In a way, my life has moved from one anniversary to the next through earth and water, just like I titled my blog post today. While I strung those words together based on the titles of the books in my six degrees chain today, I realize that in the past year, I have indeed traveled across the globe, crossed the oceans, twice over, to spend time with my mom as she battled cancer and in her last days.
As for the anniversary, it is a lighter celebration – in the beginning of May each year (over the past few years), I feel a sense of relief at having finished up a whole slew of woven together month blogging challenges!!
May the Fourth be With You! Plus, explore your local comic book stores for the 4th of May (first Saturday in May) also happens to be Free Comic Book Day (here in the US).
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Starting With The Anniversary. Where Next?
This month’s Six Degrees chain is starting off with Stephanie Bishop’s The Anniversary. As almost always with the starter book so far, I am yet to read it. But it did remind me instantly of a few things, so here I go making connections between a few great reads today!
The Anniversary – Stone Mattress – Cutting for Stone – Covenant of Water – Born on the Water – The Water Babies – Lamb to the Slaughter – The Anniversary
The Pairs
The Anniversary – Stone Mattress
The link: a cruise, a man, a woman, a death, and maybe more?
Like I mentioned before, I have not read The Anniversary (but it sounds like one I will be reading soon enough!)
Book Description: For fans of Lisa Halliday and Susan Choi, The Anniversary is a simmering page-turner about an ascendant writer, the unresolved death of her husband, and what it takes to emerge on her own
As for Margaret Atwood’s Stone Mattress: Nine Wicked Tales, I have definitely read the titular short (and the rest as well) in this amazing collection (and why I know I need to read more books by her).
Book Description: From the bestselling author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments—a thrilling, funny, and thought-provoking collection of stories that affirms Atwood as our greatest creator of worlds—and as an incisive chronicler of our darkest impulses.
Stone Mattress – Cutting for Stone
The link: keeping it simple here with “stone”
Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone had made a few appearances on my blog, including another #6degrees chain.
Cutting for Stone – The Covenant of Water
The link: the author
I am finally reading Verghese’s The Covenant of Water. In doing so, I am rediscovering why I totally fell in love with him, I mean, his writing!! It is like he picks the most ordinary words and the beautiful, extraordinary ones. Then he weaves them all together to create – magic!
Book Description: This is a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret
The Covenant of Water – The 1619 Project: Born on the Water
The link: once again, simple connections – “water”
I read The 1619 Project: Born on the Water last year. And it is, with no other words I can think of to say – simply powerful!
Book Description: The 1619 Project’s lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson.
Born on the Water – The Water Babies
The link: “water” and maybe ‘born’ and ‘babies’ too!
I read Kingsley’s The Water Babies as a young girl. And from what I can recall, I delighted in the whimsy and fancifulness of everything. The pictured edition is an adapted version and has stunning artwork bringing out the magical aspects of the story.
Book Description (for the pictured edition): Charles Kingsley’s story of a boy chimney sweep is a children’s classic. Sympathetically retold by Jane Carruth, the abridged text is complemented by Anne Grahame Johnstone’s enchanting illustrations. Illustrated in full colour throughout, with a holographic foil cover.
The Water Babies – Lamb to the Slaughter
The link: stretching the connection a bit here. From water babies to ‘babies on earth’ – in this case – ‘sheep babies’ aka lambs.
From whimsical books for children to a dark short story for older readers! I recall reading the short Lamb to the Slaughter in high school. And then a few years later, rediscovered Dahl when I read Henry Sugar’s story.
Lamb to the Slaughter – The Anniversary
The link: a man, a woman, a death, and maybe more?
Closing the circle and back to The Anniversary.
The Reflections Anniversary
Another year, another reflections post. Upon reflecting, here is what I ended up with. Not really all reflective thoughts, but here they are:
- I end up with similar thoughts and must-dos and such each year; and each year, I don’t really succeed at it.
- But then again, I somehow manage to get through each day’s post even with planning for it from scratch at the very end!! So that leaves me feeling that next time, with some prep, I can do better. And the cycle continues!
- This time around, once again, I know I need to go blog-hopping and commenting. I really did not do enough of that across all the challenges. So I will spend a few minutes each day on a virtual road trip doing the same.
- Exploring all the blogs, the posts, the poems, and the everything elses along this journey simply leaves me in awe of all the amazing people behind them.
You can find all my April posts for the past few years since I joined these challenges (A-Z, Blogchatter, UBC, NaPoWriMo) in the A to Z Challenge Posts page here.
And Now, the End of This Post
Dear reader, as always, ending this post with questions for you:
- the bookish ones:
- have you read any of these books? if so, your thoughts on the book(s)? if not, which one would you pick first?
- which of these (or other) books would be on your #6degrees chain?
- and then the non-bookish ones:
- did you take part in NaPoWriMo this past month? Or any of the other month long challenges (like the A to Z blogging challenge or UBC)?
And of course, as always, I welcome any and all thoughts and comments on the post.
Well, I know none of these (except maybe The Water Babies, but I hardly remember it), but this is an intriguing chain. The 1619 project looks different – I’ll see if I can find that one first.
That’s an interesting chain. I read Cutting for Stone years ago and loved it, so I’m looking forward to reading The Covenant of Water.
Interesting. I almost went with Stone Mattress for this one as well. In the end, I went in another direction.
I’m feeling very lucky today: Yours is the second new blog I’ve discovered today through 6 Degrees of Separation. Thanks for sharing.
I just finished The Covenant of Water for my book group and must admit that I did not expect to like it but was fairly captivated. There was certainly a lot to discuss and our hostess fed us Indian food to put us in the mood, which was much appreciated.
We read Cutting for Stone several years ago but I don’t remember it well. I am sure I read The Water Babies long ago – Mrs. Do as you would be done by stayed in my mind!
It sounds like you have had a tough year. I hope books continue to be a solace.
Covenant of Water and Cutting for Water both are books that appeal to me!
Interesting chain! Well done!!
I haven’t read most of these books, but you’ve definitely piqued my interest in several, especially The Covenant of Water, and the powerful-sounding The 1619 Project: Born on the Water. Your brief descriptions painted such an inviting picture.