Good Book.

The last few days have consisted of well-deserved rest. The weather has been sunny, warm and beckoning.     Today I worked in the garden then took a break to read a book while Meg discovered a colony of snails and decided to "farm" them. She asked me to pull my chair to the far side of the house (dubbed "the forest" because of it's semi-wild state compared to the rest of our backyard) to watch her play with her little pets. I did so, and read my book off and on between advising her on snail diet and habitat. It was a perfect afternoon.

My grandmother gave me this book to read the last time I visited her. Luckily, The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is the first in a series because I just finished it and I need more! My grandmother and I share many loves and passions, reading is just one. The book is about a woman who finds herself taken back in time (no wait--don't stop reading yet!) and dropped in the middle of the middle of Scotland in the 1700's. It's a story about survival, love, history, compassion, courage and moral responsibility. The going back in time bit is just a technical detail!

I've been attracted to historical and period literature lately, my last obsessive series began with The Other Boleyn Girl,  which became a (badly adapted) movie. I'm also attracted to love as a theme, although not the central theme. But I've noticed that for a book to really speak to me, there has to be a true love connection somewhere in the story. I wonder why that is? I get excited about the adventures of the characters, the dialogue, well-written pastoral descriptions, historical events. . . all of these are well and good but if I'm to really connect with a story, there has got to be love.

On the Traci scale this one gets an 8.5 stars out of 10 stars! I'm a tough grader I guess. I still recommend it! If you are looking for a good read, pick it up. And if you've seen The Other Boleyn Girl but decided not to read the book, let me change your mind. You simply must read it, it is completely more complex and even ends differently. There, two recommendations for you--go read!