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Thursday, January 01, 2015

Lucy Maud Montgomery 6th Annual Reading Challenge 2015

Six years, folks! We're in this for the sixth year and I've enjoyed every single one of them.

L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge

If you are new to this, here is the idea behind the challenge:

Read as much Montgomery as you can during the month of January.

Just that. Pure and simple.

Montgomery is my favorite female author of all time and I love beginning a new year with her quiet, spunky, imaginative characters. Despite the fact that her life was far from serene and perfect, she managed to create characters that have made the world laugh and smile for over 100 years. I take pleasure in her books, despite the fact that they are rather formulaic. I find them to be remarkably peaceful. They are quiet reads which keep a slow and steady pace and which continue to draw me back to them year after year after year. If you have not had the pleasure of reading a L.M. Montgomery book, I hope you'll take the time to do so this month. If you are looking for another excuse to take a leisurely walk around Prince Edward Island with some of your favorite friends, well then, please, let me provide that excuse!

I invite you to read any book by Montgomery or about Montgomery as part of this challenge. Audio books are, of course, very welcome as are the first two Anne movies created and produced by Kevin Sullivan. The only two things which never have and never will "count" towards participating in this challenge are the following:

  • Before Green Gables, by Budge Wilson. This is a made up history of Anne. It's the imaginings of another author about my most beloved Montgomery character. It offends me and, this being a reading challenge that I am hosting, I do not allow it.
  • I also do not allow the inclusion of Anne Of Green Gables - The Continuing Story because Kevin Sullivan lost his mind when he made this one and decided to re-write the history of Anne of Gilbert on the screen. This movie should be considered Anne heresy and is banned around these parts.

Everything else is fair game.

What I ask participants in this challenge do is to write up a post on your own blog stating the following:

a.) That you intend to participate in this Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge;
b.) List which of her books you intend to read (or which movies you intend to watch); and
c.) Enjoy whatever it is that you manage to work through during the month.

I do hope you will join in and be a part of this reading challenge. I so enjoy hosting this every year and always try to learn something new about Montgomery as I read on. If you're planning to read along, please let me (and everyone else!) know in the comment section!

Posts from past years which you might enjoy reading:

16 comments:

Stephanie said...

One of the most wonderful times of the year. : ) I'm hoping to read The Story Girl and The Golden Road with the kids this year ... and I have high hopes of watching the AoGG movie with them. : )

Amy @ Hope Is the Word said...

I'm in with The Story Girl as a read-aloud:
http://www.hopeisthewordblog.com/2015/01/01/read-aloud-thursday-december-2014/

and with Emily's Quest, to finish the trilogy:
http://www.hopeisthewordblog.com/2014/12/30/december-2014-nightstand/

Anonymous said...

I'm in! I'm going to re-read the Anne series and The Blue Castle. I also plan to watch the two approved Anne movies and maybe even have a themed tea party if I can get my act together.

Tarissa said...

Finally got my post up! :)

I'm reading Chronicles of Avonlea this month. Ahh!
http://inthebookcase.blogspot.com/2015/01/joining-2015-lmm-reading-challenge.html

bekahcubed said...

Yay, yay, yay! I love when January rolls around and I have an excuse to re-read Montgomery. I will be participating this year - although with vastly decreased expectations compared to previous years. My challenge post.

Shonya said...

ha! I love that you banned two options--that cracks me up!

Sorry, I don't necessarily plan to participate as 1) I have other books I am determined to read this month and 2) I don't quite share your affinity for LMM (as I duck the flying objects you're surely throwing) but I do enjoy reading what you're reading, so I'll be back for your review(s). :)

Shonna Slayton said...

What a great idea! Here is my post and a youtube video about it: http://shonnaslayton.com/lucy-maud-montgomery-6th-annual-reading-challenge-2015/

Carrie said...

@Shonya - HA! Well, we can't like ALL of the same things and do ALL of the same things or else that would be freakishly weird. My friends are allowed (ha) to not like LMM. I'm that generous a person, yes, it's true.

And also, don't forget that you owe me one. Because I also never forget WHO doesn't like LMM. ;)

@Shanna - I've never had anyone video their challenge reads before! Thanks for the fun twist! I hope you make it far along into your chosen books. :D

Barbara H. said...

I haven't gotten a post up yet (I hope to by the end of this week or beginning of next), but I am planning to read at least the second in the Emily series, and if I have time maybe the third.

Shonya said...

giggle.
Freakishly weird, indeed!
I don't DISlike her, I just don't love her works quite as much as you do. I like Anne. Period. :)

Susanne said...

Anne of Green Gables tv series was a beloved thing my girls and I did together. Almost every year we have a marathon watching them. I've only ever read the first in the series and only a few years ago at that! I'm biting the bullet and buying the series of eight from Costco because it seems like a great deal for forty dollars. Hopefully I can join in but I'm in the middle of The Book of Negroes right now and wanting to finish it because the mini series starts on tv this week and I want to see how closely they follow the book.

Jan said...

For the last few years I've included at least one of LMMs books in my reading so particating "officially" sounds like fun. Last year I re-read the first two books in her Emily series but didn't get to the last one, so plan to start with Emily's Quest.

Julie @ Smiling Shelves said...

I'm a little late in my official sign-up, but not late in my reading! Anne of the Island was my first book of 2015. :) Here's my sign-up post (sorry the link is so long):

http://www.smilingshelves.com/home/signing-up-for-mount-tbr-i-love-library-books-birthday-month-lm-montgomery-reading-challenges

Elaine said...

I am new to your site but I'd love to join the challenge. I've had The Story Girl and Jane of Lantern Hill on my TBR list, so I'll try to knock them out in January to participate in the challenge. I'm also doing a Picture Book challenge, so I'll see if I can find that picture book about LM Montgomery to read too. I don't really have a blog (not book related anyway), so here's the link to my Goodread's shelf for this challenge:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/179330-elaine?shelf=2015-lm-montgomery-challenge

Barbara H. said...

Finally got my post up at: https://barbarah.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/reading-plans/

Planning on reading Emily Climbs for sure and possibly the third Emily Book as well.

Unknown said...

I'm new here, drawn in by this fantastic challenge. My January pick is Emily of New Moon. http://eagleswingsbooks.blogspot.com/

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