Sunday, May 02, 2021

Six Degrees of Separation: Beezus and Ramona to Digging Up Dirt

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 was Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. I struggled with this as a starting point as, while I have heard of Ramona Quimby, I don't remember reading any of Cleary's books when I was young. I must have done I think but that was a long time ago. I therefore thought about the name Ramona, which led me to my first link.




Ramona Koval is an Australian media personality, who features at many of our local literary festivals, as well as those around the world. She was host of The Morning Show on our national broadcaster, the ABC, and then on The Book Show. She is also a published author, so my first book is going to be By the Book: A Reader's Guide to Life.

When I was looking for some of the interviews that Koval has done over the years, I came across this interview with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie



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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote Half of a Yellow Sun. I don't read books set in Nigeria all that often anymore, but when I do I find them very interesting. Part of the reason is that my son's father is Nigerian which gives my son some Nigerian heritage.




Another book set in Nigeria that I remember really enjoying is Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson.




Christie Watson also wrote a memoir of her life as a nurse called The Language of Kindness: A Nurses Story





Over the years, I have read many books where the main character is a nurse, but I have chosen The Desert Nurse by Australian author Pamela Hart, set in WWI Egypt.




Pamela Hart's latest book moves away from historical fiction and is called Digging up Dirt, which is a mystery where a body is found when doing home renovations! This seems like a very fitting place to finish seeing as we are renovating our ensuite this weekend. Luckily we didn't find a body underneath the floorboards...just some old bricks and things.



Next month's starting point will be winner of the 2021 Stella Prize The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld.

30 comments:

  1. Digging Up Dirt sounds interesting. Makes one think twice about what might be found when doing home renovations. "Whew!" to only finding bricks and things! ������

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    1. And bricks and things can easily be covered over when you put the new floor in right itskoo?

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  2. I also don't recall ever reading any Cleary books, but my sister said that she did and "they were all over the house"! Then she proceeded to tell me which of her books she read. No matter, and this is a really interesting chain!

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    1. I may have read them but I don't think so Davida!

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  3. What a fun chain Marg. I love the beginning Ramona link - and then to the wonderful Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. I don't know the other books but they sound interesting.

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    1. It was a challenge to find the first link but I got there Sue!

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  4. Cool chain! I’ve never read any of them, so thanks for introducing me to something new.

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  5. Great links! I read at least one or two of the Ramona books as a child, but the only other book I've read from your chain is Half of a Yellow Sun, which I found interesting.

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    1. It was definitely a good read Helen!

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  6. I loved the Henry Huggins books of Beverly Cleary in which Ramona and Beezus only played minor roles.

    I also was taken with Half of a Yellow Sun.

    I am fascinated with where the six degrees of separation takes you.

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  7. Glad your floorboards turned out to be so ordinary! 😂 This is the first time I'm hearing about Ramona Koval, going to check out other videos on YouTube, thanks!
    ~Lex

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  8. Adichie is such a fantastic writer, I'm slowly making my way through all her books.

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  9. I haven't read any of these books, but they do look interesting. I love your Six Degrees posts. Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks Yvonne! They are fun posts to do.

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  10. I really enjoyed Adichie's Americanah. I've been meaning to read the rest of her novels.

    I hope you have a great week!

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    1. I need to read more by her too Heather!

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  11. I haven't read Half of the Yellow Sun yet, but it's still on my TBR. Digging up dirt is my kind of read for sure.

    Interesting chain Marg!

    May you have a wonderful May!

    Elza Reads

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  12. I only like to do the 6-Degrees assignment if I am familiar with the first book. And I am so I am working up a list in my brain. In the meantime, here is my My Sunday Salon post

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    1. I enjoy doing it whether I have read the book or not Anne!

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  13. digging up dirt sounds like an interesting read. the only dead thing we found when renovating was a rat in the wall cavity.

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    1. I would find even that challenging Sherry!

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  14. Well done on finding a Ramona link! I tried that but just could not think of one. The book by Ramona Koval looks interesting, I will investigate.

    Thanks for a great chain.

    I've never heard of anyone finding a body while renovating, but people here have certainly found old shoes and other talismans. I think one of Ian Rankin's Rebus books starts with a body (or at least a skeleton?) behind a fireplace too.

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    1. It was a challenging starting point this month Rosemary.

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  15. oops, I forgot to say my chain is here: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2021/05/six-degrees-of-separation-may-2021.html

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  16. I hope you enjoy it if you do find it Vicki!

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