Summer is working its usual magic on me; trying to lure me away from all responsibilities and into a never-ending round of sunshine, cool water, piles of books, and birdsong. If only I could let myself follow that siren call... but I think Denis might have a word or two to say about it!
You know how you can start something as a one-off, a bit of a laugh, and expect it to die a swift death? It happened to me last year when Denis purchased what appeared to me to be an entire fleet of plastic yellow ducks for the pool. There are only three-- large, medium, and small-- but they can seem to be everywhere. Well, everywhere if you mean continually sneaking up on a reader intent on a book while sitting in the shady end of the pool.
You didn't think I was going to let you read, did you? |
You may not know this, but those three ducks can be very uncooperative when it comes to their photo ops. And trying to come up with a suitable caption day after day? Not that easy after a few weeks!
You see to the left the first duck photo of Summer 2018 along with its caption. When I finish rounding up the links I've been saving for you, it will be time to get in the pool with Denis's duckies. If only they'd stop sneaking up behind me and startling me!
What did I get myself into???
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- After decades of dwarfs and elves, writers of color are redefining fantasy.
- A Spanish author's guide to Spanish crime fiction.
- Many of you have probably seen this video in which people on the street are asked to name a book. Any book. Perhaps it's because I'm wearing my rose-colored glasses today, but I'm hoping that people's dismal showing can be partly attributed to brain freeze when someone shoves a microphone in their faces.
- A Victorian guide to oppressing women.
- The Hachette Book Group has launched Novel Suspects, a mystery/thriller vertical that features movies, TV shows, and podcasts along with books.
- What's going on in your child's brain when you read them a story?
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- What they thought was a rusty box in their backyard was a safe with $52,000 worth of treasure.
- An autonomous vehicle helped locate the "holy grail of shipwrecks" off the coast of Colombia. Here's an article from the Smithsonian about the wreck.
- DNA sampling may help scientists find the Loch Ness monster.
- Sue's replacement, the largest dinosaur ever, is standing tall in the Field Museum.
- New evidence reveals a 17,000-year-old coastal route into North America.
- Serbian archaeologists have found a sarcophagus with two skeletons and jewelry in an ancient city.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- Australia builds the world's largest cat-proof fence to protect threatened species.
- Scientists discovered a dinosaur's tail preserved in amber. By the way, dinosaurs had dandruff, too.
- This royally adorable baby kingfisher perpetuates a species extinct in the wild.
- A huge blue whale was sighted in the Red Sea for the first time.
- Smart software helps fishermen catch the fish they want, not endangered species.
- A whale dies in Thailand with 80 plastic bags in its stomach.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Five guilt-free ideas for decorating with books.
- The seventeen most addictive TV mysteries.
- All the best new crime fiction for summer 2018.
- The best Maltese Falcon covers, ranked.
- Eleven real-life inventions inspired by science fiction novels.
- The mystery buffs in the White House.
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!
So how high do you jump when those ducks 'attack'? Ha! Especially if you are at a pivotal point in the plot?
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you, it can be pretty darned high! LOL
DeleteHaha, I did not know about your popular duck series, what a great smile for a Friday morning! How big is the biggest? Big enough to make you think someone else is in the pool with you when reading an especially gripping mustery?!
ReplyDeleteBig enough that when that hard plastic bill nudges me in the back, I jump high enough to start a tsunami!
DeleteThose ducks make me smile every time they appear on this page. Maybe I need one for my tub!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links and the ducks.
You're welcome!
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