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 Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. So much hype. I was completely hooked.
Another that was hyped this year (and that I was also engrossed in) was Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash.
I haven’t written my review for Lost Lambs yet but my only criticism was that Cash was forced into something action-driven toward the end, when I would have been more than satisfied with doing a ‘Franzen’ – i.e. a character-driven, fraught family story that is based around dry humour and that doesn’t truly ‘resolve’. And the best example of this is The Corrections.
The Corrections was the first book I read by Jonathan Franzen and I absolutely loved it, so I was thrilled to discover that there’s a TV series based on the book on the way.
Another TV series in the pipeline is based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling. London Falling is burning a hole in my reading pocket – so many good books, so little time! It’s next on the list.
In the same reading-pocket is Evelyn Clarke’s The Ending Writes Itself. I’ve signed up to watch Evelyn Clarke (who is actually a collaboration between author V.E. Schwab and screenwriter Cat Clarke) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Also on my Edinburgh list is Douglas Stuart discussing the absolutely stunning John of John.
John of John was my book group’s pick for June and it got a unanimous thumbs-up. Our July pick is Said the Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa.
Said the Dead links back to Yesteryear in some ways, making my chain a circle. Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (August 1, 2026), we’ll start with Maggie O’Farrell’s new release (and already a best-seller), Land.
