Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Read is this month's starting point. It is about a fictional 1970s rock and roll band.
Again, I haven't read the book we are starting with, which makes it that little bit harder to launch the chain. The book's blurb, however, contains the phrase coming of age. A classic coming of age story, and a
favourite of mine, is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
From this, I'm linking to another novel with the word garden in it's title and in which Frances Hodgson Burnett appears as one of the characters. This book is The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.
From gardens to a professional gardener/gardening journalist turned novelist takes me to the only novel I've read by Alan Titchmarsh, The Haunting. This is a dual time line story set in 2010 and 1816, and contains some supernatural activity.
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Dual time lines and the supernatural are what Susanna Kearsley is famous for and her 2018 release, Bellewether, is my next link in the chain. Now I know that the title of this book does not refer to sheep, but I'm using the definition of bellwether/bellewether (a sheep with a bell tied around its neck to help with location of the flock) to link to The Ballad of Desmond Kale. This novel by Roger Macdonald is set in Australia during the early 1800s and involves the rivalry of merino sheep breeders.
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The titular Desmond Kale is a convict, with a reputation for breeding the finest sheep. Technically, he's a shepherd. This brings me to my final book, Shepherd by Catherine Jinks, a thriller set in colonial Australia of the 1840s.
This month my chain has taken me from the USA in the 1960s/70s back in time to Australia in the 1800s.
Next month the starting point is Fleishman is in Trouble by Tatty Brodesser-Akner.
Very good chain here. I'm quite interested in Shepherd. Here's my chain https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/01/04/6degrees-of-separation-for-january-4-2020/
ReplyDeleteThanks, Davida. I really enjoyed Shepherd even though it was a little gruesome in parts.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this chain! That first leap was so innovative. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Theresa. It was easier to make that first connection than I thought it was going to be!
DeleteI think we have similar taste! Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors and I usually like Kate Morton as well. I will look for The Haunting and Shepherd now.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like we do! I hope you do read The Haunting and Shepherd. I'd be interested in your opinion of them.
DeleteNice connections. I love so much The Secret Garden and The Forgotten Garden. With these, I also read a modern version of The Secret Garden. It's very good too: https://wordsandpeace.com/2012/05/31/2012-25-review-the-humming-room/
ReplyDeleteThank you. The Humming Room sounds interesting. I'll check it out.
DeleteGreat chain! I love learning about books from other cultures that I otherwise would never even hear of. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you and you're welcome!
DeleteThe Secret Garden was one of my favourites as a child - I think it might be a good starting book for a future chain...
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea!
DeleteComing of age . . . What a great jumping off point! The Secret Garden is a perfect choice. I love how you put this chain together. So many great books too! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think The Secret Garden is a favourite of many.
DeleteI enjoyed your chain, especially because you included Susanna Kearsley and Kate Morton!!
ReplyDeleteThey are great authors!
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