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 Jamie Oliver’s breakout cookbook, The Naked Chef. Back in the nineties, I loved his television show and his cookbooks are an auto-buy for me.
Also on auto-buy are those by Hetty McKinnon. Her first cookbook, Community, is sensational (and the recipe for beetroot, turnip, edamame and radish salad is a family favourite).
So for a tenuous link… when I think ‘community’, my mind goes to another book that made a big impression on me in my younger years – Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putman – it examines the loss of social structures that give a sense of community.
Based on title alone, my next link is to Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken.
I’ve only read one book by McCracken, her heartbreaking memoir, An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination.
Exact Replica was lent to me by a friend. She gave me two books on the same day, and the other was Leslie Jamison’s The Gin Closet.
The Gin Closet is a fictional account of alcoholism. Jamison’s memoir, The Recovering, describes her personal struggle with alcohol.
Cooking, community and alcohol! Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (December 3, 2022), we’ll start with The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.
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Oh what an interesting chain – love the link to the Community cookbook and then to a book about community. I have that book but keep forgetting to look at it. I’ll check out that salad, as it sounds good.
Anyhow, here is my chain: https://whisperinggums.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to/
I’ve never heard of December’s book, but it shouldn’t be hard to link.
I haven’t read The Snow Child either (had it for years!) but it seemed appropriately Christmasy (for people who enjoy a white Christmas) plus it’s a fairytale which I’ve found participants enjoy as a starting point.
I remember hearing about Bowling Alone, it seems sad now that it was so accurate at predicting the mess America has got itself into.
I read it when I was working in community education and policy for the State Government. It made a big impression (and the key points are just as relevant for Australia as they are for America). In fact, the central ideas are things I’ve come back to over and over (including a memorable argument I had with our last Aus treasurer over community kindergartens – that was back in the days when he actually spent time in his electorate!).
I think it was referred to in that book I read last year, The Lonely Century, which linked Trumpism to the way he makes people feel they belong. You know, the uniform (red hats), community singalongs of their ‘anthems’ and so on.
I was just telling someone about Bowling Alone!! I think about the community activities that have disappeared in my area since COVID, especially community theater, which at one time in my life was my passion.
And the tragedy of course is that once lost they are almost impossible to recover 🙁
Fascinating chain. I don’t know any of these books. Mine all have some kind of food in them. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2022/11/05/tcls-6degrees-of-separation-for-november-5-2022/
A clever chain. As you see, I couldn’t get away from food … https://margaret21.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-the-foodie-special/. Looking forward to next month’s already!
What an interesting chain, I absolutely love the idea. Mine has to do with the pictures on the covers this time.
My Six Degrees of Separation took me from The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver to Lisa and Lottie by Erich Kästner.
And I love the suggestion for next month. That book has been forever on my wishlist and I finally read it last month. So looking forward to finding an interesting chain. Thanks.
I haven’t read Bowling Alone, but I have heard so many people quoting it. I can’t quite believe the structure of my chain, but I did it anyway
It’s at https://residentjudge.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to/
What an interesting chain, with all new to me books. I do like the sound of that salad recipe.
Here’s mine: https://potpourri2015.wordpress.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to-the-man-in-the-brown-suit/
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I’ve just gone down a Hetty McKinnon rabbit hole – I want all of her books, but To Asia, With Love particularly appeals.
My chain is mostly cookbooks in a similar vein to McKinnon’s but I do dabble in fiction at the end. I hope mine makes everyone hungry!
https://thinkaboutreading.wordpress.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to-like-water-for-chocolate/
I have a friend who makes fabulous salads and always acts as if she ‘just threw it together’. I realised when I bought McKinnon’s Community that exceptional salads take a bit of work but they are well worth the effort.
Mr Hicks is a salad making genius and it does take effort but is so worth it. I’m a dull/lazy salad maker by comparison!
Apart from Jamie Oliver’s books these are all new to me. I have read one of Elizabeth McCracken’s books, The Giant’s House which I thought was very good, and I’d meant to read more by her. Her memoir sounds heart breaking.
I’ve been meaning to read Bowling Alone for years. Thanks for the reminder. And I enjoyed Bowlaway although I seem to remember it got a very mixed reception.
I haven’t read any of those books, but I enjoyed your chain. I’m looking forward to next month’s – I loved The Snow Child!
Here’s mine for November: https://shereadsnovels.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to-hotel-on-the-corner-of-bitter-and-sweet/
Community sounds very appealing although I prefer salads that magically appear on my plate. Sometimes the ingredients just stay sullenly in the refrigerator. I am a big McCracken fan and worked on her first (I think) book The Giant’s House when I was in publishing. The Snow Child has been on my TBR since it first came out – maybe I can read it this month.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day everyone! If I had remembered before this instant, I would have worked him into my chain:
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2022/11/six-degrees-of-separation-from-naked.html
Constance
Nice chain as always. Just checked out ‘community’ and think I might pick it up, as a vegan I certainly need to add more salad recipes to my cookbook collection. I haven’t read any of the others, but glad to see ‘The snow child’ next month, that’s one I am familiar with. My chain can be found below.
https://www.bookshelfdiscovery.com/blog/six-degrees-of-separation-november-22
Really interesting chain – I’m inspired to pick up The Gin Closet. Some of the quotes from it in your linked review are amazing: “You’ve always been terrible at your own life… You’re so greedy for everyone else’s.” Also brilliant to get there from a cookbook! 🙂
My #6degrees is here: https://emwithpen.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to-the-bloody-chamber/
Cool connections. Alas, haven’t read any of these.
https://wordsandpeace.com/2022/11/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-a-chef-to-a-gorilla/
Share that salad recipe!! What a good looking cookbook and that salad sounds fabulous. Oh, and, nice work on your chain lol
Hi Kate,
I am participating in this meme for the first time. I had a lot of fun listing six books. 🙂
Here’s my entry: https://thebookdecoder.com/2022/11/06/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-naked-chef-to-brownies-and-bloodshed/
I hadn’t heard of the book Bowling Alone, but as an anthropologist am obviously very interested in books about the loss of community (and its replacement by the online community?). I’ve had some computer problems this weekend, so my contribution will be later than usual, appearing tomorrow Monday.
Cooking, Community and Alcohol sounds like a party to me. And it’s time for the silly season to start….
Elza Reads
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