Hooray for Friday! I am still glad for the weekend in spite of my looming school deadlines. It has been gray and raining here every day this week. Raining. In March. March is our snowiest month so it is really weird having rain instead. But even though I don’t have to shovel rain one can only be glad of it for so long before the spirits start to feel damp too. Sun, please, I want some sun! So it was a pleasant thing to arrive home last night to find a small box on my porch with books in it.
On Leaving is the new book about Emerson I was so excited about a month or so ago. It was released sooner than expected and since I had a gift card I had to get it. My Bookman will manage to find me something else for my birthday next month. Only problem is, I want to read this badly but my reading card is all filled up. My next school quarter starts March 30th and the class is Collection Development. I am hoping against all hope that it won’t be time intensive to allow me a bit of a break and so I can read this book!
Since I have been listening to a BBC4 program every week on American literature and it includes lots of mentions of Updike and pieces of old interviews with him, and because I have always been curious about the Rabbit books, and because Bookman has been really curious too, we got the Everyman’s Library edition that has all four of the Rabbit novels in it. Normally I despise the all-in-one book because it is so huge, but this is a nice hardcover with a ribbon bookmark inside and while it is pretty big it isn’t unmanageably big. We’ll see who gets to this one first, me or my Bookman.
And because Waldo is an extremely jealous cat – seriously he will come running and push Dickens out of the way if he hears me talking to him – he insisted he get a recent photo posted too. Dickens hangs out over the back of my chair, Waldo hangs out in the bathroom sink.
Have a great weekend everyone!
That is SO CUTE! I was reading today on Publisher’s Weekly about a new Whitman book, “On Whitman,” but I will have to wait until the library gets it… or I find it on sale (whichever happens first).
Happy reading! We’re having rain too!
Love it! (Re the pets that is). As for your reading, I haven’t read the Rabbit novels BUT I do have a question. How do you manage to work, study, read, blog (yours and comment on others) AND listen to BBC-4 every week as well. I am impressed…
Cats find such weird places to hang out, Stefanie! And some of those Everyman’s Library editions are quite striking even though I agree with you that there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to lugging big tomes like that around back and forth to work and such.
Coming home after a long day and finding my box of books on my door from Amazon is one of my favorite moments! It just washes off the weariness right away, doesn’t it?
‘On Leaving’ sounds interesting, I think it’ll go on my list.
And Waldo looks too cute to be true, I think he has the right to be jealous:)
I just love getting books in the mail – and those Everyman editions are really nice. I thought Rabbit Run was extremely well written, even though its subject matter is a little sleazy in places (Updike manages it well). And I’ve heard that some of the later books are even better.
I hear you about wanting to read the Emerson! Go on, fit it in, I’ll bet you can.
And I love that photo! Super cute.
Oooh! I hope you post on the Emerson book– Super cute photo!
I hope you are enjoying your weekend! We’ve got rain here too, and it’s supposed to go into Monday. Arg. And I’m supposed to race tomorrow morning! Hopefully we’ll all get some sun soon.
Poor Dickens, my cats are like that, too. One is always jealous of where the other is laying. So far mine don’t have much interest in sleeping in sinks, but I can always tell when one has been in the bathtub as she comes out slightly damp! Collection Development should be fun–that’s my department in the library though I don’t get to do the selecting only ordering. I can’t wait to hear all about it! Sorry about the rain–it’s been the same here, too. The sun came out for about two minutes–I opened all my blinds and jinxed it as then the sun went away not to return again! We need to push these clouds off east. Enjoy your new books–that helps a little anyway.
At least Waldo prefers laying in the sink to crapping in it, which is what my cat Optimus Prime chooses to do. He’s been litter box trained for a year and a half, but has recently decided he only wants to go in the sink. I like that your other cat is named Dickens!
It’s been raining cats and dogs here, too. I wish some books would arrive on my porch, because, you know, this house so badly needs more books. Tell Waldo the sink looks like the perfect spot, made just for him.
Is your sink very small or…is that one humungous kitty?:) The nicest thing about the Everyman series is the ribbons isn’t it? I’m all for bookmarks, but when your book comes fully equipped it’s kind of nice. I hope you enjoy the Emerson in between school reading, it’s always nice to hear a bit more about him here.
It’s always so exciting to get a book about an author or personage that you greatly admire and/or worship. Reading this one about Emerson — I can sense your fingers tingling to get at it!
As for the cat[s] they are both so cute… the other photo of Dickens a few blogs ago, he is such a darling. But Waldo here — I think I want to cuddle with him even more! What an adorable, handsome lad he is!
I read The Maltese Falcon and Red Harvest in an Everyman edition and was smitten with the ribbon book mark. Since all three of the novels were quite short (it included The Thin Man), it really wasn’t too unwieldy. Waldo is a honey.
I want to read the Rabbit novels – it’s quite high on my TBR. I’ve seen the above edition, but a tad wary due to size.
Hope you enjoy the book(s). Look forward to your thoughts on ‘em.
What a beautiful picture. Waldo looks like he has some Maine Coon blood in him. He looks as if he is moodily longing to be working on a lobster trawler.
Daphne, Waldo says thanks. A new Whitman book? Oh, it looks so good! Thanks for the tip on that one
whisperinggums, it is all a very finely balanced routine that lets me do what I do that can crash down very easily. There isn’t much time for staring off into space. Multitasking helps too. I listen the to BBC4 while on the stationary bike.
Richard, cats do indeed hang out in the weirdest places. This Everyman edition isn’t as big as I feared it would be. It’s too big to lug on my morning commute for sure, but won’t be bad on the hands and neck while reading at home.
Lua, you are quite right, when I saw the box I felt instantly better! And Waldo says thanks!
Litlove, listening to old interview snippets of Updike on the BBC4 program is what tipped it for me. When you hear an author talking about what he was trying to do with the books it helps cut through all the other stuff one hears. As for Emerson, you are naughty to encourage me so!
Joelle, I will definitely post on the Emerson book when I manage to get to it. And thanks!
Dorothy, once the schoolwork was done it was a great weekend, thanks. And from the news reports you got quite a lot of rain there. Hope you dry out soon!
Danielle, heh, my cats both like the bathtub too. I haven’t figured out what they find so fascinating about it. I didn’t know you worked in collection development! Even if you don’t get to pick the books, it must be fun getting to order them all. And as for the rain, well at least it is rain and not snow, right?
Lindsey, naughty Optimus Prime! And thanks, Dickens can be a real dickens too sometimes.
pvreader, I’m sure it won’t be too long before some books arrive on your porch, a person needs to have that little boost now and then. Waldo says the sink is just the perfect size and the bathroom has a nice echo to it when he starts singing.
jenclair, Thanks! It’s one of his favorite spots especially in summer.
Jodie, Waldo is a 12-pound cat and the sink is rather small so he fills it completely. Plus he has all his fluffy winter fur happening. And I agree, books that come with ribbon bookmarks seem extra special.
Cipriano, oh yes, my fingers and eyeballs are itching to get the Emerson book. Waldo and Dickens both say thanks. Waldo loves to cuddle too. He will take as much attention as you are willing to give. Sponge, that’s what he is.
Grad, the ribbon is a nice touch, isn’t it? I wonder why more publishers don’t employ it. Waldo says thanks
uncertainprinciples, the size isn’t bad if you aren’t looking to carry it around with you. And thanks, hopefully I will be able to get to them sooner rather than later.
Doulton, Thanks! Waldo does have a Maine Coon look to him but he is actually an American Bobtail with great aspirations