I didn’t participate in November and December but I’m ready to start afresh with January 2022. Woohoo!

HOW IT WORKS:
Six Degrees of Separation is a meme that began with Annabel Smith and Emma Chapman and has been hosted by Kate over at Books Are My Favourite and Best since 2016. Each month a new book is chosen a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Links can be formed in any way you want, including authors, themes, keywords, and pretty much anything.

Join in by posting your own six degrees chain on your blog and adding the link in the Linky section (via Kate’s post) or comments of each month’s post. If you don’t have a blog, you can share your chain in the comments section. You can also check out links to posts on Twitter using the hashtag #6Degrees

STARTING BOOK: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

BLURB: In a jazz bar on the last night of 1937, watching a quartet because she couldn’t afford to see the whole ensemble, there were certain things Katey Kontent knew. By the end of the year she’d learned – how to launch a paper airplane high over Park Avenue, how to live like a redhead, and how to insist upon the very best.

The story opens in the present but is told in flashback when Kontent sees a picture. I’m using this as the connecting thread.

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1. For Lindsey Kelk’s In Case You Missed It the past plays a prominent role as Ros longs for how things used to be when she returns home and tries to figure out her life going forward. One of the questions the book poses is whether we remember the past correctly or if we’re only remembering what we want to. (My review)

2. In The Worst Best Man Lina faces her past in real life rather than a picture when a life changing job opportunity forces her to work with the best man from her wedding that wasn’t, her ex-fiancee’s brother Max. Unlike Ros, Lina would much rather move on from her past but is unable to with Max constantly at her side. While Lina despises Max, working together leads to unexpected sparks.  (My review) 

3. Lana unexpectedly meets her ex-husband while apartment hunting in House Rules. They become roommates when an ideal apartment becomes available. Like Lina, Lana needs to work with someone from her past to work toward her future. Despite moving on, forced proximity leads to resurfacing feelings. (My review)

4. Just Last Night asks whether we really know the people closest to us. While they were married, Simon was unaware of Lana’s struggles until they ultimately divorced. Like Simon, Eve learns the answer to this question the hard way when a tragedy leads to secrets being revealed along with the inevitable return of someone from the past. (My review)

5. Libby’s feelings for Luke, the boy next door, in You Didn’t Love Me Then is a secret she’s kept from him even as their relationship became complicated when he goes off to college. When he returns after so many years away, feelings she thought long buried return. (My review)

6. The Good Luck Charm sees the return of Lilah’s first love when his dad is hospitalized, and they run into each other in the hospital. Despite so many years apart, feelings still linger. While Lilah is hesitant to try again, a second chance leads to the realization that a shared past doesn’t make things easier. (My review)

ENDING BOOK: Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

This was harder than I remember! The books are connected by the theme of recalling the past, especially through the return of individuals and in some cases feelings.