HOKAY SO. I have now made it through seven books of this series, which is basically like twenty-one normal-sized books, or fourteen above average-sized ones. By the time she finally finishes this series, we might be talking Wheel of Time-level word counts here. All this to say I HAVE DONE HARD WORK, NOW GIVE ME TACOS. I was going to type “cookies”, but dammit I really want some tacos right now. Also, on the last Jane the Virgin episode, I was introduced to the concept of the Venezuelan miracle food, the arepa, and I am now obsessed with trying one, except there’s only one Venezuelan eatery in my city, and it’s a food truck and FOOD TRUCKS MOVE YOU GUYS. This will be my project for 2017. Tracking down an arepa and eating it so hard. Quite possibly trying all the arepas they have. Unless I hate arepas and then I will stop after one. (This is not likely.)
So this book was good! It still took me about two months to read, but that’s because I read the first 300-ish pages and then put it down for two months because I got distracted by shiny things like a damn raccoon. I finished the last 800 pages in about three days when I finally picked it back up. We still haven’t reached the level of interest and engagement I had when reading books 1-3, but this was at least Drums of Autumn-level engagement. I think I just have to come to terms with the fact that DG will never again write a book with as much narrative tension as she did with Voyager (still my favorite of the series so far).
There’s still some bloat here, which accounts for why I was able to put it down for so long without feeling a real need to pick it back up again. I appreciate that she wants Jamie’s illegitimate son William to be a more fleshed out character, but what he gets up to in this book isn’t really super engaging. His most interesting moments come when he’s interacting with characters we already know and love (Bree, Ian, Lord John). The first third of this was somewhat interesting, but really a lot of it could have been cut out, especially since I thought the last hundred pages (full of some really important happenings) was rushed. I would have liked more lingering on some of that stuff, which was really emotional.
The stage is set for an interesting eighth book, though, and my interest in this series has definitely been re-engaged. I’d been told this would happen if I could just get through books five and six, but it’s a relief to have it confirmed. I like liking this series. I don’t like thinking it’s a slog. So yes, people, if you’re reading this and wondering if there is a light at the end of the tunnel that is Outlander, I will say to you, yes. Keep going!
Not sure when I’ll get to the next one. I’m tempted to save it for closer to either the release of season three of the show or closer to the release date of the ninth book. Guess we’ll see!
(I realize this review was a third about arepas and tacos, and I don’t care. PUT THEM IN MY MOUTH.)
There was a place that made arepas in my old hood and they were an absolute delight. When I would bother to go, I would invariably suffer burns from shoving a fresh-from-the-fryer arepa in my gob without waiting for it to cool. Worth it every single time. (The restaurant has since closed, in part, I suspect, because they had terrible order-to-table times for a fast casual establishment.)
So you’re telling me they are pizza level good? Because that is the only other time I burn my mouth because I just can’t wait.
Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.
oh god
My love for arepas is true and strong. They don’t sound like they should be heavenly, but they are. As a kid we would get them at baseball games. Now I’m hungry.
You had them at baseball games? Where did you live? (I live in a multi-cultural city, but still, only place that sells them!)
South Florida. We had the Colombian version which was just the queso blanco and cornmeal patties and yum. I have not been able to recreate them myself, but one of my grocery stores in NJ has the cornmeal.
Oh, that makes sense. South Florida has great South American/Cuban inspired food. I used to live in Florida, but it was the very white part of Florida, so there was no good food there. Except for good Italian for some reason. Oh and seafood. Obvs.
I’m home now for Christmas and seafood and Cuban foods are musts. All I want to do is eat. :)
My God. We had a Christmas party at our house last week and some friends brought a tray of arepas. I am now among the converted.
And not really relevant, but I was glad Jane’s abuela made better arepas than that wacko cousin.
Oh my God those arepas looked so soft and luscious I wanted them so bad.
I hope Catalina goes away soon. I find her very annoying.
1. Arepas look amazing. I’ve never heard of these.
2. I had to break up with Diana and Jamie and Claire long about book six, I think? Whichever one had the silver cover with the red text. I just couldn’t do it any more. Do I pick it back up? Do I need to reread?
That was book six, so it’s this one you need to read. Yes, pick it back up! And no, don’t re-read! Just wiki the plots if you need to. You’ll be fine.
I don’t know if we have arepas around here, but come to Plano and I will gladly buy you a taco!
Mmm, I bet you guys have great tacos. More tex-mex than I’m used to probably. It’s fun to see how Mexican food changes from state to state.
Arepas are a MUST. So yummy and delicious. Pupusas and empanadas are also cousins to the arepa, and they are AMAZING. [sidenote: I have nothing to add to the Outlander conversation, but I saw the word “arepa” and was like YES, MUST COMMENT]
Empanadas I’ve had (I like the dessert ones the best), but I will have to track down a pupusa now too!