Six Degrees of Separation: Intermezzo to The Kamogawa Food Detectives

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

The starting point this month is Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. I have read one Sally Rooney book but I am not sure if I will give this one a go or not. If I do, it will be on audio so that the lack of punctuation doesn't bother me.

Rather than go with another Sally Rooney book, I decided to take a different route.  Intermezzo is a musical term. I am therefore choosing A Good American by Alex George because of the musical notes on the cover.

In my review of that book I mentioned jazz, which is music I associate with New Orleans. How to Mend a Broken Heart by Rachael Johns is set in New Orleans.

When I did a post about this book, I shared some photos of our time in New Orleans. We visited a couple of houses that author Sara Donati visited as part of her research into her book Queen of Swords.

Another place that I have visited after reading about it is St Malo which I read about in Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See.

From there we go from something we cannot see to something we apparently can see in Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters. 

And for the last link, a cat features on the cover of Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai.

Where did your chain take you this month?

Next month, the starting point is Sandwich by Catherine Newman. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I have read while on holidays

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Planes, Trains & Automobiles/Books Featuring Travel (books whose plots involve travel or feature modes of transportation on the cover/title) (submitted by Cathy @ What Cathy Read Next)

Oooops. I did holiday vibes post last week. Probably should have looked ahead a bit before choosing that topic. So what am I going to do instead? How about books I have read on holidays, including on planes! 

I am currently on holidays in South Africa, so here is a pic of the book I was finishing off today sitting outside at our lodge, looking out at the pool and the bush.

The Map Maker's Promise by Catherine Law - This is the book I was reading in the picture above.

Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg  - I read this on the plane home from Queensland

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr  - I read this on the way to Tassie a couple of years ago.

Escape to Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen - I read on the way to Broome

The Language of Love by Annabel Abbs - I read this during an Easter road trip down the Great Ocean Road

Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi - I read this while I was on holiday in South Africa last time

Just One Wish by Rachael Johns - I read this book on my way to my wedding in Vanuatu

The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary - According to my blog I read this on a plane to somewhere

Barriers to Entry by Ariel Lawhon - I read a few short stories on my flight this week, and this was one of them.

Come Fly With Me by Helen Rolfe - I couldn't not include this book which is about a helicopter pilot in an emergency response team

Do you read much while you are on holidays

Top Ten Tuesday: Book to Screen

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Movies/TV Shows That Would Have Made Amazing Books (Submitted by Sabrina @ Notes From a Paper Plane Nomad) but I am going to do the most recent examples of where I have seen a movie or TV series based on a book or read a book associated with a series, or a couple of can't wait for the TV series.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - I have recently watched two French movies based on the books. They were really good adaptations

One Day by David Nicholls - I started watching this series a few weeks ago. I need to get back to it.

Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn - I am looking forward to season 3 coming out soon very soon

Masters of the Air by Donald Miller - We just finished watching this series last week.

Lessons in Chemistry - I read the book late last year and then watched the TV series

No 1 Ladies Detective Agency - I am very close to finishing my current audio book which is book no. 10000 in the series of the same name. I watched the TV adaptation many years ago and very much enjoyed it!

All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr- We watched this TV series recently.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - I have read another of Amor Towles books, but not this one yet, but I will be watching this!

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa - The movie is just called Sweet Bean 

Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams - This is a bit of a curve ball because whilst I did watch this it was a play rather than on a screen!

Six Degrees of Separaton: Western Lane to To Say Nothing of the Dog

 

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best.  The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links.  I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz. 

 

This month's starting point is Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, which is a novella that has been nominated for the Booker prize.

For my first link I am going to be a bit obvious and go with the opposite direction to West and choose East of Eden by John Steinbeck! East of Eden was a book that I read thanks to the Oprah Book Club back in the day. 

Another book I read through that was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia. I recently heard that that Netflix are making a series from this book.

Another book that recently got the Netflix treatment was All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I haven't started watching it yet, but we will. After all, reading this book inspired us to stay in St. Malo when we were in France earlier this year.

A place I would love to visit in France after reading about it in a book is Carcasonne. A book that is set there is Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Another author named Kate is Kate Atkinson and I have chosen to use her book Started Early, Took the Dog for the purposes of this exercise.

Keeping with the dog theme, my final selection is To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

The starting point for next month is Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

Where did your chain take you this month?

Top Ten Tuesday: Places I visited which reminded me of books I have read

 

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Bookish Goals for 2023, I really only have two of those (and I am already behind on one of those) so instead I am twisting the topic to have the opportunity to share some photos from my trp!

My theme for this week is places I have visited which reminded me of books I had read. Obviously, I need to work on the title to make it a bit snappier, but it is what it is right now.

For context, I am currently in Italy, having visited The Netherlands, France and Italy. We will be travelling home via Singapore so there will be more, but for now, these are just some of the places where I found myself thinking about books I had read while I was away

Bayeux - There is so much history in Normandy, whether it be medieval or WWII or somewhere in between. I found my self thinking about Elizabeth Chadwick's books as well as Sharon Kay Penman's books. However, for the purpose of today, I am choosing to match with The Needle in the Blood by Sarah Bower

Saint Chappelle - Amy Plum introduced me to this place and it has been on my bucket list ever since.

St Malo - When we were planning our route we were looking for somewhere to stay between Normandy and the Loire Valley and I chose this place purely and simply because of Anthony Doerr's wonderful book All the Light We Cannot See.

Chennonceau - I first blogged about wantiing to visit Chennonceaux back in 2011! This book tells the story of Catherine de Medici who left her mark on this chateau.

Louvre - I have read a number of books now which talk about the saving of art from The Louvre. One passage which came to mind was from The Riviera House by Natasha Lester where they talked about the processs of getting The Winged Victory of Thamocrace out of the Louvre. Interestingly, at Chambord in the Loire Valley there is a new permanent exhibition which talked about saving the art from The Louvre during WWII.

Musee D'Orsay - We loved visiting Musee D'Orsay - we definitely did not have enought time thher. Whilst Renoir's painting Luncheon of the Boating Party is not one of the ones we saw, I did find myself thinking of this book while I was there.

Musee D'Orsay - I really wanted to get a photo of the clocks at Musee D'Orsay. They are on a number of covers but this it the one that comes to mind.

Naples - The obvious choice for Naples would be Elena Ferrante but instead I am choosing The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella

Puglia - As I started this post I was staying in a trullo in Alberobello. I was inspired to want to visit Puglia thanks to this book. We did a walking tour of the town and the guide asked why we chose to stay here and I shared the title!

Rome - We arrived in Rome late on Monday so our main tourist day is tomorrow so no pictures yet!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set In a Place I’d Love to Visit (real places or fictional)

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books Set In a Place I’d Love to Visit (real places or fictional). This is a topic that I feel like I done recently but it is actually a couple of years ago now! So this week I am going to share some books set in places that we plan to visit soon.

We are planning a weekend away in Adelaide for my brother's 40th birthday soon.

Mix Tape by Jane Sanderson (review) - This book is set in both Adelaide and Sheffield in the UK, which is a place I lived in for four years back in the late 1990s.

At some point this year I need to go to Perth to see the family over there


Taking a Chance by Deborah Burrows (review) - Deborah Burrows wrote a couple of books set in war time Perth!

We have a big trip planned for the end of the years where we will start in The Netherlands to see my brother in law and his family.

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach - we won't be there for Tulip season but still

The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater - recently bought this.

From there we will go to Northern France -We don't know exactly where we are going to be staying so I am choosing the following two locations. What we do know is that there will definitely be some Normandy beaches experiences. After that we will head to Paris. Given that I only just did a French themed TTT post a couple of weeks ago,  I am going to only share one book for all of France.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - set in St Malo

From there the plan is to head to Southern Italy.


The Postcard from Italy by Angela Petch (Review)- I was inspired to want to visit Puglia after reading this book!


The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella - Set in Naples!

We will stop in Singapore on the way home

Tanamera by Noel Barber - I read this in my late teens or early twenties. I also read numerous other books by this author. Not sure they would stand the test of time!

The next year we are planning to spend some time in New Zealand

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins - Such a fun read!

And then looking even further forward we are thinking about heading to Hawaii which will include a visit to Pearl Harbour for sure.

The Lost Pearl by Emily Madden - This book is set both in Hawaii and Sydney.

I love travelling but I am always grateful to travel via the pages of a book too!