"Addition" by Toni
Jordan (HarperCollins, 9780061582578, $24.95)
112 books on the top shelf. 134 on the middle shelf. 78 on the bottom shelf
(mostly bulky reference books). 324 total books on my bookshelf. They're not
arranged by author or title, but generally by genre. Occasionally I'll
rearrange my prized possessions, adding new books, arranging them by author
or by title. When I do, it's a task that takes time, and I get side-tracked
easily. We all have obsessions. For me, it's books.
If numbers intrigue you-—if you live your life consciously marking the
important events and occurrences, or simply the number of chairs in the
Watermark Café—-this book is for you. All 268 pages. The protagonist of Toni
Jordan's novel "Addition", Grace, is a counter. She counts everything. She
catalogues her numbers, and she lives a quiet life, contemplating the sheer
number of things around her. Her only true love is Nikola Tesla, a man she
fervently admires and desperately desires (despite the fact that he's been
dead for over a century). Everything is measured and expected. Predictable,
albeit perhaps drab.
Until the unexpected happens.
Grace meets a man who, though perhaps average, is her idea of a dream-boat.
She even stops counting for him. But in their romance, Grace has to question
if counting is what makes _her_ more than just an average woman, as Seamus'
football obsession makes _him_ special. A funny, thoughtful, and plot-driven
tale of their romance ensues. Grace is loveable because of her obsession,
and the "Germaphobes" she meets in therapy help her see that perhaps her
life _isn't_ so bad.
I'm definitely adding this book to my shelf, placing it lovingly in its
genre section. 325 total books on my shelf. And, just in case you're
counting, there are 300 words in this review. Just in case you're counting.
Review by
Shelly Walston,
March 5, 2009
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