A Fruitful Summer Weekly Link Round-up

Monsoon season is beginning to make itself known here in Phoenix. So far all it's done is increase the humidity during this heatwave. Am I going to complain? Not at all. Not even now while we're waiting for a part for our air conditioner. (Wouldn't you know it? We finally want to use the thing and it chooses now not to work!) It doesn't do a bit of good to complain-- even if I wanted to-- because this is the desert, and this is what it does during the summer. I'm spending my afternoons out in the pool where I've been reading some marvelous books. You'll be hearing all about them very soon!

All those blooms on the cacti in the Desert Botanical Garden means that there is plenty of fruit for birds and other critters to chow down on. You can see a white-winged dove pigging out in the photo above. While you're taking a look at the birdie, I'll head on out to the corral. Those links are getting restless. Head 'em up! Mooooooooove 'em out!
 

►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Why wait twenty years for the sequel to Independence Day? 
• Nordic Noir is a reflection of modern Europe.
• Is "devouring" books a sign of superficiality in a reader? (Enough with trying to pin labels on everyone. Just let us read and/or devour in peace!)
• AbeBooks explains how to identify a first edition book. 
• Never mind the white dress, it turns out that Emily Dickinson had a green thumb. 
• Indiana University's Lilly Library is filled with treasures. 
• Little House and the art of hiding your feelings.
• What happens in the brain when music causes chills? (I'm one of the people whose brain is wired this way.) 

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Artifacts have been found that could be linked to the Lost Colony. Photos of the artifacts can be seen in another article.
• The pirate cemetery of Madagascar is the world's only pirate graveyard. Argh! 
• Skeletons and coins have been found in the dig of an ancient shop in Pompeii. 
• Archaeologists are spotting ancient ruins in Cold War spy photos. 
• Scientists reconstructed an ancient woman's head with surprising results. 
• Petroglyphs discovered in Michigan are providing a link to the Great Lakes' area's Native American past.

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄

• Five pets making big bucks thanks to their internet fame. 
• Goleta, California's Monarch Butterfly Grove. 
• Watch a caterpillar become a butterfly in under three minutes. 
• A leading entomologist was asked, "What's the smartest bug in the world?" 
• You have to love birds with a sense of humor: Scottish birds continue stealing large amounts of underwear. 
• This polite sea turtle thanks divers for rescuing him.
• See what this puppy does when he hears his human playing the guitar. 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Five important works of eco-fiction you need to read. 
• Five must-see art museums in Paris. 
• Publishers Weekly's picks for the best mysteries and thrillers for the fall of 2016.
• Geeky decorations for your garden. 
• The top ten books about the Beatles. 
• Seven of the most memorable towns on Earth... and they only exist in literature. 

That's it for this week! 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!