Outlander  by Diana Gabaldon

Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.

One of the top ten best-loved novels in America, as seen on PBS’s The Great American Read!

Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British 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 clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.

Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life, and may shatter her heart. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire learns her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. What begins in compulsion becomes urgent need, and Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives.

My thoughts:

I love this series but I don’t like the MFC. I feel like she is too easily taken to bedroom swapping. She has appeal in her personality but she is a bit annoying as well. I adore Jamie. I am quite fond of Lord John Grey. overall it is a great read.

Alanna: The First Adventure (1) (Song of the Lioness)  by Tamora Pierce

A girl disguises herself as a boy to train as a knight in this first book in Tamora Pierce’s Margaret A. Edwards Award–winning young adult series—now with a new look!

From now on, I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.

In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom, and, disguised as a boy, begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart.

So begin Alanna’s adventures—filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil—that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.

My thoughts:

This young adult novel was far ahead of its time. A comfortable exploration of feeling trapped by social expectations for gender roles in a brilliantly told story. Strong characters (of both genders), realistic bullying in what would be seen as a school/work situation and actual consequences for the main character when she breaks the rules. Nothing is straight up handed to her to make her better, she earns it. There are layers of magic written into the world and the main character has a natural talent that scares her. Her twin has the same and rejoices about it. He was a scholar in the time when boys were expected to be knights. She is a warrior and a noble. Noble girls are expected to be worried about securing a good marriage and having babies. Her choice was unconventional and the start of an amazing saga.

TL:DR  fun story with good characters