And by smokin', I mean smokin'! The forecast varies from channel to channel, but they all agree on one thing: it's going to be hot here in Phoenix for the next several days-- maybe even 120° (49°C). Even I agree that 120° is hot. The last time it got up to that fabled temperature, I was laughing my butt off. The day before, I'd flown out of Phoenix to visit my grandparents, so I was reading about the heat wave that shut the airport down from the comfort of a kitchen table in central Illinois. Two days later, I was driving out in the country when the Springfield radio station told me that, with the humidity factored in, it was 126° on those country roads I was driving through the corn and soybeans. At least this time, humidity won't be such a factor, and I'll have my swimming pool to hide out in!
Speaking of the pool, I've had a pretty little guy come by periodically to check out the books I'm reading. He'll often perch on the cover for a while before he goes on his way. If you've guessed that I'm talking about the damselfly that's in the photo to the left, you'd be correct, although the photo shows an ancestor from 2007. (It's rather difficult to hold the book still, get hold of a camera-- one-handed-- to focus and then take a shot.) My reading companion is a Rambur's Forktail, and his wardrobe of neon green, gold and aqua puts mine to shame. (You can click on the photo to see more detail.)
Denis and I went to The Poisoned Pen Wednesday to see Linda Castillo, author of the Kate Burkholder mystery series. You'll be able to read more about that in a few days. In the mean time, I'd better shut up and start sharing these links!
Bookish News & Other Interesting Stuff
- How Rick Springfield lost and found his signed Stephen King book.
- With the emphasis on "valuable" studies, it's no wonder that we're raising a generation of kids who can't think or write clearly. It probably all ties into the decline and fall of the English major.
- One of my favorite authors died this week-- RIP Richard Matheson.
- Photos of last weekend's Super Moon from around the world.
- The evolution of Seattle's Elliott Bay Book Company, with memories from readers and writers.
- Check out some of the sites in Florence and Venice that appear in Dan Brown's Inferno.
- A new bird species has been discovered in the capital city of Cambodia.
- Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 are heavy technology users, but that doesn't mean they don't read.
- If at first you don't succeed: chef Jamie Oliver finished reading his first book at age 38.
- Is 21-year-old Samantha Shannon the next J.K. Rowling?
- An amazingly untouched royal tomb has been found in Peru.
- Denis and I will be heading down to Bisbee soon. I wonder if we'll run across this handsome guy?
- The obsessives who shaped America.
- How Shirley Jackson wrote "The Lottery."
Digital Reading
- Restrictions on in-flight devices may soon be relaxed.
- eReading habits two years later.
- Why big publishers think genre fiction is the future of eBooks.
I ♥ Lists
- From one of my favorite blogs: My Ten Greatest Science Fiction Film Characters of All Time.
- Crime Fiction Lover's five books that got them hooked on crime fiction.
- 7 surprising (or not) household items that invade your privacy.
- 30 abandoned places that look beautiful.
- 16 photos of women writers at work.
- The top ten classic spy novels.
Book Candy
- Penguin book cover wallpaper.
- I wouldn't mind having this throne of books.
That's it for this week. Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll share a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!
I'm very much honored, Cathy. Thank you very much for the share :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a post I really enjoyed, and I do appreciate your retweets, Michael. :-)
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