I just want to mention that I finished the fourth book in the Outlanders series by Diana Gabaldon.  I liked it almost as much as her first one.  It is definitely better than 2 and 3.  I have just started book 5, the Fiery Cross.  I’m hoping that it will be more like 1 and 4.  We’ll see…  I am getting an iPod Touch this Friday and I am thinking I may download this book to the iPod and see how it is to read it from a screen.  It sure would be easier to balance the iPod while nursing than the gigantic hardback book from the library!

We just finished listening to The Thief Lord last weekend. I know that this will seem impossible to some, but it took me hours to learn of Michael Jackson’s death. I don’t watch TV and I was listening to this story rather than the radio. Thank you Thief Lord.

This is a fun, magical story. It is about a group of orphans who live in Venice. They are taken care of by a boy who calls himself the Thief Lord. Two of the boys are runaways who are being searched for by a nice detective. There are lots of nice twists and turns, with a solidly happy ending.

This was a great book to listen to with my kids. I listened to all of it, but my kids came in and out. They were able to enjoy whatever part of the story they listened to. I recommend it.

I’m sorry to have gone for so long without a post.  While I continue to read constantly, arrival of baby #4 has hindered my consistency in posting.
Most recently, I’ve been reading the Outlanders series by Diana Gabaldon. I’m now starting book four, Drums of Autumn. So far, the first one is my favorite.
I’ve heard people say that they just can’t get into Outlanders. It’s true that there is a hump to get over in the beginning, but the rest of the story is very good. And really, throughout the books there always seems to be a bit of drudgery - but it’s the price you pay to really know these characters and understand the settings.
The main heroine is Claire Randall, a woman who accidentally goes back in time and meets her true love, Jaime Fraser. Jaime is an 18th century Scot. Their adventures are filled with romance and history. They are a very compelling couple.
WARNING: There is quite a bit of graphic love making and strong language in these books. These are not for the faint of heart.
Overall, I would recommend these books to avid readers. They are each around 1,000 pages and take some time to get through. I’m happy with that though, as I’m a bit tired of quick books that I get through in a day or two. Happy reading!  

I actually read Evelina way back in February, but got distracted and never wrote it up. So here I am to enthuse about this 512-page novel by Fanny Burney, who was a lady-in-waiting at court and one of the first women novelists. Like many early novels, it is in an epistolary format–it is composed entirely of letters between characters, who keep each other updated on events and reveal important plot points at the right time.

Evelina is the 16-year-old heroine. She is, of course, perfectly beautiful and angelically good, but she has never moved in society and is quite ignorant of how to behave in social situations. She has been raised by her elderly guardian; her mother is dead and her wealthy father refuses to acknowledge her, though she is legitimate. Evelina goes on a visit to family friends, who then take her on an unexpected trip to London. She has no idea how to act at balls or assemblies and innocently causes offense to several people. Every man who sees her promptly falls in love and tries to take advantage of her, and she runs into several rather awful relatives who frequently embarrass her. Nothing ever seems to go right, but she does meet one good man whom she feels she can respect. Of course, in the end she marries the right man and even reconciles with her repentant father, but there are plenty of difficulties along the way.

I loved the book and couldn’t put it down–I finished it in a couple of days. Evelina is a strange heroine to modern minds; she hardly ever does anything. For Burney, much of Evelina’s virtue resides in her passivity, and she spends an inordinate amount of time fainting or crying or just not knowing what to do. Even so, it’s a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed it very much.

I’m about halfway through my third book of the challenge–Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror.

I finished reading this book this weekend.  It was a good book for me for now.  It was light and fun.  Hannah has once again discovered a murder.  For a baker, she really stumbles into trouble!  Since most of the police department are suspects, she has to use her detective skills to solve the murder and get her town back to normal.  At the end of each chapter are recipes for the good food that the characters eat - I am hoping to try out the lemon bars.  

The story isn’t really that different from the first Fluke book I read.  Hannah still hasn’t decided on who her boyfriend is!  I do like them though.  It’s a nice thing to read to pass the time.