How did you find the Outlander Series?

[Leslie]

You won't regret purchasing them. The first time I read them from the library and now I am re-reading them and have purchased them all. They are worth buying and keeping.

[Wendy]

I think that you will be sorry for purchasing the books. I own all of them and I have re-read and looked up passages ofton.

[[deleted user]]

Well started the book today and am enjoying it very much.

[Fiona]

I found out about the outlander series from my sister in law, who at the time had a job working in the bookshop at Stirling Castle. She brought Crossstitch/Outlander up north & gave it to me when she visited. I read it in 2 days & that was it hook, line & sinker i had to read them all! (my poor husband was neglected for some time) lol
Hi I'm Fiona & I'm an Outlander-a-holic! lol

[Wendy]

Welcome Fionna! It is so good to have a real Scot in the group. You will probably be inondated with questions about Scotland here.

My question is, are the references to the land and the area in Scotland portrayed in Outlander accurate? And are the people of Scotland like the ones in the books?

[Grumpus]

Hi. My name is Mike and I'm an Outlander addict. *All: Hi, Mike!*

I would consider myself a non-fiction guy and still can't believe how this happened. I stumbled into historical fiction a while back with Pompeii. Then a friend I met here through Goodreads in my audiobook group recommended Outlander to me. I love Davina Porter as the reader, am on book 4, and still can't believe I like something my wife would refer to as chic lit.

It's a great series but I'm not out there discussing it with my buddies. It has to be my own guilty little secret :)

[Kit]

Hi Mike! I'm new here too, My name is Tina and I'm an Outlander addict!

It's great to see a man reading and enjoying this series. I'm on ABOSAA now (pg. 590) It's a real page turner for sure! Drums of Autumn was my favorite of the series, but A Breath of Snow and Ashes is quickly becoming a favorite too.. oh, who am I kidding, I love them all!

[Wendy]

Welcome to both of you! Being an addict isn't nessesarily a bad thing.

[Cynthia]

Welcome to both of you!
It is great to see a man enjoying the series. Grumpus, I would love to know how you feel about Jamie and Claire? Is Jamie and unrealistic "man" figure to you? And what about Claire? How does she look throught a man's eyes?

[Leslie]

Welcome Tina and Mike, Wendy is right being an addict isn't necessarily bad. It is kind of fun.
Mike, I can't wait to hear your perspective on these books.

[Kit]

Thanks ya'll for the warm welcome! I was just heading to bed with Jamie.. oh and Claire too.. you know, to read for a while. ;) But wanted to comment here first.. Ya'll are right, being an addict isn't a bad thing at all... as long as I can keep getting my fix! :)

I am also interested in Mike's perspective on Jamie and Claire, what an interesting question! I'll be looking for his response!

[Grumpus]

Thanks for the question, Cynthia, no pressure :)

Wow, I feel like I have to come up with some deep, insightful, sensitive answer here. But I'm a guy...a guy who wishes he could be as smooth as Jamie. Tough when he needs to be tough and sensitive when he needs to be sensitive with a high sense of morality. I can see why women love him and from my perspective, men would want to be like him. He is the ideal from the perspective of either gender.

I don't envision Claire as the ideal woman in a physical sense (which is unusual for us men) but in every other aspect she is so very attractive. Her attractiveness to me comes from three things in order of importance, 1) her devotion to Jamie, 2)her understanding (of most things...a tad jealous...but I could understand why), and 3) her feistiness.

I have to say, I've listened to Davina Porter narrate these books and I would also have to confess that Davina's voice as Claire is a turn-on and she probably would not be as attractive to me if I was reading the books and had to come up with my own voice for her. When I'm listening to these books, I hear Davina doing the voices of Jamie and Claire in my head throughout the day. I sometimes even hear my own thoughts in Jamie's voice. That is a tell-tale sign of a great narrator!

I've listened to the first 3 books and have switched back to non-fiction temporarily for a break but will be on to the fourth book within the month...just don't tell my buddies :-)

[Cynthia]

Grumpus your secret is safe with us! I (We) really appreciate your comments...no pressure!!! :) I hope not! Us ladies get so involved in the characters that they become very personal to us...it's great to hear from a man's POV.
I have not had the chance to hear Davina Porter narrate the books yet, I did rent the abridged ( no unabridged available) version from my library of Voyager...of course lots of things were left out and I HATED how this lady did Jamie...I had to stop the CD..yuk..oh weel

Now, you need to read the rest of the series!!!( just like a woman telling ya what to do!) we won't tell your buddies we swear! We just like your input!!

[Kit]

Mike, thank you for your POV! Mums the word to your buddies!

I would love to hear the audio version of these books. I've been listening to the audio version of the Twilight Saga and I know what you mean about the voices getting in your head. It *is* the tell-tale sign of a great narrator.

I (we) look forward to hearing more from you when you get back to Volume 4!

[Cynthia]

Can anyone explain to a tech impaired, Outlander addicted fan, the steps to get these unabridged books loaded on a what??? Ipod/Mp3( are they the same thing) how does one know if any of these will hold the entire series? I told ya'll I'm a dummy

Do I need to purchase the disc's at a bookstore? Then do I have to download them on my computer in order to download them onto an I-pod or do I have to join something like Audible.com or the such?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Jennifer]

I was working at a bookstore when A Breath of Snow and Ashes was first released and talked to a lot of customers who swore that they were amazing. I never got around to reading them though until my mother-in-law gave me a copy of Outlander that she had just finished. Not even half way through Outlander, I went out and bought the other 5. I quickly read through Outlander and then Dragonfly. I needed to take a break in between though to read a few different books but will be starting Voyager soon and hope to have them all finished by the time Echo comes out :)

[Cynthia]

Jennifer wrote: "I was working at a bookstore when A Breath of Snow and Ashes was first released and talked to a lot of customers who swore that they were amazing. I never got around to reading them though until my..."
OMG! you should at least get through Voyager it picks off where DIA ends and ties up lots of loose ends! I think it is one of the best out of the series! Have fun!

[Monica]

I just started Voyager last night, it's off to a great start! I, personally, enjoyed Dragonfly in Amber even better than Outlander. (And I loved Outlander!) Maybe I'll like Voyager even better than DiA!

[Jennifer]

I will definitely start Voyager soon. Right now trying to quickly finish 2 other books that I bought while reading Outlander and DIA. If I can ever get off of this website and get back to "real" reading, I'll be all set :D

[Cynthia]

Everyone...You will LOVE Voyager!!

[SarahSaysRead]

I just started my re-read of Voyager today. So far, I'm enjoying it even more than I did last time :-)

[Cynthia]

I'm enjoying the series so much more the second time around!

[trish]

I have 40 pages left of ABOSAA on my second read through of the books......then I'll have Jamie withdrawls and make myself read something else until 9/22!

Cynthia I bought Outlander on iTunes and it was totally easy. It was just like buying music. I'm sure one of your kids could show you how to do it! thats who helped me!! LOL
I've also heard it's easy to do at Audible.com and they have that first 3 months/books for 7.95 thing. I keep meaning to do that!

[Cynthia]

I guess that means I have to go buy an ipod? Heee Hee I told you I've been out of touch for awhile!! Thanks for the info! :)

[Fiona]

Wendy wrote: "Welcome Fionna! It is so good to have a real Scot in the group. You will probably be inondated with questions about Scotland here.

My question is, are the references to the land and the area in..."

Hi Wendy, thanks for the warm welcome.
I'm not sure i will give the answers that you want but i will try my best. The refrence to the land is as close as it is ever going to get for the highlands, what i've seen of them. I always find it rather nice hearing how someone else discribes the Scottish scenary & land areas. I live on the north east coast but about an hour by car from Culloden, eerie place especially at night.
As for the people of Scotland well mostly we are all a friendly bunch who can be extreamly patriotic & passionate. Most of us love our food & a wee dram just like everyone else. There are still loads of places in Scotland i've still not visited but i was lucky as my mam & dad lived beside Glasgow & moved up to the north east so i spent alot of time travelling north to south & vise versa to visit Grandparents.
I hope this has answered your question.

[Mary]

Mike -- You're not alone. My very manly brother sent me the first four books for my birthday several years ago. The hooks for him were Scottish history and time-travel.

[[deleted user]]

Well, I have to say I am officially a complete addict. I am on the second book and absolutely love them. My husband is even reading the first one now. I want to thank all that recommended it!!!!

[Carole]

My mother was an avid reader and the year that Outlander came out in paperback, she handed it to me with the comment "if you need something to read, read this..you won't be able to put it down." And she was right. I started reading it while on vacation in Mexico with said family and the only part of my anatomy my family saw that week was the top of my head.

[Glenda]

Carole wrote: "My mother was an avid reader and the year that Outlander came out in paperback, she handed it to me with the comment "if you need something to read, read this..you won't be able to put it down." A..."

I always look for the thickest book I can find and these certainly fill that bill! I don't usually read romance novels - always preferred a good murder mystery, but I was hooked on Outlander from the start. Now I've read the entire series at least twice (the older books even more). I'm really glad that my hand landed on Outlander when I was looking for a new book to read.

[Carole]

Wendy wrote: "Welcome Fionna! It is so good to have a real Scot in the group. You will probably be inondated with questions about Scotland here.

My question is, are the references to the land and the area in..."

I'm not a Scots but I did spend three weeks in Scotland last year exploring places mentioned in Diana's books. My base was The Highlands. Since I've read them at least four times each, I am fairly familiar with the locales in the books so I visited as many as I could. I toured Culloden (eeringly haunting place is an understatement!) and talked to a guide there who'd met "Herself" when she came for the opening of the new Visitor's Center. Couldn't speak enough kind words about her.

Every Scots I met was a friendly as you could possibly imagine and very, very proud of their country and heritage. I think it safe to say they invented humorous self-deprecation. The land...well the land is achingly beautiful. I spent lots of time in the Highlands and Inverness, visited Fort William, Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow and toured the northwest coast including the Isle of Skye. I highly recommend a visit. Can't wait to go back.

[Wendy]

Thanks for that information. It always helps to hear from someone that has really been there. Hopefully someday I will get to go as well.

[Jennifer]

I have a general question to pose. I've been wanting to purchase the Outlandish Companion and just wondered how helpful it might be. I also realize that it's only covering, what...the first four books in the series? I am on my first reread, listening to Outlander and it's just as awesome as when I read it! Hearing the pronunciations does help quite a bit! I can't wait for Echo and hope that I'm through my reread so it's all fresh but I know I won't make it.

[Fiona]

I am just about to lend my precious copies of the outlander series to my mam & i do seriously think that if i was younger & stayed at home i would probably get grounded for passing on such addictive books. my friend who i lent them to is constantlly asking "how long it is till Echo is coming out, have you pre-ordered your copy & how long do you think it will take you to read it?" ! lol

[Jennifer]

I started Voyager this morning and can hardly stand to put it down. It's been a few months since I finished Outlander and DiA and somehow I'd forgotten how much I love Jamie and Clare. Shame on me :)

[ChristinaRae]

I was driving to San Francisco alone so I looked for an audio book to kill a couple of hours on the drive. I picked up Outlander (the abridged version) because it sounded resonably interesting. (If I had only known!) The books have definitely impacted the way I think about relationships, especially the sexual relationship in a marriage (since we never talked about that stuff in my home growing up).

[Aylin]

A close friend told me what a wonderful series it was and recommended it. She was right!

[Monica]

I was about to take a flight back home to NY for CA and since I can't sleep on planes needed a book to read. Looked up some recommendations here on Good Reads and here I am about 3 weeks later and am ready to start the third novel. I just ordered the next two books and don't know if I can wait for them to get here. Stayed up till two last night wanting to finish Dragonfly. I was actually crying when Jaime and Claire were saying goodbye to each other. I've only cried one other time when reading a book. I had read the Three Musketeers series by Alexander Dumas and I had grown to love the characters so much. I'm a little sappy!

[Cynthia]

Monica wrote: "I was about to take a flight back home to NY for CA and since I can't sleep on planes needed a book to read. Looked up some recommendations here on Good Reads and here I am about 3 weeks later an..."

Sappy is all goooood!

[ChristinaRae]

Monica wrote: "I was about to take a flight back home to NY for CA and since I can't sleep on planes needed a book to read. Looked up some recommendations here on Good Reads and here I am about 3 weeks later an..."

Yeah, I go back and read DIA when I'm needing a good cry.

[Cheryl]

I was looking for a large paperback book that would keep me reading for more than half a day when I came across ABOSAA in Walmart. It was huge, and only $6. I thought that was quite a bargain so I bought it. I've always been fascinated by time travel, but I quickly realized that these books should be read in order. So, I saved ABOSAA for more than a year. Then, at an RV park duirng our travels, I found Outlander on the 'bring one, take one' book shelf. I just finished reading ABOSAA and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of An Echo in the Bone. I'm not sure these books have changed my life, except that I can't get the characters and stories out of my head. And, my ancestors are Scots-Irish and Welsh and I have a sudden interest in finding our more about them. These are stories I will read over and over.

[Emma]

I was given the first book about 9 years ago and have now read the 3 times. I finished the 3rd round in eager anticiation for the 7th book. I CANNOT wait! My aunty gave me the first book and told me to 'persevere' past the first chapter or so. I did and that was it - I was hooked! I have loved all the books but in particular Jamie. He is the man that dreams are made from and just gets better with age. I recommend the books to anyone who I know likes reading. My cousin & sister have read them and its great to have someone to discuss the books with. I would love them to make a series of programmes of the books. I don't think it could be a film as so much detail would be missed out. But in the same breath, I don't think they could capture the magic of the books and tell the tale as it is. Maybe Jamie is much better in my imagination than how they would portray him on screen???

[Alicia]

My dog had just been put down and my friend was trying to make me feel better so she bought me copy of Outlander and gave it to me. It's sent me on an awesome journey and now i can't wait for an Echo in the Bone to come out. These books are a godsend on long flight and long boring days at work!

[Judy]

A friend of mine gave me a paperback of Outlander. I started it on an airplane from Washington, DC to San Francisco and on to Hawaii. I read it on the flights to Hawaii and back and the 5 hour flights just flew by. I told my husband I could just sit down and read each book and not eat or sleep to the end.

[Deniz]

Hi all!
I can't for tomorrow!
My best friend recommended the books to me three summers ago - and I almost didn't read them because I thought they boring old romance/chick lit (which I *really* have to be in the mood for, otherwise I've got too many other books on the To Be Read pile )!
And then two or three pages in when Claire talks about how full the shops are, I almost stopped reading. Heck, rationing went on in England until almost 1950! But then I thought, well maybe it's the copy editor's fault not the author's, and I kept reading. Plus I liked Claire and didn't like (smarmy) Frank. And then when she set Jamie's arm! I was hooked.
Thank goodness I didn't stop reading. Now I know it *was* the copy editors, not Diana, given the amazing quality of all her research. And to think of all the stuff I would have missed out on - a brilliant series, more books to come, lively discussion groups, a friendly writers forum, and so much new knowledge and vocabulary and avenues of interest... Wow. Not to mention all those funny, romantic, exciting, thoughtful scenes in the books.
:-)
Deniz

[Ann]

I and several friends at work started reading the series at the same time. Even through we have gone seperate ways I e-mailed them when I found out number 7 was coming out. We even went to Cary NC years ago for a signing. We had so much FUN!!!

[J.]

(g) I was on disney info site, because I love Disneyland and I joined a discussion on Twilight, odd place for a Twilight discussion I know, and yes I got caught up in that craze... Stephenie is really good at character relationship development. I digress... Several of us started recommending other series to one another and Outlander made the list (my sincerest thanks to whomever it was that mentioned it first).
So it was on my "to-read" list forEVER (about 1 month)when I found the paperback at a thrift store. What a treasure!!!! I was hooked. I laughed, I cried, I worried... and I stopped a few chapters into Breath of Snow and Ashes. I don't want to read what I think is coming. But now with the new release I HAVE to. After Voyager... I just don't trust that everything is going to turn out all right because Diana is so... so... realistic. And that's what I love the most. I'm hoping to make it to her signing in a few weeks. I'm going to have to suck it up and get through Breath and Echo.

Angela - Definitely go on the trip!!!! I'm planning for 2012... I want my daughter to be old enough to remember and appreciate it. I sooooooooo wanted to go the the gathering this year... I need to win the lotto

[[deleted user]]

My sisters (who both live overseas from me) were going on about how great this series was. I bought Cross Stitch earlier this year and as soon as I started reading, I couldn't put it down. As I worked my way through one book I was buying the next in eager anticipation. I have never read a series of books that I just couldn't get enough of. Yay - I'm just about ready to read Echo in the Bone now just as it's coming out in the stores, so that's great timing.

Diana will be here in Wellington, New Zealand for the launch and I'm hoping to get a ticket and get my new book autographed. I've always enjoyed reading but have never been as avid a reader as I am now. I used to read heaps when I was young and loved reading in bed. However, once I started working and got married, reading seemed to become less of a priority. Whenever I've had a spare moment I've picked up the book and read and read and read. This series has reintroduced me to the joy of reading again. To be able to write such a series is an amazing and rare skill and I am so happy that I have got to enjoy this series.

[Sarah]

My friend Serena turned me on to the series a year ago it now is my life. I have told like ten people to read it now and it is interesting to find people I already know that have read and love the series

[Angharad]

Hi there
What a great website!! Anyways I just happened to discover a bookshop magazine yesterday and my fave author was on the cover! Yes Diana Gabaldon!Her new one is coming out!
I "discovered" her when I was at school over 10 years now. Friends at school read it and I read it in the holidays. I gave it to my Grandmother and then it went to my Grandfather then my Aunty and then my Uncle. Then back again to my best friend!!

Absolutely mesmerising I think and I tell every one about it that they should read it!!

BTW Mellady77: Have you thought of putting that book on HOLD?? haha I do that all the time.

Im about to start reading TFC. Had it now for 8 years haha! Just never got around to reading the 980pg book.

[Thalia]

I've heard about the series a few times over the last few years but resisted (I don't really know why, distaste of romances perhaps). Then I stumbled across an old tattered mass market paperback Outlander that I decided would be perfect for a camping trip (I'm really uptight about the condition of my books and would NEVER take a nice copy out camping). My goodness, I could hardly put the thing down! Reading by flashlight at night reminded me of being a kid, lol! So now I've managed to track down the entire series (finding Dragonfly in Amber last, of course!) and so I'm diving in now. I should be done all them up to Echo in time for my turn on the library loan for it. :)