6 Degrees of Separation: From Bass Rock to Garden Spells

How is your week going, Reader? Last Saturday I met my goal for the Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge by finishing Meg & Jo, and sadly I have to say the last third of the book was disappointing. I’ll dig into that when I share my review, which will probably be early next month. I did go ahead and start the sequel, Beth & Amy, which isn’t off to a great start either. We’ll see how it goes, though! School is picking up a bit more this week as well, so I may not have much time to read fiction. The rough draft of a group project for my IT class is due in a few days, so that is holding most of my attention.

Today’s post participates in #6DegreesofSeparation hosted by Kate at booksaremyfavouriteandbest. The gist is that everyone starts with the same book, then finds another book that relates to it somehow, then one that relates to the second, until you’ve got a chain of six additional books. It’s a twist on the theory that every person on earth can somehow be connected to any other person in six or fewer steps, and provides an opportunity to talk about random books we love (or don’t).

I haven’t read the book we’re starting with this month, which makes for a very different challenge from last month’s when we started with a book I know well. My TBR list may already be extravagantly long, but this linkup is a fun introduction to a lot of new-to-me books. Granted, almost any opportunity to talk about books is fun for me – that’s why I have a book blog, after all! If you’re in a similar boat, check out the host’s blog, linked in the previous paragraph and at the end of this post.

Starting Point: Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Genre: Historical Fiction

Have I Read It?: No

Synopsis: Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has always borne witness to the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries, the fates of three women are inextricably linked to this place and to one another. Sarah, accused of being a witch, is fleeing for her life. Ruth, in the aftermath of the Second World War, is navigating a new marriage and the strange waters of the local community. Six decades later, Viv, still mourning the death of her father, is cataloguing Ruth’s belongings in the now-empty house.

As each woman’s story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that their choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men who seek to control them. But in sisterhood there is also the possibility of survival and a new way of life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with love and fury–a devastating indictment of violence against women and an empowering portrait of their resilience through the ages.

1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Genre: Multiple

I Read It In: 2019

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Link to Previous Book: Follows multiple generations to tell a single, interconnected story

2. Citizen by Claudia Rankin

Genre: Nonfiction, Essay Collection (sort of)

I Read It In: 2016

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Link to Previous Book: Both are books that I struggled to get through, but were ultimately worthwhile

3. What Light by Jay Asher

Genre: YA Holiday/Christmas Fiction

I Read It In: 2016

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Link to Previous Book: Read in 2016

4. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Genre: YA Contemporary, light romance

I Read It In: 2014

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Link to Previous Book: Feel-good YA contemporary

5. The Year of Oceans by Sean Anderson

Genre: Literary Fiction

I Read It In: 2018

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Link to Previous Book: Oceans featured prominently

6. Garden Spells (Waverly Family #1) by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Magical Realism

I Read It In: 2015

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Link to Previous Book: Deals with grief and family, although in different ways

I like seeing how books which initially appear unrelated are able to be connected. Visit booksaremyfavoriteandbest to see what books others have connected.

Have you read Bass Rock? Or any of the books in today’s chain?

Until the next chapter,

Jana