In case you are wondering it is 93º here in Boston.

1870 – Tower Subway, the world’s first underground tube railway, opens in London.

birthday girls •
1907 – Mary Hamman, American writer (d. 1984)
1942 – Isabel Allende, Chilean author

worth reading • the NYT has a feature on the discredited craft of Alchemy.

audio • NPR reports the rare manuscripts in the national library of Lebanon are in as much danger at the residents.

you are what you read • Guardian’s Book blogger Sarah Crown reports on a report that explains that what people read dictates what we think about them.

tithing • from Richard Chark’s blog: the Crime Writer’s Association has announced an entry fee for books shortlisted for their Dagger Awards. Think of it what you will, I have no opinion, I think all awards are inherently suspect. via Clive Keebler

blog of note • Scott’s Fine Books Blog has a delicious post about the value of dangerous books.

banktoaster • blog novelist David Wellington has begun writing another serialized online novel, Frostbite.

Yes, I am working on a new video and no, I didn’t get much done today, it’s too hot here. I am having an issue with some guy who bought something from me on . . . .Amazon’s marketplace (yes I KNOW you take your chances when you lie down with dogs.) He ordered it Saturday, I shipped it Monday and he want’s a refund TODAY, because he claims I didn’t send him an email BEFORE I shipped it telling him that it was being shipped. Now, this joker has a ZERO feedback and a NEGATIVE from a previous vendor he pulled this stunt with before. He’s 39 and lives at HOME and uses his 69 yr old MOTHER’S charge card. How many people think I am about to get ripped off? yeah I think so too. Why do I keep listing items on that site?