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BarbaraJean
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What sections or themes from this volume of the journals stand out to you?
Are there sections or quotes that you particularly enjoyed or resonated with?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

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BarbaraJean
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During this time, LMM began copying over her earlier journals. Having read those earlier journals and reading this journal now—do you think she ended up doing what she said she would, and copying them absolutely faithfully?

If you undertook the same task—copying out early journals now that you‘ve become a famous writer—how would you handle it?

Would you edit or revise along the way? Why or why not?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

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BarbaraJean
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In a couple of journal entries in this volume, LMM gives extensive descriptions of herself, her likes, and her views on various subjects, notably her religious views.

Did her beliefs or her view of herself surprise you?
What about her likes?
How did these sections affect the view you have of who LMM was?
#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

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BarbaraJean
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On January 31, 1920, LMM lists and comments on several quotations she‘d recorded earlier. I thought this was such a great view into her thoughts on writing and life in general.

Which of those comments stood out to you?
Are there any books listed there that you‘ve read or would like to read?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

12 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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In this volume, we see an end to WWI, but LMM records some profound struggles, from Ewan‘s illness to Frede‘s death. We see legal battles with Page and small mentions revealing her status as an author: speaking engagements, reviews, letters from fans. And we see her as a mother, writing about Chester & Stuart.

What influence do you think these years had on LMM‘s writing? Do you see echoes of this time in Rainbow Valley or in later books?

9 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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I spent a lovely rainy morning browsing the local library book sale with my niece and her daughter (well, tiny niece spent the time playing with her new bunny toy)—here are the results of the morning! The four I‘ve read already (including the vintage Anne of Avonlea) don‘t count 😆 They were giving everyone a free copy of the Ren Faire book!

Tamra Peace Like a River is lovely. 😁 4h
BarbaraJean @Tamra It is!! I can never resist buying copies even though I‘ve already read and own it! This copy will go to one of the friends I haven‘t pushed a copy at yet 😆 4h
Tamra @BarbaraJean you are a good friend! 💕 4h
26 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday! Here are a few joys from my week—and you can add a bonus joy of seeing everyone else‘s 5 joys 😊

1. My sister made me this crochet Frog & Toad and they make me smile every time I see them
2. One of my best friends sent me a slew of ridiculous bird names and I can‘t stop laughing at them
3. My husband‘s piano music
4. Leading a reflective Quiet Day retreat on Saturday
5. A breath-of-fresh-air meeting with my spiritual director

TheBookHippie 🐸🐸 I love them! 22h
Susanita Red-rumped bush tyrant!! 🤣🤣🤣 21h
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Meee toooo!! @Susanita 😂🤣 Fluffy-backed tit babbler!! 🤣 21h
See All 6 Comments
kspenmoll 😂😂😂 bird names!!!‘ 20h
mcctrish Frog and Toad are beautiful and the bird names are spectacular 20h
dabbe 🩵💙🩵 19h
30 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
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“…it was not until 1978 that Native Americans were allowed to practice their religious beliefs, in spite of what the First Amendment to the Constitution had guaranteed to Americans for over 200 years.
In 1978 Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act… for the first time in the 400-year history between Europeans and Native Americans, the religious practices of Native nations were not banned.”

BarbaraJean So much for “freedom of religion.” Just for the colonizers, apparently. Much like “all men are created equal” just meant white men. 😡 2d
27 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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“There isn't a single interesting person in this village—not one who makes you feel better just because of a chat. I really never saw such a collection of stupid, uninteresting people. …When I am feeling normal I suffer them gladly and find some amusement in their very stupidity but when I'm below par I'd like to blow them all up with gunpowder.”

😂 As I find so often, Maud‘s “below par” reaction to certain other people is thoroughly relatable.

30 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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I feel
Very much
Like taking
Its unholy perpetrators
By the hair
Of their heads
(If they have any hair)
And dragging them around
The yard
A few times,
And then cutting them
Into small, irregular pieces
And burying them
In the depths of the blue sea
They are without form
And void,
Or at least
The stuff they produce
Is.
They are too lazy
To hunt up rhymes,
And that
Is all
That is the matter with them.

😂😂
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

TheAromaofBooks This is EXACTLY how I feel when I read this type of poetry! 😂 Especially when the lines are super short. 4d
lil1inblue 😍 😍 😍 4d
28 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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“…may not a person such as myself… whose love of beauty amounts to passionate worship, who finds comfort and help and rapture and courage and satisfaction in a wonderful sunset, or starry waters, or a wood-blossom, or the sleek, ineffable curves of a drowsy cat, or the dance & glow of an open fire—may not such a person be as truly religious as one who finds God in some other manifestation of His personality.”
#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMJournals

I‘ve enjoyed being back into LMM‘s journals this week, even though it can be difficult to read about her struggles with Ewan‘s illness and the lawsuit with Page.

How‘s your reading going? What stood out to you from this week‘s section?

BarbaraJean I thought her comments on religion were SO interesting—both her description of what she believes (p. 244), as well as her response to this Oliver Wendell Holmes quote: “There is a genius for religion just as there is for painting and sculpture”—and her comments about being too narrow in how we define being “religious.” (p. 238) That whole Jan. 31, 1920 entry was fascinating, as she responded to various quotations she‘d copied down! ⬇ 7d
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I especially loved her “what I like” section, responding to Ruskin's quote of “Tell me what you *like* and I'll tell you what you *are.*“ That whole entry had me jotting down potential #LMMAdjacent books 😆 7d
lauraisntwilder I'm so behind! I do plan to get caught up this week though and finish with the rest of you. 7d
See All 14 Comments
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder In retrospect, I think I should have built in a catch-up week after The Last of the Mohicans! 7d
lauraisntwilder @BarbaraJean I just finished it on Thursday! I haven't gone back to look at your questions yet. I'm hoping I'll have a quiet moment tomorrow to do that and catch up on posting reviews. 7d
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder Ugggh, I‘m SO far behind on my Litsy reviews!! I have a list going back to early March 🤦🏻‍♀️ 6d
TheAromaofBooks I am not done with this week's section yet (and still somehow have two chapters left of Mohicans haha) but it has been good to get back into the journals again. Somehow, they've become almost like reading a letter from a friend. LMM is such a good writer - I generally find even fictional journals to be a bit tedious, but I find hers so genuinely engaging. A couple of things that have struck me so far - that she has started copying out her old ⬇ 5d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) journals, which seems like kind of a random thing to do. She states that she is going to “be faithful“to copy it as written - do you think she did? I feel like I would be so tempted to maybe gently edit a smidge!! But I have also wondered all along how there were so many photos in even her earlier journals, and here is the answer! That she added the pictures during the copying, which I found interesting. In a TIL moment, I also didn't ⬇ 5d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) know that “bloody“ was a corruption of “by our Lady“ and have also always wondered why it was considered such a bad word! And finally, I thought it was kind of hilarious when she wrote, over a hundred years ago, “I never yet have liked any film I have seen that was reproduced from a book I had read.“ Apparently some things never change 😂

It's sooo hard to read about everything going on with Ewan and how she is still struggling with ⬇
5d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Frede's death - when she said she was so relieved to pass the one-year anniversary, I felt that. But it's so sad how lonely and isolated she is. Why do you think she is SO terrified of other people finding out about Ewan's mental health? Is it just pride/worrying about “what people will say“? She really has a phobia of mental illness. 5d
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes!! She‘s witty, and such a good storyteller—I feel like I‘m enjoying her company as I read the journals. With her copying out her journals, I think she initially *intended* to copy it as written, but I suspect she began making some excisions and edits as she got further along. I wouldn‘t be able to refrain from “gentle editing” myself!! That info about “bloody” was completely new to me, too! I‘d always assumed it was ⤵️ 5d
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …something to do with Christ‘s blood and that‘s why it was considered so bad (honestly that seems more blasphemous to me than “by our Lady”?!?). I love her opinion on book to film adaptations!!! I wonder what she‘d have thought of the Megan Follows version of Anne. I do love those versions so, with the exception of that travesty “The Continuing Story” where Gilbert goes off to war right after they get married. 🙄 ⤵️ (edited) 5d
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I feel confident she‘d have HATED it as much as I did!

My heart goes out to her over Frede. It‘s heartbreaking how she longs for a real confidant & friend and seems to have no kindred spirits close enough for the depth of friendship she needs. It makes House of Dreams even more poignant to me with all the kindred spirits Anne finds at Four Winds. I wonder if that lack of a close friend contributes to LMM‘s fear of people “finding out”⤵️
5d
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …about Ewan. Fears of what others will think seem MUCH bigger when there‘s no balancing perspective from an understanding friend. I wonder also if part of it is her fears over his career? If people found out their minister suffered from mental illness—especially “religious melancholia”—he‘d probably have been finished as a minister. The opinions she‘s worried about are the ones paying his salary 😬 I agree that it seems like a phobia! 5d
34 likes14 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday:

1. Small joys: wearing my Anne of Green Gables socks while reading LMM‘s journals, and wearing my donut socks with my “ice cream” shoes (brown with pink laces)
2. Larkspur and roses in the garden and on my table
3. A perfect book cover/bookmark pairing
4. FINALLY finishing painting the bathroom, hanging a new cabinet, and replacing the light fixture (the process was not a joy, but being done is)
(Cont‘d ⤵️)

BarbaraJean 5. Encouragements in my spiritual direction journey, from a great class session on Saturday to a helpful mid-week supervision meeting + reminders that I‘m on the right track (even though I often feel like I don‘t know what the hell I‘m doing) 1w
Texreader This is lovely all around! 1w
mcctrish Your flowers are gorgeous 1w
Suet624 Those flowers! And if you‘re on a spiritual journey, you‘re always on the right track. 😊 1w
34 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
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😂😂

I also loved this story from LMM‘s childhood:
“One day when I was very small an aunt asked me if I would go and bring home her turkeys from the shore field. I responded gravely, ‘I am afraid it would excite ridicule.‘”

🦃🤣

#LMMJournals #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead

Texreader So cute!! 1w
Ruthiella Adorable! 😂 1w
TheAromaofBooks I also need divine assistance to eat celery 😂 1w
See All 9 Comments
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder But have you ever worried about exciting ridicule by bringing turkeys home from the shore? 😁😂 1w
TheAromaofBooks Once at the county fair my friend and I took a cow for a stroll around the midway and even let her play the game where you pick a floating duck and get a prize, so public livestock wrangling isn't an issue for me 😂 1w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks 😂😂😂 Best answer ever. The cow played the floating duck game?!? I‘m gone. 😂🤣😂 1w
TheAromaofBooks We may or may not be the reason that the next year there were signs saying “no livestock past this point“ between the dairy barn and the midway 😂 😂 😂 To be strictly accurate, she didn't pick UP the duck, but she did nose one and won I believe one of those plastic unicorns like this one https://www.etsy.com/listing/1753806350/vintage-blue-white-rearing-unicorn-5 1w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh my gosh, it just gets better 😂🤣😂 I love this so much! 1w
26 likes9 comments
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BarbaraJean
Let's Go Camping | Emma Quay
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I loved Camp Litsy last year and am so excited for #CampLitsy25!! Here are my nominations… tagged in the comments. Looking forward to a great reading summer!

See All 12 Comments
BarbaraBB Great choices! I am super interested in the Ivey! 2w
squirrelbrain Great choices! ❤️ 2w
GatheringBooks A third nomination for the eowyn ivey title! Nice!!! 2w
Susanita Great list!😉 2w
Suet624 Oh, a new Ivey! That would be fun. 2w
mcctrish I love GB, I want to read Memorial Days so badly 2w
Deblovestoread Great choices! Really interested in Memorial Days. 2w
Megabooks I almost nominated Black Woods Blue Sky. I love Ivy. The Brooks memoirs looks devastating. My mom's a big fan, and I remember her talking about with Brooks said about losing him when it happened. 2w
57 likes12 comments
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BarbaraJean
Rilla of Ingleside | Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Here's the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead schedule for the next six weeks, with #LMMJournals, #LMMReread and #LMMAdjacent choices. We'll read the last section of Volume 4 of LMM's Complete Journals over the next two weeks, then Rilla of Ingleside, then Pollyanna.

I've tagged the schedule/announcements list for the group, but all are welcome. If you'd like to be tagged for any/all of the above, please comment!

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I'm still plowing through The Last of the Mohicans!! I'm really looking forward to rereading Rilla, and Pollyanna with the group!! 2w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I‘m interested to hear what you think once the plowing is done! I don‘t regret reading it, but it was disappointing. I‘m glad to be back into the journals this week and looking forward to the next several picks! 2w
28 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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For our #LMMJournals readers (and those interested in the L.M. Montgomery connection!):

LMM mentions having read the book “in schooldays” and discussing it with Nate Lockhart. What did you notice in the book that might have attracted LMM as a schoolgirl? What characters and incidents do you imagine she might have discussed with Nate so enthusiastically?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans discussion (5/5)

BarbaraJean I have to admit that I'm puzzled that LMM was enthusiastic about this book! I thought maybe she would have resonated with the nature descriptions, but honestly, I didn't find them that compelling. I guess it was just the action and adventure she was so excited to discuss with Nate?! And perhaps Cora would have been a compelling figure to her? 2w
Daisey I‘m not sure what to think of this connection to LMM either. It does have some interesting scenes to discuss, but it doesn‘t resonate with me in any way that her writing does. 2w
22 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans Discussion (4/5)

In general, did you like or dislike the book? What did you enjoy or not enjoy?
Do you feel this is a classic that‘s worth reading?

BarbaraJean Honestly, I didn't enjoy this. I didn't find it engaging, for all its action. The characters initially held promise, but weren't developed at all. Cooper sacrifices character development for horrific action sequences and scenic descriptions that fell flat for me. I'm torn about whether it's worth reading for how it's shaped other writing over the years. I think it has some value as a biased but illuminating portrayal of a specific time and place ⬇ 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...in history, but I don't think I'd recommend it unless someone was specifically studying this time period and they were also seeking out supplementary sources to contextualize and balance the perspective here. 2w
Daisey I didn‘t particularly enjoy this. There were short sections at a time that were really interesting, but there were long sections between where I struggled to stay focused. 2w
21 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans Discussion (3/5)

What do you think about the way the book portrays its Native characters (and the different tribes they belong to)?
What about the way it portrays the English and French characters?

BarbaraJean I mentioned this an earlier question, but I was bracing myself for far worse racial stereotypes. There was a bit too much “noble savage“ to the descriptions of Uncas and Chingachgook and the Delaware village. Then basically all Huron/Mingos were portrayed as bad/scheming/backward, but their French allies were largely let off the hook. But I also appreciated how there was SOME nuance in the way Magua was characterized, when he revealed ⬇ 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) his treatment at the hands of the English. And Cora early on makes a remark about not judging someone based on the color of their skin (ironic that she makes that comment about the person who basically becomes the villain, though!). There were plenty of problematic racial stereotypes, but overall I was impressed by the complexity we did get. 2w
16 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - Last of the Mohicans Discussion (2/5)
How much knowledge of the French & Indian War/Fort William Henry conflict did you have prior to reading this book? Did you seek out more info?
What do you think of how Cooper dramatized these events?
What responsibility does an author of historical fiction have in representing historical events? What do you think are appropriate or inappropriate changes or exaggerations?

BarbaraJean I didn't have much knowledge about the historical context, and so I looked up the Fort William Henry conflict after reading the section on the betrayal/massacre. I was frustrated by what I found. Cooper has been criticized for his “lurid“ and inaccurate characterization of the massacre--it was bad, but it seems it was not nearly as horrific as described, and the inciting event with the mother & baby seems like it was completely invented. ⬇ 2w
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I do think a writer of historical fiction has a responsibility to present the backdrop of history and historical events as accurately as possible--dramatizing within the “spirit“ of what happened, so to speak. ESPECIALLY when it comes to war--attributing particular types of cruel violence that DID NOT happen, to one side or the other, is irresponsible, to me. 2w
Daisey I have some basic knowledge of the French & Indian War, and I did not look anything up while reading. 2w
16 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent - The Last of the Mohicans Discussion (1/5)

What expectations did you have going into the book?
How did it compare to your expectations? Was there anything that surprised you?

Daisey I‘ve got two hours of audio left . . . Every few days I listen to a bit more, but I‘ve never felt fully invested. I‘ll come back to the discussion once I‘m done. 2w
BarbaraJean @Daisey Look forward to your thoughts when you finish! This was a bit of a slog for me. 2w
BarbaraJean I did NOT expect the ending. (I haven't seen the movie, and I'm curious--does it end the same way?!) I expected that the portrayal of the Native characters would be far more problematic. I cringed at some of the verbiage/stereotypes, but there was a LOT more nuance and complexity to the portrayal of Native characters and cultures than I expected there'd be, given when this was written. Also, I expected that it would be more engaging than it was!! 2w
19 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday

1. Great weekend visiting friends in Alpine—good conversation, playing board games, eating good food, hanging out on their deck reading together
2. Tasty Thai food with a good friend on Wednesday
3. Good catch-up with former co-workers today, over delicious Greek food
4. These crazy little strawberries (I decided I had one that could walk and one that could talk)
5. This poem: https://onbeing.org/poetry/the-peace-of-wild-things/

Sace Mmmm. 😋 Thai food. 2w
BarbaraJean *Posting with no image because Litsy is being mean. I‘ll post those cute strawberry pictures later 😁 2w
BarbaraJean @Sace Yesssss. This was a good food week. 2w
dabbe 💙💚💙 2w
33 likes4 comments
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BarbaraJean
Raising Steam | Terry Pratchett
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“I know we have what might be called an unconventional marriage, what with our jobs and the pressure of work and so on, but I wouldn't be doing my wifely duty if I didn't ask you whether you have been firkydoodling with fast and loose women? No pressure. Answer in your own time.”

😂 “Firkydoodling” is hereby added to my vocabulary.

#OokBOokClub

julesG I love the "no pressure." part of this so much. I've only read this book so far. This time I'll listen to the audiobook and am looking forward to how the dialogue plays out. 3w
Ddzmini 🤣🤣🤣 a new word for us wifey to utilize 3w
38 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Posting our check-in for #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent a little early since I‘ll be out of town visiting friends on Saturday & Sunday.

I got caught up this week—and wow, lots of action, lots to talk about. But I‘ll save that for next week‘s end-of-book discussion!

How is everyone‘s reading coming along? What are you enjoying and/or not enjoying in what you‘ve read so far? Which characters are you most curious about?

TheAromaofBooks I'm a couple chapters behind, but overall enjoying this story even if it's a bit slow in spots. The betrayal/massacre as everyone left the fort was just horrific. 3w
lauraisntwilder I'm not loving this one. It feels like a lot of wandering around in the woods, occasionally interrupted by horrible violence. 3w
Daisey I‘m playing catch up today. I just got through the chapter @TheAromaofBooks mentioned. It‘s holding my attention better than it was thanks to the action, but I‘m still not loving it. 3w
See All 9 Comments
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks SO horrific. The violence has been hard to read. @lauraisntwilder Yeah, unfortunately that's a very apt description! @Daisey I've had a similar experience this week: finding it more engaging now, but not really enjoyable. I'm curious about Hawkeye and want to know more about his past as well as Uncas and Chingachgook's past. I feel like Cooper is trading character backstory & development for action & description--not my favorite. 3w
TheAromaofBooks In fairness, this is technically the second book in the Leatherstocking Tales - I think book one is about Hawkeye's origin story. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Yes! When adding it on GR, I saw it was marked as book two! I had no idea it was part of a series, so looked it up (I hate starting in the middle of a series). The Hawkeye one was written later, as a prequel (1841 vs. 1826 for Mohicans)--so I guess others wanted to know more about him as well! 3w
julieclair @TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean I have always thought of this as a stand-alone book. It‘s interesting to learn it is Book 2. I‘m tempted to read a summary of book 1, just to quickly learn more about Hawkeye. 3w
TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean so there goes my attempt to make excuses for Cooper's pathetic character development - apparently he only did so under duress over ten years later! 😂 2w
BarbaraJean @julieclair I always thought it was standalone, too! I don't know if I'm interested enough to read any of the others, though! @TheAromaofBooks 😂 😂 The rest of the series was a retcon... 😆 2w
31 likes9 comments
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BarbaraJean
Rogue Protocol | Martha Wells
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#5JoysFriday

1. THIS jazz album: https://robrennie.bandcamp.com/album/heading-north (It‘s 7 original songs written by the pianist from my husband‘s big band and combo. And that‘s my husband on sax. I‘m biased, yes—but they‘re fantastic musicians, it sounds amazing, and I‘m SO proud. You can listen at the link above and/or treat yourself to a download!)
2. Birthday date with my husband (movie, sushi, ice cream, and great conversation)
Continued ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
3. Birthday gifts from my MIL: Anne t-shirt and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
4. Murderbot. I‘m re-reading the series and they‘re SO GOOD.
5. National Poetry Month! Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer‘s poetry has been such a joy this week. I shared one yesterday, but here are a couple more:
https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2025/04/03/how-ive-started-to-pray/
https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2025/04/01/with-tears-as-i-write/
(edited) 3w
Amiable What a fabulous list of joys! 3w
MemoirsForMe Congrats to your hubs and his band! 🎶 3w
See All 12 Comments
dabbe 🩵💙🩵 3w
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Happy Birthday!!! 3w
Bookwormjillk Sounds like a joyful birthday. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie You and MrBookHippie might want to check out the link in #1 😁 3w
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean oh yes!!!! Sunday coffee plans!! 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Yessss! ☕️🎷🎹🎶 3w
TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean oh thank you so much!!! We had a lovely morning with coffee, jazz and even SUNSHINE!!! Just lovely. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie Yay!! 🎉 I'm so glad you enjoyed it, as part of a lovely sunny morning!! 3w
33 likes12 comments
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BarbaraJean
Hush | Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
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“What I Know of Love When Times Are Dark”

And if you can‘t find a candle,
then light the wick of your wonder.
And if you can‘t find your wonder,
then now might be a good time
to pray. And if you don‘t
know how to pray,
then perhaps you are doing it right.
What do I know of prayer?
Only that every prayer that has saved me
is a prayer that has found me
instead of the other way round—
a prayer that comes through me,

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
…as if I am nothing more
than flesh in service to a prayer.
And if there is a candle, ask it
to be your teacher. And if there is
a candle, notice how far its light
can reach. See if you, too, can touch
the world as generously as a candle,
just that far, holding back not even
the tiniest measure of love.

Link: https://ahundredfallingveils.com/2025/04/02/what-i-know-of-love-when-times-are-d...
3w
28 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraJean
Behold the Dreamers | Imbolo Mbue
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Pickpick

The story follows a Cameroonian immigrant family—Jende Jonga, his wife Neni, and their son—in ‘07-‘08 NYC. Against the backdrop of the economic crisis and Obama‘s election, we see Jende working for better opportunities for himself and his family, as his future becomes more and more entangled with the family for whom he works as a chauffeur. It‘s a fascinating, nuanced take on the American Dream, with the Jonga family‘s struggles set against ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …the very different struggles of the wealthy Edwards family. Although these struggles were compelling, I didn‘t really connect with any of the characters—which is both realistic and fitting, even if I found it unsatisfying here. People are complicated, and this story resists both “hero immigrant” and “wealthy villain” tropes. I was frustrated by some of Jende‘s actions, frustrated by some of the patriarchal cultural values… ⤵️ 3w
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …that rear their head between him and Neni, but was also rooting for them to succeed in finding their place in NYC. And somehow I also found myself rooting for the Edwards family, too—as distasteful as I found many of their actions. So: unsatisfying in the end, but worth the read for its complex characters and the thought-provoking commentary it evokes on the fable of the American Dream.

This was my February #DoubleSpin. @TheAromaofBooks
3w
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 3w
TheBookHippie I remember reading this ARC. I had similar thoughts. It makes a great discussion book I think. 3w
BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie I think you're right about it being a good discussion book. My enjoyment of it would have been greater if I'd read/discussed it with a group. There's a LOT to talk about. 3w
44 likes5 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Crazy Rich Asians | Kevin Kwan
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Mehso-so

This…was not for me. We read this for my IRL book group in March and then watched the movie together—this is a rare case where I liked the movie better!

The whole read kind of low-key annoyed me. Reading about the lavish casual spending of the uber-rich just didn‘t land well with me, especially right now. The characters were largely shallow and/or unlikable—I realize that it was intended as a send-up of a particular segment of society, but… ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …the satire felt too soft and in places, it read a little like a #notallrichpeople justification. I felt like I learned a bit about Singaporean and Chinese culture, but reading about the uber-rich segment of another culture isn‘t really my goal for cultural learning. It was a quick read, though—and I did find myself curious to find out what would happen next (just not enough to read the next book). And I enjoyed the food descriptions! 3w
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BarbaraJean
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April‘s #DoubleSpin is clear—and is also my #44 pick for #50x50. For my #BookSpin, I get to pick a book published in the 1950s—70s for #192025. Above are the three I‘m thinking about… any recommendations?

Suet624 Yay for Anam Cara. I‘ve only read A Separate Peace (as a teenager) out of the three and I liked it. (edited) 3w
TheBookHippie I like them all 👀🤫🙃 3w
BarbaraJean @Suet624 I'm really looking forward to Anam Cara. It's been on my list for so long and it's nice to have the “assignment“ to read it! @TheBookHippie Good news is I'll be reading them all at some point before the end of the year!! 3w
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TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean literal DECADES since my reading of them 😂 3w
TheAromaofBooks Oh Black Sheep is one of my favorite Heyer romances!! 3w
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Oh, that‘s good to know! I‘ve been leaning toward Black Sheep anyway because I‘m pretty sure that will be a nice escapist read—the other two, not so much 😆 3w
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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#BookSpinBingo wrap-up for March: 12 books, no bingos, no spins completed 😕 I do plan to get to those missed spins in April, though!

Favorites:
💰Making Money
🙏🏼Queering Contemplation
🪦The Woman in White (re-read)
🤖Artificial Condition (re-read)

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 3w
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BarbaraJean
The Library at Night | Alberto Manguel
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My birthday is tomorrow, which means my #50x50 reading challenge kicks off tomorrow! I‘m planning to read 50 books from my TBR before my 50th birthday (which is in 2028). I‘m planning to start with one of these:

Raybearer—30: gifted w/in last 5 years
Bird by Bird—9: about writing
Anam Cara—44: related to my vocation
The Library at Night—7: about books/reading

If you‘d like to join in, the link to the StoryGraph challenge is in the comments. ⤵️

CSeydel Happy birthday! 4w
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Bookwormjillk Thanks for the tag! I need to make my list. 4w
TheBookHippie Working on my list!!! I‘m excited! 4w
TheBookHippie Happiest of birthdays to you!! 4w
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Happy birthday! I read bird by bird in college and liked it 🐦‍⬛ 4w
Butterfinger Happy birthday!!!! 4w
Librarybelle I was thinking about this challenge this morning! I have to do my #bookspinbingo list today, so maybe I‘ll start strategizing this as well! Happy birthday! 4w
julesG I'll probably put my list together tomorrow. 4w
BarbaraJean @CSeydel @TheBookHippie @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @Butterfinger Thank you!! @Bookwormjillk @Librarybelle @julesG It‘s been fun seeing what others have added to the challenge on SG! 4w
kspenmoll Thanks! Just joined your challenge! Happy birthday! 4w
Deblovestoread Joined! Happy birthday 🎂🎈📚🎉 4w
BarbaraJean @kspenmoll @Deblovestoread Thank you! Yay!! Glad to have you along for the ride! 4w
MemoirsForMe Happy Birthday! You‘ll love Bird by Bird! 🥳🎉🎂📚 4w
BarbaraJean @MemoirsForMe Thank you! I‘m sure I will! 4w
Bookwormjillk I hope you had a happy birthday. Story Graph is giving me fits right now but I am in. I am considering re-reading 50 books I've loved in the past. (I turn 50 in 2027) 3w
BarbaraJean @Bookwormjillk Thank you--it was a happy birthday! I love your re-read idea--that sounds like a great way to read into to your 50th. 😊 3w
43 likes18 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Years ago, I came across the poem “The Taxi” by Amy Lowell, and its final line has lived in my brain ever since: “Why should I leave you, / To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?” I‘ve meant to read a collection of her poetry ever since, but we all know how the TBR intentions sometimes go. So when it became apparent that in spite of my best intentions in January, I definitely wasn‘t going to get around to reading any (let alone all ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …three volumes) of Dante‘s Divine Comedy by the end of March for the #ClassicsChallenge2025, I decided to read some Amy Lowell instead.

This collection, published in 1919, is made up of two halves. The first is filled with tiny, exquisite poems that play with Chinese and Japanese forms, creating gorgeous crystal-clear images in word pictures. I had a hard time putting it down, savoring bite-sized poem after poem. ⤵️
1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The second half is more lyrical, moving away from the Asian-inspired images and into English cities and the countryside. While I preferred the imagery of the first half, there were still some gems in the second half. I‘m glad I finally immersed myself in Amy Lowell‘s poetry, and I‘ll definitely be seeking out more of it!

Link to her poem “The Taxi” (which isn‘t in this collection): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42984/the-taxi
1mo
MommyWantsToReadHerBook Such a beautiful poem. Lovely post 💙 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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It‘s been an over-full reading week and I‘m only just now sitting down to read this week‘s section of Last of the Mohicans for #LMMAdjacent #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead. 🙃 How‘s everyone else‘s reading coming along? Are you enjoying the book so far?

Bookwomble Nice bookmark 🔖🙂 4w
DieAReader Behind in all my readings this week🤦🏻‍♀️ 4w
lauraisntwilder I've read this week's chapters, but I'm finding it easy to zone out on this one and not realize it. 4w
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TheAromaofBooks I'm finding this one interesting, but a chapter a day is definitely easier for me than large chunks, especially when there is fighting. 4w
Daisey I‘m with @lauraisntwilder on this one. I find some parts interesting, but then I‘ll completely lose the thread. Maybe it would be better if I was focused on print instead of listening, but there‘s no way I can currently fit that in my schedule. 4w
BarbaraJean @Bookwomble Thanks! I like to use a bookmark that matches the book. In this case I love the red leather with the vintage book—even though the Fitzwilliam Museum doesn‘t match thematically😆 4w
BarbaraJean @DieAReader I know the feeling!! This was one of those weeks for me. 4w
BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @Daisey Similar for me—I find my attention wandering. @TheAromaofBooks I‘m too behind to parcel it out in short chunks now ☹️ 4w
julieclair Need to catch up… it‘s been a crazy week. 4w
julieclair I‘m now on Chapter 14 - listening on audio and really enjoying it. It‘s action-packed for sure! 3w
BarbaraJean @julieclair I've been wondering whether I'd like this more or less on audio! Glad you're enjoying it. I think I'd prefer audio for the action parts but would probably find myself zoning out in some of the wordiness. 3w
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday!

My first three are more treasures unearthed from the garage:
1. Beautiful blue glass vases which I have filled with larkspur from the garden
2. My brother‘s soccer shirt from when he was a kid in the early 80s, featuring the name of their sponsor: “Drugs-N-Such” 🤣
3. My summer library reading program certificates from childhood, one of which proclaims: “The Sizzler Proudly Salutes You”
Continued ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
More joys (unrelated to organizing the garage 😆):
4. Finally getting my music library (~100GB) back from a failed hard drive
5. Dinner with one of my best friends last night + an early birthday gift of a book, a bookish game, and an Emotional Support Dumpster Fire (gifted in the book-themed gift bag we‘ve been trading back and forth since college)
1mo
Bookwormjillk The Sizzler proudly salutes you 😂😂😂 1mo
kspenmoll What fun joys!!!‘ 4w
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BarbaraJean
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SEPTEMBER, 1918

This afternoon was the colour of water falling through sunlight;
The trees glittered with the tumbling of leaves;
The sidewalks shone like alleys of dropped maple leaves,
And the houses ran along them laughing out of square, open windows.
Under a tree in the park,
Two little boys, lying flat on their faces,
Were carefully gathering red berries
To put in a pasteboard box.
⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)
Some day there will be no war
Then I shall take out this afternoon
And turn it in my fingers
And remark the sweet taste of it upon my palate
And note the crisp variety of its flights of leaves
Today I can only gather it
And put it into my lunch-box
For I have time for nothing
But the endeavour to balance myself
Upon a broken world.
1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I love the Wayward Children series so much, and this latest book didn‘t disappoint. I ached over Nadya‘s our-world story and loved her underwater portal world (and ached again over the ending). I‘m constantly impressed by how deftly McGuire weaves into her fantasy worlds huge topics like adoption and ableism, in ways that illuminate and universalize the experiences of diverse characters.

This was my 2025 pick for #192025.

Librarybelle Yay!! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Going Postal | Terry Pratchett
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Pickpick

Still working my way through belated reviews…this goes back to early February for the #OokBOokClub.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, from the characters to the satire to the fact that it had CHAPTERS.* And the reappearance of characters from The Truth. And golems! There‘s so much more substance to the characters here (I‘m looking at you, Rincewind), which gave more depth to the story overall—and its satire of government was maybe a little too ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …relatable right now, with quotes like:

“Steal five dollars and you‘re a common thief. Steal thousands and you‘re either the government or a hero.”
“Sometimes the truth is arrived at by adding all the little lies together and deducting them from the totality of what is known.”
“What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.” ⤵️
1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d):
*I love Terry Pratchett, but his aversion to chapters has been a mild annoyance thus far. The lack of chapters somehow has the opposite effect from what I assume Pratchett was aiming at—it‘s harder for me to sink into the book when I don‘t have clear units of content to anticipate. My brain wants those clear divisions.

Also also: this was my 2004 pick for the #192025 challenge with @librarybelle!
(edited) 1mo
Librarybelle Excellent!! 1mo
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willaful I also noticed the wonderful CHAPTERS and was wondering if they're part of why this book is so popular! 1mo
julesG I think Rob wrote something about the chapters in his biography of Terry. I'll check and come back (though later, just got out of bed it's 6am here) 1mo
julesG Wanted to get back to you and clean forgot. I looked through the book, but couldn't find the passage. Sorry. 3w
BarbaraJean @julesG Thanks for looking! I poked around online & found some Terry quotes from an interview: “life does not happen in regular chapters, nor do movies, and Homer did not write in chapters,“ and: “I'm blessed if I know what function they serve in books for adults.“ He has a point, but I have several answers on what function they serve in books for adults! With his use of chapters here and in Making Money, it seems he did find a function for them. 3w
julesG I was wondering, especially with the "synopsis" of each chapter, whether it had to do with his diagnosis. But since he didn't stick to it, I guess it's more of a "tried it, not my cup of tea" thing. 3w
BarbaraJean @julesG I wondered if he used chapters specifically in the Moist books, in order to poke fun at (Victorian?) novels where there's a little synopsis/preview at the beginning of each chapter. Or to work in the little quotes he uses. (Or both.) I think you're right, it was an experiment and he decided he wasn't into it! 3w
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BarbaraJean
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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#BookSpin list for April (even though I haven‘t even started my BookSpin or #DoubleSpin from March yet 😬)

Lots of challenge/buddy read picks on this list, with #192025, #ChristiesCapers, #OokBOokClub, and my own #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead and #50x50. But it also stays pretty close to my physical TBR—which is ostensibly my goal with BookSpin! Looking forward to the numbers next week!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! The Man in the Brown Suit is one of my favorite Christie books, even though (because??) it's completely ridiculous 😂 Is All Creatures Great and Small a buddy read? I love those books so much!! 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks All Creatures is on my list for #192025, and so is The Man in the Brown Suit, for that matter (with a nice #ChristiesCapers overlap)! I've never read either and both feel like fun & cozy reads, which I need more and more these days. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
Crazy Rich Asians | Kevin Kwan
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Um… you‘d think that by the time the movie tie-in edition was published, they‘d have corrected stuff like this. TBH, I‘ve already been low-key annoyed reading this—reading about the massively rich just doesn‘t land well right now—and dumb errors like this aren‘t helping. Can‘t guarantee I‘ll be in a good mood about this one at book club on Sunday. 😬 At least it‘s a quick read!

Vansa The book/series start off satirising the clueless uber-rich but then ends up saying they're the good people, it really irritated me. Reflective of the massive privilege the author comes from🤷🏾‍♀️ 1mo
JamieArc What is this even supposed to say??? 1mo
BarbaraJean @JamieArc I‘m assuming it‘s supposed to be “A melodious peal rang through the room.” I think it should be a peal of something (laughter, bells, whatever)—and personally, I think “chime” would be more appropriate for the context—but at least “peal” wouldn‘t suggest that there‘s some kind of giant ringing orange rind rolling around. 1mo
JamieArc @BarbaraJean 😂😂 Exactly was I was imagining! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Yep.

Leftcoastzen Funny / Not Funny 1mo
BarbaraJean @Leftcoastzen My sentiments exactly! 1mo
TheBookHippie Right?! WTAF 😵‍💫😝 1mo
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BookmarkTavern Do I laugh? Do I cry? Both. 1mo
lil1inblue 😂 😂 😂 😭 😭 😭 1mo
CarolynM 🥴 1mo
49 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Another text for my spiritual direction course—this is a gorgeous, interactive book that I had a hard time bringing myself to write in! It explores the basics of spiritual direction from a number of religious traditions—from Christianity and Judaism to Islam and Buddhism. It was instructive to see both the differences and the deep connections between different spiritual traditions when it comes to spiritual guidance. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) There were lots of new-to-me perspectives here that enriched my approach to spiritual direction. With gorgeous artwork and prompts for journaling and reflection, this was brief but not shallow—a solid, thorough intro to the concept of spiritual direction. 1mo
BethM What are you working toward? 1mo
BarbaraJean @BethM I‘m working towards becoming a spiritual director—I‘m about halfway through a 2-year formation program/internship. It‘s been so rewarding! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

I read this in Jan/Feb for my spiritual direction course, and it was excellent. It both broadened my definition of contemplation and challenged me to see contemplative practices in a new way. Holmes explores contemplative practices of the Black church, bringing in the historical context within which new forms of contemplation necessarily emerged. Viewing community and social activism through the lens of contemplation was illuminating. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Holmes also highlights Howard Thurman, MLK, and others as Black contemplatives, and the 2nd edition includes new chapters on Obama‘s presidency, the BLM movement, and explorations of the work of Black artists including Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar. 1mo
Kristin_Reads I love Barbara Holmes and loved this book! I read it several years ago. 1mo
BarbaraJean @Kristin_Reads This was the first book I‘ve read by her, and I definitely want to seek out more. 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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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

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! 1mo
JenlovesJT47 Going to try to catch up today. I know, I‘m the worst 😬 always behind on everything, sorry! 1mo
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!! 1mo
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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. 1mo
BarbaraJean @JenlovesJT47 No worries—the discussions will be here whenever you‘re caught up! 1mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—one small benefit of Litsy‘s issues last week! 1mo
BarbaraJean @Daisey I‘ve had to do a lot of catch-up lately, too—so many (good) bookish commitments! 1mo
34 likes7 comments
review
BarbaraJean
The Fall of Arthur | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this unfinished piece of Arthurian poetry by Tolkien, along with the accompanying essays by Christopher Tolkien (that make up most of the book). Overall, though, it was a bit unsatisfying—I wanted a little bit more from all of it (but that‘s my own issue, not an actual problem with the book). “The Poem in Arthurian Tradition” made me want to study the poem in the context of an Arthurian Literature course, to go deeper into the sources ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …Tolkien drew from. With “The Unwritten Poem & its Relation to The Silmarillion,” I wanted more analysis of the connections & parallels (and character comparisons) not only with the Silmarillion, but also the rest of Tolkien‘s work. (I realize literary interpretation/analysis wasn‘t Christopher Tolkien‘s purpose, and I understand why, but that‘s what I wanted!) My favorite part of the book, though, was the appendix on Old English Verse.⤵️ (edited) 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I loved reading more about the alliterative form—it enriched my reading of the poem to go back and examine the form Tolkien was using, and it made me wish even more for a completed version of the poem. I‘m glad I read this #MedievalTolkien pick with the #FellowshipofTolkien! 1mo
kspenmoll Wonderful review! 1mo
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Daisey Great review and I completely agree! I also really enjoyed the section on the verse form. 1mo
JazzFeathers What a great review, Barbara 🤩 l found it more difficult than others we read, but l still enjoyed it a lot. Especially the chapter about the Silmarillion, though l, too, would have liked a lot more from it. 'Cause I'm sure there's more, there. 1mo
BarbaraJean @kspenmoll @Daisey Thank you! @JazzFeathers I agree, I found the essays in this one more difficult than some of our other reading—especially when Christopher Tolkien got so detailed about the various drafts of the poem. I wanted less of that and more analysis—I understand why CT‘s focus is where it is, but I guess my preference/interest is sometimes different than his goals! 1mo
40 likes6 comments
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BarbaraJean
The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie
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Pickpick

Another belated review… this was the #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3 pick for February.

I was excited to read this because I hadn‘t read any of the Tommy & Tuppence books before, and it was such fun—in spite of the more improbable & unrealistic aspects of the plot! Both Tommy & Tuppence annoyed me a little at times, but I did enjoy their youthful energy and banter—as well as seeing Agatha Christie write younger protagonists. ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) I loved their ingenuity as they navigated various predicaments independently of each other. Tuppence had her own strengths and contributions in unraveling the mystery, instead of just being a throwaway token female in the duo. I look forward to reading more Tommy & Tuppence in the future!

This was also my 1922 pick for the #192025 challenge.
1mo
Librarybelle Yay!! 1mo
dabbe You old bean! 🤩🤣🤩 1mo
BarbaraJean @dabbe 😂 I love that expression so much—really need to find ways to work it into my daily life 😆 1mo
dabbe @BarbaraJean IKR? I adored this book! 🤩🤣🤗 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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#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

tpixie How many pages does this book? I have a kids version that I suspect as an abridged. 1mo
tpixie This was a family favorite movie. 1mo
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... 1mo
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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) 1mo
tpixie @BarbaraJean 🩷🩷🩷 Well, at least it‘s not 490!? 😀 1mo
BarbaraJean @tpixie The print is pretty small, but it does seem like an awfully low page count!! 1mo
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) 1mo
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.“ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Also I literally had to go to SparkNotes and write down who some of the characters are 😂 1mo
lauraisntwilder There are 33 chapters in mine, too. 350 pages. My impression so far is surprise that there's even a discussion of prejudice. 1mo
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! 1mo
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. 1mo
DieAReader Also quotes & 33 chapters in my Kindle Amazon Classics Edition. Some confusion on characters & alliances but it‘s still early🤭 1mo
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! 1mo
41 likes14 comments
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BarbaraJean
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#5JoysFriday!

1. Sunday jazz with my husband‘s combo
2. Lunch on St. Patrick‘s Day with dear friends
3. Last-minute cheap tickets to see HP & the Cursed Child at the Pantages in LA
4. Unearthed some “treasures” from the garage—including a little ceramic alien my sister made at age 12
5. Phone call from one of my regular editing clients thanking me for my work—helping him craft a eulogy for a mentor of his 💜

dabbe 🩵💙🩵 1mo
TheBookHippie Treasures!! ♥️ 1mo
37 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraJean
Woman in White | Wilkie COLLINS
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Pickpick

I had so much fun reading this with the #HashtagBrigade, although I still question my judgment in deciding to read both this and Nicholas Nickleby simultaneously. This was a re-read for me, but I remembered little about the twists and turns of the narrative, so the unveiling of the various secrets and plots was still largely a surprise. 😆 Also, I‘m happy to report that my review from August 2011 still holds up! ⤵️

BarbaraJean I loved this. It‘s deliciously Victorian (oh, the melodrama!), and reminded me both of why I love Victorian lit so much, as well as of its quirks which thoroughly annoy me. Of course, the most capable woman is ugly... and her energy, intelligence, and presence of mind are continually referred to as being “like a man‘s.” Although, Marian herself seems to mock and poke fun at these conventions throughout, which was great fun. ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) What more could you ask: A despicable villain, a conniving husband, a convoluted conspiracy complete with uncanny likenesses and mistaken identity, “horrifying” secrets of the past finally uncovered, a lovely fainting heroine (contrasted drastically with her capable and ugly half-sister), and, of course, the entirely annoying invalid uncle, whose parentheticals just killed me: ⤵️ 1mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) The date was towards the end of June, or the beginning of July, and the name (in my opinion a remarkably vulgar one) was Fanny.”
“She had carefully put the two letters into her bosom. (What have I to do with her bosom?)”
“...she had thought she should like a cup of tea. (Am I responsible for any of these vulgar fluctuations, which begin with unhappiness and end with tea?)”

Hilarious.
1mo
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Bookwormjillk A great read for sure 1mo
ferskner Ooooof! That's a lot of Victorians at once. 1mo
BarbaraJean @ferskner Soooo many Victorians. At least Dickens and Collins have very different vibes! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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“There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets.”

#WhattheDickens

Texreader Great quote!! 1mo
kspenmoll Love this! 1mo
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

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. 1mo
Tamra This is right up my alley - I loved it. 😊 1mo
BarbaraJean @Tamra It's just lovely, isn't it? 1mo
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