Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links.
Normally when I participate in this my links are somewhat random. It could be locations, author names, titles, etc but this month I am going with a specific theme - mostly types of roads. Whenever I do these posts I try and keep it to books that I have actually read but there is one exception this month. It is actually an exception for two reasons but more about that later.
The starting point this month is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I read this book when it was an Oprah's Book Club selection many years ago (my review) I did think about going down the post apocalyptic route from here but in the end I decided to head in a different direction.
So the most obvious type of road other than a road is a street so I have chosen Street of Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters. This author is known more for her Amelia Peabody series which is set in Victorian Egypt. This series features a Vicky Bliss and a gentleman thief known as John Smythe. They are both fun series. My review is here.
I've realised that I didn't do a road book yet, so for that one I am choosing On the Jellicoe Road by Australian author Melina Marchetta. She is one of my favourites, whether it is her YA books which have incredible depth and emotion or her books for adults. Here is my gushy review
Ocean at the end of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is my next stop. I read this a few years ago now, and enjoyed it. I was lucky enough to hear Neil Gaiman speak earlier this year, which was such a treat!
Now is about where I started to struggle with this idea. I mean there are plenty of books that have the word path, and there must be books with words like boulevard, parade, circuit but my restriction of having read the book made it difficult.
So I am cheating a bit and choosing as my next choice Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. I read this book 15 years ago and I do remember how much it moved me at the time.
In the end I broke my own rules and chose as my final book one that I haven't read, although I have seen the movie a couple of times because I love it. I do however have the book on my shelf. My final choice for this month is One Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais. Yes, I know that there is no type of road in the title of this one, but I think the word journey encompasses all the roads.
Next month's starting book is Normal People by Sally Rooney.
This is such a fun meme. I like how you linked all the books. I need to give this meme a try so will work on putting together a post.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Before I did my first one I thought it was going to be really hard but it's actually not once you get your idea.
DeleteI love the idea of sticking to one theme in your choices and you've done it very cleverly. And an interesting choice of books too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cath.
DeleteI really need to read some Melina Marchetta one of these days!
ReplyDeleteYou really do Megan!
DeleteI loved On the Jellicoe Road (I've recently heard it's to be adapted for film or tv), and The Place on Dalhousie is on my to-read list, although I didn't realise it was about the same characters as Saving Francesca, so maybe I need to read that again first! Like you, I loved the film The Hundred-Foot Journey, but haven't read the book.
ReplyDeleteAt last year's Melbourne Writer's Festival Melina Marchetta confirmed that there was a screen play. No idea if it is actually going to happen or not. Would be great if it is.
DeleteIs The 100 Foot Journey the same as the movie about two restaurants, across the road from each other? That works, no?
ReplyDeleteThat's the one Davida!
DeleteI drafted a chain using the same theme, and ran into a ‘roadblock’ at the same point :)
ReplyDeleteNice chain, thanks for sharing.
Had to twist and turn a little to get there Shelleyrae but I can live with that.
DeleteI love the flexibility in your chain Marg. And yes, I reckon journey encompasses roads, streets, paths and lanes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue! I think I have a tendency to be quite directive in my chain. Next month I might try to be a little less so!
DeleteSuch an interesting connection here between the books. Enjoyed reading it. I've only read half of The Road when I tried it years ago. I couldn't bring myself to read the rest of it. Hundred foot journey was so good - the book and the movie!
ReplyDeleteOne day I will read the book Athira!
DeleteA lot of interesting books. I tried to go down the roads/streets link but couldn't come up with any titles I'd read that fitted. Until now - when they are all popping into my head.
ReplyDeleteThat happens to me all the time Yvonne!
DeleteI also read Angela's Ashes years and years ago but it remains a favourite, and a book I think about regularly. I haven't dared a reread (always nervous about that with 'favourites') but I have read some of his other books.
ReplyDeleteI hear you Kate! Also because Angela's Ashes is so intense so you have to be in the right place to reread it!
DeleteGood chain. I've read Ocean at the End of the Lane and Angela's Ashes. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Lisa!
DeleteI like that you chose to go the road route with this one, Marg. I thought about it, but sticking with post-apocalyptic novels seemed to be the strongest pull for me. I have read a few of these--Angela's Ashes, The Hundred-Foot Journey,The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and The Road. All good reads. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
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