A ParaDrama Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I'm beginning to think that, whenever I decide to go to The Poisoned Pen, I'm going to experience some sort of drama. Twice before, the drama came when it was time for Paratransit to take me home from the bookstore. This time, it was an adventure just trying to get there.

I scheduled my ride and got confirmation from Paratransit. Pick me up at my house at 5:30 PM because I needed to be at the bookstore by 6:30 PM. (The event started at 7-- gotta allow a bit of browsing time.) The next day, Paratransit informed me that I would be picked up by another company. This didn't bother me because I'd already experienced it. When demand exceeds supply, Paratransit farms out pickups to outside companies. I also got confirmation from the company. A black Dodge Caravan will be there at 5:30 to take you to The Poisoned Pen.

At 5:45, I called the company. So many drivers take an eternity to strap down my scooter, that I didn't want to wait any longer to find out what was going on. The woman who answered the phone put me on hold, telling me that she was going to contact the driver. Ten minutes later, she told me that the driver would arrive in thirty minutes-- basically the time I wanted to be at the bookstore. Lovely.

At 6:30, a white van pulled in the driveway. I don't know if the first driver blew me off or if his black Dodge Caravan blew a fuse and was sitting on the side of the road. Whatever the reason, this driver got me to my destination right on the stroke of 7 PM. I'd been looking forward to seeing Tim Sullivan for months, and I can't begin to tell you how unhappy I would have been if I'd missed him!

L to R: Unknown fan, Tim Sullivan, and Fred, the man responsible for getting Tim's publisher to add The Poisoned Pen to his US tour. Thank you, Fred!

    

If you'd like to watch the event, you can see it on YouTube.

Virtual hugs to you all, and enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• The AI book devourer is feasting on New York's bookstores.
• Inside the warehouse where Amazon scans and destroys books for AI training.
• A sparkling book club craft idea: book bedazzling.
• How a group of Michigan parents defeated anti-trans MAGA activists.
• Two friends went fishing on the Mississippi River. Police say they may have just solved a 1967 cold case.
• The making and un-making of a personal library.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A brittle coating on a 2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck reveals how ancient sailors kept their ships afloat.
• Archaeologists unearthed a unique, 11,000-year-old statue of a person riding a leopard from one of the world's earliest settlements.
• A cave sanctuary in Spain has the highest number of Latin inscriptions anywhere in the Roman Empire-- and many of them mention a mysterious "lady."
• Archaeologists unearthed a medieval nobleman buried with his horse and dog in a rare wooden tomb in Russia.
• Archaeologists unearthed traces of a mysterious medieval city that was abandoned under puzzling circumstances hundreds of years ago.
• Ancient "alien-like" skulls have been found on every continent but Antarctica. Anthropologists are starting to figure out why.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Africa's wild dogs are the most hated carnivores on the continent. Here's why some conservationists are saving them anyway. (All creatures on the planet have a purpose, even if humans don't know what that purpose is.)
• See 16 stunning animal images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.
• An "extremely rare" half-male, half-female bobolink temporarily took up residence outside Chicago.
• Scientists gave dogs MRIs and learned that they're surprisingly good at distinguishing between human emotions, even some negative ones. (Most dog lovers could've told them that without the MRIs.)
• Scientists have identified a new manta ray species, just the third known in the world.
• Eight minutes of cute baby animal videos.

►The Wanderer◄

• In France, brutal summer heat waves are taking a toll on the flowers that inspired Claude Monet's most beloved paintings.
• Closed to the public since World War II, a "hidden" gallery at London's Natural History Museum opens its doors once again.
• The countries with the most-- and least-- paid time off, mapped.
• Get a dose of sun, sand, and sea with these 20 scenes from the beach.
• Mount Thor: the mountain with Earth's longest vertical drop.
• A giant meteor impact may have triggered a massive Grand Canyon landslide 56,000 years ago.

►Dolly Parton, You Will Be Missed◄

• Long live Dolly Parton, giver of books.
• Dolly Parton's contributions to literacy will outlive the star, just like she planned.
• 10 iconic photos of Dolly Parton through the decades, from the Smokies to superstardom.
• The Buckingham Palace guards play 9 to 5 in honour of Dolly Parton as the Royal Family pay tribute.
• How Dolly Parton told her life story through six iconic songs.
• Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80.
• Dolly Parton was one of the biggest stars in the history of country music. She wanted to be remembered as a songwriter.
• Dolly Parton and Kermit the Frog perform a lovely duet of Everyday People.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• 7 nautical words and phrases you use even if you've never been on a ship.
• 7 Old English words hiding in your everyday vocabulary.
• 21 fast-paced mysteries for when you don't have time to read.
• 27 historical novels that will transport you to summers past. 
• These are the perfect books to read at the pool.
• 12 medical mystery and thriller books that'll get under your skin.

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!