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.

11/22/63

11/22/63 by Stephen King

For all the Stephen King haters out there, this book is not horror.  Also, Stephen King is one of the few writers that can develop a character in a single paragraph to the point where you are completely engaged with that character and are ready to delve into the depths of the story with that person so if you hate horror, pick one of his other books and read it (like this one).

For those old enough to remember, 11/22/63 was the date that John F. Kennedy was shot and killed.  Now, if you were a writer and could write a "what if" with regards to that date, what would you do?

Being a lover of time travel in the Outlander series as well as traveling with The Doctor, this book was right up my alley.  If you can suspend your disbelief long enough to read this wonderful "what if", I highly recommend it.

I loved this book.  The character, Jake Epping, was wonderfully believable.  I was engaged with his inner-wrestling.  I thought he was great making up stories on the fly (and I was ready to believe that he was the one making this stuff up).  This was a great trip back in history and I learned much about Lee Harvey Oswald but also what life was like in the late 50's and early 60's.  I have always had a vision of Happy Days but that isn't really the picture portrayed by King.  The anachronisms that rise up to bite Jake in the butt at times, were often sneaky enough that I didn't catch them.  I would be terrible at time travel in the long-term.  Sure, I could probably pop in to a different time for a day or two but for many years, I would probably fail miserably.

Anyway, before I blow it and give too much away, just read this book.

An Echo in the Bone

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

This is book 7 in the Outlander series.  It takes us further into the American Revolution and gives us an up-close view of a few battles that took place between the American Army, such as it was, and the militia troops against the British Army and the Colonial Army (Americans for England).

I think Gabaldon does a great job with her historical research and I am still enjoying the story line of the Frasers and Mackenzies.

This book had a twist in that Brianna and Roger took their children back to the present.  Really they went back to the 1980's but in the grand scheme of the book series that is the present.  They were able to "keep in touch" with Brianna's parents through a stack of letters that were held for over a hundred years at the Bank of Edinburgh and then delivered to Roger's uncle the Reverend Wakefield.  The good Reverend thoughtfully hung onto the box that had a metal plaque engraved with the name of Roger and Brianna's son.

When reading about time-travel, one must suspend all disbelief and just go with it and see where it leads.  I really enjoy these books.  There is a companion series that I am planning to start although I have a couple other books on my to read list first.

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.

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.