A Glorious 22 Days Weekly Link Round-Up

 

It's amazing how quickly three weeks can fly by when two of my family treasures are visiting. Suzanne and Daisy brightened my life with their presence, their love, and their caring. I didn't want to see them leave. 

We accomplished a lot in the time they were here, and we managed to have some fun outings, too. I can hear you asking, and the answer is yes, I will be sharing photos in the near future. My two nieces got to see some places that aren't usual tourist stops, like my doctor's office and the Social Security Administration office, but we also did a lot of fun things. You'll have to wait for the photographic proof.

In the mean time, I will share the photo the Uber driver took of the three of us on the evening Suzanne and Daisy left. 

I miss them.

But enough of that. Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• How bookstores choose the books they stock.
• The era of the bookish influencer.
• The A.I. writing panic is completely missing the point.
• The "Great British Bake Off" of the 1600s would have been all alphabet cookies.
• For the first time ever, Amazon is cutting old Kindles off from the Kindle store.
• A Pew survey finds that readers still prefer print books.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• This medieval castle sits atop a prehistoric time capsule. New excavations could reveal the history of Neanderthals in Britain.
• The Titanic carried 3,500 life jackets, but almost all of them have been lost to history. This one just sold at auction for nearly $1 million.
• In times of trouble, the Maya rejected divine kingship. This newly discovered public building reveals how the transition to shared power unfolded.
• A pirate shipwreck off the coast of Cape Cod sets the historical record straight on West African gold.
• Archaeologists discovered a perfectly circular ancient Egyptian temple that may have been used for sacred water rituals.
• Take a look at a 4,500-year-old ancient Egyptian funeral "gown" that was in vogue during the Old Kingdom.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Scientists found 5.6 million burrowing bees beneath a cemetery in New York. The group is one of the largest on record.
• An endangered ocelot has traversed 4 Sky Islands in southeastern Arizona, setting a record and inspiring conservation efforts.
• Large invasive rodents called nutria are wreaking havoc in California. New research suggests someone deliberately introduced them.
• In the 1990s, a dog named Wishbone taught kids about Shakespeare and Homer. A new documentary tells his tale-- from his backflips to his historical hats.
• Does your cat always leave behind a half-full bowl of food? New research points to why our furry friends can be such picky eaters.
• European hedgehogs' hearing might be attuned to ultrasonic sounds. The discovery could help scientists save the declining species.

►The Wanderer◄

• The Colorado River may have pooled and spilled over to form the Grand Canyon, solving a long-standing mystery-- but not everyone agrees.
• Shakespeare's house in London was lost to history. A scholar discovered a map in the archives that revealed its exact location.
• Inside the secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
• Songkran is Thailand's splashing New Year's festival, when everyone gets out a super soaker and prepares to get drenched.
• See 15 sensational scenes of Switzerland, Europe's alpine wonderland that's beautiful no matter the season.
• How the Rio Grande was engineered into a border.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• After poet John Keats' love story was cut short, his letters mysteriously disappeared-- until rare book dealers acted on a hunch.
• In the parlors of Black bibliophiles: how Arturo Schomburg built a library and made history.
• Born to a family of sharecroppers, topiary artist Pearl Fryar overcame discrimination to become the "Picasso of Plants."
• Jane Harper on Australian crime fiction, settings, and crafting slow-burn suspense.
• Punjabi Princess Sophia Duleep Singh fought for women's suffrage and sheltered refugees during World War II. A goddaughter of Queen Victoria, she rejected British Imperialism.
• What knitting has taught author Miranda Shulman about writing.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Your Orient Express reading list.
• 5 chillingly accurate movies that seemingly foresaw the rise of AI.
• 6 literary mysteries set in the 1980s.
• 26 books with older protagonists.
• 8 must-read international mysteries and thrillers.
• 8 binge-worthy British detective TV series.

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!