Books - Discussion

Has anyone here read the Outlander Novels by Diana Gabaldon?

Hi Pia... just found out this thread, cool one. I haven't read Outlander yet (if I ever), just the synopsis of each book, but I'm not huge fan of a supernatural world, so that's keeping me away. Seen your sig, I did though read the Poldark series and I'm in-love with that storytelling. So I'm even more excited since the new TV series has come out this year and I like seeing both countrysides, gorgeous Cornwall and majestic Scotland.

happygolucky wrote:Hi Pia... just found out this thread, cool one. I haven't read Outlander yet (if I ever), just the synopsis of each book, but I'm not huge fan of a supernatural world, so that's keeping me away. Seen your sig, I did though read the Poldark series and I'm in-love with that storytelling. So I'm even more excited since the new TV series has come out this year and I like seeing both countrysides, gorgeous Cornwall and majestic Scotland.

Yes, love Poldark! I can't wait for Season 2. It will be here in the US in June on PBS but I watched the series when it was airing in the UK via YouTube. It was wonderfully adapted and stayed close to the book.  I'm reading the 3rd book of the series and I believe season 2 is going to be book 3 & 4. I can't wait!

Now, what can I say  about Outlander that will express my complete fascination with the series that's airing now on Starz.  I only got acquainted with the books and series about 3 weeks ago and I'm completely hooked.  It's a combination of genres. It's historical, sci fi, romance and others.  It has something for everyone. And I'm also fascinated with the actors in the series. Their chemistry is off the charts and I think is the big reason that the series is so realistic.  Please check it out.  I must warn you that there are very graphic sex scenes but it's not gratuitous sex scenes which is very rampant on TV.  I wouldn't normally ever watch something like this on TV but this is very well done and portrays how it should be between a man and a woman.  The books are phenomenal! I just got done reading book one which is season one and they are now filming season two.

My book club just read "The Boys in the Boat" which I loved. It's about a rowing team from U of Washington and their quest for gold in Berlin's 1936 Olympics. It was interesting in so many ways because you got to know the guys (1 in particular), learn more about rowing, and what was going on in the country and the world at that time. We rate book from 1 to 5 stars and this one got a 5 overall which almost never happens.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-Boat-Americans-Olympics/dp/0143125478

My other book club just read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It's a workout being 770 pages and I think I'd liked it more if it were 400 pgs less. It got 3.5 stars at our book group. I came down on the 3 star side and that was only because there was a lot I liked and her writing style was good.  The editors weren't her friend and she obviously couldn't self edit.  

It was an "it book" for a while and even won a Pulitzer.

Got one for you. The Promise by Ann Weisgarber. Really good book set in 1900 Galveston, Texas. Yes, the Hurricane is part of it. LOL

I enjoyed that book, Bean. I read it last winter. 
I just finished The Book Thief. I enjoyed that, also. A lot!

I'll take a look at that one, tireman. I've read a bit about the Hurricane and have been to Galveston so would probably find it interesting.

I'm not big on ultra long books, Kasha. It makes me tune out and skip parts.

albean99 wrote:I'll take a look at that one, tireman. I've read a bit about the Hurricane and have been to Galveston so would probably find it interesting.

Oh you want a good book on the Galveston Hurricane ( by the way, folks around here still talk about it. Yes, Galveston still has never recovered), Issac's Storm by Eric Larson. That book is so riveting. I promise, you cannot put it down. Another book for me to recommend ( I am a librarian as well as a historian) is The Dream and the Deal by Jerre Mangione. It is about the Federal Writers' Project ( part of the WPA in the 1930's) and also a small part of my dissertation topic.

Okay, I am going to go science geeky on you all here but it is truly an interesting read. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, it is a fascinating book about medical and scientific ethics. I have never worked in HeLa cells, but I meet people all the time who do and they changed the face of research forever.

stuckinsc wrote:Okay, I am going to go science geeky on you all here but it is truly an interesting read.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, it is a fascinating book about medical and scientific ethics.  I have never worked in HeLa cells, but I meet people all the time who do and they changed the face of research forever.  

I just picked that one up. Looks really good so I just need some time when I can read it in peace.

Sprite wrote:

stuckinsc wrote:Okay, I am going to go science geeky on you all here but it is truly an interesting read.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, it is a fascinating book about medical and scientific ethics.  I have never worked in HeLa cells, but I meet people all the time who do and they changed the face of research forever.  

I just picked that one up. Looks really good so I just need some time when I can read it in peace.

I will be interested to hear what you think, it is a deeply meaningful book to me as this one woman changed the course of biomedical research forever but how they did it was not okay.