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.

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.

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.

Are you a Harry Potter Fan?

If you are, then you'll be happy to know that J.K. Rowling has come out with a new book.

This information is from the Amazon page for the book.

J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, available December 4, 2008.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."
Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

The Process

In July I started to become an avid reader. Our work had attempted to start a Book Club the year before, but it had fizzled out, and so I began the process of starting it anew.
I've taken the job of selecting books very seriously. I have a rigorous screening process before a book is selected for our Book Club.

1. I find the New York Times Best Seller Lists. I pick a couple of the more popular books.

2. I then go to amazon.com, and see how many reviews the book has received from customers. I try not to pick books that have under a couple hundred reviews.

3. I make sure that the majority of the reviews given for the book are 4 or 5 stars. If the reviews are pretty spread out in terms of 1 to 5 stars, I don't pick it. I need to find a book that will appeal to a large group of people.

4. I make sure that the book isn't sexist, meaning that I want a book that will appeal to both men and women.

5. I check the price of the book and the release date. I try not to pick things that came out too recently, because then they will be harder to get from the library. I also try to pick a book that is available in paperback so that it will be a cheaper price, although this doesn't always happen. Some books haven't been released in paperback yet.

If a book meets all these criteria and I have a strong feeling that it will be a good fit for the Book Club, I try to get it from the library and read it before I suggest it. Sometimes I like to read the book for the first time with my group, so I won't read it in advance on purpose.

After reading it, if I feel that the majority of the members will like it, then I put it on my Monthly Book List.

One of the best parts of this Book Club is the feeling when someone tells you that they absolutely loved the book that you recommended. It's become something that I cherish and it makes all the work worth it. This has actually become the highlight of my job.

You don't have to be a employee of Marriott to participate. You are more than welcome to read along with us. We have a discussion each month, and I am going to post the Discussion Questions, so that any of you can participate.

Happy Reading!!