Kindred Spirits Book Club

Applause for Anne

It's the last episode of Season 4 and we’re back from the Stratford Festival and diving headfirst into Anne of Green Gables—the play! We dive into everything we loved, from the production’s inventive stagecraft to the standout performances. And of course we share the moments that made us laugh, cry, and geek out with other Kindred Spirits. Whether you’ve seen the show or just wish you had, this episode is your front-row seat.  And we wrap up this final episode of Season 4 with our recommendations for summer reading!  
Inspired by:  
We are inspired by summer reading!
Kelly recommends:  Rilla of Ingleside to get a jump on our 5th season!  Also, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore for a juicy, thrilling read, James by Percival Everett for a beautiful and heartbreaking reimagining of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective, and Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz for a book within a book twisty mystery.
Ragon recommends: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst for a cozy fantasy world, Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn for the adventures of retired female assassins, and Buried Deep by Naomi Novik for a collection of wildly diverse fantasy short stories by one of our favorite fantasy writers.
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The Illustrated Anne

It’s the penultimate episode of this season and we are geeking out about Anne of Green Gables with Briana Corr Scott, whose gorgeous illustrations bring Anne to life in a new book for children - on shelves now! We discuss Briana’s work as an artist, collaborating with a descriptive writer like LM Montgomery, and  how we use art and literature to understand our own lives. KSBC and Briana are also joining forces for a giveaway - be sure to check us out on Kindred Spirits Book Club Instagram to enter!
Inspired by:
Ragon is inspired by the book vases at Biblio Bloom to hold all your summer flowers.
Kelly is inspired by the Handwritten Classics edition of Anne of Green Gables by Barbara Heller with hand-folded letters tucked inside!
Briana is inspired by vintage shopping and WE are inspired by her gorgeous art that you can find on her website.  Check it out to buy her beautiful prints, cards and other items.  You can also find her illustrated books at Nimbus Publishing, and look for her new illustrated Young Readers edition of Anne, as well as the beautiful bind-ups of Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea and Anne of the Island/Windy Poplars.
You can also follow Briana on Instagram at BrianaCorrScott to see more of her lovely work!  
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

The Unlikeable Girls

Felicity King in The Golden Road inspired today’s episode about unlikeable girls in L.M. Montgomery’s fiction. We talk about what makes these girls and young women challenging, why we often end up liking them anyway, and what we think Montgomery was doing by including depictions of girlhood that break the mold. 
Inspired by:
Kelly is inspired by the podcast Novel Pairings and their current read along of Emma, by Jane Austen.
Ragon is inspired by the new musical Clueless currently on the West End in London.  But if you can’t get there, you should rewatch the 90’s classic Clueless the movie.  
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Anne of Green Gables in the Spotlight

Curtains up, Kindred Spirits! We went to the prestigious Stratford Festival to attend the opening of the new stage adaptation of Anne of Green Gables and had a magical time. Join us to hear about our whirlwind trip, our first impressions and review of Anne of Green Gables (spoiler-free), and our interview with a true Kindred Spirit: Caroline Toal, who plays Anne in the new production. Caroline is thoughtful, funny, and truly understands Anne, and we can’t wait to introduce you to her.  
See Anne of Green Gables at the Stratford Festival for yourself!
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Nostalgia for The Golden Road

While many of L.M. Montgomery’s novels depict romanticized childhoods, perhaps no book is more wistfully nostalgic about a childhood on Prince Edward Island than The Golden Road. We discuss the characters' transition from childhood to adulthood, the ways their childhood was captured in real time and in memory, and our own nostalgia for golden moments of youth.
Inspired by:
Kelly is inspired by: the old-fashioned art of flower pressing!  You can use a kit or go old-school and just use a heavy book!
Ragon is inspired by: the show The Residence on Netflix for some quirky detective hijinks.
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

The Golden Road recap

Picking up where The Story Girl left off, The Golden Road continues the story of the King cousins and their friends as they begin to grow up, and slowly grow apart. Today we are recapping the final book in the duology, with its many moments of humor, sweetness, and heartache. 
Inspired by:
Kelly’s fancy cookie jar.
Kelly is inspired by: Poor Cecily’s hair woes and recommends  Angel Rinse by Kevin Murphy for seriously deep conditioning that doesn’t weigh down fine hair.
Ragon is inspired by: The Solar Smart Birdfeeder by Evergreen for watching bird friends!
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Anne, on the stage

A new Anne of Green Gables is coming to the stage! We are delighted to present our interview with Kat Sandler, the playwright behind a new theatrical adaptation of Anne, premiering at the Stratford Festival this month. Kat, Ragon, and Kelly talk about the challenges and delights of adaptations, updating beloved stories, and giving yourself permission to “go full cheese” after spending time with Anne. 
Go check out Anne of Green Gables at the Stratford Festival!  
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Special Presentation: Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery

In a special Podcast Swap episode, we are sharing with you an episode from the fantastic limited series podcast Story Girl: The Life of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Discover the life and legacy of L.M. Montgomery in this insightful 7-part podcast, in which we explore her childhood, literary journey, and the timeless impact of Anne of Green Gables on generations of readers. Listen to the entire series here.
 
We are sharing  Episode 2: The Road To Anne from Story Girl. In this episode, Maud attends teachers college, gets engaged and falls in love (not necessarily in that order). She also begins writing the novel that will change her life.
Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett
Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti
Associate Producers Maia Foster-Sanchez & Kristi Prophet
Recorded by Tyler Rauman
This series features interviews with Kate Macdonald Butler, Kate Scarth, Jessica Young, Laura Robinson & Yuko Matsumoto.
Additional voices by Candace Amarante & Matthew Barnett
A Knockabout Media Production
Story Girl was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.

Cooking, Cleaning, and Power Dynamics

Faith and Una Meredith, Mary Vance, Sara Stanley, Felicity and Cecily King – all of these girls have different relationships with housekeeping and cooking, and PhD candidate Ariel Little is here to tell us all about it! We speculate about how the characters might show up on social media, the way that housekeeping reflects power and authority in Montgomery’s work, and why cleanliness was so important to the Victorians. 
If you want to read some of Ariel Little’s writing, she’s published this article, Under the Moon's Healing Influence: George MacDonald's Literary Re-envisioning of Women's Health  and also has a chapter in this new book, Beyond Little Women, edited by Lauren Hehmeyer.  
Inspired by:
Ragon is inspired by: Fourteen Talks By Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard and Finding The Magic In Middle School by Chris Balme.
Kelly is inspired by: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson.
Ariel is inspired by:  The Sanitary Arts:  Aesthetic Culture and the Victorian Cleanliness Campaign by Eileen Cleere and Architecture in the Family Way by Annmarie Adams, as well as The House Of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones.
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Sunday School and Sermon Contests in The Story Girl

 Whether they are giving their own church sermons or looking at a picture of God, whether trying not to giggle in church or debating the ethics of prayer, the kids of The Story Girl engage with religion and morality constantly. Today we get into why religion figures so prominently in their lives, and also discuss the invention of Sunday schools. Digressions include prayer to lesser known saints and our recent experience with a one day choir!
Inspired by:
Kelly is inspired by the Belief-O-Matic quiz which could possibly helped Peter with his Methodist vs. Presbyterian dilemma.
Ragon is inspired by the One Day Choir at the Gaia Music Collective for a spiritual musical experience.  
If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.