I don't know if you're in my position, but as a beginner I found that Microchip's free sample service was a good way to get several different PICs to try out. Just got four 16F887A in the mail without spending a dime. Morton's introductory book is very good indeed and starts with 16F54, but my biggest problem was the oscillator thing, so my first success was with the 12F508 because it has an internal oscillator.
Would the 16F887 be a little complicated in terms of initialization for the uninitiated? The datasheet looks intimidating. 16F5x and 12F5x seem more straightforward.