Have you ever noticed that quilting and reading go hand in hand? It is very rare to find a quilter who doesn't also enjoy books. There have been many classes that I have gone to when conversations turn to books and what the others are reading. I have found a few new authors by recommendations I have gotten during classes.
A couple of years ago during a class, I remember talking about different series that we had read or were reading and a couple of gals said, "You just HAVE to read Outlander!" When I asked them to tell me what it was about, they started talking about time travel and I was like, Yeah, I don't think so. I'm not into Science Fiction and as soon as I heard the time travel, I just stopped listening.
BUT! I kept hearing about Outlander and Diana Gabaldon and once I stopped worrying about the time travel and listened to other key elements of the stories, I was intrigued. I decided that I would give the series a try.
Last year, I signed up for Audible to get a few books from another series and when I looked at the suggestions from Audible, Outlander was one of them so I added it to my library. I ended up listening to it - all 32+ hours of it - around Christmas and New Year last year and I was hooked!
Outlander is about a nurse in post-WWII Scotland who travels through a stone circle to 1743. Most of the first story is set in 1743 and follows the nurse through her learning where she ended up and how she copes to survive in the different age. The twists and turns in the story and the detailed descriptions of the scenery, dress, and way of life just drew me in. I couldn't wait to finish the book to see what happened next!
After finishing Outlander, I decided that I needed to pace myself with the other books in the series so that I could savor them. I didn't want to overload myself with life in the 1700's all at once and I just didn't want the series to be over quickly. Well, there is no chance of the series being over quickly when all of the books average 900 pages each! lol
I finally started reading the second book in the series, Dragonfly in Amber in October and I finished it on the way home tonight. It was awesome! Totally worth the 38+ hours to listen to it. It really helped the drive to and from work go quickly! I am very impressed at the way the saga is coming together and falling into place. And I am becoming enamored with the writing and imagination of Diana Gabaldon. I can't wait to see how things develop in the next book!
Of course, I feel like I need to just take in everything that I have just listened to and let it marinate for a while before going back to the story. And on the other hand, I feel like there are already things that I missed in the first book and that I should really revisit that and make sure it is fresh in my mind before going on. Such a dilemma!!
And I can't believe that Outlander was first published in 1991 and Dragonfly in Amber in 1992... I was still in high school!!
If a quilter suggests an author to you, it's a pretty sure bet that it is going to be a great read! And I highly recommend the Outlander series!!
14 comments:
I've read a couple of these and remember enjoying them very much. I'd like to read the ones I have not read but I want to start over at the beginning so I can remember everything.
The Outlander series is by far one of the most entertaining books I've read in the past few years. The characters literally drag you into their lives and I couldn't put them down.
I love these books. I listen to them while I'm quilting. Right now I'm on the waiting list for the 2nd half of Drums of Autumn. I do recommend that you read/listen to them in order.
Isn't this series awesome? I used to spend over 2 hours in the car each day, driving to and from work & it was easy to get lost in the story. Many days I didn't want to get out of the car! It's worth it to go back & listen again - you will catch details that seemed unimportant the first time around that end up being significant either in that book, or one down the road. It's a marvelous story & I can't wait for the next one to come out! Enjoy!
Okay, Jill. Based on your recommendation, I just put the first book on hold at the library. All 32 hours of it. I'll let you know what I think.
Sounds like a good book. I love to discover series that are already going so that I can jump in and read for a good long time. I'll have to go look them up. Right now I'm ready to start Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency that a friend recommended.
LOVE this book!!! I wish my library had it on CD. Maybe I'll just download it. Totally worth paying for. I read the first two or three books in the series and then realized I just didn't have the time to read them. Once you pick up that 400 page book, you can't put it down! I'd be out of commission for a week reading those books!
Ive read them all and i just love them. Beware though I think the last two books are only the abridged versions on Audible so I recommend reading them for real. Plus they have a new voice which would bug me.
If you have a Kindle, you can download the first book free right now :)
Really. Hmmmm. I love audiobooks and I have never heard of this one. I'm heading to my library this Saturday to turn a couple of books in. Maybe I will inquire about this one.
This will be my first audiobook ever...
Thanks for the new book idea! I'll have to check that out and see if it's on the Kindle.
I will have to add both books to my reading list. My reading list is similar to my patterns to make list - it seems endless - lol!
The series sounds interesting. I'll have to see if the local library has them.
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