Welcome back to the bookish version of Six Degrees of Separation. Here’s how it works: Start with the book suggested by Kate over at booksaremyfavouriteandbest, and see where you end up by linking it to six other titles. It’s easy and it’s fun, and no two chains are the same!
This month’s starting point is the 2020 Booker Prize winner, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Unfortunately, I read 62% of this one before I threw in the towel. For me, it was boring and uneventful; I wanted so much more from it. From the Goodreads description (you can read it here), it sounded dark, but I’m okay with dark stories. In fact, many of my favorite books can be described as dark, so that’s my focus for this installment of #6degrees.
First Degree: The first “dark” book that lives on my all-time favorites list is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It is hauntingly beautiful – a deep character study into the life of Jude St. Francis. Your heart will be ripped out, ripped up, and pieced back together, but never quite as whole as it was before you started. You won’t ever forget this story, and you will feel all the feels – love, hope, despair, hurt, anger, sadness.
Second Degree: A Little Life is reminiscent of The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. Cyril Avery is born in post-WWII Ireland. His mother gives him up for adoption when he’s just three days old. He struggles most of his life to find a place to belong – and let’s just say that Ireland and all her politics do not make it easy on him. As a child who realizes early on that he is gay – in a country and a time where that declaration is completely unacceptable – Avery endures many heartbreaking, confusing, and difficult times. He searches for a love and acceptance that many (even still today) take for granted. Avery’s transformation into a confident, secure, and happy man is a beautiful journey. He – like all people, really – has hardships. But ultimately, he realizes that those difficult times are where he learned to embrace and accept himself. Towards the end of his life he realizes that he wouldn’t be who he is without them; therefore, he wouldn’t change any of it. Cyril Avery has earned a place in my heart forever.
Third Degree: Another book that deals with heavy topics – specifically, grief – is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I have read this brick of a book twice, and I liked it even more the second time around. Tartt writes about grief so well. From its pervasiveness to the roller coaster of emotions that accompany it, Tartt portrays grief with such an accurate lens and I respect the honesty and rawness with which she handles the topic.
Fourth Degree: The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr is a debut masterpiece! The story of the Halifax plantation is layered with themes of love, racism, class, slavery, and white privilege. At the heart of the book is the love between Isaiah and Samuel…two enslaved Black men that find solace in each other, something that is increasingly threatened as the dark sides of “Empty” are revealed. The rich cast of secondary characters shine as well as they care for one another and try to ease the burden of life the enslaved exist under at Halifax.
Fifth Degree: Real Life by Brandon Taylor is a deep, deep character study that I didn’t think I cared for when I first finished, but have found as time has passed that I can’t get Wallace and his story out of my head. Overall, Real Life showed the nuance of racism and how society treats men of color. It also examined Wallace’s profound profound sadness, highlights his learned helplessness, and demonstrates the heaviness the world hands Black gay men. It’s a very slow burn, but as I mentioned above, I continue to reflect back on Wallace and his story often.
Sixth Degree: Betty by Tiffany McDaniel was one of my favorite books I read last year. Parts of her story are horrifyingly hard to read, but this is a coming-of-age family drama (with ALL the triggers, so be careful!) will stick with me for a long time! There were so many times I wanted to hold this sweet child and take the pain away from her. But when the book was finally finished, I realized she didn’t need me after all. She had more resilience and strength than I gave her credit for and she grew up to be just fine…even if she dealt with far more than she ever should have had to.
(Because of the dark nature of these books, please be aware that trigger warnings abound!)
In honour of the wonderful Beverly Cleary, we’ll begin next month’s chain (May 1, 2021) with Beezus and Ramona.
Happiest When Reading 
Well done! Except for the Goldfinch, I haven’t heard of any of these!
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I hope you found a few to add to your TBR!
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I think I’ll be adding The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne to my TBR list, thanks to your 6 Degrees of Separation post this month. x
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I hope you like it…beware though, stay patient because it took me a loooong time to get into it but it was totally worth it.
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What a great chain, with some excellent reminders of books I would like to read, thanks! And great to see a shout out for The Goldfinch, which I loved. Interesting to see that you enjoyed it more on a second read – I’ll have to try that some time. 😀
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I’m not much for rereading, but when I do, I ususally enjoy them more. Having some of that background helps me find the deeper nuances in a story, I think.
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I saw the film of The Goldfinch and enjoyed it, but I don’t think its a book I’d like to read. This chain does seem pretty dark, so… I think you’ll forgive me if I don’t put any of these on my TBR list. I’m not really a dark story type of person, I’m afraid!
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To each their own!
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I’ve only read – and enjoyed – The Goldfinch from your chain. But there seems much that’s rewarding in your choices. Do I have to expand my TBR list yet again? I think so!
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Haha! The endless plight of a bookworm!
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I’ve read the first three in your chain and loved them all (all a rare five stars from me). So that gives me great confidence to add the others in your chain to my reading list (I like dark stories as well, particularly where grief is a theme).
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yes! I hope they work for you!!
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In one of my lazier moments, I looked at the doorstopping size of Goldfinch, and thought I’d rather watch the movie instead. Then somebody mentioned the movie is terrible, and doesn’t capture any of the “key” moments from the book… So, now I am in the unenviable position of not having read the book and not having watched the movie! 😂 Thanks for bringing back Goldfinch to my attention for this month’s #6Degrees — I really need to prioritize it.
~ Lex
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It’s gotten a lot of controversy but I really like it. I lost my mom so any book that deals with grief is a book I really connect with. I liked the movie…definetly changes the story a bit, but I still really enjoyed it.
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Thanks for sharing that. I think I’d best watch the movie with my mum then. ❤
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Sorry that you gave Shuggie Bain up but you certainly tried your best with it – 62% is quite a few pages of a long book. I read the Boyne recently and enjoyed it very much and am keen to read Real Life.
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Real Life is an interesting one for me…I can’t say I loved it, but it has certainly stuck with me and I think about it all the time!
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I have The Heart’s Invisible Furies is on my Kindle and I hope to get to it soon. Glad it made such an impression on you. The Goldfinch isn’t a favourite of mine and I can’t see myself reading it twice. I much preferred The Secret History.
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Funny…The Secret Hisory was hard for me to get into, though I really want to reread it and see if I connect better. Be patient with Heart’s – it takes a loooong time to get into, but it’s so worth it!
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I’ve read 2 and have a 3rd of your choices on my TBR shelf. I think this might be a record for me!
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Bit of a dark selection here! I found the relentless grimness of A Little Life rather too much to bear (although the description of friendship was uplifting – and perhaps a bit of wishful thinking).
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Yea, but for whatever reason, grim and dark books are my jam! I love them!
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Yes, alas, me too, although this year I’ve been reading a few lighter things as well… exceptionally.
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