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 I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.
This quote from Smith –
Perhaps he found beauty saddening – I do myself sometimes. Once when I was quite little I asked father why this was and he explained that it was due to our knowledge of beauty’s evanescence, which reminds us that we ourselves shall die.
– links perfectly to the sentiment behind Susan Cain’s book, Bittersweet.
Bittersweet draws on a number of real-life stories, including that of Min Kym and her stolen violin. Kym has since turned her story into a memoir, Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung.
My next link is to a book that’s been on my TBR stack for years and I’ve picked it because it also features musical instruments – Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia. Bellweather Rhapsody is about high school music students trapped in the Bellweather Hotel because of a blizzard.
Trapped musicians leads me to Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto. Despite having read and loved much of Patchett’s work, I’m yet to read Bel Canto, but that didn’t stop me from acquiring her latest – Tom Lake.
I’m finishing with another book with ‘lake’ in the title (it’s also waiting patiently in my TBR stack) – Hella S. Haasse’s novella, The Black Lake.
I went on a musical journey from castles to lakes – where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (November 4, 2023), we’ll start with Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, a novella that is part of the read-along for Novella November 2023 (and it also made the Booker Prize 2023 shortlist!).
