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TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

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

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! 8h

rubyslippersreads I need to catch up. I‘ve always wanted to read this because of the Emily connection. 8h

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. 8h

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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. ⬇ 7h

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. 7h

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. 5h

julieclair @BarbaraJean You‘re sweet to offer, but I think your idea of just listening to 1/3 each week will work out fine. 💙 43m

julieclair @TheAromaofBooks I hadn‘t really thought about how nice he is, but you‘re right! 41m

19 likes8 comments

The Writer's Spellbook | Lillian Csernica

I think this may be useful for #WeDoNotCareWednesday 😂😂
#WDNCW

dabbe

Bookperson96 👀👍 Might try this at some point. 3d

Bookwormjillk Love it! 3d

AmyG I may try it too. 🤣 3d

dabbe It's PERFECT! I'm definitely giving it a go. Thanks for sharing. 🧡💜🩶 2d

41 likes4 comments

TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents, julieclair

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 I just started this morning, and am feeling very smug about having reading Don Quixote last year and understanding some of the references 😂 6d

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. 😆 9h

30 likes2 comments

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.” ⤵️ 7d

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 7d

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.“ 6d

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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. 4d

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! ⬇ 9h

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! 9h

24 likes6 comments

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! 6d

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% ⬇ 6d

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. 6d

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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. 4d

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) 10h

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. ⬇ 9h

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“) 9h

17 likes7 comments

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. 6d

14 likes1 comment

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread My least-favorite characters here are Dean and Aunt Ruth—for very different reasons.

What do you make of Emily‘s relationship with Dean here? Do you see any redeeming qualities in Dean‘s friendship and influence in Emily‘s life—or is it all just creepy groomer vibes for you?

What (if any) redeeming qualities do you see in Aunt Ruth? For you, does this mitigate the way she treats Emily for most of the novel?

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

kwmg40 Had I read this book a couple of decades ago, I probably would have felt differently about Dean, seeing how he challenged Emily intellectually. Now, with changing attitudes in society, and also after having raised two daughters, I'm afraid he just seems creepy to me.

It's the same with respect to Aunt Ruth. All the bullying early on made it difficult for me to see her as any kind of ally to Emily, even with her later kinder actions. 6d

TheAromaofBooks I've really tried to be more attentive to Dean in this read-through, because it doesn't seem like LMM would have written him purposefully as a creepy groomer, so surely she was trying to make him a likable character/genuine romantic possibility? But it's so hard to get past the way that he is starting to manipulate Emily by being dismissive of her writing and using her trust in his opinions to undermine her ambitions for his own benefit. I think ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) that originally he does have good influences on Emily in the sense of broadening her mind and helping her to see the world beyond PEI, but like @kwmg40 said, at some point the creepiness outweighs any positives. His possessive attitude towards her since she was literally a small child is just so ick. 6d

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TheAromaofBooks Aunt Ruth is completely obnoxious, but much like Aunt Elizabeth, so much of it stems from her having literally no idea of how to deal with a young person. I think she's very narrow-minded, but I honestly don't think she's purposefully mean-spirited, so I have a little more forgiveness for her than some of the other characters. Her pride in the family name is what motivates her both when she is coming down on Emily and when she is defending her. ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) So I feel like in the end, I still don't like her because she doesn't actually love or even like Emily, but I never felt like her motivations in the rules and even accusations of “slyness“ stemmed from a personal dislike of Emily as much as they did from her worry that Emily was going to bring some kind of disgrace on the family name. Secondary thought - we get a hint of Aunt Ruth's teenage scandal - does that make her super sensitive?? 6d

lauraisntwilder @kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks Dean is gross. There's no getting around it. There's no way to redeem someone who fell in love with a literal child, as he seems to have done in the last book, and then sticks around being weird. Aunt Ruth, however, changed for me on this reading. She's obnoxious, of course, but seems so much like the court of public opinion LMM fought as a child and during the writing of this book, with the Pickering court case. 4d

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder Yep, Dean didn't feel creepy to me when I read these as a teen, but re-reading them in the past few years I can't get past the creep factor. I keep WANTING to see positive aspects to their relationship—he really does challenge Emily intellectually, he broadens her knowledge of literature and opens her mind to a wider world—but the glimpses of his motivations and possessiveness sour it all. Sarah, I agree ⬇ 10h

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...I don't think LMM intended Dean to be creepy, and I do think she intended him as a potential love interest. I think the groomer vibes we're all getting come from that intent. LMM wrote so many short stories with a super inappropriate age difference (I remember one in particular where an orphaned girl was raised by an older man, saw him as a father figure and then it was framed as an idyllic romance when he proposed...!!) ⬇ 10h

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) There's such a HUGE difference in the view of age-gap romances from then to now, that I'm sure LMM didn't intend Dean as creepy. The connections with Emily over literature and beauty were, I think, intended to show he was a kindred spirit and make him likable. My guess is that LMM wove in the possessiveness and manipulation as red flags early on, to suggest that he would figure in Emily's romantic future but wasn't a good match for her. 10h

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 I felt similarly about Aunt Ruth—when she finally defends Emily, it's too little too late. @TheAromaofBooks Absolutely—Aunt Ruth has NO idea how to respond to a young person, especially someone like Emily. It makes me think of how LMM says her grandparents parented her exactly wrong for someone of her temperament—I see that reflected in Aunt Elizabeth in the first book, and Aunt Ruth here. The difference is that Aunt Elizabeth grows! 10h

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder YES about Aunt Ruth and public opinion. So many echoes there to the pressure LMM felt and her horror of “what others would think/say.“ 10h

14 likes11 comments

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMRereads - Discussion Qs for Emily Climbs coming in very late in the day!

How do Emily‘s friendships with Ilse, Teddy, and Perry change during their years in Shrewsbury? Thinking about LMM‘s other work, do you see parallels or contrasts between Emily & Anne in their changing friendships from childhood?

What do you see as the significance of Emily‘s “second sight”? Do you see connections with her imagination? ⤵️

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …With her writing? With her almost spiritual sense of beauty? 7d

kwmg40 Anne seems to be more loyal and tries to always see the best in her friends. Emily's relationships are more complicated, but consequently, they seem much more realistic to me. 6d

kwmg40 I'm not sure about the significance of the second sight, but I've enjoyed several of LMM's short stories that involve the supernatural, and I love this aspect which brings a little bit of a gothic touch to the story. 6d

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TheAromaofBooks Emily and Ilse are such very different characters from Anne and Diana. Ilse drives me a little crazy - WHY does she tell people about things she and Emily have done and then get surprised when everyone gossips about it?? She's definitely a wilder character than Anne or Diana, so that changes the dynamic between her and Emily a lot. 6d

TheAromaofBooks I think Emily's second sight is such an interesting thing to add to the story, because it doesn't get used much. But from LMM's journals, I definitely think this is something she believed was real/something that could really happen. I like the way that she doesn't have it as something that Emily wants/likes/encourages. That makes it seem more realistic to me. 6d

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Absolutely—Emily's relationships are much more complex and LMM's writing about those relationships is more nuanced, I think. @TheAromaofBooks YES about Ilse! I was so frustrated at how she kept talking about these things that were sure to incite gossip. It was an interesting contrast with Emily—I don't think Ilse cared about public opinion the way Emily (and the Murrays) did. Emily is a mirror to LMM in that way, I think! ⬇ 10h

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I also think Ilse and Emily are an interesting reversal to Anne and Diana. Diana is a bit more concerned about propriety (like Emily), while Anne is a bit more oblivious to what others will think (like Ilse). Emily is the imaginative, dreamy one (like Anne), but Ilse has a heedlessness that recalls Anne for me at times. ⬇ 10h

BarbaraJean The second sight is so fascinating to me. @TheAromaofBooks I definitely agree that it echoes LMM's own belief in such things, certainly her own experience of dreams she found prophetic. I liked the layer of Emily's almost frightened reaction to it. @kwmg40 It really does add a touch of the gothic! And Emily's fear/wariness of it emphasizes that gothic feel--it makes it that much more mysterious. 10h

12 likes8 comments

All Creatures Great and Small | James Herriot

I started reading All Creatures Great and Small on Friday—I‘m just 8 (short) chapters in and I‘m absolutely loving it. I was a bit fuzzy on the timeframe in which this is set, so I went to GR to check the book description. And… um… what? 😆😂🤣
@TheAromaofBooks

AnnCrystal
🧐🤔🧐😂😜🤗. 2w

charl08 !! 2w

5feet.of.fury That person is lost lol 2w

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TheAromaofBooks Oh dear 😂I believe these books start in the late 1930s? I know that a few books from now James joins the military for WWII. It's always been crazy to me that people were still using horses for farming less than a hundred years ago! (Quite a bit less back when I first read these in the 90s!) 2w

Ruthiella Oops!?🙊 2w

lil1inblue Huh? 🤔 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Thank you!! I dug some more & found another description that was actually about THIS and not The Talented Mr. Ripley 😂 I figured it had to be pre-WWII because of references to “the War,“ but there weren't other clear markers. What triggered my question specifically was Herriot reading while driving. I thought he was driving via car, not horse, and was SO confused. Still confused. He was indeed reading while driving a car. 😆 10h

33 likes7 comments

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

“Emily did not sleep—did not want to sleep. It was too dear a night to go to sleep, she felt. She wanted to lie awake for the pleasure of it and think over a thousand things.
Emily always looked back to that night spent under the stars as a sort of milestone. Everything in it and of it ministered to her. It filled her with its beauty, which she must later give to the world…”

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread ⤵️

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

BarbaraJean Emily‘s night of beauty under the stars is one of my absolute favorite scenes in this trilogy. That whole section where she and Ilse canvass for newspaper subscriptions still staggers my mind—two fourteen-year-olds, just turning up on a random doorstep and asking to stay the night! How‘s everyone‘s reading going this week? Which scenes have you particularly enjoyed? 2w

TheAromaofBooks Right?? I couldn't believe how they just would stay with random strangers, and went multiple days without contacting anyone from their families! So crazy.

Two passages I had noted this week. The first was about Dean. I was thinking about him and what beyond the age gap makes him so creepy. I think that if he just wanted to marry Emily it wouldn't be as bad - it's the fact that he uses her trust in him to manipulate her into being what he wants ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) her to be, and to convince her that she is less than she is. In the chapter Driftwood, we see the first instance of him really being so condescending about her writing because he KNOWS that Emily will only be a writer if she can be a great writer. Seeing him belittle her for his own ends just infuriates me.

The other passage I marked was later in the same chapter. Emily says that she read a story that ended unhappily and she says ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) “I shall always end MY stories happily. I don't care whether it's 'true to life' or not. It's true to life as it SHOULD BE and that's a better truth than the other.“ This sounded so LMM to me! As we've been reading her journals I've been amazed at how she could write such warm, happy stories during times of turmoil and intense stress in her own life. I so admire the way that she CHOSE to reflect good parts of life more than the bad. 2w

33 likes4 comments

Fates and Furies: A Novel

Half Off Books Records Films | Fullerton, CA (Bookstore)

This picture popped up in my FB memories today… my #bookhaul from a Labor Day Fire Sale at this bookstore before they moved to a new location—8 years ago. In those 8 years, I‘ve managed to finish… um… well… three of these books. 😶🙃

I‘ve read Homegoing (excellent), Penderwicks (a delight), and the Scarlett Thomas (eh). Which do you think I should (ostensibly) read sooner rather than later?

Ruthiella Well, I loved the Thomas book and didn‘t really like Homegoing so I will tag one I also didn‘t like and it will probably be a winner for you ! 😂

monalyisha I laughed out loud. Too relatable! I also vote for Fates & Furies. I have an ARC of that one…which I *also* haven‘t read. It‘s okay. It was only published a full decade ago. 😂🙈 Good thing I got an early release copy! 2w

lauraisntwilder I tried reading Fates and Furies multiple times before finally switching to audio sped up. Not a fan. Charlie Lovett is great though, so I vote for The Bookman's Tale. 2w

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @monalyisha @lauraisntwilder Somehow I don't feel inspired to pick up Fates & Furies immediately. Can't put my finger on why. 😆 2w

44 likes4 comments

Jingo | Terry Pratchett

“He ought to stay here, and do the best he could.

But . . . history was full of the bones of good men who'd followed bad orders in the hope that they could soften the blow. Oh, yes, there were worse things they could do, but most of them began right where they started following bad orders.”

🎯🎯🎯

#OokBOokClub

julesG

julesG 🦧 2w

30 likes1 comment

Jingo | Terry Pratchett

“Colon looked awkward, as if the bunched underwear of the past was tangling itself in the crotch of recollection.”

😂🤣

#OokBOokClub

julesG

dabbe 😂🤩😂 2w

julesG 🦧 2w

28 likes2 comments

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

#BookSpin list for September!

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3w

30 likes1 comment

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

August #BookSpinBingo is a win, with TWO bingos! I finished my August #DoubleSpin as well as my April DoubleSpin and both unfinished spins from July. I‘m down to three unfinished spins from previous months—progress!

Best of:
🌷The Unfolding
🌊Wild Dark Shore
🏇The Dark Horse
👰🏼Kristin Lavransdatter

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Fabulous month!!! 3w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Also I'm gonna start reading All Creatures Great and Small this week, if you want to join me! I'm planning to take it slow, maybe 50-75pp a week? Hoping to finish it in mid-October. 3w

TheAromaofBooks Oh yes, sounds lovely!! The chapters are super short (usually), so 1-2 a day sounds perfect. 3w

32 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @Andrea313 @Daisey @quietjenn @Librarybelle @lauraisntwilder @MaureenMc @Gleefulreader @Deblovestoread @MeganAnn @AmyG @JenLovesJT47 @rubyslippersreads @bklover @Texreader @AnneCecilie @suet624 @Leniverse @CrowCAH @Caterina 3w

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

The drama does not let up in this final volume: there‘s jealousy and recrimination, familial estrangement, marital discord and abandonment, violent confrontations over vicious gossip, and as if that wasn‘t enough, Undset throws The Black Plague into the mix at the end.

Which dramatic developments would you like to discuss further?

Is there anything else you‘d like to discuss from The Cross, or from the trilogy as a whole?

#DoorstopKristin #KLBR

Ruthiella Even though he was difficult to like, I did appreciate how many recognized that the rebellion in which Erland had been involved was ultimately justified as the right way to go politically. I also found it interesting that Kristen didn‘t seem to be bothered too much about his adultery. 3w

AmyG I loved Book 3….so much happening, alot of clarity with relationships. Iam thinking that Kristen just didn‘t care about Erland‘s adultery at one point. She knew who he was…from the very beginning. 3w

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Andrea313 I was feeling way too much with these final chapters! Kristin is supplanted in the lives of her sons, as parents always are, and yet she needed to focus that ferocious energy and life force somewhere. When the end came I was so overwhelmed by the way Undset zooms us out to see the world carrying on, Kristin's life and story one small part of such an epic world. We are infinity, we are dust, we are everything and nothing. This writing was so humbling. 3w

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG Finally some relational clarity, and I feel like Erlend had to die for that clarity to settle!! @Andrea313 Oof, yes. Humbling. This trilogy—and its characters—are so specific and personal, but also so relatable and universal. That “zooming out“ really brings that out. 3w

lauraisntwilder The part where the townspeople thought Kristin's last child wasn't Erland's was so infuriating. I was so mad on her behalf! 😂 2w

25 likes6 comments

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

Kristin has several spiritual guides/mentors in her life: Brother Edvin; Erlend‘s brother, Gunnulf; the local priests (Sira Eirik in her youth, Sira Eiliv at Husaby), and even her father.

Who or what do you see as influencing Kristin‘s faith most strongly in this final volume of the trilogy?

How has her faith changed over the course of the three books?

Do you see the conclusion to Kristin‘s story as hopeful or tragic?

#DoorstopKristin #KLBR

Ruthiella That is a really good question! I think by the final book, she is relying more on her personal connection with her God. Though she does seek out Sira Eirik‘s advice on her separation from Erland and of course Sira Eiliv is the priest who serves the nunnery at the end. 3w

AmyG Yes townat Ruthie said. I, too, believe she could finally listen to and trust herself. I also feel the experiences with Simon at the end of his life had a great impact on her. 3w

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Andrea313 I saw the final, gruesome scenes as a perfect encapsulation of faith in action. Kristin spends her whole life grappling with spiritual truths and the consequences of her own sin, yet at the end, she takes decisive action rooted in what she knows to be right according to her own morals and beliefs. The faith aspect of this book could be heavy-handed at times, but I also appreciated its centrality. What better else to spend our days wrestling with if not questions of right and wrong? 3w

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG I agree—I saw her faith becoming much more personal here. Her decision to go to the convent and then the way she lives her life there made it feel to me like her faith was finally her own (rather than based on guilt or a response to others‘ expectations). @Andrea313 YES! Her final actions during the Plague felt like she was finally able to live out her convictions unconstrained by external influences. 3w

lauraisntwilder Like others have said, I think she's finally relying on her own counsel. But, still, her father's lasting influence in the community is an ever present reminder, while she lives at his estate, of how a life should be lived. 2w

19 likes6 comments

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

We see Kristin‘s sons growing up, now presented in this third book as characters in their own right.

How do her sons‘ choices impact Kristin—as a woman and as a mother?

How do her sons affect the choices Kristin makes for herself and her own future?

How does Kristin exemplify or challenge the accepted roles for women in her time?

#DoorstopKristin #KLBR

Ruthiella She was such a strong woman and she was ambivalent about letting her sons become independent and separate their lives from hers. I was also struck by how much her sons suffered from the rift between their parents. This shaped them, I think, in wanting to escape but also feeling responsible for their mother‘s happiness. 3w

AmyG I felt that a large part of Kristen‘s identity was wife and mother. She got to a point in her life where she “wasn‘t needed” by both and had to find meaning in her life. 3w

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Ruthiella @AmyG Which is part of what makes this book so relevant to readers, right? This is still something many parents face. 3w

AmyG @Ruthiella It is an adjustment, for sure. 3w

Andrea313 @AmyG I felt this so strongly! And it was a twist of the knife when she was further relegated to a supporting character on her own estate after Gaute and Jofrid married. I'm sure many mothers-in-law struggle in relationships with their son's wives, but man, I felt for Kristin here. 3w

AmyG @Andrea313 Yes. I also felt for her…trated like a second class citizen. ☹️ 3w

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG @Andrea313 Yes, I felt for Kristin so deeply in those changed dynamics, especially with Gaute & Jofrid. At the same time, I‘ve had those same kinds of difficult moments with my MIL when she stays at my home—I realize she may feel especially displaced in her son‘s life when she‘s in my space! He‘s an only child, so that exacerbates it, I think. As much as Jofrid frustrated me, I kind of felt for both Jofrid AND Kristin in that. ⬇ 3w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) As much as her sons‘ choices (and their growing up in general!) left Kristin adrift, I also felt like their growing up freed her. Throughout the trilogy, I think Kristin has challenged the accepted roles of her time, but has felt guilty for doing so. This final book seemed to resolve a lot of that for her—she was finally able to take unashamed ownership of her life, and live it on her own terms. It made SO much sense that most of that ⬇ 3w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) … happened after Erlend‘s death—which also made me so sad & angry. It‘s like Kristin couldn‘t be free of expectations or guilt until Erlend was out of the picture. @Ruthiella I saw so many parallels to children of divorce in the way the rift between Erlend and Kristin affected their sons! 3w

lauraisntwilder I think what struck me especially hard about Kristin being "put out to pasture" on her own estate was how young she actually was. I guess it's always that way, that the older generation doesn't *feel* old, but Kristin was literally in her 40's, being kicked out of the main house. 2w

15 likes11 comments

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

#KLBR-ers, here we are at the end of Book 3! Congratulate yourself on tackling #DoorstopKristin and THANK YOU for joining me on this epic read!

Kristin Lavransdatter—set in the medieval era, written in the 1920s—is filled with themes that are still relevant today: female desire, marital discord, motherhood, aging.
Which themes resonated for you?
In which ways did the characters‘ struggles feel distant? In which ways did they feel contemporary?

Ruthiella The propensity for violence to break out was completely out of my understanding. Simon kills a man and is absolved but the man who killed Erland is punished. I didn‘t see any distinction. Both were manslaughter in my view. Also, the pervasiveness of religious beliefs- both Christian and Pagan- are far from my day to day. But pretty much everything else in the characters‘ behaviors and attitudes felt familiar to me as a modern reader. (edited) 3w

AmyG I agree with @Ruthiella. I was surprised how contemporary this did feel. Same sh** different day. I felt very connected to Kristen, especially in Book 3 as she was closest to my age. 3w

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG Yes, the quick escalation of violence in this third book was startling to me. And then the differentiation in consequences. I was thinking that difference may have had something to do with status--wasn't Simon of a higher status than the farmer who killed Erlend? Which is pretty terrible, but felt like it fit the time (and honestly, the difference in consequences for the rich/powerful doesn't feel that different from today...) 3w

15 likes4 comments

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

“…over a hundred years ago great-great-grandfather Murray built this house and built it well. I wonder if, a hundred years from now, anybody will win a victory over anything because of something I left or did. It is an inspiring thought.”

This quote gave me chills—we‘re reading this 100 years after its publication. I think Emily would find that an inspiring thought!

How is your Emily-reading going this week?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, GingerAntics, TheAromaofBooks

AnnCrystal 🤩💝💝💝. 3w

TheAromaofBooks I can't deal with Aunt Ruth and her “you're sly“ accusations 😂 And Creepy Dean is literally creepier than ever. Overall the whole everyone trying to convince Emily who she wants to marry even though she's an actual child is kind of weird. But I am enjoying looking for tiny bits of LMM within the pages!! 3w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Aunt Ruth is infuriating, and the way Emily handles all of it is a testament to how much Emily has grown!! I'd indulge in a LOT more smart remarks than Emily does. Aunt Ruth's persistent “but WHY did you do _____?“ (and then her refusal to accept an honest response to a ridiculous question) would make me want to slap her. I mean, Emily probably wants to slap her, too, but it's remarkable how much restraint she shows! 3w

TheAromaofBooks Right?? Nothing is more annoying than someone asking you a question and then refusing to believe your answer! 3w

kwmg40 I'm a bit late starting this book but now eager to get into it. 2w

29 likes5 comments

Audition | Katie Kitamura

I love seeing Obama's summer reading list each year... and I feel oddly validated when I've read books he's read 😂 This year's list made me think he needs a #CampLitsy invite next year! I'm fascinated that he included Audition on his list: “A quiet novel about the ways we hide our true selves from others — and ourselves.“ Hmmm. I want to hear more...

https://www.obama.org/stories/president-obamas-favorite-books-summer-2025/

squirrelbrain Wouldn‘t it be fab if he came to camp?! 😝 I‘m not sure I‘d call Audition quiet though. 🤷‍♀️ In fact, to me, it felt quite the opposite - it created a lot of noise in my head, trying to work it out! 3w

BarbaraJean @squirrelbrain It would be SO fabulous if he came to camp!! I wouldn't call Audition quiet, either—neither inside my head nor on the page. Especially not that off-the-rails ending! 3w

BarbaraBB I‘m actually a bit surprised Death of an Author isn‘t on it as well 😉 @squirrelbrain 3w

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BarbaraJean @BarbaraBB Wild Dark Shore, too! 3w

TheBookHippie I guess we can still like him even though he likes Audition … 🤣👀😝🫣😵‍💫 3w

TheBookHippie @squirrelbrain I haven‘t rage read like that in a long time. I hated that book 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 3w

BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie 😂 😂 😂 3w

47 likes7 comments

Emily Climbs | L M Montgomery

The Kindred Spirits Buddy Read of Emily Climbs starts this week! This is book 2 in the Emily series. I‘ll post weekly check-ins, and we‘ll discuss the book on Saturday, Sept. 13. Let me know if you‘d like to join in—if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
#LMMReread

JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, LitsyEvents

TheBookHippie I love this book! Enjoy! 4w

TheBookHippie @GingerAntics not sure if you read this one yet. 4w

GingerAntics @TheBookHippie oh the second one in the trilogy. I bought this after we read the first one and I loved it so much… but then I totally forgot about it. I‘m in. 4w

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TheAromaofBooks I started this one (against my better judgment 😂) so I'm in!! 4w

BarbaraJean @GingerAntics Yay! I'll add you to the tag list. @TheAromaofBooks 😂 😂 I'm interested to hear how re-reading these lands for you!! 4w

BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie I 💜 Emily so much. 4w

TheBookHippie I do to! If I can squeeze in a reread I will let you know! 4w

BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie You're very welcome to join if you can! Also, we're reading Emily's Quest in November—so there's that. 😁 4w

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 @lauraisntwilder @kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks @GingerAntics Soooo, I don‘t know how I keep doing this, but I got the number of chapters wrong 🤦🏻‍♀️ I‘ve corrected the pic on this post—if you were tracking which chapters to read based on the original version of the post, please note that it‘s changed. Because Emily Climbs has 25 chapters and not 34 chapters 😩😆 3w

TheAromaofBooks Oh nice, that means I'm all caught up for this week! 😂 3w

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L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925 | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Well, discussion questions didn‘t happen yesterday after my marathon weekend, so here we are on Monday!

Vol. 5 includes the Pickering lawsuit and lots of legal wrangling with Page, dissention and division over Church Union, and Ewan‘s reoccurring mental health episodes. It takes us through the end of LMM‘s time in Leaskdale, ending with Ewan accepting a call to Norval & Union—meaning an uprooting for LMM from a place & home she grew to love.⤵️

BarbaraJean While there were some delightful interludes about LMM‘s cats, her garden, and books she was reading, along with some sweet anecdotes about Stuart and Chester, this volume was certainly thematically heavier than previous volumes. By the end, LMM‘s sadness over leaving Leaskdale felt surprising to me. It did remind me anew of her deep attachment to place (foreshadowing Pat of Silver Bush!). ⤵️ 4w

BarbaraJean How did this volume of the journals land for you? Did you find it enjoyable, heavy, thought-provoking, heartbreaking… all of the above?

What stands out to you: what was most interesting, what will stay with you?

Was there anything surprising to you about these years in LMM‘s life?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals 4w

TheAromaofBooks There was soooo much going on in this section!! I have to say that I was somewhat surprised by how reluctant LMM was to leave Leaksdale, and even Zephyr (!!!), which also made me think about how she tells us that this journal is a place for her to complain - while I definitely think she had some VERY hard years, I do wonder if we are getting the negative-focus from her journals, when she is feeling her most tired and discouraged. 4w

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TheAromaofBooks I loved the account of their trip to Mammoth Caves!! I have been there myself, so that made it extra interesting to me. She also drove through towns in Indiana and Ohio that I have visited (I have family in Warsaw, IN), so that section felt more personal to me. And I did laugh at the story of her losing all their money - except she actually had it the entire time. I am consistently impressed by her ability to sketch a situation so well. I am ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) sure she was an absolutely delightful correspondent. Her sense of humor pops out so unexpectedly sometimes.

Pg. 306 - The “crossword craze“ - I loved thinking about crosswords being in their infancy and everyone getting into them. With LMM's amazing vocabulary I'm sure she was very good at them.

I also really enjoyed the passage where she copied her relative's journal and then talked about the memories that it had brought her. Maybe ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) because we were reading dates from 1925, I was suddenly struck during this section of journals at how LMM is almost exactly 100 years older than me, so not just that these things were happening exactly 100 years ago, but that she was my age (ish - I think we're actually 110 years apart lol) when they were happening. So this section where she is getting very nostalgic about her childhood and remembering specific but small happy moments ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) really resonated with me. My life isn't nearly as hard as hers, but the drudgery of adulthood does wear you down sometimes, and it can be bittersweet to look back on those more carefree days when all your dreams were still real possibilities. (Said as someone who actually has a fabulous life that I love haha)

Okay, pg. 390, I want this book!!! “How We Ran the Farm“ sounds AMAZING.

This is super random, but on pg 392 there is a footnote⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) where the editor claims that LMM “omits a word“ from her sentence. The sentence is “I must suffer the pangs of deferred but candidly confessed curiosity for a season“ and the editor thinks there is a word missing after deferred. But it seems to be quite clear that what is being deferred is not a missing word like “pleasure“ but the curiosity. What do you all think? I only bring it up because I felt mildly indignant for LMM's sake 😂 4w

TheAromaofBooks I am really going on and on, but I have gotten SO into these journals, way more than I ever thought I would. Even when they are sad and difficult I look forward to reading them! LMM is such a fantastic writer that even her descriptions of the mundane engage me. It was VERY hard to read about Ewan's mental health issues, and to see LMM beginning to develop mental health problems of her own - the beginnings of self-medication and the repetition of ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) things like, “I just need to live long enough to make sure my children are taken care of“ - so sad!!!

The entire church union thing made basically 0% sense to me, like why anyone thought this was a good idea, what they were trying to accomplish, why they were voting on it, why everyone hung out in their old church for another 3 months AFTER voting on it (I assume because of financial reasons but still) - it all just seemed like an ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) absolute nightmare, and, as LMM pointed out, not a good reflection of the God they all claimed to serve. 😑

And those Pickerings!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'll stop rambling now. Suffice to say, even though it was tough reading at times, I really enjoyed this journal a great deal, and admire LMM even more than I did before. 4w

TheAromaofBooks PS I really wish I could remember which biography so snidely dismissed LMM's mourning of Frede by implying that she was more upset when her cat died. The fact that years have gone by and she is still bringing up Frede and how much she misses her and how sad she still is about it (and has NOT brought up the cat btw) just really makes me annoyed with whichever biographer that was! I really am glad we are reading the full journals ourselves ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) because I definitely feel like I have gotten a much different picture of LMM and various aspects of her life than I did from the biographies, especially regarding things like how important Frede was to her and LMM's relationship with Ewan (I feel like always shown as 100% negative in biographies, when I actually think that the two of them got along just fine when he wasn't in one of his terrible funks). So anyway. I do feel like it's ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) been worthwhile.

And I'll really stop talking now 😂 4w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I‘m sure you‘re right that we‘re getting a disproportionate amount of negativity in the journals. Especially knowing LMM used her journal as an outlet to “write it out” when she was down. I remember her letters to MacMillan as much more positive, but then I‘d imagine those were disproportionate in the other direction, with a more positive bias! None of these sources will give a purely balanced or unbiased view of LMM‘s life, but ⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…like you, I love reading the complete journals for myself, without someone else‘s filter. I think the Mary Rubio bio made those snide remarks about LMM‘s grief. I pulled it off the shelf because I wanted to find & be indignant about it again, but I can‘t find where she makes the comparison. The cat in question was Good Luck, so we haven‘t gotten to the 40-page cat-mourning entry yet! But I completely agree—LMM‘s grief over Frede is still⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …so evident throughout these pages, years & years after Frede‘s death. It‘s so unfair to say LMM was more upset about the cat.

Yes, that detailed description of the Mammoth Caves was fascinating! And how fun to read about places you‘re familiar with! That whole trip was so interesting to read about—I cracked up over them all trying hot dogs for the first time.

I found the actual reproduction of the relative‘s journal rather tedious ⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …(I was glad there was just a sample of it!), but LMM‘s commentary, with all the memories it brought back for her, was so touching. I was struck by the 100-years-on phenomenon as well! I hadn‘t thought about correlating it to my own age—I‘ve actually been doing the math over and over to figure out how old LMM is at various points. It would be so much easier to just remember she‘s 104 years older than me. 😆 I hear you on relating to ⬇ (edited) 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…LMM‘s nostalgia over childhood! I follow a nature photographer on FB who lives literally up the road from my childhood home in England…and I sink into that nostalgia whenever I see her photos. In the midst of adult responsibilities, there‘s something so attractive about the simplicity of childhood!

LMM is SUCH a good storyteller. I loved her story about how Dixie & Luck were following her to the Post Office and Luck got scared into the ⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …bushes—and Dixie was “such a gentleman” to wait for Luck even though he loved going to the Post Office. LMM has such a knack for noticing moments like that and bringing them to life on the page—it takes her journals beyond just the mundane, for me.

I‘m with you on the p. 392 footnote!!! I interpreted that sentence the same way you did, and found it terribly presumptuous of the editor to claim there was a word missing! ⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …The church union vote was super frustrating to me, too. I understand the impulse to say “we‘re not so different from each other, why don‘t our denominations join together”—which in itself is commendable—but how could they not see that the practical outworking of it would be a NIGHTMARE? There‘ve been deep divisions in churches I‘ve been at over petty things like the freaking color of the paint in the sanctuary (don‘t get me started). ⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…How would trying to merge three different denominations with their own positions on theology, worship, etc. NOT create deep disagreements and differences, let alone exacerbate already-existing ones?!?

@TheAromaofBooks Also: no need to apologize for your rambles!! When I saw how many “conversation” notifications I had in Litsy, I thought: “Oh, good, Sarah must have commented about the LMM Journals!” 😁 4w

26 likes22 comments

Joyful: A Truthful Guide to Finding Peace and Living a Fulfilling Life | Toks Adebiyi

#5JoysFriday!
Some of this week‘s joys:
👩‍🏫 Reconnecting with classmates during/after our first class session of the year
🐈 Meeting a sweet kitty on a neighborhood walk
🥵 Enjoying A/C at the library and new smoothie recipes at home during this heat wave
📚 Finishing two slow reads that had been in progress for months
🏆 Winning the library summer reading program grand prize!!

DebinHawaii

Bookwormjillk How cool! Congrats! 1mo

lil1inblue 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 1mo

mcctrish Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize 🎉🎉🎉 1mo

AnnCrystal 💝💝💝💝🥳💝 Congratulations 🎖️📚💝. 1mo

36 likes4 comments

County of Los Angeles Public Library - La Mirada Library | La Mirada, CA (Library)

For the second year in a row, I won a prize in my library‘s summer reading program!! This year it was the “grand prize”—a swag bag filled with four ARCs; a library-branded pencil case, water bottle, and hand sanitizer; bookmarks to color; three pins; a sign/fan (??)… and vouchers for tickets to a show at the city performing arts theatre. 🎉📚🏆📚🎉

Amiable Wow! Great prizes! 1mo

TheBookHippie Wowie!!! 1mo

willaful Nice! 1mo

See All 7 Comments

Ruthiella Yahoo! 👏👏👏 1mo

Deblovestoread Congrats 🎉🎉🎉 1mo

GatheringBooks That is super awesome!!! 1mo

AnnCrystal 🆒 Congrats 👏🏼🥳👍🏼💝. 1mo

41 likes7 comments

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925 | Lucy Maud Montgomery

“Tonight was my first evening home since July 6th. Verily, 'tis a treat. I look forward nowadays to an evening home as I used to look forward in the leisurely old Cavendish days to an evening out.”
—L.M. Montgomery, July 15, 1925
———
Maud is always so relatable. 💜
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

Daisey So relatable! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks For real!!! 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder Just a heads up: our discussion for Vol. 5 is on the schedule for tomorrow, but I‘m probably not going to get it posted till Sunday evening. This weekend is PACKED, and I should have advance prepped seeing as I finished the book Tuesday, but here we are 😐 I‘m guessing there‘s no hurry, though! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks No worries!! I still have about 25 pages left to read anyway, so Sunday evening sounds about right 😂 Hope your weekend is full of the good kind of busy!! 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks It‘s all good stuff, just a lot! Zoo trip all day yesterday, then today: prayer group, church, potluck… and now I have a small lull before a concert my husband is playing this evening. I‘m so tired 😆 4w

33 likes5 comments

The Big Four | Agatha Christie

“Pardon, my friend, but it is possible that you read ‘The Future of the Argentine,‘ ‘Mirror of Society,‘ ‘Cattle Breeding,‘ ‘The Clue of Crimson,‘ and ‘Sport in the Rockies‘ at one and the same time?"

I laughed, and admitted that ‘The Clue of Crimson‘ was at present engaging my sole attention. Poirot shook his head sadly.

"But replace then the others on the bookshelf!"

——

Poirot would be aghast at the stacks of books on my nightstand. ?

Ruthiella Many things about my habits would drive Poirot crazy! 😜 1mo

willaful @Ruthiella thank goodness we don't have to live with him! 1mo

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @willaful Hahaha, right?! I think Poirot would take issue with more than just all the books on my nightstand. 😆 1mo

willaful @BarbaraJean My mother would give him a heart attack. She was stayng with me a few days and almost gave *me* a heart attack! 😂 1mo

26 likes4 comments

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925 | Lucy Maud Montgomery

“So long thy power hath blessed me sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent till
The night is gone

Something entered into & possessed our souls and the night became holy and the dark woodland a temple of the Almighty. Moments like that were the highlights of our trip and catch our eyes as we look back.”

In this week‘s #LMMJournals section, LMM‘s descriptions really shone for me—her love of place & love of nature.⤵️

BarbaraJean #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead friends, how is your reading coming along? @lauraisntwilder —how is your catching up going? @TheAromaofBooks —are you still reading along with the journals? (edited) 1mo

TheAromaofBooks Yes!! I am a little behind, but still very invested in these journals. This section has been ROUGH. How can things just keep getting worse for her?! And the whole church union thing seems so stressful and kind of pointless?? Why are we doing it if some congregations can vote not to do it?? 1mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks After reading those couple of biographies we read, I knew things would keep getting worse, but it hits differently as you read it in her words and from her perspective! The church union thing was baffling to me as well. It seems like the vote was to allow congregations to have a say rather than only leadership, but seeing the way it fostered such animosity in churches and communities—it seems like a terrible idea. ⬇ (edited) 1mo

BarbaraJean So this is interesting (from: https://ucheritage.ca/formation-of-the-united-church-of-canada/): “The United Church was inaugurated on June 10, 1925 in Toronto, Ontario, when the Methodist Church, Canada, the Congregational Union of Canada, and 70 per cent of the Presbyterian Church of Canada entered into an organic union. Joining as well was the small General Council of Union Churches, centred largely in Western Canada.“ That 70% is telling!! 1mo

BarbaraJean Also: all the comments about Methodist vs. Presbyterian in LMM's earlier books make a lot more sense in the context of this later church union movement. 1mo

25 likes5 comments

I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy | Mychal Threets

😂😂 I love this so much!

It also inspired me to check my library‘s checkout limits: I can only check out up to 50 (physical) items on either of my library cards (two separate county library systems). It‘d take a lot more people to completely clear out a branch… 😆

monalyisha 99 items where I am! 1mo

lil1inblue I love that they did this math. 😍🤩😂 1mo

slategreyskies No limits here, so I‘m only limited by how much I‘m able to cart out at a time. 😂 1mo

BarbaraJean @monalyisha I guess 99 because 100 seemed excessive? @lil1inblue Me too!! I wonder if this post was followed by a surge in high-volume checkouts. It sure would have tempted me! @slategreyskies I'd love to test that out... 😂 1mo

37 likes4 comments

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

I‘ve finished Part 1 of Book 3, and this continues to be so absorbing. My views of each character keep changing—in this section, Simon and Erlend especially—their growth and complexity just deepens as I get further in. Kristin has felt very much in the background during this first part of Book 3, though… I‘m so curious where her path will lead as this trilogy wraps up. How‘s everyone else‘s reading coming along?

#KLBR #DoorstopKristin

Ruthiella I haven‘t started book three yet. Next weekend ! 🤞 1mo

Texreader I finished the trilogy this weekend. 1mo

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Andrea313 I finished Book 2 today and am eager to get to the end! Everyone relationship is becoming even more complex and I can't get enough! I have a feeling I'll be racing through Book 3. 1mo

Suet624 Book 3 may take me a while to get to. But I‘m happy to hear how much you are enjoying it 1mo

AmyG Finished part 3. 1mo

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Winterset Hollow | Jonathan Edward Durham

Well, of course! 🐶📚

AnnCrystal Of course 👏🏼🤩🐕💝. 1mo

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 1mo

TheBookHippie Duh. 🐶🐾 1mo

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RowReads1 Ha. I read to my cats because they like it or so I think. 1mo

kspenmoll 😂😂😂 1mo

lil1inblue @RowReads1 They like it when I talk to them, so of course they like it when I read to them. 😹😻😹 1mo

53 likes6 comments

So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading | Sara Nelson

So many past selves. Soooooo many gifts. 😁 💜

📷: Tara Wine-Queen Writes

rachelk Yes!!! 🙌 1mo

dabbe 🩵💙🩵 1mo

Meshell1313 Love that! 1mo

54 likes3 comments

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925 | Lucy Maud Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead I‘ve enjoyed being back in the #LMMJournals this week. Legal woes, Ewan‘s mental health, and grief over Aunt Annie—but this section was also full of cats, gardening, and reading. (I still don‘t think I‘m interested in reading Bulwer-Lytton‘s Zanoni, but every time LMM mentions it I kind of want to! She‘s wearing me down!)

What stood out to you in your journal-reading this week? (Other than the above author deaths 😂)

BarbaraJean I was again fascinated by LMM's reliance on interpreting her dreams as signs/premonitions. And how often they seem to line up with what actually happens! I was also struck by her skill with characterization: her descriptions of people are often hilarious and just so vivid. The “dreadful bore“ of a woman who was so afraid of the narrow stairs in her church, but was saved by her “habit of constant prayer“! I've met people JUST like that. 1mo

lauraisntwilder Oh my goodness, I'm so far behind! I love reading these journals, but I absolutely cannot read more than about 10 pages at a time. It's very odd, since I genuinely enjoy them. I just can't plow through. In a way, it's nice, like they're something to savor? But anyway, I have a plan to get caught up. 1mo

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I know what you mean—they‘re lovely but not exactly binge-read material! I try to parcel it out with ~20 pages/day, then I can skip a couple of days in a week and still stay on track. But I can imagine it‘s really hard to catch up when you get behind! 1mo

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The Secret of Chimneys | Agatha Christie

pick

I think I agree with the sentiment I‘ve heard that Christie‘s espionage novels are generally her weaker books. The international/political intrigue here was both weak and too convoluted; never mind the problematic stereotypes. Between that and the English country house party dynamics, there was just a little too much going on for me. I did enjoy Superintendent Battle‘s investigative methods, as he worked quietly in the background, almost ⤵️

Librarybelle

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …overshadowed by Cade and Virginia, who instead serve as the main characters. And I also really liked the lighthearted tone and the banter. Not Christie‘s best, but still an entertaining and fun read!

This was the #ChristiesCapers pick for June, as well as my 1925 pick for #192025. 1mo

dabbe @BarbaraJean I agree! 🩵🎯🩵 1mo

Librarybelle I do like this one 1mo

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Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry | Rosalie K. Fry

pick

Fiona returns to live with her grandparents on the beloved Western Isles of her birth. When she visits her family‘s former home on the island of Ron Mor, she‘s sure she sees a glimpse of her baby brother, who disappeared when her family left the island four years before. Such a sweet, lovely story of family and return, with hints of myth and magic—enhanced by Fry‘s drawings throughout. So glad I picked this as my 1957 book for #192025.

Librarybelle

willaful This must be the source of “The Secret of Roan Inish“! We just rewatched that the other day. So a beautiful movie. 1mo

BarbaraJean @willaful Yes! I haven‘t watched it yet, but really want to now that I‘ve read this. 1mo

Librarybelle Yay!! 1mo

42 likes3 comments

Feet of Clay | Terry Pratchett

#5JoysFriday!

1. Lunch with a good friend
2. Closing out said lunch with Greek frozen yogurt topped with honey and baklava crumbles
3. Reading Terry Pratchett (tagged) for the #OokBOokClub
4. Discovering that Charles Dickens called his youngest son PLORN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Dickens
5. Laughing with my husband so hard I cried… over a bunch of fart joke memes

DebinHawaii

TheBookHippie Laughter is so healing. 1mo

lil1inblue I love #5. 😅🤣🤩 1mo

mcctrish That dessert sounds delicious and the laughter sounds wonderful 1mo

dabbe L😍VE! 💙🩵💙 1mo

AnnCrystal 💝💝💝💝💝. 1mo

39 likes5 comments

Little Dorrit | Charles Dickens

So, this week I discovered that Charles Dickens called his son Plorn. PLORN. Short for a babyhood nickname of “the Plornishghenter” which was shortened to “Plornish” and then PLORN. I can‘t. 🤣🤣 This will live rent-free in my head forever.

Also: I‘m guessing the characters Mr. & Mrs. Plornish in Little Dorrit may be named after good ol‘ Plorn, who was 3 years old when Dickens started publishing the book in serial form. #WhattheDickens indeed. 😂

Cuilin, Texreader

Cuilin I love this lore!!!! Thank you for sharing. Are you joining us for Martin Chuzzlewit in September? 1mo

BarbaraJean @Cuilin I really want to but I'm not sure if I can fit it in! Chuzzlewit is a re-read for me, so I may skip it and then pop back in for The Old Curiosity Shop in November. Do tag me just in case... it would be fun to re-read the one that features spontaneous combustion. 😆 1mo

Cuilin @BarbaraJean 👍will do 🔥 1mo

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TheBookHippie 🤭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 1mo

Texreader Plots. Auto correction!! 🤣🤣 (edited) 1mo

BarbaraJean @Texreader I was texting about this with one of my best friends and now my phone seems to have learned the word Plorn... and it autocorrects it to all caps. PLORN forever! 1mo

Amiable @BarbaraJean PLORN forever is the BEST. 😂 1mo

BarbaraJean @Amiable My friend suggested using it as an insult: “Stop being such a PLORN!” 😂 1mo

36 likes8 comments

Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin | Alison Goodman

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Other than the egregious punctuation error in the title, this was fab. “Old-maid” twin sisters Augusta (Gus) and Julia are back in action, investigating dangerous mysteries from the past and working to right the injustices they uncover along the way. I‘m amazed at how Goodman tackles some very serious themes and dark situations, while keeping the overall tone witty, hilarious, and heartfelt. Looking forward to this series continuing!

43 likes

Raybearer | Jordan Ifueko

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Oh, this was good. Rich world-building, unique magic system, complex characters, nuanced political dynamics, and a fascinating examination of power, culture, history, and gender. All wrapped up in a fast-paced chosen-one/coming-of-age story with a (very complicated) found family vibe. The author makes bold choices here, exploring several very heavy themes and offering some jaw-dropping twists that kept me on my toes. Now I need the sequel!

BarbaraJean This fulfills prompt # 30 for my #50x50 challenge: a book given to me within the last 5 years. 1mo

43 likes1 comment

The Orb of Cairado | Katherine Addison

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I loved being back in the world of The Goblin Emperor, this time with a new protagonist: erstwhile scholar & historian Ulcetha Zhorvena. Ulcetha‘s best friend was killed in the accident on the Wisdom of Choharo, leaving behind a mystery for Ulcetha to unravel. This has a similar feel to the Cemeteries of Amalo series: a likable and unassuming main character with injustice in his past, leading a life very different from the one he had planned.⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) It also had a similar effect on me: the world building is so intricate (and often self-referential) that I wish I‘d re-read all the other books set in this world right before reading this one. One of these days I‘ll do just that. 1mo

Karisimo Somehow I missed this! I read The Tomb of Dragons recently and loved the whole series. 1mo

BarbaraJean @Karisimo This one seems to have really slipped under the radar, and I'm not sure why. 1mo

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Little Dorrit | Charles Dickens

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When I told a friend I was reading this, she said, “What, voluntarily?!” 🤣 I LOVED Dickens in college and grad school, and in many ways I still do, but here I was really feeling the “paid by the word” vibe. Several of the intersecting plots could have been lifted right out and I wouldn‘t have minded at all!

Little Dorrit has all the classic hallmarks of a Dickens novel: a sweet, industrious heroine and her imprudent, foolish, silly family; ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …a kind benefactor with a grim, secretive mother haunted by a dark, mysterious past; and a full complement of comic side characters who provide levity as the twists and turns of the various intersecting plots are revealed. The scattered, chattery Flora is alternately hilarious, infuriating, and endearing. And Dickens‘ satire of bureaucracy is a little too spot-on for comfort. ⤵️ 1mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …In the end, I did enjoy this even though it was unnecessarily long-winded. Thank you to @Texreader and @Cuilin for the #WhattheDickens buddy read, giving me the needed motivation to finish up another Dickens from my TBR shelf! 1mo

Texreader What a great post! I‘m only about 40% into it and you‘ve described it well. 1mo

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Ruthiella I love all the details and side stories Dickens includes in his novels. I‘m a throwback to the Victorian era I guess. 😅 1mo

Cuilin Fantastic review!!!! I‘m over half way through and yes there are some parts that could be edited out but they add to the atmosphere. 1mo

AnneCecilie Love your review 1mo

BarbaraJean @Cuilin @Ruthiella I've loved Victorian literature for so long—maybe I just had more patience for all the excessive detail when I was in college/grad school 😂 But also, I loved every minute of my re-read of The Woman in White this year, and I didn't feel like David Copperfield dragged the way this did sometimes. It could just be a side effect of my overloaded reading schedule this summer! @Texreader @AnneCecilie Thank you! 1mo

Cuilin @BarbaraJean I should probably put my response in context because I do listen to it on double speed, that may have something to do with me not bothering about all the extra details 😂 1mo

BarbaraJean @Cuilin Ha! I'm always jealous of people who can listen on 1.5 or 2x speed! I'm very much NOT an auditory learner/processor and I just can't track with audio on higher speeds. I can run my eyes over it much faster 😆 1mo

44 likes9 comments

The Kaiju Preservation Society | John Scalzi

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Fast-paced, snarky, ridiculous, and fun—this was just as expected. During the COVID pandemic, Jamie takes a job working for a secretive “animal rights organization” and finds himself part of a team studying and caring for, well—Kaiju. On an alternate world adjacent to our own. Naturally, hijinks ensue. I read this for my #50x50 challenge, for prompt 12 - a book I gave to someone else but still haven‘t read. (Well, now I have 😆) ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Do you ever gift books you haven‘t read? I sometimes do—but often feel like I shouldn‘t! This one was a gift for my husband, and he still hasn‘t read it. I feel like I‘ve restored balance by reading it before him. 😁 1mo

49 likes1 comment

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

“The divine has such passionate creativity and instinct for the fully inhabited life. If you allow yourself to be the person that you are, then everything will come into rhythm. If you live the life you love, you will receive shelter and blessings. Sometimes the great famine of blessing in and around us derives from the fact that we are not living the life we love, rather we are living the life that is expected of us.”

💜💜

33 likes

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925 | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Back into the #LMMJournals today! Whenever I‘m reading these, I keep an eye out for mentions of what LMM is reading, partly because I love reading her thoughts about books, but I also look for good #LMMAdjacent picks. However, I don‘t think I‘ll add Les Mis to our list… 😂 (I‘m with LMM here, it was a wonder but I don‘t think I need to re-read it!)
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

TheAromaofBooks I saw Les Mis when I was reading yesterday and was like, that is one buddy read I would skip 😂 2mo

lauraisntwilder I've never read it, but I don't think I'd get through it fast enough for a buddy read! 2mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks So not a candidate for #RandomClassics? 😂 @lauraisntwilder I read Les Mis with a Litsy buddy read, but I didn‘t manage to finish it until a month after the buddy read was over 🥴 2mo

40 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks, @lauraisntwilder, @CogsOfEncouragement, @rubyslippersreads, @kwmg40, @julieclair, @Daisey, @LeahBergen, @Roary47, @JenLovesJT47 2mo

L.M. Montgomery's Complete Journals: The Ontario Years, 1922-1925 | Lucy Maud Montgomery

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead So, I had talked about us reading the 400-ish-page-long novel-in-verse Aurora Leigh after we read Emily Climbs. A couple of you were game to try but had trepidations. Ultimately I decided I have enough on my plate and am not that ambitious right now. 😂 BUT, after seeing references to “The Alhambra“ in Emily of New Moon (+ LMM has talked about it in her journals), I thought that might be a fun one to add. Who's in?

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks, @julieclair, @kwmg40, @JenLovesJT47, @lauraisntwilder - I have you on my tag list for Emily Climbs. Sarah and Laura, I'll also tag you for the journals. 2mo

julieclair I‘m going to skip Emily Climbs because I‘ve got lots of travel ahead. But I‘m in for TheAlhambra. So exotic! 2mo

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BarbaraJean @julieclair Yay! I‘m looking forward to it! 2mo

TheAromaofBooks Yes!! I am somehow rereading Emily Climbs, despite saying I never would 😂 and have actually never really read anything by Irving, so I'm down for it!! 2mo

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Re-reading these in the context of her journals is just so fascinating!! I read Rip Van Winkle in high school, but I think that‘s all I‘ve read by Irving. I was always curious about “The Alhambra” when it was mentioned in the Emily books but I never sought it out or realized it was by Irving! 2mo

31 likes6 comments

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - African Farm discussion 5/5:

LMM references this book several times in her journals:
Vol. 1—Oct. 7, 1897, p. 38
Vol. 2—March 6, 1901, p. 9
Vol. 4—Jan. 31, 1920, pp. 240-41
Vol. 5—Oct. 29, 1925, p. 420

What do you think LMM appreciated about this book? Where do you see influences on her writing?

BarbaraJean I‘ve thought several of our adjacent reads were a bust—but not this one. I‘m so glad we included this even though there was a lot about it that was frustrating. I could see LMM being influenced by the spiritual and religious views here—so many of the ideas reflect her views as articulated in her journals. And I noticed so many passages that echoed her writing. A couple quotes below ⬇ (edited) 2mo

BarbaraJean “I once heard an old man say, that he never saw intellect help a woman so much as a pretty ankle; and it was the truth.”
—Lyndall in African Farm (Part 2, Chapter 4 “Lyndall“)

“Emily, you remember that. You have brains—hide them. Your ankles will do more for you than your brains ever will.”
—Aunt Nancy Priest in Emily of New Moon (Chapter 25) 2mo

BarbaraJean This sounds SO like Anne:
“I will tell you... where I could pray. If there were a wall of rock on the edge of a world, and one rock stretched out far, far into space, and I stood alone upon it, alone, with stars above me, and stars below me—I would not say anything; but the feeling would be prayer.“
—Waldo, in African Farm (Part 2, Ch. 6 “A Boer-Wedding“) 2mo

BarbaraJean Last one…there are SO many! @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder This is almost EXACTLY what we were musing about re: EoNM a few weeks ago—the soul/brain/body forms of love. In LMM‘s journal on Jan. 31, 1920, she quotes a passage from African Farm: “who knows whether there is no love that holds all—friendship, passion, worship?” Then she discusses different forms of love:
“Yes, I think there must be a love which embraces them all but it is rarer ⬇ 2mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …than a blue diamond. Most of us have to content ourselves with far less. I have loved different men in vastly different ways but I have never loved any man with the whole force of my nature—with passion and friendship and worship. They have all been present repeatedly but never altogether in any of my loves. Perhaps it is as well, for such a love, in spite of its rapture and wonder and happiness, would make a woman an absolute slave…” 2mo

26 likes5 comments

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - African Farm discussion 4/5:

How did this work for you as a story, with so many philosophical or religious digressions? Would you have preferred the book to be one or the other—philosophy or story? Or did it work for you as is?

Published in 1883, this has been called an early feminist classic. What ideas (feminist or otherwise) did you find to be progressive for their time?

BarbaraJean The story felt really uneven to me, partly because of how different Parts 1 & 2 were from each other, but also because the philosophizing felt forced. I wish the author had done more to integrate the ideas into the narrative more naturally, rather than putting in long monologues from Lyndall, Waldo, Waldo's stranger, and others. The ideas in those monologues were integral to those characters, but the way they were presented was awkward. 2mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) That said, Waldo's ideas on religion & personal faith, and Lyndall's ideas (and choices) felt super progressive for the time (probably what LMM refers to when she says the book “made a tremendous sensation“). The fact that any moralizing on those ideas was put into Tant' Sannie's mouth, and clearly presented as wrong-headed, also felt ahead of its time (but it aligned with what we've seen in LMM's journals when she critiques religion). 2mo

julieclair This didn‘t really feel like a story at all to me, but rather as a series of narrative vignettes interspersed with philosophical essays. It was much too disjointed for me. 2mo

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julieclair Lyndall‘s feminist attitudes and beliefs were obviously progressive for the time, but so were Tant Sannie‘s, with her multiple husbands. 2mo

lauraisntwilder I never managed to get around to this one. I sort of hate summer for how busy and hectic it is. Maybe I'll read it one day! 🤞 2mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I felt the same—it was too disjointed. I spent a lot of time wondering how she could have conveyed the same ideas more naturally within the story instead of using long monologues like she did. @lauraisntwilder Someday! 😁 It was such a mixed bag for me—really uneven—but it was fascinating to read it with LMM‘s journals as a backdrop. 2mo

27 likes6 comments

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Story of an African Farm discussion 3/5:

Did you find the ending satisfying?
Do you think it offers resolution for the main characters and the questions they struggle with?
Did it offer resolution for you?

BarbaraJean I was so conflicted about the ending. I had a really hard time with Lyndall's fate. It all felt so bleak and hopeless, then somehow Waldo's reflections at the end made it work for me. For me, it did feel like there was resolution for Waldo and Em, but I don't see a resolution that resolves the questions Lyndall (and her story) raises. 2mo

julieclair The ending just made me sad. I agree that Waldo and Em did find resolution, but still, the overarching feeling was one of sadness, I thought. For Lyndall, I‘m not sure resolution was even possible for her, being so far ahead of her time. I don‘t think that the society she lived in could have supported resolution for her in any way. 2mo

BarbaraJean @julieclair I think you‘re right, that there couldn‘t have been resolution for Lyndall. I really wanted it to work, for her to get out and make her own way in the world (become a successful actress!), but the narrative is far too realistic for that. 2mo

23 likes3 comments

Story of an African Farm | Olive Schreiner

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - discussion 2/5:
Part One focuses on Bonaparte‘s sojourn at the farm and Waldo, Lyndall, and Em together as children. Part Two focuses on the three as young adults making their way separate from one another.

How do the children‘s experiences in Part One shape their lives in Part Two?
Do you see other connections between Parts One & Two?
Did the two parts feel like a cohesive narrative to you? Why/why not?