It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up.
This month we begin with Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
My first link is to Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur – both books are being made into movies, and both are being directed by Kelly Fremon Craig.
Mothers with undiagnosed personality disorders links Wild Game to The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie.
Laveau-Harvie won the Stella Prize for The Erratics in 2019. Last year’s winner of the Stella was See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill.
See What You Made Me Do is an examination of domestic violence. As always with nonfiction books, it’s the personal stories that resonate, and Hill refers to case studies that will never leave my mind. Similarly, a story focused on domestic violence in Tegan Bennett Daylight’s short story collection, Six Bedrooms, has stayed with me, five years after reading it.
I rarely read short story collections – the last one I read was Here Until August by Josephine Rowe (both Rowe and Daylight’s collections were longlisted for the Stella Prize).
I paired my review of Here Until August with steamed mussels, so my final link was obvious – The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke.
From a classic to nonfiction and fiction about challenging family circumstances – where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (January 2, 2021), we’ll start with the winner of the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.
I tried a different tack as I like to do every now and then! See what you think: https://whisperinggums.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-bingo-palace-to/
Love your chain – particularly love that I’ve read two of the books – Erratics, and Six bedrooms – and am slowly reading Jess Hill’s. Good selections all!
Hamnet. hmm, another I haven’t read but I’ll find something to link to!
Off to my first official Christmas lunch of the season – my Jane Austen group! Catch you later.
Hope you had a great Jane Austen lunch!
I haven’t read Hamnet yet either (it doesn’t really appeal to me however my most reliable reading buddy LOVED it).
We did Kate – it was lovely.
I’m not sure about Hamnet, either, but a couple at the JA lunch said that their reading group has scheduled it for early next year. I’ll see what they say.
My Six Degrees circulated around a single theme: that of the Big House Novel. Nothing to do with Judy Blume, I know, but it was the memory of a much-loved adolescent novel that took me there.
https://residentjudge.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-to/
Fond memories take us in the best directions 🙂
YES! Hamnet was my FAVORITE book of 2020! https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/12/05/6degrees-of-separation-for-december-5-2020/
I haven’t read Hamnet yet but from what I’ve heard, it will be appearing on quite a few ‘best of 2020’ lists.
Not enough of them, if you ask me.
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Hadn’t heard of Stella Prize before, so your list gave me some new things to look up. Also, thanks to your review of Mussel Feast, adding mussels in saffron sauce to my list of things to try out 🙂
Happy #6Degrees. My own post was about vintage childhood reads that Judy Blume’s work reminded me of.
~Six Degrees Post
Great list as always Kate! I love to see all the different directions we go in!
That’s an interesting chain – and so different from mine: https://margaret21.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation-in-december/.
I loved Hamnet. It was my Lockdown treat.
I haven’t read any of these books and my chain is vastly different, so maybe you haven’t read any of the books in mine??
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Another fascinating chain. I’ve never read Hamnet, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads me next month.
Hmm. I don’t recognize any of Kate’s books but I am glad we both chose the classic Are You There, God? cover. Here is my chain:
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2020/12/six-degrees-of-separation-from-are-you.html
I am interested in reading Hamnet and will probably buy it because the reserve list is months long. Expecting our first snow tonight! It’s a good day to be home seeing all your chains (getting inspiration) and reading although I do need to zip out to the Post Office.
My chain both started and ended with Judy Blume 🙂
I was wondering how you were going to get to The Mussel Feast!
Great chain! I don’t often read short story collections either but I usually enjoy them when I do.
https://shereadsnovels.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-to-a-long-petal-of-the-sea/
I haven’t read any of these, but great links. Mine are here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-god-to-christmas/
Lots of new titles for me to explore in yours. Mine ended up going towards banjos, butlers and tigers!
https://victoriablakewriter.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation/
I look forward to 6 Degrees with great anticipation every month. My entry for this month is here: https://www.notesinthemargin.org/2020/12/05/6-degrees-of-separation-3/
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I went with what I thought would be a straightforward chain, and somehow it turned into a reflection on the meaning of life. We are all Margaret, in our own way, I guess!
https://thinkaboutreading.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-to-fantastic-mr-fox/
And now I’m going to read what everyone else has come up with.
This may be the most amazing chain ever! How creative!
I haven’t read any of the books in your chain–but then, I haven’t read any of the books in my chain either! I stuck with a theme of YA/children’s classics that I haven’t read.
Great to see The Mussel Feast getting a shout out – go those indie presses!
I’ve just finished my chain – at 17 minutes to midnight (UK time):
https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2020/12/six-degrees-of-separation-december-2020.html
I very much like the covers of two of your books, The Mussel Feast and Are you there God? It’s me Margaret – the latter is the only one I have read (in a newer edition with a horrible pink cover), and I bought it just for this challenge (I don’t usually do that but I felt I really needed to find out why this book is still so popular.) I really loved it, and am so glad you led me to it.
I’ve realised that nearly all of my books this month could be called comfort reads. Maybe it’s the season, maybe it’s 2020, or maybe it’s my age!
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Well, that took an unexpected turn, didn’t it? I’m a bit late but just in the process of writing my post now. I had to take part this month, as I remember Judy Blume well from my childhood.
When I look at the lists I am amazed at how many different directions we all went from this preteen book to… Thanks for the fun! Here’s my list. https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/12/six-degrees-of-separation-are-you-there.html
Pingback: #6Degrees of Separation: From Judy Blume to… – findingtimetowrite
My chain got a bit dark in the middle…. but managed to end up with something of a link back to the first book.
I included Hamnet in my chain before I noticed that it’s the starting book next month. Now I shall have to think of a different link !
https://bookertalk.com/six-degrees-from-a-god-to-a-witch/
Three cheers for starting with Hamnet for January!
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I am not much of a meme person anymore, but this piqued my interest. It was actually fun to do! Here you are: https://cathysreadingbonanza.wordpress.com/2020/12/08/six-degrees-of-separation-book-meme/
Hi there! Oh I am sooo late again! But rather late than never I guess.
See what you made me do sounds interesting! I don’t know any of your other books. But I love how this feature can just make so many chains. One month, if I ever will have the time – I would love to sit and count how many different books are featured in just one month!
Hope you are well otherwise. Have a wonderful Christmas season ahead!
6 Degrees – From Margaret to Anna