Ellie's books 18, 28 and 31: Three Mary Russell books

I'm skipping around a bit here with the chronology of my reviews, because I wanted to get all of my gushing out in one spot. These three books are all part of the same series. (Also, side note, aren't those covers just gorgeous? I love both styles so much.)

Have I mentioned Mary Russell here before? If I haven't, I apologize, as if you know me in real life and I've spoken to you at all in the past two years there's a 90% chance I've recommended the Mary Russell books to you in terms so strong that you probably backed away slowly, smiling and nodding and looking for something to defend yourself with in case my not-so-latent maniacal tendencies started manifesting themselves in a more sinister way than book recommendations.

Ahem. Mary Russell is one of my current favorite literary characters. Laurie R. King has created an absolutely fantastic series about this British-American Jewish feminist Oxford scholar in the 1910's and 1920's who, at the age of 15, meets up with a retired Sherlock Holmes and becomes his protegee and partner. The books are meticulously researched and just sparkle with wit and intelligence. King's Holmes is his own character but still true to the original vision of Conan Doyle (although this Holmes is rather testy about any references to Conan Doyle; he dislikes the way the latter man sullied his name by association, especially once Conan Doyle turned more to mysticism and fairy stories).

But Mary Russell, from whose viewpoint the stories are told, more than holds her own with Sherlock Holmes without becoming unrealistically superior to him. He still is able to teach and mentor her without making her appear weak. She is a worthy partner for him in every way, and challenges his mind and opinions more than he has been used to.

I've read three of these books this year. The Game is book 7. Later on in the year my book club read book 1, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and I also read book 8, Locked Rooms.

18. The Game, by Laurie R. King

****

In The Game, Holmes and Russell make their way to India at the request of Mycroft Holmes in order to investigate the disappearance of an intelligence officer by the name of Kimball O'Hara, better known as the titular character of Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim. (One of the delightful things about the Holmes/Russell universe is that many purportedly fictional characters, such as Holmes himself, are actually real and pop up at interesting times.) I loved the atmosphere of this book, which felt simultaneously menacing and full of color and spices. There were a few unexpected but satisfying twists, along with a few threads of a mystery to be picked up in the next book. All in all a solid book and great fun to read, but not quite equal to the top books in the canon (books 5 and 6, O Jerusalem and Justice Hall, were two sides of the same coin and absolute masterpieces. They were two of the top three best books I read in 2011). Four stars.

28. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R. King

*****

It was delightful to re-read The Beekeeper's Apprentice a few weeks later with the benefit of hindsight (or is it foresight when you know what's coming in the next few books? Anyway, I enjoyed it, whatever it was) and seeing how later events in the series were foreshadowed as well as seeing the clues to the answer to the mystery as they popped up in the book. It re-confirmed my conviction that Laurie R. King is a master of storytelling, whose writing style is like weaving a huge epic tapestry: everything is connected, somehow, and all the disparate threads come together to make an astonishing whole. (Yes, I have a serious author crush going on here.) Five stars.

31. Locked Rooms, by Laurie R. King

*****

I went into Locked Rooms not expecting too much, as I'd heard that it was four shorter stories rather than one complete novel. I was delighted to find that I was mistaken. The book is divided into four parts, yes, but that's because two of the parts are actually told using third-person narration with Holmes himself serving as the viewpoint character for the first time in the series, with the other two parts in the accustomed first-person narration of Mary Russell. This may sound like it shouldn't work, but oh, believe me, it does, and is done for very good and sufficient reasons. Far from being disappointed in this book, the ultimate result took my breath away. It stands solidly with books 5 and 6 at the top of the series. This book sees Russell and Holmes arriving in San Francisco to tie up the affairs of Mary's parents' estate, and a mystery from her childhood rises up to confront them. I can't think of anything else to say that won't give away spoilers or just devolve into garbled author-crush gushing. But seriously. Wow. Five stars and mad applause for Laurie R. King. (And yes, this book is a serious contender for the final six-star best book of the year award.)

Seriously, if you haven't started reading this series, do yourself a favor and pick up The Beekeeper's Apprentice. You should read all of them in order so you can properly appreciate the sequence and build of events and facts, and all of them, even the weakest (looking at you, book 3), are solidly on the Books You'll Be Glad You Read list.

40, 41, and 42

Book 40: Son by Lois Lowry

The final installment in The Giver saga. I have to say this is my favorite of the last three. It was very well written and engaging. I can't say much about the plot because I wouldn't have wanted to know anything before I read it, so I will only give you bare bones. The story focuses on a girl named Claire, who is a contemporary of Jonas in the setting of The Giver. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is set in the community Jonas and Claire spent part of their childhood in. The second part is in an entirely new community. And the third part returns us to the setting of the community that was introduced in Messenger. There are a few inconsistencies in this book (meaning details given that differ from details given in one or more of the preceding books), which I noted but was not extremely bothered by. All in all, nicely done, Lois. I highly recommend this book and give it four stars. Also, after reading this one, I am kind of tempted to reduce my rating of the other three books to 3.5 or 3 stars. This one was just that much better, in my opinion.

Book 41: Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Let me just say that I forgot, repeatedly, that this was not a memoir. After I read the blurb about Jean Kwok on the back of the book, including that she immigrated to the US, lived in Brooklyn, worked in a sweatshop, etc., I somehow decided that she had decided to write her own story. So, it reads like a memoir or autobio, in other words, but is, in fact, a novel. I liked the writing style, but...

it was also a double edged sword for me. See, I was fascinated by Kimberly's stories. And I'm sure quite a few of them were taken from Jean's own childhood/adolescence. But I want to know what was true and what was made up for the book. I am kind of driven crazy by not knowing.

I give this book three stars. I really liked it and was able to finish it pretty quickly. I was disappointed with how Kwok chose to wrap up the story in the epilogue. The choices the protagonist made there seemed very out of character and kind of put a bad taste in my mouth. But all in all, it was a very enjoyable read. I'd especially recommend it to readers who enjoy the stories of immigrants and/or foreigners experiencing America for the first time.

Book 42: re-read of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Loved it. What can I say? I am a huge HP nerd. I have never loved a YA series as much as I love this one, and I don't think it's premature to say I never will. This book is the start of the giant installments. Books 1-3 are seriously puny compared to books 4-7. This book is also where it really starts to get emotional for me. Seeing Cedric die, watching Voldemort return, noticing the beginning of the tension between Hermione and Ron, Harry giving his bag of 1,000 galleons to Fred and George... man, it gets me every time. :) 5 stars.

Ellie's books 14-17

So. In the interest of catching up (really this time), I'm just going to post a few thumbnail-type reviews.

14. The Moonspinners, by Mary Stewart

****

I love this book, and re-read it every year around Easter time (yes, that's how far behind I am with my reviews) and then spend the next few months dreaming of Mediterranean holidays. This book chronicles the adventures of Nicola Ferris, a secretary at the British embassy in Athens, who takes an Easter holiday with her cousin in an out-of-the-way village in Crete. She promptly stumbles into a mystery involving a pair of brothers, kidnapping, thievery, boats, crab-pots and both attempted and accomplished murder. The action is great, but what I love best about this book is the feeling of place that the descriptions evoke. I can easily picture myself into the landscape and always come out of the book slightly bewildered and disappointed that I'm no longer sitting on a patio in the Greek sunshine sipping mint drinks. Four stars.

15. How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer

***

This was another Kindle Daily Deal which I picked up on a whim because I thought, looking at the title, that it might help me with some of my less-decisive tendencies. In fact, in the author's note on this book, he explains that he decided to write it because he was tired of spending fifteen minutes in the cereal aisle trying to decide between Apple Cinnamon and Honey Nut Cheerios every time he went grocery shopping. However, this book isn't a how-to guide like you might expect, but more of a how-do guide to the brain and its inner workings. Lehrer opens each chapter with a fascinating story of a real-life situation in which a type of decision was made (such as the Mann Gulch fire, which Megan talked about in her review of Young Men and Fire), and then talks about what parts of the brain and which brain functions influenced, prevented, or made such a decision possible. Most of the time it was fascinating, although sometimes I admit I got bogged down in the super-scientific parts. But if you are interested in the ways the brain works and affects such things as panic, intuition, gambling, autism, serial killers, memory, addiction, etc., then you'll enjoy this book. The writing style is clear and coherent so that even the super-technical parts are understandable, and the storytelling parts are, quite simply, riveting. Unfortunately, though, it didn't help with my cereal selection process. Three stars.

16. Bridget Jones' Diary, by Helen Fielding

***

It had been several years since I'd read this, and flying out of my home state and hometown to move to a new city across the country called for something light-hearted. My Kindle offered me this. And it did what it needed to, in that I was distracted and diverted, but I was a bit disappointed to find out that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first time I'd read it. Maybe it's that I've gotten older and don't have the patience for as much juvenile-type behavior as Bridget engages in. I don't know. Despite my impatience with some of her antics, though, Bridget did manage to get in a few great lines, for which I must give her (and Fielding) due credit. My favorite lines this time around (in no particular order):

On the end of a relationship:

It's no good. When someone leaves you, apart from missing them, apart from the fact that the whole little world you've created together collapses, and that everything you see or do reminds you of them, the worst is the thought that they tried you out and, in the end, the whole sum of parts adds up to you got stamped REJECT by the one you love. How can you not be left with the personal confidence of a passed-over British Rail sandwich?

On trying to set the VCR record function:

Feel exactly the same as feel when trying to follow signposts on roads. Know in heart that signposts and video manual do not make sense but still cannot believe authorities would be so cruel as to deliberately dupe us all. Feel incompetent fool and as if everyone else in world understands something which is being kept from me.

And of, course, the classic:

It struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party. It's like being called Heathcliff and insisting on spending the entire evening in the garden, shouting "Cathy" and banging your head against a tree.

All in all, a fun read. Three stars.

17. The 39 Steps, by John Buchan

****

In the interest of full disclosure, I "read" this in audiobook format, which I still think totally counts, while pushing a napping toddler around the apartment complex. This book follows expatriate Scot Richard Hannay, who has recently returned to London from southern Africa and is about to die of boredom. He has determined to leave the country again when he is approached by a stranger claiming to hold information vital to the security of the nation, and who pleads for Hannay's assistance in hiding him until he can contact the proper people. Hannay puts him up for the night but ignores the wilder flights of his guest's tales of political plotting. However, when his guest is murdered, leaving Hannay his notebook, Hannay finds that he must not only believe the wild tales of his guest, but must also dodge both the British police (who suspect him of being the murderer) and a formidable force of foreign spies bent on silencing Hannay before he can thwart their nefarious plans.

Bottom line: great book. Lots of action, lots of intrigue, lots of close calls and lots of fun. I'd seen several film adaptations of this story so was excited to get the chance to discover the original. I think the original is of course the best, but was surprised by just how many universal elements from the adaptations were missing from the original book. For example, I kept waiting and waiting for the beautiful woman to appear so they would be forced to run across Scotland handcuffed together and outwitting dangerous spies and . . . nothing. No woman at all other than one or two throwaway characters like farmers' wives and the like.

I was pleased to find, however, that the resourcefulness, daring and general awesomeness that characterize the Richard Hannay of the adaptations were all there and more. Definitely a character you enjoy spending time with, and certainly one you'd want to have on your side in a pinch. Four stars.

I loved the version I listened to (done by BJ Harrison of The Classic Tales Podcast). I highly recommend checking out his podcasts and audiobooks if you haven't yet done so.

38 & 39: Some fun with Lois Lowry

I recently discovered that the fourth installment in Lois Lowry's saga that began with The Giver was released.  I had put the second and third books on my reading list long ago, but it wasn't until I heard about the fourth, Son, that I knew it was time to finish the series. I love The Giver. It's been one of my favorite YA books since I was young myself. I think Lois Lowry has a real gift for writing-- Number the Stars is another incredible read that I need to revisit. 

Thus, for my 38th and 39th reads, I submit Gathering Blue and Messenger. Both of these novels are very short and very easy to get into. I read them both in my spare time over the past two days. I give both of them  a solid four stars, particularly for readers who have read and enjoyed The Giver.

For any who haven't read The Giver, which I hope is none, Lois Lowry sets the story at some future time, presumably after catastrophes of some form have drastically changed life as we know it. In The Giver, the main character is Jonas. He lives in a society that is highly controlled, everything is regulated. People are given jobs or callings, and he ends up with a very important one. The vague ending of TG was frustrating for many, but I actually kind of liked it. I don't struggle with uncertain endings like many people do. Nevertheless, I was beyond excited that she continued the series.

In Gathering Blue, Lowry centers the story on a girl named Kira. I went into the book assuming that she lives in a different part of the world from where Jonas lived in TG, though I didn't really have that confirmed until the end when Jonas' existence is briefly hinted at. Kira's society is nothing like Jonas' was, but probably equally as harmful. GB focuses almost entirely on Kira's role in her town, her special gifts, and on the struggle of being good and true when all around you is darkness and despair. At the end, you don't know exactly how but you know Kira is going to do great things.

Messenger's main character is a side character from GB named Matty. Lowry said in an interview that Matty had been one of her favorite characters in GB and she was excited to write another installment that would bring him back and further develop his character. Messenger also features Jonas from TG and informs the reader about what he's been up to since the end of TG. It's pretty awesome, I'm not going to lie. In the course of this book, Matty discovers he also has a gift and uses it to change his surroundings. Though I can't go into the plot very much without spoiling, both of these are so short that if you are interested you could have them read in a few hours.

I'm diving into Son today and will probably review it shortly. I can't wait to see how Lowry wraps the story up.

Ellie's Book #12: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

****

Not too much to say about this one, since everyone has read it or seen the movie and I have little to add.

I re-read this book in preparation for the movie, as it had been about two years since the first time I’d read it. I was impressed again by the urgency of the writing, how the pace keeps moving the reader along, as if by staying in one spot too long the reader, too, will get attacked by giant flying fireballs. As before, I cried for Rue (even though I cry at the drop of the hat where movies are concerned—it’s ridiculous, really—it takes a lot for a book to make me cry, so this is fairly high praise). Katniss frustrates me some of the time because it seems like she switches back and forth very quickly at times from competent kick-ace huntress to “wait, what, you actually like like me?” and the contrast seems choppy and uncharacteristic. But that’s probably just me. All in all I still really liked it. I’m looking forward to getting a chance to unpack my boxes of books and re-read the rest of the trilogy. Four stars.

(If you want to know my thoughts on the movie, you can read them over on my LitGroupie blog, but I didn't want to clutter up this blog with movie stuff for now.)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking

Quiet, by Susan Cain, is a treatise on the often overlooked power of introverts. It begins by discussing how, over the last century or so, our culture has adopted extroversion as the ideal. One of Cain's most interesting claims, in fact, is that this new ideal causes a complete value shift wherein charisma overshadows character. Having established the cultural context, she then presents a mix of her own research with several psychological studies to share the reasons that we should value the introverts among us.

Because I consider myself to be something of an introvert, I found this book to be very relatable. One element I appreciated about this book was how Cain allows the definition of introversion to be a little loose. Introversion is not necessarily being shy. It is definitely not being anti-social. It's more of just enjoying the quiet, preferring to observe, and liking to really think things through. Interestingly, about 1 in 3 people are introverts (at least to some degree).


Cain really hits hard on the social stigma that is often placed on being introverted, especially in workplaces. Several studies have shown that, while extroverts are more likely to get attention, introverts have many strengths that get overlooked because they lack the extroverts' confidence and charm. A few studies on businesses and the economic crash of 2008 illustrate the virtue of balance. Extroverts are great at leading confidently and taking risks, but... they can be bad at listening to others and seeing warning signs. As leaders, introverts prefer to play it safe, and many prosper that way. Another skill introverts seem especially gifted at is gathering information and ideas from their subordinates. Companies that embraced and used the special talents of both personality types would have a great chance at success.


I really enjoyed reading about the studies that are being done in the field of personality psychology. Some studies indicate that whether we are more introverted or extroverted depends in a large part on how our brain interprets stimuli. Introverts tend to be highly reactive to stimulus, and seem to therefore prefer smaller doses of it; whereas, extroverts tend to be low-reactives who prefer to seek out higher amounts of stimulation. The really fascinating part, for me, was reading about how both personality types strive for the right balance of stimulus. When they find it, one study showed, whether through seeking more quiet or more noise, the levels of brain activity are almost identical.


Some of the more practical parts of this book give suggestions for introverts and for those who work with or have close relationships with introverts. Some of the ideas seem very helpful for bridging differences in personality and preferences. For example, a couple may agree to spend two weekends per month at home and two weekends going out so that each person's needs are met. However, as a teacher, I found Cain's suggestions for introverts in the context of education to be pretty implausible, for the most part. I think her suggestions to introverts for the workplace would be more applicable to introverted students than the ones she gives. But, that's me.


Overall, I would give this book 4 stars because it presented so much interesting information that is applicable in professional and personal relationships with introverts.

Everything Is Fine.

#20: Everything Is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis

Turns out this book is another super quick read, and I liked this one even more than TIWID. A solid four stars.

In a style choice similar to that of TIWID, Ellis sets up this story with a young adolescent protagonist (Mazeline aka Mazzy) who is slogging through the aftermath of a traumatic event. This time, however, The Event is not as shrouded in mystery, and you don't have to go very many pages in before you can surmise that Mazzy had a younger sister, Olivia, who recently died. While the specific details surrounding her death aren't given until closer to the end, I quite liked that there wasn't a Huge Mystery looming over me the entire time. I could understand more of the behaviors of the central characters instead of just thinking they were lazy and neglectful individuals.

Mazzy has a lot of quirks and just plain odd behaviors, but she still seemed authentic to me. The book doesn't give her an exact age, but my guess is around 13. I can definitely see a 13-year-old, particularly one who has been dealing with the things Mazzy has been dealing with, acting like she does.

If you are looking for a quick read, pick this one up. I'd recommend it over TIWID, though I know other readers would say the opposite. I think the most common criticism I'v seen about this book is that it's not realistic, but I disagree. Things can get a little crazy when a family faces a tragedy like the one at the center of this book. Grief can turn a world upside down. There isn't always an easy solution. There is not always a hero who comes in and saves the day. People, even parents who are supposed to be responsible and capable, make poor choices. Sometimes they let themselves slip away from the people they love and the children they should be watching over. Sometimes even friends and neighbors drop the ball.

And with this, I'm finally kind of caught up on my reading. In order to stay caught up, I'll have to read another book before Saturday... which isn't likely. But I'll enjoy the moment.

17: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

My first venture into the writing of Brandon Sanderson, Warbreaker is a great novel. I love Sanderson's writing style, and I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future. I can see why he was chosen to continue Robert Jordan's unfinished series. Speaking of, for any Wheel of Time readers out there who have yet to reach his contribution to the series, I give a full vote of confidence that it's going to be awesome. For the WoT readers who have read his addition, feel free to let me know in the comments what you thought. I need to finish that series one of these days...

But back to the book. Sanderson created a completely new world in this novel, which isn't the easiest thing to do if you've read much fantasy. Sanderson nails it. When I first read the description of this book, I admit I was a bit hesitant. It just sounded kind of weird and a little too far-fetched. I mean, yeah, most fantasy worlds are going to be far-fetched, but this one seemed pretty out there. Fortunately, Sanderson is amazing and pulled it off.

Here is a brief sneak peak, from Goodreads:

Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn’t like his job, and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breaththat can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker. 

Right? Yeah. The description didn't immediately grab me. But once I started reading, it didn't take long at all for me to get sucked in. The chapters rotate perspectives and I think I was most engaged in Siri's life, though Lightsong comes in a close second. Once you near the end and get close to the resolution of everything, it really gets exciting. I don't want to say too much. Just read it. A resounding four stars.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone-- Laini Taylor

After the review and recommendation of Kristen Shill, I added Daughter of Smoke and Bone to my to-read list on Goodreads. I am so glad I did. I needed a little YA action in my life, and this was a great read. It wasn't at all what I expected, and it actually took me a good bit to really get into the story. But once I did, I was in. Laini Taylor has crafted quite an interesting world, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. What is Karou going to do next?! Is Brimstone (and the other chimaera) really dead?! Etc.

Note: While I can call this a YA novel without reservations, I would recommend it for the older side of YA. It's a bit darker and a bit more mature than some of the YA I've read recently.

This was my 16th read of 2012. I give it four stars.

Ellie's Book #8: The Woman in White

The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins

****

This was a re-read for my book club, but it's a book I love. The first time I read this book, I was reading it online on Project Gutenberg during my breaks at work. My husband and I were getting ready to move around this same time, and the move date (when we'd be without internet for a couple of days) coincided with my reaching the part where Things Start to Get Really Good. I was also going to be taking a couple of days off work for both the move and my little sister's wedding (yeah, I know, we have *great* timing), and I could not bear the thought of waiting that long to find out what happened, so I ended up taking time out from packing to run to three bookstores to find a copy because the first two were out. 

And I'm glad I did. I think this was my fifth read of this book (yeah, I re-read a lot. I'll discuss that in another post sometime) and the first time reading it with the specific plan of discussing it with other people, so it was fun to see what themes I picked up on this time that I had missed before or forgotten about. 

This book is an early mystery novel of sorts, involving a strange woman in white, two half-sisters, a drawing teacher, a brutish baronet, an invalid uncle, assorted old ladies and a sinister count. Add mistaken identities, lunatic asylums, trained white mice, kidnapping, doomed love, sea voyages, attempted murder, arson, forgery, slander, scandal, and opera-loving Italians of all shapes and sizes to the mix and you have the makings of 400-ish pages of a whole lot of fun.

What can I say? I can't really sum up the plot of this book succinctly, partly because Collins is anything but succinct. It's told as a series of first-person narratives, ostensibly so that no part of the story is given second- or third-hand; each part of the story is related by an individual who was actually there to see it or take part. This is great but it means that when Walter is telling the story we have to listen to a lot of extraneous matter about how wonderful and beautiful and perfect Laura is, and when Marian is telling the story we have to listen to a lot of (unconvincing) regrets about how she can't do anything to save them because she is only a weak woman.

Let me take a break here to say the lady doth protest too much. Wilkie Collins, in Marian Halcombe, appears to have created a character he didn't quite know what to do with or how to control. She's smart, she's sassy, she's resourceful, she's basically awesome, but he needed Walter to be in love with Laura instead, you know, for plot reasons, so it feels like he had to keep artificially hobbling Marian to keep her from becoming the main love interest. To do this he specifies that she is ugly (yes, he even goes so far as to give her a bit of a mustache) and keeps having her remind us all that she is only a woman, and what can women do? A heck of a lot, Marian, as you keep showing at every turn. Seriously, Laura's great and all, but you're the heroine of this story in my book and only the VILLAIN has the sense to see it. Yeah, you read that right, the hero is in love with bland and actually-helpless and feminine to the core Laura, while the villain has the good sense to fall madly in love with spunky Marian.  (Actually, in the not-really-faithful-at-all 1930's movie adaptation, the filmmakers DID make Marian the main love interest, kind of the same way that people can't help but tinker with Fanny Price. This was possible because in the movie Marian did not have a mustache.) 

Wilkie, your character was too good for you, and I hope you realize it. (I think you do, because you do have Walter, in his brief pauses between rhapsodizing on Laura's perfections, mention how amazing a person and what a staunch ally and good friend Marian is. And hey, she's the one he takes into his confidence when plotting! Seriously, the only thing keeping this woman from taking over the show is that tacked-on mustache. In my mind I see it kind of like a Mr. Potato Head accessory; just shoved on there as an afterthought once the author realized that he'd painted himself into the corner where his reader was naturally going to be rooting for the hero to get with the wrong girl.)

But even with these flaws, I still really enjoy this book. It's long; it's an investment and fun to curl up with knowing that you'll be taking a long journey together. And the good news is that (other than the aforementioned rhapsodizing and self-deprecation from our respective main characters), there isn't much wasted space (okay, okay, so a few of the landscape descriptions could also have been dropped). What I mean is, all the PLOT elements come back together; even what seem like throw-away bits end up being important to the story later. 

If you can get past some Victorian stereotypes, can tolerate unnecessary facial hair, and like fun mystery-type stories, I recommend The Woman in White. It's worth it, I promise. (Seriously. Just wait till you meet Fosco. He must be seen to be believed.) Four stars.

Ellie's Book #7: Midnight in Austenland

(Side note: Apparently Blogger went and changed everything while I've been away. Does anyone else seriously dislike the new blogging layout? I can't find ANYTHING.)

Midnight in Austenland, by Shannon Hale

****

Let me just get this out of the way to begin with: My friend Tracy (name changed) would probably hate this book.

Let me back up a bit.

Shannon Hale's Austenland* is one of my go-to favorites for frothy and sweet but not stupid reading. I love Jane Austen, I love Shannon Hale, I love Colin Firth, I love romance and happy endings. I think Austenland was the first book I actually bought for my Kindle (mostly I just loaded up on freebies); I loved it enough to want to buy it again to have easy access to it all the time. It's basically a one-long-sitting read and cheers me up every time. I even had my book club read it after we'd finished all the Jane Austen books, and it was enjoyed, even if not all of them loved it like I do. 

Fast forward a few months from that book club meeting. I'm sitting at work one afternoon with my friend K, who is also in the book club, and our friend Tracy walks in. Without preamble, she declares to the room, "Have you ever read Austenland? Don't. Worst book ever." 

This isn't the only book we emphatically disagree on. She loves Eragon. She hates Jane Eyre. I think her main complaint with Austenland is that it *SPOILER ALERT* ended happily. (I sometimes wonder if she also hates puppies and sunshine. Not really. And I love her dearly. But that Jane Eyre thing makes me worry sometimes.)

Anyway. Midnight in Austenland is the, well, not really sequel, but follow-up to Austenland. It takes place in the same setting—a fictional resort in England where rich women pay fabulous amounts of money to have an immersive Jane Austen vacation experience, complete with handsome actors in breeches whose job is to make the guests feel enchanting—but most of the characters (with a few sparkling exceptions) are different. While Austenland took its inspiration more from Pride and Prejudice, with healthy doses of Persuasion and Mansfield Park thrown in, Midnight is most closely allied with Northanger Abbey. It's basically Shannon Hale's nod to the Gothic novel and is more of a mystery novel than a romance, although it also *SPOILER ALERT* ends happily. (Sorry, Tracy.)

This book features Charlotte, a successful entrepreneur who discovered Jane Austen's books after her husband left her for a woman named Justice. (Yes, really.) Her two children are spending a few weeks with their father during the summer and she decides to take her first vacation in years. A casual mention of Jane Austen to her travel agent ends up with Charlotte booking a two-week stay at Pembrook Park. Once there, she begins to lose track of what is real and what is only make-believe, and she must decide whether she actually has uncovered a sinister mystery or if it is only part of the entertainment.

I love Shannon Hale's voice and the way her books make you feel like a member of a cool little club with the narrator's sly comments and the inner monologue her characters carry on. She is witty and intelligent and obviously having a whole lot of fun writing these books. But I also enjoy these books because although they are firmly planted in the "just-for-fun" category, they're actually well written and smart. There's substance going on; they're not just cotton candy. They're well researched and stand on their own rather than being mere derivative fanfic. They're definitely more frothy than most of her other books, so if you're coming to these books expecting the beautiful literary prose tone of, say, The Goose Girl, you might be disappointed. But the writing is still excellent and well-crafted and the humor is great, and the characters are ones that you wouldn't mind curling up and spending an afternoon with. 

I'd recommend reading Austenland first, just because I love it and it gives you a bit of perspective on some of the events of Midnight in Austenland, but Midnight can stand on its own quite easily if you haven't read Austenland (or, you know, if you trust Tracy's judgment more than mine or if you hate happiness and butterflies). Four stars.

P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, there are actually many books on which Tracy and I agree; I'd be willing to bet that in most instances trusting her judgment wouldn't be all that different from trusting mine. 

*Brief synopsis of Austenland for those who are interested: Jane Hayes is a thirtysomething with a string of bad relationships and an unhealthy obsession with Mr. Darcy as played by Colin Firth. Compared to Darcy, real men just don't stack up. When Jane's great-aunt dies and leaves her an all-expenses-paid vacation to Pembrook Park, a Jane-Austen-themed resort, Jane decides that maybe this will be the best way to kick her Darcy fixation for good. 

Book 13: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This book was previously reviewed by Alli here, so I will make this short.

I really liked this book and give it four stars. I have a newfound love and devotion for a place to which I've never been (Guernsey), but am determined to visit one day. I loved the character development, I loved the story line, I loved the ending. Amen.

The Candy Shop War

Recently, I’ve become a big fan of Brandon Mull. This sort of surprised me because I’m really not that into fantasy. But, I read Beyonders around Christmas and loved it, and then I tried Fablehaven and liked it quite a bit. Most recently, I read The Candy Shop War, and I am quite excited to tell you not only why I enjoyed it, but why I have developed a lot of respect for Mull as an author.

This book takes the old adage "don't take candy from strangers" and turns it into a full-blown, high-risk adventure. A group of four friends start working to earn candy at the candy shop that has just opened. For each task they complete, they receive a treat. At first, they are washing windows for fudge, but eventually the tasked they are asked to complete become more sinister, like stealing artifacts and robbing graves. As the tasks become more risky, the treats become more intriguing: candy that makes you float, candy that changes your appearance, and even candy that allows you to travel through time.

Brandon Mull has a real talent for building suspense. I find it very impressive that I can sit down to read a middle grade novel with young characters and be completely engaged in the action and be anxious for the characters. This is the kind of book that had me continually yelling out “What?!” or “No!” because, ohmygoodness, something crazy was just always happening. And it was awesome.

As I've read more of Mull's books, I've come to really admire the way he crafts the language of his novels. Even though he is writing for younger kids, he doesn't shy away from using a slightly more advanced vocabulary. At the teacher book club meeting for Beyonders, a lot of teachers said that had bothered them. When they asked him about it, Mull explained that he works to find the best word to create the image he sees for his readers, but that he doesn’t really try for challenging vocabulary and doesn’t try to avoid it either. Brandon Mull writes pretty exclusively for young readers, and, obviously, he respects those readers and their right to read good books. A lot of young adult and middle grade authors write down to kids, and that’s really not conducive to writing something worth reading.

The Candy Shop War gets 4 stars. While it is meant for younger audiences, it is a fun read that will keep readers of all ages interested right to the end.

The Girl Who series: Alli's Books 1-3

Well, hello there. It's nearly March and I'm just making my debut. Allow me to explain my late arrival. I wanted to finish this entire series before writing a review, as I imagined a comprehensive review would do more good than individual reviews.

This is one of those series that I wouldn't recommend reading out of order, nor did I find either the second or third books to be worth reading without reading the first. Don't misunderstand me, the second and third books were worth reading, but not without the background of the first book (if for whatever reason you were inclined to read them out of order).

*A cautionary note to the feint of heart. Or to the sensitive. These books are filled to capacity with the F word. Not an occasional PG-13 F-word. I'm talking multiple times a page, nearly every page. If you're like me, you can drown it out because for some reason you find it less abrasive than having to hear it that much. But others may not be able to do so, and if that is the case, these books are not for you.

*These books also contain numerous explicit, non-explicit, heterosexual, homosexual, and/or violent sexual references. A few of span several pages. If you do choose to read them but want to skip the three particularly bad scenes, let me know and I can provide page references. The worst of them are in the first book.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

As is the norm with series, the first book was definitely my favorite. Set in Sweden, it's about Michael Blomkvist, a journalist for Millennium magazine unjustly sentenced to serve a prison sentence for libel, who is hired by a wealthy businessman to investigate the 30-year-old murder/disappearance case of his niece. Along the way, Michael enlists a strange computer genius, Lisbeth Salander (the girl with dragon tattoo) to help solve the mystery, and to help him clear his name.

Larsson knows how to write a serious page-turner. He tells bits and pieces of stories 2-3 pages at a time, leaving each storyline unfinished so you have to keep reading to find out what happens. It's frustrating and invigorating. His characters are complex and imperfect. He begs the reader to question the judicial system, the government, and humanity in general.

The translator is a genius. It is one thing to be a good writer in your native tongue. It is another thing entirely to translate a well-written book into another language and maintain the voice and style.

Does this book deserve all the hype? Probably. That's not to say I don't have any qualms with the book. Larsson is, at times, obsessively detailed. I could have whittled out several pages here and there. It's also unnecessarily sexual and crude. I could've done with a few hundred less f-words and all the sexual references. There's also a lot of financial talk in the first few chapters that nearly put me to sleep multiple times. Additionally, reading this book, I realized how little Swedish I know. I had a hard time keeping track of a lot of people, as Larsson uses a lot of last names--and a lot of similar last names at that--in reference to characters.

All in all, though, a satisfying read. I'd give it four stars.

The Girl who Played with Fire & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

My least favorite of the series. However, Larsson hooked me from the prologue. This book was a continued storyline of our friends Michael and Lisbeth, but this book delves into Lisbeth's story--which was starkly absent from the first book. She takes the lead role, and we get to know more about what makes her tick. Lisbeth begins the book abroad, enjoying spoils earned in the last book, and returns to Sweden to find her face plastered across every newspaper and television accused of three gruesome murders. There is conspiracy running in the deepest parts of government that no one even knows exist, centered on a very dark person from Lisbeth's past.

Be warned that the second book contains several lesbian references.

If you read the second book, you pretty much have to read the third one. Larsson ends the previous installment with a character on the brink of death, so to not read the third book would be impossible. I don't really know how to describe it without giving away some important parts of the second book. There were parts of this book that made my heart race with anticipation. It was a culmination of the first two books: mystery-thriller plus the inner workings of the two main characters, complete with scandal, suspense, and lots of f-words.

I'd give the third book 4 stars and the second book 3 stars.

Man, it was a let-down to finish this intense series. It left me feeling like my life was so boring. A good reason to start another fantastic book.

The Professor and the Madman

Note: I finally finished reading Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day! Yes, the book I was supposed to have read for my January book club meeting. :) However late I am to that party, that was my sixth read and it was truly delightful. I endorse Elizabeth's review of that novel, found here.

My 7th book of 2012 is The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester. I give it four stars. 

I don't think it's any secret that I am a big fan of the OED. It is one of my life's goals to someday own it. (I think I will wait until I have a majestic and impressive library in which to display the unabridged set of volumes.) So naturally, I was very interested in reading this book. Simon Winchester did a fantastic job of creating a book worth reading, going into the back stories of some very interesting characters, particularly James Murray and WC Minor. 

The compilation of the OED began in 1857. Clearly one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken, it was headed by an overseeing committee led by Professor James Murray. As the committee went about collecting definitions for use in the dictionary, Murray discovered that one man, WC Minor, had submitted more than 10,000. Interestingly enough, Minor, an American Civil War veteran, also happened to be an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane. Curioser and curioser, indeed.

I have to say, after reading such a detailed account of all that went into the making of the OED, I am honestly surprised that it was finished. I am surprised that people agreed to participate in the first place and that it actually came about. What an undertaking! I loved reading about how they went about gathering volunteer readers to compile words and usage quotations from all sorts of books. I would have loved to be involved in that.

I also loved that this is a book one would do well to read with a dictionary by one's side. Here's just a smattering of some of the words you will come across: hugger-mugger, plaudit, encomium, decussated, redoubtable, amanuenses, genuflective, diktats, manque, desultory. Beautiful. I found myself wondering why so many of English's fantastic words are so rarely used these days. People just go for the easiest ones, I guess.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I have to say, though, if I weren't so interested in the OED and words in general, I may not have finished. Fortunately for us all, I am and I did. If you wouldn't put yourself in either category, you may want to pass. 

Oh, I should also note that this is not a read for the easily offended or squeamish. I won't go into specifics, but WC Minor was a very troubled soul. His life was not a very happy one, and certain events at the end of it were quite disturbing. I think it is no exaggeration to say that his work contributing to the OED brought him some of the only happy times in his life-- and I am just one of the many individuals who have benefited from that work.  

A Jane Austen Education

Although swimming in half-finished books, a recent vacation necessitated the purchase of a book. (The thought of losing a library book absolutely terrifies me since my sister’s dog chewed up one of my library books when I was about 11; they didn’t revoke my library card like I thought they would, but, oh, the horror of the very idea.) I knew I didn’t want just any book; it had to be classy and cool (so I wouldn’t be embarrassed if an authentic New York hipster saw me reading it), entertaining (because it was for a vacation after all), and be the type of book I would actually like to own (although that point may be moot since I buy all sorts of books to entice the children to read). What I finally decided on was A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz.

A Jane Austen Education is part literary analysis, part memoir, and (a very small) part self-help book. William Deresiewicz shares his transformative experience with Austen as a graduate student. Like many others, Deresiewicz was quick to write Austen off as the author of fluffy romance novels. After a reluctant reading of Emma, however, he began to see the genuine talent and valuable insight in Jane Austen’s work. His respect and admiration continued to grow as he read (and re-read) each of her novels. In his book, Deresiewicz extrapolates a life lesson from each of the novels and shares how it helped him to reconsider his goals and priorities.

Unlike Deresiewicz, I’ve loved Austen from my first reading of Pride and Prejudice in 9th grade, and while he doesn’t seem to be making an intentional effort to convince readers of her merit as an author, Deresiewicz does an incredible job of pointing out the small things that make Austen great. His analysis is meaningful and interesting but is also short and to the point. A few of the reviews I’d read online felt that he had too much summary of the novels, but I didn’t feel like that was the case as they were always relevant to the point he was illustrating.

I really liked the way that Deresiewicz presents the lessons he learned from the novel. He clearly outlines his interpretation of Austen’s novels and then talks about how they helped him to solve one of the many problems of growing up, most of which involve our relationship with others. His tone in discussing these lessons isn’t forceful or preachy, but I felt like I was being challenged to live up to Austen’s expectations of me. If you need inspiration for improvement, imagining what Austen’s cutting wit might come up with to describe your failings will certainly do the trick. I enjoyed Deresiewicz’s stories, and, honestly, loved the idea of someone consciously applying lessons from the novel they’ve just read. In fact, my only complaint with the book is that I sometimes felt like Deresiewicz didn’t tell enough about his life or how certain situations worked out after his Austen-inspired revelations struck him.

A Jane Austen Education ended up perfectly fitting my vacation book requirements. It was a fun, intelligent read that kept me thoroughly entertained. If you are an Austen fan, you’ll most likely love it, and even if you’re not, you’ll probably enjoy it. This book gets 4 stars, and, to back that up, an offer to lend you my copy.

Ellie's Book #4: Longitude

Confession: I've had some crazy scheduling stuff come up recently so while I'm currently reading book #6, I'm a bit behind in my reviews, so I'll be playing catch-up in the next few days. I finished this book a little over a week ago.


Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel
****

My dad loves documentaries, especially of the National Geographic or Nova variety. This may be where a lot of his random trivia knowledge comes from; I know that the things I learned through osmosis while these programs were on in the house for much of my childhood certainly come in handy when it's Trivial Pursuit time. They also, incidentally, made me look like a huge nerd (yes, even more than normal) one time in eighth grade history class when I happened to be the only student who not only had heard of but also was able to tell about the German Enigma code machine from WWII. I had learned about the enigma machine while sitting on the couch in our family room downstairs, probably working on some counted cross stitch project (my nerdiness factor really isn't shrinking much here, is it?) as my dad watched a TV program on the code breaker. I think he also used the opportunity to tell me about the decoder rings he had loved in his childhood, but I may just be thinking of A Christmas Story.

Anyway. Most of the documentaries he watched have just kind of blurred together for me, but I do have a specific memory of once again sitting downstairs (only this time I was working on a puzzle, I think of a map of the USA—yeah, I'm never getting rid of the nerd label now) watching a documentary about the search for longitude with my dad. I also remember missing the end of it because I was rather young and my mom made me come upstairs to get ready for bed. So when I saw that the Kindle Daily Deal awhile back (we'll talk another time about just how much I adore the KDD) was a book called Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, you can bet I 1-clicked the heck out of that deal.

And I loved this book. It's written as a popular account rather than a history, so while it is still historically accurate and well-researched, it moves along at a great clip, it doesn't get bogged down in footnotes and it's exciting and accessible. It almost reads like a novel in some places—you've got your problem that is threatening the existence of the kingdom; your plucky hero from somewhere obscure, fighting against all odds to save the day; your villains and antagonists who are bound and determined to throw every obstacle possible into the hero's way in order to win the glory for themselves; and somehow it all turns out right in the end. Throw in a handful of astronomers and watch-makers and you've got Longitude.

Most people don't realize in our era of GPS and Google Earth that in the early and not-so-early-at-all days of sailing, longitude was a major problem. Captains could determine latitude quite easily from the sun and the equator, but longitude was a different matter all together. Leaving aside the basic fact that people couldn't agree where the Prime Meridian should be in the first place, even once you started from the prime meridian you had no accurate way to measure your distance from it. This could lead to disaster at sea, from not knowing how close you were to shore, which led to a disastrous shipwreck of Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell's fleet on the Scilly Islands in 1707, causing a loss of 4 ships and 2000 men; or from losing time and supplies backtracking to find your destination, as in the case of Commodore George Anson, whose longitudinal delays in 1741 eventually led to the death by scurvy of more than half of his 500-man crew. These and similar disasters prompted Parliament to establish the Longitude Act in 1714, which formed the Board of Longitude to award a prize worth millions of today's dollars to the person who came up with (and proved!) an accurate method of determining longitude at sea.

Sobel's subtitle makes it seem as though this book is mostly focused on English clockmaker John Harrison, who eventually won the prize. However, the book's scope is a bit wider than the subtitle lets on, and Harrison's story is only one of the threads of the narrative. Sobel also chronicles several failed attempts, some of which are hilariously bad (one involving pouring "sympathy powder" on a wounded dog's tail at a set time everyday is particularly great, as is the one that proposed to anchor ships at various intervals throughout the ocean to set off fireworks and cannons at set times), and the aftermath of Harrison's inventions. All in all, this is an excellent and comprehensive-enough view of the longitude problem, and it was fascinating.

I loved Sobel's writing style, which was clear and succinct but also lyrical. I also have to applaud her choice of chapter epigraphs, especially the nod to Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark" (and that was the last nail in my nerd coffin. Ah, well). My one complaint is that there were no accompanying pictures of the people or devices described in the book, at least not in my Kindle edition.

If you're interested in readable history and science (or even if you think you don't like history or science) and cool inventions and astronomy and unpleasant people with names like Rev. Maskelyne, do yourself a favor and pick up Longitude.

Book #3: The Game, Book 7 in the Mary Russell series

I also read Miss Pettigrew, but have no need to rehash Ellie's thoughtful review of a lovely little book. Pettigrew was my second book of the year, and I've decided to track how many I read simply because I never have before. It'll be interesting to see the body count after the year's up.

Speaking of Ellie, she also got me turned onto the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. I've been burning through them, and they are delightful.

Truthfully, I don't usually read mystery series because they can become a bit wan and kitschy. (The fact that I read a lot of the Cat Who series when I was younger may have something to do with this jaded view of mystery novels.) I like this series even more as I go along, which is refreshing.

For a bit of background, the character Mary Russell is a half-Brit, half-American, Jewish feminist orphan. Yeah, I know. But it works. It works marvelously. In the first book of the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, 15-year-old Mary encounters the semi-retired Sherlock Holmes who keeps bees in Sussex. They become nearly instant friends, and eventually Mary becomes his apprentice (ergo the title). Their adventures together land them in all sorts of troubles both in solving crimes and as instruments of the political machinations of Mycroft, Sherlock's older brother.

The writing is excellent, and entirely told from the first-person perspective of Mary Russell herself. Although the author is the first to emphasize that these are Mary Russell books not Sherlock Holmes books, they are one of the better bits of derivative literature I've chanced to stumble upon over the years. Ms. King is very thorough with her research and is true to the essence of the world established by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, while making the character of Mary her own.

Unfortunately, to delve much more into the background of the books would be to deny potential readers the pleasures of discovering the world of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes themselves.

In The Game, Russell and Holmes find themselves in India of all places. (This is far from the only random exotic locale the pair finds themselves.) It's a lush and lustrous romp, full of interesting characters and part of the plot dependent on characters from Rudyard Kipling's Kim. Disguises, deceit, dangerous beasts, and political intrigue in a time of political unrest in the British-occupied country weave through the novel. I hesitate to give too much away, as this is the next book in the series for Ellie and I don't want to ruin it for her.

I liked it a lot. It's not my favorite of the Mary Russell books I've read so far, but that's largely because of how much I loved the two companion books in the series, O Jerusalem and Justice Hall. My appreciation of the book may have been enhanced if I was at all familiar with the book Kim, though I think Laurie King does an adequate job explaining the connections for someone unacquainted with the book or the character.

A solid offering in the series. I've yet to finish one of the books and not be curious what happens in the next one. And I'm especially glad that there are still quite a few more books to dive into, so expect more reviews from this series as the year progresses.

I'm giving this four stars. It was a fun and pleasurable read as the Mary Russell books always are. Definitely give The Beekeeper's Apprentice a chance if this piqued your interest at all.

Just the facts, ma'am
Author: Laurie R. King
Published: 2005
Rating: 4 stars

All But My Life-- Book #2

I read All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein for my RS book club meeting, which was yesterday night. I wasn't able to pick up a copy of the book until last Sunday, but it was easy to read the entire thing in just a few days.

All But My Life is an autobiography written by Klein. It focuses on her six years spent as a slave laborer for the Nazis, and ends with her liberation by US soldiers in 1945. Gerda was only 15 when the Germans invaded her country of Poland. She watched her only sibling, a brother named Arthur, leave home, forced to join the army, and never saw him again. She was also eventually separated from both her parents, never learning their fates, though it is likely they ended up at Auschwitz.

Gerda herself eventually worked at five different labor camps, surviving horrific conditions, starvation, and some of the worst of Nazi brutality. She managed to keep pictures of her brother and parents under the soles of her heavy boots. In the beginning of 1945, she-- one of approximately 4,000 women-- began a 350 mile death march, and ended up one of only 120 survivors. During this march, her best friend, Ilse, who had been at her side throughout the previous six years, died in her arms.

In May of 1945, one day shy of her 21st birthday, Gerda finally saw liberation in the form of US Army Lieutenant, Kurt Klein, a German-born US citizen. Though because of starvation Gerda weighed only 68 lbs and her typically black hair was white, Kurt saw something more than her haggard appearance. The two felt an instant connection and became engaged later that year. Kurt eventually brought Gerda back to the United States, where they have lived ever since.

Gerda was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama just last year. She has spent her life telling her story and working to promote tolerance.

Now for my review. I have read a lot of Holocaust literature. I took a whole course on it during my undergraduate degree. This book is at the top of what I've read. Gerda's writing style was frustrating at times, but I kept reminding myself that a memoir like this is going to be fragmented in parts. It isn't as smooth as a novel, obviously, and some parts were confusing. However, after going through all that she did, I am surprised she is able to recall all of her experiences with such clarity. She is definitely a resilient soul. I can't help but believe that she was preserved in order to be able to tell her story, especially after reading of so many instances in which she narrowly escaped death.

For these and other reasons, I give this book 4 stars. I think Holocaust literature has a special place in society-- many of these people have spent their life as a witness of what they saw and went through. I think their stories should be read and remembered as much as possible.

Outlander: Scots, Sex and Sutures

4 Stars

Outlander was...breathtaking. Despite its length, it was a breeze to read. But how do I describe it? I don't want to just call it a romance because that word has certain literary baggage. It was not corny or contrived or full of gratuitous sex, but yes, I suppose it was at its core a romance novel.

Claire is a WWII nurse from 1945 who accidentally steps back in time to 1743 Scotland. Other than this element, the book strives for realism. This realism creates some incredibly difficult/heartwrenching/violent reading material which Diana Gabaldon mercifully intersperses throughout the book to give you enough time to recover. Until the end. That's why I read 200 pages last night.

But as a whole, the book left me swooning and romantic and desperately wanting to snuggle my own red bearded husband. I fell in love with the characters--everyone from Claire, with her badass medical skills, intelligence, and fiestiness to the rowdy, bawdy group of clansman that provide much of the book's comic relief. Not to mention the romantic interest. Oh damn.

Though mostly driven by the developing romance, there's also a wonderful mess of political intrigue overriding the plot. With a full 850 pages, you can do a lot in one book. It was hilarious at times, I felt as if I were just one of the guys on a wild romp through Scotland full of adventure and derring-do. Other times it was a social commentary. At others it was a startling contrast between modern life, modern marriage, modern medicine and 1740s Scotland.

I highly recommend this book, but with a few cautions. It's definitely rated R for violence and sex. The violence was very personal. It wasn't distant war scenes, it was torture and rape. There were many times I just read with my mouth agape--not sure I wanted to continue. Though the sex in this book is frequent, it is not gratuitous, it's always advancing the plot in some way. If you ever want to read a well written sex scene that isn't full of "trembling member" this and "aching bosoms" that, the author does an incredibly accurate, generally tasteful job of describing pure intimacy. Again and again. ;)

My other caution is the writing is incredibly detailed, which made it start a little slow. It took slightly more than the 100 pages I typically allot to get really "in" to the plot. But once I was "in" I couldn't put it down.

If you DO read this book, we have to discuss it. There are parts that I'm still questioning. And I love a book that can do that to me.

Info:
Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Published: 1992
850 pages (paperback version)