Written in My Own Heart's Blood

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

This is the latest installment in the Outlander series.  If you haven't read the other books, don't start with this one.  This is definitely a series that needs to be read from the beginning.

I loved it so much I read it twice in a row.  The second time I picked up on several things that I had missed the first time around because I was reading so fast the first time around.

For anyone who isn't sure if they would like this series, the television channel Starz is premiering the Outlander series on August 9.  Watch it and see if you like it.  That's what got me to finally read the Game of Thrones books.

The Space Between

The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon

Gabaldon is appeasing her many Outlander fans with this short novella. This is about neither Claire nor Jamie. It is, instead about Laoghaire's daughter Joan, Jaime's other step daughter and Jaime's nephew Michael and their trip to Paris.

Michael has been working for his great uncle's wine distribution company, Fraser et Cie, in Paris. Shortly after the death of his wife, he returned to Scotland for his father's death and funeral. When he returns to Paris, he is asked to escort Joan to a convent in Paris where Joan is hoping to take her orders after being a novice for at least a year.

The whispers of Joan's father Jaime, cause a case of mistaken identity and intrigue since Joan's lack of French keeps her from clarifying that he was her step-father.

This was a fun, quick read and it keeps up the anticipation of the next novel due out soon as well as the Stars series Outlander that airs in August, I believe.

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon

This is book 2 in the Lord John series.  It follows the timeline of the previous book and gives us more insight to Lord John Grey.  We get to see his inner torment to be true to himself and his family without revealing his homosexuality to the world.

Again, I continue to enjoy these books.  It looks like there are a couple of Lord John books that are not part of this series but were published before the next book in the series.  I think I will go with publication dates and read them in that order and see where it gets me.

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows: An Outlander Novella by Diana Gabaldon

This is a novella that is a companion to the Outlander series.  It follows An Echo of the Bone.  I am going to have a hard time waiting for the next book in this series to be published.

This book answers the question of what happened to Roger MacKenzie's parents during World War II causing him to become orphaned.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was a great teaser of what is to come in the series as well as answering a question that has been hanging out there a bit.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

Book 6 of the Outlander series does not disappoint.

The book begins in 1772 and the American Revolution is closing in on the people of Fraser's Ridge North Carolina.  The key people know what is to come and they know the outcome so they know which side they will need to be on to survive.  Just how to manage it is the issue.

Jamie Fraser is requested to work as the King's liason to the indians in the area.  As much as Jaime doesn't want to work for the king in such a public manner, the alternative person would wreak havoc in the area.  Jaime decides it's in everyone's best interest to take the job.  Later, he will have a hard time convincing everyone on both sides of the conflict just where his loyalties lie.

Always looming in the distance is the knowledge of the newspaper story about the demise of Jaime and Claire in the year 1776.

I will definitely keep reading and I am thinking of reading her supporting books in the Lord John Grey series.

The Drums of Autumn

The Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

This is book 4 of the Outlander series.  While this series is classified as historical fiction, my sister just pointed out that it is also considered a romance novel.  Admittedly the first book and even parts of the second were very romance related, I think the historical novel aspect outshines the romance.

This book takes Brianna, the daughter of Jamie and Claire back in time to search for her parents and warn them of their impending deaths.  Hot on her heels is Roger Mackenzie Wakefield who knows why she has gone but doesn't believe the past can be changed.

This book has pirates, theft, rape, the building of a house and a community. The politics of the Colonies under King George as well as interactions with the various indian tribes in the North Carolina area - some peaceful, some not.

I am enjoying this series and I plan to keep reading.  It is good escapist reading to fill in the gaps between other books.  I do with there was a bit more history although I think Gabaldon has done a good job painting a mental picture of the time and how people lived.  She makes it easy to see how people built their homesteads and farms and slowly built a life that brought in enough to feed their family for a year but also a little extra for the things they couldn't grow or raise themselves.

Voyager

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Book 3 in the Outlander series is pretty much non-stop action and adventure.

Just when you think Claire and Jaime are going to have some peaceful time together and talk about what has happened in the last 20 years of their lives, something happens.

I am still liking this series and I like the fact that Gabaldon has them travel all over the place. This book landed them in the West Indies for a time. Another thing I like is that a seemingly inconsequential scenario will come back again later in the story line. Like any good mystery we have to keep countless amounts of information at the front of our brain just waiting for the appropriate time to use it.

I know the next book involves their daughter, Brianna quite a bit and as it ended on the shores of Georgia in colonial America, it should be an interesting read. Gotta read my book club book first though.

Dragonfly in Amber

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

This is book 2 in the Outlander series.

Since I think everyone should read this series, I don't want to accidentally drop any spoilers.

Suffice it to say that this book is awesome. It continues the story with Claire and Jaime in 1745 Scotland.

Claire is also in the twentieth century, 20 years after she returned and she has a grown daughter. She has brought her daughter to Scotland in order to tell her the fantastic tale of Claire's journeys.

Read these books.

Outlander

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Unbeknownst to me, this is book one in what is now a seven book series. I really liked this book and I am definitely going to try to read more and see how the series goes.

This is a historical novel that involves time travel. It starts in 1945 and travels to 1743. Set in Scotland, the time travel takes us back to the time of Bonnie Prince Charles and his supporters, the Jacobites, working toward the ill-fated Rising.

The heroine, Claire BeauChamp Randall is married in 1945 and then, shortly after traveling back to 1743, finds herself married again as Mistress James Fraser. Not sure if she's a bigamist since her first husband hasn't been born yet, Claire struggles to survive in this new and wild world in which she's landed.

This is a romance with some great history rolled into the mix. I love the Scottish dialect used in the book. I find the history very interesting. This is a time that I know little of and so I find myself very interested in not just the politics of the era but also the manner in which people lived and how they ate. Claire was an army nurse during World War II so she ends up as a physician / healer in 1743. This gives us a good idea of how healing went about during that era.

I highly recommend this book. Time will tell with regards to the books to follow.