KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

Rainbow Valley | L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

pick

Another charming installment in the Anne of Green Gables series. This one featured a few of Anne's children but was mostly about a family they befriend.

#gottacatchemall(Cottonee:friends stick together)
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean

33 likes

BarbaraJean

The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 | James Fenimore Cooper

So, what had happened was…😆

When making our reading schedule, I mistakenly consulted the table of contents for a retold/abridged version of the book, which only had 19 chapters. The actual book has 33 chapters. SO—I have adjusted the schedule accordingly! I divided the remaining number of chapters by 3 weeks, so now the pace is about 9 chapters per week instead of 5 —but it should still be really doable. ⤵️ #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, Daisey, DieAReader, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) (I was surprised by how short this week‘s section was—now I know why 😂) I‘m so sorry for the mistake—hope this still works for everyone! 2d

JenlovesJT47 Going to try to catch up today. I know, I‘m the worst 😬 always behind on everything, sorry! 2d

TheAromaofBooks Looks good!! When I started reading, I couldn't find the schedule (Litsy was being obnoxious lol) so I just read 2 chapters a day, so I'm a little ahead of the original schedule anyway!! 2d

See All 7 Comments

Daisey I haven‘t been very good at listening to my audiobooks during the week, so I‘m catching up on a book club read today and then getting back to this. 2d

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 No worries—the discussions will be here whenever you‘re caught up! 22h

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—one small benefit of Litsy‘s issues last week! 22h

BarbaraJean @Daisey I‘ve had to do a lot of catch-up lately, too—so many (good) bookish commitments! 22h

32 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 | James Fenimore Cooper

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead check-in, 5 chapters in! I‘m reading this Book League of America edition from the 1940s & the print is TINY. 😵‍💫

I‘m having trouble keeping track of the various players & alliances in the conflict, but I‘m interested to see where things go with our travelers. I‘ve also been on edge about how this is going to go as far as racism & stereotypes.

What do you think of our main characters and of the book so far? #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, Daisey, DieAReader, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

tpixie How many pages does this book? I have a kids version that I suspect as an abridged. 3d

tpixie This was a family favorite movie. 3d

BarbaraJean @tpixie My copy has 269 pages--I was wondering about the length, because when I originally put together the schedule I was seeing much longer page counts on other editions. And just now when checking for the page count, I discovered that my copy has 33 chapters, but the online table of contents I found, on which I based the reading schedule, has 19 chapters. 😫 This is going to require further research... 3d

See All 14 Comments

BarbaraJean @Daisey @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair @lauraisntwilder @rubyslippersreads @JenLovesJT47 @DieAReader Important question: how many chapters are there in the editions you're reading? And do those chapters have names? When I did the reading schedule, I used an online table of contents from the Library of Congress, and it had 19 chapters, all named. Mine has 33 chapters, none are named, but each one opens with a quotation. Trying to figure this out...😩 (edited) 3d

tpixie @BarbaraJean 🩷🩷🩷 Well, at least it‘s not 490!? 😀 3d

BarbaraJean @tpixie The print is pretty small, but it does seem like an awfully low page count!! 3d

tpixie @BarbaraJean oh well maybe it is a 400 page book with small print. Small print is so hard…. But the edition looks cool in the photo! (edited) 3d

TheAromaofBooks I have 33 chapters, and like yours no titles but quotations at the beginning of each chapter. 413 pages + footnotes. I have definitely run into problems with some of the classics I've hosted!! It annoys me that it's so difficult to get a straight answer as to whether a book is abridged and/or “updated.“ 3d

TheAromaofBooks Also I literally had to go to SparkNotes and write down who some of the characters are 😂 3d

lauraisntwilder There are 33 chapters in mine, too. 350 pages. My impression so far is surprise that there's even a discussion of prejudice. 2d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder Thank you for the confirmation of 33 chapters!! Also I found my error—the table of contents I found was a “retold” and abridged edition. That‘s what I get for being too lazy to walk across the room and grab my copy 🙄 I‘ll post an updated schedule based on the actual number of chapters! 2d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks A character list is a great idea! I still can‘t remember which sister is which! Or which fort is which. Or which tribes are allied with whom. 😆 @lauraisntwilder Yes—I was impressed by the one sister‘s comment saying they shouldn‘t distrust their guide just because his skin is dark. I‘m interested to see how these dynamics play out. 2d

DieAReader Also quotes & 33 chapters in my Kindle Amazon Classics Edition. Some confusion on characters & alliances but it‘s still early🤭 2d

BarbaraJean @DieAReader 33 chapters (and my mistake) confirmed! 😆 It really is hard to keep track of all the pieces at this point… no doubt it will all settle into my brain soon! 22h

39 likes14 comments

BarbaraJean

The Country of the Pointed Firs | Sarah Orne Jewett

pick

Soooo far behind on reviews! The #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead read & discussed this over a month ago. But, my viable excuse for this late review is that I only just finished the four related stories!

This was a slow-paced description of life in a small, coastal Maine town in the late 1800s. The semi-autobiographical slice-of-life plot is narrated through the eyes of a writer boarding there for the summer. Through small vignettes, Jewett‘s writing ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …brings to life both her characters and the landscape they belong to. The book is slow and reflective, and the four related stories were a delight (although I do wish those stories had been woven into the book proper—they‘re closely linked and feel like they‘re necessary to continue/wrap up a couple of storylines). I loved the way the landscape and the characters echoed Anne‘s House of Dreams, but with a very different flavor. 7d

Tamra This is right up my alley - I loved it. 😊 7d

BarbaraJean @Tamra It's just lovely, isn't it? 6d

38 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 | James Fenimore Cooper

We start reading The Last of the Mohicans tomorrow! The weekly schedule is above (we‘ll be reading about 5 chapters per week). I‘ll post a check-in on Saturdays, and we‘ll have a wrap-up discussion of the whole book on Saturday, April 12. Looking forward to reading along with all of you!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

rubyslippersreads, Daisey, JenlovesJT47, lauraisntwilder, TheAromaofBooks, julieclair

Suet624 Oh boy. What a great book to read. Can‘t add this to my list to read now but I‘ve stacked it because I definitely want to read it. 1w

DieAReader 💖Happy I came across the #LMMAdjacent post a few weeks ago. 📖I‘ll be reading along with everyone🤓 1w

BarbaraJean @Suet624 Too many great books to read, right?! @DieAReader Glad to have you reading along! I‘ll add you to the tag list! 7d

DieAReader @BarbaraJean 🤓💖Thanks! 7d

32 likes1 stack add4 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

LMM dedicates Rainbow Valley to three young men who were killed in WWI, and the ending of the novel, with its references to the Piper, foreshadows the war to come. Did you notice anything else in the book that echoes or explores these bookend references to the war?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

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

lauraisntwilder Ellen West seems pretty convinced there's something rotten in the state of Germany. 1w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder And she wasn't wrong! I loved seeing LMM's interest in politics come out in that way. I felt like the Piper stuff was a little heavy-handed, but I liked that little foreshadowing with Ellen. 6d

kwmg40 There were definitely instances of foreshadowing -- references to the politics but also suggestions that the world will change and the current times will be gone forever. 13h

27 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

It was heartbreaking to read the above in LMM‘s journals and to see LMM‘s loss of her cousin and dear friend overshadowing the publication of Rainbow Valley. But I loved hearing the source for both of these Rainbow Valley moments.

What are some of your favorite parts of Rainbow Valley? Favorite episodes or quotes?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

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

JenlovesJT47 I can‘t wait to actually sit down and read her journals. Hoping to get to it this week. 💚 She was such an interesting person. 1w

CogsOfEncouragement Throughout the book, it was interesting to me how gossip in the small community played such a role in nearly everything. Sometimes the gossip caused great harm, and sometimes it was the gossip of others that prompted someone to act to everyone's betterment. 1w

BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 I hope you end up being able to get to them—I‘ve really loved reading the journals! 5d

See All 7 Comments

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement I got so mad at the gossips! Yes, there were times the Meredith kids (AND the Blythes, if we‘re being fair—which the gossips were not) really got up to mischief—like the pig-riding 😂 But it seemed like the things that set off the worst gossip were often innocent mistakes (like cleaning the house on Sunday!) or situations the kids should/would never have been in—if a responsible adult had provided some guidance and care. 5d

BarbaraJean In spite of how much John Meredith (as a father) frustrated me, I really enjoyed the Rosemary + John love story. I was rooting for the kids to have her in their life. I loved her friendship with Faith, and how Una finally brought everything together so sweetly & selflessly. I also loved basically all of the scenes that centered on Faith. Her explanation in front of the church, her letter to the Journal, and the pig-riding!! ⤵️ 5d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) And I loved Faith‘s response to seeing that condescending minister catch his coat-tails on fire, vindicating poor Adam just a little bit! 5d

kwmg40 I enjoyed the antics of the Meredith kids, and seeing how their “bad behaviour“ usually stemmed from childish impulsiveness, kindheartedness or good intentions. 13h

25 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

For those who are re-reading the series: How was it reading Rainbow Valley right after House of Dreams instead of after Anne of Ingleside?

Does this book feel like an “Anne” book to you? What do you think of the glimpses we do get of Anne and Gilbert?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

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

lauraisntwilder I think it makes more sense coming right after House of Dreams. Well, actually, I think it's that Anne of Ingleside makes more sense if you read this one first. LMM introduces all the children in this one, but on my first read through, I read Ingleside first and was a little lost. I think I'll enjoy that one more this time through. 1w

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Oh, I hadn‘t even thought about that with Ingleside! Even though we get very little development of the Blythe kids here, at least we do get the general introductions. I‘ll definitely be paying attention to how that affects my reading of Ingleside this time. 5d

BarbaraJean Although this doesn‘t feel like an Anne book to me, doing kind of a fast-forward to the next generation made sense to me. And I loved getting to see glimpses of Anne and Gilbert at this stage of their lives. The few moments we get of Anne as a parent (both to her own kids and to the Meredith kids at times) were just lovely. 5d

18 likes3 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

What worked or didn‘t work for you in this book? What did you most enjoy? What did you dislike or find problematic?

We get a bunch of new characters: Anne‘s children and the Meredith family, and various members of the community including the West sisters. Which were your favorites or least favorites? Who would you have liked to read more (or less!) about?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread

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

CogsOfEncouragement I of course like Rosemary. I was very much frustrated by Ellen not allowing Rosemary out of a promise no one should make, and then again when Ellen was keeping herself and three other people from easy happiness. I enjoyed Norman's character and any scene he was mentioned.

Faith was a favorite, I chuckled as she tried to fix messes she made, only to make things worse in some ways. Her letter to The Journal was a hoot! 1w

lauraisntwilder I was a little confused about when Mrs. Meredith died. I haven't taken the time to look back, but I swear Mr. Meredith has a memory of his wife holding little Una and it sounded like Una was a baby, or a very young toddler, at least. But later Una remembers a speech her father gives them shortly after her mother's death. I wouldn't have thought she be old enough to remember. 1w

lauraisntwilder *she'd be old enough 1w

See All 11 Comments

TheAromaofBooks We'll see if Litsy lets me comment😑 RV has always been my least favorite of the Anne books, and I think it's because I don't like John Meredith. Can anyone really be this self-absorbed and neglectful? How can you still consider him a “good“ person? I have no patience with his whole “guilt-stricken“ moments that are immediately followed by him pursuing his own interests again. While I love the children, I find John impossible to root for. 6d

BarbaraJean I really like the characters in Rainbow Valley—I love the Meredith kids. But it frustrates me that the Blythe kids are just side characters. And it‘s way too darn hard to remember which Blythe is which, because they‘re not at all fleshed out, and then Nan and Di are named after Anne and Diana, which confuses me! 6d

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement Faith was my favorite! I loved her boldness to stand up to the gossips, both with her church announcement and her letter to the Journal. My jaw literally dropped with some of her comments in her letter—but most of what came across so harshly was said truthfully and without malice. Like her comment about the yarn!! I love Rosemary, too—and Ellen‘s stubbornness and hypocrisy infuriate me. 6d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder I found that memory of Cecilia and Una—it‘s halfway through Ch. 14: “the child whom the dying mother had clasped to her heart… Cecilia had clung to her baby until the gates of death had shut between them.” I was confused, too—“her baby” sounds like Una was either an infant or the youngest, but we know Carl is younger than Una. The AoGG fandom wiki says Jerry was 8 when his mother died, which would make Una 6 at that point. 6d

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks YES about John Meredith. I liked Rainbow Valley more on this reading than before, partly because it reminded me so much of the little gang of friends in Story Girl/Golden Road. But John Meredith bothered me SO much more. No matter how much he supposedly cares for his children emotionally, he‘s a crappy father. But I was equally infuriated by the community, who gossip & judge those poor good-hearted, well-meaning kids who have ⬇ 6d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …absolutely no support or guidance at home. I wanted to cheer at Anne‘s speech about what she‘d say about the Meredith kids, and the way Miss Cornelia took it to heart. But those kids needed more than adults defending them and their father‘s love for them. I think I was rooting for Rosemary & John in part because those kids needed her so badly!! But it also made me really angry that John finding a wife was presented as the best solution ⬇ 6d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …for his failures as a father. Because guess what? If he can‘t remember that he has kids that need caring for, odds are he‘s going to neglect his wife, too. And that‘s going to be a crap marriage if her primary role as a wife is getting him to pull his nose out of tomes of German theology in order to remember he has a wife and kids. (Also UGH to commenting on Litsy via the web right now...) 6d

kwmg40 I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the earlier ones. I agree with others that John Meredith was an infuriating character but I liked all the other characters, even Ellen. One complaint I had about the subplots is that I felt I had seen them all before in earlier books -- the rescued child, the long-separated lovers, etc. 13h

18 likes11 comments

CogsOfEncouragement

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

pick

This is a reread for me of Anne of Green Gable # 7. I read it the first time over ten years ago and I didn‘t remember much. A nice happy escape with some laugh out loud moments. I look forward to the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead discussion on Saturday.

31 likes

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books