We had some rain again last week, and it's beginning to make me think that Mother Nature is on some pretty strong meds. Of course, this area has been in a drought for so long (twenty years) that I've forgotten what "normal" is, so maybe it did rain regularly in March, April, and May in the dim past.
But with the temperatures rising, I find that my reading speed is increasing. (Told you I don't do very well in the cold-- even in what passes for cold here in the Sonoran Desert.) I've taken a look at my reading calendar, in which I list all the advance reading copies I've committed myself to, and it looks like I've finally done something I've wanted to do for a long time: have plenty of free time to read whatever I want to read. If you're lucky, I won't do what I feel like doing right now-- scheduling a long list of working dog mysteries-- because too much of a good thing isn't really all that good, and I don't want to offend any of my cat-loving readers. I'll try to mix it up, but one thing for sure, I'm really looking forward to this!
Before I get too slaphappy with planning my upcoming reading, I'd better head on out to the corral. Those links always need tending. Head 'em up! Moooove 'em out!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- Nominees for the Agatha Award recently weighed in on the state of the cozy.
- Can you save a dying Italian town with the art of storytelling?
- Fifty years of data show that the rich get richer under climate change.
- A brain implant device allows people with speech impairments to communicate with their minds.
- Author Reed Farrel Coleman's admiration for Harry Bosch runs deep.
- Experts say storytime can help children recover from trauma.
- "Willing to take them on:" Scottsdale's Poisoned Pen Bookstore supports new authors.
- How historical fiction grapples with Henry VIII's violent reign.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- Found: Mysterious ritual burials from the Iron Age.
- Three British metal detectorists dug up a $200,000 hoard of more than 550 gold and silver coins from the 1300s.
- A recently uncovered 3,600-year-old shipwreck could be the oldest ever found in the Mediterranean.
- A 40-year-old fossil kept in a drawer turns out to be a giant new species of apex predator.
- Archaeologists have discovered some of the Amazon's oldest human burials.
- A 17th-century Bible stolen from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library has been recovered in the Netherlands.
- DNA analysis could prove if this lock of hair belonged to Leonardo da Vinci.
- A Babe Ruth rookie card discovered in a $25 piano sold at auction for $130,053.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- North Carolina's famed shipwrecks are now home to a shark conservation research study.
- A couple has spent twenty years planting an entire forest, and the animals have returned (and much more).
- A wild raccoon moved into a zoo, and the zookeepers had to let him stay.
- Nine gray whales have washed up dead in the San Francisco Bay area.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- The amazing story of how the adventurous Kolb brothers helped inspire the creation of Grand Canyon National Park.
- Jeopardy star James Holzhauer on his children's book strategy.
- Molly Ringwald's surprising career path: novel translator.
►The Happy Wanderer◄
- The Corryvreckan Whirlpool-- legend says a witch conjured the world's third largest whirlpool to protect Scotland from a nasty pirate.
- How a candy craze almost wiped out the barrel cactus.
- All it took to clean up this beach was a fish sculpture named Goby.
- Sesame Street is now a real place.
- Rivers of flowers burst into bloom in Holland.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Eighteen bookcases that make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
- Nine mysteries with savvy sleuths over the age of fifty.
- The best political thrillers you're probably not watching.
- Seven cozies that explore the true meaning of "Till Death Do You Part."
- Top ten books about psychotherapy.
- Nine seaside mysteries.
- Twelve essential Donna Leon books.
- Merriam-Webster's nine words for fellowship.
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!
It's so great, isn't it, Cathy, when you finally have the time you want to do exactly the reading you want. I'm happy for you, and I hope you'll enjoy your pool lounging/reading. And now...hmm....that shipwreck? That Iron Age burial? Such rich choices!
ReplyDeleteLately it seems to be feast or famine with the archaeological links. Enjoy!
DeleteWe're still a little on the 'cool' side for this time of year. Not sure we've topped 90 more than a once or twice. However, May is always storm and rain and storm season for us. All the rain has certainly caused the desert to bloom extra, right? Loved the article about the Poisoned Pen. Hey, don't you want to go to San Diego next spring for Left Coast? Just saying....ahem.
ReplyDeleteAfter I wrote that, the temps went back into the 80s. Go figure. I wanted to go to Left Coast Crime when it was in Carson City, and I wouldn't mind San Diego either, but Denis has to monitor his vacation hours accrued closely because it's about time for a Daisy Visit.
DeleteI'm glad your calendar has freed up for some chosen reads! I get that feeling at times from the library. It seems all the good ones arrive at once, and then some can't be renewed if they are on a long waiting list. I try to read those first, but often, a different book will pull me to it!
ReplyDeleteThe trials and travails of bookaholics, eh? ;-)
DeleteSo glad to read that pooltime is coming. That means more great reviews and bird photos. Just love to watch those birds enjoying the bird baths and waterfalls and feeding their young 'uns.
ReplyDeleteLots to check out here.
Have a great weekend, Kathy!
Delete