Tag Archive: female-authors


REReview: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon

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December 11, 2025

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (Outlander, #9)Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished my third reading of this series. I can’t think of anything to add to this review. It is still my favorite, and I am still in love with the series, Diana Gabaldon, and Davina Porter. I’d like to learn to be even half the writer or narrator as these two.

***
As much as I love all the Outlanders, this may be my favorite. The sad part is that the next book isn’t ready to read. So now I am floundering with Diana Gabaldon’s novellas. And Davina Porter makes Ms. Gabaldon’s writing shine!

Don’t let it scare you; think honey, not stingers. Bees do play a part in telling this story. My takeaway is to always talk to the bees; they want to know.

As with the rest of the series, this book is educational about the American Revolution. It is inspirational as I long to read and research our history to know more than I learned in school. It proves my point that the student will feel curious if you throw in a bit of magic.

Ah, but, Diana, why did you have to leave this on a cliff? Especially knowing that it would be ages until your perfected sequel (as opposed to the Game of Thrones hurried ending by someone else.) But it wasn’t a high cliff, so I’ll tolerate it knowing our heroes will be safe somehow and once again save the day.

I love, love, love all the lessons the Frasiers and friends have to teach us and can’t wait for more.
If you get the chance, please listen to these books in audio form as Davina Porter brings the story to life.

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RE-re-read Review

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November 23, 2025

Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander, #8)Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So a few days ago, I finished the book again. I am still in awe and in love with the whole Outlander series. I love the adventure of seeing history through the eyes of my imaginary literary friends. I love the ways Brianna and Roger attempt to solve a kidnapping of their child. A scary enough event without all of history to explore. I love the way Jamie and Claire were able to stay in touch with their daughter and her family over time. This story only seems to pull me more and more. I’ve already started re-reading 3 of the next book. Even now, I have reruns of the first season playing while writing this and my NaNoWriMo. I love the music, and I don’t have to be involved while it is on. If there were a magic wand, I would wave it and wish I could write like Diana Gabaldon and narrate like Davina Porter.
~~~

Yes, I reread it. And I still say the same things about it being my favorite Outlander so far. Do you want to know why? Okay, beyond Diana Gabaldon’s writing and research and Davina Porter’s voice acting, this character and scenes list goes beyond the first review I wrote below.

Characters: Jamie Fraser, Brianna Randall, Roger MacKenzie, Jeremiah MacKenzie, Fergus Fraser, Marsali Fraser, Germain Fraser, Ian Murray, Lord John Grey, Benedict Arnold, Claire Randall Fraser, Jonathan Randall, Dougal MacKenzie, Geillis Duncan, Jenny Murray, Young Ian Murray, William Ransom, Rachel Hunter, Denzell Hunter, William Buccleigh MacKenzie, Amanda MacKenzie, Harold, Duke of Pardloe, Henri-Christian Fraser, Brian Fraser, Jane Pocock, Frances Pocock, Dorothea Grey, Jerry MacKenzie, George Washington.

Settings: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1778 (United States)
Lallybroch, Scotland, 1980 (United Kingdom)
Lallybroch, Scotland, 1739 (United Kingdom)
Savannah, Georgia, 1779 (United States)
North Carolina, 1779 (United States)
Fraser’s Ridge, North Carolina, 1779 (United States)

***

I thought that book 7, Echo In The Bone, was my favorite of the Outlander books. Nope. Written in My Own Heart’s Blood wins. It was fantastic!

Regardless of the time the characters land in, they all grow and help us learn the rules of Gabaldon’s Time Travel.

What can I tell you that won’t spoil it for you?

As usual, there is a lot of research evident in the reading, and as one supposes, there are instances of poetic license, which Diana Gabaldon admits she has it framed on her wall.

The most exciting part of the book is when Breanna talks about Doctor Who in a chapter called “Thank You For The Fish.” (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). Now I really wish I had a TARDIS so that I could play in all three universes.

And I wish I could move on to book 9, but my Audible credits don’t come until the middle of the month. A quick note about why I read by Audible most often now: actual reading is impossible for my eyes. It seems to be a tracking issue. So I use Kindle Text-to-Speech a lot. Though TTS works well for most books, I want to hear words pronounced correctly when other languages are involved. Davina Porter is able to range the language barriers and character ages and sexes with apparent ease. I love listening to her.

If you get the chance, the books are as good, if not better than the shows, and the Audible versions are the best of all the worlds. Enjoy!

***
By the way, since the first reading and the need for Audible, I have had cataract surgery and hope that soon I can read paper books. But for books like this with many foreign languages I don’t know how to pronounce, I’ll stick with Audible.

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Re-review: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

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November 10, 2025

An Echo in the Bone (Outlander, #7)An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Below are my first two reviews of this book. Nothing has changed in this third reading. I LOVE the OUTLANDER series, both the books and the television series. Diana Gabaldon is a super author. Davina Porter is the best narrator ever!

Below is my first review of this Audio version of the book. Nothing has changed. This is still my favorite Outlander book. It was great to read it as this season of Outlander streams. In fact, the scene from a couple of weeks ago —I had just read it the same day. Claire got sick. I’ll write no more about that without spoilers.

I took longer to read (listen) this time. Instead of knitting, I spend the listening time on Diamond Painting, a series of dragons. I can only devote an hour or so to that endeavor. So with the before-bed read and creative pursuits, I couldn’t read straight through. I am already set up to read book 8. It’s like I can’t remember what happened next, yet I remember and can’t wait to visit it all again.

***
This book may be my favorite of all the Outlanders. Maybe because of how I chose to read it nearly 24/7. After all, I had reached the skinny-mini underbelly of all streamings–teens or young people who look like Barbie Dolls going through the same-same life issues. Give me some older adults, women of all shapes and colors, real people, not Hollywood mothers, whores, or weaklings. Not enough streaming of strong women holding up half the world. So, back to reading —the only way I could. Audible.

Also, I was making scrubbies and washcloths while listening. That helped me ‘hear’ better.

By constant reading, I could stay in the story better. And family members came and listened with me on occasion. So it wasn’t a lonely process.

At any rate, I loved watching the cast of characters struggle with life, time travel, and historical moments. I especially loved the parts about Brianna and Roger at Lallybroch recovering letters from Claire and Jamie. And though I used to find Willy obnoxious, I think I clicked with him this time. And I grew more in love with John Grey. How nice to see good, honest, quality men portrayed.

I tried to find something else to read last night as my bedtime read, but couldn’t resist looking for more Outlander. Now I am listening to book 8, Written In My Own Heart’s Blood.

Time to lower my reading goal as I seem stuck in tome reading. I love it! I hope you get the chance to read these. Oh, and Davina Porter does so many voices so well. I still wish for more actual actors, for sometimes Bri and Claire sound the same, and all the children sound the same, and Roger, even with his sore throat, sounds like other men. Still, for one person covering so many people, Davina is fantastic!

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Re-review: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

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September 23, 2025

Drums of Autumn (Outlander, #4)Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blood of My Blood has prompted me to read the series once again. I’m finding the series as good as I did the first time, maybe now with more depth than I had before. But this is a fantastic series in books and on television. Blood of My Blood is moving a bit slow, but maybe there’s a reason. I trust Diana Gabaldon and the writers of the television series to write another great watch.
~~~~

I just finished this second read of the fourth book. I wanted to be ready for the new season on television. I didn’t need to read the whole series, although I watched the entire show from season 1. I really love the music by Bear McCreary. I just wanted to refresh my memory of what happens to the Frasers and the rest once they are in America.

I loved the story written, narrated, or acted. Though a little different in each case, it is a fun ride.

Davina Porter narrates with such a varied voice that one always knows whose viewpoint we are hearing. Every now and then, I get confused between Bree and Clair or Roger and Jamie. But it doesn’t take long before a person can know who they are hearing.

I have already started book five, as it has more about the American Revolution through the Frasers’ eyes. I can’t wait to see how they do it on the show. I love all the time travel. I love visiting other countries and hearing the histories brought to life by Diana Gabaldon, whose research and knowledge are portrayed in the books and the show.
***
The following was from my first reading/listening from March 2020.

Oops! I nearly forgot to review this one. I just moved into the next read (a library book).

I really wish I had read this before the series on television. I liked the rhythm of the story better. I like the viewpoints presented here, as Clair’s rather than Bree’s, as the television series has it. It is different not having the information about the daughter making the voyage back in time and back to America.

I think we got into Roger’s head a little more, too. It doesn’t take away from the show. Interestingly, the directors and actors adapted the storyline without losing its essence.

No spoilers here. Just glad I read (listened to the Audible) it and can’t wait to get into the next one!

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Rereview: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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September 1, 2025

Outlander (Outlander, #1)Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The following is the review of Outlander Kindle, Audible, and the show. Since Blood of My Blood started on Hulu, we began rewatching Outlander from the beginning, and I decided to re-read the series. I finished the first book a few days ago. And Drgonfly in Amber. I’m well into Voyager now. I stand by my original review.
~~~

It has been several days since I finished book one. I still feel caught in the afterglow of it.. While I was reading it, I binge-watched the show. First with my son and brother. Then with my friend. Then with my husband. So this review includes the book, the Audible version, and the show.

I borrowed the book from the local e-library. I noticed it came with text-to-speech. But the show was full of Gaelic, so I didn’t want to hear the TTS mispronouncing those words. So I used my credit to pick up the Audible version to whispersynch.

Narrated by Davina Porter, made the story come alive. Her voice isn’t like that of the actress, Caitriona Balfe, from the show, which was a bit of a surprise, but Davina did a great job acting out the different characters from the book.

I must admit that I will often recommend the book over the show. The explicit rape scenes may trigger those who watch the show. The book leaves more to the imagination. It spent more time on the story itself than details of the acts.

My only complaint about the book was that it was so long I didn’t finish before it was due back. Who knew that the email saying a book is due on Monday means you only have part of Monday to finish it? They took the book back Sunday night at midnight. I was forced to buy the book with only 10% left to read. Oh, well, now I can share it with my husband and read it again someday.

With the trigger warning for the show, I highly recommend the book, audio, and show for everyone. Those days spent back in history, especially in Scotland, were dreamy! I wish I could actually go and experience the whole of the UK.

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Review: Goldilocks by L.R. Lam

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June 17, 2025

GoldilocksGoldilocks by L.R. Lam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Patricia Rodriguez (Narrator) told L.R. Lam’s story expertly. It was a fun ride from the very beginning. The reviews and blurbs seem to draw comparisons to other books of extremes. I think this is more of a cautionary tale proving fault can be found anywhere. True, the patriarchal society makes it seem the men were all wrong and the women were saints. However, what we ultimately see is a need for moderation, the scientific method, and a need to thoughtfully repair the planet, as well as a need to reconsider our rigid thinking.

Philosophy aside, this is fun science fiction with space travel and exploration as a possibility.

I didn’t like the ending. I wanted more exploration and experience elsewhere. That could have been a book two, or at least a nice second part, instead of rushing the ending like the author couldn’t wait to leave the book behind.

Still, it is an enjoyable ride. I found the audiobook on Libby. Thank you, Kay, for another great recommendation.

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Re-Review: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

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March 23, 2025

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an adventure!

This book takes the apocalyptic point of view from the beginning to the end. Our main character is the daughter of a preacher. She is black, but her skin color is not the point. She is a teenager in a protected community that suddenly isn’t. As a teen, she sees things her way, not like her parents or anyone else. So, it is a story of growing up in social, physical, and psychological chaos.

I have to admit to loving the story. I did get tired of the God Seed of her making against the biblical verses of her father. But it was her experience, so I accepted it as the character’s point of view, not preaching to the reader. This blended with her bringing together a group of people wandering up the California highway and byways while protecting each other and defending their rights to live in this new world.

Though the story leaves the reader in a safe place, not a cliffhanger, I feel the need to read the next and see what happens now that they have settled. My e-library had this one but not the next, so I requested that they get it.

It must be nice for black readers to have stories that reflect them. I’m not black, but I would love to see diversity more often. As much as I love seeing female authors writing strong female characters, let’s see more of the female experience in other races and experiences. Maybe our future generations of people will have books written from all points of view, encouraging the reading experience of all society! I’d love to read more about women who are in their sixties and seventies and older! Let’s ensure everyone sees the world from characters like them!

~~~~
The above review was from six years ago. I decided to read it again because a member of our church used a quote from this book for a service theme.

“All that you touch,
You Change.

All that you Change
Changes you.

The only lasting truth
is Change.

God
is Change.”

Take it how you will. I feel this one now more than ever. And maybe, having lived so long, I see how much everything I knew and know changes minute by minute. Maybe change isn’t the thing to be afraid of. Even when it is all so frightening at times, I think this is the faith to hang onto. When my children were young, and they were going through stages, I might have wanted to take credit when, say, they finally hit the toilet. But I accepted that it may have been just the change they needed. The world keeps spinning. Orbits continue. But never exactly the same. Sometimes, the change is huge, sometimes tiny. Sometimes, we influence it, and often, it influences us.

I stick with my review from the past. But I read it through Audible with the narrator Lynne Thigpen this time. She did add to the depth I feel in the book.

I highly recommend anything by Octavia E. Butler but start here. I think you might like it.

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Review: Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson

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November 4, 2024

Lovely One: A MemoirLovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As soon as I can, I will buy this audiobook. I was charmed by Ms. Jackson’s way of telling a story. I love her ability to show her deep faith and fair justice. Oh, and her ability to sing hymns. If I weren’t supposed to be getting to sleep, if I weren’t supposed to be quiet so my husband could sleep, I would have been singing along. She has a beautiful voice both musically and in narration.

Autobiographies mean more to me now that I’ve written my own. And now, I look for different things in what I listen to. I have to admit that those who seemed to cause their problems without learning the lessons of that action are not as interesting as those who learn not just from their mistakes but take note of what happened to others. Ketanji is exceptionally intelligent. She loves learning.

This audiobook made me feel as if I were having coffee with her. She is so interesting. This is a book I highly recommend, especially the audio. I got this one through Libby.

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Review: The Change by Whoopi Goldberg

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September 15, 2024

The ChangeThe Change by Whoopi Goldberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, this was fun. As a post-menopausal woman, before pre-menopausal was made popular by Oprah, I remembered my mother in her 60s talking about still getting hot flashes. My friend and I celebrated each other’s accomplishments in womanhood and crone with a talk about power surges. So it was nice years later to see our superpowers claimed and made real as all superhero actions work.

Still, it is nice that our younger sisters are finally getting the strength we were not awarded.

Again, the comic book was fun. But I have a huge problem. I hate cliffhangers! Obviously, this is to be a series. I may or may not fall for the next one.

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Review: On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi

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August 22, 2022

On RotationOn Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who recommended this to me? Thank you, whoever you are. I am usually not into romance novels, but I loved this all the way through! However, recommended, I do remember looking it up and finding it on Libby.

Mela Lee (Narrator) told the story with believable passion.

I’m crazy about medical stories; a Grey’s Anatomy fan from the beginning, Dr. Kildare, started me out when I was a child. So this story pulled me right in. That it included a younger generation of adults and another culture made it even more engaging.

I may come back to reread this when I need a light distraction again.

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