Connie Willis - well, some of her short stories grab me (although most, I must confess, don't) and I love Bellwether with the same love I bestow on my favorite Jennifer Crusie novels (that is to say: romance with a big helping of humor and a dash of something extra). I do like the Oxford time-travel universe, but ... yes, I tend to skim over passages during rereads. (I did enjoy the contemporary bits in Doomsday Book though, the touches of humor and Christmas spirit in a time of crisis.)