The Outlander Series

The Outlander series is written by Diana Gabaldon. There are 6 books in the series so far with a 7th coming out in September. The series goes as follows:

1.) Outlander

2.) Dragonfly in Amber

3.) Voyager

4.) Drums of Autumn

5.) The Fiery Cross

6.) A Breath of Snow and Ashes

7.) An Echo in the Bone (Coming out Sept. 22, 2009)

8.) ***The Outlandish Companion*** is a non-fiction book that also goes with the series, to explain characters and their inspirations, I think. I haven't read it yet.


The series starts with a woman, Claire, in the 1940s in Scotland. She randomly walks through a cleft in the standing stone and is transported 200 years into the past. While there she meets Jamie Fraser (every woman's dream man) and marries him, all the while still thinking about the husband she left back in her own time.

The series is chocked full of adventure, sex, love and loss. I have sat up at night and while reading have laughed out loud, sighed in love and sobbed from loss.

The characters come alive from the moment they are introduced and they stick with you even when you're not reading. There are very few characters that you are ambivalent about. You either really love them or hate their guts (ex. Black Jack Randall).

There is also so much comedy and dry humor in here that it makes you wonder how the author could make every character have a great sense of humor. (I'm not that funny even in real life).

The main character, Claire, whose point of view the stories are told, is a nurse in her own time. While in the past she is always on the front lines (of war, childbirth, disease) trying to save everyone. Armed with her knowledge of germs and a very stubborn streak she makes all the tough male Scots do as she commands.

This is my favorite book series of all time and I recommend it to everyone. Even if you are not interested in history there are so many aspects or themes that you are sure to find something you love about these books. And if you do love history as I do, then these books are the best there is.

http://www.dianagabaldon.com/

Click the above link for the author's homepage to learn more about the Outlander Series.

First Chapter

I am a huge book lover. I would love to spend everyday, all-day reading. If I find an author or series of books that I like I devour all the books in as short a time as possible. Then all I want to do is get other people to read those books so I can discuss them. Not everyone around me likes the books that I love so I created this blog. I can rant and rave about a particular book or series and no one can shut me up. Yay!

Hopefully, I can introduce you people on the world wide web to some fantastic books and receive some new suggestions for my own library.

I have a very wide range of book types that I enjoy but my top 3 genres are:

1.) Historical Fiction (ex. Diana Gabaldon)

2.) Horror (ex. Stephen King)

3.) Crime Mystery (ex. Patricia Cornwall or James Patterson)

I always mix it up when I read. I can read 3 historical fiction books in a row then a Stephen King book just to spice things up. More historical fiction then a book about serial killers.

I don't like fantasy books however. (ex. Harry Potter). I know, I know, I must be crazy. They are some of the most popular books out there. One of these days I will have to break down and read one just to see what all the fuss is about but it really doesn't interest me. Give me a book about a man in a kilt in the 1700s, though, and I'm hooked!

The bigger the book or the longer the series, the better for me. I never want my books to end. (If I do then it's a really bad book). That is one of the reasons I love the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. Each book is a minimum of 1000 pages and so far there are 6 in the series.
The seventh is coming out next month. I'm excited. So excited in fact that I am currently re-reading the series in anticipation for the next one. I don't want to forget any details.

I know, I'm obsessed. But as obsessions go; there are a lot worst things to be obsessed about.


One morning when my husband caught me up reading at 6am he said with a disgusted look on his face,

"Babe, You're addicted to reading."

They say admitting it, is the first step, so:

Yes, I am addicted to reading.

So What!