Hello, lovely readers! Bookshelf Fantasies is taking a wee break for about 10 days as I head off on a much-needed vacation!
While I’m away, my two weekly memes, Shelf Control and Thursday Quotables, are taking a rest too — but if you do posts for either one while I’m away, please feel free to share your links in the comments!
Shelf Control returns July 27th!
Thursday Quotables returns July 28th!
A little hint about where I’ll be…
The 2nd season of Outlander has reached its end. I’ve been writing an “Insta-Reaction” post for each episode right after viewing, to share some initial thoughts, questions, reactions — you name it.
Warning:
I may be talking about events from this episode, other episodes, and/or the book series… so if you’d rather not know, now’s your chance to walk away!
The official synopsis (via Starz):
Flashing forward, Claire revisits the past and reveals to her daughter, Brianna, the truth. Back in the 18th century, the Battle of Culloden has arrived, and Jamie must do everything he can to save the ones he loves.
The Outlander season finale… sob.
Major plot points:
Insta-reaction:
Wow. What an intense and heart-wrenching season finale — the perfect conclusion to a tumultuous, emotional 2nd season.
Where to start? The 1960s are probably a good place. Well done, show, for the great use of period music, hair styles, and even TV programs. Claire looks amazing in her mod hair-do, silver streaks and all. Claire is one hell of a woman, no matter her age or the era.
Brianna… well, let’s just say that I may need time for her to grow on me. And it’s not the character — book Brianna is fairly bratty and abrasive at first too. No, it’s the actress and her acting. She wasn’t terrible, but she does come across as pretty strident, and I wish we’d had a chance to see positive interactions between Bree and Claire before jumping so quickly into Brianna accusing Claire of adultery, lying, and being a crazy-pants.
Roger is awfully cute, though, and he sang a terrific rat satire for Brianna. Adorable.
Claire’s journey back through her memories is a heartbreaker. First, she visits Lallybroch, now a boarded-up, desolate shell, where she hears bits and pieces of past voices in her mind, including the romantic poem that is so important in the book.
Next, she goes to Culloden, where she visits the stone marker for Clan Fraser and spends what appears to be hours telling Jamie all about his daughter and their life over the past 20 years.
It’s clear that Claire has never gotten over Jamie. She carries such a heavy air of sadness with her. What must it have been like for Brianna to grown up with a mother whose heart was always elsewhere? And how did Claire and Frank manage to stay married all these years, when they both knew she loved someone else? On the plus side for Claire, apparently she focused all her pent-up passion and devotion into her career — she became a surgeon! You go, Claire!
I got absolute chills in the scene where Brianna is waiting for Roger at the university and approaches a crowd to hear a charismatic speaker talking about Scottish nationalism. Just the sound of that voice — it’s Geillis Duncan, pre-time travel, going by her original name, Gillian Edgars. Wow. I didn’t realize she’d be in this episode (although I suppose I should have anticipated a brief appearance by Geillis, to match book events). Back in season 1 at the witch trial, Geillis told Claire that she’d come from 1968. Toward the end of the episode, Claire, Roger, and Brianna are just in time to see Geillis disappearing through the stones. It’s eerie and lovely all at the same time.
Okay, back in the bad old days of 1746, the battle seems lost before it’s even begun. Seriously, I wanted to throttle the Bonnie Prince, who refuses to see that his army consists of starving, broken down men who stand absolutely no chance against British soldiers. This is just tragic, and it’s awful to watch, knowing what’s about to happen. No wonder Jamie and Claire feel desperate enough to consider regicide… too bad Dougal showed up in time to interfere.
The fight between Jamie and Dougal was well-done, with every ounce of Dougal’s passions, resentments, and jealousies apparent in every move.
And oh, that good-bye scene between Jamie and Claire. What is there to even say about it? I thought it was done so beautifully, with Jamie guiding Claire to the stone and holding her hand up to it, knowing she doesn’t have the strength by herself to leave him willingly. Tears… all the tears…
There are big moments — Claire and Jamie’s good-bye tops the list — but small moments of great meaning and power too.
Jamie sending Fergus back to Lallybroch, after signing the estate over to Jenny’s son so the property won’t be lost to the family. The good-byes between Jamie, Claire, and Fergus. Murtagh agreeing to see the Lallybroch men safely away from battle, but vowing to return to fight and die by Jamie’s side.
A few great little call-backs to earlier themes and episodes… My favorite is Roger saying that Craigh na Dun (where Geillis has just set her husband on fire) is like a “f*cking barbecue”, echoing Geillis’s line from the season 1 witch trial. Having Roger and Brianna tour Ft. William, the scene of Jamie’s flogging, is all kinds of chilling. And let’s not forget that Geillis murdered one husband in season 1, so seeing her get her start by murdering her first husband here in season 2 seems appropriate (and disturbing).
I’m not sure I loved the use of the dragonfly in amber as a token from Claire to Jamie, later seen by Claire in the Culloden museum. It’s kind of a big chunk of rock to tuck inside one’s shirt and carry into battle.
And really, I’m not sold on Brianna, but maybe she’ll grown on me. It didn’t help that Claire has a couple of lines where she talks about Brianna being so like Jamie. It would be fine if there were actually a resemblance, either in looks or gestures or body language, but I’m sorry — apart from red hair, there really isn’t a resemblance, and it felt forced for Claire to act as if there was.
I know some critics and viewers are already complaining that the entire season was a build-up to Culloden — and then the battle didn’t actually happen within the scope of the show. I suppose that’s a fair criticism, but it doesn’t particularly resonate with me as a book reader. In the book (Dragonfly in Amber), we never actually see the battle of Culloden. Jamie forces Claire to leave before the battle, and all we know of it is what Claire knows from history — the British won, the Scots lost, and Jamie and Claire’s scheming and plotting were all for nothing.
I’m okay with the season ending as it did, particularly knowing that the 3rd book fills in so many of the blanks. We can only assume that season 3 will pick up with Jamie and Claire’s story and fill us in on the battle and all of those lost years for both of them.
And furthermore…
It’s been a beautiful, crazy, turbulent season, from Paris aristocrats and royalty, Versailles and brothels, to Scottish lairds and chieftains, Highlands and moors. Visually, it’s been stunning, and oh, the Paris costumes! Kudos and much love and admiration to all of the cast and crew and production team!
The idea of at least two more seasons of Outlander, as confirmed by Starz, is such a thrill. Bring on season 3!
Yup, so do we all, Claire.
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
In real life:
It’s been an insanely busy week at work, and at home, I’ve been busy getting my kiddo ready for three weeks of sleepaway camp. Laundry, ironing on name tags, packing… it’s the annual ritual, lots of fun, but always with last-minute frenzy, no matter how well prepared we are. Still, as of yesterday, the kid is on his way, and pretty soon, I’ll be leaving on a trip of my own.
He and I did manage to finish our big huge Buffy watch this week (a re-watch for me, first time for him), and it was amazing! I’ll never get tired of Buffy, and it was so much fun to introduce another of my kids to one of my favorite geeky pleasures.
Meanwhile, back to the books…
What did I read last week?
A Night Too Dark by Dana Stabenow: Kate Shugak, #17. Yes, I’m obsessed.
Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow: The 18th Kate Shugak book was amazing! I’m always impressed when an author can keep a series going for so long and still present fresh and exciting storylines and great character development. Man, do I love this series.
Rainwater by Sandra Brown: I’ve never read a Sandra Brown book before — I associate her with the romance genre, which I usually avoid. Rainwater was a book group pick and I felt compelled to read it… and ended up enjoying it! I’ll write up my thoughts to share in the next few days.
And a DNF — I started a book that I’d featured as a Shelf Control pick recently (Alison Wonderland), and realized that it just did not appeal to me at all. I gave it 20 pages, then added it to the book swap shelf at work. Maybe someone else will enjoy it…
Outlander update!
Excuse me while I wipe away the tears still running down my face…
Season 2 came to an end this weekend with a powerful season finale episode. Unfortunately, what with all of my real life craziness, I wasn’t able to watch the finale until late Sunday… so no reaction post just yet. But wow – what a great wrap-up to an amazing, heartbreaking season.
Fresh Catch:
Well, yes, I did get some new books this week. So much good stuff!
Two older Stephen Kings books, one new-in-paperback novel that looks great…
… and two graphic novels that I’m really excited about:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
I’m about to leave on vacation, and have been working hard on whittling down my stack of vacation reading! Here’s what I’m pretty sure I’m going to start with… and yes, about 4 more books plus my Kindle are all coming along with me on my travels.
This audiobook is awesome! It’s narrated by Wil Wheaton, and it’s making me laugh pretty much nonstop, which I really needed this week! Unfortunately, I think I’ll have to leave it on pause for a couple of weeks while I’m traveling, but I’ll be looking forward to picking it back up ASAP.
My book group is reading and discussing two chapter per week of both Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon and Emma by Jane Austen. This is an online group, and anyone is welcome to join us — so if you’re interested, just ask me how!
So many books, so little time…
Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally
(published 2016)
Hot off the press, here’s the newest in Miranda Kenneally’s terrific YA series! I’ve already finished the book, and reviewed it here. I always like this author’s writing style, as well as her great plots. Here’s a little snippet that I enjoyed:
“Taylor Lukens, come forward,” the judge in dark robes said. It was like approaching Professor Dumbledore for breaking school rules at Hogwarts. Honestly, that would have seemed more normal than going before a judge for possession of drugs.
PS – That tag line on the cover — “Is he playing for love or playing her?” — has really nothing to do with the story, so don’t be turned off by it! Taylor is a strong female lead character, with brains and integrity. The tag line just puzzles me.
What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!
If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:
Welcome to the newest weekly feature here at Bookshelf Fantasies… Shelf Control!
Shelf Control is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available, and in most cases, sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers.
Want to join in? See the guidelines and linky at the bottom of the post, and jump on board! Let’s take control of our shelves!
My Shelf Control pick this week is:
Title: My Notorious Life
Author: Kate Manning
Published: 2013
Length: 448 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
A brilliant rendering of a scandalous historical figure, Kate Manning’s My Notorious Life is an ambitious, thrilling novel introducing Axie Muldoon, a fiery heroine for the ages. Axie’s story begins on the streets of 1860s New York. The impoverished child of Irish immigrants, she grows up to become one of the wealthiest and most controversial women of her day.
In vivid prose, Axie recounts how she is forcibly separated from her mother and siblings, apprenticed to a doctor, and how she and her husband parlay the sale of a few bottles of ‘Lunar Tablets for Female Complaint’ into a thriving midwifery business. Flouting convention and defying the law in the name of women’s reproductive rights, Axie rises from grim tenement rooms to the splendor of a mansion on Fifth Avenue, amassing wealth while learning over and over never to trust a man who says “trust me.”
When her services attract outraged headlines, Axie finds herself on a collision course with a crusading official, Anthony Comstock, founder of the Society for the Suppression of Vice. It will take all of Axie’s cunning and power to outwit him in the fight to preserve her freedom and everything she holds dear.
Inspired by the true history of an infamous female physician who was once called “the Wickedest Woman in New York,” My Notorious Life is a mystery, a family saga, a love story, and an exquisitely detailed portrait of nineteenth-century America. Axie Muldoon’s inimitable voice brings the past alive, and her story haunts and enlightens the present.
How I got it:
I bought it!
When I got it:
Sometime last year.
Why I want to read it:
A super enthusiastic coworker practically ran into my office one day to tell me about this amazing book she was reading, and gushed about it so much that I had to track down a copy. I love good historical fiction, especially when there’s a strong and notable woman at the center of the action. My Notorious Life sounds right up my alley.
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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:
For more on why I’ve started Shelf Control, check out my introductory post here, or read all about my out-of-control book inventory, here.
And if you’d like to post a Shelf Control button on your own blog, here’s an image to download (with my gratitude, of course!):
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 2000 Ratings On Goodreads.
This is such a fun topic! Being a numbers geek, I had way too much fun sorting my Goodreads shelves by my stars and then by the number of ratings, looking for books I gave either 4 or 5 stars that deserve way more attention than they’ve gotten so far. And then I decided to make it a bit more of a challenge, and picked only books with under 1,000 ratings.
Here are 10 books I really enjoyed, all with not nearly enough ratings:
1) Gathering Storm by Maggie Craig (review): This historical novel about Jacobites in Edinburgh is perfect for Outlander fans! (30 ratings)
2) Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama (review): Good, creepy, spooky horror. (530 ratings)
3) Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett (review): I’ve been raving a lot about this one! A relatively new release about an Australian whaling village, it’s much more entertaining than you might guess just by reading the description. (I loved it.) (564 ratings)
4) All the Winters After by Seré Prince Halverson (review): A beautiful novel that totally fed my Alaska obsession. (597 ratings)
5) Blue Stars by Emily Gray Tedrowe (review): A moving look at military veterans and their families. (315 ratings)
6) A Late Divorce by A. B. Yehoshua: This Israeli author’s writing is so gorgeous! I read this book ages ago, but always remember how powerful the story is. (275 ratings)
7) The Outlandish Companion, Volume II by Diana Gabaldon: See, I managed to sneak an Outlander book into my list this week! This reference volume is a must for fans of the series. I wrote a detailed post about what’s inside, here. (530 ratings)
8) Depth by Lev AC Rosen (review): Just an amazing sci fi noir detective story set in a flooded New York after the oceans of the world have risen. The descriptions of the city alone would make this book worthwhile, but add to that a terrific mystery, and it’s a must. (335 ratings)
9) The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon by S. S. Taylor (review): This is a smart, fun middle grade read that’s perfect for kids (and their adults) who enjoy brainy, daring adventure. I can’t believe more people haven’t read it! (789 ratings)
10) The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters (review): Cat Winters has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This retelling of Hamlet is powerful and surprising, and deserves to be widely read! (517 ratings)
What books made your list this week? Please share your TTT links!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Shelf Control and Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!
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Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Happy 4th of July!
I hope you’re all enjoying fireworks, parades, and barbecues galore!
What did I read last week?
Whisper to the Blood by Dana Stabenow: Yup, another Kate Shugak. This makes 16 for me… and I’m going to keep on going with the series.
Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally: I always enjoy this author’s books, and her newest is no exception! My review is here.
In audiobooks, I finished listening to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! I’m loving my HP audio re-read. I have a few other things to listen to for now, but I’ll circle back around for book #4 in the next month or so.
Outlander update!
No new episode this past weekend… and I’m already bracing myself for inevitable tears when the season finale airs on July 9th. I can’t believe season 2 is already coming to an end!
Fresh Catch:
I picked up a paperback of Mr. Mercedes, which I think will be coming in my suitcase when I pack for vacation next week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Well, I’d like to get through the two remaining Kate Shugak novels currently in my possession before they’re due back at the library… but if I need a Kate break, I do have a few other things to choose from!
Ha, this science fiction comedy is narrated by Wil Wheaton and is hilarious as of chapter 1! I’m only just getting started, but I think this will be a fun one.
My book group is reading and discussing two chapter per week of both Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon and Emma by Jane Austen. This is an online group, and anyone is welcome to join us — so if you’re interested, just ask me how!
So many books, so little time…
I’m at T minus a week and change until I leave on a trip, and I’ve entered the vacation obsession zone: Do I have enough sunscreen? What if I want one more sundress besides the two already in my packing pile? How many totebags do I really need?
And the biggie…
What books to read???
I love the whole concept of vacation reading. It’s so freeing! I look at it as a time to pull books from my shelves — books that I’ve always meant to read, but never got around to, or books that I just know will make me happy. It’s a weird and random process, but I think I’ve been narrowing it down lately. Here are the top contenders:
I need a King… or two… or three:
Maybe a little historical fiction:
There’s the romance I need to read for book group this month:
And some of my newer acquisitions that I haven’t had time for yet:
Maybe a little fantasy would be a perfect compliment to a sunny, relaxing day:
And I am really itching to continue the Magicians series:
Did I mention that I’ll only be gone for 10 days? Do you think I might be over doing things just a bit?
Oh yeah, and there are these two, which could help me prepare for a different trip coming up later this summer:
Eep. So. Many. Choices.
But hey — I still have over a week before I zip up the suitcase. Anything can happen in a week. Maybe an entirely different stack of books will catch my eye between now and then!
Miranda Kenneally’s newest book set in Tennessee (part of her Hundred Oaks series) is, as expected, an unusually fine example of thoughtful and smart young adult writing.
In Defending Taylor, Taylor Lukens is the hard-working, hard-playing daughter of a US Senator, on her way to Yale if she can just get that early admission essay done — when her life falls apart. After attending an upscale, exclusive boarding school for years, where she maintains a 4.2 GPA while starring on the soccer team, Taylor is suddenly expelled and forced to live at home with her parents again while finishing out senior year at Hundred Oaks, the local public school.
What went wrong? Taylor’s boyfriend Ben is from a poor family and attended St. Andrews on scholarship. When Taylor is found by the dorm monitors with a backpack containing pills and weed, she claims it’s hers, figuring that her dad’s clout will get her out of trouble. Wrong. Taylor’s dad won’t lift a finger to save her from the consequences of her supposed drug dealing, other than to have her attend public school with mandatory counseling rather than face any legal action. What no one knows is that the backpack was actually Ben’s, and Taylor covered for him to keep him from getting kicked out. Her heart is broken and she feels utterly betrayed when he doesn’t step forward once the consequences become clear… so not only is Taylor forced to attend an inferior school with an inferior soccer team, but her relationship is over as well.
Fitting in at a new school is hard at first, but Taylor is 100% focused on the future she’s been groomed for all her life. Highest grades, top-notch soccer career, impressive extracurriculars, then onward to Yale and a place in the family’s investment firm. Is this what she really wants? It doesn’t matter — it’s what’s expected.
Defending Taylor gives us an inside look at what happens when someone’s ambitions and someone’s heart lie in two different directions. Taylor’s parents are completely focused on politics and her father’s reeelection campaign, and there’s little time or patience for a daughter who suddenly veers off the path of high achievement and respectability. Taylor faces a senior year with no friends and the daily frustration of a poorly organized soccer team where the domineering captain resents her. Fortunately for Taylor, she does have one ally — her older brother’s best friend Ezra, inexplicably back home rather than away at Cornell where he’s supposed to be. Taylor and Ezra have always had chemistry, and when they start spending time together again, sparks fly.
I always enjoy Miranda Kenneally’s depictions of teen love. She doesn’t shy away from complicated emotions, and while the sex is a touch more explicit than in other contemporary YA novels I’ve read, it feels realistic and empowered (and safe — the characters always stop for a condom). Family dynamics are complicated as well. Being rich doesn’t necessarily mean happy, and the town and the school present a cross-section of different economic statuses.
The message in Defending Taylor has a lot to do with honesty — being honest with oneself, and being honest with the people who love you. Taylor hides the truth for so long from her family, afraid to be a snitch but at the same time suffering terribly from the ruined reputation she endures once word gets out about her supposed drug use. Meanwhile, she’s also never admitted to her parents, or even to herself, that Yale and investment banking might be the family tradition, but might not be her own true path. On top of the honesty theme, there’s also an ongoing message about stress, pressure, and having fun. Taylor’s guidance counselor asks Taylor what she does for fun, and she’s pretty stumped. Fun? School, soccer, studying all night — Taylor’s life is non-stop pressure, from herself as well as from her family, and she doesn’t even realize how unhealthy it is until she’s forced to take a hard look at her life, once it becomes clear that her hard work still might not be enough to overcome scandal and disgrace.
Probably the only bit of this otherwise terrific story that seemed a little off to me had to do with her father’s campaign. When someone leaks the news about Taylor’s expulsion from boarding school for having prescription drugs in her possession that weren’t prescribed for her, it creates a scandal that ultimately costs her father the election. And I couldn’t help but feel… really?? The man has been a Senator for years, has been a successful politician for years more, has a family that’s always been upstanding and has two older kids who have exemplary behavior… and he loses an election because his 17-year-old had a lapse of judgement? Seems like a very lame reason for someone who was supposed to win easily to suddenly lose an election. But what do I know? This is Tennessee, and the politics trend toward conservative, so maybe that could be enough to sink the career of an anti-drug legislator… but it felt unlikely to me.
Other than that, I truly enjoyed Defending Taylor. I liked Taylor’s backbone and self-sufficiency, her dedication to her own success, and her underlying belief in treating others with decency. She’s clearly a very good friend, and becomes a unifying force on her soccer team once she earns the other girls’ trust with her positive energy. Taylor’s relationship with Ezra is hot and steamy, but founded on mutual friendship and liking, not just hormones.
It’s not necessary to have read the other Hundred Oaks books to enjoy Defending Taylor, but for those who have, you’ll enjoy the little glimpses of characters from previous books. You can really start with any of the books in the series — and if you like one, give a few others a try. All feature strong, athletic girls who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves, even while dealing with family complications of all shapes and sizes.
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The details:
Title: Defending Taylor
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date: July 5, 2016
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Young adult fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon
(published 2014)
My book group is continuing with our slow and steady re-read of book #8 in the Outlander series, discussing two chapters per week (and with 145 chapters, as you can imagine, it’ll take us a while yet to get through it all!) Here’s a snippet from one of this week’s chapters that made me smile — a little exchange between a Quaker and a Scot/Mohawk who are soon to become brothers-in-law:
A certain tenseness in Denny’s shoulders relaxed. “Scouts are not required to kill the enemy, are they?”
“No, we’ve our choice about it,” Ian assured him, straight-faced. “We can kill them if we like — but just for the fun of it, ken. It doesna really count.”
What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!
If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:
Bookshelf Fantasies 