Six Degrees of Separation (May): Rapture to At Home by Bill Bryson

The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.

This month's six degrees starts with Rapture by Emily Maguire, the story of a girl who disguised herself as a monk to live in a monastery and avoid the life of a wife or nun. I haven't read Rapture yet, but I have read many positive reviews about the book.

The first link is a little boring perhaps - but Wicked by Gregory Maguire comes straight to mind just as a result of the matching surname. I read and reviewed it in 2009, in the early days of my first blog Page Turners. Although I don't recall much of the specifics of the plot anymore, I recall the impact it had on me at the time. It was dark and visited me in my dreams and made me ponder the difference between good and evil. I saw the movie recently with my daughter and I think that it might be time to revisit the book some time soon.

I can't help it, next is The Wizard of Oz by Frank L Baum. This was a quick fun read from 2009 as well, that oddly enough I read for the first time after I read Wicked. The book was great, but it's hard to go past the movie, which played such a big role on repeat in my childhood. One of my primary school memories is my sister bringing home an illustrated copy of the book from the school library. When my mother saw the book, she remembered owning a copy of the same book as a child herself and after a polite request the school librarian allowed her to keep the book rather than return it to the library.

Next is Father Frank by Paul Frank - the connection being in the name of Frank. I would be very surprised if anyone else has ever read this but it's one of my favourite easy reads. It's about a man who becomes a Catholic Priest (despite not believing in God) and drives a taxi part time to raise funds for his church. Eventually, a beautiful woman books his taxi and sparks fly. What is a Priest to do in such circumstances? It's just a bit of light-hearted romance but I love it.

Light-hearted romance? I have to think about Emma by Jane Austen. Perhaps not light-hearted in the same way, but certainly about romance and certainly very funny - laugh out loud funny. I think this is Austen's funniest novel.

Laugh out loud funny? That takes me straight to Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson. That man is hilarious, and I remember just absolutely cracking up the entire time I was reading this one.

This takes me straight to the last book of this chain, another Bill Bryson book - and that's At Home. I would really like to finish At Home, which tells the history of the family home room by room. I've started it, but it's such a door stopper I've never quite been able to get through it.

That's all from me - looking forward to June.