Books and Cats

With my more-intense-than-expected eyelid surgery looming (TUESDAY!) none of the reading matter I’ve got has been tripping my trigger. I need something immediately engaging, can’t-put-downable with a healthy dose of the absurd. Escapism!

On Tuesday I popped into the brill Brookline Booksmith. Their remainder tables are wonderful and right up front and they’ve also got a fabola used book basement. After a binge, indulged here, my book buying guilt (HELLo, I should be going to the library instead) is never more than a dull roar.

I saw Kundera’s The Festival of Insignificance. After reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being way back when it first came out, I was wild for Kundera but none of his other books thrilled me. In fact, I found them mostly disappointing and moved on. This most recent offering
was def tempting though, especially with that sale price.

I looked up the reviews, thinking, maybe I should run back and snatch that baby up. The Guardian critic, with the zeal of a spurned lover, tears The Festival of Insignificance apart. The Times review, while less acerbic is really no better. I’m glad I didn’t.

What did I buy to soothe my stressed brain? The Wrong Dead Guy by Richard Kadrey.

chaos ensues when Coop and the team at DOPS (Department of Peculiar Science) steal a not-quite-dead and very lovesick ancient Egyptian mummy wielding some terrifying magic. (source)

A not-quite-dead and lovesick mummy? Yeah – SOLD.

I also picked up Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

For most of my life I’ve battled depression, anxiety and a host of other disorders, but I wrote this book less as a manual on how-to-survive-mental-illness and more of a compendium on how-to-thrive-in-spite-of-your-brain-being-a-real-bastard. (source)

I read her blog occasionally. She’s funny, seriously odd and very human. I expect I’ll enjoy this one too.

Before hitting the Y yesterday, I was laying in bed reading the first chapter of Wrong Dead Guy. Coco, outta nowhere, leaped onto the bed and dramatically draped herself across my neck. Immediately her purr engines engaged – much peace was imparted but reading became a non-starter.

My girl’s been a bit clingy over the past week or so since Rocco moved on to the catnipped Elysian Fields. I don’t like leaving her alone.

I'm thinking about taking her with me, later this month, when I visit Daddy in Western Pennsylvania. Jet Blue lets passengers bring pets on board now. Only one problem – the bathroom. It's not like she can tell me I have to pee now mama. It'd be a simple matter if she could – I'd take her out of the carrier and bring her up to the head. Jet Blue has in flight kitty cans, right?

Hmmmmmm. Must inquire.