Join us for a deep dive into Rilla of Ingleside, the final book in the Anne of Green Gables series! We’re recapping Rilla Blythe’s coming-of-age journey on the Canadian homefront of World War I, and discussing how Rilla, Anne, and the Blythe family handle love, loss, and adversity, all while finding moments of joy and heroism. This episode is a great place to catch up on the book and sets the stage for the deeper discussions of themes and characters in the episodes to come! No inspired bys this week but you can check out our interview on ＜a href=”https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-unexpected-benefits-of-starting-6f6“＞ Culture Study ＜/a＞ for a behind the scenes peek into the pod! 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Hey there Kindred Spirits, we’re back in your feed and ready for a brand new season! On today’s episode, we share our favorite summer reads and summer essentials, reflect on the unexpected pleasures of starting a niche Anne of Green Gables podcast, and preview our season to come.  Big News! We were featured on our favorite substack, Culture Study so go read our ＜a href=”https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-unexpected-benefits-of-starting-6f6“＞ Interview ＜/a＞ for a behind the scenes look at the pod! What we’ve read: Kelly has read: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-8715/72852333144840f3?ean=9780593158715&next=t“＞ Atmosphere ＜/a＞ by Taylor Jenkins Reid, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/great-big-beautiful-life-reese-s-book-club-emily-henry/57d8b57f547bfb34?ean=9780593441299&next=t“＞ Great Big Beautiful Life ＜/a＞ by Emily Henry, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/these-summer-storms-a-novel-sarah-maclean/b7d9a29f7c2e1444?ean=9780593972250&next=t“＞ These Summer Storms ＜/a＞ by Sarah MacLean and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/katabasis-a-novel-r-f-kuang/869e65f8211dce8b?ean=9780063446243&next=t“＞ Katabasis＜/a＞ by R.F. Kuang. Ragon has read: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/emily-wilde-s-map-of-the-otherlands-heather-fawcett/0625d0896df5cc9a?ean=9780593500217&next=t“＞ Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands＜/a＞ by Heather Fawcett , ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/rules-for-ruin-mimi-matthews/a937e49e8b6f6c9e?ean=9780593639290&next=t“＞ Rules For Ruin＜/a＞ by Mimi Matthews, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/an-enchantment-of-ravens-margaret-rogerson/d4b057da524816f2?ean=9781481497596&next=t“＞ An Enchantment of Ravens ＜/a＞ by Maggie Rogerson and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/when-the-world-tips-over-jandy-nelson/4963d776d59f5872?ean=9780525429098&next=t“＞ When the World Tips Over ＜/a＞ by Jandy Nelson. She also saw Sarah Beth Durst talk about her new book ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-enchanted-greenhouse-sarah-beth-durst/62f86bfe3ba37154?ean=9781250333988&next=t“＞ The Enchanted Greenhouse ＜/a＞ and Sangu Mandana talk about her new book ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-witch-s-guide-to-magical-innkeeping-sangu-mandanna/3d4d326e0c4d04ab?ean=9780593439371&next=t“＞ A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping ＜/a＞. . Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by summer beach days with the Sun Ninja ＜a href=” “＞ ＜/a＞ beach shade. Ragon is inspired by the best popsicle ever: Smitten Kitchen’s Peach Melba Popsicles ＜a href=” “＞ ＜/a＞ . 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Kindred Spirits Book Club is an inviting escape into the timeless world of Anne of Green Gables. Hosts Ragon Duffy and Kelly Gerner blend modern perspectives with LM Montgomery’s classic storytelling in their engaging discussions of these beloved books. With their signature bookish enthusiasm, they dive deep into plot, characters, and why these classics remain relevant today.

We’re popping in to let you know that we are hard at work on season 5!  We are giving you a sneak peek to the season ahead so you can get to reading!

Kindred Spirits Book Club joins forces with The Auntie Bulletin for a lively Substack Live conversation about the many “aunties” in Anne of Green Gables—from Marilla to Aunt Josephine to Miss Stacey—and how nontraditional families can offer love, guidance, and community to a child. We share favorite moments from the books, swap stories about real-life aunties, and explore the lasting impact of these relationships. If you loved hearing from Lisa Sibbett of The Auntie Bulletin, check out her ＜a href=”https://theauntie.substack.com/”＞ substack＜/a＞ for more of her amazing writing about the communities we build for ourselves. You can also see the video of our conversation there as well! 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/rilla-of-ingleside-l-m-montgomery/11412366?ean=9780553269222&next=t“＞ Rilla of Ingleside＜/a＞ to get a jump on our 5th season! Also, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-god-of-the-woods-liz-moore/20696242?ean=9780593418918&next=t“＞ The God of the Woods ＜/a＞ by Liz Moore for a juicy, thrilling read, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/james-percival-everett/20246670?ean=9780385550369&next=t“＞ James ＜/a＞ by Percival Everett for a beautiful and heartbreaking reimagining of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective, and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/magpie-murders-anthony-horowitz/18279718?ean=9780062645234&next=t“＞ Magpie Murders ＜/a＞ by Anthony Horowitz for a book within a book twisty mystery. Ragon recommends: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-spellshop-sarah-beth-durst/20658850?ean=9781250333971&next=t“＞ The Spellshop ＜/a＞ by Sarah Beth Durst for a cozy fantasy world, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/kills-well-with-others-deanna-raybourn/21550882?ean=9780593638514&next=t“＞ Kills Well With Others ＜/a＞ by Deanna Raybourn for the adventures of retired female assassins, and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/buried-deep-and-other-stories-naomi-novik/20984713?ean=9780593600351&next=t“＞ Buried Deep ＜/a＞ by Naomi Novik for a collection of wildly diverse fantasy short stories by one of our favorite fantasy writers. 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/“＞ Kindred Spirits Book Club Instagram ＜/a＞ to enter! Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by the book vases at ＜a href=”https://bibliobloom.com/?_atid=mWKZvSaLCburRMIEnM4bL1Sjeqx9DQ“＞ Biblio Bloom ＜/a＞ to hold all your summer flowers. Kelly is inspired by the Handwritten Classics ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/anne-of-green-gables-the-complete-novel-featuring-the-characters-letters-and-mementos-written-and-folded-by-hand-l-m-montgomery/21150090?ean=9781797227689&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwt4a2BhD6ARIsALgH7DoRIdd9ZxewU-s86D7g4T_EfRnY9ERcwbOEtRUGh2W6qmvTQrFyPToaArz5EALw_wcB“＞ Handwritten Classics ＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://brianacorrscott.com/“＞ website ＜/a＞ . Check it out to buy her beautiful prints, cards and other items. You can also find her illustrated books at ＜a href=”https://nimbus.ca/?s=briana+corr+scott&post_type=product“＞ Nimbus Publishing ＜/a＞ , and look for her new ＜a href=”https://nimbus.ca/store/anne-of-green-gables.html“＞ illustrated Young Readers edition ＜/a＞ of Anne, as well as the beautiful bindups of ＜a href=”https://nimbus.ca/store/anne-of-green-gables-and-anne-of-avonlea.html“＞ Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea ＜/a＞ and ＜a href=”https://nimbus.ca/store/anne-of-the-island-anne-of-windy-poplars.html“＞ Anne of the Island/Windy Poplars＜/a＞. You can also follow Briana on Instagram at ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/brianacorrscott/“＞ BrianaCorrScott＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://novelpairings.com/”＞ Novel Pairings＜/a＞ and their current read along of Emma, by Jane Austen. Ragon is inspired by the new musical ＜a href=”https://cluelessonstage.com/”＞ Clueless＜/a＞ currently on the West End in London. But if you can’t get there, you should rewatch the 90’s classic ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/”＞ Clueless the movie＜/a＞. 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Anne-of-Green-Gables”＞ Anne of Green Gables＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://www.rainbowresource.com/018952.html?trackcode=googleBase&srsltid=AfmBOopGeT1dPmfDIELLaNigM4yM30ETntTZkAp5aGY03lAO1mOuHfd6424&gQT=1”＞ kit＜/a＞ or go old-school and just use a heavy book! Ragon is inspired by: the show ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8740614/”＞ The Residence＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://www.macys.com/shop/product/lenox-butterfly-meadow-porcelain-figural-gazebo-cookie-jar?ID=639541”＞ cookie jar＜/a＞. Kelly is inspired by: Poor Cecily’s hair woes and recommends ＜a href=”https://kevinmurphy.com.au/us/en/km/products-/by-benefit-/volume-/ANGEL-RINSE.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13255579326&gbraid=0AAAAAC8bd8Co8owVL-8TCbILlna-ZkQ-P&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoZbBBhDCARIsAOqMEZVbn6HBLCszjflXxAdE6Hl2t7u7A9LF0ve1Ukvf5QHTNHrIfGSOiIIaAoEXEALw_wcB”＞ Angel Rinse by Kevin Murphy＜/a＞ for seriously deep conditioning that doesn’t weigh down fine hair. Ragon is inspired by: ＜a href=”https://www.costco.com/smart-solar-bird-feeder.product.4000314026.html”＞ The Solar Smart Birdfeeder by Evergreen＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Anne-of-Green-Gables”＞ Stratford Festival＜/a＞! 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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. ＜a href=”https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/674f66415e1cc0fabe2e6f7b”＞ Listen to the entire series here＜/a＞. 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.

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, ＜a href=”https://academic.oup.com/jvc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jvcult/vcae024/7945768“＞ Under the Moon’s Healing Influence: George MacDonald’s Literary Re-envisioning of Women’s Health＜/a＞ and also has a chapter in this new book, ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/beyond-little-women-the-secondary-works-of-louisa-may-alcott/748668e625305c06?ean=9783031805363&next=t&“＞ Beyond Little Women＜/a＞, edited by Lauren Hehmeyer. Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/fourteen-talks-by-age-fourteen-the-essential-conversations-you-need-to-have-with-your-kids-before-they-start-high-school-michelle-icard/14792923?ean=9780593137529&next=t“＞ Fourteen Talks By Age Fourteen＜/a＞ by Michelle Icard and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/finding-the-magic-in-middle-school-tapping-into-the-power-and-potential-of-the-middle-school-years-chris-balme/18691243?ean=9798986069807&next=t“＞ Finding The Magic In Middle School＜/a＞ by Chris Balme. Kelly is inspired by: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/housekeeping-fortieth-anniversary-edition-marilynne-robinson/8421507?ean=9781250769763&next=t“＞ Housekeeping＜/a＞ by Marilynne Robinson. Ariel is inspired by: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sanitary-arts-aesthetic-culture-and-the-victorian-cleanliness-campaigns-eileen-cleere/6513219?ean=9780814252789&next=t“＞ The Sanitary Arts: Aesthetic Culture and the Victorian Cleanliness Campaign＜/a＞ by Eileen Cleere and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/architecture-in-the-family-way-annmarie-adams/12963679?ean=9780773522398&next=t“＞ Architecture in the Family Way＜/a＞ by Annmarie Adams, as well as ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/house-of-many-ways-diana-wynne-jones/8962685?ean=9780061477973&next=t“＞ The House Of Many Ways＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

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 ＜a href=”https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/quizzes/beliefomatic.aspx”＞ Belief-O-Matic quiz＜/a＞ which could possibly helped Peter with his Methodist vs. Presbyterian dilemma. Ragon is inspired by the One Day Choir at the ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/gaiamusiccollective/?hl=en”＞ Gaia Music Collective＜/a＞ 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Adolescent identity and values take center stage in this episode. The themes beautiful, clever, and good reappear in The Story Girl as archetypal girls. We talk about beautiful Felicity, good Cecily, and the brilliant Story Girl in today’s episode, and why these girls feel like they can only be one of those things.  Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by the late lamented Bath and Body Works Juniper Breeze and recommends its sophisticated modern counterpart ＜a href=”https://www.jomalone.com/product/25956/104350/bath-body/wood-sage-sea-salt-body-mist“＞ Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt scent ＜/a＞. Ragon’s signature middle school scent was Love’s Baby Soft Rain and so recommends ＜a href=”https://www.cleanbeauty.com/collections/fragrance/products/clean-classic-original?_gl=1*1vkdrr*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiArKW-BhAzEiwAZhWsIFnA2LO-zjPNJC1uoKeAuUI2pgDH2a4xCd14T15EfWTfZdKvJ2x4PBoCOBAQAvD_BwE“＞ Clean ＜/a＞ and ＜a href=”https://www.cleanbeauty.com/collections/fragrance/products/clean-reserve-rain?_gl=1*19jdcnf*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiArKW-BhAzEiwAZhWsIFnA2LO-zjPNJC1uoKeAuUI2pgDH2a4xCd14T15EfWTfZdKvJ2x4PBoCOBAQAvD_BwE“＞ Clean Rain ＜/a＞ by Clean Beauty Collective if you want the same vibe. Ragon also recommends tubing mascaras including ＜a href=”https://thrivecausemetics.com/products/liquid-lash-extensions-mascara?queryID=45efea140ded9c1ea39eb3a0eb6f33d3&indexName=shopify_products“＞ Thrive Causemetics Lash Extensions mascara ＜/a＞, ＜a href=”https://www.milanicosmetics.com/products/highly-rated-lash-extensions-mascara?srsltid=AfmBOops0v7K-S5EuvG8Vg4Y3k2-QaWpg_X-BsWekXrDrVuQllXFTwOK“＞ Milani Highly Rated Lash Extensions mascara ＜/a＞, and ＜a href=”https://www.elfcosmetics.com/lash-xtndr-mascara/300233.html“＞ e.l.f. Lash XTNDR mascara ＜/a＞. Alice recommends Trader Joe’s Brazil Nut Body Butter but you’ll have to find it in stores in the summer! Sorry to folks who don’t have a Trader Joe’s! 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

The Story Girl is one of L.M. Montgomery’s most charming books, full of witty dialogue, playful antics, and wistful nostalgia. We are kicking off our discussion of The Story Girl with a recap of all the characters, hijinks, and stories that make this book shine. We also discuss the LA fires, which had a huge impact on the podcast, and recommend some ways to support the girls who inspire us.       Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by Girl Scouts! Buy cookies whenever you see a Girl Scout selling them or you can donate to Girl Scouts as an ＜a href=”https://www.girlscouts.org/en/support-us.html”＞ organization＜/a＞. Kelly is inspired by ＜a href=”https://www.altadenagirls.org/”＞ Altadena Girls＜/a＞, a girl-led program to support girls affected by the Eaton Fire. 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

Kelly and Ragon welcome L.M. Montgomery scholar and curator Emily Woster, PhD to the pod!  Emily tells us all about L.M. Montgomery’s reading life–what books she loved growing up, what influenced her books, her active reading style and her unique writing process.  And in true kindred spirit fashion we nerd out about our influential reads and Emily’s family legacy of Anne fandom!   ＜a href=”https://annemanuscript.ca/“＞The Anne Manuscript ＜/a＞ for high quality scans of LMM’s original handwritten manuscript and notes. ＜a href=”https://kindredspaces.ca/bookshelf“＞ The L.M. Montgomery Bookshelf＜/a＞ where you can find scans of books from LMM’s library including some of her own notations in the books and Emily’s information and notes about history and context of these books! An amazing resource! And you can follow Emily on ＜a href=”https://bsky.app/profile/emilywoster.bsky.social“＞bluesky＜/a＞ for updates about her work. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by: Graphic ＜a href=”https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/office-supplies/index-bookends/12d?productId=10033126 “＞bookends ＜/a＞ from the Container Store. Ragon is inspired by: ＜a href=”https://www.etsy.com/shop/schmaltzycraftsyjen?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=650818354&from_page=listing “＞Dragon Bookplates ＜/a＞ and ＜a href=”https://www.etsy.com/shop/StampBossArt?ref=yr_purchases“＞Personalized Library Stamps ＜/a＞ . Emily is inspired by: ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/wonderworks-literary-invention-and-the-science-of-stories-angus-fletcher/14871430?ean=9781982135980&next=t&next=t“＞ Wonderworks: Literary Invention and the Science of Stories ＜/a＞ by Angus Fletcher and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/story-or-die-how-to-use-brain-science-to-engage-persuade-and-change-minds-in-business-and-in-life-lisa-cron/660a4eff8886a699?ean=9781984857699&next=t&next=t&digital=t“＞Story or Die: How to Use Brain Science to Engage, Persuade, and Change Minds in Business and in Life ＜/a＞ by Lisa Cron. And a bonus of the ＜a href=”https://www.worldmarket.com/p/knock-knock-personal-library-kit-637483.html?ppc=true&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=660&mrkgen=&mrkgbflag=&mrkgcat=&camp=ppc%3Agoogle%3A_pMax_%2BHomeDecorSeasonal&acctid=21700000001660222&dskeywordid=&lid=58700008472812176&dsproductgroupid=&product_id=637483&merchid=5165106&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=c&network=x&matchtype=&locationid=9030970&creative=&targetid=&campaignid=20359355890&adgroupid=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3hR8cUeEZ0k4rxcZceoMW_sTU4n9CTis4CBHKJvlF7xlugtIglJH9BoCrUMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds“＞ Library Kit ＜/a＞ from Knock Knock. 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

What’s this? A messy love quadrangle?  You know Kelly and Ragon are all over that!  We channel our best Normal Gossip podcast inspiration and dive into our discussion of the self-sabotaging lovers of Rainbow Valley!  We ask such questions as “What’s Ellen’s deal anyway?”  And “Wait, do we agree with Norman Douglas?” And most importantly “Who should we cast in our movie version of this story?”   On a more serious note, If you’d like to help Kelly rebuild after losing her home in the terrible Eaton fire, we have a ＜a href=”https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kelly-and-chuck-rebuild-after-eaton-fire“＞ fundraiser ＜/a＞ to support her as she begins the overwhelming task of recovering. And if you would like to help Los Angeles recover from the horrific wildfires, here are some places that are doing good work: ＜a href=”https://donate.wck.org/give/654000/?_gl=1*gwagcd*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3Mzc2MTIzMTMuQ2owS0NRaUF5OEs4QmhDWkFSSXNBS0o4c2ZTa1k4d04wRmU2WlhBMEJHWjVvX2Y1dldLRUliam9mYWV0UGdPUmpMUjU3Mi1Kd05wX29hNGFBblFlRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MTk5MjgxMDg3Mi4xNzM3NjEyMzEw*_ga*MTM3OTk3MTAyNy4xNzM3NjEyMzEw*_ga_5WKVY8503C*MTczNzYxMjMwOS4xLjEuMTczNzYxMjMzNy4zMi4wLjA.#!/donation/checkout?c_src=2025-site-slider-cafiresjan25“＞World Central Kitchen ＜/a＞ is feeding people on the ground in Los Angeles. ＜a href=”https://fire.lacounty.gov/donations/“＞ LA County Fire Department ＜/a＞ is doing heroic work and we aren’t done with the fires. ＜a href=”https://pasadenahumane.org/“＞ Pasadena Humane Society ＜/a＞ is caring for the wild animals and pets lost or injured in the fire. ＜a href=”https://baby2baby.org/disaster-relief-and-emergency-response/“＞ Baby2Baby ＜/a＞ provides disaster relief to families and children in poverty impacted by the fires. ＜a href=”https://www.givedirectly.org/lafires/”＞ Give Directly ＜/a＞ is fundraising to provide direct cash support to those in most need after the fire for shelter, food, clothing. Inspired by: This whole episode was inspired by one of our favorite podcasts ＜a href=”https://defector.com/normal-gossip-podcast“＞ Normal Gossip ＜/a＞. Kelly was inspired by the ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114117/“＞ 1995 Persuasion adaptation ＜/a＞ and the miniseries based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417349/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_north%2520and%2520south“＞ North and South ＜/a＞. Ragon was inspired by the classic rom-com ＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114924/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_while%2520you%2520were%2520sleeping“＞ While You Were Sleeping ＜/a＞ and the time travel romance in＜a href=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1“＞ About Time ＜/a＞. 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞

We are continuing our Rainbow Valley discussion and focusing on the Meredith children’s impulsive hijinks and the way the adults around them react, or don’t react, to their shenanigans.  We take John Meredith to task, break down how the patriarchy has helped enable this situation and learn a little about what parentification is and why the Meredith kids are poster children for it! Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/normal-women-nine-hundred-years-of-making-history-philippa-gregory/20124268?ean=9780063304321”＞ Normal Women＜/a＞ by Philippa Gregory. Ragon is inspired by ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/all-the-rage-mothers-fathers-and-the-myth-of-equal-partnership-darcy-lockman/7991137?ean=9780062861450”＞ All The Rage＜/a＞ by Darcy Lockman and ＜a href=”https://bookshop.org/p/books/fair-play-a-game-changing-solution-for-when-you-have-too-much-to-do-and-more-life-to-live-eve-rodsky/12084091?ean=9780525541943”＞ Fair Play＜/a＞ by Eve Rodsky. 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 ＜a href=”https://www.instagram.com/kindredspirits.bookclub/”＞ KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram＜/a＞