Greetings Bookworms!
I recently discovered this fantastic new meme through Rory at Fourth Street Review that’s put on by Annabel Smith and Emma Chapman. Once a month Annabel and Emma will choose a book they both enjoyed. Readers will be tasked with creating a 6-degrees-of-separation chain beginning with said book. There’s a ton of room for creativity, because there are no guidelines on the connections. Whatever you feel is fair game, and that’s totally my kind of meme!
I know it might be a bit presumptuous to cheat this system since it’s my first time at this particular rodeo, but the starting point for this month was Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (my review). I actually came up with several different chains, but I liked the initial connections of all of them SO MUCH that I decided just to make a six lists of one separation… Or something. You’ll see what I’m talking about in a minute, I swear. READY?!
1. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan: Alright, this connection is tenuous, I’ll admit, but these are the things that jump out at me. YOGURT. While reading Burial Rites
, I kept googling things I hadn’t heard of, particularly the food. Skyr is a traditional Icelandic food that is apparently similar to yogurt. There was a point in A Visit from the Goon Squad
where they discussed one of the girls’ mothers making homemade yogurt. I didn’t actually like the book but that whole yogurt thing made an impression.
2. Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: I saw soooo many parallels between Agnes and Tess! The tragic ends and the circumstances and the heartbreak. I just. Yeah. Agnes and Tess are like soul sisters.
3. The Green Mile by Stephen King: It’s hard to not connect this book with Burial Rites, I mean, they’re both about characters awaiting their executions. And they’re both pretty fabulous. It works. (my review)
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: I couldn’t help but link this series to Burial Rites
. It’s got to do with the whole Nordic vibe and the less than awesome justice system Lisbeth and Agnes were subjected to. Plus, the court representatives in both books were pretty big douche canoes, so, yeah.
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy: I was really struck at some of the description of Icelandic winters while reading Burial Rites
. It sounded so darn BLEAK. The only landscape I could conjure up that was anywhere close to the Icelandic winter was the post apocalyptic nightmare Cormac McCarthy put together. And I thought Illinois sucked in the winter. (my review)
6. The Remedy by Thomas Goetz: Nobody can cough up blood without me thinking they have TB, and nobody can have TB without me thinking of The Remedy! The matriarch of the farm where Agnes is held is struggling with some suspiciously tuberculosis-like symptoms. I’m just saying. (my review)
There we have it! Katie’s cheater-cheater version of Six Degrees of Separation. Are there any books that you might link to Burial Rites? Tell me about it, Bookworms!
*If you make a purchase through a link on this site, I will receive a small commission.*
Tanya
Totally great! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next month.
Words For Worms
I think this is a riot! Love the six degrees of separation. Next time I plan to follow the rules :).
Shannon @ River City Reading
When we read it everyone in my book club talked about how much Burial Rites reminded them of Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (in a goo way). I hadn’t read it, but I went and grabbed a copy at my next library sale and it has a familiar sounding story and sounds pretty great!
Words For Worms
Oh man! I feel like a banana head for not making that connection. YES! Alias Grace is basically Burial Rites’s Canadian cousin.
Jennine G.
Too much thinking on a Monday morning! Your list is much better than mine would be! I’d list anything in the historical fiction genre! Lol
Words For Worms
Ha! If it’s any consolation, I did not write it on a Monday morning :).
Allison (Allure of Books)
I love this! Now I feel like a total joiner for actually following the rules….
haha 🙂 but really – nice take.
Words For Worms
I have every intention of following the rules next time, I just couldn’t decide where to start this time!
Megan M.
I like this idea! I haven’t read Burial Rites so I can’t really do it properly, but I know that Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult involves a man who is waiting to be executed so it would probably work.
Words For Worms
Hmmm, how is that one? Jodi Picoult and I have a tenuous relationship… Was it a good one?
Megan M.
Pretty good, I’d say. It wasn’t like “wow” but it wasn’t like “ugh” either. LOL
Heather @ Capricious Reader
Pumpkin eater.
I can’t connect any because I haven’t read it yet! I have to get on that!
Words For Worms
I heart you. Pumpkin eater indeed.
Ashley F
This is way too much thinking on a Monday. I can’t get beyond….Oooo Kevin Bacon in Footloose.
Words For Worms
Hahahaha- did you see his montage on Fallon?
Ashley F
YUP!!!
Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf
Like branches on a tree; love your Burial Rites-inspired connections! 🙂
Words For Worms
Thank you :).
Annabel Smith
Ermagerd I can’t believe you linked two books via YOGHURT. Haha! That is the best and weirdest link out of all the chains I’ve read. You won the meme, even though you blatantly cheated on the rules! Also love the connection with The Road. Thanks for playing.
Words For Worms
LOL, thanks Annabel! This is such a fun concept, I promise to follow the rules next time… Maybe 🙂
Melinda
Like I said, I want to read Burial Rites. I’d like to see if I make the connections to some of the books I’ve read on this list. This is a good meme!
Words For Worms
Isn’t it fun? Love it!
Jenny @ Reading the End
Fun! Now I am trying to think: What would be the book version of Kevin Bacon? If you were going to play the game as if it were Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon?
Words For Worms
Oh man. I’m going to have to research this. I’m taking to social media. I shall get back to you with the results of the survey!
Nish
This is a fantastic meme and I would have totally gone for it too in my blog if it wasn’t for the fact that I haven’t read Burial Rites yet. It does sound like a fantastic book.
Words For Worms
Full disclosure: I may have bumped Burial Rites up on my reading list so I could participate in the meme.
Annabel Smith
Hi Nish, you don’t have to have read the first book – you can just make your connections based on what you know about it – so you can still join in. If you want to play next month, we’ll be starting our chains with Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar on saturday May 3rd
Words For Worms
Oooooh The Bell Jar! My mind’s a-percolating already!
Rory
You can cheat anytime you want (like I have a say…) if those are the books you include (ahem, King).
Words For Worms
That reminds me! I was looking up zombie books (because I like zombies) and Cell by SK was listed. I haven’t read it, obviously, because I’m a chicken, but given my apparent zombie loophole, do you think it’s a good one?
April @ The Steadfast Reader
I liked Cell… But a lot of people (SK fans included) didn’t. Sorry, I always have to interject when it comes to my man. 😉
Rebecca @ Love at First Book
Oh I like this game!
Words For Worms
Isn’t it fun? I love it.