ADDITION by Toni Jordan

I read a lot. I mean, none of our vacation pictures show my face full on. It is either my forehead, the edge of my glasses, an ear, or my hair hanging over my face, because I am always reading. That's what vacations are for, right? Anyway, it is difficult to find a book that knocks my socks off, but this one did.

Jordan's characters reach a depth unusual for a first time writer, through a well-crafted story. The dialog is witty and the narrative grabs the reader from the start. Her main character, Grace, is unique. Molded by an unknown past, Grace tells a story both emotional and funny because of her one quirk - numbers. They mean everything to her. Still, it doesn't change who she is and she struggles to keep it that way. As the story unfolds, we see the frustration that comes, part and parcel, with human relationships. Inevitably, she must decide for herself what is most important in life's journey.

Toni Jordan is from Melbourne, Australia. This novel, her first, was shortlisted for Best Fiction Book Industry Awards, and won a Medical Journalists' Association Book Award. I will be looking for her next book!