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 Douglas Stuart’s Booker Prize winner, Shuggie Bain. I read this book at the beginning of the year and eek! I still haven’t written a review. Which links Shuggie to Kokomo by Victoria Hannan – I read it in January as well, and and I still haven’t reviewed it.
Kokomo references the 1988 hit of the same name by the Beach Boys, which links me to Wouldn’t It Be Nice by Charles L. Granata, a book that explores the making of the Beach Boys’ most influential album, Pet Sounds.
I gave my brother Wouldn’t It Be Nice for Christmas a few years ago. Last year for Christmas I gave him Theft By Finding by David Sedaris.
Theft By Finding is composed of extracts from Sedaris’s diaries, so the obvious link is to extracts from Helen Garner’s diaries – Yellow Notebook.
I heard Garner speak about Yellow Notebook at the 2019 Broadside Festival, where she was interviewed by Sarah Krasnostein. Coincidentally, I heard Krasnostein speak this week about her new book, The Believer. Krasnostein was interviewed by Chloe Hooper, so my final link is to Hooper’s most recent book, The Arsonist.
I originally intended to go the ‘troubled childhood’ route with Shuggie Bain – needless to say, I didn’t expect Fun! Fun! Fun! and author talks. Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
In honour of the wonderful Beverly Cleary, we’ll begin next month’s chain (May 1, 2021) with Beezus and Ramona.
