Mother Nature can be exceedingly cruel. Phoenix is already in the triple digits heat wise... just in time for my nieces to arrive from the UK next Tuesday. Daisy is a bit like me. The two of us sat out in the pool one afternoon reading our books when it was 120°F/49°C. Her mother, Suzanne is the opposite, so I'm really hoping Mother Nature reins it in during the time they are here.
Am I anticipating their visit? Not at all!
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| They're coming! They're coming! |
I don't think you'll be surprised when I say that I doubt that I'll be posting much while they're here. In fact, there are still a few things I need to do, so I'm going to shut up and head on out to the corral. I have some rounding up to do. Enjoy the links!
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- The nationwide book ban bill has moved to the House. Learn how to take action.
- Jane Fonda is set to star in a movie adaptation of The Correspondent.
- Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is being adapted for TV.
- Typos have plagued us for centuries.
- Around 10,000 authors protested the AI commercial research exception with the publication of an empty book.
- Knit one, bomb two: A primer on yarn bombing.
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- The brilliant blue paint covering this lavish room in ancient Pompeii may have cost more than half the annual salary of a Roman foot soldier.
- A dark message warning the enemy to "learn your lesson" was found inscribed on a 2,000-year-old sling bullet from the ancient Holy Land.
- Divers found marble treasure from Athens' Acropolis in Lord Elgin's shipwrecked brig at the bottom of the Aegean Sea.
- A Roman military fort has been discovered in Scotland far north of Hadrian's Wall.
- The Egyptians used an ancient version of Wite-Out to correct their mistakes on this papyrus scroll 3,300 years ago.
- The trouble with authentic ancient statues.
►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄
- Meet the "firefighting" donkeys of Spain.
- These charcoal-eating fungi flourish after fires. Uncovering their genetic secrets could help rebuild burned ecosystems.
- These koalas bounced back from the brink of local extinction extremely fast. Surprisingly, so did their genetic resilience.
- Why has Punch, an adorable baby monkey, struggled to fit in with his troop? Scientists explain the lives of Japanese macaques.
- Learning to live beside endangered tigers may be the key to saving them.
- These California condors might be tending to the species' first egg in the state's northern region in more than a century.
►The Wanderer◄
- Inside the tiny bookshop where Oscar winners shop.
- UNESCO designates Medellín, Colombia, as the World Book Capital for 2027.
- Central Park could have been filled with fussy, fancy gardens.
- Frank Lloyd Wright's vision for the Martin House included everything inside it. See how experts recovered furniture, artworks, and decorative glass.
- A Chicago true crime reading list.
- From sprites to schnapps, take a spirited trip through Germany's Black Forest.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- The real Count of Monte Cristo was Alexandre Dumas' father, a trailblazing Black general.
- Sujata Massey on Indian mysteries, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay, and South Asian cinema.
- High schooler Selina Zhang invented an AI-powered trap that zaps invasive lanternflies.
- America's Christie: How Mignon G. Eberhart helped shape the modern female sleuth.
- Russia's centuries-old bride-shows were the original version of The Bachelor.
- Four forgotten female authors who inspired Jane Austen.
►I ♥ Lists◄
- Modern-day Thelmas and Louises: 10 crime novels featuring female duos.
- Five true crime books featuring forgers, fraudsters, and con artists.
- Six mansion cozy mysteries.
- Five common fears that only made sense hundreds of years ago.
- NPR's Books We Love in 2025.
- Eight mysteries and thrillers set in Florida.
That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!


We've been having some really hot days here, too, Cathy. Not quite as hot as where you are, but very unusual for the time of year. But oh, there's no climate change! 🙄 Anyway, I hope you have an absolutely wonderful visit. I'll want to hear all about it when I get back from that shipwreck in Greece...
ReplyDeleteYou will!
DeleteHope the weather cools down a a little for you and that you have a wonderful visit together!!! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lark!
DeleteLord Elgin's shipwreck, an Egyptian papyrus, and true crime in Chicago - what a tantalizing selection of links!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time with your visitors, and we'll look forward to your company, and the stories you'll be ready to share from your time together.
Thanks, FR!
DeleteGreat links here, many that I will be exploring. The surge in efforts to ban books is extremely depressing. A society that seeks to ban books/ideas is a society that will be doomed to stagnate.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to be having your nieces visit and I'll keep my fingers crossed that Mother Nature will cooperate with a bit more moderate weather.
The things that are going on in this country and around the world make me thankful that I have a wonderful visit to look forward to.
Delete