One Eye to the Sky Weekly Link Round-Up

Some of you may remember that I was a smartphone holdout for a long time. It wasn't until it occurred to me that having one would help me accomplish something that was left undone each time we took a trip that Denis was finally able to put an iPhone in my hands. That was less than a year ago. At first, I think I kept looking at it as though it was going to bite me, but it hasn't, and I've slowly gotten used to it. Am I on it all the time? No. I'm not a phone person, and never will be. But it certainly does have its uses.

That flashlight app really comes in handy, and now that Denis went overboard and gave me an iPad for my birthday, there was an opportunity to learn that the Find My Phone app can be worth its weight in gold. (Small black phone between two black cushions....) That Kindle app gets a lot of love from me, too, because it means I can always leave the house with books yet not be loaded down like a pack mule. 

Take a guess which app is my favorite, at least at this time of year? You can see a screen shot to the right. It's my NOAA weather app. Reading out in the pool during monsoon season does have a small element of risk. Storms (especially those gritty haboobs) can blow up quickly, and for years I've read my books with one eye peeled to the sky and one ear tuned to the sound of thunder. Now when I get in the pool, I can take a quick look at the NOAA app to see what's brewing outside Phoenix and moving in our direction. It tells me if I need to be extra vigilant, or if I can pay more attention to my book. Perhaps since I come from a long line of farmers, I've always paid attention to the sky anyway, but this app takes a lot of guesswork out of my pool time. 

Speaking of pool time, if I want to get out there, I'd better head on out to the corral first. Head 'em up! Moooooooove 'em out!

 

►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Reading aloud with others is more important than you think. 
• The strange world of book thefts.
• Is Trump ruining book sales?
• One woman states, "I don't want to watch slavery fan fiction," and at this particular time in this country, I agree with her.
• A brief history of American dead letter offices.
• Fahrenheit 451 isn't necessarily fiction: the 19th-century Lithuanians who smuggled books to save their language.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Could King Tut's wife be buried in this newly discovered tomb?
• A boy found a 1.2 million-year-old fossil while playing outside. 
• A rare Roman coin has been discovered on a remote Scottish island. 
• We may have cracked the mystery of Stonehenge. 
• The world's oldest smiley face may decorate a Hittite jug. 

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄

• The oldest mass animal stranding has been revealed in fossils located in Death Valley. 
• Watch a curious puffin befriend a tourist. 
• Adorable bear cubs hitch a ride on Mom's back. 

►The Happy Wanderer◄

• Pemberley, Manderley, and Howards End: the real buildings behind fictional houses.
• The most gorgeous libraries in every single state, just in time for your book-themed road trip.

►I ♥ Lists & Quizzes◄

• The best Jane Austen-inspired baby names. 
• Twenty-five Chandlerisms to celebrate the crime fiction icon.
• Test your book brain with this famous literary quotes quiz. 
• Eleven ways being a reader is useful for your career. 
• From Sherlock Holmes to Tartan Noir: a decade-by-decade guide to the best British crime novels. 
• The ten best cop shows ever. 

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!