Kindred Spirits Book Club

Canadian literature expert Brenna Clarke Gray joins Ragon and Kelly to recap the bonkers 1987 miniseries: Anne of Green Gables, the Sequel! Are we making the best use of Dr. Gray’s expertise and insight into Anne? Probably not, but we sure had fun. Join us for an irreverent look at Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel – and stick around for a very special KSBC Holiday Gift Guide! Holiday Gift Guide Inspiration: Sqirl LABonne MamanPolkadogBook Babe DesignsChapter CatchersIdeal BookshelfNovelly YoursThe WagerEssenTilesMeadowlands SyrupLinen Celebration CrownRainbow WandSlackline kitJohn WindBrooklyn CharmAnne, an Adaptation (sort of) 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.

Now engaged to be married, romantic Anne can’t help but get involved in other people’s love lives, and her meddling has hilarious results! Join Ragon and Kelly as they discuss matchmaking – and matchbreaking! – gone wrong, Anne’s love letters to Gilbert, epistolary novels, and our favorite advice column. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg and by This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Ragon is inspired by Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock and by Captain Awkward's Advice Column. 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 loves a thrilling tale, and there are a few in Anne of Windy Poplars that are perfect for a very spooky Halloween episode of Kindred Spirits Book Club. Ragon and Kelly examine Anne's years on Spook's Lane through the lens of graveyard stories and haunted mansions. Highlights include Kelly's discussion of Gothic literature, and Ragon's upcoming Halloween party! Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by spooky games like Betrayal At House On The Hill and Gloom. Kelly is inspired to make decisions about the end of life with Five Wishes. 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 has a special gift for winning over misfits and misanthropes, but in Anne of Windy Poplars, even her skills are put to the test! Ragon and Kelly discuss how Anne won over the Pringles and Katherine Brook, Kelly teaches us about comedies of manners, and they both marvel at the miracle of buttermilk and pumpkin preserves. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by the kids baking on the spin-off of The Great British Bake Off, Junior Bake Off. Ragon is inspired by Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte. 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.

From her unique vantage point as an engaged woman and a high school principal, Anne observes all kinds of interesting parent-child dynamics in and around Summerside. Ragon and Kelly discuss the takeaways from these relationships, and then Ragon gives us all an in depth parenting lesson – but not before we discuss Fourth Wing and all things dragons! Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson and by Schitt's Creek. Ragon is inspired by the podcast Mom and Dad Are Fighting but specifically the episodes between 2017 and 2019 with Carvell Wallace, Rebecca Lavoie and Gabriel Roth. 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.

Ragon and Kelly boldly go where few podcasters have gone before – deep into Anne of Windy Poplars! Join us as we recap the 4th book in the Anne series--you probably missed this book or have forgotten it so let us help you find the humor and tragedy hidden in the pages. Listeners, be sure to count how many grumps Anne has to win over while presiding over Sunnyside High School. Also, back-to-school vibes, Anne's meddling era and enough people with dysfunctional families to keep a whole practice of therapists busy for years. Inspired By: Ragon is inspired by the 2001 movie Amelie. Kelly is inspired by Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 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.

Happy Anniversary to US! To celebrate, Kelly and Ragon are throwing a podcast party, with special guests, games, trivia, and best of all, prizes. You’re invited to the Anne of Green Gables themed party of the year! 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.

After everything Gilbert has been through over the past three books, we knew he needed his own episode! Ragon and Kelly discuss the making of a classic romance hero, from the infamous “carrots” scene to the swoon-worthy final proposal. We round out the conversation with stories from our weddings and an exploration of Victorian courtship rituals. Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by the songs: Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Feels Like Home by Randy Newman and Heads Carolina, Tails California by JoDee Messina. Kelly is inspired by the songs: Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show and I'll Follow You Into The Dark by DeathCab for Cutie Additionally, Kelly recommends the books Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and Big Gay Wedding by Byron Lane.

Anne’s childhood wish to become “divinely beautiful” is coming true - at least in the eyes of one particular gentleman. We love the romance in Anne of the Island, not just for Anne but for her friends Diana and Phillippa as well. Ragon and Kelly chat about all of Anne’s would-be beaux, and unpack why she doesn’t seem ready for any of them yet. We also compare this book to one of our other all time favorite classics: Pride and Prejudice. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by The New York Public Library Shop for bookish goodies. Ragon is inspired by the movie Roxanne (1987) for some more fun romance.

It might be summer where you are, but in Anne of the Island, it’s always September, and we are headed back to school with Anne. In this episode, Ragon and Kelly explore Anne’s ambitions as a writer and a scholar – including, of course, her embarrassing first experience as a published author! Kelly and Ragon also share stories from their own college years and talk about the history of women in higher education. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by the pretty stationary of Felix Doolittle | Stationery & Gifts | Shop and Open Sea Design Co. Ragon is inspired by the Big Dipper and Little Dipper rings at Bryan Anthonys.

Join us at Patty's Place, where Anne and her friends have "all the fun of homemaking and none of the bother of a husband." Kelly and Ragon discuss female-centered communities and spaces that make way for young women to become themselves, from Anne and her Redmond College chums to New York's famous Barbizon Hotel. We also share stories of our own college roommate days and some of our favorite bon mots from Aunt Jamesina. Inspired By: Ragon recommends: The movie Pitch Perfect and the book Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Kelly recommends: The movie Legally Blonde and the book Check Please by Ngozi Ukazu

Anne of the Island – or Anne, the College Years – is one of our very favorite books. With its stately collegiate setting, delightful celebration of female friendships, and deliciously slow burn romance, who can blame us? Join us as we recap Anne's four years at Redmond College, complete with baking soda company shenanigans, tomcat tomfoolery, and a happily ever after ending. Inspired by: Kelly recommends: People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry Ragon recommends: Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry Summer Cake

Whether it’s a fairy picnic or a fairytale prince, Anne sees romance everywhere she looks – except, of course, in her own life! Kelly and Ragon explore the romantic side of Anne of Avonlea, from Hester Grey’s garden to Miss Lavendar’s wedding, and they also discuss those rare coming of age books for girls that don’t include romance. Inspired by: Kelly recommends: Seven Days In June by Tia Williams and Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas. Ragon recommends: The art of Karen Hallion

School may be out in your neighborhood, but it’s back in session in Avonlea with Anne at the front of the classroom. Anne continues on her path to becoming “dazzlingly clever” by embarking on her career as a teacher, and today’s discussion ranges from our own career aspirations to Avonlea school stories to the ambitious heroines of Little Women. Inspired by: Ragon is inspired by: the movie Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret Kelly is inspired by celebrity memoirs written by women including: We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union, You Got Anything Stronger? By Gabrielle Union, Just Kids by Patti Smith, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein, Open Book by Jessica Simpson, and Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton.

Avonlea itself, full of big personalities and hilarious happenings, is practically a character in the Anne books. In this episode, we explore how Anne grows into becoming an active member of her community and all the different ways "goodness" looks in a small town. Topics include the Avonlea Village Improvement Society, Davy and Dora Keith, and how Anne of Avonlea fits into the North American regionalist literary tradition. Inspired By: Kelly is inspired by local activities, like farmer’s markets so check out what’s happening in your neighborhood! If you’re in the U.S. you can use National Farmers Market Directory to find a local one near you! Ragon is inspired by the book Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree for a cozy fantasy read!

Ragon and Kelly kick off season two of Kindred Spirits Book Club with a breezy recap of Anne of Avonlea. Kelly admits she likes Davy Keith after all, and Ragon wants the ladies from The Home Edit to help Green Gables organize. Come along as we discuss the enchanted picnics, fairytale romances, and childhood mischief that make Anne of Avonlea so much fun. Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by Enchantment by Katherine May. Ragon is inspired by botanical gardens in the spring!

For the Season 1 Finale of Kindred Spirits Book Club, we are excited to introduce you to a new kindred spirit, Katie Stewart, co-founder of Owl’s Next Publishing. Katie, Ragon, and Kelly have the ultimate Anne geek out session, discussing everything from quoting the books in wedding vows to what can you do with an English degree? We rank all the Anne books and fangirl about our other favorite L.M. Montgomery book. Inspired by: Katie is inspired by the beautiful pottery of RBD Pottery Kelly is inspired by The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews Ragon is inspired by The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett

Some of the most exciting adaptations of Anne of Green Gables are illustrated! In this episode, we discuss three gorgeously illustrated graphic novels which bring Anne’s story to life, led by our graphic novel expert, Alice! Inspired by: Alice recommends hair chalk Kelly recommends Kindred Candle Company Ragon recommends donating to organizations that help kids read like Book Aid International and Reading Is Fundamental and We Need Diverse Books

Anne With an E brought Anne of Green Gables to a new generation. Ragon and Kelly discuss how it differs from the source material, what they liked about the show, and where they thought it missed the mark. Come for the thoughtful discussions of childhood PTSD, stay for our dream adaptations of Anne! Inspired by: Kelly is inspired by Marilla’s belts: Whipstitch Corset Belt and Leather Corset Belt Ragon is inspired by the Kindred Spirit sweatshirt from Splendid Bohemians on Etsy.

Anne of Green Gables has a long cinematic history but the adaptation we love best is the 1985 CBC miniseries starring Megan Follows and Colleen Dewhurst. We chat about our recent re-watch, how the movie strayed from the book, and the things we still love – the costumes! the scenery! Gilbert! Digressions include favorite movie musicals and how the kids are doing their hair these days.