My Favorite Books to Reread

In the past few years I have rediscovered my love to reread. While I have so many books I want to read, I find rereading can keep me from sinking into reading slumps. I can revisit my favorite characters and relive the story I loved so much the first time.

These are just a few of the books I love to reread.

Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Hardcover: 662 pgs
(20th Anniversary Edition) 
Published by Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased 
Add It // Buy It 
Rating: 4/5 

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

So if you've seen any of my tweets in the past month or so you probably know I've been obsessed with Outlander. This book has become a bit of a phenomenon since the TV series premiered. I had started it a few times and been intrigued, but it didn't suck me in until this month. This time it stuck to me like glue! I couldn't leave this book alone until I finished it and it promptly ruined my fast & furious reading streak. I don't even care though because I ended up loving it.

This is an adult historical/romance/paranormal/time-travel adult fiction conglomeration that somehow made me absolutely addicted to it. (It might have something to do with Jamie Fraser. I'm kidding it has everything to do with Jamie.) I'm very interested in the next installment of this series and can see why people have been raving about this book. The writing is just so easy to get hooked on.

Even though I like young adult and read it a majority of the time, I love a good adult fiction too. I was craving historical fiction and this hit the spot. The Scottish highlands and clans were mixed with Claire's 1940's progressive ideas which makes for an interesting mix of really old and semi-old history. I thought the historical elements were explained well and found myself invested in all the characters. The story is fairly straight forward. Because this has some fantastic elements in it, I was expecting a lot of threads to the story. Instead, we mostly follow Claire and her adventures in the Highlands.

I loved Claire. Her feisty attitude and nurse's mentality were a great blend. She was strong but not unshakeable which kept me grounded in the story. I thought she adjusted a little too easily, but with her war experience it did make sense. I was swooning over the romance as well. Jame Fraser is quite the Highlander. They are easy to ship together.

There are a lot of peaks and valleys in this book. Peaks of high action, romance and adventure then valleys of long descriptions and travel. The pace of the book is a marathon rather than a sprint to say the least. So much happens in these 600 pgs! I laughed a lot more than I was expecting and the tears happened too. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'm very excited to see where the next book leads.

March Wrap Up

This month was much less intense reading wise. I was really busy at work and with personal stuff. I was away over weekends and hanging out with friends. 

Books Mentioned: 

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

Across the Wall by Garth Nix

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Review - Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Genre: Adventure/Classics

Hardcover: 

Published by Amazon Publishing (2012)

Source: Christmas Gift

Add it // Buy it 

Rating: 4/5 

You who so plod amid serious things that you feel it shame to give yourself up even for a few short moments to mirth and joyousness in the land of Fancy; you who think that life hath nought to do with innocent laughter that can harm no one; these pages are not for you. Clap to the leaves and go no farther than this, for I tell you plainly that if you go farther you will be scandalized by seeing good, sober folks of real history so frisk and caper in gay colors and motley that you would not know them but for the names tagged to them. Here is a stout, lusty fellow with a quick temper, yet none so ill for all that, who goes by the name of Henry II. Here is a fair, gentle lady before whom all the others bow and call her Queen Eleanor. Here is a fat rogue of a fellow, dressed up in rich robes of a clerical kind, that all the good folk call my Lord Bishop of Hereford. Here is a certain fellow with a sour temper and a grim look - the worshipful, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

This is a tale of mischief and plans gone awry if I've ever seen one. According to my research these are the original tales of Robin Hood and his merry band in lincoln green. I actually thought this was going to be a novel, but it turns out all the stories relate to one another much like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 

These stories are written in an Old English style. Consequently, this is one of the most difficult books I've ever read. There were several words and phrases I had to look up and even more I was too lazy to look up but didn't always completely understand. I couldn't grasp all the context on my own because I'm not a medieval history expert and Old English is tricky. This issue didn't stop me from really loving these stories though. Each of the stories about these trouble makers was funny and overall everything is so jovial you can't help but smile.

Like anything, these tales are quite different than any adaptation I've read or watched. Robin is good and the Sheriff is bad like always, but there are some characters I've never heard of which is a shame because some of them are awesome. The narrator breaks the fourth wall like its his job so there is a lot of entertainment in these little stories. There is a lot of drinking, sword play and mischief. If they had a ship they could easily be pirates. (Now I want that adaptation. Robin Hood on a ship)

You can get these stories for free online because they are public domain. I've had a lot of questions about the edition  I have though because it is rather lovely. There are also illustrations inside! This book comes in a box set with several other adventure books that is published though Amazon. This box set is fairly expensive, but I've seen them go on sale for $19.99 so if you keep your eyes pealed I'm sure you can get them on sale.  I can't wait to pick up the rest of them.

Happy Reading! 

March Favorites

This month has been a hectic one! I hardly read anything. Actually I feel like I hardly did anything at all so I'm sorry the blog has been a bit sparse this month. I went on a camping trip and also had a birthday weekend whirlwind with a friend. (Her birthday. Not mine). Plus I wasn't in a great mood to read this month so that just got pushed to the back burner. Hopefully I'll pick up my slack in April, but here are some thing I have been doing this month and loving.

Music

Laura Marling - very relaxing music while still being upbeat. I really like all of her music and she played with Mumford and Sons!


Paper Route: I love this band! I've recently rediscovered them on my iPod though so I've been listening to their album a lot as well.



I've been listening to this Spotify Playlist. A lot of bands I like, but songs I don't know or remember after they've moved on.

Movies:

Anxiously searches for movies I've watched this month....The Kingsmen! How could i almost forget this movie. Loved it! Check it out if you like adventure and comedies. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. So much fun.

Television

I've started a lot of television this month. I started a rewatch of Teen Wolf which is one of my favorite shows. I'm addicted to Dylan O'Brian and Tyler Hoechin this month and I just cannot stop. Its turning into a problem.

I've also began Veronica Mars from the beginning again. I watched this show a couple years ago but never made it the whole way through. Arrow is another one I'm in the middle of.

I'm anxiously awaiting Sleepy Hollow news, but it looks less and less likely every week...except now it doesn't! I switched over to facebook while writing this and found out the show as been renewed for season three. My heart rejoices! (This part of the post was written a couple weeks ago, but I couldn't cut my excitement out)

  

Favorite Book This Month

Obviously, my favorite book this month was Outlander. I mean I read that 600 pg book so quickly and I couldn't put it down! I just loved it. I mean who couldn't love Jamie Fraser? I just can't handle my feelz about this book.

I got a little obsessed and I did end up starting the TV show, but I've only watched one episode. I cannot wait for more!

Thing I did This Month

This month my friends and I went on a camping trip at a state park. It was so much fun. We stayed in a cabin with heat and nice bathroom and a great road for walking. So in truth this wasn't real tough camping. We had a lot of fun though and

Reviews from this Month

Clariel by Garth Nix  

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Given Good Principles Series by Maria Grace 

So that's about it for this month. This is my first favorites post so things may change until next month. I enjoyed doing this post though so I really want to keep doing these. Let me know what you've been into this month and I'll see you again soon!