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First of all, I would like to quickly note that this challenge is being run in conjunction with the Reading to Know Classics Book Club. The January read for the book club is Montgomery's The Blue Castle
. If you would like to read one book and participate in both challenges, The Blue Castle should be the one! However, the L.M. Montgomery Challenge is more inclusive than just this one title.As regulars around here are well aware, Montgomery is one of my favorite authors. I love beginning a new year by slipping into the quiet, imaginative world which she created. I wouldn't say that her writing is brilliant (in an academic sense). If you've read one story I'm rather forced to acknowledge that you've read them all. All of her stories tend to use the same formula. (The Blue Castle
being unique in that it is the only one of her stories not set on Prince Edward Island!) Even though her stories are predictable, I still like them. I find them charming. So what is the point of this particular challenge? It is to give myself (and anyone else who might like to join me!) an excuse to read the L.M. Montgomery books of your choosing. You can read Anne, Emily, her short stories, or whatever you please. Reading Montgomery's diaries or a book about her is also allowed. If you have some time to squeeze in one of the movies, that's great too! Just expose yourself to a little Montgomery.
Two things are not allowed in as part of this challenge though! Which two?
- 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. It offends me and, this being a reading challenge I'm hosting, I do not allow it. :)
- I also do not allow the inclusion of Anne Of Green Gables - The Continuing Story
because Kevin Sullivan lost his mind when he made this one and decided to re-write the history of Anne of Gilbert on the screen. This third Anne movie, in my book, is Anne heresy. We do not watch this one in our household.
With those two major exceptions there is a world of Montgomery waiting for you this month!
Today, at the start of the challenge, I invite you to leave a comment in the comment section saying that you intend to participate. I also would encouraged you to write up a post on your own blogs stating the following:
a.) You intend to participate.
b.) Listing which of her books you intend to read (or which movies you intend to watch.) Audio books do count, yes.
You can also add a button to your blog sidebar linking back to this post, using the following code:
I'm really hoping you'll chose to read along with me this month! Stay tuned for giveaways and news of other resources as we embark on the Fifth Annual L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge!
27 comments:
The Blue Castle arrived today! I am IN! And if anyone needs a recommendation other than Anne, I highly recommend Jane of Lantern Hill and Pat of Silverbush/Mistress Pat.
http://www.thissimplehome.com/2013/01/pat-of-silver-bush-by-lm-montgomery.html
http://www.thissimplehome.com/2013/05/whats-on-my-nightstand-may-2013.html
I am going to try and squeeze in the fourth Anne of Green Gables book! I will start it just as soon as I finish Two Cities... ;)
I heartily second Annette on Jane - that is one of my FAVORITES and the first LMM that I read aloud with my girls last year. I am IN and have to confess that I have already finished The Blue Castle. I picked it up on the 30th and couldn't put it down! : ) I may revisit Pat this month as well. It's been ages since I've spent time with her.
I'm reading The Blue Castle once it comes in from the library - someone else has it our now. If I have time I may read the second Emily book - I read the first last year.
The Blue Castle is one of my favorite, favorite books ;) I'm not sure I'll reread it since I just read it last year, but we'll see! I have some short stories that I *need* to get to.
I'm planning to at least get to the 2nd Emily book, if not Blue Castle (since I read it 5!!!! Years ago for the challenge).
I'd love to join. I planned on participating in the Classics book club but would like to also read more of Montgomery's work. I hate to admit that all I've read of her works is the Anne series. For this month I'm going to stick to The Blue Castle which is supposed to arrive on Friday.
Here's my "I'm in!" post, which contains links to all five years' worth of my LMM Challenge posts:
http://www.hopeisthewordblog.com/2014/01/02/l-m-montgomery-reading-challenge-2014/
I'm in and a joyful way to start the new year. In addition to the Blue Castle, I will be reading Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside as I prepare for the LMM conference in June on PEI. The theme is LMM and War.
Your challenge always sounds so splendid! For mine, I'm reading "Akin to Anne" (beautiful short stories!) and "The Blue Castle". It's so blissful to read L.M. Montgomery. Here's where I shared a bit about it on my blog: http://inthebookcase.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-finds-44.html
@Musicteach- Well, now I'm all filled with envy and longing. :P It's my dream to go back to PEI someday. (I went over 10 years ago. It's about time!)
@Tarissa - I forgot to say which books I am choosing to read this month but one of them is Akin to Anne! :) It's been awhile since I had visited with some of her short stories and felt like that one.
@Barbara H - Love how you work your way through series.
@Becky - Yup, I understand that need. :D
I've never read The Blue Castle. I've just started it and hope to participate in the reading challenge.
I reread Anne of Green Gables a few months ago. I'm reading The Blue Castle now and would love to be part of this reading challenge!
I'm in for reading The Blue Castle! I haven't read that one. I just put it on hold at my library so that it will be transferred to my branch. I imagine I'll have it in my hands by the end of the week.
I posted your blog button to my blog sidebar but for some reason whenever I click it, it takes me to your blog but says, "sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."
I finally got my "I'm in!" post up.
http://bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/2014/01/lucy-maud-montgomery-reading-challenge.html
I'm excited! :D
I've decided to join this challenge to,and just posted about it.
I am planning to read Jane of Lantern Hill, as well as reread the Chronicles and Further Chronicles of Avonlea, as well as reread Rilla of Ingleside for my WWI reading.
Thanks for hosting this challenge--I reread the Anne books repeatedly in my youth, though didn't venture beyond them until last year.
BTW, I forgot to mention that when I copied and pasted the html stuff onto my page it took me to a Page Not Found so you might want to double-check the code.
@JaneGS (et al) - YES! There was a funny issue with the code. It has been checked and should be fixed now! Thanks for letting me know of it!
I'll be reading Anne of the Island and Anne of Avonlea. I'm excited to be joining in this year!
Carrie - thanks for hosting this. What a wonderful way to start off the new year!
I love a reason to revisit Montgomery's P.E.I. I'm already a third of the way through Anne of Avonlea. (In the interest of full disclosure, I'm also planning to read Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson in the near future, but I promise I won't count it for this challenge!) Hopefully I can track down a copy of The Blue Castle if there's time left in the month.
I'll be joining with you and will be reading Blue Castle, also.
Yes! Thank you! Someone else who recognizes "Anne heresy" when she stumbles across it. I try not to judge things I haven't watched/read, but in this case, I made a decided exception--I've never watched that travesty, and never intend to! I won't sign up for the challenge officially, because my life is truly unpredictable and crazy right now, but I'll be unofficially joining in as much as possible.
JNC from The Beauty of Eclecticism
A great complement to this challenge would be adding your reading to the 7th annual Canadian Reading Challenge at John's BLOG
Lots of Canadian reading intros & reviews of LM 's books if you post your links to the monthly reading list...
I agree with your opinion on the two banned LM Montgomery 'spinoffs' (or ripoffs, let's call them what they are). Anne the Continuing Story was a travesty, that still angers me if I think about it too long. But I have to disagree with 'if you've read one you've read them all. To me, the last two Emily books were very out of character in some ways, and were more like the classic potboilers of other authors, and not the usual sweet, innocent LMM tales. Emily is my favorite, second only to Anne.
Emily is my favorite of Montgomery's characters (second to Anne obviously). Emily and her secondary characters were so unique (Jarback Priest and Cousin Jimmy especially) and not to be found in Montgomery's other books. Story Girl and the Golden Orchard were excellent as well. But all her books have their own feel and originality that make each of them uniquely exciting.
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