Outlander #1 - Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 1991
Series: Outlander #1
Pages: 850
Rating: 5/5 Stars
ISBN: 0440212561
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Read: May/June 2012

I loved this book from start to finish. Of course there are many MANY coincidental things but I really don't care. I was so intrigued by the story that I couldn't really rely on that issue. Not even half way through the book I went out and brought the remaining books within the series (well, whatever was in paperback anyways).

This book brings in everything I love about reading: History, time travel, mystery, romance, murder and all else you can imagine. Sorry there are no faeries nor are there any vampires but that's what makes it so wonderful. It's so real and yet it's not. The characters were superb and how Diana Gabaldon came up with these wonderful characters is beyond me. I am super curious as to see how the story goes especially since there are 13 books (and counting) within the Outlander series and all of them are well over 800 pages!

Now back to my beloved characters....

I loved Jamie from the start. I loved his ruthfulness. His courage. His immortality. His Innocence! He was my hero from the start. Don't get me wrong I loved Frank when I first heard him speak but many pages later, after I got over his mourning and sorrow, I kinda grew apart from him. I love how both of these men love Claire. They both adore her. I believe their love and it didn't bother me that Jamie always showed up. It is crazy all the horrific and strange things that had happened to him and I am sure will continue on. I believe that Jamie (whether he likes it or not) is fairly immortal! God what he went through but I love his willingness and determination. He may have given in at some point but having a great woman behind you always works magic!


This is the best depiction of Jamie yet. YUM!

http://youtu.be/F_dVolYyDRo

Review: The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 369

ISBN: 9781439153666

Format: Paperback / ARC

Rating: 5/5 stars

What can I say? I absolutley loved this book. Every page was jammed packed with intensity and you just didn't want to stop reading. The only thing I didn't like was that it had to end!

The Kitchen Hosue is written in two voices. Belle who is a slave and Lavinia who is an Irish girl who was with her family along a ship coming to America. Her parents died and her and her brother were split up so she went to live with the captian of the ship but she lived with the slaves. I loved all the twists and turns. I was an emotional wreck at some points and otherrs I was angry and happy. It was just a great book to read. I would love to go on and on about the book but you just have to read it but not my copy because mine is autogrpahed by the author and it is one that I want to cherish.

I was lucky enough to chat with the author on Goodreads via TNBBC
Go check it out and chat away!

The Lotus Eaters - Tatjana Soli

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover / Library

ISBN: 9780312611576

Pages: 386

Rating: 3/5 Stars

We read this book for our October book club read at work and I think we all had the same feelings: it was OK. Nothing so fantastic about it. We were all wondering where all these "great" reviews were coming from. I did love how the beginning was the end and you had to keep reading to find out how it got to that point but a lot of it was"really?" I just could imagine a woman going to Vietnam and taking pictures with no real inclination of what war can be, how to load a camera, and let alone culture shock. I understand that she needed adventure and needed to find out what happened to her brother (who died earlier) but I just don't understand...

I did really like the story but there were just things that were hard to believe but then again I don't know Vietnam like others may have. I was the youngest in my book club and they all remembered it and I wasn't even born yet! I did love Linh though, he was by far my favorite character. Helen was OK, and Darrow was unpredictable. At first he was supposed to be this standoffish guy who was a bad-ass per say, but then he was poetic and lovable. I dunno I really did enjoy the story and probably would have gave it a higher rating but because of the above I just couldn't.

Shanghai Girls - Lisa See

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Softcover/Library

Pages: 309

ISBN: 9780812980530

Rating 4/5 Stars

I don't know why I can't give it 5 stars but it came very VERY close to it. There were so many times where I wanted to throw my book across the room because I was all too excited or angry with something in the book. Not in a bad way. I love when that happens. I was so animated throughout the whole book. I constantly made faces, whether happy or sad or whatever. There were so many twists and turns and a lot of unexpected things that happened but there were also a few things that I knew were coming. I love to read historical fiction. It paints a picture of a history that you were not a part of but of how it changes the way we know things and how it shapes our lives.

I loved this book and I am very excited to find out that there may just be a sequel which is good because the ending drove me nuts! It was such a cliff hanger! It is a nice marketing strategy but I hate that! I hate when you are left with nothing and are forced to wait until many months later until the next installment comes along but at least I got that. I would have rated the book lower if I had not known about the impending sequel.

I have Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love but have yet to read them but I do hear so many great things so I am excited about getting to them in the near future.

The Auschwitz Violin - Maria Angels Anglada

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 109 (ARC)

Format: Paperback / Advanced Uncorrected Proof

ISBN: 9780553807783

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I received this book from a fellow Goodreader. She won an ARC on the site and since I love stories of WWII and also love the violin (just the sound I don't play) I asked if she would swap with me and she did and even offered another book called Days of Grace by Catherine Hall. Since this fellow GR'er has similar taste as me I have no doubt that I wouldn't love it.

Well, this book is about a women who inherited her uncle/father's violin after he passed away and the story is of how he created this violin during his time in the Auschwitz Camp. It is a touching and lovely story I just wish there was more to it. I wish it was more of a story rather than events. It was wonderfully written and beautifully translated but I just wish there were more of a story. It felt real and maybe it was. I kept thinking that she just told us what happened without an more than that. I was hoping she who elaborate or even exaggerate. Overall, it is a beautiful story and a very fast read and it's s a new story in comparison to others that you may encounter in your WWII reads.