Things I'm Pondering...

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have finished chapter 9 in A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

Am I the only one waiting for the "Go ahead... I dare ya" moment when Bree or Roger or someone asks Stephen Bonnet to roll his tongue?

The Lizzie thing is getting verra interesting. I've never seen a lesser character surrounded by more intrigue. Now I know - and so do you - that she's going to dump Manfred at some point. She has to. Either that or she'll marry him and be miserable. But I dinna see that happening. I thought she and Ian were going to get close again when he showed up... until Bobby Higgins showed up, that is. Now - I might be making things up in my brain - tis something that's happened before, lassies. But I felt like the two of them were verra concerned about each other when they had matching fainting spells within 5 minutes of each other. It was weird; it almost seemed like they knew each other already. Again - maybe I made that up in my head. ANOTHER thing I keep wondering is what those Beardsleys are going to do on Lizzie's behalf. Jo is none too happy she's marrying Manfred - that is fo sho. So I wait - and I wonder. Isn't it exhilarating?!

ALSO - holy god - now that I know Jamie would have leveled John Grey had he taken him up on his offer for sex... oh my gosh. I am SO RELIEVED!!! That was something that stuck in my craw from the second John told Claire. As I've mentioned in the past - I've no issue with the homosexual aspect of it... I have an issue with Jamie Fraser even GOING THERE after what happened between Jack Randall and himself. So to hear him say it was a bluff made my ever-loving DAY. Seriously.

"No Spoilers" Reminder

Each book review entry states what chapter I'm on - and in which book. Please remember not to post any spoilers in the comments section. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have finished Chapter 7 in A Breath of Snow and Ashes. (Frankly I may be on chapter 6; I'm not sure. Och! This damn Kindle!)

So I've started Book 6. That's code for A Breath of Snow and Ashes. (I'm so stealth, am I not?) And so far - SO good. I was a little dismayed/freaked out at first when Ian was hurt in the woods. I was also half-expecting chapter 1 to be a first person narrative from someone other than Claire, since Tracey had such a reaction to the writing style when we made our last video. But, alas, it was written in third person, from Ian's point of view. Which is verra cool, Sassenachs. Anything remotely having to do with Ian is totally exciting to the lassies of My Outlander Purgatory these days.

(Have I ever mentioned that my son's name is Ian? Just thought I'd throw it out there.  Let's face it... anything in your life that relates even slightly to Outlander is pretty damn cool, no?)

You know - I usually spend half the book pondering and theorizing the meaning(s?) of the book's title - but this one is kindof jumps out at you by chapter 2. Verra verra sad, no? And I'm wondering if they're right about the same "band of brigands" (Jo and Kezzie's word) being the ones who hurt Ian.

Soooo.... MacDonald is at the big house, absolutely DISGUSTING Claire with his tales of calling all prostitutes Polly (ugh what a PIG) and I want them to get their butts to Edenton and find that poor girl and adopt her. And he's running all sorts of propositions by Jamie - to head up a Committee of Safety... and to "take in" a large group of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders - who have come in from Scotland in droves - and help them set up homesteads on the Ridge. Because, let's face it, Jamie is all-giving as well as he is all-knowing, right? All are welcome... all welcome.

BUT - Roger Mac and Bree are on their way to the McGillivrays' to fetch Jemmy who was brought there while they were away (at the burnt-out Dutch house) by Lizzie and her father. They could have waited until morning, but they are good parents and just plain miss their son. Which is very sweet in my humble opinion. And while walking...Bree is talking about different ways to design indoor plumbing, which I've been saying they should do since Day 1. So this is one "invention" I can totally get behind with Bree. It's a no-brainer (not in terms of design but in terms of necessity.)

Lastly - I have to mention that I find it odd that these poor Beardsley kids (I don't even like using that name; Jamie should just adopt them and make them Fraser's) are still kindof vagabonds - even though they're living at the Ridge. I mean - do we know where they're living? Whose house? Do they live at the big house? I'm confused. All I know is they seem to roam around in the woods quite a bit. And when I got to the following line I was appalled: "Come along to the house with us, aye.... I'm sure Frau Ute would give ye a bed by the fire."  These poor kids!  I know, I know - it's the 18th century. But come on! These kids need some parenting! If Jamie's not going to step up to the plate and claim them, someone else should! They're way too young to be allowed to roam around in the dark woods at night.

OK that's all... off to read. More later, Sassenachs. More later....

I Have Finished The Fiery Cross

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read "The Fiery Cross".

So I was telling my husband the story of The Fiery Cross today; he is now completely up-to-date on the Outlander series - as far as I've read, that is.  And when I got to the point about Ian staying for good, I said "and THAT is why I had my head in my hands the other day in the car" and he rolled his eyes something FIERCE. As if to say "THESE PEOPLE AREN'T REAL!" exactly like my bro-in-law, Tracey's hub John says quite often. It was quite comical.

So the book has ended... and all-in-all I am more than happy with the ending. OK let's be honest - with Ian showing up at the end, how could I NOT be???

Loved the fact that Ian brought the book with him and they've all been pouring over it like it's The Outlandish Companion at one of my Outlander meetings. ;) Seriously though - I keep waiting for Bree to translate it or something. Or for Claire to ask "Bree - what do you think he meant by that?" Or for Ian to say "Bree, do you think I did the right thing in leaving?" OK I'm being a wiseguy. And it's not like I even have the slightest CLUE why Ian left. I canna WAIT to find out in A Breath of Snow and Ashes, which I started last night. Chapter 5, y'all. I'll definitely be blogging tomorrow.

LOVE LOVE LOVED the cutie pie scene with Jemmy's privates and how Jamie and Roger were going to take him outside to show him theirs so he knows what they are. That is now one of my favorite scenes in the series. Must go read it again. And when Roger asked him if he could roll his tongue? My god I held my breath! You KNOW that child is Roger's. You just KNOW he is. And who really cares, right? It's so obvious Roger loves him so much. I just love that little family. Even Bree.

The Outlander Tour - Scottish Life

You must read this article from Scottish Life Magazine about 4 friends who traveled to Scotland to take the Outlander tour...

A Guy's Take on the Outlander Series

Have to throw a big, ol' THANKS out there to Jo M. who sent me a link to a cool article entitled "My Outlander Thing" by Gavin McNett.

He wrote it in 1999 - and as such, had read up through Drums of Autumn at that point. He also mentions the Outlandish Companion. Haven't read the whole article - I'm going to do so now. I was just so excited about a MAN reading the series (my husband made it 1/2 way through Outlander due to what he considered a little too much dude-talk and not enough chick-talk) that I had to blog STAT!

PS - Beautiful Burns quote from the article caught my eye as it refers to heaven. That's twice tonight I've blogged about Diana and the heavens...

Misled by fancy's meteor ray,
By passion driven;
But yet the light that led astray,
Was light from heaven.

SEE ya!!!!

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read chapter 109 in The Fiery Cross. 

I wanted to name this post "The Return of the Prodigal Son" but that would be a spoiler nightmare for those who aren't this far in the series yet....

Oh. My. GOSH. (my kids yell at me when I say "oh my god") I dinna even know WHAT to say. I had texts this morning. Lots of texts. LORDDDD there were texts. And then Jenn M. CALLED. She NEVER calls. We email 47 thousand times a day, but rarely do we CALL. So I knew something was up. She and Shannon BOTH asked me if I had read Chapter 108 and they told me to text or call them the second I did. Tracey sent multiple "Where are you???" emails. So I was more than prepared when Ian showed up in all his Highlander-turned-Mohawk glory to save the day with his bow and arrow. What I was NOT prepared for was chapter 109 when Jamie said those beautiful words; "for good". After my eyes left the "d" in that statement, I put my face in my hands and sobbed quietly to myself (as I was in the car with my family.) My husband looked at me with fear in his eyes, as if to say "What is WRONG?!" but then he realized I was reading and lord knows what look he most likely shot my way. I didn't care. I just sat there with my head down - face covered by my hands - silently sobbing with my head bobbing up and down.

God bless Diana Gabaldon for bringing this wonderful story into all of our lives. She is truly from the heavens.