The meaning of bookmarks

Tuesday is book club meeting day. So I?m gathering up the books to take and extracting all the bookmarks that may have been tucked inside. I have many more, but they are scattered in drawers and cupboards about the house.

I have great affection for these inexpensive functional items, which I have collected on my travels or have received as presents from friends. Each one has a story attached and many memories, which may not be reflected in the image seen. I choose the bookmark to use before I start to read the book and at the end reflect on my choice to decide if it was appropriate. We form an initial view of a book on the basis of the notes on the cover, reviews in the media and comments from people who have read the book. How many times have we reached a different opinion by the time we have finished the book or have given up before the end?