In today’s episode, Kelly and Ragon wind up their discussion of Anne’s House of Dreams. In a book that encompasses many emotional highs and lows, we discuss friendship and family as the foundation of a happy life. Ragon explains psychological protective factors, which can help determine how well someone weathers a crisis, and we share our favorite books with found families.  

What we are reading:

Ragon is reading The Eyes And The Impossible by Dave Eggers and The Swifts: A Dictionary Of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln.

Kelly is reading A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn.

And we are both tracking our reading in the Novelly Yours Reading Tracker.

Inspired By:

Ragon is inspired by the found families in The House In The Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune and The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandana.

Kelly is inspired by the found families in Nettle And Bone by T. Kingfisher and The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakaborty.

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Rejoin Ragon, Kelly, and guest Dr. Brenna Clarke Gray for their discussion about motherhood in Anne’s House of Dreams. 

Ragon and Kelly are joined by Dr. Brenna Clarke Gray, Canadian literature expert, to discuss the joys and sorrows of Anne’s journey to motherhood in Anne’s House of Dreams. We discuss everything from baby talk to our favorite books and gifts for babies. Content warning: Child loss, pregnancy loss, infertility. Be kind to yourselves, Kindred Spirits!

Inspired by:

We are inspired by baby gifts!  

Kelly is inspired by: Maisonette baby bonnets and the beautiful picture book Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel.  

Ragon is inspired by: Tag Blanket Lovey (which you can also find on etsy from independent artists) and picture books like The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater and Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Kadir Nelson.  

Brenna is inspired by: They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel and A Is For Activist board book by Innosanto Nagara.  

And we all also recommend the BabyLit board books like Alice In Wonderland: Colors Primer and of course, Anne of Green Gables: Places Primer.

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Ragon and Kelly are joined by Dr. Brenna Clarke Gray, Canadian literature expert, to discuss the joys and sorrows of Anne’s journey to motherhood in Anne’s House of Dreams. We discuss Victorian attitudes to pregnancy and birth, and we share our own journeys around motherhood. We had so much to say that we are actually making this a two-part episode!  Content warning: Child loss, pregnancy loss, infertility. Be kind to yourselves, Kindred Spirits!

Inspired by:

We didn’t have our usual inspired by because this is a 2-parter but we did talk about what we brought or would bring to a “favorite things” party.

Ragon brought:  Dashing Diva nail stickers, NYX lip oil in That's Chic which is the perfect berry shade of gloss and Mini brands tiny plants.

Kelly brought:  Teleties flat hair clip.

Brenna would bring: Squish gummy candies, especially the Ice Wine and the Gin and Tonic flavors.

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Ragon and Kelly are joined by audiobook narrator and voice actor Kelli Tager to discuss the beautiful romance threaded through Anne’s House of Dreams. From Anne and Gilbert’s wedding day to Leslie and Owen’s happily ever after, join us to celebrate all the delicious romance. Kelli also discusses what it’s like to narrate audiobooks and her favorite LM Montgomery books.  

Inspired by:

Kelly is inspired by weddings and recommends her favorite anniversary tradition, which is to recreate her wedding bouquet every anniversary.

Ragon is inspired by her favorite indie perfumer, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, especially The Rose in honor of Leslie’s engagement and Maiden for Anne’s wedding day

Kelli Tager is inspired by Leslie’s glorious hair and recommends Eufora Hydration Leave-in Conditioner for goddess hair!

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

In this episode, we are setting sail with Captain Jim! Kelly and Ragon talk about the lighthouse keeper’s gentle guidance, how he embodies and subverts the theme of cleverness, and his deep wisdom, earned over many years of seafaring. Sidebars and digressions include whether Captain Jim is a stealth matchmaker, life at sea in the 1800s, and recommendations for two swashbuckling adventure book series!

Inspired By:

Both Kelly and Ragon are loving Dashing Diva nail strips.

Kelly is inspired by the Aubrey Maturin Series by Patrick O’Brian for some seafaring adventures like Captain Jim’s.

Ragon is inspired by the Temeraire Series by Naomi Novik for military adventures plus DRAGONS.  

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

The mysterious beauty Leslie Moore is the subject of this Anne’s House of Dreams character study. Ragon and Kelly discuss the myths and metaphors surrounding Leslie, and whether she is properly humanized in the text. Digressions include Favorite Things parties, how to talk to kids about stereotypes in media, and the tragic beauty trope.

Inspired By:

Kelly is inspired by Leslie’s style and recommends red flower choker-style necklaces like this gorgeous one from Free People.

Ragon is inspired by the beautiful fairytale retellings by Robin McKinley, especially Beauty and Rose Daughter for Beauty and the Beast retellings and Deerskin for a darker fairytale about the curse of being beautiful.  And don’t forget Spindle's End for a Sleeping Beauty retelling.  

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Meet Miss Cornelia and her signature phrase “Just like a man!” Miss Cornelia is the great comic relief in Anne’s House of Dreams, an otherwise serious and emotional book. Ragon and Kelly do a deep dive into the contradictions that make up this memorable woman: she’s charitable, loving, and neighborly; and she’s judgmental, prejudiced, dogmatic and an unapologetic gossip. Sidebars include the Oscars, Methodists versus Presbyterians, and one of our favorite sitcoms. 

Inspired By:

Ragon is inspired by the fantastic TV show, The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, if you want to go all in on the exploration of what makes someone a “good” person.  

In a meta moment, Kelly is inspired by our Episode 9 about Miss Josephine Barry, another Rich Auntie Supreme like Miss Cornelia!  Give it a relisten!  

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Anne’s House of Dreams is one of L.M. Montgomery’s most mature and emotional books, and Ragon and Kelly are thrilled to devote season three of Kindred Spirits Book Club to it. In this episode, we recap Anne’s House of Dreams, discuss what we’ve been reading lately, revisit our own weddings, and brainstorm Miss Cornelia-inspired fanfic. 

We didn’t do any inspired bys this episode but we did check in on what we are each reading these days!

Ragon is reading: A cozy witchy mystery,  In The Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace, the gothic fantasy Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, and the Myrtle Hardcastle middle grade mysteries by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

Kelly is reading:  The beautiful picture book Oona by Kelly Dipucchio and the non-fiction book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.  

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Welcome back, Kindred Spirits! Ragon and Kelly kick off a third podcast season by re-introducing themselves and the podcast, giving a behind the scenes look at how we make the pod, and discussing some of what’s to come in Season Three. This is a great place to dive in if you’re new to the podcast, and for longtime listeners, enjoy the deep friendship lore!

Inspired by:

Both Ragon and Kelly are inspired by podcasts this week.  Most of the podcasts are available on a variety of podcast players but we’ve included links here to their main sites. 

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

It’s our last episode of Season 2 and the last episode of 2023!  Editor Katie Stewart comes back to debate the most important of issues:  who is the best romantic hero: Barney Snaith or Gilbert Blythe?  We had a blast discussing the way the themes in The Blue Castle compare with Anne’s themes, as well as discussing Hallmark movies and holiday traditions! 

Kelly is inspired by the perfumes of Imaginary Authors, especially Cape Heartache for a perfect Blue Castle scent.

Katie is inspired by the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota and Wisconsin for vacationing, canoeing and finding your own Barney Snaith. 

Ragon is inspired by the books of Bill Bryson, especially A Walk In The Woods.  

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: [email protected] or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram.