five good things
Hey! You’re here. Thank you.
Between the (gay) Olympics and Heated Rivalry fan edits and the little chihuahua I met yesterday named Ellie (best bookstore customer), I’m starting to think we might, might be okay.
Whenever I get a little too complimentary about another dog I have to tell Yaya that she is still my best girl. She already knows, but you can’t be too careful.
Sometimes it can be hard to see the good things. Here are five wonders that are keeping me going through this good, grey month.
Tell me your good things in the comments if you like.
On Valentine’s day, Rebecca and I went to a matinee showing of Wuthering Heights and I’m so sorry to the haters, but it was a blast. Call me smooth-brained (lol but actually), but I had fun. Was it anything like the book? Of course not! Was the theater laughing and gasping and squealing and generally having a merry old time? Yes!
We were sitting next to an English major who was basically having heart palpitations (not in a good way) and behind a group of women who weren’t even trying to contain their giddiness over all this nonsense on the moors (especially when the nonsense involved Heathcliff in the rain - it almost always involved Heathcliff in the rain). You know what? I loved them all. I love when people love things. I love that people love this 179 year old book so profoundly they are in a blind rage over an adaptation they think falls short. I love that a director could love a book so much she could make a film adaptation of her absurd teenage fantasy of said book even if she knows it will get some knickers majorly in a twist. I love what my friend Emily Poe-Crawford had to say about all this. I loved talking it all through in a book club discussion organized by my brilliant bestie MJ. I love imagining what Emily Brontë would think about all of us getting hot and bothered over her novel 179 years on. I think she’d get a kick out of it, but really what do I know?
Also, at the movies we got popcorn and crisp diet cokes and I don’t know if that’s not all I really need for a good time.
Our girl Yaya is thriving, but like any 15 year old chihuahua she’s got a few quirks. She gets quite restless at bedtime and paces in tiny circles. We do everything we can to keep her comfortable, but sometimes it’s hard to know what she’s trying to tell us.
Want to know the only thing that really helps her settle down? Warning it’s very tender….
Turns out what she really wants is to be cuddled up next to her little, big brother. Once she’s next to Dunkin’s stinky, good self she goes right to sleep. I don’t really know what to do with this goodness, but I thought you should know.
I’ve been reading less this year and I think it’s okay. I know this sounds absurd to anyone who doesn’t work the in the book industry or spend too much time in the bookish corners of the internet. Reading is essential to my job and it’s also my favorite hobby and a profound source of joy and purpose and meaning in my life. With all that in mind it’s easy to fall into the trap that more is more is more.
But you know what? I’ve read seven books so far this year. I would characterize five of those as knock-out, five star reads. I’m slowing down and I’m teaching myself that’s not a bad thing. This is really just a note to myself, but if it’s helpful or relatable to you at all, please take it with you! This is supposed to be fun and we are all making it up as we go, so go at your own pace.
Speaking of book joy, do you have a moment to hear about the joy of being a bookseller in the era of Heated Rivalry?
Some day I’ll tell you about the older gentleman who came in and asked do you have those hockey books? He’d read all about them and couldn’t wait to read them for himself. Or the harried Mom who bought The Long Game so of course I was like gotta love the cottage lol and she looked me in the eyes so earnestly and said, it’s my happy place. So like, yeah, don’t panic people are still buying books and books are still changing lives. I shall continue to report from the front lines!!
And last but not least, I leave you with these two legends. Almost nothing makes sense these days, but coming across these two in the middle of a doom scroll stopped me in my tracks.
Not to be gross, but there is still some goodness out there if you know to look for it.
I love you.
I’m glad you’re here.
Love,
Rosamond
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don't mind me just sobbing over Deena and Brenda! queer love and joy forever!
Wuthering Heights Obsessive Club, reporting for duty!