Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon

n her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, Diana Gabaldon introduced millions of readers to a dazzling world of history and adventure — a world of vibrant settings and utterly unforgettable characters. Now one of these characters, Major Lord John Grey, opens the door to his own part of this world — eighteenth-century London, a seething anthill of nobility and rabble peopled by soldiers and spies, whores and dukes. Great Britain is battling France for supremacy on three continents — and life is good for a soldier.

The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London’s Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty’s Army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something still more urgent: the Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade in arms, who may have been a traitor.

Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society — and threatens all he holds dear. From the bawdy houses of London’s night-world to the stately drawing rooms of the nobility, and from the blood of a murdered corpse to the thundering seas ruled by the majestic fleet of the East India Company, Lord John pursues the elusive trails of a vanishing footman and a woman in green velvet, who may hold the key to everything — or nothing.

The early days of the Seven Years War come brilliantly to life in this historical mystery by an author whose unique and compelling storytelling has engrossed millions of readers worldwide.

This book was just okay. I wasn’t expecting it to be awesome like the Outlander series, but I had hoped that it was more compelling than it actually was. Lord John is a little different from the Outlander series since it feels more like a mystery novel. No epic love story here, but there is hint of a romance in Lord John’s past. I had a hard time getting into the mystery and keeping track of everything that was going on. I don’t think that this is an absolute must-read for Outlander fans… Just a must-read for fans of Lord John Grey and those who ship John/Jamie.

There’s a chance that I might read the other books in the series, but only because I already have them.

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Permalink Memes, Read But Not Reviewed - Author: Diana Gabaldon, Book: Lord John and the Private Matter | 531 words

The Pile

I’m going to try and be realistic here. I am going to read 6 books in the month of July. I think that’s quite manageable even if I’m sorely behind on my GoodReads challenge. I would love to aim for more books, but let’s be real here.

1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: I’m currently reading this one! Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors so I’m always excited about her newest book.
2. The Raft by S.A. Bodeen: This one looks exciting! I have to read this one for review in August so I’m hoping to read it soon.
3. Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott: This is Loreal’s favorite – or at least one of her favorites – Scott novel so I hope I enjoy it too.
4. Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon: I keep pushing off reading the Lord John Grey series but I am finally making time for it. I have no excuse now that I own the first in the series.
5. Hazel by Julie Hearn: I thought it was only appropriate to add a historical YA to the mix. This one has been sitting on my shelf for about a year now.
6. Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick: This was one of my most anticipated sequels! I’m so happy that I managed to snag a copy at BEA this year.

The Vlog

Don’t forget to subscribe to my new channel! I still get emails that people are subscribing to my old YouTube channel – which is great, but I’m no longer posting new videos on that account.

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Permalink Memes, TBR Pile - Author: Diana Gabaldon, Author: Elizabeth Scott, Author: Ilsa J Bick, Author: Julie Hearn, Author: Maggie Stiefvater, Author: SA Bodeen, Book: Hazel, Book: Lord John and the Private Matter, Book: Shadows, Book: Stealing Heaven, Book: The Raft, Book: The Raven Boys | 478 words

Wow, it has almost been a whole year since I did my first post on my Most Read Authors (according to GoodReads). Last year’s results were quite shocking for me since I just didn’t realize the amount of books I’ve read by certain authors.

I’ve obviously read a lot more books in the last year, so I’ll be curious to see how the numbers have or have not changed.

Last Year’s Most Read Authors:

1. Meg Cabot – 28
2. Julia Quinn – 12
3. Charlaine Harris – 10
4. Philip Reeve & J.K. Rowling – 8
5. Diana Gabaldon – 7
6. Megan McCafferty – 5
7. Libba Bray, Anna Godsbersen, David Levithan – 4

Most Read Authors of 2012 So Far

1. Meg Cabot – 29: I think it will be a long time before someone takes the number one spot from Meg Cabot. I basically spent my entire teen years reading her books. And of course, I can now say my “entire teen years” because I am no longer, unfortunately, a teenager since I turned 20. But that’s off-topic.

2. Julia Quinn – 15: I fell in love with historical romance through Julia Quinn. I’m still making my way through all her books so it might take a while, but I think Julia Quinn has the best shot of dethroning Meg Cabot as my most read author.

3. Charlaine Harris – 11: Since I really did not like the latest Sookie Stackhouse book, I’m a little bit embarassed to have read them all. Alas, I can’t hide that fact and so, Charlaine Harris has made my list.

4. Philip Reeve – 9: I honestly hold all other science fiction – especially steampunk! – books up against Philip Reeve’s novels. If you have not heard of him, look up his Mortal Engine series. They are so hard to find in the US, but they are worth searching for.

5. J.K. Rowling – 8: Harry Potter + Beedle the Bard. I guess i did not include Quidditch Through the Ages nor Fantastic Beasts on GoodReads.

6. Richelle Mead & Diana Gabaldon – 7: Well, I read the entire Vampire Academy series last year, so this isn’t too surprising. I do plan on reading more Gabaldon in 2012, but I also do plan on continuing Richelle Mead’s spin-off series so we’ll have to see if we break this tie next year!

7. Anna Godbersen, David Levithan, Megan McCafferty & Rick Riordan – 6: I will always read a book by David Levithan. I know there are still some older books that I haven’t gotten to yet. I guess I’ll read more Anna Godbersen when the next Bright Young Things book comes out, but it’s not really high on my priority. On the other hand, Rick Riordan’s books have been put on hold until he completes another series. I’d rather just read all of his books straight through! Rick Riordan is the only new author to make the list this year. Sorry, Libba Bray! You’ve been booted.

GoodReads Source

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Permalink Random - Author: Anna Godbersen, Author: Charlaine Harris, Author: David Levithan, Author: Diana Gabaldon, Author: JK Rowling, Author: Julia Quinn, Author: Meg Cabot, Author: Megan McCafferty, Author: Philip Reeve, Author: Richelle Mead, Author: Rick Riordan | 592 words