Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of THE CAT IN THE HAT. Though I grew up on Seuss, I had not known that his books were first published around the time I was born. I assumed they had been around forever, but then what child knows from front list and backlist? I love fun bookish facts and the one that this book has just 236 different words in it is great trivia to me. Today there is a national read-aloud of THE CAT IN THE HAT taking place at 2:36 PM EST. Hats off to whoever dreamed that event up. My copy of the book is sitting here begging to be read again, which I will do at 2:36 today.

For me, February seems to go by in the blink of an eye. They call it the "Cruelest Month" because of the weather, but I think the frenzied pace renders the month doubly cruel. Maybe it has something to do with it having two fewer days than every other month! I always have to put in extra effort to find time for myself during February, and honestly, I often realize the week has gone by at such a hectic pace that I have barely remembered to breathe, let alone indulge in the few activities --- knitting, swimming, reading, cooking and spending time with friends and family --- that add balance to my life.

I am writing this Thursday night as I jot notes of things to take with me to South Carolina tomorrow when I head to the South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia. Confession here. I hate packing to fly. The fact that everything I want for 72 hours needs to fit into one bag is true pressure. I think I have the books picked out. I am going with an advance reading copy of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini, best known as the author of THE KITE RUNNER, which will be in stores on May 27th. I started this one this week and I am itching to read more. I also am bringing BECAUSE SHE CAN by Bridie Clark, an "insider tale" of the publishing industry like THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA got inside the magazine biz. It sounds like a complete romp and the kind of book I can disappear into on the plane when there is way too much moving around and I have trouble concentrating. And because I am headed south, I also have with me Cassandra King's QUEEN OF BROKEN HEARTS, which will be in stores on March 6th. Three days; three books. Got that piece right.