Catch-Up: Ian Colford, Jill MacLean, Bruce W. Bishop, Elaine McCluskey, Kate McLaughlin, Claudia Dey, Odette Barr, Colleen Landry, Beth Weatherbee, and Logan Steiner

With the exception of Claudia Dey and Logan Steiner, all of these authors are either living in the Maritimes or are from the Maritimes. The settings range from Yarmouth, Barrington Passage, and Dartmouth to Ontario, Norway, and medieval England. The topics and characters include: a clandestine affair, a family scandal, a missing man, the daughter … Continue reading Catch-Up: Ian Colford, Jill MacLean, Bruce W. Bishop, Elaine McCluskey, Kate McLaughlin, Claudia Dey, Odette Barr, Colleen Landry, Beth Weatherbee, and Logan Steiner

#ReadingKilmeny: “She was, after all, nothing but a child…”

Kilmeny of the Orchard is a novel that arose from the short story "Una of the Garden," which was published in 1908. In Magic Island, Elizabeth Waterston writes about the changes that were made by LMM as she re-worked the story. For example, the setting change from "garden" to "orchard" suggests "a development in Montgomery's … Continue reading #ReadingKilmeny: “She was, after all, nothing but a child…”

#ReadingStoryGirl: The Golden Road

In my post about The Story Girl, I mentioned that LMM did not enjoy writing The Golden Road. As Sarah points out in her post "The Golden Road of Youth: #ReadingStoryGirl", The Story Girl was written when LMM was still living in PEI, but The Golden Road was written after LMM was married and had … Continue reading #ReadingStoryGirl: The Golden Road

#ReadingStoryGirl: “There is such a place as fairyland – but only children can find the way to it…”

One of the things I mentioned liking about The Story Girl in my introduction post is 'watching' the children play. Maybe because--between raising and working with children most of my life--I think a lot about how children play. Is it better now? Was it better then? Maybe somewhere in between? I feel sorry for children … Continue reading #ReadingStoryGirl: “There is such a place as fairyland – but only children can find the way to it…”

The Story Girl Readalong: #ReadingStoryGirl

Because we all need more to read in the month of November, Sarah Emsley and I are hosting a Readalong of The Story Girl and The Golden Road next month. What are one or two more books in your stack? The Story Girl narrates the adventures of a group of cousins and their friends in … Continue reading The Story Girl Readalong: #ReadingStoryGirl

#ReadingLanternHill: My thoughts on Jane of Lantern Hill, anthropomorphism, and Squishmallows

It's May 31 at 9:00pm and I am still working on my contribution to the readalong Sarah and I decided to host back in March. I have been writing it in fragments, using my post to respond to the thoughts of others. Today's writing mostly involves cobbling together my bits and pieces to present to … Continue reading #ReadingLanternHill: My thoughts on Jane of Lantern Hill, anthropomorphism, and Squishmallows

Announcing a Readalong of Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery: #ReadingLanternHill

A few years ago, Sarah Emsley and I co-hosted a reading of The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. We've decided that it's time for another Montgomery readalong. After polling the readers of Sarah's blog post on the matter, we've settled on Jane of Lantern Hill. I haven't read this one in years, so I'm excited … Continue reading Announcing a Readalong of Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery: #ReadingLanternHill

Short Stories: Ian Colford, David Bergen, Terry Doyle, L.M. Montgomery, and Best Canadian Stories 2019

I have been reading more short stories than usual during the pandemic. I've found them both comforting and easier to concentrate on. But I'm also so far behind on my blogging that I'm going to lump them all together into one post, even though they all deserve their own. Please forgive me short story writers! … Continue reading Short Stories: Ian Colford, David Bergen, Terry Doyle, L.M. Montgomery, and Best Canadian Stories 2019

Poetry Month: The Bookmarked Poetry on the CanLit Trail

Several of the Bookmarks on the CanLit Trail are from poems, and since it's April I thought it was a good time to read them. I will also be able to check all of these off the list in one go! "Mexican Sunsets" by Bronwen Wallace, from her collection Common Magic Bookmarked at the corner … Continue reading Poetry Month: The Bookmarked Poetry on the CanLit Trail

5 Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Like The Blue Castle #ReadingValancy

Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote The Blue Castle in 1924, at the same time as she was attempting to write Emily's Quest. Unlike the last Emily book, LMM enjoyed writing The Blue Castle. In The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery Volume III: 1921-1929, she writes "I have enjoyed writing it very much. It seemed a refuge … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Like The Blue Castle #ReadingValancy