Love the Book, Hate this Heat

Whenever I go to a bookstore, I always go to the 'W' section of Fiction/Literature to check for new books from either of my two favorite contemporary fiction writers: Sarah Waters and Jeanette Winterson. I love every word each of them has written, though they have very different styles. Well, today was the day I always hope for. While wandering around Barnes & Noble, I made my usual trip to the end of the alphabet and discovered to my total delight that Sarah Waters has just published a new novel, The Night Watch! I am so happy! I had already picked up a book of creative essays I wanted to read, but of course Sarah's book is a much higher priority for me, so I put the essays down and got The Night Watch instead (I simply couldn't justify spending money on two books today).

She usually sets her novels in Victorian England--which I think is the era of literature she focused on as a doctoral student--but this one is set during WWII, so I'm anxious to see how she handles a different era.

In a totally different vein, today is the first day since I arrived here a few weeks ago that the temperature is, in my opinion, completely unbearable. It is so freaking hot here today, and all I want to do is sit in front of an a/c vent, eating ice cream. My mom suggested that I go to the beach instead, but it seems too hot even for that. And anyway, I suspect she was just trying to get rid of me because of all my bitching about the weather. She'd never admit that, though. :) We're supposed to have a block-party sort of thing with a couple of my parents' neighbors this evening, which should be fun since they actually have cool neighbors. But I'd bet plenty of money that we all end up sitting in someone's living room, instead of outside, because no matter how used to hot weather these people claim to be, they are still human, and I don't see how any normal human being could possibly enjoy this heat and humidity. Ick.

However...I am not actually as cranky today as I sound here. Nothing can put me in a bad mood, because Sarah Waters has a new book out! Which I will begin reading tonight! Woohoo!