It's been awhile since I've posted a book review because of my busy-ness and because I've yet to find a book worth taking the time to review. Outlander came to my rescue, literally and metaphorically . . .
It's 800+ pages make even the most avid reader quake in their boots, it's sheer mass made me think twice about starting the Outlander journey. In reading this massive book I received tears, out loud laughs, feelings of revulsion and a 3:00 am feeling of contentment when I finally closed the back cover.
Claire is a war-nurse in the 1940's and married to Frank. She encounters a place which takes her back to the 1700's in barbaric Scotland. She immediately puts her nursing skills to use extracting a bullet from a young Scot named Jamie. The remaining pages follow Claire and Jamie on their journeys through a Scottish castle, encounters with English dragoons, witches, monsters and more importantly one of the best books I've read in awhile.
This is only the first book in a series of 5 or 6 books, and I'll be reading them all. Outlander is definitely not for the faint of heart. It contains copious amounts of violence, sex, swearing, blood and pretty much anything that would make a book worth reading.
If you decide to accept the challenge of this book, you will be surprised how quickly it draws you in and wraps you in the history and love of a Scotland long past.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Posted by Lizz at 9:31 AM 0 comments
Labels: book, book review, diana gabaldon, outlander, outlander series, Scotland
Monday, February 16, 2009
No Strings Attached Puppetry Festival at SLC Library
Posted by Lizz at 3:41 PM 0 comments
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Wicked
I embarked on reading Wicked because it got an amazing number of good reviews on Amazon and I hadn't heard any bad things about it. The book wasn't really what I expected . . .
The book is surprisingly more political than any other book that I've read, I guess that's not saying much since I hate politics. It goes into a lot of detail about the different political groups in Oz, their beliefs, their problems and their work either for or against the Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy is only in the book for a grand total of 5 pages, so if you're looking for something that more closely resembles the movie you loved, this isn't the book for you. I would instead suggest the musical, which is much more superficial when it comes to morals of the story and endings.
After I finished the book I went onto Wikipedia to see the plot of the musical and they were like two different things entirely! Except for a few instances where the characters or the story are similar to the book, it's completely different. It seems like the musical is much more, and should be, musical. I mean that it has more about friendships, love will conquer all and pretty musical numbers and sparkly costumes.
I'm assuming that a lot of the people that gave Wicked good reviews are either biased toward political novels, or have seen the musical before reading the book.
Make of it what you will, but the sparkly shoes, flying monkey, and Wizard of Oz couldn't make this a must read.
Posted by Lizz at 11:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: book, dorothy, review, wicked, wizard of oz
Sunday, January 18, 2009
In a Sunburned Country
I just finished a 350 page book about the dangers, wonders and comedy of the forgotten country of Australia. It's by the author of "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" which I enjoyed reading, but doesn't hold a candle to "In a Sunburned Country." I've always looked for a book that combines enough comedy, with the right amount of information without being daunting and overwhelming. I found that in this book.
I found myself being so intrigued by the subject matter, that I actually read the scientific names of the flora and fauna. I couldn't put this book down, and it gave me a new perspective on the country, people and enormous treasures of the Australian country. It made me want to visit, never venture there, and meet the people all at once.
Posted by Lizz at 10:08 AM 0 comments
Labels: australia, bill bryson, book, in a sunburned country
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Turning Angel
My friend, Barbara at work, bought me this huge paperback called "Turning Angel." She said that it was an intense read, but definitely not appropriate for our work book club.
Posted by Lizz at 8:41 PM 0 comments
Labels: crime, drama, greg iles, suspense, Turning Angel
January's Book
As you probably guessed by my rave review for The Thirteenth Tale, that is our book for January.
"Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.
There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it's the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:
"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."
She [Vida] shrugged. "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller."
"I am a biographer, I work with facts."
The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida's plan. The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story's end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told."
--Valerie Ryan
Posted by Lizz at 11:02 AM 0 comments
Labels: 13, The Thirteenth Tale
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Thirteenth Tale
I consider myself lucky if I am able to find 1 book a year that I absolutely love. This year, I have been fortunate enough to find 4 books that I rated an A. The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Water for Elephants and now The Thirteenth Tale.
Posted by Lizz at 1:19 AM 0 comments
Labels: 13, A, The Thirteenth Tale, Vida