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 Trust by Hernan Diaz.
Trust is set in the 1920s and focuses on a wealthy and influential family. The last novel I read set in the twenties, also about powerful people, was Kate Atkinson’s (bitterly disappointing) Shrines of Gaiety.
In Shrines, the character of Nellie Coker, is based on the real life twenties Nightclub Queen, Kate Meyrick, who is also the inspiration for the character of Ma Mayfield in Evelyn Waugh’s novel, Brideshead Revisited.
Brideshead is the story of a homosexual affair, famously set amongst the British upper classes, as is E.M. Forster’s Maurice.
Maurice was published posthumously, as was Paul Kalanithi’s incredible memoir, When Breath Becomes Air (no other link between these two books other than I’ve read them both, and Kalanithi’s was the first posthumously published book that popped to mind!).
When Breath Becomes Air is in the minuscule bunch of grief memoirs that I would unreservedly recommend – another is Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl.
I heard Sholl speak about her book at last year’s Melbourne Writers Festival. On the same panel was Sian Prior, discussing her memoir, Childless.
From the 1920s to memoirs – where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (March 4, 2023), we’ll start with a book that was a best-selling self-help title in the seventies – Passages by Gail Sheehy.
Sorry to hear that the Kate Atkinson is disappointing – I’ve been looking forward to reading it.
I had been looking forward to it as well but I found it tedious. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it.
Here’s my link: https://tasmanianbibliophileatlarge.wordpress.com/2023/02/04/6-degrees-of-separation-from-trust-to-tears-champagne-and-laugher/
Brideshead and Maurice in the same post–I’ve “swooned”.
Great chain Kate … and I’ve read two, Brideshead and Maurice, but way back in my 20s.
My chain started off in a different direction: https://whisperinggums.com/2023/02/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-trust-to/
PS I remember Gail Sheehy and Passages but I never have been one for reading self-help. I may have read one or two over the years but am hard-pressed to remember them.
In the past I never read much from the self-help shelf, however, I’ll occasionally pick one up now if it’s related to my work, or if a client mentions that they found a particular book useful.
Oh wow, it‘s been soooo long since I have read Maurice!
Same! I would have read it at least twenty years ago.
I read ‘Maurice’ about thirty years ago, and I have revisited Brideshead several times too. For my chain, I stayed in New York. https://residentjudge.com/2023/02/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-trust-to/
You know, I don’t think I ever thought of Brideshead as being about a homosexual relationship, but about as close to one as you could get without any real sex. Marvelous chain, as usual. (Hm… next month… hm… that’s going to be hard for me to link up with!)
I found Shrines of Gaiety deeply disappointing too! I haven’t heard of Passages before. I have read a few self-help books many years ago – I don’t think they were much help!
Like several others, Shrines of Gaiety was in my chain last month. I too was disappointed. But apart from Brideshead, I’ve read none of the rest of your interesting chain. Here’s mine: https://margaret21.com/2023/02/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-trust-to-groundskeeping/
I have Shrines of Gaiety on the TBR but have been hesitant to read it because of the mixed reviews. Here’s my chain for this month: https://shereadsnovels.com/2023/02/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-trust-to-fire/
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the Atkinson. I had better luck with it.
Here is my chain: https://tinyurl.com/y3fcmkpc
Kate, I had read all of these until you got to Found, Wanting & Childless. I also was disappointed in Shrines of Gaiety. I didn’t dislike it but I was expecting more. I have decided I love the Jackson Brodie books much better than her fiction.
Not everyone in my book group liked Trust, and those who did not read the dust jacket were puzzled. But I am loving this month’s book – Horse by Geraldine Brooks, with an Australian heroine, no less.
Nice chain as ever. I have read the Kalanithi, deeply moving. ‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’ Anyway, thanks for hosting as ever and here’s mine. https://www.bookshelfdiscovery.com/blog/six-degrees-of-separation-february-2023
Such an interesting chain and random connections! Like usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of finding connections between books – sometimes the book pops into my mind easily and sometimes the chain breaks down in the middle because I can’t think of the next book. SO fun!
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/6-degrees-of-separation-6
I read Passages when I was too young for it–should be an interesting chain. Meanwhile, last night, I put in the wrong link to my chain for this month. This is the correct one: https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2023/02/03/6-degrees-of-separation-trust-by-herman-diaz/
I’m sad to hear you didn’t like the new Kate Atkinson book. I haven’t read it yet. My post for this month is here: https://www.notesinthemargin.org/2023/02/04/6-degrees-of-separation-10/
Nice chain here. I have only read When Breath Becomes Air of the books on your list, and totally agree with you on that it is one of the books I will unreservedly recommend. Brideshead Revisited is a book on my reading list..
https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/separated-by-an-amazing-six-degrees/
Forster and Waugh! Great linking!
I’ve finally done mine: https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/02/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-trust-to/
Interesting links. I was quite stomped with the starter book, as well, but I found a way in the end.
My Six Degrees of Separation took me from Trust to Book Love by Debbie Tung.
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Ah, you usually have books in your chain that I am completely unfamiliar with, but this time I know four of them (and have read three), so that’s a triumph for me! It’s always hard to start with a book you are completely unfamiliar with, so I am late to the game as always…
Great connections!
I am super late: https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/02/06/six-degrees-of-separation-from-new-york-to-the-atlantic/
This is a cool idea. I have seen it around and have been meaning to try it, so I put a post together: https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2023/02/6-degrees-of-separation-feb-2023-trust.html
Welcome!