Book Report: The Outlander Series

The best way to find something good to read is by recommendations from friends. One of my friends is a school teacher, and her fellow teachers were obsessively reading the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.

I'm on book 4 of the series, so needless to say I'm enjoying it. To describe it, I'd have to say it is a mixture of historical fiction (one of my favorites), romance (something completely new to me) and fantasy books (understandably junk food, but that's what makes it fun!). The plot line of the series follows a woman named Clare through one of the stone circles (think Stonehenge) back 200 years in time to the Scottish Highlands - where she meets and falls in love with a guy named Jamie. Trouble ensues quite often for Jamie... prisons, war, unseemly advances from admirers - all of which Clare and Jamie have to fight through.

I enjoy the bouts of action for the most part - I find myself turning the pages faster than I've read all of the lines in the book, and they are spaced well enough apart to be enjoyed. The characters have a built history - and the author seems to have developed their emotional sides more than their physical appearances - which I see as a good thing. The romance is quite followable - a little detailed and therefore slightly embarrassing to read - but for the most part you can relate to the love and complexity that the characters go through being together.

The strength of these characters serve as a nice strong contrast to the Twilight characters (who I also love). The man is built and strong and a leader - driven through his responsibilities and simple manliness above all else, complete with stubbornness and frustrations that expose his weaknesses. The woman is strong and determined, and I feel that her commitments to him and her decisions are empowering. She knows herself, is confident in her appearance and abilities - and isn't trying to change who she is to be with him - one of my few complaints about the Twilight series.

The part I thought I'd like the most, the historical fiction, I have a bit of trouble following. It is obviously well researched, but not something I've followed well enough to be able to repeat. The names of battles and the politics behind them are mentioned, but I'd really rather have spent some time brushing up on that particular history before reading it to make it more enjoyable and get a bit more out of the series. I don't know if that's because of the author or me though. I think the best part of the book is the research she's done on how people in the 1700's lived and their cultures. That's probably what I'm taking away from my readings so far.

Anyway, I think the series is definitely summer junk food worthy, and I expect to finish the series in the next month or so.