Six Degrees of Separation: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

How the meme works

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. Books can be linked in obvious ways – for example, books by the same authors, from the same era or genre, or books with similar themes or settings. Or, you may choose to link them in more personal ways: books you read on the same holiday, books given to you by a particular friend, books that remind you of a particular time in your life, or books you read for an online challenge. A book doesn’t need to be connected to all the other books on the list, only to the ones next to them in the chain.  You can read more at the host blog, Books Are My Favourite and Best

I’m an American of a certain age so it’s almost (“almost”) guaranteed that I love The Boss! After all, I was Born in the USA! In spite of knowing so many of his songs, I haven’t read the book.

My Chain

1

While Shotgun Lovesongs is more John Mellencamp than the boss, it was the first book that occurred to me. So a book that includes a singer (like Springsteen or Mellencamp) and a town that’s way of life is over. Typical Springsteen type stuff. Shotgun Lovesongs by Nicklas Butler. (My review is linked)

2

On two a second book set in Wisconsin–The All Girls Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fanny Flagg (My review was lost on my old blog, so the link is to Amazon)

3

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From girls having fun and doing their “bit” in WWII in Wisconsin to girls in the Blitz in London. Dear Mrs. Byrd by AJ Pearce. (Book 2 is Yours Cheerfully and book 3 in this series, Mrs Porter Calling is coming in the USA in August, but can already be pre-orderd. The book 3 link is to Amazon)

4

Another story of a plucky young woman in the Blitz (this time a memoir)  is Frances Faviell’s Chelsea Concerto.

5

 

A small statue or figurine features in Chelsea Concerto. Such items feature in Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle as well. (Ok, this was a stretch!) (Scroll down to my review in the linked post)

 

6

Tortilla Curtain shows the lives of an imaginary couple who have entered the US without bothering to check in with US Immigation (it is politically incorrect to use the word “illegal aliens” today). This book shows the other side of the story, albeit told by a young man who would cut himself before he’d use that term. The Line Becomes A River

This was the hardest chain in years!

Why not join us next month when we will start with a book on the Stella Prize 2023 shortlist – Hydra by Adriane Howell.