Timeline

I couldn't put this down! As a kid I LOVED the movie, so I was stoked to actually read the book. From my memory the movie follows the book pretty well, although it's been a decade so I could be very very wrong. Timeline combine history, archaeology, and science to make this an action packed historical/ science fiction thriller. Fourteenth century France comes alive for a team of archaeologists. They had no idea that the site they were excavating could still theoretically "exist." When their team lead, the professor, goes missing, the team travels to the headquarters of a multi-billion tech corporation that has been funding their digs. Little do they realize that all their historical knowledge and expertise is about to come into play when they are transported back to France, only this time, it's 600 years earlier and the castles they have been excavating are still standing. Timeline is fast paced and fascinating, the history and science blend together to make a compelling action thriller. I definitely need to re-watch the movie now!

Going Over Home

Fans of genealogy, time travel, and romance will eat up this quick read. Maddox never thought her life was strange until she started comparing herself to their neighbors; their families had grandparents, didn't toil all day in the garden and kitchen, and had electronics in the house. At first she didn't pay it any mind but when she was digging around in the crawlspace she found an old family Bible and her birth date wasn't listed as 1990, instead it was 1820. At first she thinks it is a mistake, but the more she thinks about it, it all adds up. When she goes to college she discovers that her roommate Olive is actually a descendant of hers. That means that she has to figure out a way to go back in time and marry a man name Henry or she'll end up killing off all her descendants! With a lot of sleuthing she finally is able to find the portal that can take her back in time to where her grandmother and future husband live, but will she be able to make the sacrifice? No more cars, TV, fast food or air conditioning, and what about her parents and sisters?!?! She has to make her mind up quick, but it is anything but an easy decision. Perfect for teens and adult, and chock full of great Indiana history.

Kindred

Wow. This book draws you in from page one and doesn't loosen it's grip til you get to the epic conclusion. When I first heard the premise for this story, time travel mixed with historical fiction, I instantly thought of the "Outlander" series and I was a little apprehensive. But once I launched into "Kindred" any fears I had about sappy romance were instantly squelched, this is book is gritty, realistic, saddening, and extremely captivating.

The story follows Dana, a young black woman who keeps getting transported back in time from 1976 to the early nineteenth century in order to save her ancestors. Every time Rufus, a slaveholder's son, is in trouble Dana magically appears and has to save the day. Things are very dangerous for Dana she is black and in the south, and as she finds out, her ancestor is a white plantation owner.

Can she keep him safe and save her lineage? How can she get safely back home? All these questions plague Dana's mind and she learns the real brutal truths in history as she keeps getting sent back.

Overall this book is fantastic, it tackles issues such as interracial marriage and slavery, items that are still hot topics today. A great read, I would highly recommend it!

When You Reach Me

Even  though this book is intended for children, it left me guessing til the very end. I couldn't put the dang book down! This Newbery Award winning book for middle readers follows Miranda, a 12 year old, as she muddles through sixth grade, making friends, and deciphering crazy notes that seemingly predict the future.  The short chapters keep you hooked and it isn't til the end that you realized you've spent an entire afternoon frantically turning pages.

Miranda is quirky young girl who has to deal with the crazy man on the street who sleeps under a mailbox, her mom's boyfriend, Mr. Perfect, and the loss of her best friend, Sal (just to name a few). Despite everything life throws at her Miranda stays strong and discovers something amazing in the process.

A must read! You won't regret it, Rebecca Stead creates a masterpiece for your imagination!

Outlander Read-A-Long Week #6. The End!!

Phew, we're done! I finished my first read-a-long and I had a lot of fun!!! Outlander wasn't my favorite book and I'll honestly probably never read it again but I'm glad I read it and I can scratch it off my "to-read" list. Score! Also, I totally cheated and read the whole book in like the first week. My bad! Sorry for cheating!!

1. Jaime has the worst case of seasickness. Do you get seasickness or motion sickness? If not, is there something else that makes your stomach a bit queasy?

I don't get seasickness but I definitely get a bad case of sea legs and I did have to use an airline puke bag one time. But beyond that I'm a champ!

2. How did you handle reading the details of Jamie’s torture at the hands of Randall? Did you blame Jamie for anything that happened during the encounter with the captain? If you were Claire, how do you think you would have taken hearing about the abuse from your husband? What did you think of Claire’s method’s to get Jamie to start healing psychologically from his wounds from Randall (when she filled his room with opium and simulated another attack by the Captain)?

Umm, that was soo fucked up (pardon the language). I was NOT expecting it to be that bad. Like at all. Poor Jamie no wonder he has a mental and physical come apart, that is hell on earth. I can't imagine having to hear about that litany of abuse, especially if it happened to my husband. I wouldn't even know how to handle or process that. I do know that I wouldn't have handled it like Claire did though. Where the hell did she get that idea from? That was just weird and trippy but I guess it worked.

3. This cover: 

“history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…you know the usual stuff of literature.”

Which of the above elements of Outlander were you most looking forward to? Which did you enjoy the most while reading? Which did you enjoy the least while reading? Which did you just not care about? Any of these do you which there were more of? Or less of?

I was looking forward to the history aspect more than anything and in that regard I wasn't let down. The tagline makes it sound super epic though and it really isn't. Personally, I didn't care about half of the crap it mentioned but oh well. 

4. Share with us your overall thoughts on Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Your favorite quotes, scenes, and/or your favorite words that had you searching for a dictionary. If you haven’t been marking your favorite quotes/passages, you can find Outlander quotes on Goodreads.

Overall, I wasn't in love with this book. It wasn't horrible it just wasn't what I was expecting and it wasn't my cup of tea. I probably won't read the sequels anytime soon but that's ok. I had fun doing this read-a-long so that's all that matters.

5. Are you going to continue with the series or are you done after Outlander? For those of us who are new readers of this series, any predictions? Do you think participating in the read-along helped or hindered your experience with the story? For those of you who’ve already read Outlander and books beyond, how much did you enjoy (or not enjoy) this re-read?

I'm going to pass on reading anymore. Sorry to be a party-pooper! I think participating in this read-a-long really helped me analyze and evaluate the story as I went through it. I definitely want to take part in another one soon!

Outlander Read Along Week #5

Sorry everyone that this is soo late!! I'll try to post on time next week!!!

1. We are now settled into life at Lallybroch. What are your impressions of this place, and Ian and Jenny Murray? How do the stories of Jamie’s life here growing up shape your feelings toward him?

I LOVE Ian and Jenny, in fact I wish they were bigger characters in the book, I feel they have such a great story and a great family. It seems like a great piece of property and every is hard-working, loving, and very spirited. The stories they tell of Jamie's childhood definitely help humanize him a lot, I mean I liked him already, but this brings him a little more down to earth.

2. What do you think of the story of what really happened between Jenny and Jack Randall? Could you have been as bold as Jenny? Does this change your understanding of Randall?

Jenny is a waay stronger person than I am. She was really ballsy to handle that situation the way she did. This story of Randall also confirms my beliefs that he is a grade A douchebag. Seriously, what a guy.

3. For the second time, we see Claire warning a Fraser about future events. Do you think this is wise? Or does this mess with history/the space-time continuum/the natural order of things?

It probably isn't very smart but if I were in her situation I would want to warn the ones I love about impending disaster. I definitely think it screws with how the future plays out, but I wonder how much it actually changes. It's interesting to consider.

4. Do you consider Claire brave or foolish for going after Jamie? Would you be courageous enough to go into enemy territory to try and save the man you love?

I hope I would have the nerve to go after my one true love. If I didn't I know it would haunt me the rest of my life. It's foolish, but it is also quite noble.

5. Jamie makes a gut-wrenching decision in Chapter 35. Do you blame Claire for putting him in that position? What kinds of repercussions do you expect?

I don't blame Claire, she honestly tried her best to rescue him. Unfortunately his torture is going to be even more horrific because of her actions, but she had no way of knowing. Randall is also one of the most despicable characters EVER!

Outlander Read-Along Week #4

1. How do you feel about Claire disobeying Jamie and the resulting punishment he brings forth on her for this? Do you feel that Jamie’s punishment was justified by the fact that everyone was put in danger by Claire’s actions? Finally, did Jamie’s vow with Claire’s dagger do anything to sway your thoughts or change your mind on how you initially feel/felt about his punishment? 

Well... I have mixed feelings on this. Claire was clearly only thinking about herself and in the process endangered many men, but I don't know if she deserves that kind of treatment from her husband. I don't know, after reading "50 Shades of Greay" a while back the spanking scene sounded really familiar. Except that this time the spanking was done as a serious punishment rather than for just foreplay. Eh, she had to get punished but I'm still not sure if this was appropriate. Different time, and different place I guess. 

2. Just for fun, what was your reaction to the suspicious black spot Claire spotted on the floor near the area where Jamie was sleeping? Did you have any theories to what it might have been before it was revealed to be a _____? 

I'm thinking it was a rat? Or a giant cockroach maybe?

3. With regard to the ‘changeling’ baby Claire and Geilie spotted in the wild – if it were you back then and you happened upon a changeling baby in the wild in a circumstance such as this, do you think you’d have reacted most like Claire or Geilie? Explain. 

Claire is sooo stupid! They weren't necessarily leaving the baby out to die, she shouldn't have interfered. You have to understand other people's cultures and beliefs before you start jumping in and trying to fix them. It would have been hard to leave the baby alone but what would they have done when they got the baby anyway?!?!

4. Share your thoughts on Geilie Duncan. Is there anything that surprised you about her story or were you suspicious of her from the beginning? 

I was soo shocked when I found out that she was from the future too! I didn't see that one coming at all!!! It was interesting how she adapted to her new lifestyle and became a witch (was she a witch in the sixties as well?). I also thought that she was attempting to raise money for the losing side. Was she trying to change history or was she just a really bad history studen back in the day?

5. Your thoughts on Jamie’s LAST REASON for wanting to marry Claire – the one he had been so secretive about. GO! 

Jamie is such a good guy. Poor him for being stuck with an ungrateful wench like Claire. He could do soo much better (I gather you can tell I'm not a fan of her, lol).

Outlander Read-A-Long Part 3

1) We FINALLY get to the scene we’ve all been waiting for. You know what I’m talking about–yay sexytimes! What were your impressions? Was it what you were expecting? Or did you want more? 
Meh, I was glad they finally did it I suppose but it wasn't necessarily earth shattering sex. I probably shouldn't judge sex scenes by 50 Shades of Grey which set the bar unnaturally high. I'm glad it wasn't super awkward for them and yeah they wait til their married. Also, I found it hard to believe that a strapping young man like Jamie would still be a virgin. But then again it's 18th century Scotland, crazier shit has happened.

2) I know that some readers thus far have been bothered by the fact of Claire being married to Frank but still being involved with Jamie, despite the different time periods. Does their time as newlyweds change anyone’s opinion of that? If not, now what are you thinking of the situation?  

Well it makes me think a little bit better of her, at least I don't think she's such a hussy now I guess.  At least they were married before sex and it wasn't like she had a choice with the whole marriage thing so she hasn't cheapened her love for Frank... much, lol.

3) What did you think about the “waterhorse” that Claire saw? Why do you think Peter was so spooked? And what do you think this means for Claire? 

REALLY a waterhorse?!? I just chose to ignore this little part of the story. It's already magical enough, I don't need their to be witches, leprechauns, and waterhorses to add to it.

4) If you were Claire and you were knowingly in the vicinity of the stones, would you have done the same thing she did?  

Claire is kinda a bitch and doesn't think things through. If she would have talked to Jamie, I'm sure he would have taken her to the stones no questions asked. She only thinks of herself and I feel terrible for those around her.

5) What do you think about Captain Randall? How do you think the family resemblance between him and Frank affects Claire and particularly her relationship with Jamie? 

I bet it's a big turn off and throws her into confusion every time she sees Captain Randall. It probably makes her like Jamie even better because she unconscionably will associate Frank with Captain Randall and that obviously will put some distance between her and her twentieth century husband.

Well that's all for now! I loved everyone's responses this week!

Outlander Read-A-Long: Chapters 8-14

1. Claire has been given the task of healer at the castle. She must adapt her nursing skills for the time and learn what herbs and et will cure each particular ailment that is presented to her. Do you have any home remedies that were passed down to you (cure for a cold, bee sting or what have you)?
My grandmother believed that vic's vapor rub could heel practically anything, but beyond that we stuck mostly to medicine. I guess we are a pretty boring family, lol.

2. What do you think would be the biggest challenge of living in the past? Clothing, hygiene, food, etiquette or etc.)
FOOD! I'm vegetarian and I'm pretty sure I would starve back then. Also, I don't think it would be much fun prancing about in petticoats and long gowns... especially in the summer, I imagine that would get a tad hot and uncomfortable.

3. Do you have a favorite character, scene or quote so far? If so share it with us.
I like Jamie, obviously, and I know I have a favorite quote or two. Unfortunately I don't have my book on me so I'll have to find it later.

4. What did you think of the addition of the blood bond in the wedding ceremony? Is this something you wish to do with the one you love?
Reminds me of being a kid and having "blood sisters," lol. I like that pagen elements still weave their way into the most Christian of ceremonies. Personally, when I get married, I think I'll do with out the blood bond.

5. Are you reading along closely with the scheduled chapters or are you ahead or behind?
I'm waaaay ahead. Hoping to finish it tonight!

I Need a Vacation From My Vacation!!

I need to get my butt in gear and get back into the swing of blogging! I feel as if I haven't been on here in ages! Between coming back from Russia, staying with my family up north, then going back home and visiting with my dad and brothers from Las Vegas, I'm exhausted! I've spent the past week unpacking, thrifting (my family loves goodwill... and so do I!), attending family get togethers, drinking, and catching up with friends. I've hardly had any me time and as a result I'm sorely behind on my reading and blogging! In the past three weeks I've only completed ONE book (Wuthering Heights on the airplane, so blah it's not even worth reviewing)! Ahhhh! I must catch up!

About a week ago I signed up for an Outlander readalong.  Each week there are different questions about the novel that many bloggers have faithfully decided to answer. Here goes!

These questions were put forth from Jess of Gone With the Words:

1. Outlander is a well-known book. Before you cracked it open, what were your expectations or assumptions about this story? Or did you jump into it with a blank slate?

Well, I've been hearing about this book for quite a long time. My aunt has been OBSESSED with Outlander for as long as I can remember. She would re-read the series each time a new one was released. All I knew was that it was a time-traveling romance that took place in Scotland. Sounds intriguing enough I suppose.

2. Claire’s husband, Frank, is fascinated with learning more and more facts about his family tree, which extends back pretty far. Do you or anyone in your family keep a family tree? How many years/generations back does it go? If not, have you ever considered or attempted to create one?

My grandma tracked my grandpa's family all the way into 17th century Italy. I'd love to go back farther or learn more about the other sides of my family but I'm a horrible researcher and I want everyone else to do all the hard work for me, lol.

3. How did you find Claire’s initial conclusion as to her surroundings after waking up from going through the stones? Did you think that was a reasonable conclusion?

I thought it was kind of ridiculous. Who thinks they've stumbled unto a movie set? Maybe that would have seemed like a logical guess for like 10 seconds but beyond that is crazy. If I see kilted men racing toward me on horseback, speaking gaelic, and heading into battle with swords and muskets, either someone spent thousands of dollars on a practical joke or I magically traveled back into time. 

4. How about her composed, rational way of dealing with the fact she’s traveled back in time. Did you find it believable? Do you think you would have acted the same way?

I guess it seemed pretty rational. Everyone reacts differently to situations and the fact that she adjusts fairly quickly isn't necessarily a bad thing. I would freak out for a while, but Claire is smart and realizes that there isn't a whole lot that she can do at the moment so she takes everything in stride  and tries to adjust as best she can.

5. At this point in the story, what are your feelings or expectations on Claire and Jamie? Is Frank still a factor for you?

Umm, if you travel back in time I don't think adultery is your biggest concern. Personally, I've already chosen to forget about Frank. I honestly didn't like him much to begin with anyway.

Bonus Question: Frank encounters a man outside of the inn where he and Claire are staying. He is afraid it might have been a ghost. What do you believe it was? Do you have any predictions or suspicions on what that was about?

I already forgot about that guy! I guess I assume that it's Jamie?! I'm not really sure. He was wearing a kilt and looking for Claire so that's probably the most logical guess one can make. 

Well that's it for the readalong this week. More to come! Also, I'll fill you in on how my new job is! Soo excited that I finally got a job in a library! I'm a big girl now! Woot Woot!