Six Degrees of Separation ~ Passing

Nella Larsen
"Passing" - 2026

#6Degrees of Separation:

from Passing to From the From the Land of the Moon

#6Degrees is a monthly link-up hosted by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. I love the idea. Thank you, Kate. See more about this challenge, its history, further books and how I found this here. 

The starter book this month is one of our own books. In recognition of Novellas in November (which I know lots of us participate in), we start with a novella that’s on our reading list.

I don't read or enjoy many novellas but I thought I'd keep with the starter book and  list the last good novellas read:

Larsen, Nella "Passing" - 1929

A "black" woman who is white enough to be considered "white" and "passes" as "white". 

Takahashi, Yuta "The Chibineko Kitchen" (Japanese: ちびねこ亭の思い出ごはん 黒猫と初恋サンドイッチ/Chibinekoteino omoidegohan kuronekoto hatsukoisandoitchi) (Meals to Remember at the Chibineko Kitchen #1) - 2020

I am sure we all have wanted to have one last conversation with a deceased loved one. Now, the Chibineko Kitchen makes this possible. 

Barbal i Farré, Maria "Stone in a Landslide" (Catalan: Pedra de tartera) - 1985

We have a great insight into the lives of the people in Catalonia at the beginning of the last century, how their lives were changed by the Spanish Civil War. 

Fosse, Jon "Morning and Evening" (Norwegian: Morgon og kveld) - 2001

A fascinating story about the life and death of a man. A simple story about the passing of an old hardworking fisherman with a humble life. No embellishments needed, a plain reflection on an ordinary life.

Coetzee, J.M. "Waiting for the Barbarians" - 1980

This story could take place in any corrupt country, in any dictatorship. 

The description of the protagonist, the magistrate in a small post on the border of "the Empire" is very good. We see how he goes from thinking he is a loyal servant of a fair government to the discovery that the so-called barbarians are oppressed by the regime and those who think they are better than others for whatever reason.

Meri, Veijo "The Manila Rope" (Finnish: Manillaköysi) - 1957

A war story, yet quite funny. Soldiers on their way home for home leave during the war keep telling each other stories of what happened to them or others and their way back and to the battlefields or even on the battlefields. Most of the tales are pretty humorous.

Definitely an anti-war story. 

Agus, Milena "From the Land of the Moon" (Italian: Mal di pietre) - 2006

An interesting tale about the life of a woman who cannot break out of the prescribed path. A short but very powerful story about family history, told by the granddaughter of the woman in question.

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This month, it's easy to find the the connection between the starter book and the last one since they are all novellas. Happy Novellas in November month!

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Spell the Month in Books ~ November 2026

Reviews from the Stacks

I found this on one of the blogs I follow, Books are the New Black who found it at One Book More. It was originally created by Reviews from the Stacks, and the idea is to spell the month using the first letter of book titles.

November:  Africa 

Since we choose our own topics at the moment, it is always a little harder. 

I tried to find some books written by Africans or about Africa - some are only loosely connected. I am sorry.

November

N

Dangarembga, Tsitisi "Nervous Conditions" - 1988 - Zimbabwe

This story gives us a glimpse into the life of 13-year-old Tambudzei, a girl from Zimbabwe in the 1960s. One rarely reads books by African women. A fantastic book that describes the situation of women in almost every society. 

O

Unigwe, Chika "On Black Sisters' Street" (Dutch: Fata Morgana) - 2007

4 African girls live in Antwerp, Belgium. A beautiful city. But the life of the girls is not that beautiful, they were brought to Europe to work as prostitutes, their Antwerp is the red light district.

V

Bennett, Brit "The Vanishing Half" - 2020

Not one of my favourite books but it fits the topic. Too many stereotypes. But the story keeps growing until, in the end, we get a pretty decent book about the life or women, the problems with racism, bringing up children, etc.

E

Waltari, Mika "The Egyptian" (SF: Sinuhe Egyptiläinen) - 1945

The Finnish author studied ancient cultures and theology and the facts in this book are accurate. He couldn’t print war books at the time, so instead he wrote this one. 

The book covers not only Egyptian history but also everything about the human nature, its goodness and its cruelty. 

M

Mahfouz, Naguib "Midaq Alley" (Arabic: زقاق المدق/Zuqaq El Midaq) - 1947

You get to know the people living in Midaq Alley as if you've lived among them for most of your life.

A war rages in Europe and makes its waves into Egypt, as well, though not the way we might think.

B

Gordimer, Nadine "Burger's Daughter" - 1979

A prolific author from South Africa, she writes about politics, she's a woman and she received the Nobel Prize for Literature.The story is loosely based on the life of Bram Fischer and his family, especially his daughter.  He was a South African lawyer, known for his anti-apartheid activism, became most popular as Nelson Mandela's defence lawyer.

The book teaches us about South Africa, their history, the apartheid system and that there have been people fighting against it, even if there could have been more.

E

Ondaatje, Michael "The English Patient" - 1992

One of the books that is not necessarily about Africa. Who is the author talking about? At what time is he talking? Before the war? During the war? After the war? Are they in Italy or in Egypt, in Canada or India? 
But I found no other "book that fits in Africa".

R

Andrew, Sally "Recipes for Love & Murder. A Tannie Maria Mystery" - 2015

Tannie Maria is a very active woman who can stand up for herself. And she has to prove that as her town is chased by an evil killer. Together with her two (female) colleagues, she hunts the hunter. Not just a crime story but also a recipe book.

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Happy Reading!

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#ThrowbackThursday. November 2016

I've been doing ThrowbackThursdays for a while but I noticed that I wrote a lot of reviews in a short time when I first started. So, I post more than one Throwback every week. These are my reviews from November 2016.

If you are looking for more bloggers who participate here, there is always a post on The Chocolate Lady's website where you can also add yours.
I recommend almost all the books I read that month. I only left out one that is part of the series I recommended several times before.

Angelou, Maya "Mom & Me & Mom" - 2013

Maya Angelou's writing is gripping. She writes in a way as if you sit there listening to her telling a story. A really good story. Her mother must have been a remarkable woman, as she was remarkable herself.
I learnt a lot about Maya Angelou and her family but I also learnt a lot about myself and my relationship to my late mother.

Arnold, Catharine "Globe: Life in Shakespeare's London" - 2014
A great non-fiction book about The Globe, how it first was built in Shakespeare's time and what it meant for the world of acting back then and how it influenced our world of the theatre today.

Atkinson, Kate "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" - 1995

Ruby tells her story, her mother's story, her grandmother's story and the story of all the women in her family. 

Grass, Günter "Peeling the Onion" (German: Beim Häuten der Zwiebel) - 2006
A biography by one of Germany's greatest authors, not just one but three books where he talks about his life, growing up in between the two wars etc.

Štimec, Spomenka "Croatian War Nocturnal" (Esperanto: Kroata Milita Noktlibro) - 1993
This is not just the diary of a girl who speaks Esperanto about her life during the Balkan wars, her life and that of her family and friends, and often about their deaths, as well. It is a view into life during wartime. Snippets of several lives that are affected that build a big picture together.

Oates, Joyce Carol "The Accursed"

Oates, Joyce Carol "The Accursed" - 2013

As already announced in my Hello September post and my Buddy Read post, Lisa @Capitvated Reader and myself were hosting a buddy read in October 2026. 

I have written a post every week - with spoilers, see here:

Buddy Read Part 1 
Buddy Read Part 2 
Buddy Read Part 3 
Buddy Read Part 4 

Lisa's posts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 
Part 4  

Here is a short summary for those readers who have not read this book and don't want to read the spoilers before reading it themselves.

I am not a big fan of fantasy or fantastic, mythical figures. I probably wouldn't have even looked at the book were it not by one of my favourite authors and for a dear blogger friend who invited me to join her buddy read.

This is definitely a combination of a vampire story, social commentary, satire, fictional history, gothic tale. I tried to concentrate on the social commentary and satire as that is what I love most, and not just in JCO. But it certainly has all those elements in it. Definitely also some horror, I can see Tim Burton making a movie out of this.

All in all, I am really glad I read this book. And I am really glad I read this with my buddy Lisa. If you plan to read this in future, follow our reading plan and join in the discussion once you have finished a part, no matter how quick you are.

This is definitely a challenging and highly interesting read! 

Book Description:

"This eerie tale of psychological horror sees the real inhabitants of turn-of-the-century Princeton fall under the influence of a supernatural power. New Jersey, 1905: soon-to-be commander-in-chief Woodrow Wilson is president of Princeton University. On a nearby farm, Socialist author Upton Sinclair, enjoying the success of his novel 'The Jungle', has taken up residence with his family. This is a quiet, bookish community - elite, intellectual and indisputably privileged. But when a savage lynching in a nearby town is hushed up, a horrifying chain of events is initiated - until it becomes apparent that the families of Princeton have been beset by a powerful curse. The Devil has come to this little town and not a soul will be spared. 'The Accursed' marks new territory for the masterful Joyce Carol Oates - narrated with her unmistakable psychological insight, it combines beautifully transporting historical detail with chilling fantastical elements to stunning effect."

Happy November!

 Happy November to all my Friends and Readers
New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Rundflug"
"Scenic Flight"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:
"Hanka hat in ihrem Bild einen Uhu eingefangen."
"Hanka has captured an eagle-owl in her picture." 

Owls always look so majestic, especially the larger species.

Read more on their website here. *

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Our month was as usual. The theatre season started again and we saw a play (Much Ado About Nothing) and two choir concerts, one from our local choirs. All performances were great!

As most of you know, I love elephants. You find them everywhere in the house. Here is one of my little knick-knacks.

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I can recommend a book to all Jane Austen fans. You can read here about all the authors she often mentions in her novels and 
Romney, Rebecca "Jane Austen's Bookshelf. The Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend" - 2025

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The German word of the month is:

Vorfreude

In August 2024, I explained the word Schadenfreude. You see, the end of the word is the same: Freude. Which means "Joy". Whereas the former word means pleasure that comes from learning of the troubles of others (longer explanation in my post), this month's word means anticipation, looking forward to a certain event.

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* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

🎃 I wish you all a very Happy November! 🎃

Oates, Joyce Carol "The Accursed" Buddy Read Part 4 - 2013

Oates, Joyce Carol "The Accursed" - 2013

As already announced in my Hello September post, and my Buddy Read post, Lisa @Capitvated Reader and myself are hosting a buddy read this month. And here is Lisa's post. Have a look at her review, there is a lot more to this part than what I have said.

Spoiler alert:

A buddy read like this cannot be as vague as many of my other reviews. On the other hand, I can't hide everything, so I will have to talk about this book as if I were in a book club and we all read the book.

Therefore, I will be quite open in the next couple of weeks but will, at the end, write a description of the whole book in the way you are all used to. So, if you haven't read the book but still would like to, be patient, I'll get there.

I am not a big fan of fantasy or fantastic, mythical figures. I probably wouldn't have even looked at the book were it not by one of my favourite authors and for a dear blogger friend who invited me to join her buddy read.

Week 4 (Oct 25–Oct 31)

• Climax, resolution, and unpacking the narrator’s reliability

• Part Four: The Curse Exorcised: Moves toward the chaotic unraveling and attempts to lift the dark legacy affecting Princeton.

What an end to a challenging and highly interesting read! I don't even know where to begin and what to reveal. As I said before, this contains spoilers.

I will go through some of the LitLovers questions again because they now cover everything.

How would I define the book? Is it a vampire story, social commentary, satire, fictional history, gothic tale? In a way it is everything. I tried to concentrate on the social commentary and satire as that is what I love most, and not just in JCO. But it certainly has all those elements in it. Definitely also some horror, I can see Tim Burton making a movie out of this.

Let's talk about Winslow Slade. Is he the evil one in the story? Is he the one who is responsible for all this? Maybe, especially if we look at his final sermon or "confession". I would have preferred this to NOT be written in capitals only. It's hard to concentrate on the wordings that way.

We are also supposed to discuss the era's attitudes toward—and treatment of—women, African Americans, Jews, workers, and immigrants. I think I mentioned it but only briefly. I often read historical novels and therefore was not surprised but it is still shocking. As I said, my view of Woodrow Wilson has changed, though I should probably try to see what his individual contemporaries were thinking, I might change my mind of a few of those people.

Socialism, yes, as they mention, much "accursed" in American history, even in this day. I can never understand how people can be against it. After all, the meaning behind it is totally good. We should all think about our neighbours—even the bible is socialist, yes, it is. If you listen to what Jesus said and if you claim to be a Christian, you shouldn't be so much against it.

I can't really find a real hero in the story. Maybe Joshua and Todd???

The women had a hard stand. As all women in the past—and still today.

Here is a fitting quote: "Imagine a female senator! A female President! The United States would be the laughing stock of the world." Woodrow Wilson
In the meantime, the USA is a laughing stock of the world just because they do not want a female President!

If there are other questions in the LitLovers list and you would like to know what I think about them, please, let me know.

And then to the last, the discussion question: Do life's mysteries have logical solutions—does Joyce Carol Oates believe they do? What does her novel suggest? What do you think? Is all of life open to reason and logic? Or are there life events too mysterious to be explained by human understanding? 

I don't believe in mysteries, fantasy, whatever you might want to call it. For me, there is always a logical solution. And as to anything you might call fate or karma or whatever you want to call it, it is often the action you take that comes back to you and not some supernatural being.

And one last quote for all us avid readers. 

"He (WW) must give up his habit of reading books: for a man of Dr. Wilson's temperament can't read another man's line without wishing to combat it, which inevitably leas to 'vocalizing' his thoughts, and thereby to speechifying. He is plagues by ceaseless thinking like wheels churning in mud. This has caused his high blood pressure, and a strain to all the nerves and vital organs." Dr. de Sweinitz to Mrs. Wilson

Aren't we glad medicine has advanced? I think I would not be here anymore if it wasn't for all the wonderful books that could distract me from the bad parts of my life.

All in all, I am really glad I read this book. And I am really glad I read this with my buddy Lisa. If you plan to read this in future, follow our reading plan and join in the discussion once you have finished a part, no matter how quick you are.

Book Description:

"This eerie tale of psychological horror sees the real inhabitants of turn-of-the-century Princeton fall under the influence of a supernatural power. New Jersey, 1905: soon-to-be commander-in-chief Woodrow Wilson is president of Princeton University. On a nearby farm, Socialist author Upton Sinclair, enjoying the success of his novel 'The Jungle', has taken up residence with his family. This is a quiet, bookish community - elite, intellectual and indisputably privileged. But when a savage lynching in a nearby town is hushed up, a horrifying chain of events is initiated - until it becomes apparent that the families of Princeton have been beset by a powerful curse. The Devil has come to this little town and not a soul will be spared. 'The Accursed' marks new territory for the masterful Joyce Carol Oates - narrated with her unmistakable psychological insight, it combines beautifully transporting historical detail with chilling fantastical elements to stunning effect."

Book Quotes

  

"A reader has it good: he can choose his own writers." Kurt Tucholsky 

Aren't we the lucky ones?

"Reading nurtures the soul, and an enlightened friend brings it solace." Voltaire 

Every time. Where would we be without our books?

"Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, It might have been". Kurt Vonnegut in Cat's Cradle 

One of the truest sentences there are. 

Find more book quotes here.