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Oh dear readers, April is now upon us, as we are all (I hope) practicing being safer at home as much as we can.  My heart goes out to those who cannot because they are working to provide healthcare, groceries, or other essential services to the rest of us, or because their people are eating CONSTANTLY and they just can’t seem to make the groceries last when EVERYONE is home all the time.  Just us? Fine.  

We remember hearing “April showers bring May flowers” while growing up.  Here in Tennessee, evidently it’s January, February, March, and April showers bring mud?  We don’t know. We are tired of it though.  It’s tough to be stuck inside or soaked if you dare venture out, so dear readers, we’re going to try to make it a bit easier on you this month.  Also, if we’re being honest, my ideal rainy day is spent curled up on the couch under a blanket, with my dog beside me as a heater, a fun book, and a warm beverage. (Ashley agrees, but in the big ‘reading chair’ and with a cat or two instead of a doggo.)  We’re going to bring you a deep dive into four books AND a virtual book club to help you cope! Want to follow along with us? We’d love that! A couple of weeks ago, we talked about strategies for self-quarantine, and those will help you find the titles we’re going to read (as will the links below), if they aren’t already on your shelf (even if you don’t admit it, I KNOW I’m not the only one who buys books faster than she reads books that don’t have deadlines).  

What exactly, will we be posting about this month?  Serious titles, but not too serious, some really great writing, some book-club worthy, and a re-read for us that’s seasonally appropriate and nostalgic.  So, if you’re reading along at home, here are your deadlines:

April 9 – The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams 
Amazon or Indiebound

April 16 – Circe by Madeline Miller
Amazon or Indiebound

April 23 – Love on Beach Avenue by Jennifer Probst
an Amazon Prime First Reads Pick! Amazon or Indiebound

April 30 – The Bourbon Kings Trilogy by J.R. Ward
Yes, we’ll be talking about all three! Amazon or Indiebound

And Now – Virtual Book Club May 1 – Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Now it’s time to dig into Virtual Book Club and why we chose this title.  We wanted something easily available to many readers in this environment of essential-only outings, library closures, and conserving funds for aforementioned essentials. We also wanted a title that would have a broader appeal to readers and wouldn’t add stress during a pandemic (that sounds dramatic, but, well, thanks 2020).  And maybe I wanted to should on Ashley’s reading life. Just kidding, she did that herself! (Ashley confirms it has been shoulded upon by herself, but Nikki’s not really kidding about wanting to should on Ashley’s reading life – at least not in any way different than Nikki already does.)

As promised, I (Nikki, as a re-reader) have thoughts for the readers and the re-readers.  For first time readers, just enjoy!  This classic tale is well-loved by many and with good reason I hope you’ll soon discover.  If you don’t love it, well, that makes for great book club discussion, so I hope you’ll join us.  For the re-readers, try reading Marilla of Green Gables before rereading Anne’s story.  I read Marilla of Green Gables shortly after it’s October 2018 publication and wanted to immediately reread Anne of Green Gables because I was loving being back on PEI and wanted to follow the tale of Marillia (and Matthew’s) formative years by digging into how that affected their time with Anne.  I wasn’t able to do so then (because Ashley shoulded on my reading life – just kidding, but we did have Kindle Unlimited at the time, so distractions abounded), so I’ll reread Marilla then Anne this month, and I hope some of you will join me!  

Ashley here: I wanted our first foray into virtual book clubbing to be both familiar (to Nikki) and brand new (to me!) to cover the emotional spectrum. I also wanted it to be a book that would be familiar, at least by title and author, to the majority of you, our dear readers. With that familiarity would be the chance that this is an opportunity for a re-read of a beloved classic that you perhaps haven’t read more than once, and the first time might have been in childhood. Maybe instead of a re-read, you’re open to trying an audiobook for the first time as you are already familiar with the story. Additionally, I wanted the book we chose this time, when most everyone is safe at home with their littles, to be able to listened to or read as a family, without worrying about language or content. As a bonus, books about people who adore exploring and learning are always fun to talk about.

Where can you get a copy of L. M. Montgomery’s most well-known work?  

• *Most libraries probably have book and audio versions available electronically (if you have Overdrive in your area, check out the always available e-book version – access will vary based on your library.  For me, Hoopla didn’t have any holdings, but RB Digital has both book and audio versions.) 
• *Some readers may have copies on their shelves 
• *Amazon has physical books for purchase, and multiple versions too (you can go inexpensive, gorgeous, or the full set of 8 Anne books – yes, there are 8 plus two Chronicles of Avonlea titles)
• *Kindle e-book copies are not pricey (and sometimes are even free or $.99 for the series)
• *You can even listen to Rachel McAdams read it TO YOU for free thanks to Audible Stories (do note your stopping place if you go this route as there is no login and it’s a 9+ hour listen)
• *Maybe you can order a version from your local independent / brick and mortar bookstore for curbside pickup or delivery 

A bit of a warning for those who prefer to watch rather than read – all screen versions are not created equal.  Some are darker than the original text (Netflix), and others will have their own interpretations and adjustments in transitioning from page to screen.  We are not well-versed in the screen versions, so we’d love some readers who are to advise us on which best and what we should watch out for in their preferred version(s).  

Are you ready to commit to Virtual Book Club on Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p. M. CST?  Click here to register.  We’ll send you an email with the link to join a couple of days before our May 1 virtual event.  

If you had to pick just one title to read with us this month, what would it be?  Historical Fiction, Ancient Mythology Retelling, Modern Romance, Modern Southern Family Drama/Suspense/Romance, or Middle Grade Classic?

~Ashley & Nikki