Vacationy books, or, Why I might be the only female on the planet to never read Outlander
As Mr Fink is working late at the office tonight, I left him the car and bussed it home (I know, aren’t I wifely?). Except instead of bussing straight (sort of) home, I remembered I had a couple books on hold at the library* so I had the brilliant-at-the-time idea of going there first and then walking the 12 or so blocks home.
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Public Service Announcement: If you’re walking along 10th and Spruce in Vancouver BC the next couple days, watch out for that puddle of Kasia on the sidewalk.
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Seriously. I can’t remember the last time I was this hot (36 C / 97 F). Don’t get me wrong, this born-in-Calgaryian- where-summer-is-but-a-fleeting-moment is NOT complaining. It’s just… hot.
I was really excited to pick up these books since I’ve been on the waiting list for what feels like months, especially for the first one.
You see, I love books. I am booky. Always have been. It has killed me a little more each day that for the past few months I have been too busy/tired to devour as many books as I would like, but I am going to try hard to remedy that, STAT – starting with our upcoming two-week vacation! (about which I’ll tell you more soon).
As I jauntily skipped past the fire station to pick up my books-on-hold today, my mind was not on the hot firemen within but on how EXCITED I was to pick up these Potential Vacationy Books. Yes, yes. If you didn’t get it by now, I am booky. And a bit deranged.
You see, for the past two weeks, when thinking lustily about our upcoming vacation, I have not thought so much about where we’re going or what we’ll do when we get there or who we’ll see or what I’ll wear (I lie… I have thought about the last one a bit) but instead, I have thought about one very all-consuming question:
What books shall I bring on vacation?
So it was with great anticipation today that I picked up It Sucked And Then I Cried by the every-so-honestly-lovely (what is with me and the hyphens today, huh?) Heather Armstrong, a.k.a. Dooce.
Summary:
- Love her.
- Love her blog.
- Love how honest she is on her blog.
- Wish I could be that honest on my blog.
- Oh right, my husband prefers to remain as anonymous as possible.
- *pout*
I think this is a very Vacationy book… if I can get over how weird it will be to take a library book on vacation with me (my first time! be gentle) and, more importantly, if I can resist cracking open this book for three weeks.
The other library book? Well… this is so not usually my style but my friend Kelly Taylor (not her real name) told me that I was basically the only female left on the planet who hasn’t read this next book and shame on me for being so uncool (she didn’t actually say that last part but it was implied. In a good way, though. In the I’m-sorry-I-have-to-be-the-one-to-tell-you-this-but-we-simply-cannot-continue-to-watch-you-waste-your-life-away-like-this way).
So it was a contender for the Vacationy Book Award until I laid eyes on this cover:
Ick.
I’m sorry ladies. Ostracize me if you will but I simply cannot be seen toting around this copy of Outlander, with its totally floofy look-at-me-I-wish-I-lived-in-medieval-times-so-you-could-slay-me-a-dragon-and-I’d-swoon book cover.
I don’t care how popular it is. I just can’t do it.
So, the hunt is on for a second Vacationy book. Maybe a third and fourth too. (To be continued…)
If you have read this Outlander thing, can you please tell me what all the fuss is about? Should I really read this monstrous-looking thing?? Enlighten me.
*This is a very Good Finking lesson I have learned since meeting my husband: books are so very delicious-looking in the store but books you borrow for free and then have $30 to spend on coffees and shoes are even more delicious. The library rocks.
My name is Kasia Fink and nothing makes me happier than finding goodness. This is a collection of my findings... I mean, finkings.
I am going to take this opportunity to recommend to you my top three books of all time:
Time Traveller’s Wife (Sweet bejeesus I hope you have already read it though
Summer Sisters (Judy Blume)
Practical Magic (Alice Hoffman)
I love books (and libraries) too, and I have never ever heard of Outlander. It might just be me, but it looks like a book maybe the Pioneer Woman might read it! Hmm, I might look into it.
Oh yes lawdy, I am on my umpteenth reading of Time Traveler’s Wife. In fact, I will admit something I wouldn’t normally admit but it is late and I am feeling huffy because I just saw the trailer for the movie this evening and it left a bad taste in my mouth: I read that book before anyone had heard of it. I swear it’s true. I think everyone has one book in their lives that’s like that, and TTW is it for me. Seeing the movie trailer has left me feeling like I just discovered my baby was tattooed with Coca-Cola advertisements.
I think I’ve read all Judy Blume’s books but will have to confirm on that one… Love her!
Never heard of Practical Magic, though. Thanks Leah!! Will look into it!
If it’s any consolation, I’ve never heard of Outlander either. But I’ve read Dooce’s book and think it would make a good vacation read for sure.
Also, I’ll say it loud and I’ll say it proud — I LOVE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY!!!
Omg, Outlander is the worst book I have ever read. It was the first book we had to read in a book club I joined like 4 years ago and when we got to the meeting no one had finished the book (save the organizer who felt like she had to) and we just sat around slagging it off for an hour and the book club dissolved after that. It was so bad it literally killed the book club. It’s like a Harlequin Romance set in medieval times. And she writes out the accent (Scottish) phonetically, which is one of my literary pet peeves. Just be glad you got it from the library and didn’t actually pay money for it, like me. But supposedly it inspires mad love from some ladies who are devoted to the series (yes, there’s more than one), so maybe you’ll like it. Although I tend to think the people who love it are the type who spend their weekends attending renaissance fairs…and that’s totally you, right?
Ok, I’ve never heard of Outlander either, and I’ve spent the last nine years working in various bookshops. So it can’t be THAT huge. So don’t read it if you don’t want to! It looks pretty yuck.
My claim to fame is that I read Twilight before anyone heard of it. I read an advance copy because the rep from Penguin books told me it was going to be the next big thing. Boy, was she good at her job. And I actually loved it, and spent the next year recommending it to teens and for gifts for teens. I know, a world where no one had heard of Twilight! Quite insane.
Have you read The Book Thief, or (if you like historical fantasy) Temeraire? It’s set in an alternate history (Napoleonic era, I think) where everything is as normal except that they have dragons which they use in warfare. I really enjoyed that.
And I love teen books (I was children’s buyer for ages at my one shop) and I can highly recommend Peter Abrahams’ ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ if you want a quick, fun mystery.
Ok, I just had another look at your post and I didn’t notuce the first time that Outlander is by Diana Gabaldan. In that case, I think I have heard of it; at least, DG is a respected historical novel author (whom I’ve never read), but I have heard that some of her series are a bit iffy and others are excellent. Apparently “Cross Stitch” is a good one. It’s been recommended to me many times, but long books freak me out a bit.
I love the Time Traveler’s Wife (which I also felt I’d read before all the hoopla), the Temeraire series, and Outlander. I’d also throw in a recommendation for The Eyre Affair and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society as fun, easy vacation books.
Just another gal who’s never read outlander here. But I’m totally sticking Time Traveler’s Wife on my list!
I love Heather, too. Like you… I can only WISH I could be so honest on my blog….
I do not know exactly what your book tastes might be BUT… these are a couple books that were great vacation books for me!
The Help, by Kathryn Stockton
As the Great World Spins, by Colum McCann
The Blood of Flowers, by Anita Amirrezzvani
Property, by Valerie Martin
I don’t know your taste in books, but if you like non-fiction but very funny books about travel and other cultures, you might look at any of the 3 books by Maarten Troost. I just finished “Getting Stoned with Savages” and read “Sex Lives of Cannibals” a few years ago — both while on vacations. They’re funny and easy reads, which qualifies them as vacationy to me. :)
Dooce’s book was WONDERFUL! Exactly like her website- endearing, honest and laugh out loud funny. I can’t tell you how many times while reading it the boyfriend had to ask me what I was giggling about. Fabulous vacation book! Also, I just started the book that she edited “Things I Learned About My Dad: In Therapy” and it’s worth reading.
Ha ha ha! You are so right about that cover of Outlander! Fortunately the one I read had a different (solid blue, non floofy) cover otherwise I probably never would have picked it up. Or, more accurately, my mom never would have picked it up, enjoyed it and then passed it on to me.
I think what happened is that there was so much love for the series that it was gobbled up in one section so they repackaged it and marketed it to another. I know I was horrified to go into my bookstore and found that they had been moved to the romance section! I’m not sure what that was about because they’re back in fiction now.
Personally, I loved the Outlander series, although some are definitely better than others. (And I believe Cross Stitch that Kat mentioned was a working/foreign title for Outlander but I could be wrong.)
My sister is kind of reading it now and isn’t loving it but she’s the only one that I know personally that hasn’t enjoyed them. It’s all about what kind of book you’re in the mood to read. I do recommend seeing if they have another copy available though before totally giving up on it though.
“Cross Stitch” is the UK title of the same book. If you can find any trade paperback copies, it has a much less offensive cover.
I personally love the Outlander series, but I think it takes a commitment in the beginning, and I wouldn’t recommend it as a vacation book.
I haven’t ever read “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, but it’s definitely on my list. I just finished “Julie and Julia” and really enjoyed it..
Interesting…looks like the camps for and against Outlander are evenly populated. What a dilemma! I might have to dip my heels into the first chapter and see how it goes. Maybe for after my vacation, though.
You guys all ROCK – thanks so much for your rad suggestions for other books! I’ll compile them for another upcoming post. Keep ‘em coming!!!
I just moved to Calgary from Australia and I REALLY miss the summer :)
I read the Outlander series and LOVED it. Of course, I am the kind of person who spends her weekends at Civil War Reenactments. I liked that she wrote out the accent phonetically, although I had to read those parts a few times to get what was going on. I devoured that series in a matter of months. I probably wouldn’t have ever picked it up either, but my mom read it, and loved it, and passed it on.
And now I’m off to find a copy of the Time Travelers Wife.
Kasia! I borrowed “Loving Frank” from the library before taking off on my month-long vacation. It’s overdue and I can’t renew it, but my fine will still be cheaper than if I had bought it. I loved both the story and the writing. I support library books on vacation. No recommendations for you, though. All my favourite books are ones you’ve read in your book club!
I’ve read Outlander several times and still can’t get enough of it. Once you read that you won’t be able to stop yourself from reading the subsequent books in the series. I promise. I’m not sure where you found that nasty covered book, the copy I have is definitely less offensive. Well worth the read…
Also very much enjoyed:
Paris Hangover (soooo good)
Eat Pray Love
Belle de Jour
Your posts are always so well written and crack me up :)
My book recommendations are:
In the Woods – Tana French
God of War (kind of depressing) – Marisa Silver
My Sisters Keeper (if you want a good cry) – Jodi Picoult
Naked (hilarious and reading it now) – David Sedaris