Category: Gen Lit

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon

by The Lit Bitch14 Comments on Review: Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon

On Saturday I finished the second book in the Outlander Series, Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon which is of course part of the Outlander Series Reading Challenge hosted by moi.

As I mention earlier, with Book I, I could hardly put it down from the moment I picked it up and not much has changed between Book I and Book II.

Book II picks up where Book I ended naturally, and follows the life of husband and wife, Claire and Jamie. For those of you who haven’t read the series, I will try to not ruin it for you but I make no promises so be warned this post might contain some spoilers so read at your own risk….my advise, just start reading Book I now you won’t regret it!

So with that warning/recommendation in mind, I will continue with my post.

At the end of Book I Claire reveals she is pregnant while her and Jamie hide in France. They decide they must try and prevent the second Jacobite Rising of 1745 and ultimately the Battle of Culloden because Claire knows the ‘future’ and fears for Jamie’s life and those of this family/friends. While in France they hob-knob with various royal groups playing both sides of the coin. They know it’s a dangerous game they play and know that if they are discovered they will be arrested and tried as traitors. So they gamble they take is huge and not without consequence.

It is also revealed that Jack Randall–Jamie’s most hated adversary–was NOT killed during Jamie’s prison break in Book I as originally reported. I was kind of expecting this as I felt like Randall should have died at Jamie’s hands not randomly trampled by a stampede of cows so this was a welcome and fitting twist for me. Without giving too much away, Jamie and Randall duel and though Jamie does not kill Randall, he DOES chop off his manhood in an effort to kill him but because Claire rushes to stop the duel (to save the future ancestry of her 1940’s husband, Frank who is related to Randall) Jamie doesn’t kill him but hits the jewels instead (more of less by accident I guess….). Claire loses the baby she is carrying and Jamie is arrested for the crime of dueling. Continue reading “Review: Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon

by The Lit Bitch27 Comments on Review: Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon

As soon as I started this book I should have known that I would never put it down again.  My life has literally come to a stand still because of this book, it is that magical and spell binding!

All I can think of is getting home from work so I could escape into the Highlands of Scotland every night.

This book is the first in the Outlander series and part of the Outlander Series Reading Challenge hosted by yours truly.

The book follows heroine Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser who is a WII nurse living in the 1940’s with her husband Frank Randall. After returning from war, Claire and Frank take a second honeymoon of sorts to the Scottish Highlands where Claire somehow travels back in time to the 1700’s–the story picks up here–the same location, different time where she meets Jamie Fraser.

From the summaries I have read all say the same thing–the series itself is hard to categorize and sell/market because of the many themes. It’s a romance novel to be sure, but also historic fiction, and fantasy because of the time travel. So really it could be categorized in many areas.

The series is mostly geared toward adult, female audiences but because of the history, politics, and battle/adventure elements men would also enjoy it somewhat. I would categorize it as a historic romance for lack of genre. Claire as a heroine is not the typical woman of romance novels–she is older and more sexually experienced than Jamie which is unusual but at the same time this doesn’t make Jamie appear weak or less attractive, in fact it has the opposite effect. Jamie is strong, educated, charming, heroic, romantic, and chivalrous as any of the famous ‘knights in shining armor’ one would expect to sweep the heroin off her feet. Continue reading “Review: Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3) by Gail Carriger

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Review: Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3) by Gail Carriger

Well everyone I am sad to say I just finished my last Alexia Tarabotti novel until July 2011.

Blameless by Gail Carriger is the third book in the Parasol Protectorate series. I don’t know that I am going to be able to wait that long!

I have become so enthralled with the series over the last week that I have managed to devour the entire series in a matter of eight days…that’s how you know a series is good, when you think of nothing else but getting home and reading that next book!

I love all the characters in this series–Alexia is a kick. She is witty, smart, independent, and it seems like she just can’t manage to stay out of trouble. I love Professor Lyall, he reminds me of the typical Englishman–slightly stiff but yet horribly dry and witty which makes him all the more likable. And I simply love the arrogant bastard Major Channing Channing Of the Chesterfield Channings simply because his name is the most ridiculous name I’ve ever heard LOL.

I read this book as part of the 2011 Steampunk Reading Challenge hosted by Bookish Ardour. My review of Blameless will be fairly brief partly because most of the series groundwork/background I discussed in my previous postings for Soulless and Changeless.If you haven’t read the other books, beware there are some spoilers ahead in this review.

Continue reading “Review: Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3) by Gail Carriger” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

Review: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger

by The Lit Bitch8 Comments on Review: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger

I am happy to report that I am making good progress with the 2011 Steampunk Reading Challenge.

I just completed the second book for the challenge last night and yes it was another sleepless night–well late anyway–I just couldn’t unwind!

I finished reading Changeless by Gail Carriger, most of my time at my ‘day job’ was spent longing to go home and keep reading Changeless so I of course picked it up the minute I walked in the door.

As I mentioned review of Soulless,  I was hooked before you could say ‘Parasol Protectorate’! The first book was a great mixture of humor, supernaturalism, romance, and mystery. Besides the aesthetically pleasing cover, the story itself is equally as fun to read. The only thing that made me sad was the ending–I just HAD to start reading the third book, I couldn’t stand it if I had to wait months for the next book but more on that in a minute!

As I noted in some other posts, the challenge caught my attention because I love all things Victorian/Gothic and this looked like a fun sub-genre that I didn’t know much about and had not read a lot of, I also realized I didn’t really explain what Steampunk is. The Steampunk Age website gives a much more detailed background and worth checking out–but in short the genre includes things like mad scientists, blimps, innovative technology, flying machines, futuristic ideas, but all set in a turn of the century/Victorian setting. So think–The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and The Golden Compass. Those two examples are more or less ‘all encompassing’ of the genre but the book, file, or culture doesn’t have to have ALL these things to be considered ‘Steampunk’. Continue reading “Review: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Gen Lit, Literary Criticism, Reading, Reading Challenges

2011 Historic Fiction Challenge

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on 2011 Historic Fiction Challenge

Alright Dear Reader this is the LAST ‘mini’ reading challenge for me this year….as I said before there are just so many various challenges that have peaked my interest this year and I discovered without the convenient planning of my teachers at college I am sad to say I was at a loss as to what to read! So here we are, this is the Historic Fiction reading challenge hosted by Historical Tapestry.

This challenge has a couple of different levels and I have decided on the “Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books”. I think I can manage this with NO PROBLEM as most of the books I read are either Gothic/Victorian which often have a historic perspective (obviously!). For the challenge it says “any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,…)” so I have decided to read two books.

Anyway if you are interested and would like to follow along or sign up—click here for all the details!

This is it—no more challenges for me this year!! 🙂

Enjoy everyone!