Adventure with a side of romance, please.

I'm sick of Chick-lit novels that are full of meaningless drivel and predictability. I'm sick of murder-mysteries that involve male-female detectives who pretend to hate each other, but secretly are falling in love. I'm sick of vampire novels that make me wonder if the writer really passed 8th grade language arts class. There has been a good-book drought in my house for far too long. BUT...

I stayed up late last night (oh my goodness - past midnight! It's been over a year since I've done that!) to finish a book that I just couldn't put down. Darn you, Jamie Fraser! I just finished the second of the Outlander books - a mix of history, time travel, adventure, and romance. The basic premise is that Claire Randall, a nurse in WWII, gets transported back to 18th century Scotland during the ill-fated uprising of Bonnie Prince Charlie Stuart. As she learns to live in her new surroundings, she meets and falls in love with dashing Scotsman Jamie Fraser and together they try to spare Scotland from one of the worst national defeats in all of history. The banter between them is hilarious and the historical setting is so well-researched. It's really hard to find a well-written series with just the right amount of intrigue so that I don't get bored, history so that I feel I'm learning something new, adventure so that I'm constantly breathless as I'm turning the pages, and romance that make me sigh so loud that Matt has threatened taking the book away. The books are huge (we're talking 800 pages, here!) and take me nearly a month to finish, but I'm just devouring them.

I'm now contemplating a completely unnecessary run into town today to pick up the third at the library. I MUST know what happens next, but feel the need to justify my use of gas by doing something important while I'm out. Hmmm...I think today's the day to load up the car with the clothes that need to go to Goodwill. And maybe stop by Taco Bell - that would make it a worthwhile trip all in and of itself.

Trying to figure out how to convert a media file so you can view today's cuteness. Stay tuned.