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 a beach read – Sandwich by Catherine Newman. I had mixed feelings about Sandwich but I loved Newman’s debut, We All Want Impossible Things, which as it happens, I read two summers ago while lying on the beach.
I was reminded of Impossible Things when I read Air & Love by Or Rosenboim (it was the similar covers).
Air & Love is a culinary memoir, following the movement of generations of a family through Uzbekistan and Latvia to Israel. Checking what I’ve read from Latvia, it’s just one book – Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena.
The mother in Soviet Milk struggles to work at the level she feels she has capacity for, bound by the Soviet systems she lived under. It reminded me of The Chancellor by Kati Marton which is the biography of Angela Merkel. Merkel also took the road less travelled in terms of her career.
I picked up The Chancellor because of a Nonfiction November recommendation. As always, November brings a bunch of additions to the TBR stack, and this year The Wave by Susan Casey has caught my eye.
Because I am always a sucker for books about water, I could link The Wave to a whole bunch of books, but the most obvious is Sonali Deraniyagala’s devastating memoir, Wave.
Started with a beach read, got political, and ended back with the sea. Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (January 4, 2025), we’ll start with the 2024 Booker winner, Orbital by Samantha Harvey.
I just bought Orbital this week so I might read it before next January. I could then start off the year at least the way I’d like to continue! Haha.
Enjoyed your links … love the similar cover one. And the wave – being sea-related could link back to your starting book.
Anyhow here is my chain: five decades that are punctuated by endless war and suffering.
Stupid me … you actually said you ended up with the sea! I forgot that when I was making my comment!
For once, I had done my #6degrees in advance, because I spent the afternoon with a devastated Jewish friend reeling from the synagogue arson, and my heart wouldn’t have been in it today. Melbourne doesn’t feel like Melbourne any more.
Anyway, here it is:
https://anzlitlovers.com/2024/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sandwich-to/
It’s heartbreaking and feels never-ending.
Our world is taking a bad turn. Sadly, perhaps led by my silly fellow Americans who wanted cheaper eggs over a society in which people matter.
Another interesting and very different chain from you. Here’s mine for this month: https://margaret21.com/2024/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sandwich-to-my-coney-island-baby/
Looking forward to reading all the chains. Can’t believe it’s the last one for this year already!
Here’s mine for this month: https://portobellobookblog.com/2024/12/07/6degrees-of-separation-for-2024-from-sandwich-by-catherine-newman-to-the-secrets-of-flowers-by-sally-page/
Lovely. While the cover to Orbital is really beautiful, I’m not really into SciFi so I doubt I’ll read it by January 4th.
Oh, here’s my link http://tcl-bookreviews.com/2024/12/07/tcls-6degrees-of-separation-for-december-7-2024/
It really isn’t sci-fi, Davida. I loathe sci-fi, but loved Orbital, which deals with the actual experience of being an astronaut, rather than anything fantastical. Do give it a go. I hope you won’t be disappointed.
I’m halfway through We All Want… and although I enjoyed Sandwich, have to agree that it’s better: heart-wrenching although not as much as Soviet Milk.
Here’s mine: https://alifeinbooks.co.uk/2024/12/six-degrees-of-separation-sandwich-to-much-depends-upon-dinner/
Well done for taking your chain from the beach back to the sea! Here’s mine:
https://shereadsnovels.com/2024/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sandwich-to-the-wild-girl/
Nice work–especially getting Angela Merkel in there! Here’s mine: https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2024/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-sandwich-a-novel-by-catherine-newman/
I have not read any of your books although tried a chapter of Sandwich and have read other books by Kati Morton. However, I am trying to read Orbital now. It is overdue because of course everyone wants to read it now.
Here is my chain: http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2024/12/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sandwich.html?m=1
Here is my “Sandwich” 6Degrees list: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/12/6-degrees-of-separation-from-sandwich-to.html
Great links!
I haven’t read any here, but I’m interested in Soviet Milk.
Here is my post: https://wordsandpeace.com/2024/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-ice/
I have not read any of the books here and definitely want to check the last one on your chain – Wave. my post is here – https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/whats-in-a-name-how-to-remember-names-and-more/#A_Sandwich_of_Names
How did you like The Chancellor?
Here is mine: https://cathysreadingbonanza.wordpress.com/2024/12/08/6degrees-of-separation-december-2024-from-cape-cod-to-ethiopia/
Pingback: #6Degrees of Separation: December 2024 – findingtimetowrite
Late to the party, as always, this time because of travels and real-life parties. I went surprisingly classical this month… despite never having read the starting point book.
What a great list again. And you read the book about our former chancellor. Did you know she just wrote her autobiography?
My list differs a lot from yours but I hope you like it:
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2024/12/six-degrees-of-separation-sandwich.html
I didn’t know she’d just written her autobiography – I will absolutely read it.
And it looks like they translated it already into Englisch. Yay.