A Blast Furnace of a Weekly Link Round-Up

It's been dancing in and around 115° here for the past week. This is the time in Phoenix when you open your door, take a step outside, and feel as though you've walked right into a blast furnace. It's the time of year when you get your errands and your chores done early so you can sensibly take it easy the rest of the day. 

Desert Spiny Lizard down in Bisbee

You can bet the farm that-- with a pool, some shade, and a waterfall-- I've been extremely sensible all week. I've been reading up a storm. (Just finished Rebecca Cantrell's A Trace of Smoke this afternoon. Wow, what a book!) I've also been watching six hummingbirds zealously guarding the waterfall from each other. I love how they all lurk back in the shadows of the oleanders and wait for one of them to make a break for the water. It's hilarious.

As you can see, I'm not sharing any photos of that. Instead I chose a photo I took down in Bisbee of a Desert Spiny Lizard. We watched each other one morning. Me from my comfy white wicker rocker and him from his perch on the trunk of a tree. You might not be able to see it quite so much in this size, but the sun makes the lizard's scales shine like they're made of metal. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if someone many centuries ago looked at a lizard and came up with the idea of armor. Just like I'm fairly certain someone else saw sunlight shining through a dragonfly's wings and decided to try his hand at making a stained glass window. Nature has taught us so much, and continues to teach.

But nature isn't going to turn loose of these links, so I'd better get myself in gear. Head 'em up, move 'em out!


 

►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• A first edition copy of The Hobbit breaks a sales record at Sotheby's.
• Queen Victoria's children's book has finally been published.
• Have you ever wished for a waterproof book for the pool, the beach, or your bath? 
• How the English language became such a mess.
• Can we guess where you live based on your taste in books? (I hope you fare better than I on this quiz. It tried to tell me I live in Texas.)
• Mystery writer Dame Agatha Christie had many connections to Iraq.
• From the sounds of it, there will be a follow-up series to the excellent Wolf Hall.
• A bookstore in Istanbul is catering to those Syrian refugees in need of a good read.
• Kate Atkinson has told a book club how she crafts characters at all of life's stages.
• I think it very fitting (and very deserved) that one of my favorite writers-- Martin Edwards, author of The Golden Age of Murder-- has recently been named President of the Detection Club. 
• How India changed the English language.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• An Egyptian shroud is set for a rare auction in Paris.
• Researchers in Mexico have decoded the name on Mayan King Pakal's tomb.
• When I think of history and unexploded bombs, I think of London. I didn't realize that America still has a problem with unexploded Civil War bombs.
• A rare King David-Era inscription has been discovered in Israel.
• A student's research has uncovered a case of mistaken identity over a rare 16th century Renaissance painting.

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄

• This seconds-old baby chameleon has no idea he's out of his egg... and take a look at other baby chameleons that know they are.  (Cuteness overload!)

►The Happy Wanderer◄

• Sandwood Bay is on the Lonely Planet's Best Beaches list. (Just another gorgeous beach in northwest Scotland.)
• Thought you just might like to take a look at a quiz about Phoenix's long, hot summers. 
• Beautiful scenes in the Southwest that you have to visit at least once.
• That 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal messed around with Mt. Everest.

►I  ♥  Lists◄

• Writers' photos of the places that inspire them.
• I'm waiting a bit for the furor to die down over Jurassic World, so here's 5 dinosaur books to add to your summer reading list.
• 13 dead Game of Thrones TV characters who are still alive in the books.
• The 10 greatest animated films for adults.
• 14 quotes about reading.
• 25 facts about Jaws.
• 31 reasons you should never read during the summer. (I couldn't type this and keep a straight face!)
• The Guardian's readers recommended these as the 10 best independent bookshops in the world.
• 10 odd and eerie tales of London's Victorian cemeteries.

That's all for now. Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!

Have a great weekend, and read something fabulous!