Book Review: The Light Between Oceans (& 2 More!)

Happy Sunday!  I am overdue for this book review, but I have so much going on at the moment that I am behind… Better late than never, right?  For September our blogger book club book was The Light Between Oceans, which I selected for two reasons… 1) My mom owned it and let me borrow it (yay, free!) and 2) I had read about it over at Sharon’s blog and was highly intrigued.

This book started slow for me and I panicked because I had selected it.  I always feel terrible if the book I selected isn’t up to snuff, ya know?  Well, it turned out this one did not disappoint at all.  Tom Sherbourne returns from war and takes a job a lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, a solitary island off the coast of Australia where no other people live.  He ends up meeting a bold and charismatic woman before heading off to take post, and after exchanging letters with her during the next year, they marry.  She moves to Janus Rock with him where they set up a happy life.  However, years of miscarriages take their toll, and then a boat washes ashore carrying a crying baby and a dead man.  The story that follows is one of lies, desperation, love, and frustration.  That being said however, one of the major messages of the book is to choose happiness and have a positive outlook.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book- the twists and turns kept me reading late into the night when I should have been going to sleep.  I like my sleep, so that is saying a lot!  Go check it out- it will be a perfect Fall read… cozy up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea.

For September we opted not to choose a book and will be back with a new one in October.  At the end of this month instead you will get a round up from each of us with some of our favorite book club books we’ve read over the last year and a half.  (Thanks to a reader for suggesting that!).

Before I leave you I wanted to quickly review 2 other books I was able to read in August.

Sawyer and I took a trip to the book store for his birthday and I let him select a few new books, one of which was Hatchet, a book intended for young readers.

I read this book first, and then passed it on to Sawyer to read.  We struggle with getting him to read and I thought it would be good for us to share in a book together to discuss it.  This book follows Brian Robeson, the only passenger on a plane that crashes in the Canadian forest, as he fights for survival, learning to live off the land armed only with a hatchet his mother gave him.  I read this book pretty quickly and really enjoyed the story… it’s amazing what one can do when his or her life is at stake.  Sawyer also loved this book and respected how brave Brian was.  This is a great family read!

Lastly, I read Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel, author of the best seller, Station Eleven (which I have not yet read).

In this book we follow the story of Lilia Albert who has a very pieced together memory of her childhood.  She remembers her father coming to get her in the middle night, and she remembers always leaving places and many travels by car, many name and hair changes.  The book begins with Lilia living with Eli in New York City, and much of the story is told from his perspective, painting a picture of an odd and quirky girl whom he desperately loves. One night Lilia disappears from their apartment, and Eli knows she is gone.  He receives a mysterious note letting him know her whereabouts and sets out to find her.  In looking for Lilia, Eli uncovers her history and another story line unfolds, involving a detective who had been on the hunt for Lila and her father all those years and became obsessed with her.  I won’t tell you what happens, because I think you should read it… It was somewhat dark and mysterious, and somewhat sad, full of weird and slightly depressing characters, but I have to admit that I was totally fascinated by them and this book held my attention well.

That is all I have for you!  Be sure to check out the reviews of Light Between Oceans from Kirby & Katie!