If you're looking for my reviews of a certain author or genre you can check my tags list. You can also see my list of book reads in 2007 & 2008 and 2009.

Book Title: Drums of Autumn
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 3/5

Summary (from book cover): The magnificent saga continues...

It began in Scotland, at an ancient stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past – or the grave. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once but twice. Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became legend – a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in the frontier America. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century. Their daughter, Brianna...

Now, Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the stone circle and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history... and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past... or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong...

My thoughts: Again, just like the two previous volumes, the story is told from different points of view, being only the part of Claire Randall told in first person.

In this book we follow the journey of Claire and Jamie Fraser, as they set in America. However, Brianna, their daughter and whom Claire had left in the 20th century, discovers an important fact about their parents and decides to travel back in time as a mean to save them. But she doesn't travel alone as Roger, a historian also linked to time travelers, decides to follow her in order to build a common future.

I didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping since the story seems to drag in some points. The main characters, Claire and Jamie, suffer little or no change at all, since they have already a very strong relationship; Brianna and Roger are given greater prominence and if the second delivers, one sees him grow as a result of everything he goes through, Brianna wasn't but an annoying character. She seemed spoiled and was ready to stomp her feet anytime anyone would say no to her. The many secondary characters were much more interesting and pleasant to follow, namely Lord John (who has a parallel series to this one) and Ian whose end, though somewhat predictable, can not fail to surprise. The story itself, as I said, seems to drag at some parts, and sometimes it was needed to read about 100 pages to know what happened to some characters. This annoyed me a bit, especially when the point of view would change and had to follow the characters whose story line I least appreciated.

Again, this is a book with too many pages for its own good. It wouldn't hurt if it was reduced to half or 2/3. The end seems to be left open, which is not surprising since there are 2 more books (which I already have at home), and a new volume that will come out on September 22, An Echo in the Bone. I just don't pick up the next books because this series is a bit demanding and I need to recover my breath after reading 1000 and something pages.

Book Title: Love and War
Author: John Jakes
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 1/5 (did not finish)

Summary (from book cover): The Hazards and the Mains – the first fatal shot fired at Fort Sumter divided them irrevocably with loyalties more powerful than family ties. The young would clash on the bloody battlefields of Bull Run and Fredericksburg, while in intrigue-ridden Washington and Richmond strong-willed men and beautiful women would defend their principles with their lives... or satisfy illicit cravings with schemes that could destroy friends and enemies alike, caught in the fury, the glory, the surging drama of... LOVE AND WAR.

My thoughts: I tried, really! I tried reading it, picking it up again, I tried to get myself to read one more page, a line, one more word, but I couldn't do it. I've given up on the book around page 300, which was already an achievement, in my opinion.

The first book was quite interesting, it presented us to the characters, introduced us to the Civil War, and I was curious as I know little about it, but the way the author does it on this book was a turn off, so to speak. I understand the desire for the author to deal with the politics behind the Civil War, letting us know that, although fighting for one of the sides, not everyone was fighting for the same ideal. However he does it in a very dull way, with a few or no action at all. Maybe it's me, since I'm used to Cornwell and George R.R. Martin taking me, as a reader, to the middle of the battle. But in this book that doesn't happen. The only battle I came across had a bunch of people running from it; from the battle itself almost nothing.

Besides it has so many characters still underdeveloped, not getting me interested on what expected them. Couldn't relate or worry enough to read more about them; and you should worry since it's a book 2 out of 3. I hoped to see more depth to them and a more dynamic attitude. George Hazard for example, seems to spend the book pacing around thinking and thinking over again but doing little about what worried him.

You seem to read and read and nothing happens. It's frustrating. I've given up on it, I prefer the television series.

Book Title: North and South
Author: John Jakes
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 3/5

Summary (from book cover): The brilliant American novel that chronicles the lives of two great family dynasties, spanning three generations. The Hazards and the Mains were brought together in a friendship that neither jealousy nor violence could shatter... but they have been torn apart by the storm of events that divided a nation.

My thoughts: I learned about this book, and the other two that compose this series, by chance. I was watching TV when I came across its adaptation, which my parents remembered of seeing it and, tried to portray the American Civil War. Since I know little about it, I thought it would be interesting reading it.

The story of this volume revolves around the years before the civil war, giving the reader a chance to know two families, the Hazards and the Mains, which came from two distinct backgrounds. The first family is from the north, with their wealth based on industrialization and the work of emigrants, while the other comes from the south, having their wealth based on agriculture and slave work. In a period in which social tension is huge, due to the discussion of abolitionism of slavery work, the friendship between these two families is tested.

It's an interesting book, for those who like History, since it tries to show both sides of the question, from the moderate to the radical point of view, which allows the reader to listen to the arguments, even if he doesn't agree with the ideas or actions of some characters. However, the discussion of these subjects becomes somewhat repetitive and tires on a book of this size. The characters, in my opinion, could have more depth to them, but their characterization is enough to let us know the different sections of the movements.

I was hoping for a bit more but it's clear it wasn't thought to be a stand alone, which leads me to hope for a better work on some of the characters.

Since I spoke of the seres, I would recommend it over the book. Of course it isn't a 100% truthful to the book, but it shows in a nice manner the most important bits of the book. A nice option for those who are curious but don't have patience to read it or access to the books, which might happen if you are in Portugal like me.

Fifth book read for the "Historical Fiction Reading Challenge".