REPACKAGED

When I was at the bookstore recently (and yes, I still look for what I can buy next even when I have 5 new books to read), I came across the paperback edition of Men and Cartoons by Jonathan Lethem. All well and good, stuff like that happens all the time. I read it when it came out originally but picked it up to check out the new artwork. And man, that new artwork is pretty sweet...I think I like it better than the original art. I flipped it open and discover it includes two stories that weren't in the hardcover release. What? One of them is the previously stand-alone novella from McSweeneys, "This Shape We're In," and I'm not sure where the other is from. I do know I haven't read either of those. Highly annoying. The sad thing is that I'm such a Lethem fan that I'll probably buy the paperback and give away the hardcover to someone, as a sort of gateway drug to his work or something like that.

From the annoying to the fantastic...my friend Little Toy Robot has resumed blogging with a spiffy new look. That's the kind of repacking and return I can get behind 100%. I'll add him to my links on the side too but please go check him out - we need to keep him from disappearing for months again.

And to just plain packages...I went out and bought the "Uncorked Edition" of "The Wedding Crashers." Yeah, I have tons of stuff to watch before it but it's a really funny movie and better to buy it now when it's on sale in its first week of release.