The Six Degrees of Separation Meme: The Slap

Hosted each month by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, the Six Degrees of Separation meme picks a starting book for participants to go wherever it takes them in six more steps. This month’s starting point is:

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

I’ve not read this book, but shall go with nationality of the author as my first link. Tsiolkas is Australian (of Greek extraction). Another novel I have read by an Australian is:

The Good Parents by Joan London

Which I reviewed here.  I read this thoughtful novel in which a daughter escapes to the city from Western Australia. When her parents go to visit they find her gone and their search for her will make them search their own lives.

My link is through the Capital City in Joan London’s name, which leads to:

A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

Another book I haven’t read, but I do love that cover.  A Manual of Cleaning Women is a set of short stories, not a form I’m usually attracted to, but occasionally short stories are just the thing, which leads to:

Thirteen Ways of Looking by Colum McCann

This collection of shorter writings from McCann was rather brilliant, (see my full review here). My favourite was the shortest at just twelve pages – What Time Is It Now, Where You Are?  starts off as a bit of meta-fiction, but ends up being completely touching.

The number Thirteen will be my link to:

Reservoir 13  by Jon McGregor

McGregor is highly rated by many, but I have steered clear after reading his debut If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things. I read this pre-blog and I’ve retrieved my note about it from my master spreadsheet.  I wrote:

I agree it’s beautifully written, poetic even, in the descriptions of the minutiae of everyday life, but this made it soooo slow. By the time the terrible thing actually happened it was an anticlimax.  I do appreciate fine writing but the lack of pace made it an endurance task for me.

So I’m not sure I want to read Reservoir 13, which leads me to another book I’m not sure I want to read:

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

which is the follow up to the bestselling The Girl on the Train which I reviewed here, and was distinctly un-wowed by!

Into the Water is a 2nd novel. So we can end on a happier note, another 2nd novel which was really worth reading is:

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Which was fabulous and very creepy indeed being a novel about being stalked. Read my full review here.


As always, the Six Degrees meme is always such fun. Why don’t you give it a try?

18 thoughts on “The Six Degrees of Separation Meme: The Slap

  1. Margaret @ BooksPlease says:

    I really enjoy doing this meme – and reading other people’s versions too. Yours is completely different from mine. I like your links and I wondered about linking from The Slap (which sounds not at all my type of book) to another Australian author but in the end I went for a link to the book cover.

    I wasn’t wowed by The Girl on the Train either, it left me feeling unsatisfied, irritated and rather out of sorts, so I don’t think I’ll bother with Into the Water. but I’m interested in The Good Parents – I’ll look out for it.

  2. AnnaBookBel says:

    The Good Parents was one of those quiet books that sneaks up on you – I enjoyed it a lot. Off to see yours for this month now.

  3. Marina Sofia says:

    You’ve included quite a few books you haven’t read – and maybe won’t read at all. I wasn’t bowled over by Girl on the Train either, so may not read the 2nd novel.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      The links didn’t come to me with books I’d actually read. I’ll probably give in and read Into the Water – but not until it comes out in paperback.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      Sadly, I can’t claim ‘good parents’ as the reason I linked – I went purely with the Australian!

        • AnnaBookBel says:

          It’s an ongoing problem I have – I can’t delete the old blog as it has lots of content that didn’t copy over (grr) and WordPress blogs won’t always let me log in as my id here – one day I’ll have moved everything and can delete it.

  4. Brona says:

    I’m very intrigued by the London book, it’s had less hype than her other ones & sounds like my kind of subject matter.

    Mr Books is currently attempting Into the Water, but finding it rather put-downable atm.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      The Good Parents was one of those understated quiet novels that beguiles you. I really liked it, but it’s the only one of hers I’ve read.

  5. Hayley @ RatherTooFondofBooks says:

    I love the idea of this meme so might look at joining in at some point. I enjoyed reading your post and seeing how you linked books together. I recently bought Into the Water and Reservoir 13 and am keen to read them as soon as I can.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      I hope you enjoy them Hayley – I’ll look out for your reviews – you may help to convert me yet.

  6. FictionFan says:

    Love seeing the different directions everyone heads in on these chains! Plus you’ve reminded me that I really want to read Thirteen Ways of Looking – I thoroughly enjoyed the only book of his I’ve read, Let the Great World Spin.

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