Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Started: shortly after finishing Outlander
Finished: The week of spring break, probably around March 17
Wow, this one's a doozy. It took me a while to read this one, unlike the first book, probably because the action is pretty slow around the middle part. This book has a cool twist though. The book starts off with Claire in 1968. I know, when I started reading I was like, "WHAT??" but it actually turns out ok. It's funny because Gabaldon even felt the need to add a note at the beginning explaining that it was, in fact, the second book and readers have the correct thing. Anyway, the book switches between Claire and her daughter, who have traveled to Scotland so Claire can explain the story to her (because she thinks her dad is Frank) and Jamie and Claire back in the 1700s. It's definitely a slow start, but this book has so much emotion and truly relatable content that it's hard not to love it. Claire and Jamie have to go to France for a bit, and it's so interesting because Jamie is trying to get close to Bonnie Prince Charlie and Claire is using her very limited memories on the Jacobite Rising of 1745 (The '45) to help him try to stop all the deaths that would occur at the Battle of Culloden. So they go back to Scotland about 3/4 of the way through the books and it's all happy in Lallybroch and then a lot of stuff happens which really makes the story a page turner. All the while, Claire is trying SO HARD to get Jamie not to kill Jack Randall so he can then father a child by Mary Hawkins, furthering the line of the Randalls and ensuring Frank's existence. That's a twist too. This book is full of them honestly- just when you think you know something... that's when she gets you. By slow I definitely don't mean boring, because a lot of things do happen, but they're little pieces of the story and it doesn't all add up until near the end of the book. So much happens throughout the course of the book, and it's definitely an emotional roller coaster. One of the most emotional parts, for me at least, is at the end, when Jamie makes Claire go back to her time. This isn't a spoiler though- I didn't just ruin your life. We already know this at the beginning, because the whole time it's switching back to 1968. What you don't know is the most important bit- why?? SO, do they stop the battle? Why does Jamie make her go back? What is Brianna's reaction to Claire telling her a Scot from the 1700s is her FATHER?? Read this juicy sequel to Outlander and find out for yourself.
P.S. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites, if not my favorite, because so far, my favorites are series like Harry Potter, which I read when I was 9. These books are a definitive leap into adult fiction, and I'm having a great time with it. 
ENJOY! :)