Books Talk: Impressions of the Books I've Read

 

Last week I finished A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman, and Born in Death by J. D. Robb.

Born in Death was my favorite of the bunch. Not that this comes as much of a surprise to me since I've loved every book in this series, so far. What does surprise me is how Nora Roberts (writing as J. D. Robb) can continuously come up with new stories that don't seem overly repetitive to me. This is book #23 in this series! How on Earth does she write twenty-three books about essentially the same characters and still manage to hook me? Every. Single. Time. It's baffling.

Coming in as a close second for favorite book of the week was The Light Between Oceans. Set in Australia, The Light Between Oceans is the story of Tom Sherbourne, a WWI veteran who returns home to become the light keeper on Janus Rock. Tom's experiences in the war, the isolation of the lighthouse, and his wife's repeated miscarriages lead the couple into making a shaky ethical decision -- one that will ultimately affect many lives. With its compelling plot and engaging characters, this debut novel is beautifully told. M. L. Stedman is definitely an author worth watching.

As for A Room of One's Own, all I can say is: Why do I keep doing this to myself? It's not like I haven't read any of Virginia Woolf's other books. I have. And I hated every one of them. I have one more of her books on my bookshelf -- Orlando. The premise sounds really interesting, which is why I have it. Now I just need to decide if I'm going to subject myself to Woolf's writing one more time or if I'm just going to give it away without opening it. Blech.

Are there any authors you keep trying over and over again, even though you've been disappointed in their books in the past? What makes you keep coming back?