The Wish Me Luck Weekly Link Round-Up

From the title of this post you probably think I'm off on a long journey, or I've entered some sort of contest, but that's not the case. Have you ever heard of spine poetry-- poems formed from the titles on the spines of books? Well, it's been intriguing me for years, and since this is National Poetry Month, I thought I might give it a try. As usual, I tend to put more parameters on myself like: (1) crime fiction titles only and (2) poems in the form of haiku, which is the only sort of poetry I've ever been able to write. Now you see what I mean about wishing me luck!

But first I'm going to do something much easier-- round up some links!

Books, Movies & Other Tidbits

• Are you an Elmore Leonard fan? Then you'll probably want to read The Dickens of Detroit. (Thanks for the link, Kate!)
• Here's a tour of the world's finest independent bookshops. (Personally I think the list is missing The Poisoned Pen, but some may say I'm biased.)
• Is Daphne du Maurier a literary genius who's hated by the critics?
• Once I moved away and went to college, my pen pal days were over, but these two ladies have been writing to each other for 70 years!
• I enjoyed these in the past, so I was happy to see that TNT has given "The Librarians" the green light as a series.
• Bookstores in Seattle are doing well-- even after they embraced Amazon.
• A study suggests that students reading eBooks are losing out.
• Prevent book deserts by fighting for libraries.
• The legend of Vera Nabokov: why writers pine for a do-it-all spouse.
• What to do now that the Heartbleed Bug has exposed the internet.
• The Vienna Philharmonic is to return a painting that was stolen by the Nazis.
• Why President Jimmy Carter considers himself a feminist. 
• A huge Big Boy steam locomotive is coming back to life.

My Indiana Jones Segment

You know... a little natural history, a little architecture, a little archaeology...

• A tiny Minnesota museum's canoe just happens to be a 1,000-year-old historic find.
• A near-complete T. Rex skeleton has arrived at the Smithsonian.
• A fascinating look backstage at Versailles: a handyman's tour of the palace.
• Archaeologists have found things that suggest Rome is a century older than everyone thought.
• Another story that proves everything on this planet is interconnected: the power of poop. (No, that's not a typo.)
• Drone images have revealed a buried ancient village in New Mexico.
• Experts in Serbia are using heavy machinery to move a mammoth.
• The dinosaur-killing asteroid impact has been dwarfed by an earlier space rock crash.

I  ♥  Lists

• These are the biggest heartbreakers in literature.
• The 13 greatest opening lines from novels of the 1950s.
• 25 essential books about Americans in Paris.
• The eight stages of becoming obsessed with a new book.
• The top eleven stately homes in England.
• The top ten movies set in Scotland.
• 13 untranslatable words.
• Beautiful vintage photos of bygone bookstores.
• 10 great reads for dictionary fanatics.

That's all, folks! Don't forget to stop by next week when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure. Have a great weekend!