5 comments about Frommer's Scotland (Frommer's Complete).

1. I like the book. It is very informative and seems to have quite a few interesting areas listed. I also wanted fishing as a side trip and this book listed the best places to go.



2. I'm planning a trip to Scotland (leaving next week), and have never used Frommer's guides before. It has good suggestions for interesting touristy places to visit in Scotland, and gives a well written, concise historical description of the sites, which I like.
   
   However, for booking hotels, I haven't selected a single suggestion from Frommers. This is because their suggestions are generally way too expensive. For example, looking for accomodations in the Orkney Islands, you'd think it was impossible to spend less than $150 a night if you relied exclusively on this guide. On the web, I found that there are at least a handful two and three star hotels in Kirkwall that were less than $100 a night, and look very nice.
   
   Also, it says in Frommer's that it's ~$100 to travel by train to Edinburgh from London, but it doesn't mention that there are actually a huge range of fares, from ~$20 to more than $200 at www.virgin.com/trains, that depends on how early you purchase the tickets, and how flexible you want the ticket to be.
   
   From these and other examples, I've decided that Frommer's is a fine place to start for an overview and figuring out where I want to go, but I'd end up unnecessarily spending a fortune if I relied on it for the practical stuff.



3. I have an older edition of the Frommer's Scotland, and I really love it. It is arranged nicely (by region mostly), and gives a lot of details about the biggest cities and most popular tourist attractions. However, it also gives some great regional information and stuff about the smaller towns. I like that it gives you admission prices, hours etc. for most attractions (the prices in my book are outdated, but still a good general idea). I haven't traveled to Scotland yet, but this book has got me very excited about my upcoming holiday. Very practical information!!



4. Purchased this book to help with planning for a forthcoming trip to Scotland. Seems fairly informative, but can only really review it after taking the trip.



5. If you are planing on spending more than a few days in Scotland, you should read this book.

4 comments about Michelin Scotland Regional Map (Michelin Maps).

1. I constantly get asked about good maps to plan out trips through Scotland. Michelin really gives you a good one. Large so 'baby boomer' eyes can see all the details. It's clearly marked so it's very easy to use, with a trip times chart. I especially liked they have the outer isle marked well. Some maps of Scotland will skimp on these. So if you are going to Lewis or Skye then this one is hand.
   
   So if you are planning a trip, remember is Whisky without the e, and a neep is a turnip and a turnip is a pumpkin.
   
   Slainte Mhor!!



2. The map was quite legible, and seemed accurate. But it was very unwieldy, due to its large size. Trying to unfold and fold it in a small car just didn't work.



3. This map is HUGE and I would not be able to recommend it as your in-car navigational tool. I'm trying to use it to plan a driving vacation in Scotland. The tourist attractions are not particularly well marked. For example, the mark for a castle or historic house is a VERY small black outlined rectangle with no other color to it. Archaeological and historical sites don't seem to be listed at all.
   
   I'm using the map, guide books, and the internet to find the required information. It is too late for me, but if your purpose in buying this map is the same as mine, I would keep looking for a map geared for the tourist.



4. Definitely thorough, but it's also incredibly huge! The details are spectacular, but I don't know how practical it will be for taking in a vehicle.

5 comments about Voyager.

1. If you have any Scots blood running through your veins, you will enjoy this series of historical fiction. There is a good deal of steamy sex in the books (I could have done without-but I guess that is what makes it a romance novel...) I liked them because of the history and the mystery!!!



2. I've read all of Diana Gabaldon's books at least three times. They're so rich with detail and so well developed you can get lost in her books. One thing I like is that even though it's listed as romance, it isn't smut, there's a whole story behind it and it isn't just about the characters' romantic relationships.



3. Outlander is a series of 6 books, quite large in volume. When I first read Outlander, I loved this story, and I loved the characters. But by the time I finished this book I wasn't sure I wanted to read the next one and find out what happened to Jamie and Claire. But as I said, I was now engrossed with the people and the story and so I continued. I am now half way through the 4th novel (Drums of Autumn) and already own the last two (pre-purchased A Breath of Snow and Ashes). And I STILL wonder WHY I am continueing to read these! And here is why, Diana Gabaldon writes in DETAIL right down to the dirt on someones shoes. And she says so and so got chills and not because the room was cold; so many times you want to wretch. She writes pages and pages and pages of things that have nothing to do with the story. You really begin to wonder where she is headed and you start to feel that she is either wasting your time or she just likes the sound of her own voice. OR she enjoys BEING this character right down to the last thought and shiver. I find myself speed reading through some passages looking for when we are going to get back on track. Don't get me wrong, she is BRILLIANT!! If you love historical fiction, you WILL love her writing and you will LEARN alot about living in the time she writes about as well as the Scots. She does her homework, her research is impeccable and she has a cult following with this series. It is a great story and I will read all of them, I just think she could have written the SAME story in half the time. So forewarned is forearmed with Diana Gabaldon. If you have tons of time to kill, this is your book!



4. I bought this for my wife. This is her third time through the series. She decided that it is easier to buy them than to continue to check them out at the local library, as she intends to read the series several more times. It must be really good.



5. The Battle of Culloden (1745) destroyed the Scottish nation, which only in recent years has regained national sovereignty. I was hooked before OUTLANDER because my own ancestors were expelled from Scotland after the 1715 rebellion to become the Scotch-Irish who emigrated from Ireland in 1721 bringing the red hair and green eyes with them. The very interesting thing about these early Americans is that both the men and women could read and write.
   Diana Gabaldon creates outstanding characters who bring them to vivid life, not just faded names on deeds, wills, and church records. The VOYAGER bring Claire Randall and James Fraizer back together again and moves them through many adventures including Jamie's sea sickness to the shores of the American continent.
   The historical details and events are so accurate you hang on every word for the thrill of what will happen next and a window into the journey taken by your own.
   Who can resist a love story so powerful and enduring it transcends time like that of Tristan and Isolde to become a part of the fabric of our language?
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

4 comments about Scotland (Country Guide).

1. Lonely planet books are usually a good companion both if you're clueless or experienced. In this case however, the book is a lot thinner than the Rough Guide for Scotland and offers less information. The LP looks better, but who cares about the looks of a travel book.



2. I found the Lonely Planet guide to be an excellent resource, especially when used with the Baedeker Scotland guide. LP offers truly helpful information, such as where to find maps, how to get back your VAT, weather and insect warnings... as well as brief but very descriptive chapters by region, including the oft-neglected Highlands.

   Suggested itineraries are included, and the descriptions of sights, towns and historical destinations is wonderful.

   While the guide is short on maps and history -- this is where the Baedeker guide does an excellent job -- it is full of useful and up-to-date information on travelling Scotland. I found my copy to be incredibly resourceful.




3. I have used lonely planet travel books on my many trips to South and Central America, and I have always been happy with their information and insight. This book on Scotland continues to support my happiness with this series of travel books.



4. Bought the book and found the maps with cite notations most helpful upon our visits--although there were many one ways that make getting from 1 place to another difficult at times, but you can't blame the book for that. Ate and stayed at some of their suggestions and we weren't disappointed.
   Book heavily geared to the younger/hostel type of traveler--we were neither, but it still provided us with a lot of helpful suggestions.

5 comments about Drums of Autumn.

1. Outlander is a series of 6 books, quite large in volume. When I first read Outlander, I loved this story, and I loved the characters. But by the time I finished this book I wasn't sure I wanted to read the next one and find out what happened to Jamie and Claire. But as I said, I was now engrossed with the people and the story and so I continued. I am now half way through the 4th novel (Drums of Autumn) and already own the last two (pre-purchased A Breath of Snow and Ashes). And I STILL wonder WHY I am continueing to read these! And here is why, Diana Gabaldon writes in DETAIL right down to the dirt on someones shoes. And she says so and so got chills and not because the room was cold; so many times you want to wretch. She writes pages and pages and pages of things that have nothing to do with the story. You really begin to wonder where she is headed and you start to feel that she is either wasting your time or she just likes the sound of her own voice. OR she enjoys BEING this character right down to the last thought and shiver. I find myself speed reading through some passages looking for when we are going to get back on track. Don't get me wrong, she is BRILLIANT!! If you love historical fiction, you WILL love her writing and you will LEARN alot about living in the time she writes about as well as the Scots. She does her homework, her research is impeccable and she has a cult following with this series. It is a great story and I will read all of them, I just think she could have written the SAME story in half the time. So forewarned is forearmed with Diana Gabaldon. If you have tons of time to kill, this is your book!



2. Diana Gabaldon is fabulous so fabulous in fact I'm going to Scotland in August to see where her books take place. I have all of them and the audio tapes as well.



3. I bought this for my wife. This is her third time through the series. She decided that it is easier to buy them than to continue to check them out at the local library, as she intends to read the series several more times. It must be really good.



4. Jamie and Claire establish a settlement deep in the North Carolina mountains far from the winds of change which has racked their lives. But the DRUMS OF AUTUMN concerns their daughter Brianna and the man who loves her enough to travel through time, Roger.
   Neither of the second generation are strong enough to compete with the power of Jamie and Claire Fraizer. Time outs stop a story in its tracks and this installment in the series is no exception. If the reader is familiar with the story and has read the previous books then it is an acceptable read. But as a stand alone the title does not have enough substance to sustain it.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



5. A little scattered, with multiple shifting narratives, this fourth installment is still enjoyable for those who have been smitten with the Scottish Highlander Jamie and his time shifting wife Claire. I actually didn't find the book boring like some reviewers have, I just found it repetitious. Where the arrival of some characters from the earlier books are welcome and fun (Lord John for example) there is a recycled element to the book that left me wanting less of Brianna and her betrothed Roger, and more of Jamie and Claire. Once again she employs a pretty generic and stock villain who left me wondering is somebody always going to be raped in these stories?And while the first three books had some pretty terrific climaxes, this kind of peters out with a whimper. Still, the fact that this woman can clock a book in a over a thousand pages and still make it hard to put down, any quibbles feel pretty minor.

5 comments about Scotland (revised) (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I now buy only DK tour books. The photos and drawings are gorgeous; the text is concise, interesting and informative, without being boring. The size is convenient ... the book fits easily into a pocket, purse or daypack.



2. When we decided to go to Scotland, there was no question in our minds about buying the Eyewitness Scotland guide. Having used their guides to London, Great Britain, China, and Russia, we know that what we will read will be really useful to people like us who like to (a) walk and (b) really see things off the usual tourist path. After reading information about the big things to see and do, these guides then give information about neighborhoods and seeing things which might not have occured to you. In the process, you will come across people you would never have come in contact with and seen little known streets and nooks. You might even (as we have) be asked for directions by other people, including local people. In conjunction with the Lonely Planet guides, these are all you need.



3. We used in August . Found it to be of little value. One small example: By chance we visited the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. Truly a "must visit" museum. The guide book (revised version dated 2006) says it is closed for renovation. We were told that it had been reopened in 2005.
   David J. California



4. After borrowing one from the library-we fell in love with this and found nothing but rave reviews. So, we had to have our own for our trip in June. We have not left for our trip yet, but we will be in great hands when we go. It was also recommended by friends who actually lived in Scotland for 2 years-it was their "life line" there.



5. I have bought other books on traveling Scotland and this one is by far the best out of all of them. Full of detailed colorful pictures and suggested sites to visit. Wonderful book to look into!!!

5 comments about Spell of the Highlander (The Highlander Series, Book 7).

1. Karen Moning makes the characters believable. I love the inserts at the end of the book. She needs to write more books.



2. I absolutely loved this book! I love all of Karen Marie Moning's books. I cant wait for a new Highlander book.



3. i just loved this book. I have read my fair share of romance novels in the past 10 years and this is up there with my all time favorite next to ofcourse all of Julia Garwood's and Johanna Lindsey older stuff. The men in these "Highlander" series were just delicious, wonderful, romantic, strong basically the next best thing to sliced bread. And, the female leads were pretty, smart, strong and mainly believable. After reading the entire series i have decided i must make a trip to scotland and hopefully fall back in time. YUMMY!!



4. I just found Karen Moning'g Highlander series. This was the second book I have read. It was so good. I read it in one sitting.



5. This is the latest Karen Moning book that features the MacKeltars. All I can say is...READ THIS BOOK! It is a great mixture of magic, highlands, passion & humor. The characters are well developed and get you itching to read the rest of the MacKeltar books (#1 "Kiss of the Highlander" - (Drustans story),#2 "Dark Highlander" (drustans twin), #3 "Immortal Highlander" (Adam Black - side character interacting w/ MacKeltars), #4 "Spell of the Highlander" (part of MacKeltar clan), #5 "Highlander's Touch" (seperate story linked w/ Adam Black), #6 "Into the Dreaming" - a novella that features the fairy queen mentioned in the other books. NOTE: This is my suggestion for the order to read them in. There is not real official order in which to read them. All I know is once you finish this book, you will be itching to read the rest. ENJOY!!!

5 comments about Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband (The Daughters of the Glen).

1. I loved this book! I'm a picky reader when it comes to romance. I don't like cheap smut, so I'm always looking for authors that deliver characters with depth and a story with a real plot. Well, quite simply put, Mrs. Mayhue delivers that and more. I would highly recommend you give her books a try. They are well worth the time to read!



2. Scottish warrior Connor MacKiernan has vowed never to marry. As a
   descendant of a fae prince, he has also vowed to protect the women of
   his family. In order to protect his sister, Connor must marry. Using
   faerie magic, Connor travels from Scotland, 1272 to Denver Colorado,
   2007 to find his bride.
   
   Caitlyn Coryell is having a wretched day. After finding her fiancé
   with another woman, she goes home to lick her wounds. Standing in
   front of the mirror wearing nothing but an antique pendant and what
   was to have been her honeymoon lingerie, Caitlyn is stunned when a man
   appears begging for her help. Connor asks Caitlyn to return with him
   to his time, marry him and then return home. Though the plan sounds
   simple enough, reality is anything but simple. The wedding is
   delayed, someone is trying to kill Caitlyn and to really complicate
   matters, Caitlyn is falling in love with Connor.
   
   Melissa Mayhue's Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband is enchanting.
   Connor is totally pant worthy and Caitlyn is so deserving of his
   love. Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband has a suspenseful plot
   and an unlikely villain. The secondary characters tickled my fancy
   and I am begging for books for each of Caitlyn's brothers. Honor,
   love, and faerie magic make Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband
   captivating!
   
   
   Annmarie
   Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed



3. It was full of suspense. I could not wait to see what happened or who was behind everything. It is a twist you will enjoy.



4. I wish we could give half-star ratings as four seemed a little high on this one. Overall it was an entertaining read, but seemed to be absent on some of the details necessary for a time travel book. For instance, the heroine is going back in time 700 years to another country, but there is no language barrier? Even the English of 700 years ago would be difficult for our modern day ears to understand. I am a detail person and little things like that tend to take away from the book for me. Also, I bought this book because the author was compared to Lynn Kurland. While the plot-line had a similar feel, for those of us who like Lynn's "closed bedroom door" policy in her books, be warned, this one is definitely not closed. It wasn't as explicit as some, but definitely more than a Kurland. Overall, it was entertaining and not a bad way to pass a rainy afternoon.



5. I loved this book Caitlinn and Connor are such strong and believeable characters. I think Ms. Mayhue did a wonderful job on this book. I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good read. I also fell in love with Love Returns Through The Portal Of Time.

5 comments about Dragonfly in Amber.

1. Outlander is a series of 6 books, quite large in volume. When I first read Outlander, I loved this story, and I loved the characters. But by the time I finished this book I wasn't sure I wanted to read the next one and find out what happened to Jamie and Claire. But as I said, I was now engrossed with the people and the story and so I continued. I am now half way through the 4th novel (Drums of Autumn) and already own the last two (pre-purchased A Breath of Snow and Ashes). And I STILL wonder WHY I am continueing to read these! And here is why, Diana Gabaldon writes in DETAIL right down to the dirt on someones shoes. And she says so and so got chills and not because the room was cold; so many times you want to wretch. She writes pages and pages and pages of things that have nothing to do with the story. You really begin to wonder where she is headed and you start to feel that she is either wasting your time or she just likes the sound of her own voice. OR she enjoys BEING this character right down to the last thought and shiver. I find myself speed reading through some passages looking for when we are going to get back on track. Don't get me wrong, she is BRILLIANT!! If you love historical fiction, you WILL love her writing and you will LEARN alot about living in the time she writes about as well as the Scots. She does her homework, her research is impeccable and she has a cult following with this series. It is a great story and I will read all of them, I just think she could have written the SAME story in half the time. So forewarned is forearmed with Diana Gabaldon. If you have tons of time to kill, this is your book!



2. Diana Gabaldon continues to keep me enthralled in her book. I found it very emotional, hysterically funny. She lets you know her characters..feel their emotions and feel their pain. I began the third of the series and these are books I will surely read again.



3. I normally don't wait a decade to discover excellent works of fictional, but historical literature, however that's what happened. If you're like me, better late than sorry my Grandsire used to say, ya ken?
   
   I just thought I would leave a few words letting folks know that I really loved this book as much as Outlander. I admire Diana's style of writing as well as the historical nature that she presents so vividly. I have never really considered "romance" novels something that I would appreciate as a guy, but have found her work simply put, hard to put down. If you like historical novels, you should like these books as well. And it's not just history that she touches on here. Don't let the cover fool you. All the bases are covered and the antagonists and protagonists abound; There is blood, guts, sex, more sex, love, lust, murder, darkness, religion, strife, treachery, deceit, betrayal, sacrifice, war, death, sickness, and hope.. all beautifully written.
   
   As with any historical novel, one should come away with a bit more understanding of what and how life was like in the period and I was not disappointed in the very least. Thank you Diana Gabaldon! I wound up buying the complete series based upon Amazon reviews I initially found after reading POTE and WWE by Ken Follett. I would highly recommend these two books as well as the first two works in the Outlander series. Having only finished "Dragonfly in Amber", the second work, lucky me, I still have 4 more to go! And if these two works are any inclination of what's to come, then I will most assuredly will remain content into the wee hours of morning for weeks to come..



4. I bought this for my wife. This is her third time through the series. She decided that it is easier to buy them than to continue to check them out at the local library, as she intends to read the series several more times. It must be really good.



5. All the pomp and intrigue of the French Court comes to life as Jamie and Claire travel to France to try to change history. Their efforts are laudable, but futile. Along the way with DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, Diana Gabaldon develops her vivid characters, carries two complete story lines and leads us up to the parting of the lovers as if we didn't know it beforehand.
   The two stories flow seamlessly together: Claire's return to Scotland in 1968 and her relationship to her daughter who has been kept ignorant of the true circumstances of her birth, and the developing relationship between Claire and Jamie in another time and place.
   OUTLANDER, the first in the epic will hook you, DRAGONFLY IN AMBER will insure you keep reading.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

5 comments about Outlander.

1. Diana Gabaldon is fabulous so fabulous in fact I'm going to Scotland in August to see where her books take place. I have all of them and the audio tapes as well.



2. I walked into Borders and asked for a great series. These were recomended to me and I am in love with them. There is so much information and so much love between these two people that it makes you feel like that love like that is timeless.



3. I so totally enjoyed this book! You need to work to get thru the first 50 pages but when you have you will be rewarded. Ms. Gabaldon spins a wonderful story, full of romance, action, history, and fantasy. Loved it!



4. Length not withstanding, OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon will keep you reading and rereading late into the night. The first of an outstanding historical time travel epic, it has a little something for everyone. The story unfolds as Claire Randall slips through the veil into 18th century Scotland and the days before the Scottish defeat by the Duke of Cumberland.
   Her characters are so vivid they walk off the pages and into your heart.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



5. I won't write a long review of the book, since there are so many thorough reviews already posted. I went into the book with a little hesitation, because I don't enjoy romance novels. I was happily surprised that this story had so much more to offer. I'd classify it more as an epic story than a romance novel.
   
   I'm excited that I discovered the series late in the game, and there are already six books published. Now I don't have to wait for sequels to come out -- I can answer my new obsession immediately. I enjoyed the book quite a lot, and would definitely recommend it.