantastic progress!!! 2w
35 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
Heidi | Johanna Spyri
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I just pulled out my copy of Heidi for the March #ChildrensClassicRead2024 and found this. I didn‘t realize I had my mother‘s childhood copy! 🥹 A gift for her 10th birthday from her lifelong friend Alison.

willaful Oh my goodness, that looks exactly like my handwriting when I was a child... 2w
Dilara How lovely! 2w
LeahBergen Ohhh! ❤️❤️❤️ 2w
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batsy Lovely 💖 2w
sisilia That‘s lovely 🥰 2w
Librarybelle So lovely! ❤️❤️❤️ 2w
AmyG That is so special. 2w
TheBookgeekFrau How cool! 🥰 2w
Meshell1313 Love that❣️❣️❣️❣️ 2w
TheBookHippie Awe!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️ 2w
mrp27 Very nice! 2w
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2w
kspenmoll ❤️❤️ 2w
MaureenMc 🥰 2w
tpixie How precious! A family heirloom 🥰 2w
56 likes15 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This is such a powerful memoir—written under a pseudonym, Lamya narrates her experiences as a queer Muslim woman, from her childhood in the Middle East to her life as a student and young adult in New York City. She recontextualizes stories from the Quran, finding strength and hope in her faith as well as in the queer community around her. So many of her readings & interpretations resonated with me in my own journey with Christian scripture. ⬇️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Just in the past week I‘ve recommended this to two friends in my Education for Ministry group who are reading the Old Testament and struggling with its patriarchy and depictions of violence. Another fantastic #AuldLangSpine pick! 3w
monalyisha Oh, yay! So happy to hear that it was a win…and that it‘s making the rounds in your community! 3w
35 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Panpan

A very belated review, assembled from my notes & comments for our #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead discussion…last month!😬

“There are questions and emotional realities of Maud‘s life that remain a mystery. That is the space where fiction can enter.” (from the Author‘s Note)

To a certain extent, I agree. But I‘m also torn about this specific flavor of historical fiction. It seems presumptuous—and intrusive? sensationalist?—to speculate on ⬇️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) someone‘s emotional life in the way this book does.

Part of my discomfort here is that I disagreed with many of Steiner‘s fictional speculations, especially regarding Maud‘s courtship with Ewan and the circumstances around Maud‘s death. This is part of my problem with this type of historical fiction: presenting an interpretation of someone‘s life as fact. That said, parts of this felt entirely plausible, especially Maud‘s relationship⬇️
3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) with her cousin Frede and the glimpses we get of her interactions with her sons. Also, Steiner's emphasis on how conscious Maud was about the version of her life that would be left behind in her journals—this rang very true, given what I've read about Maud elsewhere. I really enjoyed seeing these aspects of Maud‘s life fleshed out and explored here.

Steiner also uses a number of narrative devices that were hit or miss for me.⬇️
(edited) 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I liked the way she wove in Maud‘s ever-present consciousness of “the Reader”—an observer looking over her shoulder, evaluating and judging the writing that would be left behind. But Steiner also uses Anne as a character/voice in Maud‘s thoughts, which felt very contrived. Then Steiner chooses two framing narratives that I found distracting, which set up a non-linear construction that felt confusing early on. ⬇ 3w
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BarbaraJean (Cont'd) My other issue with the book is how it seemed determined to relive the most difficult parts of LMM‘s life after her publishing career began. Granted, Maud‘s later life is so very sad, but there was so much more to her than the parts this book chose to focus on. The sense I‘ve gotten of Maud‘s personality through reading her letters—her humor!—was mostly absent here. It seems the author wanted to focus on what Maud might have ⬇ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) left out of her journals—the parts of her life that were too difficult to leave a record of—which is certainly a valid approach to LMM's life. But because that leaves out SO much of Maud‘s story and personality, this felt like a very narrow, stilted picture of her life and career. 3w
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 What an in-depth critique, too! 3w
BarbaraJean @dabbe 😂 I debated between So-So and Pan… it‘s really halfway between… but I decided not to round up 😆 3w
dabbe @BarbaraJean Good choice! 🤩😂😃 3w
27 likes8 comments
review
BarbaraJean
The Door in the Wall | Marguerite De Angeli
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Pickpick

“Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.”

I really liked this, and would have loved it if I‘d read it as a kid. It‘s definitely historical fiction from a bygone era of children‘s literature: no overwrought emotional drama, no fraught explorations of human suffering, just a matter-of-fact focus on overcoming loss and moving forward by doing the best you can with what you have.

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @librarybelle This was my February #BookSpin and it also checks off #1949 for #192025. 🎉🎉 3w
Librarybelle Wow! An Apple paperback edition! I remember those editions from when I was a kid. 3w
TheBookHippie It‘s required reading here 🙃. Kids still love it! 3w
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batsy I read this years ago and really enjoyed it! 3w
TheAromaofBooks I remember that I read this growing up, but not what it's about. My mom loves de Angeli's books for even younger readers; they have beautiful illustrations. 3w
sblbooks This one really resonated with me; since I have a physical disability. 2w
34 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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#BookSpin list for March! I‘ve got a lot of picks in there for #MiddleGradeMarch: books I haven‘t yet read from favorite childhood authors. I couldn‘t pick just one author! I perused my shelves for unread MG books by childhood favorites, including: Katherine Paterson, E.L. Konigsburg, Joan Aiken, Ellen Raskin, and Lynne Reid Banks. Looking forward to a great reading month!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Interested to hear what you think of Black Hearts in Battersea. Have you read any of the other Wolves Chronicles? Have we already talked about this? 😂 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂😂I don‘t think we‘ve talked about the Wolves Chronicles but we did talk about The Velvet Room, because you recommended it to me! 😁 I‘ve only read Wolves of Willoughby Chase—ages ago as a kid and then again maybe in my early/mid-20s. I‘ve been debating whether I should re-read it before Black Hearts in Battersea! (edited) 3w
TheAromaofBooks I grew up on Wolves and LOVE it. Read it over and over again as a kid. A few years ago, I realized that there were more books in the series so I decided to give them a try. They're very much only loosely connected to Wolves, so a reread shouldn't really be needed - Simon is the only carryover character. I really enjoyed Battersea and the next book, but after that they kind of went off the rails for me. They just got weirder, darker, and more ⬇ 3w
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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) violent as the series went on - which mostly felt out of place because they're generally shelved as juvenile fiction, not YA, so detailed accounts of people getting shredded by wild wolves feels a bit out of place lol I've had really mixed results with Aiken as an author - I seem to either love or really dislike whatever she writes!! 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I LOVED Joan Aiken‘s Arabel & Mortimer books when I was a kid, and I think that‘s what led me to Wolves initially. But like so many other childhood reads, I didn‘t realize they were a series until I was an adult. Good to know they‘re only loosely connected—maybe I should update my BookSpin list to include Cold Shoulder Road and The Stolen Lake, which I also own but left off the list because they‘re much later in the series! 😆⬇️ (edited) 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Or maybe those later books will instead be good candidates for the Little Free Library down the street… 3w
28 likes6 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Where Waters Meet | Zhang Ling
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Mehso-so

This was a rough read. It‘s brutally sad, and never really lets up. While the structure of the novel was a bit confusing at times (and felt uneven towards the end), I think overall it was well-executed—intricately mapped out. It offers narrative frame within narrative frame, circling around the stories of a daughter and a mother. I expected more of a focus on the main character, in the present, but the novel lives primarily in the past, ⬇️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) instead of exploring the effect it has on Phoenix as she discovers her mother‘s long-buried story. Focusing on the brutal stories of the past was wearying—I wanted to find out what happened, but I also didn‘t want to spend time in the story! I did find it fascinating to read stories set against the backdrop of historical events I had so little context for—conflicts within China between the Nationalists and Communists ⬇️ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) China‘s Cultural Revolution, conflicts between China and Japan, etc. In the end, it was interesting, but all so very grim. This was my January #DoubleSpin and a Kindle First Reads choice. 3w
37 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Mehso-so

I finished this one for the #AuldLangSpine readathon, just under the wire on January 31. It gets full marks for concept—a travelogue of one woman‘s solo journey following the Monarch migration by bicycle—but in the end I just didn‘t resonate with it. Some of my issues were purely personal—I can‘t even begin tell you how Dykman‘s lack of advance planning stressed me out. 😆 While I found her determination and adaptability admirable ⬇️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …it rubbed me the wrong way when she repeatedly ignored the advice of locals or considered herself the exception to no trespassing signs or camping rules. Another frustration was that her tone often bordered on scoldy/self-righteous when it came to habitat destruction and other factors that threaten the Monarch. I understand being frustrated and angry seeing a farmer mowing down vast swathes of the one plant the Monarch needs ⬇️ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…but maybe the best response isn‘t to berate people for their ignorance, but to seek to understand and educate. She does a lot of the latter, but her tone about it just grated on me at times. That said, I did enjoy the details I learned about Monarchs, the factors that threaten them & their migration, and the work being done to save both. And there was some beautiful reflection and gorgeous nature writing throughout! 3w
monalyisha Oh dear. 🙈 I‘m sorry your reading experience was fraught! I suppose Dykman is a complicated narrator…but I also found her to be very candid. I‘d bet that she intentionally seeks out the advice, guidance, and expertise of locals just as much as she ignores it in favor of her own counsel. 3w
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monalyisha Admittedly, she is headstrong and angry. But I think she eats crow and admits when she is wrong, too (like when she discards feedback about her planned route and has to reverse course, losing precious miles and energy). She seems to struggle with the fact that her anger fuels her *and* gets in her way — and she doesn‘t keep any of that from her readers. 3w
monalyisha She strikes me as the type of person who holds herself to a very high standard. I think she is disappointed in herself when she does not meet her expectations and I think she is equally disappointed when others fail to meet them. She can be harsh, for sure. (edited) 3w
monalyisha I have great empathy for her when it comes to her irritation. It‘s one thing to know that you catch more flies with honey, and another thing to remember that adage when the actions that cause your disappointment come with such high stakes. Regardless of whether you can get behind her personality, I think it‘s difficult not to admire her passionate advocacy. 3w
monalyisha As for the part about her having a strong disregard for private property? That‘s irrefutable. 😆

My friend is reading this right now upon my recommendation, as well; he texted me this afternoon to tell me, “I think the author & I would be friends.”
3w
monalyisha We all march (or flutter) to the (wing)beat of our own drum, I guess! Who knows how I‘d feel about her in-person? I tend to treasure a more gentle approach, too. Better luck with your next read! 🤞🏻 3w
monalyisha **And none of this is to say that your review and your impressions weren‘t totally valid! I just loved it so much that I felt I had to defend for anyone else who might be considering whether to read it or skip it. 😉 Gorgeous writing will get me every time. 3w
BarbaraJean @monalyisha Ha—no need to apologize! She is a complicated narrator, and I did appreciate her honesty. I agree: she's quick to acknowledge when she gets in her own way, and I liked her self-reflection. She takes time to unpack her actions and words, how she comes across to others, and how that impacts her interactions & her advocacy. It's ironic that a side effect of that honesty was my realization that she just rubbed me the wrong way sometimes! ⬇ 3w
BarbaraJean I'd actually be really interested in hearing her speak—I'm not sure how I'd feel about her in person!

Thank you for chiming in with your own take on the things I had issues with. So much of what made this less than a pick for me is not in any way the fault of the book or the author; it's personal taste. I'm glad I read it, and I wouldn't have come across it without your recommendation. And I'm sure other readers' mileage will vary!!
3w
43 likes11 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I‘m so far behind on reviews that my “need to write a Litsy review” list goes back to mid-January. 😬 This seemed like an apt title to start with, since apparently my review-writing has been mislaid in parts half-known…

I loved this most recent installment in the Wayward Children series. I‘ve seen others criticize it for being a bit uneven—which is fair. It feels like it hasn‘t decided whether to be an ensemble quest story ⬇️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …or to focus in on one character. I did love the focus on Antsy and the resolution we get with her story, even though I wish the other characters had a bit more development here. 3w
rubyslippersreads 💚 the cover! 🦕 3w
39 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BarbaraJean
The Silmarillion | J.R.R. Tolkien
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I‘m catching up on my Silmarillion reading tonight, finally starting the Quenta Silmarillion. As before, I‘m having a hard time keeping the names straight, but I DO remember the love story of Elwe/Thingol and Melian. Because of this meme I made upon our last reading of The Silmarillion. 😁 #FellowshipofTolkien

Daisey 🤣😆🤣 3w
BeeCurious Lol! 😃👍 3w
JazzFeathers 😂😂😂😂 3w
BeeCurious @BarbaraJean - I saved your meme to my kindle. Every time I scroll through through my photos, this still makes me giggle! 3w
BarbaraJean @BeeCurious Hahaha--I love it!! Glad I could share the joy. 😁 3w
32 likes5 comments
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BarbaraJean
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I saw this a couple of weeks ago and am only just getting around to posting it. I thought the #FellowshipofTolkien might enjoy this “Spell in the Library” with a delightful poet, scholar, and priest, reading from and chatting about “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.” Malcolm Guite is an absolute treasure… and he reminds me of a hobbit. 😁

https://youtu.be/d6P01SDkN1E?feature=shared

JazzFeathers Ooooh! Thanks so much for this! 🤩 3w
30 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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Calling all Kindred Spirits! Fragrance of Sweet-Grass is the last book in this round of the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead. I‘d like to take a little break, but I‘ve been thinking about some options for continuing the buddy read later on. So, my question is this: would anyone be interested in joining in with some Kindred Spirits goodness in a couple of months? And if so: which of the below ideas most appeals to you? All are welcome to join in!

BarbaraJean First: reading LMM's journals. We have two options: the Selected Journals (5 volumes) or the Complete Journals (7 volumes so far, but they only go up to 1933. I'm not sure when/if the remaining journals, up to 1942, are planned to be published). Second: we've talked about re-reading LMM's works in publication order. Third: combine the first two ideas: read the journals, but take breaks at the appropriate points in the timeline to read each novel. 3w
BarbaraJean Or, option four: we could read some LMM-adjacent books together. The connections Epperly makes between Emily and Jane Eyre, Aurora Leigh, etc. were fascinating and I'd be interested to explore both those and other connections, like the parallels between Little Women and Anne and Emily. I've also been interested in reading The Blue Castle alongside The Ladies of Missalonghi, and Anne of Green Gables alongside Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. 3w
BarbaraJean So: if you‘re interested in any of the above, comment and let me know which option sounds good to you (or if you have another great idea to consider!). 3w
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julieclair I‘d love to alternate between a LMM book one month, then a LMM-adjacent book the next month. 3w
sblbooks I like the idea of reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Little Women and Little Men would be excellent buddy reads too. 3w
Prairiegirl_reading I‘m still interested in what you all decide but I haven‘t participated as much as I wanted/intended to. So I‘m not out but I also don‘t feel like my opinion should hold any weight. 💚 3w
kwmg40 I'm an occasional participant in this buddy read, so I'm happy to go with whatever is decided and will join in when I can! 3w
willaful I like the idea of reading the connected/contrasting books. 3w
LeahBergen I haven‘t participated that much lately but I‘ll still be curious to see what has been chosen to read! 3w
rubyslippersreads I pick the Journals, because I‘ve had them on my shelf for ages. I think I‘d prefer to read the Complete Journals, but I have both sets, so I‘m prepared for either version. 3w
quietjenn I haven't participated much lately, but I would definitely keep an eye out and maybe pop in for some of the chats, especially if you opt for some related/inspiration titles like RoSF. 3w
TheAromaofBooks I am down for whatever, as I'm pretty good at skipping out when I think a book won't click for me (although I miss sometimes 😂) so keep me in the loop!!! 3w
lauraisntwilder I like the idea of reading LMM's journals, but I also like what you suggest in option four. I've never read Little Women and it's one of my goals for the year. 3w
julieclair Maybe read in 3-month cycles? Journals-LMM Book-LMM Adjacent. Repeat. 3w
BarbaraJean @julieclair @sblbooks @Prairiegirl_reading @kwmg40 @willaful @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder There's a lot of interest in the LMM-adjacent books, and I love Julie's idea to alternate between journals/re-read/adjacent. I'll get hold of the first few journal volumes to see how things might fit together. It won't all line up in an even alternating pattern, but I'll see what works & keep you all posted! ⬇ 3w
BarbaraJean And as always, I want to make it accessible for people to pop in and out for whatever does or doesn't interest them. 😊 I'm thinking of the journals being kind of an ongoing background read that will inform/enrich reading/re-reading LMM's books and the books that inspired her. 3w
LeahBergen Sounds great. Thank you! 3w
kwmg40 That all sounds good to me! Thank you for continuing this buddy read. 3w
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed delving deeper into LMM's works/thoughts/etc. So glad we're finding ways to continue!! 3w
julieclair Yay! Thank you for the effort you are putting into making this such a meaningful buddy read for all of us. 💙 3w
lauraisntwilder Thank you! That sounds awesome. 3w
quietjenn I think that is a great plan 🙂 3w
32 likes22 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (4/4)

Were there new insights or perspectives that you gained through this reading?
Did this reading cause you to notice anything about LMM‘s work that you hadn‘t noticed before?

willaful I'll have to answer this one later. I'm at my mom's (she just had surgery -- is doing fine!) and couldn't bring the book with me to check my bookmarks. 3w
TheAromaofBooks I appreciated that Epperly seemed more into fitting LMM's writing into a larger, world-events kind of context more than the nitty-gritty of LMM's personal life. It was interesting to think about which books were written before, during, and after WWI, and how those feelings impacted LMM's writing and themes. For instance, it made a lot of the weirdo-obsessions of Pat make more sense in the larger theme of “the war has changed everything.“ 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes, I appreciated that aspect of her writing as well. She didn't try to shoehorn every book into a specific biographical context or match up every plot point to events in LMM's life. The current events context made much more sense--and really enriched my understanding of House of Dreams and Rainbow Valley especially. And YES about Pat. Like you, I thought the comparison of Pat and Jane was really well done. 3w
BarbaraJean @willaful Glad your mom is doing well!! Upon @TheAromaofBooks suggestion, I may post some more placeholders for further thoughts on different sections! I have quite a few notes and underlines that I could share and I know Sarah has plenty of notes, too 😁 3w
willaful I just finished -- handily, got three space on the March #ISpyBingo with this 😂 --and I agree with @TheAromaOfBooks that getting the wider context for the books was really interesting. I was also intrigued by learning about all the references and allusions. 2w
17 likes5 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (3/4)

What significant points do you think Epperly really got right?
Were there any significant points you disagreed with?

willaful I agreed with most of her personal reactions--about the way Anne loses her personality over time, & the richness of the Emily books.

My main disagreement was re Teddy & Dean. I haven't reread the Emily books in a long time & I came to them later than Anne, when there was a revival of interest in Montgomery and many more books of hers were available than were at my childhood libraries. But I'm positive I was not on Dean's side of the triangle.
3w
willaful I think it's kind of funny that the author, while clearly seeing how far superior Teddy is for Emily as a life partner, is still captivated by Dean's broody Rochester-ness and assumes everyone else is too. 😂 3w
TheAromaofBooks I did agree with most of what she had to say (except about Anne of Avonlea; I felt like she was way too harsh on that book). There were also times that she made very sweeping statements about heroines only struggling because of their female status, without remotely exploring other possibilities (i.e. would Emily's family have been excited to have a BOY who was into writing poetry instead of farming...?? Maybe, maybe not). Like @willaful I felt ⬇ 3w
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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) that she was WAY to easy on Dean. He's literally a groomer, but she doesn't really touch on the super creepy aspect of their age difference within the context of him “claiming“ her when she is a CHILD and then purposefully “molding her mind“ over the next decade. Instead, Epperly acts like they are intellectual equals, thus making Dean's “friendship“ a positive aspect of Emily's life. Very debatable. ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Things I liked - I thought her analysis of Rilla was really well done, and I actually loved her analysis of House of Dreams, especially within its context of being written/published during the war. Aside from Dean, I thought the views on the Emily trilogy were quite good. Overall, while I quibbled with some details in each chapter, I found myself mostly agreeing with overall themes. ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) If you feel like posting a specific discussion spot for each section and/or chapter, I could probably share many more feelings 😂 I made a LOT of marginal notes! 3w
willaful @TheAromaofBooks Yes, she was overly harsh on AoA Anne. I don't think Montgomery ever meant Anne to be perfect. 3w
willaful @TheAromaofBooks Oh, good point about Dean grooming! (edited) 3w
TheAromaofBooks @willaful - I think she kind of ignores Anne being 16/17 in that book. It's an age where Anne is becoming an adult & learning the difference between imagination & reality, and learning that “magic“ doesn't have to be dramatic; romance CAN be found in the every day. Epperly caught some of that, but didn't give Anne a lot of grace. It's not a perfect book, but to say it's a book that “only children“ can really enjoy felt unduly harsh on both book ⬇ (edited) 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) and readers!! 3w
BarbaraJean @willaful “captivated by Dean's broody Rochester-ness“😂 I can't stand Rochester (I think he's an ass) & I don't find Jane Eyre romantic AT ALL. But I did find the Rochester comparison very apt--they're both older men manipulating a young woman. Epperly does such a great job of pointing out all the little clues about Dean's possessiveness & manipulation, but never acknowledges the creepy groomer factor which NEEDS acknowledgement. @TheAromaofBooks 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @willaful I thought the AoA chapter was the weakest & disagreed with a lot of it, but her emphasis on the difference between narrators in the various Anne books was fascinating. I'd never thought about it, but it makes sense—and I think she's right, it's one of the reasons Anne of Avonlea feels flat in so many places. Overall, I agreed with most of the points she makes and appreciated her close analysis of so many textual details. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Maybe we should have done this as a chapter-a-day style read!! I'm super interested to hear more of your notes - maybe I will go ahead and write several posts for discussion of each section!! I'll go back through my notes as well. 3w
willaful @BarbaraJean Yes, I kind of wish we had! It's hard to remember everything. 3w
TheAromaofBooks Some of the chapters were long, so it would have been a little more difficult to set up a reading schedule, but I did find myself scribbling a lot of marginal notes, both positive and negative. We all know I love expressing my opinions on books, and especially on books about books I love 😂 3w
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (2/4)

What would you say is Epperly‘s overall thesis about LMM‘s heroines and their quest for romance?
Is it clear throughout the book?
Do you agree with her conclusions?

willaful Unfortunately I'm not quite done, so I'm not sure I can answer this. I think she does demonstrate some progression on Montgomery's expression of the ideas, but I'm not sure all her conclusions were supported. 3w
TheAromaofBooks I appreciated that Epperly seemed to recognize that LMM's different heroines were seeking different types of romance beyond just girl+boy=marriage. I especially enjoyed her chapter on Pat/Jane and their romance of the home. Where she fell down a little for me were times that she said that LMM only had her characters find love/marriage because it was “expected“ - in a negative way. I don't think LMM loved writing romance, but I don't think it's ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) because she didn't like romance or didn't want her characters to be married. I just think it wasn't her favorite thing to write. When Epperly quoted someone who said Dean was “the nearest L.M. Montgomery ever got to creating a plausible lover“ I kind of threw up in my mouth. 😖 I'm not sure why the analysis we've read all are down on Gilbert/Gilbert and Anne together/seem to think LMM was reluctant to have them together. @willaful 3w
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willaful @TheAromaofBooks LOL! Yes, I also found the negativity around Gilbert odd. Perhaps she blames Gilbert for the diminishing of Anne in some of the later books? Not really fair to him. 3w
TheAromaofBooks @willaful - I think I've never been bothered by the “diminishing“ of Anne, because I just feel like the focus was on other characters. Being an established, married, humdrum adult in your 30s/40s just isn't as interesting or engaging reading as a focus on the younger generation. I never felt like Anne herself became less of herself, she's just not as prominently featured. I thought Epperly's constant complaint about it was a little strange. ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Especially when she was griping about it in Rilla... literally the name of the book is RILLA of Ingleside, so I don't find it strange that Anne isn't the main character?? 3w
BarbaraJean @willaful @TheAromaofBooks I also liked Epperly's expansion of “romance“ to include beauty & home, not just love+marriage. BUT I got annoyed at how many times she criticized LMM for including a traditionally romantic happy ending. Yes, LMM was writing in a time when that was expected, but as Epperly points out, she subverts so many conventions on the way there. That's where I disagree with Epperly--the love/marriage ending doesn't cancel out the ⬇ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) rest of what LMM was doing in challenging conventions. Just because Valancy and Barney end up married doesn't negate the way Valancy flaunts conventions in nursing Cissy and staying with her and Roaring Abel. I wished there had been a better/longer analysis of Blue Castle, because I think there's a lot more there to explore re: Epperly's theme of the pursuit of romance. 3w
BarbaraJean @willaful @TheAromaofBooks I also don't get the negativity about Gilbert + Anne. I think LMM does SO much by showing how Anne's pursuit of romance gradually changes & grows as she matures. The shift from a schoolgirl fascination with melancholy, inscrutable heroes to realizing that love is found in someone who fits you as a companion and friend, as well as a lover. THAT to me is the common thread in (and what I love about) an LMM romance! 3w
willaful @BarbaraJean Yes, I think that progression is valuable. And there's nothing wrong with it ending in a happy ending with the right person!

3w
TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - I completely agree. You did a great job voicing what was nagging me about Epperly's sort of anti-traditional-ending attitude - I never feel like LMM's heroines are compromising themselves/the lessons they learned/their personal growth to achieve that HEA. Anne marrying Roy would have been a tragedy because doing so would mean Anne wasn't true *to herself* - same with other alternates (Emily/Teddy vs Emily/Dean). Epperly somewhat ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) glosses over the idea that LMM's insistence that her heroines end up marrying someone who is an equal partner to them, who respects them, who listens to their opinions and thoughts, who is unafraid of their intelligence and independence - that that in and of itself subverts the “traditional“ HEA of the time, and I think is a huge part of the reason that her stories have remained so popular and feel, in a way, timeless. I would say that ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Kilmeny is a much better example of romance from the time. And while it's a perfectly pleasant tale, it completely lacks the emotional depth of her other books, in part because I've never felt confident in Kilmeny's long-term happiness, because I've never been confident that Eric genuinely loves/respects Kilmeny as a person instead of just Kilmeny as an object. Contrasted to other HEAs throughout LMM's work - even less in-depth ⬇ 3w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) ones like Peter/Donna in A Tangled Web - there is such a difference in the way LMM presents women and their right to their own autonomy within a relationship. @willaful 3w
willaful @TheAromaOfBooks Having finished now, I get a sense -- possibly based on my own strong bias towards romance -- that the author felt conflicted as an academic/feminist and as a romance reader. It probably didn't help that romance in the 90s was pretty dire in many ways. Note how she says that Valancy and Barney being so similar is unconventional in romance, which is no longer at all true. cont.
(edited) 2w
willaful And I don't think was entirely true then; the only type of romance she specifically mentions is Harlequins, which leaves an entire world unexplored. She seems to personally favor the “Rochester“ sort of romantic hero: “Could the boy next door inspire worship? And passion coupled with friendship seems to work against the most powerful patterns of conventional romance, where mystery discourages friendship.“ cont. (edited) 2w
willaful She may be genuinely noting what she saw in the literature here, but I also got a sense that it reflected her own tastes -- very much prefering Dean to Teddy, for example.

She does give Montgomery credit at the end for the “liberating contribution to the conventional romance story--having the friend become the lover“ but without seeming to truly appreciate the value of that.

I'd love to see her update this book using current romances!
2w
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BarbaraJean
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I am behind and haven‘t finished the last two chapters yet! But I thought I‘d go ahead and put some questions out there and then go finish my reading 😆

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (1/4)

Have you read much literary analysis/literary criticism before?
What was it like reading this type of analysis of beloved, well-known favorites like the Anne and Emily books?

rubyslippersreads I‘m behind (although I‘m pretty sure I read the Emily chapters years ago). Will try to catch up soon and answer. 3w
willaful This is honestly just the sort of literary criticism I enjoy. It's not too academic for me to understand and has an emotional component to it. It probably helped that I mostly agreed with her. 😁 3w
TheAromaofBooks I'm with @willaful - I felt like this was approachable but still felt “legit“ in its tone and structure. I haven't read a lot of literary analysis because I get really emotionally attached to books and don't always want to hear what others think 😂 3w
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BarbaraJean @willaful Me too! It's accessible, and pretty much based in the text rather than pulling from esoteric literary theories. And I enjoy a closer reading of books I love. @TheAromaofBooks Yes, exactly--it was scholarly without being exclusive. 😂 😂 on the emotional attachment--I think this was one of the issues we both had with Magic Island!! 3w
willaful @BarbaraJean “pretty much based in the text rather than pulling from esoteric literary theories.“ Yes! And I don't mind reading critique I don't agree with when it's coming from a place of love. 3w
TheAromaofBooks It felt like Magic Island was bending over backwards to connect every single thing that happened in every single LMM story connect to LMM's personal life, so it devolved into what felt more like conspiracy theories than actual literary critique haha Epperly had a much more balanced approach so that for the most part I appreciated her thoughts even when I didn't agree with them. 3w
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BarbaraJean
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So apparently the 24th is next Saturday—who knew? 😆 I‘m not as far into this as I‘d like, but am hoping to catch up and get some questions posted next weekend! All are welcome to join in—let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

TheAromaofBooks I just finished the Rilla chapter yesterday, so I am plugging away haha I am actually enjoying this more than I thought I would. While I don't agree with everything, she makes a lot of good points/parallels/connections that don't feel nearly as much of a stretch as some of the others we've read! Still feel like she was unduly harsh on poor Avonlea! 😂 1mo
TheAromaofBooks I can't seem to remember.... do we have a March book to read?? 4w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks We do not… I‘ve been thinking about taking a break for a few months, but seeing if there‘s interest in continuing with reading the journals together. Or some related books that have come up—I‘m fascinated with all the connections Epperly is making with Jane Eyre/Aurora Leigh/Story of an African Farm. And I‘ve been told that the Ladies of Missalonghi is a complete ripoff of The Blue Castle, and would be interested in comparing! 4w
TheAromaofBooks Keep me in the loop!! I'd be interested in reading some other things (although probably not Jane Eyre again... I just can't seem to get my head around the Brontes haha) I honestly have a strange desire to reread LMM's works in the order that she published them (except Mistress Pat...) I'm excited about our discussion of this book; I've enjoyed it way more than I thought I would and feel like Epperly makes a lot of great points (and some not 😂) 3w
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BarbaraJean
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@TheAromaofBooks - I‘m on the Anne of Avonlea essay and am arguing with the author in the margins. 😒 So far, I‘m finding her analysis to be a lot better supported than Magic Island, though. I‘m appreciating a lot of the details she points out—even if I‘m disagreeing with a lot of her conclusions! #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

willaful I like your comments. Alas, I'm reading an ebook. 😂 1mo
TheAromaofBooks I didn't really care for the Avonlea chapter (at one point she says something like “many children enjoy this book“ which felt pretty insulting for anyone who is NOT a child an enjoys the book), but now I am reading the Island chapter and it's better (because the author likes it better??) Her thoughts don't seem as wildly opinionated as Magic Island, but I do feel that she's a bit harsh on Anne, who is only 17ish in Avonlea - I've always felt that⬇ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) this was a growing pains kind of book. To me, in GG she's always had to live in her imagination because real life sucked, so now that real life is good, she is having trouble separating imagination from reality. In Avonlea, she's learning that romance/magic can be found in everyday life, but still has a tendency to add too much imagination, which can distort/unbalance her perspective. She's gaining perspective, but still takes herself ⬇ 1mo
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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) too seriously sometimes. In Island, she's learned to laugh at herself much more readily, which I think is one of the biggest lessons she learned in Avonlea (Epperly doesn't seem to mention it), but still has a lot of romantic ideals for the future. What Epperly seems to ignore is that a lot of growing up, in general, is about learning what is ACTUALLY important and what will ACTUALLY make you happy. And to me that's what Anne learns in ⬇ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Island - she realizes that a lot of her romantic ideals, about both marriage and general life, won't actually make her happy in real life. All the romantic pairings we see in that story illustrate it in different ways as various individuals make choices about what will make them happy. Epperly is down on Island's “preoccupation with marriage,“ but no matter how you cut it, finding a life mate always has been and still is a big part of ⬇ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) life and growing up. Some of the reasons for wanting to find that person change from generation to generation, but I don't think it's an outdated or that LMM would have necessarily written the story differently if she was writing now instead of when she did. And maybe that's part of why a lot of these commentaries have bothered me a little - the assumption that if LMM had had a “choice“ she would have written completely different stories⬇ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) that she was just “trapped“ by “convention“ into writing what she did. I am not sure that I agree that the essence of LMM's stories and characters would have changed so drastically. But maybe I'm wrong haha And also I appear to be writing a book myself in these comments, so I'll stop for now. In short, I am enjoying the chapter on Island more, and my margins are also getting quite a few !??! written in them 😂 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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I didn‘t realize National Read in the Bathtub Day was a thing, but now that I know, I have definite plans for tonight. 🛁📚🎉

IndoorDame What a great addition to the national calendar! Thanks for sharing! Definitely joining in now that I‘m in the know! 1mo
KadaGul @BarbaraJean What A Great Day 🥰😍🥰? If I only seen 👀 this before 😔. 1mo
Cuilin I showed this to my husband and he said every day is reading in the bathtub day for you. Lol 😆 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Good job, LA County Libraries. We‘re onto our third day of steady rain—and I haven‘t left the house! The past two nights we‘ve had flood warnings and I‘ve shifted activities onto Zoom instead of in person. Unfortunately today I have to venture out—to the chiropractor and the dentist. Praying for safe roads and sane drivers!

Ruthiella Good luck! 👍 1mo
AnnR Be safe! Here's hoping much of the rain and gusty winds have passed through LA area, as they mostly have where I reside. Well, I'm still hunkering down though, since we keep getting downpours on and off. 1mo
BarbaraJean @AnnR Thank you! We haven‘t gotten much wind at all, it‘s just been raining steadily for almost 48 hours! With the ground so saturated and so much water/flooding on the roads (plus LA drivers in the rain), it‘s worrying to be driving freeways right now. Hope you can continue to stay home and dry! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
The Door in the Wall | Marguerite De Angeli
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February BookSpin! My #BookSpin landed on one of my #192025 categories: a book from the 1920s-40s. I decided on The Door in the Wall, published in 1949 (which has been on my shelf for so long I don‘t remember when I bought it!). And my #DoubleSpin landed on Unraveling, from my #AuldLangSpine list. Looking forward to both of these!

LibrarianRyan This was one of my fave as a child. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
For Auld Lang Syne | Ray Woodward
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#AuldLangSpine wrap-up! I thoroughly enjoyed reading from @monalyisha ‘s list in January. I read three—all new to me—and I‘m glad to have discovered them! Lost & Found was hands-down my favorite: gorgeous writing, beautifully structured, meaningful and thought-provoking. And I still feel so privileged to have my list hand-picked—I‘m looking forward to reading more from your list in the coming months (currently in the middle of Hijab Butch Blues)!

monalyisha It seems like Hijab Butch Blues will be a great pairing for your recent read (Beyond a Binary God)! 1mo
BarbaraJean @monalyisha Yes! So many parallels between the two! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I read this with my Education for Ministry group in December, and it was SUCH a rich book for discussion. The author presents her work as an intro to trans theology, but takes care to note that she‘s writing from outside—as an ally (and mother of a trans son) rather than as a trans person. This was a great introduction to the ways non-binary thinking can open up our perspective of who God is: “the God who is one and three, but never two.”

willaful Interesting! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Don Quixote | Miguel de Cervantes
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Mehso-so

This quote made me laugh, nod my head, and think of Don Quixote.😂 I hurried to finish this at the beginning of January, but have definitely not hurried in posting a review.🤦🏻‍♀️

I first read Don Quixote in grad school & thought it was fascinating: Cervantes uses very modern/postmodern techniques & themes—in a 16th-century text! I also remember it being hilarious. When I saw it on @TheAromaofBooks #RandomClassic list, I was in for a re-read.⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) But I was a little disappointed this time around. The humor is there—so many of Sancho‘s lines had me laughing out loud. And the metafictional elements are there—DQ‘s self awareness of being a character in a story, breaking the fourth wall, beating up the guy who misrepresented the first half of his story—but they were far less prominent this time around, and didn‘t feel nearly as interesting. DQ as a character was oblivious & charming ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)… but he and his escapades got old quickly. It‘s an episodic story, and felt very repetitive—I got tired of all the tricks people kept playing on both DQ and Sancho. These ranged from good-natured to mean-spirited, but the formula wore out for me after the first couple times. I just wanted someone to “get” DQ and be on his side for once! I‘m not sad I re-read it, but it was so interesting to have such a different reaction this time around. 1mo
Tamra Agreed, the repetitive escapes became monotonous and so I didn‘t finish. 1mo
BkClubCare I have said something similar to that quote!!! LOL 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

(Posting some belated reviews today!)

I‘ve really enjoyed the poetry of Scott Cairns and Luci Shaw, who are both contributors to this Advent devotional—and when you throw in Kathleen Norris and Eugene Peterson? I was sold. I tried reading a digital copy last year, but couldn‘t get into it. This year, the physical copy made all the difference. The artwork included and the overall design is just lovely. With readings for each day of Advent ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…through Epiphany, as well as for the feast days that fall in between, this is a rich resource for the Advent season. It was wonderful—reflective and thought-provoking. I‘m looking forward to reading it again next year. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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I‘m super excited about February‘s #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead pick! Examining LMM‘s heroines‘ pursuit of romance is perfect for February. I‘m hoping we fare better with this critical study of LMM‘s work than we did with Magic Island. 😏

Discussion will be on Saturday, Feb. 24th—all are welcome! Let me know if you‘d like to be added to the tag list.

TheAromaofBooks I really thought I had already ordered this book, but can't find it or any receipts for it, so did I imagine the entire thing?! 😂 Off to see if I can find a copy on eBay, apparently! 2mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Ha! I did kind of the opposite—partway through last year, I discovered I‘d bought a copy of this but hadn‘t added it to the Kindred Spirits schedule 😂 Which may be why you thought you‘d bought it but hadn‘t? It might be my fault for adding it late… 😬 2mo
TheAromaofBooks I think maybe I looked at a few used copies last month but didn't actually pull the trigger on one. It's on the way now 😂 Hopefully I don't end up rage reviewing it like Magic Island!! 2mo
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BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I hope so too!!! I just want one book of LMM literary analysis that is actually good!! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Well, I'm reading about ten pages of this one a day, and so far have a lot of ?!?!?! in the margins 😂 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I‘m halfway through the AoGG essay and so far I‘m liking it much more than Magic Island! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks It's a lot more scholarly than Magic Island, but I still feel that she leans too heavily (so far, anyway; I just finished the AoGG chapter this morning) into the “Anne had to smother her true, independent, free-thinking self so she could be with Gilbert, and only because Montgomery had to succumb to gender norms of the times.“ I just don't see marriage as Anne's inevitable dead-end that society backed her into. 1mo
willaful @TheAromaofBooks I do think she makes valid points about how Anne's character changes throughout the series. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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This year, I planned to focus my #BookSpin lists on books from my own shelves. But after January because travel and #AuldLangSpine. Well. Maybe I‘ll start that in March…😆

Here we have several more AuldLangSpine picks, book club/buddy read picks, and library books I haven‘t gotten to yet. And placeholders for #192025, the library holds I keep postponing, and those Christmas gifts I feel guilty about reading before I get through some older TBRs.😁

TheAromaofBooks Yeah, somehow 16 of my slots this month seem to be books I “have“ to read for various challenges 😂 And doesn't even count two that I'll only be reading part of in February! 2mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂😂 One of my goals this year is to back off the “required” reading, to give myself more room to mood read from my own shelves and my library TBR. How it‘s going: five buddy reads/book club reads in February 😂 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Part of it is that, in fairness, several of those buddy reads are also books from my TBR, so it's not totally crazy. But... it's a LITTLE crazy haha 2mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I am powerless to resist a Litsy buddy read for a book already on my TBR shelf!! I mean, that‘s why I‘m reading Uncle Tom right now! And that‘s what got me to read both Once and Future King and Count of Monte Cristo last year. At the same time. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2mo
TheAromaofBooks I've read SO many classics over the last two or three years that, if I'm honest, I never actually would have gotten around to reading otherwise 😂 2mo
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - After Anne discussion part 3

“There are questions and emotional realities of Maud‘s life that remain a mystery. That is the space where fiction can enter.” (from the Author‘s Note)

What is the value for you of historical fiction like this, that speculates on the “questions and emotional realities” of a person‘s life?
Did you enjoy this story as historical fiction?

BarbaraJean I'm torn about this type of historical fiction. I was super into “Biblical fiction“ in high school—basically historical fiction based on Biblical characters like Esther, Miriam, Lydia, etc. I didn't feel conflicted about those, but I do about this (I felt the same way about the novel Maud). In some senses, it seems presumptuous—and intrusive? sensationalist? I can't pin down why exactly—to speculate on someone's emotional life in this way. ⬇ 2mo
rubyslippersreads I‘m with you (and I felt the same way about the YA novel you tagged). I finished After Anne feeling quite depressed. (edited) 2mo
BarbaraJean Relatedly, it bothered me that the author assumed Maud‘s suicide as a fact (both in the narrative and in her author‘s note at the end). Based on the Rubio biography, Maud‘s death seemed far more complicated than that, especially the “page 176”—likely part of her journal notes—that was assumed to be a suicide note. This is part of my problem with historical fiction—presenting what is an interpretation of someone's life as fact. 2mo
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BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads I finished this one feeling pretty depressed as well. LMM's later life is so very sad, but it seemed like this novel focused on reliving the most difficult parts of LMM's life after her publishing career began. There was so much more to her life than the parts this book chose to focus on, and that was frustrating. (edited) 2mo
lauraisntwilder I normally enjoy historical fiction, but I'm not sure I've read a novel about someone I know so much about (except maybe Hemingway). @rubyslippersreads Yes, this definitely was depressing. The author's note was really illuminating for me. She talked about the major sorrows of Maud's life and they weren't the same ones I would've named. 2mo
rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean The one thing I will say for this book is that it‘s made me very interested in reading LMM‘s Journals. 2mo
BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Me too! I‘ve been thinking about taking a break from #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead after February, but maybe reconvening for a buddy read of the journals at some point. 2mo
rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean I‘d definitely be interested in that. 2mo
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - After Anne discussion part 2

What did you think of the narrative devices the author uses?
📚The characters in Maud‘s thoughts: the Fox and Hen, the Reader, Anne
📚The two framing stories: the bonfire and the birthday weekend
📚Non-linear structure

Did you find them effective? What did they add to the narrative?

BarbaraJean My mileage varied with these. I thought the idea of “the Reader“ always being present, looking over Maud's shoulder, was really effective. And the idea of the Fox & the Hen worked for me as well. Anne's voice not so much—that felt really contrived! And I found the framing narratives distracting. Mostly, those sections didn't ring true to my picture of who Maud was, and especially early on, the non-linear construction felt confusing. 2mo
rubyslippersreads The Reader kind of worked for me—Maud was very conscious of what her Journals would reveal. I got tired of Anne‘s voice. I think this novel‘s author felt her readers would expect a lot of Anne, since that‘s the character most readers are familiar with. 2mo
lauraisntwilder The Reader worked, I agree. I thought the others were weird, especially Anne. I thought Steiner did a relatively good job piecing together the events of Maud's life, but there was entirely too much time spent in Maud's head. Maud edited her own thoughts meticulously, making this feel especially overwrought. 2mo
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - After Anne discussion part 1

Going into this book, what other biographical material had you read about L.M. Montgomery (biographies, journals, letters, etc.)?
Does the character of Maud in this story feel plausible to you as L.M. Montgomery? Why or why not?

BarbaraJean I'd read the Rubio biography, some of LMM's letters & The Alpine Path, and the Liz Rosenberg biography. Parts of this felt entirely plausible, especially Maud's relationship with Frede and the glimpses we get of her interactions with her sons. Also, the emphasis on how conscious Maud was about the version of her life that would be left behind in her journals—this made a lot of sense to me in the context of what I‘ve read about Maud elsewhere. BUT⬇ (edited) 2mo
BarbaraJean Other parts felt VERY off, especially the characterization of Maud's courtship with Ewan. The whole spending the night together scene really bothered me—that seemed completely out of character particularly for Ewan, but also for Maud. The Edwin Smith sections as well, but I wasn't as bothered by those as by Rubio's speculation! Also the sense I got of Maud's personality through reading her letters to G.B. MacMillan (her humor!) was missing here. (edited) 2mo
rubyslippersreads I‘ve read most of the non-fiction you‘ve read (I have to get back to the Rubio bio), plus Volume I of the Selected Journals. The Maud in this novel doesn‘t really resonate with me. Emily of New Moon is LMM‘s most autobiographical novel, and there wasn‘t a bit of Emily in this book (except an allusion to “the flash”). 2mo
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BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads Yes!! There was such a huge emphasis on Anne (I guess the title was a giveaway there). Yes, Anne was formative as LMM's first published novel, but If there was going to be any character speaking in Maud's thoughts, I felt it was far more likely to be Emily. Emily and The Story Girl were both more beloved to LMM, I felt, and they were really skimmed over/absent from this story. 2mo
rubyslippersreads @BarbaraJean There was also very little about the joy of writing, only about Ewan‘s disapproval of it, and the dreariness of writing sequels. I would have liked more of the feeling (again, from Emily), that LMM *had* to write. 2mo
julieclair Not sure if I will get to this one this month. 🫤 But sure would like to. 2mo
lauraisntwilder I've read the Rubio and Rosenberg biographies, The Alpine Path, Dear Mr M, and the biographical novel Maud. I agree with what you have both said, @BarbaraJean and @rubyslippersreads -- where was Emily? And where was Maud's humor? We start with Stuart finding the "suicide note," and that seemed to set the tone. Maud is worried even in the happier parts of the book. She definitely could have been worried a lot, but there was more to her than that. 2mo
BarbaraJean @julieclair If/when you do get to it, I‘d love to hear your thoughts! You can always come back to these posts later. 😊 2mo
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Maud‘s humor was seriously lacking here!! I feel like the author wanted to focus on what Maud might have left out of her journals—the parts of her life that were too difficult to leave a record of. But that leaves out SO much of Maud‘s story and personality. It felt like such a stilted picture of her life and career. 2mo
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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“…what serves us best, in the face of inexorable loss, is not our grief or our acquiescence but our attention.”

monalyisha What a perfect picture (to pair with some major Mary Oliver vibes). 😉🐇 2mo
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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“I, too, feel that way: that my days are exceptional even when they are ordinary, that existence does not need to show us any of its more famous or spectacular wonders to fill us with amazement. We live remarkable lives because life itself is remarkable, a fact that is impossible not to notice if only suffering leaves us alone for long enough.”

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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“What an astonishing thing it is to find someone. Loss may alter our sense of scale, reminding us that the world is overwhelmingly large while we are incredibly tiny. But finding does the same; the only difference is that it makes us marvel rather than despair.”

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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“Other than the internet, is there any richer source of potential embarrassment than a pack-rat parent and a childhood home?”

😂

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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“…there is a limit to how close you can get to people who do not care about the same questions you do, not through any failure on their part but simply because their minds orient along different meridians than yours. Conversely, the wonderful lesson I learned from falling in love with C. is that if you do care about the same questions, it doesn‘t necessarily matter if you arrive at the same answers.”

BarbaraJean #AuldLangSpine @monalyisha Lost & Found quote extravaganza coming your way! 😏 2mo
CSeydel Oh, man! I feel like these are the perfect words for a concept I‘m often trying to describe - someone whose mind “orients along different meridians” than mine does (edited) 2mo
BarbaraJean @CSeydel I know, right? This clarified and helped define my frustrations with a couple of people on a committee that I lead. Our minds orient along different meridians, and we do not care about the same questions. Having that definition is oddly helpful in thinking about working with these people going forward. 2mo
monalyisha This is how my husband & I work. We may struggle to agree on the ideal temperature for our home, about what to order on our shared pizza, etc etc…but we care about the same questions, so it all shakes out. 💞 2mo
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blurb
BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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This Internet Archive version of A Daughter‘s a Daughter (a 1982 edition) has ads interspersed throughout, like a couple of other books I‘ve read via the same platform. I think this one is my favorite! 😆 Although I was tempted to post the cigarette ad (remember those?!) that proclaimed its brand had “only 8 mg tar”—lower than a whole list of 30+ other brands. 😳

#LMWBR #westmakittens

LeahBergen I read 3 of the above back in the day. 😂 2mo
tokorowilliamwallace I wish these mail order catalogs still existed (90s elem kid Millennial here), and at those pre-inflationary prices. But I'd also still want the catalogs.for the books of the time, not for current/contemporary releases. I love picking up books thrifting from the 70s and 80s; I just did again this weekend. 2mo
BarbaraJean @LeahBergen Please tell me one of the three was 2mo
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LeahBergen It was!! 🤣 The other two were A Stranger in the Mirror and Audrey Rose. 2mo
BarbaraJean @LeahBergen 😂😂Yessss! It seems there is a sequel to Audrey Rose 😆 2mo
LeahBergen I missed that one! 😆 2mo
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blurb
BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“One of my pet theories... is that everybody should spend one month a year in the middle of a desert... No books. Books are a habit-forming drug. With enough to eat and drink, and nothing—absolutely nothing—to do, you'd have, at last, a fairly good chance to make acquaintance with yourself.“

Wow—such a clear callback to Absent in the Spring!

#LMWBR #westmakittens

Ruthiella Oh my yes! Interesting. 🤔 2mo
quietjenn Yes, I found that so striking. 2mo
tokorowilliamwallace Chasing the short-lived reading moods and high of browsing and acquiring books is the addiction. I even hoard piles of library books. 2mo
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CSeydel Can you imagine if Joan had been stuck there for a whole month? 2mo
batsy That's really interesting insight. Books can be both, imo—a habit-forming drug and a way to know oneself 😅 2mo
BarbaraJean @CSeydel I don‘t know if she‘d have made it! @batsy Same for me—books can be such a mirror into self-knowledge! But I see what she‘s getting at here: books are only a way to know oneself if you‘re open to/seeking that. Books can also be escapism, which is valid in its place but not necessarily conducive to reflection! 2mo
rubyslippersreads A month without books—even without the isolation of the desert, I think I‘d lose my mind. 2mo
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BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“How unfair it was, reflected Dame Laura, that women in love looked their best and men in love looked like depressed sheep.”

😂😂

#LMWBR #westmakittens

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BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the grave—our own self. Get on good terms with that companion—learn to live with yourself. That‘s the answer. It‘s not always easy.”

#LMWBR #westmakittens

review
BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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Pickpick

I can‘t get over how gorgeous this cover is, with its swoopy ampersand of stars against that dark blue. And the writing is equally gorgeous: from sentences to pacing—and the overall construction of the book—it‘s impeccable. Schulz reflects on losing her father and finding her partner, offering a beautiful meditation on grief and loss, love and finding, and how both are inextricably linked. #AuldLangSpine

monalyisha Great review! I think this book is a great litmus test for how well we‘re actually matched (good job, me! 😆😉). There are people who‘d declare this not their cup of tea. For those of us who do enjoy the blend, however, we‘re left wildly asking, “How could that be?!” Glad you‘re with me. 2mo
BarbaraJean @monalyisha Ha! Glad I/we passed the test!😏 One of the things that fascinated me about this book is how individual her experiences were, of both loss & finding. It was fascinating to feel like I was inside someone else's experience, able to understand how different it was from my own--and also to resonate with her writing & reflections, even where my experiences of love & loss feel vastly different. Yet I can also see how that's not for everyone. 2mo
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review
BarbaraJean
Keeper | Kathi Appelt, August Hall
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Pickpick

This beautiful MG novel was the perfect way to kick off my #AuldLangSpine reading. The story follows one kid who thinks she messed everything up—and fills in the context as the events of one evening unfold. There‘s such wonderful emotional depth here. Add a small community of found family (including dogs, cat, and seagull) a dash of magic, and gorgeous illustrations: this is definitely a pick.

BarbaraJean I finished this the first week in January, but with travel and visiting family, my Litsy posting has been so scattered! Trying to catch up a bit now. 2mo
monalyisha I thought the attention paid to the adult characters was so careful and tender (without straying away from the fact that MG readers are the intended audience). Written with such a deft hand. 2mo
BarbaraJean @monalyisha Yes! It‘s so impressive how the author balances that attention to young readers without sacrificing the depth of the adult characters and their difficult, complicated backstories. 2mo
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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“Amazement, gratitude, wonder, awe: the feelings inspired in us by serendipitous finds are the same ones inspired in us by the cosmos as a whole, and for the same reason—because life gave us something splendid that we did not expect, did not ask for, and did not in any particular way deserve.”

#AuldLangSpine

monalyisha I love that you‘re reading this right now; it‘s almost like I‘m reading it all over again. 💞 2mo
BarbaraJean @monalyisha So you're saying it won't be overkill if I post ALL of the passages I've marked throughout the book? 😆 2mo
monalyisha @BarbaraJean That‘s *exactly* what I‘m saying! Litsy takeover! 😆 2mo
BarbaraJean @monalyisha 😂😂 Coming right up!! 2mo
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BarbaraJean
Lost and Found | Kathryn Schulz
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“…at its core, finding something always resembles that moment, dear to the heart of six-year-olds, of spotting a penny on the ground: you are the one standing there looking when the world shifts just so and some bright glimmer—a knickknack at the junk shop, the first shining edge of a brilliant idea, the woman you will marry—catches your eye.”

So much beautiful writing in this book!

#AuldLangSpine

monalyisha I‘m so glad you think so, too! ✨ 2mo
BarbaraJean @monalyisha I‘m blown away by her writing. It‘s so well done! 2mo
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BarbaraJean
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“People who‘ve been hurt often think they have some sort of right to go around hurting other people,” said Sumi. “They think trauma‘s a toy to keep handing down forever. But the fact that someone hurt you and tied you up in knots doesn‘t give you the right to do it to anybody else.”

review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This was funny, clever, and full of Lord Peter‘s “piffle”—this time put to useful purpose as he goes undercover at an ad agency to investigate a suspicious death. I loved the spot-on caricatures of office personalities, as well as Lord Peter‘s various small “tells”! The mystery was also satisfying—other than one trope at the end that I hate. (Another belated review for a December read!) #CloakandDaggerChristmas - classic mystery #SeriesLove2023

Ruthiella Awesome 🎅🏻🔪💀🎄I‘ve read this before but honestly, other than the ad job, remember nothing about the plot. 2mo
willaful One of my favorites. 2mo
batsy I enjoyed this a lot, too. 2mo
TheSpineView Fantastic! 2mo
BarbaraJean @Ruthiella I find that to be the case for me with so many murder mysteries! I guess that adds to the re-read value when I can‘t remember who the murderer was😏 2mo
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

A belated review from December—

I‘m so glad that @Tea_and_Starstuff recommended this series for our IRL book club a couple months ago, prompting me to give them a second look. The first one didn‘t draw me in on a first read, but worked for me on a re-read, and each subsequent book I‘ve liked better and better. This one, with themes of grief, return, and memory—and the stories we tell after we lose someone—was beautiful.

blurb
BarbaraJean
The Brothers Karamazov | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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#ChunksterChallenge fail? 😂 😂

Seen today on Facebook, from Bert's Books in Swindon, UK. Now I can't get this out of my head!

Kimzey 😂 2mo
AnnR 😂👏 2mo
dariazeoli I totally sang along with the sign 🤣 2mo
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TheBookgeekFrau I sang it too 🤣 @dariazeoli 2mo
dabbe 🤩😂😃 2mo
Bookwormjillk 🤣🤣🤣 2mo
KAO I was just signing in to post the same image that I saw on Facebook! 😂 Couldn‘t help but sing this aloud when I saw it! 🎶 Actually I am hanging in there with #thebros so far, but the challenge is real. 2mo
BarkingMadRead 🤣🤣🤣🤣 2mo
LeahBergen 😂😂 2mo
BookwormM 🤣🤣 2mo
marleed Hahaha! Alexa play the Evita album 💿 Because now it‘s in my head, too!🤣 2mo
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