Wed Reading Meme

[shadowkat]

Is it Wed already? I keep thinking it is Tuesday, most likely because I took Monday off.

1. What you just finished reading

Outlander by Diana Galbadon, which didn't thrill me. I recommend skipping the book and just watching the television series.

At any rate here's the review I posted on Good Reads.

I'd recommend watching the television series over reading the book. The TV series is tighter, and more focused on the historical aspects of the time and less on the romance between the two characters. Also it flips point of view, which provides better pacing, and more of an active voice. This novel due in part to the first person point of view - is incredibly passive, lots of telling not enough showing.

The beginning worked for me better than the end, which felt like a long slog through muck. There's some difficult content, including rape and sexual violence. Although out of 500 pages, that makes up maybe 50 pages. So unless this is a major trigger for you -- I wouldn't worry too much about it. I've seen worse, at any rate.

And the story has its moments..particularly the flashbacks to the 1940s. Unfortunately too much time is spent in the 1700s, so the writer never quite takes full advantage of the contrasts of 1945 vs. 1700, which is a shame. Why set the book post WWII without taking advantage of it? Also, Frank, the husband, is actually more interesting than Jamie or his ancestor, Black Jack Randall - in that he's covert operative and running the covert operations during WWII. But Galbadon is clearly more interested in the highlander romance trope.

The best parts are by far the ones focusing on Claire's medical expertise and her doctoring. The book slows to a crawl during the sex scenes, and the romantic yearning. Also, the writer isn't comfortable with action sequences - since we are always told what happened after the fact, and often it is summarized. It's an interesting switch, normally historical novelists will go into detail on the action scenes and summarize the sex scenes, this does the opposite. Which would be fine - except, I found the sex scenes to be somewhat repetitive.

Overall not a bad read, but not great either. I'd recommend watching the television series instead, it's a lot more fun and interesting. Also, we get a bit more of the 1940s, and a little more complexity in other supporting characters due in part to not being stuck in Claire's point of view.

Hopefully, when I eventually publish my own book, my critics are as kind or possibly kinder than I am? I fear that my criticism of others works will come back and haunt me. Although, I am far harsher critic of my own work - hence the problem with self-publishing. At this point, I feel I've already written the nasty reviews in my own head. And the glowing ones. According to the Law of Attraction philosophy - you attract what you put out there. While I believe this is true to some extent, I see exceptions. And well, I don't believe in absolutes. Nothing in this life is certain. There is no formula, secret, or perfect approach to anything. Just a bunch of somewhat plausible theories that work and don't work at various times depending on the universe's whimsy.

2. What I'm reading now?

The Necromancer - (Johannes Cabal - Book 1) by Jonathan L. Howard.

Here's the blurb:

A charmingly gothic, fiendishly funny Faustian tale about a brilliant scientist who makes a deal with the Devil, twice.

Johannes Cabal sold his soul years ago in order to learn the laws of necromancy. Now he wants it back. Amused and slightly bored, Satan proposes a little wager: Johannes has to persuade one hundred people to sign over their souls or he will be damned forever. This time for real. Accepting the bargain, Jonathan is given one calendar year and a traveling carnival to complete his task. With little time to waste, Johannes raises a motley crew from the dead and enlists his brother, Horst, a charismatic vampire to help him run his nefarious road show, resulting in mayhem at every turn.

It's okay, so far I'm finding it mildly entertaining and have admittedly chuckled over a few paragraphs. The writer has my sense of humor, which is a very dry wit, absurd situations, and satire.

3. What I'm reading next?

Heck if I know. Although I should probably read the books I already own and stop buying new ones to read. Like I did above.