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!

The Chapel of Bones by Kate Ellis

 

First Lines: Beasts. Large beasts, small beasts. Fierce beasts, gentle beasts. Beasts slithering on the ground, beasts flying in the air with mighty beating wings.

Things have calmed down now that tourist season is over in South Devon. The woman who recently bought Sycamore House is looking forward to the completion of renovations, but when the builder finds a mummified body behind a wall, everything comes to a screeching halt.

The body is that of Dr. Aleric Donnal, a scholar specializing in medieval history who was last seen over a decade ago around the time Sycamore House was owned by a commune that believed the house occupied a sacred site. 

While Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson looks for potential suspects, his friend, Dr. Neil Watson, is investigating the ruins of an ancient chapel nearby. But when a new murder occurs nearby, Wesley has to wonder-- are the two crimes linked?

~

It's hard to believe that The Chapel of Bones is the thirtieth book in Kate Ellis's series-- and that I've read them all. By now, the entire cast feels like a beloved part of my (fictional) family. If you have yet to sample this excellent blend of crime, history, and archaeology, I urge you to do so. Due to the character development, it would be best to begin at the beginning (The Merchant's House). If thirty books feel daunting, start anywhere you like, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the rest.

There's the usual catch-up with the characters. Wesley's boss, Gerry Heffernan, is still being pressured by higher-ups to retire. Neil Watson feels a twinge of jealousy when he's not unearthing an ancient chapel, and-- to his horror-- he has a groupie following him. Wesley and his wife, Pam, may be getting the hang of dealing with troublesome mother-in-law, Della, which pleased me to no end. As you can see, this series is perfect for character-driven readers.

As much as I love the characters, I think my favorite part of this series is how Ellis blends a current crime with local history. I've learned a lot in the most enjoyable way from reading these books, and The Chapel of Bones is no exception. In this investigation, Wesley and his team are hampered by the difficulty in identifying both victims and suspects. One thing that could help is tracking the previous owners of Sycamore House, but even that proves difficult. (How would you like to trace the owners of a property that is hundreds of years old and has undergone several name changes?) 

The Chapel of Bones is another strong entry in this long-running series. I'm looking forward to Wesley's next investigation.

The Chapel of Bones by Kate Ellis

eISBN: 9780349442976

Constable © 2026

eBook, 335 pages

Police Procedural, #30 Wesley Peterson

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Colorful Weekly Link Round-Up

 

Another quiet week with a bit of rain to enjoy here at Casa Kittling. I've got to polish my scooter so it's all bright and shiny for my doctor's appointment tomorrow. I've also begun preparations for my niece Karen's arrival in two weeks. (Two weeks?!? She and I were beginning to think the day would never get here!) Karen will be spending almost three weeks with me. I can't wait because I know I'm going to enjoy every minute that she's here. It's going to be wonderful to have an English accent in the house again. 

I've stopped making tissue box covers, and it was about time, too; otherwise, I'd need an entire closet just to hold the things. That would never do! Instead, I've decided to make a patchwork-style wall hanging, and I've been having a blast going through all the yarn in my stash to find complementary color combinations.

Colors and their endless combinations have always fascinated me, and this is a good way to use some of my forty-year-old yarn. (I told you I had a stash!)

Virtual hugs to you all, and enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• On that disgraceful, disreputable, (wonderful) form of punctuation: the parenthesis.
• Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Texas is "coming for the books" in public school libraries.
• 404 tracked a shipment of rare books. It ended at an Amazon AI training facility.
• Alfred Hitchcock's favorite Hitchcock movie is an eerie 1940s psychological thriller. (I was rather surprised when I discovered it was also my favorite Hitchcock film.)
• The neuroscience of why you can't stop buying books you don't have time to read.
• Last year's trendiest vacation? A reading retreat. (Who cares if it's trendy or not?)

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A medieval man's injuries reminded one archaeologist of modern-day car crash victims. They turned out to be the work of an English trebuchet. (The first trebuchet I ever saw was at Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness.) More from Live Science.
• Archaeologists say they've identified traces of a 2,000-year-old love note still etched into a wall in ancient Pompeii.
• Archaeologists are mystified by these 2,000-year old bodies seated upright and facing west in France.
• Archaeologists discover an intact cannonball from the Battle of the Alamo one day before the pivotal conflict's 190th anniversary.
• Lady of Elche: a 2,400-year-old bust of a mysterious "highborn" woman from pre-Roman Spain.
• An ancient Egyptian drawing is now theorized to represent the Milky Way's great rift.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Why are some octopuses so smart? The answer might lie in a never-before-seen mutation that helps them accurately build proteins.
• See the photos of three red panda cubs born at the Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute this year.
• 15 photos of lions, the most majestic big cats found throughout Africa.
• The global web of subsea cables that connects the world can now detect whales-- even when they're silent. 
• Fishers discover a first-of-its-kind bright orange shark in the Caribbean.
• New Zealand's massive green parrots have narrowly avoided extinction. But many of their parasites did not survive.

►The Wanderer◄

• These coral reefs off West Africa were long presumed dead. Scientists just found them alive and teeming with life.
• The little known noir of Timor-Leste.
• Exploring the perfectly preserved abandoned town of Kitsault, British Columbia.
• Scientists find the mysterious source of the massive 1831 volcanic eruption that cooled Earth and made the sun appear blue.
• The centuries-old abandoned farmhouses of Puglia are having a Renaissance moment.
• The 230-foot-long Bayeux Tapestry will return home to England for the first time in nearly 1,000 years.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Meet three research assistants who traced women's stories from state fairs to the Smithsonian Institution.
• Archaeologists used to think women in prehistory wielded no power. Genetic data is upending that idea. (Surprise, surprise.)
• Way Bandy was one of the most influential makeup artists in the world. He challenged stigmas in the 1980s by making sure his death from AIDS was widely known.
• This is what being in your twenties was like in 18th-century London.
• The Tougaloo Nine were arrested in 1961 for reading at a segregated public library. Their contribution to the Civil Rights Movement have long been overlooked.
• An archaeologist may have uncovered the remains of D'Artagnan, the famed French musketeer.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• 60 of the most anticipated books of Fall 2026.
• 7 Victorian phrases you still use without realizing it.
• 6 innovative ways humans have kept cool throughout history.
• 17 psychological thrillers set in wealthy suburbs.
• Highly anticipated book-to-screen adaptations out in the second half of 2026.
• The best mysteries and thrillers of Summer 2026.

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!

Catching Up on Reviews...Again

 

I have some unexpected free time, but it's not much, so I'd better work fast to catch you up on the books I've been reading. I'll include a link to Amazon in each book title in case you want to know more about it since these aren't my usual full reviews.

Pedal to the metal time!

Storm Warning by Alice Henderson

#5 in her Alex Carter series.

Rating: C-

My Thoughts: Alex is camping on a beach in Hawaii to monitor and protect hawksbill turtles. When I finished book four, I wasn't sure I'd continue because Henderson had been using a character to swoop in at the end to save the day for Alex, and that annoyed me.

Well, he didn't save the day this time, but I wasn't any happier with Storm Warning. All the information-- while important to those concerned about the wildlife on our planet-- felt like one lecture after another instead of being seamlessly integrated into the story. In addition, Alex turning into MacGyver at every turn stopped being ingenious and started making my eyes roll. Although there are things I do like about this series, I don't think I'll continue.

Christmas at Ferndean Manor by Joanna Campbell Slan

#3 in The Jane Eyre Chronicles

Rating: A

My Thoughts: I have enjoyed Slan's Jane Eyre Chronicles, and I was happy to see that there's a fourth book. I needed a comfort read, and Christmas at Ferndean Manor fit the bill perfectly.

I loved how everyone gathered together to make this the best Christmas ever, even though food kept disappearing from the pantry. 

If you're a reader who likes seasonal reads, this is absolutely perfect for Christmas-- and you don't have to read the other two books in the series first. 

Scavengers by Steven F. Havill

#11 in the Posadas County series

Rating: B-

My Thoughts: Visiting the fictional Posadas County, New Mexico, to catch up with the lives of the wonderful characters Havill has created is always a pleasure; however, I found the story to be lackluster. Still good-- especially in the scenes chasing people out in the desert at night-- just not quite up to Havill's usual high standards.

Will this keep me from heading to Posadas County again? Heavens, no!

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Rating: C+

My Thoughts: When I was a teenager, I had penpals from around the world, and I loved writing and receiving letters. 

Like the main character, Sybil Van Antwerp, those letters were one of the ways I made sense of the world and my place in it. Although I did enjoy watching Sybil's world unfold letter by letter, I never did warm up to her, so the book fell a bit flat for me.

The Salford Sioux by M.J. Lee

#11 in the Jayne Sinclair Genealogical mysteries

Rating: B

My Thoughts: This is one of my favorite series, and Lee never fails to provide a fascinating glimpse into little-known history.

This time, a family comes to Jayne when DNA results show Native American ancestry. Their family tree-- all of them born in the industrial town of Salford in England-- shows no hint of such ancestry, but DNA doesn't lie.

This is another strong investigation for Jayne, which is slightly marred by a rather abrupt ending.

The Dead Come to Stay by Brandy Schillace

#2 Jo Jones amateur sleuth mystery

Rating: B

My Thoughts: For me, the main character, Jo Jones, is the star attraction, and there just wasn't enough of her in The Dead Come to Stay to suit me. 

More family secrets are revealed in a nice, twisty mystery, although the book is marred by very poor proofreading, which is a shame because Jo is an editor. 

My favorite quote (because I identify): "It took her two extra weeks to edit because she kept falling down subject interest rabbit holes." Love those rabbit holes!

Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard

Non-Fiction

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: The field of Egyptology would be nothing like it is now without the hard work and dedication of many women. Sheppard brings to light these women's lives and their accomplishments. 

Many worked together in pairs because "decent" women simply did not travel alone at the end of the nineteenth century. They quickly learned to work in tandem with the Egyptians and learned their language quickly. Naturally, much more was expected of them than the men. In addition to all their work, these women were expected to be doctors to all as well as hostesses to anyone who wanted to show up for a tour.

They gave tours, wrote bestselling books, conducted fundraising ventures, taught classes, and developed precise cataloguing for the treasures that had been unearthed-- something that had never been done before.

This is a fascinating look into an important part of women's history, and the book's opening made me involuntarily scream. Why? Because the male archaeologists used DYNAMITE to unearth these treasures. I don't even want to think about what was destroyed in the process.

Well, that's it! I'm caught up. Did I tempt you with any of these books? Or did I steer you away from one or two? Inquiring minds would love to know!

A Lie-Down Weekly Link Round-Up

 

Not much going on here at Casa Kittling. The monsoon storms have arrived, and while other parts of the valley are getting hammered, here we've been getting gentle rains with a bit of wind. I hope that continues because getting half our annual rainfall in twenty minutes is no fun. You long-time friends will remember times of mud here in the pool. 

I was amazed when I went out to fill the birdbaths about an hour ago. A breeze was blowing, and it was almost cool! In August! I checked my weather app, and it was only 90°F at 11 AM-- and it's not even supposed to break 100° today. 

I'm sure JR and all the other wildlife are appreciating it. It was so uncomfortable one night last week that JR had to have a lie-down in one of the birdbaths, bless 'im. I'm glad I don't have to go through this heat wearing a fur coat!

It's time to head on out to the corral. Virtual hugs to you all. Stay cool and enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Instagram's new book feature totally misses the point of reading.
• Quiz: How many famous book titles can you complete?
• It's okay to judge a book by its cover.
• The burgeoning field of fiction character biographies.
• Abolish the Top Ten Books list.
• The many lives of libraries.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Shipwreck divers discovered a 162-year-old bottle of Guinness brewed during the reign of Queen Victoria, and they want to take a swig.
• Archaeologists in England preparing for road construction unearthed a Roman-Era fingernail cleaner with a handle shaped like a penis. (I saw one of these when I went to the Pompeii Exhibition.)
• Metal detectorists thought they'd hit the jackpot when they discovered a gold bracelet dating to the Bronze Age. Then they dug up two more.
• This marine-life mosaic discovered near the Colosseum offers a surprising clue-- its building may have housed firefighters in ancient Rome.
• This medieval Byzantine shipwreck boasts more gold treasures than any other vessel found beneath the Mediterranean.
• A metal detectorist discovered tiny tiles in a farmer's field. A spectacular ancient Roman mosaic was buried beneath the surface. 

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Jackie the bald eagle, who captured hearts around the world via Livestream, has died after battling a mysterious illness. 
• Pumas might be making your drive home safer. When the predators are around, deer tend to avoid roads, preventing some collisions.
• Young wild octopuses may form a "fight club" and slap territorial fish if they get too close.
• Butterflies around the world are moving to new habitats, largely because of climate change.
• For two days each year, these drab brown toads turn a dazzling neon yellow, and scientists finally know why.
• Red or black, but nothing in between: multi-colored beaks are a big turn off for female Jamaican hummingbirds.

►The Wanderer◄

• One of Italy's most popular attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, reveals plans for a major renovation over the next two years.
• The history of America flows through the Hudson River, and the country's aquatic superhighway is on the rebound.
• Lago di Vagli in Italy hides a 13th-century town that is still visible when the water recedes.
• An untimely death at Sycamore Gap.
• William the Conqueror's Norwich Castle to reopen following a $37 million renovation.
• Oh, you weren't at the 200-person literary reading inside of a pool at the Korean Spa?

►Fascinating Folk◄

• 11-year-old Anderson Taylor just became the Guinness World Record holder for being the youngest museum curator.
• 18-year-old Arya Satheesh invented a plant-based plastic that removes microplastics from the environment as it biodegrades.
• Women on ancient Roman farms were in charge of making wine, oil, and profits. Historians dismissed them as "housekeepers." (Anyone surprised?)
• Sharon Langley was the first to desegregate a Maryland carousel in the 1960s. Now the historic merry-go-round will entertain visitors on the National Mall.
• Tim Balme (creator of The Brokenwood Mysteries) on TV writing, New Zealand, and how Columbo influenced his detective series.
• From hero to villain: these actors proved they had the ultimate range.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• The books that inspired Bruce Springsteen's songwriting.
• Eight household items every Viking family owned.
• 14 cold case mysteries for hot summer days.
• Here are this year's upcoming non-fiction books you can't miss.
• Six mysteries for Bridgerton fans.
• Older protagonists go on vacation in these books.

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!

The Tailor by Tim Sullivan

 

First Line: The man in seat C24 on the 10 a.m. Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington train service was studying the young girl sitting across the aisle from him with her mother.

A dead man in the first-class toilet of a train, his throat cut and a plastic bag over his head, shocks the police officers on the scene. Detective Sergeant George Cross doesn't miss a single detail, but what catches his attention isn't all the blood; it's the man's beautifully tailored suit.

The victim is Billy Titcomb, a tailor trusted by clients around the world for his workmanship and discretion. Who would want a tailor dead? Along with his new partner, Detective Constable Alice Mackenzie, Cross starts pulling at threads and discovers all sorts of suspects and clues that just don't add up. 

The deeper Cross digs, the less this looks like a simple murder... and the more it looks like he might be in new territory for him: the world of spies and state secrets.

~

There are many layers to the mystery in Tim Sullivan's latest delight, The Tailor. The convoluted mystery, the world of tailoring and bespoke suits, and a scene that genuinely had me worried for George, all combine with probably the finest cast of characters in fiction to make this one of my best reads of the year.

And if that isn't enough for you, there's plenty of humor, too, such as calling an overzealous helicopter mother "an Apache assault helicopter" or the contest between two characters to see who can get the most information to Cross the quickest.

While I was trying to figure out what was going on, I was also catching up on the lives of the characters. Newly-appointed Detective Constable Alice Mackenzie has to learn how to be Cross's partner as well as how to deal with her relationship with Cross's biggest groupie. Any character-driven reader will feel as if they're in paradise as they read these books. 

I will restrain myself and stop waxing poetic about The Tailor (and the entire series). Yes, you could jump into the action with this latest book and not feel lost, but why deny yourself the pleasure of getting to know these characters (and solving some fine mysteries) from the very beginning (The Dentist)? Do it, please!

The Tailor by Tim Sullivan

eISBN: 9780802167156 

Atlantic Crime © 2026

eBook, 363 pages

Police Procedural, #8 DS George Cross

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

What a Beautiful Day! Weekly Link Round-Up

 

When I went outside this morning, it was overcast, and it made me smile. Phoenix gets about 300 days of sunny skies, and cloud cover makes a welcome change, especially in summer. It was nice not feeling as though I were being charbroiled while filling the birdbaths. I was also reminded of something that happened years ago. A customer came into the store where I worked and exclaimed, "What a beautiful day!" and she was met with smiles and much approval. Want to know why it was such a beautiful day? Because it was overcast! It made me think that Phoenix is the first place I've lived where people say that.

JR the raccoon visits every other day. He has his favorite ground-level birdbath he likes to paddle in, and if he splashes all the water out, he tips the neighboring birdbath over to refill it. He gets in the pool, too.

It's time to roundup this week's batch of goodies. Virtual hugs to you all, and enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Why is Anthropic destroying books?
• How a ball of thread gave us the word "clue."
• There are more "book boyfriends" than ever on our screens. Are they cringe or cool now?
• The Defense Department wants to ban hundreds of books. Here are the weirdest titles. 
• Artists are lawyering up against AI slop, and some are even winning.
• The peacock flower and reproductive resistance under slavery. (I have some of these in my garden. They're also known as red birds of paradise.)

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A man used this Civil War artifact as a paperweight on his desk. The bomb squad told him it was actually a live explosive. (From the size of the thing, he must've had a lot of papers to weigh down...)
• Australia's most notorious shipwreck tells a story of murder, slavery, mutiny-- and, now, "surprisingly sophisticated" trade in the 17th century.
• Archaeologists discovered two thumbnail-size bird sculptures carved from mammoth ivory 40,000 years ago.
• Mysterious shapes hidden beneath the Amazon canopy reveal a sprawling ancient civilization much bigger than researchers expected. More from Live Science.
• See a rare ceiling fresco from Pompeii that archaeologists are carefully reassembling, piece by piece, like an ancient puzzle.
• Vounous Bowl: A 4,000-year-old basin holding 4 miniature cows and 18 people-- that was buried in a Bronze Age tomb in Cyprus.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Yellowstone is among the world's best places to see wild wolves. Here's the story of the animal called both "public enemy" and cultural icon.
• An endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle named Pancake makes a triumphant return to the ocean after months of rehabilitation.
• From collecting whale snot to capturing surprising behaviors, aerial drones are giving scientists a new view of sea life.
• Colugo: the "flying lemur" that doesn't fly and isn't a lemur.
• How cancer research for dogs is helping improve treatment for pets and humans alike.
• The U.S. Army is getting rid of most of its ceremonial horse units. (I never will forget Black Jack in JFK's funeral procession.)

►The Wanderer◄

• This 400-year-old impenetrable Japanese castle that survived a samurai siege just crumbled in an earthquake.
• The best countries for quality of life, ranked.
• The lost civic life of movie rental stores.
• See 20 picturesque views of Paris.
• Before cultural and natural wonders earn UNESCO World Heritage status, they are put on a "tentative" list. Here are five nominees worth visiting now.
• Crime and the City: Bath.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Discover the story of Gertrude Ederle, an Olympic gold medalist and world record setter who made waves as the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel.
• James Baldwin's complicated relationship with psychoanalysis.
• How Jack the Ripper became a legend.
• American pilot Richard Bong downed 40 enemy aircraft during World War II. Researchers discovered the wreck of his plane in a Pacific jungle and brought a wing back to his home state.
• Stanford University's founding matriarch, Jane Stanford, was a travel-loving philanthropist who met a tragic end. A new exhibition explores her life, grief, and death by poison.
• Jackie Mitchell, the woman who (maybe) struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• 10 Roman mythology words you use every day.
• 8 of Anthony Bourdain's favorite books.
• The buzziest mysteries and thrillers coming in the second half of 2026.
• Barack Obama's 2026 summer reading list.
• Mysteries where the whole town is a suspect.
• 6 beach cozy mysteries.

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!