My Newest Obsession: Outlander

Disclaimer: Below I will be discussing a couple of passions of mine, which are books and reading. If neither interest you, then this post most likely won’t either!

So… I am ready to take the first step and acknowledge that I am addicted. It has been an admission I have known would have to take place, but I’ve put it off to see if it would abate, but it hasn’t, so confess I must!

I have found my new favorite book – Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. It’s also part of a series, but I am desperately trying to slow down my reading – no, devouring – of these books. Until I’ve read the whole series, though, I have to wait and pass judgment and see if in fact it will also become my new favorite series, unseating Clan of the Cave Bear et al which has reigned for the last 12 or 13 years.

What’s more, is I feel it was *serendipity* that I even happened upon these books, and looking back, I wonder how it is that I could have even missed them? It gives me hope that there is still much out there that is still to be read and loved, in a time when I was getting tired of browsing shelf after shelf waiting to be grabbed and settling for mediocrity because I just love to read that much.



But, divine providence intervened while we were on our ski trip in Steamboat… Kendyl and I had just finished some amazing chocolate from the chocolate shop in one bookstore, and while walking through flakes as big as quarters, happened upon another book shop on Main Street. I popped in before Kendyl could protest, and started browsing titles again, for the second time in the afternoon, noting that both shops had similar books on display – some of which I’ve already read, and some that I may read later, but wasn’t in the mood for at the moment.

As I was walking through to the back area, a local girl was chatting with the guy behind the counter, also a local I presume as it seems like they knew each other, and she was talking about how she had just finished the Twilight series and how much she had loved it, despite that it was written for Young Adults (agreed – don’t we all love it? I sure do!). Since the girl seemed to share similar taste with me, I eavesdropped some more and lingered at one of the bookshelves, pretending to find something interesting there, whilst listening in.

She was going on and then said something to the effect of, “It was the same for me and the Outlander series,” to which my ears pricked… I’d never heard of it, but she mentioned it as if it were common knowledge, as I imagine it was to the guy who worked at a bookshop. He agreed heartily, and I tried to rewind the conversation to remember who she had said it was by but all I could remember was “Diana.”

I made my way back to the fiction section, and just when I found another Outlander book, not by a Diana, and not part of a series, and thought about giving up, I spied it on the very bottom shelf, along with other titles by the same woman which I assumed were other books in the series. I opened the cover to find that there were seven titles listed there – seven, yes! – and then quickly read the back. Historical fiction (my favorite), Romance (a requirement), Action, and a little Sci Fi… perfect!

I looked again to try and determine the order, and picked out the first three… I went to check out, and as the guy looked he struck up a conversation that I must have heard the previous conversation. I admitted I had, and as he was looking he said, “Oh wait, these aren’t the books I thought she was talking about… I thought she was talking about the series with the cave people….” And I finished for him, “The Clan of the Cave Bear?” and he smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s the one… I haven’t read these.” I just smiled back, practically giddy, and happily paid… books in bulk are expensive, but all I have to do is remember how expensive they are in Australia, and then I don’t mind so much, haha (See Previous Post). As a side note, I do, however, try to shop at used bookstores, and take books that I don’t have to have on my bookshelf in for trade.


Kendyl started laughing at me as we left the store claiming I was skipping, and truth be told, I probably was. I clutched the bag wrapped tight so as not to get the books wet with the falling snowflakes, and set them on the nightstand in the condo (in order) as soon as we got back so that I could admire them for awhile before I began.

I managed to wait a day… why you ask? Because it really has been appalling how fast I’ve been going through books, so I have to put measures in place to draw out the whole process. Lately it’s been a book a day, or two days at the most if I’m busy… but busy usually doesn’t even enter into the equation, because regardless of what I have to do in the day, I will find time in the evening, and stay up until the wee hours of the morning if the book is worth it.

Not even at the end of the first chapter did I know that I would love this book… and love it I did. 600+ pages and a day and a half later, I was sighing as I closed the book. I half scolded myself (we were home from the ski trip now), and vowed I would make myself go slower for the second book – only one chapter a night! Well… that was too hard, so I’d usually settle for two or three, and on two nights there was no great stopping point, so I read until 1 a.m. (but not a minute later!), but I managed to draw it out for a week, at least. At that point, I had another week until I had to leave for China and said I wouldn’t start the 3rd until I was on the plane on my way, so in the meantime I collected the rest of the books in paperback (3 more, the 7th is in hardback at the moment). I was dying with the wait, so I decided to read the first, Outlander, again. Just as great the second time.

Then it was time for me to go, and I was so excited when I finally cracked open that book… you’ll laugh, but I even packed all of the other 5 books in my carry on (heavy), but I wouldn’t risk them being manhandled if TSA opened my luggage, and since they were my prize possessions, at least for this trip, then they were coming with me.

By the time we were an hour outside of China, and even with my breaks to eat the 7 meals they offer in Business First (YEA!), and a movie, and a nap, I finished it… and it was glorious. The flight attendant even exclaimed as I was within 30 pages to the end that she couldn’t believe I had finished the book, in what I calculate to be about 6-7 hours… yes, they are that good. And the third book is just jam packed with action, I felt almost stressed with having to turn the pages to see what would come next!



I haven’t started the 4th book yet, but instead have started over again… I’m in the middle of the 2nd book again, which is set mostly in France, whereas the first is mostly in Scotland, and because I know what happens later, I find myself hesitating to read it as fast anyway… as if the heartbreak can be delayed by the pace at which I read it.

What I love about these books is that I’m learning so much about a time and period I haven’t studied before. I have read a ton on England and Wales from the 1200’s to the present (my current favorite book is Falls the Shadow by Sharon K. Penman – I love it so much), learning about the monarchies and goings on of the time, but thus far had not known hardly anything about Scotland. Well, other than what I knew from Braveheart and the over-lappings with their history with England’s, that is. It has been fascinating, and as I was telling Curt, truly the measure of a good book when you find yourself constantly on Wikipedia trying to learn more of the history behind the story so as to be a more educated reader of a fictional book.

What’s even more fascinating, is the author, Diana Gabaldon, is an American raised in the southwest, who is educated in science (zoology and marine biology) and nothing even close to any of the topics she writes so vividly about! It takes her 2.5 years to write one of these books, and from what I gather, promises there will be an 8th… thank goodness. I haven’t felt this kind of anticipation since Harry Potter. And as these books are older (starting in the early 90’s), again I have to wonder how I would have missed them? It makes me think I need to join a historical fiction book club or something to stay on top of this stuff…

So there it is… obsessed. I also have to admit that after falling in love with Jamie Fraser (the main character, and don’t worry, Curt knows and is ok with it because he is fictional) I also did what apparently thousands of other women who feel similarly have done, and as I started to Google the book, etc., stumbled upon literary bloggers and even people who have made YouTube videos starring people they think should be cast if they are to be made into a movie. Some are cheesy, but others are pretty good (surprisingly? Or maybe not – I had no idea the whole video and picture movie and book montage creation existed on YouTube, but why wouldn’t it)?




My favorite casts Gerard Butler as Jamie, which while Jamie doesn’t look quite like Gerard in my mind, I can’t say I can think of anyone better to play him, either? It’s called ”Gerard Butler as Jamie Fraser” set to Scarborough Fair by Celtic Woman (that song gives me goosebumps as it is), if you want to look it up! Others have Gerard and Rachel Weisz paired together, and those are also good, too, haha. (I'm not going to post the link because I don't want to be responsible for cast-typing a character if you go on to read the book - you should picture them as your mind paints them, but you can search for it easily if you like. I still also love Henry Cavill, but I’m not sure he could pass for Jamie and/or a Scot… maybe he can be another character instead, though, if they end up making the movie?



So there it is… yes, as you can tell, obsessed. I admit it, and I’m even ok with it. If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading, I know it was long, but I just had to tell someone!