The Great American Read discussion

I was actually in the middle of reading this when I heard about the Great American Read. It was a slow start but I really ended up enjoying it a lot.

I read the first two pages and was instantly hooked. I've read everything in the series, plus the Lord John books, Seven Stones to Stand or Fall, the Outlandish Companions I and II, the cookbook, and the Making of Series 1 and 2 (the last two not written by her). Also am a HUGE fan of the series.

Her attention to detail is incredible. She does her research and gets it right (I'm a Living Historian specialising in the period of the books). I also like that she's said that it's NOT a romance. And it's not. It's the story of a marriage.

I get more the feel of a historical fiction, though the romance is to die for.

When I first read the first one, I just could not put it down.

I read the first books back when they were still hidden away in the science fiction section at my local library. I was hooked. Some of the graphic torture stuff is more than I like to read, so on re-reads I skim those parts.

I've heard a lot of great things about this series so I was excited to read it. Even though I don't do romance/love stories very often (yes, I know it's not considered "romance" by the fans of the series).

I read the first one and it left something to be desired. I really didn't get the feel of any connection between the Claire's present day or past era husband besides the fact that we we're repeatedly reminded that they were so in love. I probably won't read past the first book because by the end it was just a giant meh for me.

Someone in this group mentioned liking how Claire used modern medical knowledge in the past and that ended up being the most interesting parts of the book for me.

I just started the first book last week. I'm enjoying it so far.

Bonnie wrote: "I read the first books back when they were still hidden away in the science fiction section at my local library. I was hooked. Some of the graphic torture stuff is more than I like to read, so on r..."

It was in the sci-fi section??? Ours was either in general fiction or romance.

Bookstores had a hard time classifying the books. Some placed it in Romance, some in Science Fiction. She kept pushing for the General Fiction classification, and that's where I found them.

I think of it as some similarities to The Time Traveler's Wife, which obviously is sci-fi but is, at it's core, about a relationship, I would say.

I resist calling anything fiction that has time travel. I think it is sci-fi. Where I get tripped up is time travel and magic....or alternate universe and magic, or aliens, etc. I guess you just say "speculative fiction" but that feels like a cop-out.

Bruyere wrote: "I think of it as some similarities to The Time Traveler's Wife, which obviously is sci-fi but is, at it's core, about a relationship, I would say.

I resist calling anything fictio..."

I think it's a combination of historical fiction and fantasy. The time travel has a more mystical/fantasy explanation than sci-fi. It does have a very romantic feel to it as well.

More people shelved it under historical fiction than anything else. Then romance, Then Fantasy.

Herself (Diana Gabaldon) is very adamant that it's NOT Fantasy. She's a scientist, and she has a scientific explanation for why some people can travel and some can't.

Is there a place in the series where it's scientifically explained why some people travel?

By the way - I did finish book one and really enjoyed it. It did veer too far into overly romance at points, but because the rest of it was interesting to me, I really liked it. As I've probably said in other threads, I don't have any issue with sex being in books, but sometimes it goes too far into the bodice-ripper stuff that is silly. I will say, though, that the people who gave this book low scores saying it's a book about rape, I kinda judge them for being so vanilla in their viewpoint on people's intimate relationships.

The explanation is in The Outlandish Companion I, although there is discussion about it throughout the series, more so in the later books.

She discusses the rape contdoversy in The Outlandish Companion I as well. Actually there are two attempted rapes, one rape (which happens offpage/screen), and (view spoiler)[. (hide spoiler)]

Parker wrote: "The explanation is in The Outlandish Companion I, although there is discussion about it throughout the series, more so in the later books.

She discusses the rape contdoversy in The Outlandish Comp..."

I'm far enough along now that I should read the companion book. In the last book I read, they seemed confident that the time travel was an inherited ability. In the first book, I think that was really the only sci-fi/fantasy element in the book. At the time I figured it was just a device to get Claire back in time to experience the culture as an outsider. So I saw it as historical fiction with a fish-out-of-water story element.

The rape was awful to read about, and the violence was worse (his hand) on the screen. One thing they did well (in my opinion) was to show the aftermath of how it affected Jamie. Though I don't recall if the time span of his recovery was realistic.

Bruyere wrote: "Is there a place in the series where it's scientifically explained why some people travel?

By the way - I did finish book one and really enjoyed it. It did veer too far into overly romance at poi..."

I'm glad you liked it. There are a few moments in later books that are a tiny bit sappy (I want someone to edit out every time she discusses the color of someone's hair), and it's possible a bodice does get ripped (but it's definitely not a harlequin romance type scene). Overall the conversations are realistic, interesting and appropriate for an adult couple. Same with the sex.

I gave the book big props for the lack of glamorizing rape and for showing how difficult it was for Jamie to get over. I agree that probably the healing period wasn't long enough, but I think he went through different phases in his healing process. It was really hard to read on so many levels.

I think you do have to critically read a scene to understand that it isn't rape for someone to hold you down and people just get triggered so fast they don't pay attention. It's all about context and I don't like the idea that people can be so judgey about what turns on a character.

I own the book and the audio book but the romance was a big turn off so I put it down for other books on the list.

Atlanta wrote: "I own the book and the audio book but the romance was a big turn off so I put it down for other books on the list."

I read it a lot younger and romance was a requirement for me in any genre I was reading.

Bruyere wrote: "I gave the book big props for the lack of glamorizing rape and for showing how difficult it was for Jamie to get over. I agree that probably the healing period wasn't long enough, but I think he we..."

I'm not sure what scene you're talking about in the second part (holding someone down), or are you just talking about triggers in general.

Atlanta wrote: "I own the book and the audio book but the romance was a big turn off so I put it down for other books on the list."

Well there are a lot of other books on the list with less romance, so you should have plenty of choices. LOTR and To Kill a Mockingbird would be great choices if you haven't read them yet.

I’m listening to
Lotr, not interested in to
Kill a mockingbird, I’ve already listened to read 11 books. I’ll get back to outlander .

Bonnie wrote: "Atlanta wrote: "I own the book and the audio book but the romance was a big turn off so I put it down for other books on the list."

I read it a lot younger and romance was a requirement for me in ..."

Me too. I still like romance, but not if that's all it is. I can't read the simplistic formulaic romances found in most books in the romance genres, especially the New Adult books. They end just when it would start getting interesting for me.

After the first 1 or 2 books, Outlander focuses more on real marriage and real life. In the last book I read, I found it really interesting that she focused more on the work each person was doing in the New World. Medicine, engineering, ministry, trading, alcohol distilling, etc.,

Bruyere wrote: "Is there a place in the series where it's scientifically explained why some people travel?

By the way - I did finish book one and really enjoyed it. It did veer too far into overly romance at poi..."

I think you and I must be thinking of completely different scenes when we talk about rape. The one I'm thinking of us was done to a man, and it was far from vanilla, it was brutal.

I just remembered that all the old audio books were abridged. I wonder if this section was missing from the abridgment?

There's a sex scene (view spoiler)[ (after he gives her the wedding ring). Some reviews call this sex scene rape. He is hold her down. (hide spoiler)].

Definitely the prison one was nothing but rape.

This made the top 10.

So glad! I've been voting for (it when I remember to vote).

Can anyone recommend books similar to the Outlander Series?

I love the series and the books - but have finished reading all of them and want to begin on something else now?

THANKS

Not a series, but "My Name is Resolute" by Nancy Turner is really an incredible book.

Lynda wrote: "Can anyone recommend books similar to the Outlander Series?

I love the series and the books - but have finished reading all of them and want to begin on something else now?

THANKS"

That's a hard one. The books in this series cross different genres, and there is nothing quite like them. You may have to ask the questions in different ways, focusing on your favorite aspects. What is "similar" to one person (like me) might include well researched historical fiction, or books about fascinating women in history, or literary fiction about marriage (which often won't be categorized as romance). And there are many good books in the romance and fantasy genres, and a lot of bad ones. Many authors have sought to write something superficially "similar", and now we have hundreds of romance books featuring hot Scottish highlanders.

My mind is slow today, but I know this question has been asked many times in the Outlander groups, and in the "Recommend a book" section of the group "whats the name of that book."

Parker wrote: "Not a series, but "My Name is Resolute" by Nancy Turner is really an incredible book."

I think she wrote another series about early settlers in Oklahoma too... Sara Pine? Prine?

Nancy, she did. The first one is called "These is My Words" and the second is "Sarah's Quilt". She is a wonderful writer, and like Diana Gabaldon, she does her research. (I'm super picky about the history being correct.)

And most of those romance books about hot Scottish highlanders are pretty bad, at least in my humble opinion. There's a mystery series featuring a hot Scottish highlander that's well-written (and the romssnce is incedental and not the focus). The name escapes me at the moment.

Parker wrote: "Nancy, she did. The first one is called "These is My Words" and the second is "Sarah's Quilt". She is a wonderful writer, and like Diana Gabaldon, she does her research. (I'm super picky about the ..."

I was thinking of buying this. The Kindle (+Audible) are on sale right now on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/These-My-Words...

I haven't read them yet, but I think she's a safe buy. I wouldn't mind owning "Resolute" in paperback myself.

Lynda wrote: "Can anyone recommend books similar to the Outlander Series?

I love the series and the books - but have finished reading all of them and want to begin on something else now?

THANKS"

Susanna Kearsley's The Winter Sea. A time slip novel, set in Scotland. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have you read Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John Grey Series? One of them, “The Scottish Prisoner” focuses on his relationship with Jamie Fraser.

Roberta wrote: "Have you read Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John Grey Series? One of them, “The Scottish Prisoner” focuses on his relationship with Jamie Fraser."

I own them all, and they are all good. They're mysteries -- I suppose they are cozy mysteries, since Lord John is not a policeman (as they didn't exist in this time period). Her latest book, which came out in July, is "Seven Stones to Stand or Fall", and it's also excellent.

I found Lord John Grey and the Plague of Zombies to be kind of amusing. Gabaldon actually placed a somewhat scientific reason for a person to become a Zombie into the book.

Chris, thank you so so much for recommending The Winter Sea. I'm reading it now, and it's amazing. Definitely will be reading more by her.

Parker wrote: "Chris, thank you so so much for recommending The Winter Sea. I'm reading it now, and it's amazing. Definitely will be reading more by her."

Oh I am so glad!! That was my first book that I read by her and I loved it!! From other people's reviews it apparently is a favorite of her books.