Hamilton: The Revolution / Jenny McCarter and Lin-Manuel Miranda / 288 pgs

"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
Spot in the Caribbean by Providence, impoverished, in squalorGrow up to be a hero and a scholar?"
And thus begins the Tony and Pulitzer winning musical on Broadway, "Hamilton." This book was so good. Lin-Manuel Miranda did an amazing job of making sure that the entire musical is within the pages of the book. He also provides a ton of footnotes that explain both the history of Alexander Hamilton and the time period between 1776 and 1804 and his musical inspiration. There's a ton of behind-the-scenes looks at how the musical was conceived, written, edited, changed, and produced. Each of the principal actors are profiled, and those who worked behind the curtain like the choreographer and costume designer. If you either borrow or buy this book, make sure to read the song lyrics while you are listening to the cast album. It was such a great way to take in the whole experience, especially if you, like me, won't ever get to NYC to see it live.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood / Diana Gabaldon / 825 pages

The 8th novel in Gabaldon's Outlander series continues the improbable troubles of the Frasers and friends.  It is beautifully written, as were the rest of the novels - often humorous - often giving far more information than you would ask of even your best friends.  In an interesting turn of events Clair marries John Grey, best friend of her husband and former fiance' of her daughter.  William learns of his true parentage and reacts a bit violently.  This novel ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next in the series.

An Echo in the Bone / Diana Gabaldon / 820 pages

Having almost caught up with the author of the Outlander series, I can safely say this has been the most enjoyable series to read.  I find it amazing that while describing time travel and more bad luck than any one family should ever have to contend with, the author keeps the characters themselves realistic.  Beware reading further for spoilers.


One thread that has been running through the last few books was whether young Ian would ever return home - in this book he finally does.  Relations between the Frasers and John Grey come to a head.  While resolving some cliffhangers from past books, this one opened up several new cliffhangers.  I can't wait to see how they are resolved.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes / Diana Gabaldon / 979 pages

This is the sixth of the long novels in the Outlander series.  Beginning in 1773, the book delves into the beginnings of the Revolutionary War.  Gabaldon did a wonderful job creating dialogue between loyalists and rebels that felt realistic.  It's easy to forget that the Revolutionary War was a war that split families' loyalties.  Having the foreknowledge of what would happen, Jamie is forced to cut off his ties to the British and join the rebels - cutting himself off from Lord John and his son in the process.


The Frasers and Murrays continue their penchant for getting themselves into trouble.  At one point, I found myself wondering how many times women from the same family could be kidnapped. 


If you've been reading the series, this book is where we finally find out young Jem's paternity - no spoilers here though!


Gabaldon has created a world that I enjoy visiting and I'm always a little sad when I finish one of the books (even though 979 pages is a lot to read through).  I'll be starting the next book in the series soon.