#6Degrees 6 Degrees of Separation: From Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie to The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis

background book stack books close up
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It’s the first Saturday of the month which means it’s time for 6 Degrees of Separation!

Here’s how it works: a book is chosen as a starting point by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best 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.

Kate says: 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 or esoteric 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. Join in by posting your own six degrees chain on your blog and adding the link in the comments section of each month’s post.   You can also check out links to posts on Twitter using the hashtag #6Degrees


This month is a wild card meaning we can start with the last book in any previous chain. I’ve gone with the last book in October’s chain which means my starting book is Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie.

Two pigs, named Snowball and Napoleon, feature prominently in Animal Farm by George Orwell. They are the leaders of the rebellion which see the animals take over the farm.

A different Napoleon appears in False Lights (or to give it its revised title, Hester and Crow) by Katy Moran.  The book’s premise is that Napoleon Bonaparte won, not lost, the Battle of Waterloo. The dashing Cornish hero of False Lights is known as Crow to his intimates but his official title is Lord Lamorna.

Lamorna Cove in Cornwall is one of the places on the South West Coast Path through which Raynor Winn, and her husband Moth, pass during their epic journey described in The Salt Path.

Another place Raynor and Moth visit is the cliff-top hut built by Parson Hawker, Vicar of Morwenstow. This location also features in The Mermaid’s Call, the third in Katherine Stansfield’s Cornish Mysteries series featuring unconventional detective duo, Shilly and Anna.

Three sisters better known for their literary skills than their detective abilities feature in The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis, the first in her inventive Bronte Mysteries series. (The second book in the series, The Diabolical Bones, was published on 5th November.)

Where did your chain take you this month?

My 2020 Reading Challenges: Progress Update

Time for another look at how I’m progressing with my 2020 Reading Challenges…


Ongoing Challenges

What’s In A Name? 2020

This challenge is hosted by Andrea at Carolina Book Nook and involves reading books with titles that match each of six categories. I’ve only managed three of the six so far. If I’m to complete it, I have a few chunky books to get through. The Mirror & the Light, I’m looking at you… Or I need some authors to write a slim volume with either an & or an antonym in the title.

The Classics ClubThe Classics Club

Create a list of 50 classic books you would like to read within five years and work your way through them (with the help of the occasional Classics Club Spin where a book from your list is selected for you) to earn yourself a place on the Wall of Honour. My deadline is December 2021 and so far I’ve read 41 of the books on my list so I’m heading for the home strait. However, it has to be said that some of the books I’ve read are also part of my Buchan of the Month reading project, of which more below.

Buchan of the Month Banner 2020.jpgBuchan of the Month Reading Project

Now in its third year, this is a personal challenge involving reading a different book by John Buchan – fiction or non-fiction – every month. You can see my reading list for the year and find links to my reviews of the nine I’ve read so far here.


Completed Challenges

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2020

I set my target at 120 books this year and achieved that when I finished A Conspiracy of Silence by Anna Legat earlier this week.

When Are You Reading? 2020 (hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words)

20 Books of Summer 2020 (hosted by Cathy at 746Books)


Have you set yourself any reading challenges this year? If so, how are you getting on?