A Duckie Weekly Link Round-Up

My pool time has suddenly become more interesting. For some reason known only to himself, Denis has begun building a flock of ducks for the swimming pool, all of which are decked out with sunglasses.

Now when I happen to look up from my book or put it aside to swim for a while, I have these eyes staring at me. I think it's beginning to get to me because now I'm taking daily photos of them with my camera phone and posting them to my personal Facebook page with an assortment of captions.

Today I looked over the top of my book and here these two were-- for all the world as though they wanted me to read them a story. Did I? No, I advised them to sign up for audiobooks. 

There is a third, inflatable, duck that I didn't get a photo of. I call it the stealth duck. Propelled by the wind, that thing can turn on a dime and zip across the pool in a couple of seconds. It has the tendency to sneak up behind me when I'm deep into my book, nudging me in the back and giving me palpitations because I think a bee or a wasp has landed on me. Just what I need, eh? Perhaps that's Denis's way of getting back at me for being in the pool while he's hard at work? Whatever it means, I'm going to head out to the corral because it's time to take care of those links I've been saving for you (and because Ninja Duck can't follow me out there). Head 'em up! Mooooooooove 'em out!

►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Unseen letters written by Agatha Christie reveal the author's temper. 
• An ice core sample reveals how profoundly the Black Death changed medieval society.
• The anatomy of a book. 
• Jane Austen's most widely mocked character is also her most subversive.
• The Library of Congress opened its catalogs to the world. Here's why it matters.
• Historians ding Game of Thrones for being historically inaccurate in Samwell Tarly's library scenes. (Picky, picky!)
• That time Agatha Christie boldly requested more flattering author photos. 
• Costuming Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
• Forget George Eliot: now it's male authors disguising their sex to sell more books.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• An investigator is "100 percent sure" that stolen art from a legendary heist is in Ireland. 
• Hungary has purchased the second half of a Roman-era silver treasure. 
• Two unknown paintings by Raphael have been discovered on the Vatican's walls. 
• A trove of ancient Roman letters has been unearthed near Hadrian's Wall. 
• The incredible discovery of a 5,000-year-old "House of the Dead" could hold the ancestors of the Stonehenge people.
• Archaeologists are going high-tech in a 2,500-year-old Greek cold case.
• Even more unopened sports card packs have been found in his aunt's attic-- this time they're worth $1.3 million.
• The "holy grail of Civil War swords" has been found.
• Watch conservationists disassemble the world's largest known Celtic coin hoard.

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄

• A lost baby wildebeest mistook a car for its mother. 
• Shar Pei puppies take on a robot spider.
• Why do birds avoid flying in the rain? 

►The Happy Wanderer◄

• The worst White House kitchen in history.
• Facing an uncertain future, a Jane Austen landmark seeks the public's help.

►I ♥ Lists & Quizzes◄

• Five things you shouldn't use as bookmarks.
• Nine classic country songs and the books they pair with.
• Literary misquotations quiz: Can you get the wrong lines right?
• The best illustrations from 150 years of Alice in Wonderland.
• Eight gonzo facts about Hunter S. Thompson.
• The top ten female detectives in fiction. (There's some mighty fine reading in this list!) 
• Fifteen believable excuses for when you agreed to plans, but you really just want to stay home and read. 
• Ten ways to organize your bookshelf.

That's all 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!