Staff pick: Outlander

Lately, I’ve been enjoying Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, specifically in audiobook form. This past fall, my roommates and I marathoned the first two-and-a-half seasons of the Starz show (we don’t officially recognize the back half of season three or the entirety of season four). When we all made the transition to working from home, we decided one night to put on the audiobook instead of yet another movie.

Described by one of our excellent Wex docents as a “bodice-ripper,”,Outlander is pure escapism with a little something for everyone. You like rugged, 18th-century Scottish Highlanders who respect women? Aye, we’ve go’ those. You like a slow-burn romance that blossoms out of less-than-ideal circumstances? Oh, just you wait until Chapter 2876 (or somewhere around there) when they finally touch hands! Maybe dismal historical medicine is your jam—if so, pull up a seat next to these leeches Gabaldon has prepared for you. The audiobook pairs well with a streamed video of a crackling fire and a cheese plate. Intended for mature audiences, or for bored twenty-somethings who need to take a break from playing the new Animal Crossing.

Listen to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander via Hoopla. (free with Columbus Metropolitan Library card)