Friday, July 05, 2013

The AC's On Weekly Link Round-Up



Did Denis and I turn on the central air conditioning for the two days that it reached 120° (49°C)? No. It wasn't until the humidity started going up, which is always THE sign of monsoon season. Now the house is all closed up-- ugh-- but I'm still enjoying literary afternoons in the pool. I was out in the pool both days when it reached 120°, and I had a buddy with me under the shade of my umbrella: a little hummingbird that was stressed by the heat. It would drink from the pool and then come to perch on the tile edge of the pool-- more than once just an inch or two behind my right shoulder. (Personally I think it was trying to figure out a way to get the top off my huge insulated cup to get at the ice!)

Timothy Hallinan & Patrick Millikin at the Poisoned Pen
A couple of days ago, I had a little female damselfly that sat on my right forearm (my book arm) for over two hours until I was almost too cramped up to move and I had make her move while I swam life back into my limbs. Undeterred, she sat on the edge of the pool till I came back and resumed her perch. Perhaps she's a Camilla Läckberg fan, too?

The damselfly may have been a Läckberg fan, but I am also a Hallinan fan, so when Tim came to The Poisoned Pen this past Wednesday, Denis and I were there for a very enjoyable evening. More of that in a few days! Right now, I have to find those links!


Bookish News & Other Interesting Stuff
  • I don't know if you're watching "Under the Dome," but I certainly am. Stephen King responds to the changes that were made in the TV series.
  • Why do we yawn, and why is it contagious? It may be for a different reason that you were taught....
  • Why people become Facebook fans.
  • Having a bigger desk can make you more dishonest. Okaaaaaaaaaay....
  • Think nicotine is a relatively recent bad habit? Think again!
  • At the recent American Library Association conference, Jaron Lanier told librarians why information shouldn't be free.
  • Two-thirds of shoppers admit to using bookshops as showrooms. (I started to take the moral high ground in this until I remembered doing this at the Waterstone's in Cambridge. Oops!)
  • The Chicago Sun-Times drops regular book coverage. Some will see this as further indication that books are doomed. I don't. I think people are finding other ways to learn about the books they want to read... like book blogs perhaps?
  • We here in Arizona are still reeling from the deaths of 19 of our very best firefighters. Here are the top ten facts you need to know about the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
  • Have you heard about LibraryReads?
  • A very good article about my favorite bookstore, The Poisoned Pen.
  • Very interesting infographic about readers around the world. The U.S. comes in at #23.

I  ♥  Lists

Book Candy

Time for me to take my tall cold drink and some books out to the pool. I wonder which reading buddy will be joining me today?  Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!

6 comments:

  1. Amazing that you persevered and went outside in the 120-degree weather. That pool must be quite refreshing.

    You're a better woman than I to let a damselfly rest on your arm. Hummingbirds, yes.

    Am reading Defending Jacob, a very unusual legal and psychological thriller. Quite intelligent and complex. Only way to stay cool here in a/c reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The pool is very refreshing, Kathy, and I do other things outdoors besides walking into (and out of) the pool. :-)

      I know that damselflies look very weird, but their colors are gorgeous, and they're very gentle. If they weren't, there's no way I'd let one park itself on my arm! LOL

      Delete
  2. O:K, I went to the link for the Poisened Pen and promptly losy FOUR hours on their author interviews, ending with the wonderfull Craig Johnson! I've bookmarked the site 'cause there are many, many others I want to view. Thanks for the linkup. Your blog is the first one I check every day - Thanks for doing what you do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank YOU for reading my blog, Bella. Folks like you provide me the incentive to keep on doing it!

      Delete
  3. Cathy - It's getting to be AC weather here, too, and like you, I'd prefer the windows open. But sometimes there's just no alternative is there. Thanks for these links. Not only is the Poisoned Pen link scrumptious, but I'm about to dive into LibraryReads. You always choose the coolest links.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!