Reading or the book

What’s more important? This week I have done two things that, in hindsight, prioritise reading over the book.

The first is not so radical…I loaned out a virgin read. Yes that’s right I lent a friend a brand-new (my latest acquisition in fact), straight-from-the-new bookshop-never-been-read book. I was telling my work friends about Time of my Life by Allison Winn Scotch and one of them was really interested in reading it with her book club. When I saw it all pristine, perched precariously on the summit of Mt TBR I thought I should take it in for her. Everything rebelled. It’s mine, it’s new, it’s never been read …then I thought… that’s ridiculous! It’s beautiful, it has a great premise, it should be read. So I took it in for Annette to read and I feel better knowing that someone else will enjoy it while I’m whittling down Mt TBR a bit.

The second thing may freak you out a bit. The BookFreaks (my bookclub) are reading The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Three members of my family part of BookFreaks and generally we pass the book amongst usually starting with me (the purchser) but at 483 pages I’m struggling to finish it in time pass it on and the poor third person in line will be still reading it in the car on the way to bookclub with NO hope of finishing. My solution? cut the book into three and give each person a section to get started. This book lends itself to reading like this because each section tells a different point of view of the same event. I broached the topic at work today over lunch to a vastly mixed response. Becca leapt straight into apoplexy, while Renae did a bit of excited laughing and hand clapping and Sarah told us all to get over being so precious about books - ‘they’re tools ‘she said ‘use them as you will.’

So after discussing this with MGM, and being roundly condemned for even thinking of it (and he’s not even a reader!), #1 and I decided to go ahead … if you’re squeamish avert your eyes…

It’s like the little boy on the cover can see the knife!

me at my MOST attractive

 

 

here we go knife to book!

 

Oh No!!! I did it! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               
                                          A bit for me, a bit for #1 and a bit for #2

#1 in shock ‘Did my mother (the librarian) really just do that’ ?!? 

This way three people will read a book instead of one. Was it worthwhile? I don’t know yet. This book is distasteful, so far there is no character with whom I can relate or even like,  but it does deal with some hot button topics. It will generate some heated discussion along age and possibly gender lines in which, thanks to my vandalism, all AllanFreaks can now participate.

what do you think am I a sacrilegious vandal or inspired rebel?