2013's Most Anticipated New Releases

Marg: The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley. I actually claimed this book as my most anticipated new release in 2013 back in July! I am just that excited at the prospect of reading it! And I was very excited when I got an early copy of it in the mail a couple of weeks ago. There was squeeeing and happy dancing involved. I am kind of glad you couldn't all see it!

Kelly: The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. I wasn't sure what I was going to choose, but when I heard that Melanie Benjamin had a new book out in 2013 I decided it was a safe bet. I really enjoyed both of her previous books!

Julie: As I have to wait until the Autumn of 2013 before my most anticipated release is available, there is not even a cover I can show you. The book is the latest in the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon and is to be titled "Written In My Own Heart's Blood". 

So, as I have to wait almost a year I have a selected a second book, one that I know will be a great success, as indeed the rest of the books by this author are.

That book is Mrs Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini and is released in the UK in January 2013.

Ana: I have been very undecided about what to choose for this feature. There are several books that interest me but I ended up writing down Patricia Bracewell's Shadow on The Crown. It is set during a different period than what I usually read and I don't think I have ever payed much attention to Emma of Normandy so it might be both an interesting and informative read. Shadow on the Crown will be out on Feb 7, 2013.



Nanette: I'm with Ana in my anticipation of The Shadow on the Crown. I love books that are set in this era, and there are so few of them.

The others that have piqued my interest:

  

Fever by Mary Beth Keane, which is a novel about Typhoid Mary, the Irish immigrant who unknowingly started a typhoid epidemic in early 19th century New York City. I've been fascinated by Mary Mallon since fourth grade, when I read her story on one of the history cards that my teacher had in her classroom. As far as I know, this is the first novel about Mallon, and the author is highly acclaimed. Fever will be released in the U.S. on March 12.

The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig. I admit that I've fallen behind on Willig's Pink Carnation series, which is a shame, because it's a lot of fun. But this novel is a standalone, and it looks like a family saga--one of my favorite genres. I'll be looking for this one in April.

I know I've mentioned this before, but the book I'm most looking forward to in 2013 is Paullina Simons's Children of Liberty, which has been out in Australia since last fall, but isn't available in the U.S. until late February. I loved the Tatiana and Alexander series, and Children of Liberty gives the backstory of Alexander's ancestors.

Alex: This choice was quite difficult to make since several books already caught my attention, but Christine Trent's Lady of Ashes, a story about a Victorian undertaker, seems absolutely fascinating and unusual. Can't wait to read it !

The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick, a novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine, is also in my "most anticipated release" list for this year. Her books are always amazing !

What are your most anticipated new releases for this year?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Completion Date: July 10, 2011

Reason for Reading: Received a review copy of the 20th Anniversary Edition.

In Outlander, a 600-page time-travel romance, strong-willed and sensual Claire Randall leads a double life with a husband in one century, and a lover in another. Torn between fidelity and desire, she struggles to understand the pure intent of her heart. But don't let the number of pages and the Scottish dialect scare you. It's one of the fastest reads you'll have in your library.

While on her second honeymoon in the British Isles, Claire touches a boulder that hurls her back in time to the forbidden Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan. Not understanding the forces that brought her there, she becomes ensnared in life-threatening situations with a Scots warrior named James Fraser. But it isn't all spies and drudgery that she must endure. For amid her new surroundings and the terrors she faces, she is lured into love and passion like she's never known before.

I was lame and sore in every muscle when I woke next morning. I shuffled to the privy closet, then to the wash basin. My innards felt like churned butter. It felt as though I had been beaten with a blunt object, I reflected, then thought that that was very near the truth. The blunt object in question was visible as I came back to bed, looking now relatively harmless. Its possessor [Jamie] woke as I sat next to him, and examined me with something that looked very much like male smugness."

Gabaldon creates characters that you'll remember, laugh with, cry with, and cheer for long after you've finished the book.

Another reread! I don't reread a lot, so this is impressive. I had the chance to get the 20th Anniversary edition of this book from Random House Canada, so I decided now was the perfect time to revisit the book. I originally read the book back in 2006 and posted a review. That means it has been just over 5 years since I read the book last. I enjoyed my experience with it once again. It is not my normal sort of read to begin with, but there is enough other elements that I enjoy. I still have never read on in the series. I thought maybe after finishing the book for the second time I would feel compelled to; but I still think the first book ends satisfactory and have no burning desire to read on.

I am not even sure if there is much point saying much about this book. It has been around for 20 years and I have heard my fair share about it. I was happy to discover through my reread that while I remembered the basics of the story, there were still things that I felt like I was reading for the first time. I also had a different experience with the book this time. The first time I read it, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting myself into. I am not a big fan of romance novels and that is pretty much what this is. I was a bit intrigued by the historical aspect, though, and the idea that there was time travel. This time, I knew that I loved it before and I was a bit worried it wouldn't hold true this time around. I am happy to report that I loved this book all over again and am excited I will have the 20th Anniversary Edition to read again in the future.

If you are one of the about 10 people that haven't read this book, you really should give it a try. It makes me wish I reread more often, but I know that will only last until I see a new book and my attention is drawn off into that direction. I still might read on in the series one day, but I am happy to have just read this book and loved it as much as I did.

My thanks to Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

You can read an excerpt from this book here.

This review was cross-posted at The Written World.

HT News

Diana Gabaldon's publisher in the UK is giving the readers the possibility of getting her first book earlier than the release date:

Orion, Diana’s publishers in the UK, are happy to make the following offer so that all her UK fans can enjoy An Echo in the Bone at the earliest opportunity. If you pre-order the Orion hardcover edition (publishing on 21 January 2010) from Amazon, Play.com or Waterstone’s.com and send the invoice/receipt, which includes your delivery address, to dianagabaldonorders@orionbooks.co.uk, we will then send you a copy of our export trade paperback edition absolutely free on 22 September, the first date the book is available anywhere in the world.’

HT News - An Echo in the Bone

We've seen the cover for the upcoming book in the Outlander series (An Echo in the Bone), we know the release date (September 22), and now we have the back cover blurb! I for one can not wait to get my hands on it!

Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and reluctant rebel, knows three things about the American rebellion: The Americans will win, unlikely as that seems in 1777; being on the winning side is no guarantee of survival; and he’d rather die than face his illegitimate son—a young lieutenant in the British army—across the barrel of a gun.

His time-traveling wife, Claire, knows that the Americans will win, but not what the ultimate price may be. That price won’t include Jamie’s life or happiness, though—not if she has anything to say about it.

And in the relative safety of the 20th century, their daughter Brianna and her husband, Roger, watch the unfolding of her parents story in the past—a past that may be sneaking up behind their own family.

HT News

Dar from Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of The King's Rose by Alissa M Libby. This is a book that I really want to read.


In other news, Diana Gabaldon has posted a picture of the US Cover Proof for An Echo in the Bone.

HT News

I am a Diana Gabaldon fan girl from way back, and I am know I am not alone! It was therefore very exciting to see the proposed UK cover for the seventh book in the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone, when she posted it on her blog today! In the past we have tended to get the UK cover here as well, although with a change in UK publishers that may not be the case this time.

The proposed release date on Amazon UK is currently set as 1 March 2010.

HT News - Outlander Movie

We've mentioned before about the fact that Outlander has been optioned for a movie.

Today at her blog, Diana Gabaldon has given us her thoughts on the movie. You can check it out here!

Echo in the Bone Excerpt

Is it too early to start thinking about getting excited about a new Outlander book? Probably, but I can't help myself, especially when I read a new excerpt up at Diana Gabaldon's blog! Can't wait for the book to come out!

Click here to read the excerpt.

Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon, the New York Times bestselling author of Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and the wildly popular Outlander novels, delivers three tales of war, intrigue and espionage that feature one of her most popular characters: Lord John Grey. In the heart of the eighteenth century, there are haunted soldiers....lusty princesses....ghostly apparitions...dark family secrets. And here Lord John will face enemies who come in the guise of friends, memories in the shape of a fiery-haired Scot named James Fraser, and allies who have the power to destroy him with a single blow...

Capturing the lonely, tormented and courageous career of a man who fights for his crown, his honor, and his own secrets, Diana Gabaldon delivers breathtaking human drama. And in tales seething with desire, madness and political intrigue Gabaldon once again proves that she can bring history to life in a way few novelists ever have.

This is a collection of three short stories or more precisely I guess it is technically one short story, and two novellas. One of the things that I see quite often about Gabaldon is that she is extremely wordy, but with these novels she proves that she can write tight, shorter stories than we see in the Outlander books.


In Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John glimpses a stranger in the doorway of a gentlemen's club - and is stirred by a desperate entreaty to meet in private. The rendezvous forestalled by a sudden murder, Lord John will wade into a maze of political treachery and a dangerous debauched underground society...

At 23 pages, this is by far the shortest of the three stories in this book. It was actually written years ago, and I have had a copy of it for a good couple of years but I had never gotten around to reading it for whatever reason. When a man is killed in the vicinity of Lord John he feels compelled to try to find out more. leading him into a very shady and dangerous underground society.

In Lord John and the Succubus, English soldiers fighting in Prussia are rattled by the nocturnal visitations of a deadly woman who sucks life and soul from a man.

Called to investigate the night-hag Lord John finds a murdered soldier and a treacherous Gypsy, and comes to the stark realization that among the spirits that haunt men, none frighten more than the specters conjured by the heart...

This is the story that I have read previously. In fact I bought the trade paperback of the Legends II anthology just for this novella and still, a couple of years later, I still haven't read anything else in the book! Luckily for me, there has been a significant enough gap in time so that I couldn't remember who did it, so while I did remember many of the events it was kind of new to me. I enjoyed it the first time, I read it, and I enjoyed it this time through to. As usual with Gabaldon, there are many layers and she even has time to do this in her short stories. In this there is the fear of the supernatural and the sometimes comical lengths that people will go to avoid the succubus of the title. We also see John in situations on the battlefield and also within the higher of echelons of society and how he has to sometimes walk a very thin line!

One of the more interesting aspects of this novella is the relationship between John and the Prussian major who John has been seconded to. Here we see a side of John's insecurity, or perhaps caution would be better, as to whom he can act on feelings of attraction to. I don't actually know how that would be, especially in an age when to be caught would mean death, but I think Gabaldon does a great job of portraying the carefulness required before making an approach, or even allowing an approach, to a possible partner.

In Lord John and the Haunted soldier, Lord John is thrust into the deadly case of an exploding battle field cannon. Wounded in the same battle, Lord John is called to testify and soon confronts his own ghosts - and the shattering prospect that a traitor is among the ranks of His Majesty's armed forces.

This is the new story, written just for this book, and the events follow on directly from the end of the Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, which I have read, but not yet reviewed.

Lord John is recovering from the wounds he received in battle when a cannon explodes killing several of the men operating it. Still having some pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body and suffering somewhat because of it, Lord John is called before a military tribunal where it soon becomes clear that he is to be the scapegoat in the inquiry to investigate the deaths.

Never one to allow himself to falsely blamed Lord John starts to investigate on his own to see what he can find out about the events leading up to the explosion, even though there appears to be a chance that his own older half brother may be implicated in treason. To further complicate matters, John is asked to try and track down the wife of one of the men who died...a young lady who does not seem to want to be found.




Despite the fact that these books are much shorter than the Outlander series, Gabaldon still manages to populate them with memorable secondary characters and quite a bit of historical detail from the time. There are, of course, references to Jamie from the original Outlander series, but they are references only. I think in the last book in particular we began to see the basis of the friendship between John and Jamie that readers of the later books in the Outlander will recognise - the honest exchange of views and news - even if at first John is not brave enough to actually send the initial letters off.

Of the secondary characters, I really love Tom Byrd, John's valet, and also Harry Quarry! Lord John is a man of impeccable honour, and could at time become something of a stuffed shirt, so the scenes with these two characters bring an earthiness and realness to his life and his friendships with them.

Just a note on the reading order. I have taken the book back to the library now so I can't check, but I believe the reading order of the Lord John stories is as below:

Lord John and the Hellfire Club
Lord John and the Private Matter
Lord John and the Succubus
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade
Lord John and the Haunted Soldier

Once again, I sound like a total Gabaldon fan girl, but I truly can't help it!

Upcoming Release: Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon

Yay! Two new Diana Gabaldon books in one year! Well, actually that's probably not strictly true, but you have to do whatever it takes to comfort yourself when you are waiting for the next Outlander book...right? Or maybe that's just me?

This book is actually three novellas combined into one. The first has been around for a while under the name of Hellfire. I actually got it ages ago, first as a file on my computer, and the second time someone printed it out and gave it to me, but I still haven't managed to read it! Maybe this will be the time for me to actually read it!

The second story was originally published in the anthology Legends II, and I rushed out and bought this huge book, just for the Diana Gabaldon short story. I thought that this one worked really well as a short story and enjoyed it much more than I had enjoyed the first Lord John book, Lord John and the Private Matter.

The third story is actually new content, so I am very much looking forward to that one!

Here's the publisher information:

Diana Gabaldon, the New York Times bestselling author of Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and the wildly popular Outlander novels, delivers three tales of war, intrigue, and espionage that feature one of her most popular characters: Lord John Grey. In the heart of the eighteenth century, here are haunted soldiers . . . lusty princesses . . . ghostly apparitions . . . dark family secrets. And here Lord John will face enemies who come in the guise of friends, memories in the shape of a fiery-haired Scot named James Fraser, and allies who have the power to destroy him with a single blow. . . .

In Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John glimpses a stranger in the doorway of a gentlemen's club—and is stirred by a desperate entreaty to meet in private. The rendezvous forestalled by a sudden murder, Lord John will wade into a maze of political treachery and a dangerous, debauched underground society. . . . In Lord John and the Succubus, English soldiers fighting in Prussia are rattled by the nocturnal visitations of a deadly woman who sucks life and soul from a man. Called to investigate the night-hag, Lord John finds a murdered soldier and a treacherous Gypsy, and comes to the stark realization that among the spirits that haunt men, none frighten more than the specters conjured by the heart. . . . In Lord John and the Haunted Soldier, Lord John is thrust into the deadly case of an exploding battlefield cannon. Wounded in the same battle, Lord John is called to testify and soon confronts his own ghost—and the shattering prospect that a traitor is among the ranks of His Majesty's armed forces.

Capturing the lonely, tormented, and courageous career of a man who fights for his crown, his honor, and his own secrets, Diana Gabaldon delivers breathtaking human drama. And in tales seething with desire, madness, and political intrigue, Gabaldon once again proves that she can bring history to life in a way few novelists ever have.

Luckily, I am number one on the request list for this book at the library, so hopefully I won't have to wait too much longer to get hold of it! The book is due to be released on November 27.

Cover story: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

Not long ago, we had an upcoming release post for this book by Diana Gabaldon. Today I was wandering around in the bookstore (and no, I didn't buy anything!) when I noticed that it was out here already, but the cover was totally and completely different to the one that has been released in the US. So, I thought it might be fun to sometimes have posts on the different covers that have been on Historical Fiction books through the years, or in different countries etc.

So below are the US covers and the Australian cover. Quite often we get the same cover as the UK as well, so this could be the UK cover too.

What do you think? Which one do you like?

I like the Australian cover, but I guess it doesn't really matter because I am going to have to wait for the book to come in at the library anyway and just get which ever one I get! LOL!

Upcoming Release: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon

A new release from Diana Gabaldon is always exciting, although probably not as exciting as if it was a new Outlander book. Instead we will have to settle for a new Lord John Grey book, althought from the book description it does look as though Jamie is going to be featured in this book!

In her much-anticipated new novel, the New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander saga brings back one of her most compelling characters: Lord John Grey—soldier, gentleman, and no mean hand with a blade. Here Diana Gabaldon brilliantly weaves together the strands of Lord John’s secret and public lives—a shattering family mystery, a love affair with potentially disastrous consequences, and a war that stretches from the Old World to the New. . . .

In 1758, in the heart of the Seven Years’ War, Britain fights by the side of Prussia in the Rhineland. For Lord John and his titled brother Hal, the battlefield will be a welcome respite from the torturous mystery that burns poisonously in their family’s history. Seventeen years earlier, Lord John’s late father, the Duke of Pardloe, was found dead, a pistol in his hand and accusations of his role as a Jacobite agent staining forever a family’s honor.

Now unlaid ghosts from the past are stirring. Lord John’s brother has mysteriously received a page of their late father’s missing diary. Someone is taunting the Grey family with secrets from the grave, but Hal, with secrets of his own, refuses to pursue the matter and orders his brother to do likewise. Frustrated, John turns to a man who has been both his prisoner and his confessor: the Scottish Jacobite James Fraser.

Fraser can tell many secrets—and withhold many others. But war, a forbidden affair, and Fraser’s own secrets will complicate Lord John’s quest. Until James Fraser yields the missing piece of an astounding puzzle—and Lord John, caught between his courage and his conscience, must decide whether his family’s honor is worth his life.

This is the follow up book to Lord John and the Private Matter, which I read in my pre-blogging days, and didn't mind, but didn't love either! The short story, Lord John and the Succubus that was in the Legends anthology (edited by Robert Silverberg) was much better.

Speaking of Diana Gabaldon's short stories, later in the year there is going to be another Lord John Grey book called Lord John and the Hand of Devils which is going to be three novellas published together. Two of them are going to be rereleases, including the aforementioned Lord John and the Succubus, but there will be one new novella as well!

The US release date for Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade is 28 August.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Ana says:

I must say I really enjoyed this book. However I thought it was more interesting till they leave Scotland. Once they start off to the Caribbean it loses a bit of it's appeal to me and it took me longer to read that part than the first one.

The book starts with Jamie and Claire 2 centuries apart. Claire discovers Jamie has survived Culloden and decides, with the blessing of their daughter, to go back in time.

Jamie has had a complicated life since surviving the battle, that includes time spent in prison, an illegitimate son and a loveless marriage with Laoghaire.
After professing their love for each other they have to deal with some of these issues and due to Jamie's current smuggling activities are forced to embark towards the West Indies trying to find Young Ian (Jamie's nephew). The story worked really well for me till this point, then it slows a bit during their time at sea and near the end it picks up it's pace in preparation for the next book.

I think Gabaldon's strongest point besides research is how well developed her characters are, and I think I prefer the parts where she focus more on the characters themselves than in their adventures.

In short – a very good book and if you haven't started this series yet you should because the first one is EXCELLENT!

Marg says:

It has been years since I read this book, but it is without doubt my favourite of the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon. Now, that is actually saying something, because Jamie is one of the most droolworthy men in literature (Oh Jamie... sigh) despite the fact that my brother-in-law's name is Jamie, has Scottish heritage, and has auburn hair. Somehow I manage to differentiate the two very clearly in my brain...thank goodness! LOL!

I do agree with Ana that the action in the first half is definitely better. I love the research that is being done to try and find Jamie in the past, I love the scene where they find him, I love the blossoming relationship between Roger and Brianna, the race to physically find Jamie, and then Jamie having to actually explain to Claire exactly what his current living arrangements are when minutes after having found him again she is embroiled in, what shall we call it, one of Jamie's little adventures! In fact the print shop scene is probably my favourite scene out of the whole series! Oh, and Mr Willoughby is a fantastic addition to the cast of characters in this book!

Just thinking about it makes me want to pick up the book, open it randomly to a page and start reading! Maybe I will just do that! Sounds like a pretty good way to spend a Saturday night to me - me and Jamie....oh, and Claire as well!