It is time for another Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate, who each month decides on a starting point, from which everyone builds a chain of six related books. Feel free to join in!
Starting point: Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day
In Friendaholic, Elizabeth Day muses on the significance and evolution of friendship and reflects on her own attitude to friendships. Has she prioritized quantity over quality? And what does it mean to be a good friend?
1. These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
These Precious Days is a collection of essays, covering a variety of topics. Friendship is a central theme and the title essay is a moving account of Patchett’s friendship with Sooki, Tom Hanks’ assistant, who was an artist as well. I loved this essay collection, which has made me want to read more by the author.
2. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
In These Precious Days, we also get the story about how Tom Hanks’ narration of The Dutch House came about and who created the amazing cover for the novel. Tom Hanks turned out to be the perfect narrator and it’s one of these rare occasions, where the narrator truly becomes the protagonist.
3. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
I loved the depiction of the sibling relationship between Danny and Maeve in The Dutch House. There was a good deal of dysfunctional family dynamics going on in the novel, but the two siblings undoubtedly functioned as a stable fix point in each other’s lives. Claire Fuller’s Unsettled Ground is another novel, which revolves around a strong sibling bond .
4. Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
In Unsettled Ground, the middle aged twins Jeanie and Julius have to learn to cope on their own, when their mother passes away. That seems rather late in life to gain independence. In Nightcrawling on the other hand, Kiara is only 17, when she has to support herself and her brother.
5. Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Kiara in Nightcrawling is thoroughly let down by the authorities. And the police, which are meant to protect her, exploit her sexually. In Long Bright River, which takes place in a Philadelphia neighborhood dominated by drug abuse and crime, the role of the police is also highly dubious at times.
6. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
Long Bright River doesn’t sugar code the ugly face of the opioid crisis. In Empire of Pain we go behind the scenes and get an insight into the Sackler family, whose company produced OxyContin, the painkiller which played an important role in the opioid crisis.
So there you have it. We started with one addiction and ended with another. Where did your chain take you?
My goodness! Whatever next! I’ve actually read the first four books in your chain. Long Bright River certainly seems a bit of a Night Crawling look-alike, but none the worse for that. And Patrick Radden Keefe’s book looks worth a read too – so thank you for those..
Well done, I hadn’t read any of the books in your chain. I am guessing you are just reading more books than me? I really enjoyed all of the books in my chain this month and can definitely recommend the Keefe book and Long Bright River.
Now I want to read the books you write about in this piece! Speaking of Tom Hanks: I remember his early work on TV — it was a short-lived comedy series called Bosom Buddies. It was pretty good.
There are all great books! I have enjoyed pretty much everything I’ve seen with Tom Hanks, but am unaware of Bosom Buddies.
Great chain, particuarly that first link. I remember how friendship stood out as central to Ann Patchett’s life in those essays.
Yes, I thought it was very suitable to link to these essays, which I just finished. Generally, I like books about friendship and there are certainly a lot of inspiration in the chains this month.
wow, neat connections, though your last 3 seem to be heavy books, emotionally speaking
Thanks, they were a bit heavy, but very readable as well.
Our reading taste very much aligns – I’ve read three of the books in your chain and have two more in the TBR stack. Loved The Dutch House and Empire of Pain.
We certainly agree about those two! I hope you will enjoy the others, which are on your TBR as well.
The Ann Pratchett essays are something I must look up; all new to me books in your chain, and I enjoyed how you linked them up. I’d agree with the commenter above that the last three do seem emotionally heavier reads, though that wouldn’t necessarily prevent me from picking them up (just not all together :))
The essays were such a positive surprise for me, I will look out for more of Pratchett’s nonfiction. The last three were a bit heavy. Especially Nightcrawling, where things continuously went from bad to worse. I had to take some breaks while reading. Long Bright River and Empire of Pain were gripping page turners, which I sped through despite their length.
I haven’t read any of the books, but what a lovely chain, and wholesome too! 😉
Thanks so much and thanks for stopping by!
Yeah there’s a good link between all these. If you liked Ann Patchett’s essays — her first book of them is also very good called This Is a Story of a Happy Marriage. That’s where I got hooked on her nonfiction. you might love it. Enjoy your week.
Thanks Susan, I will look up This is a Story of a Happy Marriage. If it’s anything like These Precious Days, I will definitely enjoy.
I am writing too much and not reading enough and looking at your chain reminds me why I never go to bookshops (which I love to do) because I would buy these books and my TBR pile is tottering with books I pick up from the charity desk in the supermarket which I have to go to and can’t help myself picking up books there…
Yes, it is easy to be tempted. I try to keep a balance, so I buy books at the same speed as I read them. So maybe my TBR doesn’t get smaller, but it doesn’t grow either. However, sometimes it’s fun to give in to temptation. Nice that your supermarket has a charity desk. 😊