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 Kairos by Erpenbeck. I haven’t read it (yet) – I bought it via Audible and then, when I began listening I realised that I had bought a German edition. My German is passable but certainly not up to Kairos!
Might sound odd but I do quite like listening to German audiobooks if I can’t sleep – there’s something about hearing a voice reading but not actually understanding that I find very relaxing. Another audiobook that I have in German (but have also read in English) is Liz Moore’s Long Bright River.
Long Bright River is set in Philadelphia, as is Kiley Reid’s debut, Such a Fun Age.
Reid’s latest, Come and Get It, was on my ‘2024 Anticipated’ list. I haven’t read it (yet) but from the same list, I have read My Brilliant Sister by Amy Brown.
The most obvious link would be to a Stella Prize or Miles Franklin winner (My Brilliant Sister is about Stella Miles Franklin’s sister, Linda) but instead I’m riffing on the title and choosing My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.
Didn’t think much of the book but loved the television series of My Brilliant Friend. I rarely pick TV over book but did it again recently with Rebecca Starford’s Bad Behaviour.
Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (August 3, 2024), we’ll start with The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose (my pick was inspired by Sue’s recent post about writers and artists).
This made me laugh Kate. My American friend wanted to read Butter after seeing my last Six Degrees, and got it from the library only to find she’d got the Japanese version!
I enjoyed your links particularly your including your insomnia treatment! Of your books I am probably most interested in Amy Brown’s.
I love that my post inspired our next book. Thank you! Meanwhile, here is my chain: https://whisperinggums.com/2024/07/06/six-degrees-of-separation-from-kairos-to/
Oops, and I meant to say that I’m delighted that my recent post inspired you to choose a book I’ve read for our next starting book!
OK, I’m going mad, I did say it!! (Don’t get old, it can be embarrassing!!)
Oh!! Interesting about the book vs the t.v. series of My Brilliant Friend! I’ve felt guilty for never reading her! Nice work.
I have enjoyed some of her stand-alone novels but the Friend series is tiresome – go directly to the TV series 😀
Thank you!!
Very interesting! Some books I may need to add to my every lengthening reading list. Here’s mine: https://tinyurl.com/eyrt86z2
For #6Degrees this #NAIDOC2024 I used First Nations fiction to riff on the meaning of the word Kairos — which Google Translate tells me means ‘weather’, ‘the right time’, ‘season’, or ‘opportunity’. So I got to revisit some of my favourite books!
https://anzlitlovers.com/2024/07/06/six-degrees-of-separation-from-kairos-to/
A clever way to start your chain!
Thank you:)
I wasn’t mad on My Brilliant Friend either. Didn’t know there had been a TV adaptation.
Here’s mine for this month: https://portobellobookblog.com/2024/07/06/6degrees-of-separation-july-2024-from-kairos-by-jenny-erpenbeck-to-shrines-of-gaiety-by-kate-atkinson/
An interesting chain as usual, and I loved the way you started it.
Here’s mine: https://margaret21.com/2024/07/06/six-degrees-of-separation-from-kairos-to-the-travelling-cat-chronicles/
I hadn’t even heard of this month’s book but it certainly took me on a journey. I haven’t read any of the books you linked but have heard of My Brilliant Friend. Here is a link to min https://clairesreadsandreviews.home.blog/2024/07/06/6degrees-of-separation-4-july-2024/
Oh… listening to foreign language audio books sounds interesting. Not sure I could do that, especially with German. Maybe Italian or French, though. Here’s my post. http://tcl-bookreviews.com/2024/07/06/tcls-6degrees-of-separation-for-july-6-2024/
Ha! I can see Kairos might offer a bit of a challenge. Here’s my link: https://alifeinbooks.co.uk/2024/07/six-degrees-of-separation-kairos-to-the-night-guest/
Ah, how lovely to listen to something soothing… although German might not be the language I classify as most soothing! This made me laugh
I thought Long Bright River was very good although depressing, and I just read an admiring review of her new book. I also read Such a Fun Age which I thought would be a good discussion book but my book group wasn’t interested (this month we are reading David Copperfield and I suppose I’d better get a move on if I want to finish (or even start) by Monday night). Philadelphia is about 6 hours from me and I visit every few years, usually for a conference or a basketball game.
I think I might be the only person who disliked My Brilliant Friend. My mother and friends zipped through the whole series while I found it painful to meander through one book.
My Brilliant Sister sounds very intriguing. It does not appear to have been published outside Australia yet.
Here is my chain: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2024/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-kairos.html
Constance
I didn’t like My Brilliant Friend either. Someone chose it for my book group and I was excited to read it but found it dull.
Six Degrees is always a fun day, one of the best blogging days of the month. So great to see what others have come up with.
Here is my list.
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-kairos.html
In any case, I am glad you find German relaxing. You might be one of the few foreigners. But I guess you speak it a little, so that helps.
I am shocked where I ended up. More than usual. https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/07/six-degrees-of-separation-starting-with.html
Hi Anne, I’d have liked to have responded to your post, but I don’t think I can comment with my WordPress credentials. Your blog offers a lot of options but not WordPress – or am I missing something. As I blog with WordPress that’s how I’d like to be identified.
I laughed at where you ended up!
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You’ve piqued my interest in LONG BRIGHT RIVER. I know you didn’t love it, but perhaps I’ll have better luck with it. I enjoyed reading the direction you took your chain! Thank you for hosting!
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It’s all Greek to me!
https://mmzlibrary.blogspot.com/2024/07/6dobs-july-kairos-by-jenny-erpenbeck.html
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