2014 Big Book Summer Challenge: Written in My Heart's Own Blood

I heard about the 2014 Big Book Summer Challenge on the Book by Book blog, and immediately thought that I should sign up for it in order to motivate me to start Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth.  And then I remembered that the next book I wanted to start with Written in My Heart's Own Blood, the latest (last?) in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

It's a remarkably easy challenge:

• Anything over 400 pages qualifies as a big book. - both Testament of Youth and the Gabaldon definitely qualify!
• The challenge runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend - I'm getting a late start but I won't let that slow me down.
• Choose one or two or however many big books you want as your goal.  - 1 is my goal, 2 is my stretch goal.
• Choose from what's on your shelves already or a big book you've been meaning to read for ages or anything that catches your eye in the library - technically both were on my shelf when I decided to do the challenge, though WimHoB just recently landed there :)
• Sign up on the links list below or on the 2014 Big Book Summer Challenge page.
• Write a post to kick things off - Voila!
• Write a post to wrap up at the end, listing the big books you read during the summer.
• You can write progress posts if you want to and/or reviews of the big books you've read...but you don't have to!  

I'm not much for the pool or beach so here's my image of ideal summer reading mode...