Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge Conclusion (2019)

Right. So, I bet you thought I forgot to bring this to a close, didn't you? It's a reasonable assumption. The fact is, life has just not ceased to slow down. I was thinking that as long as I closed down the challenge within the first week of February all would be well. But life has a way of snowballing and I don't really know how it is that the month is halfway over. (Actually, I DO know how that is. It's been a hard and long month and yet a fast paced one!) Anyway, for those of you who have patiently been waiting for this last post, here it is.

What L.M. Montgomery books did you manage to sneak in during the month of February? I managed only the one: Along the Shore (linked to review) but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

As this was the 10th year of the challenge, I did want to host a little giveaway and I'll do that now!

I would like to offer one of my original watercolor portrait mugs and a mug rug to one of you lovely readers from my Etsy shop. There are two Anne versions to choose from or an Emily. As for the mug rugs, you can choose between Anne or Emily.

Mug Option #1 - Anne of Green Gables Friendship mug.

Mug Option #2 - Anne of Green Gables mug.

Mug Option #3 - Emily of New Moon Mug.

And then let me know your preferred choice for a mug rug, either Anne or Emily:

All of these Anne items are located in my Etsy shop (along with many, many other bookish characters)! Browse around at A Fine Quotation.

To win? Easy!

1. Leave a comment letting me know which mug you would choose and which mug rug you would choose should your name be drawn as the winner.

2. An extra comment for an extra entry may be left if you participated in the reading challenge. Let me know which book you read during the month of January and, if you wrote a review of it, leave a link!

That's it!

This contest will be open through Sunday, February 17, 2019. A winner will be announced on Monday.

Many thanks to all who hang around these parts and read book reviews. I hope you all had a lovely start to 2019 and maybe Montgomery made the transition a little bit easier. Maybe!

Enjoy!

Along the Shore, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

How are y'all fairing on the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge? I set my expectations low for the month, selecting one book of short stories. All you need to do to participate is read just ONE book! That's all!

I personally had not read any of Montgomery's short story collections in awhile and so I glanced through my books and settled on Along the Shore. This book features stories which are set along - wait for it! - the Prince Edward Island shoreline. There. I knew you'd be surprised by that! I have the Bantam Starfire edition of this book which you see pictured here.

I've now been to Prince Edward Island three times: once with my best friend in law school, once with my husband, and once with our whole family. Each time was magical in its own way and I do not think I will ever, ever grow tired of visiting. (My family might get tired of repetitious trips when there is a whole world to be explored but I would be content with constant repeats.) There is just something altogether magical about the Island. I don't know what it is, but it is.

In my case, I might particularly enjoy the ocean views a bit more than anyone else in my family because I grew up in South Texas along the Gulf Coast. The waves were always just a few blocks away from where we lived and the sound of the ocean is a familiar comfort to me. There is something calm about hearing the waves crash loudly on the shore. Being at the beach, (or, when we lived in Oregon, along the rocky coastline), reminds me of just how small I am and how big God is. This thought soothes. In light of the crashing of the waves, everything else seems to feel the need to be still and quiet and I just love it.

Re-reading Along the Shore was fun for me because I can very easily visualize the scenery which Montgomery describes. Each of the characters in this set of stories is drawn to the water in some form or fashion; it is in their blood and they cannot escape it. This book contains love stories, sob stories, and children's stories and in each one I found a person to identify with. Of note in this collection is one story in particular. For every critic of Montgomery who says her writing is too syrupy sweet, I give you The Waking of Helen. It is bold, honest and, quite frankly, depressing. It is definitely an example of the dark side of Montgomery which only comes out in bits and flashes and this one tale alone makes this collection stand out, in my opinion. There are a few short stories here that will also be familiar to fans of Anne. Montgomery clearly harvested ideas from some of her shorts when writing the Anne series. Still, I had a very good time and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I always do.

I'm glad I pulled Along the Shore off the shelf. It gave me a good breath of salty air which I was rather badly in need of. The wondrous thing about books is that they can transport you to places in your imagination which you cannot easily get to on your own. An imagination is a gift and I'm glad Montgomery had one because it has allowed me peaceful moments in the storms of life over and over again! I love L.M. Montgomery for this gift. It truly is a gift!

Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge (2019) - TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Hello, friends.

If you can believe it, I started the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge TEN YEARS ago right here at Reading to Know. Ten years?! Where's the time go already!? Every year many of us have gathered to read a few books from one of our favorite authors. It's time to do it again - with a few treats thrown in for the faithful, eh?

If you've not participated before, consider doing so this year? I like to keep things easy around here so if you're new to this, here's the idea behind the challenge:

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

Just that. Pure and simple. Perhaps you'll only get through one book and maybe you'll read through several. Whatever you can manage to squeeze in qualifies you to be a participant!

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.
• I also do not allow the inclusion of Anne Of Green Gables - The Continuing Story because it's so far off the mark. This movie should be considered Anne heresy and is banned around these parts.

This year I'm also going to specify that the new Anne with an E show is not allowed because it's just rubbish. Consider these limitations a host's prerogative if you must.

Everything else is fair game.

What I ask participants in this challenge to do is to write up a post on your own blog (if you have one still!) or share the following information on FB or Instagram:

1.  Indicate that you have every good intention to participate in this Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge (link to this post for the ease of other potential participants);
2. List which of her books you intend to read (or which movies you intend to watch); and
3. 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. If you're planning to read along, please let me (and everyone else!) know in the comment section!

Given that this is the 10th year of the reading challenge, watch for a giveaway or two and treats for those who are reading along. Be sure to let me know you are playing along so that I can include you in upcoming prize giveaway! Let's have fun with this, shall we!? Happy 10 years to the faithful! :)

Anne of Windy Poplars & Other Reviews (Snippets!)

This past month has been a busy blur! Mostly I've been occupied with a head cold which has led to this. However, the Christmas season is now upon us and more than anything I just want to sit down and blaze through a bunch of books and Christmas stories. So the paintbrush has been set down and I'm back to the books, many of which I have finished. My normal practice is to write up a review on each individual title but I fear if I tried to do that, I'd never catch up. So here's a snapshot of the books I've been reading of late.

I've lost count of the number of times I've read Anne of Windy Poplars but this was my choice for a November read. When I was younger, this was my least favorite of the Anne books. After all, there's no Gilbert and without Gilbert there's no tension. However, this is probably one of my favorite Anne books to read as an adult chiefly because, as it turns out, life is not all romance. There are jobs to do and circumstances to grow through and that's what Anne spends her time doing in Windy Poplars.

In this particular story we find Anne enduring a teaching job and learning to thrive in a small community which consists largely of the Pringle family. The Pringles didn't want her to be hired at the local all-girls high school as they had favored one of their own relatives for the job instead. Despite initially persecuting poor, dear Miss Shirley, she wins them over in her Anne-ish way and we make new friends alongside her in the journey.

My favorite quote from the read this time 'round comes out of a letter which Anne is writing to Gilbert in which she is describing her young neighbor, Elizabeth:

"I'm glad I don't live in Yesterday . . .  that Tomorrow is still a friend."

Yes and amen.

My yesterdays are full of beauty and joy and good times. They are also filled with real struggles, challenges and hardships. Some struggles were more difficult than others but God has been faithful and has seen us through. I wouldn't trade or change a single experience, friendship or joy. All the same, I'm glad that there is always Tomorrow ahead, full of new dreams and new hopes. Why the hope? Romans 15:13. I'll bank on that.

****

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr came to me highly recommended by multiple friends and through #Bookstagram. As a result of the hype it was almost - but not quite - doomed to failure. Readers know how it goes when everyone around you begins to rave about a certain book and exclaims that you absolutely must make time to read it. The book is set upon a pedestal and the fear in reading it becomes that when you finally get around to it, you won't like it as much as you are "supposed" to. I'm afraid that's what happened to me with this one.

I enjoyed this book for two reasons in particular:

1. It is a work of historic fiction based on one of my favorite time periods in history: World War II.

2. The book travels through time, taking you to a period before the German occupation of France, through the occupation, and straight through to the end. I like books that move you all around the place. The only downside of that is that you really ought to read the book in just a few sittings so that you do not become confused by the characters or point in history.

The writing style is very short and choppy. Chapters are just a few pages long which has the benefit of allowing the reader to read it in snippets if they prefer (just note the danger of forgetfulness). The characters are very memorable and easy to empathize with. Doerr paints a picture of life in an occupied country in such a way that I am not likely to soon forget the atrocities of war. It really is quite the memorable book and I would recommend it without fanfare in hopes that other readers will enjoy it more than I did.

That's not really a stunning recommendation is it?  Hmm.

*****

Lastly, I read The Gospel Comes With a House Key and this book really deserves a lot more than a snippet of a review. I have thoughts. I have words. They'll have to wait.

Review coming soon . . .

Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge Conclusion (2018)

And so we once again reach the end of another Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge. If you managed to read/watch anything relating to L.M.M.'s life or work, let us know in the comment section below! This is the time to leave links to reviews and further thoughts, sharing with people the stories you enjoyed and the things you learned.

I hope you had a good reading month. Go ahead and mark your calendars for next year's reading challenge. Next year we'll celebrate the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge's TENTH anniversary and I'll make it good!

Hope you enjoyed!

A Tangled Web, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I mentioned that I wouldn't be delving into too many Montgomery books this month due to reading a good bit of her work last year. I did, however, want to re-read A Tangled Web, especially as I had apparently not read it since 2009! Suffice it to say, I had thoroughly forgotten the majority of the plot line, making this a delightful read all over again. (Sometimes it's good to have such a poor memory.)

If you haven't read A Tangled Web before, you should know that Montgomery wrote this book for adult readers. It's not really a children's book at all, but deals with adults, adult themes and adult trials of life. Originally published in 1931 the affairs of the day were tame by comparison with 2018 but, nevertheless, you experience some messes!

The plot of this book revolves around an old family heirloom. Aunt Becky is the owner and possessor of a cracked brown jug which has been passed down through a few generations and which everyone in the Dark and Penhallow clan wants to own upon Aunt Becky's death. The Darks and Penhallows have been intermarrying for 60 years and every single member of the clan feels that they have some claim to this brown jug. Aunt Bekcy however, known for being an obstinate and rather mean woman, doesn't seem in any hurry to name an inheritor. At the opening of the story, Aunt Becky calls a family conclave to announce who will receive the jug and the terms by which they will do so. The rest of the book is a mystery with the reader guessing at who might eventually own the jug. As it is a mystery, I won't spoil anything by telling you. You'll have to read it for yourself.

A Tangled Web is aptly titled as it investigates the lives, romances, deaths, and dramas of a variety of characters. Romances blossom and also die in these pages. Characters find both happy endings and mildly unsatisfying ones. It's a very different style and format from Montgomery's other stories which makes this book an intriguing read. She rather breaks away from her typical formulaic style of story telling, choosing to weave in and out of a family clan instead of focusing on one particular character. As a curious fact, there are 225 characters mentioned in this book! But don't let that fact stress you out or keep you away from it. It's a very interesting read and keeps you on your toes as you follow along. Further interesting to note, this book was not very well-received by the public when it was released. I would say that this title shows a bit of the darker side of Montgomery and perhaps that played a part in low sales. It was also published after the stock market crash and that could account for poor sales as well. Whatever the reason, I'm happy to say that it is once again in print and able to purchase. (Although seriously with the cover art - ! Ack!)

Some people consider this one of Montgomery's best works. You can definitely see how she challenged herself to write differently than her norm. Challenges are always fun (sometimes only in retrospect though) so I can't help but wonder if she didn't enjoy writing this one out. I highly recommend the read if you can land a copy. It's worth the time and energy!

Interesting facts:

• A Tangled Web was published in between Magic for Marigold (1929) and Pat of Silver Bush (1933).
• As mentioned, it was published after the stock market crash and Montgomery's finances were affected by this event.
• She lived in Norval, Ontario at the time she wrote this book.

I also found this rather, ahem, interesting video on Youtube about Montgomery which touches on her life in Norval. Enjoy it or not, as you choose.

Prince Edward Island in Photos

Our family vacation in 2017 was to Eastern Canada where we spent some time on Nova Scotia and then, chiefly, Prince Edward Island. As mentioned, we spent a great deal of time as a family immersing ourselves in the world of Lucy Maud Montgomery leading up to the trip and it was an enjoyable and wonderful experience.

I probably won't read as much Montgomery this year, strictly because I'm rather saturated at the moment, but I will read some. Meanwhile, thought you all might enjoy seeing a few pictures that we took during our time on the Island. It was beautiful, it was wonderful, and yes, I want to go back!

For starts, this was our "back yard" during our stay.

One of life's chief happy thoughts for me is having red dirt on my boots! Heh...

We watched a lot of sunsets to the point where our children asked us why we "had" to watch so many sunsets. (We're mean that way.)

We hiked all over the place.

And we saw the things we wanted to see.

Over all it was a magical, wonderful time and we cherished every moment (except for the part where we got a tummy bug but nothing in life can ever be perfect).

It was a lovely visit. Hope you've enjoyed the pictures.

Remembering Lucy Maud Montgomery, by Alexandra Heilbron

It's been awhile since I've regularly blogged. Life crept in and we took on some new projects (chiefly, opening up a store in our hometown) and something had to give. That something was blogging. And reading too, to a great extent. I have missed it. I process so much life through and by writing things down and I've missed having the time to be able to document my thoughts and jot things out for myself, let alone for anyone else who might benefit from my bookish thoughts on the side.

I really can't say what 2018 holds (who can?) and I don't know if I'll get to blog very much at all. But I do know that I'd like to try. Someone left a comment for me on last year's L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge post asking if I was going to host for 2018. I love that people care enough about L.M.M. to want to see this happen. If only for the one, I'll keep this reading challenge going.

Although I didn't blog very much (or read very much) in 2017, what I did read and live and breathe for the majority of the year was L.M. Montgomery and her books because dreams do come true: our family took several weeks of vacation on Prince Edward Island this past fall. (I'd like to share some pictures soon so fingers crossed that I'll manage a pictorial post!) In prep for our trip, the kids and I read a lot of Lucy Maud Montgomery. We finished watching the entire Road to Avonlea series as well! (That was a lot of fun.) (Has anyone else missed my side thought parenthesis, by the way?) Due to the fact that I invested much of my reading time in Montgomery books last year, I'm not feeling overly pressed to read too much of her this year as part of this year's reading challenge. I have a bit of a hankering to re-read A Tangled Web for myself, and the kids and I will read some picture books about Montgomery, but as we've been living and breathing her lately I think it's time for us to take a little break and move on to some other authors. That said, I wanted to share a few books of note that I purchased when on the Island, today's book being one of them.

I had not heard of Remembering Lucy Maud Montgomery before our trip but found it sitting on a shelf in a bookshop in downtown Charlottetown. It was patiently waiting for me and I eagerly snatched it up! Alexandra Heilbron gave the world a gift in this book in that she gave us the personal impressions of people who had personal relationships/interactions with Montgomery during her lifetime. Not every person recorded had a great story to share, mind you. School girls who admired Montgomery and were once granted an interview shared their impressions and those are so-so. Don't get me wrong, it's interesting to hear from someone who actually swapped words with my favorite authoress but the more interesting recollections were from maids who worked for the Montgomery family or from her nieces who lived at Park Corner. Some people's stories were long and others short. I won't share any here but will make you read the book to learn for yourself what people said of this famous Islander.

While I can appreciate all of the literary scholars' interpretations of Montgomery's life, I rather thoroughly enjoyed the simple reflections of the "regular Joe" who had some sort of normal, run-of-the-mill story about Montgomery and her day-to-day life. The individual stories recorded in this book made me to feel like I understood Montgomery and her personality almost better than any other work has ever done. It's not that I want to discount the work of the amazing men and women who have worked tirelessly to safeguard Montgomery's works and artifacts from her life! Not in the least! Everyone who loves Maud can contribute something when it comes to carrying on her legacy. But Heilbron hit on something fairly unique and I was just absolutely delighted to have found this book and to have had the chance to read it.

The Amazon paperback price for Remembering Lucy Maud Montgomery is a bit steep, true, but the Kindle price is decent and reasonable. If you're looking for a bargain, check your library or purchase for the Kindle. I, for one, am glad to have this for reference and perusal. It's a treasure and if you can find a copy I highly recommend you give it a read! I can't think but that you'll be glad you did. Thank you, Alexandra Heilbron, for taking the time to collect these stories for all present and future Montgomery fans. It is greatly appreciated!

Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge 2018

Do you know what I love? That every year someone contacts me and asks if this reading challenge is still a go? And since I love Montgomery so, the answer is always YES! As long as people want to read more Montgomery and learn more about her, I will continue on with this challenge. This will be the 9th year I've hosted this challenge but the rules never change. The explanation for it remains the same and is below. Hope you'll join in!


Hello, my friends! I might be a tad late launching the party but welcome to the Annual Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge held every year in January right here at Reading to Know.

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.
• I also do not allow the inclusion of Anne Of Green Gables - The Continuing Story because it's so far off the mark. This movie should be considered Anne heresy and is banned around these parts.

Consider these limitations a host's prerogative if you must. (Heh.)

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!

Looking for Anne, by Irene Gammel

Looking for Anne was my personal read for the L.M. Montgomery reading challenge this past month. I finished it a few days ago, thoroughly happy with it in spite of what I would consider some flaws. This title kept me thoroughly and engaged from beginning to end.

Looking for Anne is a study, an investigation, and an imagined fancy of what Montgomery was thinking about when writing Anne of Green Gables and what aspects of her life may have played a role in creating this beloved classic.

In this book, Gammel lays out certain events that were happening in Maud's life as she began putting Anne's story together. Gammel makes note of unpublished journal entries, considers what books and/or magazines Montgomery had likely read, and relies on letters between various individuals to explain what elements came together to inspire the red-headed Anne Shirley.

Most fascinating for me was seeing a picture of a young lady named Evelyn Nesbit whose picture Montgomery had cut out of a magazine and pasted in her journal. Along with the picture was a written explanation that this is how Montgomery imagined Anne in her mind's eye. Here is a picture of Nesbit for your benefit:

Montgomery didn't name Nesbit in her journal and its rather doubtful that she ever bothered to find out who she was. If she had, she might never have claimed Nesbit as an inspiration considering Nesbit's character and history. Nesbit has a rather sordid history which makes for sensational reading if you are interested in such things. It's hard for me to imagine Nesbit as Anne but that's to be expected, given all of the years I've spent imagining her as Megan Follows. Ha. Still, it's interesting information.

My chief disagreement with Gammel comes at her line of questions surrounding Montgomery's sexuality. She does point out that noted Montgomery scholar Mary Henley Rubio flatly denied that Montgomery was a lesbian. If Rubio's answer had been allowed stand, Gammel would have had a much shorter book. Alas, there were pages to fill! Gammel spends considerable time examining all of Montgomery's female friendships and her interactions with them. Chiefly she focuses on correspondence between Maud and friends, noting that their letters included endearing text suggesting something other than friendship. In my opinion, society today wants to point out that there famous homosexuals and lesbians throughout history for people to take pride in. While I definitely do agree that the issue of homosexuality has long rankled history, I don't think that everyone who has ever been famous should be suspect. Gammel really spends quite a bit of time on this topic and while I see and understand what would lead her to such questions, I also think she was straining at the bit. I have a few dear friends of my own that I address in special terms that I don't use for others. When you have a good, close, tight friend I think it's completely natural that you would have little nicknames, special secrets, and that you would engage in some activities that you wouldn't with someone else that you trust less.

I'm a rather extreme introvert. The real me is known by only a select few. I can completely see and understand how Montgomery would draw a particular female (or two) at a time and trust them with her innermost thoughts. Those friendships would have access to certain parts of her which were off limits to the general public. That in no way means that there is a romantic relationship but merely suggests an intense friendship to me. Montgomery and I share very many similar traits so I wouldn't assume that she had interest in women sexually but that she was just an intensely private person who poured her heart and loyalties out on those she truly loved (in a platonic way).

I don't mean to cast aspersions on Looking for Anne or suggest that you wouldn't want to read it. As I mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's much to learn and glean from Gammel and, if nothing else, it encourages you to consider Montgomery's world a little bit more thoroughly and how it was that she was influenced by the community she lived in, as well as the books and activities she exposed herself to.

Certainly I have no regrets in reading this title. I enjoyed it! I don't know that I could say everyone would, but I did and thank Gammel for the enjoyable ride.

What We're Reading for the LMM Challenge (2017)

While everyone else has begun to figure out which Montgomery books they are reading during the month of January in conjunction with the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge, I figured I should share my reads as well.

The last few years of this challenge I've focused on reading The Story Girl (back in 2015) and its sequel, The Golden Road (in 2016) aloud to my kids. A few months back I read Anne of Green Gables to them for the first time. I was saving it until I thought they would have a good chance at appreciating it. You can only imagine my state of mind when I told my kids we were down to the last few chapters and the following conversation ensued:

Me: "We only have a few chapters left and then we'll be done and you guys can watch the movie."
Daughter (age 5): "Oh, but I don't WANT it to be over!!"
Me: "Why not?"
Daughter: "Because I love it so much."

Sweet, sweet music to my ears. I almost died of happiness.

I can't believe I never got around to writing down all of the kids' impressions of Anne of Green Gables but such is life. It's been a busy season around these parts. Nevertheless, I didn't want January to pass us by and my miss an opportunity to read a little bit more Montgomery to them. This year I opted to read aloud Magic for Marigold.

I picked this one for a few reasons:

1. I want my kids to be aware of Montgomery's lesser known characters and not just her most famous ones.
2. They have a growing affinity for Montgomery and accept her people rather wholeheartedly.
3. I haven't read Magic for Marigold since 2014.

We're about four chapters into the story already and I'm on the fence about having picked this one to share with them. My kids (aged 4 to 10) are tracking with it for the most part. They laugh in the right parts and take interest in the characters. However I do think it is written with an adult audience in mind and much of it would seem to go over children's heads. We'll soldier on though and I know I'll hardly regret it.

For myself I chose Looking for Anne of Green Gables, by Irene Gammel.

This book has proved the perfect choice for me. I am absolutely loving it! So informative and interesting. It's distracting reading. Seriously, life has been so incredibly hectic lately I can't even begin to describe it. However, this book has forced my mind to slow down and find enjoyment in learning more about Montgomery. Montgomery and her characters really are a passion of mine and I love being distracted by a good book about both. Somehow or another, spending time with or around Montgomery leaves me feeling very calm and relaxed, introspective and grateful. She's fuel for my brain in some form or fashion so I'm grateful that January is here and it's time for this reading challenge!

I don't know if I'll manage to squeak in any additional Montgomery reads this month but I will certainly try. If I don't manage it I'm not too worried. The only thing I've decided about my reading goals for 2017 is to indulge in as much Montgomery as I like all the year long. If you are also a fan of this woman and her works, then stay tuned. I plan on spending a good bit of time with her these next few months.

Meantime, happy reading!

Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge (2017)

Hello, my friends! I might be a tad late launching the party but welcome to the 8th Annual Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge held every year in January right here at Reading to Know.

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.
• I also do not allow the inclusion of Anne Of Green Gables - The Continuing Story because it's so far off the mark. This movie should be considered Anne heresy and is banned around these parts.

Consider these limitations a host's prerogative if you must. (Heh.)

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!

L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge CONCLUSION (2016)

Sigh. The end of January has come and with it the conclusion of this year's Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge. Now is the time to share about the books you read by Montgomery (or about her) this past month. I hope you all have enjoyed yourselves during this challenge. I always love it and enjoying the "excuse" to focus on one of my favorite authors for an entire reading month.

I managed to get through three books this month. I started re-reading the Anne series during 2015 and was hoping to conclude it again in January. That didn't happen but progress was made all of the same. Here are links to my thoughts and reviews:

• Anne of Ingleside
• Rainbow Valley

Meanwhile, the kids and I made it through The Golden Road which I reviewed yesterday.

Also, there's a bit of a contest to wrap up. Earlier in the month I offered to give away a copy of The Story Girl to one of you. I haven't forgotten! The winner of that contest (as selected by Random.org) is Krista! Congratulations!

Now it's your turn. If you've written up a blog post sharing what you read this month, please link to it in the comment section below. I look forward to seeing what you dabbled in! Then, mark your calendars for next January when I'll be back to host the 8th annual L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge! (But don't let the calendar stop you from reading Montgomery in the meantime, if you really want to . . . )

The Golden Road, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I love January, in part because it gives me carte blanche permission to read all of the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery that I please. This is not to say that I do not read her at any point during the remainder of the year (because I do) but the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge offers permission to be especially indulgent.

Last year was my first year to include all of my children in this reading challenge. I started them off with The Story Girl which they absolutely loved. We also began watching Season 1 of the Road to Avonlea series. This year we read The Golden Road, sequel to The Story Girl, and we made it into the second season of Avonlea. I was a little afraid that The Golden Road (available for free on Kindle, by the way) would be a bit over their heads because it has more poetical descriptions of the landscape than I recall being include in The Story Girl. In order to keep and maintain their attention, I skimmed past long descriptions and tried to keep to the point of the story.

The Golden Road picks up where The Story Girl left off. With this book we are back in the company of the King cousins who have grown up just a smidge, but not so much as to eliminate childhood antics and behaviors altogether. The kids decide to start up their own newspaper and report on the goings on within their own family and also the Avonlea community. They also try to create and live by some New Year's resolutions which is highly amusing. The Story Girl (aka Sara Stanley) throws in a tale or two and the book is one collection of happy memories of a childhood gone by. My kids thoroughly enjoyed it, frequently asking for "just one more chapter!" to be read. It helped, I think, that we were watching Road to Avonlea at the same time as the characters are more fixed in their minds and they can picture the way things are being described just a little easier. I wish to note that my kids are 3, 5, 6 and 9 and they all sat still through this reading. Each of them, excepting the three year old, laughed aloud at least once during the book, showing that they were following along and enjoying themselves.

Perhaps the most memorable part of this book for me was the inclusion of the story of "The Yankee Storm" as told by Sara Stanley. Sara tells the story of a fleet of American vessels who were fishing off the coast of PEI. A storm arose which lasted for two days, during which time many vessels and lives were lost. Bodies of American seamen floated up on the shore, horrifying P.E. Islanders who worked hard to bury the dead. Montgomery places this location of this story near her Markdale Harbor. The thing I loved about the inclusion of this tale was that it is true! There was a nasty storm on the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the coast of Prince Edward Island in 1851 which caused damage and destruction to upwards of one hundred ships. Over one hundred bodies were washed up on the shore and had to be tended to by the Islanders. You can read some of the news reports about the storm here.

I had never heard of this storm before Jonathan's and my visit to the Island last year. We were driving around the Island, just exploring, when we passed a picturesque church. We doubled back and went to see it and the graveyard which surrounded it. The church is situated right along the coastline and it is closed now except in the summertime when tourists are present. As I approached the church I saw an erected monument that read as follows:

I meandered through the graveyard, reading the headstones and came across this one which is located right on the edge of the yard and next to the tree line:

I was so excited in reading The Golden Road to "stumble upon" a story, told by an Islander, referencing a bit of history that I had only recently become acquainted with myself. It's always really fun when you are reading along in a story and can suddenly picture in your minds eye exactly where the story is located. "Markdale Harbor" suddenly means a great deal more to me than it did previously! Here's a picture of the church where some of the bodies of the Americans were buried:

Here are some additional pictures from our drive in that same area:

Lovely, isn't it?

I confess that reading The Golden Road filled me with a desire to go back again -- and to take the children with us! They should see, touch, taste and experience the Prince Edward Island for themselves! For now though, we enjoyed this book and we're enjoying Road to Avonlea and that'll have to do for now. But someday - !