KindredSpirits

Anne's House of Dreams | L. M. Montgomery

Hello, #KindredSpirits! Checking in here at the halfway point of Anne‘s House of Dreams:

How is your reading going? What are your thoughts so far?
What stands out to you from the first half of the book?
Any favorite sections or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, monalyisha, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks

CogsOfEncouragement Miss Cordelia is a hoot! Captain Jim is a treasure. Leslie is such a strong woman. This is a reread for me (over ten years between) and I totally forgot about Baby Joyce. 6d

CogsOfEncouragement “Why do you hate the men so, Miss Bryant?”
“Lord, dearie, I don‘t hate them. They aren‘t worth it. I just sort of despise them. 6d

CogsOfEncouragement “Yes, red—to give warmth to that milk-white skin and those shining gray-green eyes of yours. Golden hair wouldn‘t suit you at all, Queen Anne—my Queen Anne—queen of my heart and life and home. “Then you may admire Leslie‘s all you like,” said Anne magnanimously. 6d

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CogsOfEncouragement “When I ponder on them seeds I don‘t find it nowise hard to believe that we‘ve got souls that‘ll live in other worlds. You couldn‘t hardly believe there was life in them tiny things, some no bigger than grains of dust, let alone color and scent, if you hadn‘t seen the miracle, could you?” (Captain Jim, Chapter 18) 6d

TheAromaofBooks I love this book so much! One thing I was thinking on this read through is about how LMM chose to have Anne move away when she married, much as LMM also had to do. The whole part of the story with Joyce is just sooo sad, especially knowing how many of Anne's thoughts are reflections of LMM's own when she lost her baby. But I love the way that that isn't just a throwaway scene to make readers emotional for no reason - the baby's death is also the ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the catalyst for Anne becoming closer to those around her, especially Leslie and Captain Jim. In a way, it feels like her actual induction to adulthood more than anything else that has happened to her, the first true tragedy of her life. Consequently, it gives the story weight and meaning instead of just feeling like it is thrown in there just to make readers cry. 6d

lauraisntwilder This is my second time reading this one. I read it for the first time in 2023, but that time I read Windy Poplars first. I think reading this as book 4, in publication order, makes more sense. I like Windy Poplars, but it's a little strange that Gilbert is so unimportant. 6d

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I love Miss Cordelia so much! She's hilarious and so bait-able, but she's just so wholly herself that she's aware she's being baited and doesn't care--she speaks her mind regardless. And such great quotes! That one about the seeds stood out to me, too. ⬇ 6d

BarbaraJean One of the passages that stood out to me this time:
“You'll see your little Joyce again some day.“
“But she won't be my baby,“ said Anne, with trembling lips. “Oh, she may be, as Longfellow says, 'a fair maiden clothed with celestial grace'—but she'll be a stranger to me.“
“God will manage better'n THAT, I believe,“ said Captain Jim.

It reminded me of Anne's conversation with Ruby in Island. I love how LMM digs in to challenge pat answers. 6d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I hadn't thought about that parallel of LMM moving away after getting married! The parallel with Joyce is so sad and adding in other biographical details it seems Four Winds and Gilbert are likely even more of a reflection of what LMM wished for...both the love story and nearby friends of “the race that knows Joseph.“ I agree that this first real grief for Anne gives the story so much more weight & meaning. I'm impressed (again) ⬇ 6d

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) at how LMM took the events of her life and was able to weave those emotions and longings into her writing. Reading the journals is adding so much to re-reading her fiction. And as much as I love Island, I agree with LMM when she said that she thought this was her best book yet. Both the loss of Joyce and the way it's a catalyst for Anne, as well as Leslie Moore's story arc, make this story much deeper than her previous books. 6d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Yes, it's fascinating to be reading this one in publication order! I do love Windy Poplars for how it shows Anne finding her own way as a teacher and in Summerside society, but this one follows more naturally after Island when it comes to Anne & Gilbert's relationship. Gilbert's development as a character makes more sense when you go from Green Gables to Avonlea to Island to House of Dreams without the weird Windy Poplars absence. 6d

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder - I realize that it wouldn't really make much sense narrative-ly to have letters from Gilbert in Windy Poplars, but that was what I always wanted. He's there in a passive sense for Anne to write to, but I always wanted some of those “omitted“ pages to hear more of the dreams and yearnings, to help make Gilbert feel more real. Even having something in her letters be responding to his would have helped. 5d

kwmg40 I'm really enjoying this reread. I don't think I'd appreciated this novel enough when I'd first read it as a teen. BTW, I had to look up the word “catawampus“. I guess it's not so uncommon but maybe its use is regional? 5d

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 I've felt the same about this book--I didn't appreciate it nearly as much when I read it as a teen for the first time. I do think House of Dreams is the point where the Anne series moves out of YA/children's and into adult literature. I found this about the etymology of “catawampus“: https://uselessetymology.com/2017/12/02/the-etymology-of-cattywampus/ Super interesting! 3d

kwmg40 @BarbaraJean Thanks for sharing that interesting article. It seems like such a terrifically useful word that I'm surprised it's not in common usage! 2d

29 likes16 comments

BarbaraJean

Anne of the Island | Lucy Maud Montgomery

Hello, #KindredSpirits! Just a little check-in here at the halfway point of Anne of the Island:

How is your reading going? What are your thoughts so far?
What have you enjoyed most in the first half of the book?
Any favorite sections or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

rubyslippersreads, JenlovesJT47, CogsOfEncouragement, lauraisntwilder, kwmg40, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean I‘m loving this re-read (this will always be one of my favorites!), and finding Davy far more endearing here than in AoA. The Charlie Sloane bits had me cracking up—Phil saying that Gilbert‘s chum “had eyes that stuck out THAT FAR.” And the part where he digs up and sits on one of the forbidden cushions. 😂 Then the section with Ruby ALWAYS gets me—it‘s so well done and so heartbreaking. 4w

BarbaraJean I‘m also noticing so many LMM life episodes! The chloroforming, and then not being able to get out of bed to turn out the light after reading a ghost story. And Anne‘s visit to the house where she was born—it was just beautiful, and echoed LMM‘s own words about her parents. 4w

TheAromaofBooks I love this book so much!!! I wish that it was MORE books because I would 100% read a book about each year of Anne's college experience! I really love her warm friendship with the other girls, but how she stays in touch and spends so much time with Diana when she's home. The baking powder story episode cracks me up every time - having the hero mention baking powder as the final line of the story 😂 Even though LMM didn't want to write “lovering“ ⬇ 4w

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I think she does such a great job with the Anne/Gilbert story, and I think stays so true to Anne's character. Like Phil says, Anne has fallen in love with this idea of love instead of being able to recognize it when it's in front of her face. We get the hints that Anne isn't actually as indifferent towards Gil as she thinks she is, and all sets up beautifully for the second half of the story. And speaking of romance - Jane's proposal ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) for her brother is another episode that absolutely sends me every time. 😆 On the whole, I think we see such character growth for Anne in this one, and it's SO well done. 4w

lauraisntwilder I'm not to the halfway point yet -- I got behind on LMM's journals so I've been catching up there this week. The girls have just secured Patty's Place. I agree with everything both of you have said though. After AoGG, I think this is my favorite Anne book. 4w

CogsOfEncouragement Enjoying Phil‘s dramatic ways: “And I have such a cold in the head—I can do nothing but sniffle, sigh and sneeze. Isn‘t that alliterative agony for you?” 4w

CogsOfEncouragement This was too funny: …wound up by saying that she was disgusted with Spencervale church and she never meant to darken its door again, and she hoped a fearful judgment would come upon it. Then she sat down out of of breath, and the minister, who hadn‘t heard a word she said, immediately remarked, in a very devout voice, ‘Amen! The Lord grant our dear sister‘s prayer!‘ 4w

CogsOfEncouragement This is my second read. This was one of my fav quotes from the series: The little things of life, sweet and excellent in their place, must not be the things lived for; the highest must be sought and followed; the life of heaven must be begun here on earth. 4w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh, me too! I would absolutely read a whole series of books for Anne‘s college years! I adore Patty‘s Place and all the friendships between the girls. I think you‘re absolutely right that LMM gets Anne‘s character development spot on here. And it‘s so relatable for me, anyway! Diana putting the baking powder into the final line of the story is HILARIOUS. And the fact that she didn‘t see it as ridiculous is even funnier. I loved ⤵️ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Gilbert‘s response that no-one would fault her for wanting the prize money—and I wonder if the high melodrama of the story made that ridiculous line fit right in 😂 I‘m still waiting for my favorite of Anne‘s proposal, though: the “will yeh hev me?” one 🤣 4w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Oh, I‘m glad you‘ve been able to do some journal catch-up! Those are a bit harder to binge… with the Anne books, it‘s hard to stop! 4w

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I love Phil so much!! I get a much clearer picture of her than of the other girls, and she‘s so endearing. There really are some great quotes here—that story you mentioned is hilarious!! And the passage about living for the highest (especially with the context with Ruby) is both beautiful and heartbreaking. 4w

kwmg40 This novel is one of my favourites. I love Anne's first steps into adulthood and independence, and Patty's Place seems so warm and comfortable. Phil is an adorable character, but spending time with a real-life version of Phil would drive me crazy. I'd rather have a more low-key friend like Priscilla! 3w

BarbaraJean @kwmg40 Ha! Yeah, Phil might be a bit much in real life! I think I wouldn‘t mind her as a friend, but definitely not as a roommate/housemate—even with Priscilla and Stella to balance things out! 3w

julieclair This is my first time to read this book. I adore how Anne is maturing, but glimpses of her dreamy, imaginative, spunky, childhood self still come through. The baking soda prize story was a hoot! And I love the cat Rusty… how he just attached himself to Anne… so sweet. But the chloroform scene was very hard to read. Patty‘s Place sounds like the absolutely best college living arrangement ever. Although I agree with @kwmg40 that Phil would ⬇️ 3w

julieclair drive me nuts as a roommate. But she‘d be fun as a friend. The scene where Anne turned down Gilbert‘s proposal broke my heart. Anne is just so stubbornly blind! 3w

30 likes17 comments

ferskner

The Ultimate Reading Challenge: Complete a Goal, Open an Envelope, and Reveal Your Bookish Prize! | Weldon Owen

Help a Litten out! I'm wanting to get back into reading challenges this year but I'm having a hard time figuring out what Litsy is hosting these days. It looks like a few I used to do aren't active anymore. Are there any I should know about? (I'm planning to do #bookspin with @TheAromaofBooks and #agathachristieclubR3 with @Librarybelle, of course!)

Picture of my dog's dumb teeth for tax!

TheAromaofBooks I'm participating in - #Pantone2025 and #FourFoursin25 with @lauredhel
- #WickedWords with @AsYouWish
- #Roll100 and #GottaCatchEmAll with @PuddleJumper
- #FictionalTraveler and #ReadorDonate with @julieclair
and my own other challenges, #ISpyBingo and #BookChain

Have you checked @LitsyEvents ? That account does a great job reposting all kinds of shenanigans!! 1mo

Ruthiella You can follow @LitsyEvents for reposts of all the challenges, etc. Good luck! 😃 1mo

AmyG There is #authoramonth @soubhiville where one reads 1+ books from that specific author for the month. #TBRTarot is where a card is chosen and you pick a corresponding book. #readyourkindle is like Bookspin but just for ereaders. Last two are with @Cbee (edited) 1mo

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Jess861 Some of the ones I'm participating in and aren't listed above:

#BookedInTime @Cuilin
#FoodAndLit @Catsandbooks @Texreader
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OhCanada @jess861 (me) 1mo

Cuilin #HashtagBrigade @BarkingMadRead #NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Dabbe & @Cuilin #NaturalLitsy @alldebooks #WhatTheDickens @Texreader & @Cuilin #literarycrew @Librarybelle 1mo

dabbe Some others: #WithTheBanned2025 (host: @Jadams89); #NancyDrewBR (host: @Librarybelle); #ChristiesCapers (host: @Librarybelle); #teamlesmis (host: @TheBookHippie); #ShardlakeSeriesBR (host: @dabbe) 1mo

TheBookHippie I do #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD #CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2025 #CHLOEGONGREADALONG #READLESMIS #JOURNALINGPROMPTS #KARENINAWINTER and #LITSOLACE with @AllDebooks & @Chrissyreadit 1mo

Librarybelle @Cuilin @dabbe —thanks for mentioning the buddy reads I host! This is the last year for #192025 , which is reading a book originally published in each year from 1920-2025 (I‘ll post details later in the year for the next challenge, #192030 ). 1mo

Texreader And #litsyatoz that I‘m hosting. 1mo

AllDebooks #SeriesLove2025 challenge is a good one, hosted by @Andrew65 1mo

AllDebooks Sorry, not finished. And @thelibraryview. I'm doing the Wild Moor reading challenge. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDKncU5i_Y7/?igsh=MXQ0a3U2cWZ1OHlieQ== 1mo

AllDebooks Series love is also hosted by @TheSpineView having a brain malfunction 😅 1mo

AllDebooks Thanks for the tags @TheBookHippie and @Cuilin 1mo

julieclair In addition to those already mentioned (thanks, @TheAromaofBooks 💙), I also host #ThematicCozies , #AllergicToChunksters , and #MonthlyNonfiction2025 . Others I participate in that haven‘t been mentioned yet are #KindredSpirits with @BarbaraJean , #LittensLoveRomance with @StayCurious , #JaneAustenThenAndNownwith @Crinoline_Laphroaig , #HitchToScreen with @JenlovesJT47 , #FurrowedMiddleBrow and #PersephoneClub with @LeahBergen . 4w

julieclair Also #ClassicsChallenge with @Lunakay and #2025FairyTaleChallenge with @Charityann . Also Acquired Via Litsy #AVL25 with @MatchlessMarie . 4w

Andrew65 This just shows how much is going on, an impressive list. 4w

PuddleJumper Teeth! ❤️ I think my general ones have been mentioned. I also have #RiordanverseReadalong which is reading Rick Riordan books and #ReadYourDamnDanmei which is reading Chinese light novels. I also run seasonal challenges in October/December 4w

PuddleJumper Also #QueerBC Monthly LGBTQIA+ authors and you can read anything they've written 4w

LeahBergen @julieclair Wow, this is a big list! Thanks for tagging our little reading groups. 😘 4w

MatchlessMarie When I have been away from Litsyland for a while I like to check out the @LitsyEvents page for most current things. But this is a great time of year to get back into them. It‘s hard to miss challenges since we are all abuzz with New Year wishful thinking 😂 4w

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - I will be so excited to tackle another long-term project!! I actually think I'm going to complete #192025 which is pretty thrilling! 4w

Librarybelle That‘s so cool, @TheAromaofBooks ! I still have a bit to go but need to tally up my readings from the last half of 2024. I love the long term challenges! 4w

julieclair @LeahBergen I think it‘s more of a “wishful thinking” list! 😂 4w

LeahBergen @julieclair I think you‘re right. 😆 4w

Lauredhel I'm doing #Pantone2025 (two grids) #Fourfoursin25 #WickedWords #MonthlyNonfiction2025 #Bookchain2025 #LGBTQIA2025 #urc2025 #FictionalTraveler #readharder2025 #LitsyAtoZ2025 #booklistqueenchallenge25 #ISpyBingo 4w

Amiable Wanted to add #ChunksterChallenge2025, #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub and #Nonfiction2025 (edited) 4w

staci.reads Also #SheSaid hosted by @Riveted_Reader_Melissa highlighting books by female authors and women's topics! 4w

ferskner @TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @Jess861 @Cuilin @dabbe @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella @Librarybelle @Texreader @AllDebooks @julieclair @PuddleJumper @MatchlessMarie @Lauredhel @Amiable @staci.reads thank you all for your help and ideas! I totally forgot about @LitsyEvents so thank you for that reminder too! I'll go through these and pick out a few. 2w

Texreader So great to have you back!! 2w

britt_brooke Joseph! 1w

59 likes30 comments

JudeCC

Untitled | Untitled

Even though here in the desert it‘s still summertime 😒 I‘m still hopeful and happy for what‘s to come.
Happy October, everyone! 🙌😃 My favorite month just started! 🎉😁
#october #hellooctober #fall #excited

dabbe I\'m in the desert, too! Where are you, if I may ask? I\'m in the hell that is Phoenix where it just turned noon and is currently 105º. 😳 4mo

JudeCC @dabbe No way!!! 😂🤣🙌 Desert buddies. I‘m in the Mojave High desert area. Just at the Los Angeles limits. An hr or so from Las Vegas I think? 🤔 It‘s 104 degrees here. 🥴 Cheers! 🥂😃 4mo

dabbe @WJCintron #kindredspirits I feel your pain! 🔥🧡🔥 4mo

39 likes3 comments

Eggs

Untitled | Unknown

Emily Dickinson

#Utmost

#PoetryMatters

@TheSpineView

TheSpineView 🤎🤎🤎 5mo

Eggs @TheSpineView 🤎❤️🤎 5mo

IndoorDame We‘re thinking alike this morning! ♥️ 5mo

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Eggs @IndoorDame #kindredspirits 5mo

lil1inblue 💙 🌟 💙 5mo

dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 5mo

Eggs @lil1inblue 🥰🤩 5mo

Eggs @dabbe 🥳🫶🏻 5mo

38 likes8 comments

Graciouswarriorprincess

It Ends With Us | Colleen Hoover

My August hopefuls. This doesn‘t include my ebooks nor audiobooks.

Sinnett_Blue I do all 3 too, happy reading! 📖 🥰 6mo

Graciouswarriorprincess @April_Barbie #kindredspirits 6mo

49 likes2 comments

TheAromaofBooks

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Kate Douglas Wiggin

so-so

The first half of this book was a pick. The second half really fell off and felt like Wiggin couldn't really decide where she wanted to take the story so it didn't go much of anywhere. However, I was glad to finally read this classic and enjoyed discussing its influence on Anne of Green Gables with the #KindredSpirits Is it plagiarism if you write it a million times better than the original? 😂

@TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean

TheBookHippie 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💚💚💚💚💚 I do so agree!!! 8mo

BarbaraJean Hahaha—improvement is not plagiarism! I love that copy of this!! 😍 8mo

60 likes1 stack add2 comments

julieclair

Ana of California | Andi Teran

pick

I really enjoyed this fresh, modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables, that works really well as a standalone novel. Readers familiar with Anne of Green Gables will enjoy looking for parallels, but lack of knowledge of the Anne story would not diminish readers‘ enjoyment of the Ana story.
Another excellent Buddy read with #KindredSpirits . Thanks so much for hosting, @BarbaraJean ! 💙

32 likes1 stack add

StaceGhost

Blue Castle | L M Montgomery

pick

This may be my favorite stand alone L.M.M. Gorgeous descriptions of nature, mixed with both lighthearted observations and reflections on the meaning of life.

I also found this tunnel through the trees outside my local library— do you think if I passed through it I would end up in another time?

#kindredspirits

Purpleness My favourite L.M. Montgomery, too! I think it might be time for a re-read… 2y

LeahBergen I love this book. 🩵 2y

StaceGhost @Purpleness @LeahBergen I agree! I just read it and I already want to read it again 2y

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kwmg40 That photo does look like a time portal! 2y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Just checking that see if you got your package 📦 🩷 2y

StaceGhost @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks hey! Just posted :) sorry! I wanted to be able to review it but this week and last has been full of celebrations and lots of unexpected end of the year work— like cleaning out my office! 2y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @StaceGhost great!! Enjoy your summer 💛 2y

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sblbooks

A Rover's Story | Jasmine Warga

#MiddleGradeMarch My plans include the #kindredspirits pick, House of Dreams, and two #LittleHouse books.The tagged book is the group read for middle grade March on YouTube; hosted by BooksAndJams, TheCurlyReader and LifeBetweenWords1. They also have prompts, live chats and merch! @megnews @BarbaraJean #MarchTBR

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