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 Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
The underwater theme reminded me of Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach, which focuses on the first scuba divers.
Taking the easy option and linking by title to Emily Henry’s rom-com, Beach Read. I very rarely read romance, but recently picked up another rom-com, Love and Other Puzzles by Kimberley Allsopp – it was quite fun!
Allsopp references lots of eighties rom-com movies in her book, so the next link is to Life Moves Pretty Fast by Hadley Freeman, a book that looks at the life lessons we can draw from eighties movies.
More ‘lessons’ from eighties pop-culture comes via Robin Hardwick’s If You Lived Here,You’d Be Perfect Right Now. Hardwick examines the world of Sweet Valley High through adult eyes (as opposed to the teen she was when she consumed the series). So my final link is obvious – book one of the Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascall, Double Love.
A moment underwater and then firmly in the eighties – where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (May 7, 2022), we’ll start with Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang.
Love how you did this chain.
Done!
https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-our-wives-under-the-sea-to/
Did you ever read the Sweet Valley High books… I think they must have passed me by, but I was heavily into Trixie Belden!
Anyway, here’s my chain: https://readingmattersblog.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-april-2022/
Yes, I was obsessed with SVH (and also Sweet Dreams romances). I picked up a SVH for a reread a few years ago and was HORRIFIED by how inappropriate a lot of it is by today’s standards. And so much about what they were wearing/ body image. I was already a bookworm by Yr 8, but I do remember waiting for the new book in the series each month, buying it the day it came out, and reading it in basically one sitting!
Well, the letters I received basically went as follows:
Dear Jessica and Elizabeth,
No one understands me at Ordinary US High School. I wish I knew your secret to beauty and popularity. Where exactly *is* Sweet Valley High? I will insist my family moves there by September. Please write back soon!
Your Tru-friend Alwaze Constance
Occasionally someone would promise to be a better friend to Elizabeth than Jessica (!) but mostly they preferred Jessica, the bad twin!
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2022/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-our.html
No SVH in my chain, alas, but I did manage to go in a loop. Unfortunately, I now have that silly song from The Little Mermaid in my head although I hate animation and never saw the movie! I enjoyed those Sweet Dreams too, especially one author called Janet Quin-Harkin. Thank you for supporting my former employer, Bantam.
Sweet Valley High! Now I didn’t see that coming! Well done Kate.
Here is my link: https://whisperinggums.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-our-wives-under-the-sea-to/#comment-154581
Nor did I when I started my chain!
Hmmm, I have a hard time imagining Kate reading Sweet Valley High and I was really too old when they came out but definitely read a few (I preferred Pam and Penny Howard in the Rosamond du Jardin books). However, in my first job in publishing, I spent a week answering fan mail for Sweet Valley High. The first day or so I wrote really nice responses and sent bookmarks. Then I began to get irritated that this smug young man Michael could not find anything better for someone with an MBA in marketing to do. I lost patience with the girls begging to find out where Sweet Valley High was so they could persuade their parents to move! “It’s not a real school,” I wrote cruelly. “You’d be better off making friends where you are! Jessica and Elizabeth are fictional characters!” After a week, I got moved to the International Department where I got to work on Anne of Green Gables’ short stories, so it all worked out. The annoying guy got many promotions and is now a publisher, still condescending, I have no doubt.
Now that I have vented, I will start my chain!
Constance
What an experience! I’m very glad you vented, otherwise we wouldn’t have had this window into the world of publishing, Constance! I’m going to grade you as Harsh but Fair (and Hilarious).
Surprisingly Constance, I was OBSESSED with SVH 😀 My reading taste leans to the more literary now, however, I do believe that SVH played a pretty important part in my reading history – there’s something to be said/ admired in getting the formula right, and making people desperate for the next installment. I reread some a few years ago – they haven’t aged well.
I love your brush with SVH – and honestly, I’m very jealous!
And woo hoo, I’ve read the next starting book
Thought you might have!
I started off with selkies and ended up with oil.
Here’s my chain:
https://residentjudge.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-our-wives-under-the-sea-to/
Peter Carey next? Hm… okay… here’s mine https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2022/04/02/tcls-6degrees-of-separation-for-april-2-2022/
Well, that’s a chain with not a single book I’ve read! Here’s mine:https://margaret21.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-armfield-to-banville/
I’ve never read Sweet Valley High (wrong generation) but I’ve sold shedloads! Lots of parents hated them but their kids were reading and enjoying it so they were a good thing as far as I was concerned.
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I was thinking I might have a look at Manhattan Beach, but then I looked at your review and have revised my thinking!
Here’s my chain. It’s all about author events and how they persuade me to add to my groaning To Read pile. https://thinkaboutreading.wordpress.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-our-wives-under-the-sea-to-mothlight/
I used to love the Sweet Valley High books, but don’t know what I would think of them as an adult! I’ve never come across the Robin Hardwick book. My chain starts with an underwater link too, but not the same one as yours: https://shereadsnovels.com/2022/04/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-our-wives-under-the-sea-to-full-dark-house/
Interesting chain, I didn’t know any of the books, so I can explore and find some more good reads.. I also took an easy way. My Six Degrees of Separation ended with a book by one of my favourite authors, The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop.
And I read next month’s starter. That’s also great.
Have a great month.
Enjoyed this, as always. Sea swimming off a remote Scottish Island to the the swinging sixties via Glasgow shipyards, SW England coast line, Dublin suburbs and finishing with Paul McCartney, without mentioning Octopuses gardens, yellow submarines or the mull of kintyre.
https://www.bookshelfdiscovery.com/blog/six-degrees-of-separation-april
Thanks for hosting, Kate. My entry for this month is here: https://www.notesinthemargin.org/2022/04/02/6-degrees-of-separation-from-the-sea-to-the-plagues/
Like Kimbofo, I never really got into Sweet Valley High but I loved Trixie Belden. I love how your choices took some light hearted turns this month!!
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Pingback: Six Degrees of Separation – from ‘Our Wives under the Sea’ to ‘Hotel Iris’ – A Bag Full Of Stories
A great starter this month, and your chain looks good.
I have gone geographic in my links again: https://travelwithintent.com/2022/04/03/sicily-books-fiction-photography/
So delighted to see Sweet Valley High here! I was obSESSed with it – and SV Twins, SV University… I don’t know the Robin Hardwick book and now v intrigued to find it.
I loved this list so much that not only I’ve already started reading Our Wives Under the Sea but I also decided to join in on the fun! Albeit a little late. Already looking forward to next month’s edition.
https://www.booksandmiles.com/2022/04/6-degrees-our-wives-under-the-sea/