Addition

July 07, 2010

I’d like to tell you about a book I recently read, but, first I want to give you some background.

First, I am an avid reader of Unshelved, a library-themed webcomic. Secondly, I am a male librarian and even though I love romantic comedies, I am not a big fan of romance novels. Finally, I usually prefer Juvenile and Teen Fiction over Adult Fiction (less drama).

While fumbling through some historic Unshelved strips, I came upon a Sunday book club, which has been their tradition, about Addition. I requested it, but was hesitant to read it because it had that pesky heart on the spine and it was an adult book. Well, I took the plunge anyway and began reading…

Toni Jordan’s Addition is a romance… well, not really. There is some romance, but I didn’t find as much as I expected.

Grace, the heroine, has an OCD… well, not really. She just likes to count. She counts everything. She counts so much that it keeps her from having a “normal” life. OK, maybe it is an OCD.

So, she steals Seamus’s banana to make sure she has 10, and they keep running into each other afterwards. Seamus is there helping Grace deal with her counting, possibly sacrificing his sanity. Though there are some romantic interludes, Addition is more about Grace’s struggle with her uniqueness and how she sees the world.

As I read it, I may have questioned some of my own habits. Don’t worry though, there is a happy ending, and no matter what your habit, vice or eccentricity, there’s a way to make it all work. Besides, average isn’t always average; even average can be very unique.

Dan B.