I was in a very well-known high street book retailer yesterday browsing for a book as a potential last minute present for Mother’s Day. My mum loves reading, our house resembles a library with all her books the majority of the time so a book would be the perfect present.

I headed straight for the table with the sign ‘Perfect for Mother’s Day’ on it, I saw the usual Time Traveller’s Wife, some Jane Austen and other classic books you’d buy for your mum. But then I spotted a pile of 50 Shades of Grey, you know that erotic fiction novel which took the world, the female half of it anyway, by storm last year. Now though it is apparently a good present to buy your mother. But is it really? And more to the point is it actually appropriate?

Now I don’t know the exact content of the series of books, I’ve never read them and I am aware I’m probably in the 0.3% of females over the age of 13 to have not read it but I know enough from the internet and conversations to know what goes on. And because of that I just don’t want to think about a parent of mine reading it after me giving it to them in the first place.

If mums want to read it then that’s fine I have no problem with it, just because you have kids doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun and what they do is up to them but surely it would just be awkward to give 50 Shades to your mum and also awkward for her to receive it from her child.

Or maybe that’s just me, maybe I’m over exaggerating and am too British about the whole thing to ever contemplate that as a good and appropriate present.

Do you agree that buying a parent erotic fiction is just weird or do you think that’s perfectly ok?