Linda Howard Book Junkies discussion

With Outlander by Diana Gabaldon now a series on TV I thought it would be fun to do a buddy read and discuss the book. Let me know what you think.

Good idea Dee,let us know when.The movie was fabulousIMHO.I think I`ve seen it 4 times now at least

Kathy Anne wrote: "Good idea Dee,let us know when.The movie was fabulousIMHO.I think I`ve seen it 4 times now at least"

I have too. Would you ladies like to read a section a week to keep up with the series or would you like to just read a book a month? It is up to you.

I`m OK with either one

what about you others? I know from several friends of mine the length of the book can be off putting. Frankly, I am already on part two of the book and actually getting into it.

I started the series in June for a reread and just finished it about a week ago and am now reading the Lord John series which I didn`t read before because I really didn`t like them then ,still not crazy about them because there is only a smidge of Jamie in a couple and a ton of war in most all of them.
So I am ready anytime.

I want to read the book, but I've got a lot of library books and e-books that have decided to be available right now, not to mention, vacation to Laughlin and Lake Mojave next week, an environment not friendly to a Kindle or library books.

Anita wrote: "I want to read the book, but I've got a lot of library books and e-books that have decided to be available right now, not to mention, vacation to Laughlin and Lake Mojave next week, an environment ..."

Boy do I understand what you mean. I feel that way most of the time. Right now I have about 8 books that need to be read, then I go to the library and pick up 4 more. Fortunately I have to go to Tucson Friday, then I have to go to Mexico next week, so I will have plenty of time to listen to audios. My eyes are getting bad, and I think I am going to have to break down and go to an optometrist. I think it is easier to just listen to audios.

Kathy why don't we just start. I have gotten the first 200 pages read. Unfortunately, as I said to Anita. The next couple of days is going to be spent driving. I am going to try to get the Outlander series in audio. Otherwise it is going to take me longer to read the book.

I have never done buddy read before so someone else will have to start until I get a clue

It is the same as the group reads. We read it and discuss the book, sometimes as we go along, sometimes after we finish the book. This go around I like the book better than the first time. The first time I thought the book dragged. Perhaps, as I have gotten older without thinking about it I skip parts of a paragraph and that has made the book better, or maybe I just like it better.

These books are a mystery to me-I actually hated History and especially war and still do the war but I forced myself to pay attention.And I did find myself getting interested in the ways of the 1700s,oh my word if I had to live like that and do all that work and not have anything really to show for it I think I would jump off a cliff.

I think I would too. DG's book that was hard for me to read was Dragonfly in Amber. I also don't like war, history, and politics. What I do like about these books is how DG lets us know how the people really lived back then. She periodically throws in something fact that I never thought about, like how then wipe themselves.

Just after finishing MOBY I was watching a TV show that was talking about Ticonderoga and was so proud that I had to tell everyone that I knew that !
Dee how can we do this -won`t almost all the posts be spoilers?

That was a good point Kathy. I think I have just solved the problem. In participating in other groups they will make it a spoiler free book. I put it up at the title of the folder. That way if someone starts to read the comments they know ahead of time that we will be discussing openly.

I watched the series tonight and I realized even though they kept several parts accurate they kind of flipped around. At the end of the show tonight Column has given Clair the surgery, but before that she met Gillis Duncan and they had the gathering where Jaime took the beating for Laoghaire. Also, I don't remember-and I just read part 2 of the book-that Column had said she leave on Saturday after they met. Do you? I know I am going to have to go back and reread the part where Claire has her audience with Column.

I was watching part 2 of the series tonight and I thought it was funny how I can look at the character of Jaime (don't know if it is his personality or looks) and just melt. I mean I am in my 60's and I am still melting and wishing I could be Claire. So silly, since I am happily married.

Oh if I were a hundred I`d still melt I know for sure.Yes Dee there are quite a few things out of sequence but I read a piece where the director said the author can use as many pages to do something as they need but he only has limited amt. of minutes to get the same point across and that's why they can`t follow the plot exactly.He has to try to hopefully come up with ways and ideas that are close and still fit in the time limit.No I don`t think Collum ever told her she could leave,it`s been a couple months since I read it though.Director must have had a reason to put that in there tho and DG sat thru and approved the whole thing I think.What every one wonders is why the oral sex scene with Frank when we all thought it was later with Jamie.If you come across that would you post it so we will all know?

http://www.starz.com/videos/video/2ec...

The above link talks about how the director, Ron Moore, wanted to show how Frank and Claire were trying to connect. He actually does specifically talk about the oral sex,

Unfortunatly this comp. I use is the companys and the sound is broken it is all broken just like a cell is when out of range.And no I don`t remember her having an audience with him at all but I think it was a quick way to pint out he thought she was a spy where Diana did use pages for that part.Oh that LHeery I`d like to smack her smirky face off.!Spoiler free ???

Claire did have a audience with Column. What was different was she told him how she was on her way to France, got stopped by highwaymen, and her male servant was killed. She said she was forced to leave all her belongings behind. Column asked her why she was in a shift, then she got defensive (because she couldn't think of a reason).

I agree I would also smack Laoghaire. She was a bitch throughout the series.

Dee
Why spoiler *free*-doesn`t that mean there are no spoilers?
I did see that in the movie but I meant I don`t remember an audience with Collum in the book was there one in the book?

To answer your first question yes a spoiler free means there are no spoilers. We are assuming that if people get on to this sight they have already read the book, or like me, that they don't mind reading the end first. That is why I think we should break (and I thinking of this now) into parts. That way someone can read say part one and read whatever they want without fear of reading something from someone about the end of the book which they haven't gotten to yet. In fact, I think I am going to start it now.

Kathy Anne wrote: "Dee
Why spoiler *free*-doesn`t that mean there are no spoilers?
I did see that in the movie but I meant I don`t remember an audience with Collum in the book was there one in the book?"

In Chapter 5 On the first whole day Claire is at Castle Leoch Mrs. FitzGibbons wakes her up early, helps her dress, fixes her hair then she say, "Weel now that's verra gude. Now ye've just time for wee bite, then I must take you to himself."

"Himself?" I said. I didn't care for the sound of this. Whoever Himself was, he was likely to ask difficult questions.

"Why the MacKenzie to be sure. Whoever else?"

After much discussion and thought I thought we would break the book up into parts. That way if you wanted to you could follow along with the series or you could read the book as little or as much as you want. By breaking the book into parts we can leave the book spoiler free and assume that you have read at least that part, or you could be like me, who reads the ending first.

DG said the part that she is looking forward to seeing is when Jaime gets raped.

Among other things, one of the things I am looking forward to seeing is when Jaime goes back to lallybroch and sees Jenny. I am really excited to see their big fight.

What are you looking forward to seeing in the movie?

Oh Wow you and Diana are two brave ladies for sure-my eyes and ears will be shut tight.
My big wait is for the first time he kisses her
.I`ll probably need a ventilator after that.I din`s see any action here si I thought we weren't doing tis anymore

We are able to go anywhere. My question just didn't fit into any category. I guess that is what this thread is for.

I meant that no one had posted for so long that you had given up on your flock.Hows the remodel going ?

Slow. My friend and I have just taken down two walls. Now we have to have someone come in and put up new dry wall. Then on to other things. I am getting my house painted at the end of the month, so I have to have all this remodel done by then.

I have finally started the book and am on page 381 the section where Clare and Jamie were interrupted by the English deserters. I am so glad you decided to break it into the sections, that way I can post and not read something I don't want to know. My daughter is a history teacher and she just loves these books. We are going to start watching the series since I am a few episodes in by now.

I have finished Outlander. At the end I discovered a Readers' Guide to Outlander by Catherine MacGregor which is 50 questions written for book clubs and for in depth discussions. They are really good. Want me to post a few?

please do, Anita. That would be wonderful

I just started reading Outlander last night....really liking it so far! :)

I love the series, but because of the length of the books it is not one I want to reread again and again

I get that... I rarely get the chance to reread books any more as there are so many unread ones.. but I'm enjoying rereading LH's books with the group.. :) I'm on Part 2 of Outlander now..it's getting exciting!

I love that series. My only problem is DG takes roughly 4-5 years to write a new book. By the time the new book comes out I have no idea what the previous book is about

Oh yes, that's a problem.. It's good that I'm only starting to read them now, I'll take it slow, enough are out that I can take a few years to get to them. otherwise, the waiting would have driven me crazy!

Oh yeah. Do they have the Outlander series in India?

Dee wrote: "Oh yeah. Do they have the Outlander series in India?"

Limited stocks and a bit expensive but I think I'll be able to get them as I read them...Mostly mass market paperbacks are available and I want the large paperbacks..interestingly, large paperbacks are sometimes cheaper than mass market paperbacks.. I got Outlander last year and then I ordered Dragonfly in Amber a couple days back but they sent a very scratched up copy so I sent it back... I'll get it after I finish Outlander.. Oh and, I'm watching the show on Netflix as I read a few chapters, and then watch the episodes up till then..they are amazing! ^_^

The first season was amazingly accurate. Areas where it differed from the book didn't really matter. The second season wasn't way different. Third season, the Dragonfly in Amber book, seemed pretty close. My only problem with Brianna was she didn't have a Boston accent. i know that might not mean much to you, like I might not pick up on different accents from India (or any other country), but Bostonian accents are really distinctive and since all the characters were true English, Scottish, or Irish I felt that Brianna at least should have mimicked the Bostonian accent.

Dee wrote: "The first season was amazingly accurate. Areas where it differed from the book didn't really matter. The second season wasn't way different. Third season, the Dragonfly in Amber book, seemed pretty..."

Oh well, I'll watch out for that... :) My reading speed is slowing down now that the wedding has happened and Jamie and Clair seem to be getting along well..

There is so much that happens after that and those little dramas just keep you wanting to keep reading. I will be excited to hear what you think of the book once you finished with the first book.

Dee wrote: "There is so much that happens after that and those little dramas just keep you wanting to keep reading. I will be excited to hear what you think of the book once you finished with the first book."

That's so sweet of you Dee! I will also go through everybody's comments above after I finish reading it and then share my thoughts.. :)

I finished it last night! Finally!! It took me a few days longer to get through because I had already seen the first season and didn't feel like reading the last couple hundred pages but I'm so glad to have finished it! :)
I really enjoyed the book..I'm even more awed by the author now, can't imagine how she came up with the whole plot 25 years ago and all the research she must have had to do without the internet!! :O That just boggles me.... :p
I did feel it was a bit too long...it could have been condensed to maybe 500-600 pages as well but I still loved the story and the characters and Jamie and Claire..and I'm still wondering about the whole time-travel-plot-purpose-past-future-changes thing... It's all very intriguing and confusing in a nice way. :p
Can't wait to get Dragonfly in Amber and continue with the series though I'm a bit apprehensive as I've heard that one is even slower and longer than this one.... :/ But I do hope to continue with this series especially the show on Netflix! :)

I knew you would like it, Tanvi. The reason she was able to research all this was that she had a PHD and part of that degree included research. It had become easy for her. Not only that, but she worked at a university in my home state. The thing that amazed me was at the time she was working two jobs, I think they were both full time, she also was married and raising a family. She worked on this in her spare time-at night when everyone was asleep. Apparently, sleep wasn't high on her schedule. I know because I met her a couple of times. The funny thing is she didn't tell her husband and had her story and research in a file on her computer named Jamie. At least her husband was nice enough when he accidentally found it to ask first before he reacted.

Dee wrote: "I knew you would like it, Tanvi. The reason she was able to research all this was that she had a PHD and part of that degree included research. It had become easy for her. Not only that, but she wo..."

Oh wow, I didn't know about any of that... :p She really worked hard then..amazing! And so nice of him to be that patient and not have a short fuse.. :D

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is FREE on Audible! Here's link:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Out...

Thank you so much Eve.